General Commercial (GC) District

Purpose and Intent

The GC District is established to accommodate mid-scale, citywide-serving, nonresidential development and activity centers. The GC District is intended to preserve opportunities for commercial uses over the long-term to maintain the fiscal viability of the city. Development in this district shall consist primarily of nonresidential uses but may allow for limited inclusion of buildings that include both a residential and nonresidential use to expand employment opportunities and activate commercial areas throughout the day.  New development in the GC District shall be pedestrian-oriented, provide multimodal connectivity to surrounding development, and include public gathering space. 

Summary of Allowable Uses

Please refer to Section 18-168 for a complete list of principal uses; Section 18-334 contains a list of accessory uses; and Section 18-366 contains a list of temporary uses.

Legend:

  • (SUP): Special Use Permit required 
  • (L): Limited use standards apply
  • (TUP) Temporary Use Permit required

Note: If no item in the legend is listed next to a listed land use, it is permitted by right in the GC district

Main Uses

Agriculture and Animal Related Uses

  • Animal Clinic / Day Care, with Outdoor Runs
  • Animal Clinic / Day Care, without Outdoor Runs
  • Animal Kennel, without Outdoor Runs (SUP)
  • Community Garden
  • Crop Production (L)

Commercial Uses

  • Artisan Manufacturing
  • Bank, Credit Union, Financial Services 
  • Bar / Lounge / Tavern (L)
  • Equipment Rental (L)
  • Food Truck Court
  • General Commercial, 5,000 sq ft or less
  • General Commercial, more than 5,000 sq ft (L)
  • General Office / Professional Services, 5,000 sq ft or less
  • General Office / Professional Services, more than 5,000 sq ft (L)
  • Liquor Store (L)
  • Marijuana Store (L)
  • Medical Clinic 
  • Micro Alcohol (L)
  • Natural Medicine Healing Center
  • Pawnshop (L)
  • Personal Services (L)
  • Private Convention Center (SUP)
  • Private Event/Banquet Facility
  • Restaurant 5,000 sq ft or less
  • Restaurant more than 5,000 sq ft (L)
  • Sexually Oriented Business (SUP)
  • Tobacco Store

Entertainment Uses

  • Cultural and Arts Facility
  • Private Entertainment / Recreation / Fitness Facility, Indoor
  • Movie Theater (L)

Industrial, Automotive, and Transportation Uses

  • Brewery / Winery / Distillery (SUP)
  • Car Wash (SUP)
  • Catering
  • Commercial Kitchen
  • Heavy Industrial, Indoor (SUP)
  • Heliport (SUP)
  • Mining (SUP)
  • Recycling Collection Center (SUP)
  • Self-Service Storage Indoor Above Ground Floor
  • Transit Passenger Shelter
  • Transit Station
  • Vehicle Fueling Station (SUP)
  • Vehicle Rental (SUP)
  • Vehicle Service - Minor Repair / Maintenance (L)
  • Well / Production Sites

Lodging Uses

  • Hotel and Motel (SUP)

Public and Institutional Uses

  • Business / Technical / Trade School, Indoor Activity Only 
  • Cemetery / Mausoleum (SUP)
  • Civic Meeting Facility
  • Crematorium (SUP)
  • Day Care Facility
  • Funeral Home / Mortuary (L)
  • Hospital / Sanitarium (SUP)
  • Institutional Residential, Assisted Living and Long-Term Care 
  • Library
  • Park
  • Post Office
  • Public Entertainment / Recreation Facility 
  • Public Service / Safety Facility
  • Recovery Residence
  • Religious Institution
  • Transitional Housing (SUP)

Residential Uses

  • Dwelling, Live-Work (SUP)
  • Multi-Unit Dwelling, Above Ground Floor (single lot) (SUP)

Utilities and Infrastructure Uses

  • Commercial Satellite Dish (SUP)
  • Public Utility Facilities
  • Utility or Government Installation Other than Listed (SUP)
  • Water Treatment Plant, Reservoir and Water Storage Tanks
  • Wireless Telecommunications, Tower and Equipment (SUP)

Accessory Uses

  • Accessory Building / Structure
  • Accessory Fleet Vehicle Storage / Maintenance (SUP)
  • Accessory Food Truck Court
  • Accessory Outdoor Merchandise Display and Sales
  • Accessory Outdoor Seating
  • Accessory Outdoor Storage
  • Accessory Retail / Restaurant
  • Amateur Telecommunications Facility
  • Drive-Through Facilities (SUP)
  • Golf Safety Net (SUP)
  • Home Occupation 
  • Solar Energy Collection System, Canopy
  • Solar Energy Collection System, Ground-Mounted
  • Solar Energy Collection System, Roof-Mounted
  • Wind Energy Conversion Systems
  • Wireless Telecommunications, Building/Structure Mounted (L)

Temporary Uses

  • Mobile Vendor
  • Pop-Up Retail / Restaurant 
  • Seasonal Sales 
  • Special Event
  • Temporary Concrete or Asphalt Batch Plant
  • Temporary Donation Collection Bin
  • Temporary Grazing
  • Temporary Parking Lot
  • Temporary Use, Other

Development Standards:

To access the complete development standards for the GC zone district, use this link to Section 18-92 of the Code.

Table 18-92.1. GC District dimensional standards by use.

Regulation

Dwelling, Live - Work

 (with alley access or no vehicular access)

[1] [2]

Multi-Unit Dwelling, Above Ground Floor 

(with or without alley) 

[1] [2] 

All Other Uses

(with or without alley)

[1] 

Development Site Area, Minimum per Dwelling Unit (square feet)N/A1,000N/A
Lot Area, Minimum per Dwelling Unit (square feet) 1,300N/AN/A
Lot Width, Minimum per Dwelling unit (feet) 19N/AN/A
Front or Street Side Setback, Minimum (feet)1015 Arterial;
10 Collector or Local		15 Arterial;
10 Collector or Local
Front or Street Side Setback, Maximum (feet)N/A35 Arterial;
15 Collector or Local		25 Arterial;
20 Collector or Local
Interior Side Setback, Minimum (feet) [3] [4]51010

Rear Setback, Minimum (feet) 

[4] [5]

10 / 01515
Building Height, Maximum (feet) [6]456545
Frontage Build-Out on Primary Street, Minimum (%) [7]N/A4050
Lot Coverage, Maximum (%)938080
Distance Between Buildings Up to Two Stories, Minimum (feet)N/A1010
Distance Between Buildings More Than Two Stories, Minimum (feet)N/A2020

 

Table 18-92.1 footnotes:
  1. No vehicular circulation or parking is allowed between the building and street except for developments within the Highway E-470 right-of-way or when specifically required to provide access necessary to adhere to Fire Codes. Otherwise, parking locations and vehicular access shall be consistent with the allowable locations identified in Section 18-648.
  2. Residential uses may not have front vehicular access directly from the street. Vehicular access shall be rear access through an alley or parking lot.
  3. Standard shall not apply if fire rated partition wall meeting all Thornton Building Code requirements is provided.
  4. Standard shall depend on required buffer yards as detailed in Section 18-600.
  5. The first number is for the principal structure, second is for accessory structure or alley-loaded garage with no driveway. 
  6. Buildings over 45 feet in height shall meet the height transition standards in Section 18-142.
  7. Primary street is defined, for the purposes of this provision, to be at least one arterial street, and, if no arterial streets abut the project site, at least one collector, private street or other access easement abutting the site.

GC District, Additional Standards 

Use this link to Section 18-92(b) to access the additional provisions. 

  • Buildings containing a residential use shall not exceed 25 percent of the total land area of the site proposed to be developed. Buildings that contain 100 percent nonresidential uses on the ground floor are exempt from this requirement.