B-3 General Commercial District Setback Requirements in Kissimmee
Development within the B-3 General Commercial District in the City of Kissimmee must adhere to a minimum front setback of 25 feet and a street side setback of 20 feet. Side and rear setbacks are generally established at a minimum of 10 feet, although the City of Kissimmee requires these to be increased significantly if the property abuts certain residential zoning districts. All setbacks are measured as the distance from the property line, other structures, or environmental features to the nearest point of the building or parking area [Section 14-2: Terms Defined].
Standard Setback Requirements
The following table outlines the minimum dimensional requirements for building placement within the City of Kissimmee B-3 General Commercial District.
| Setback Type | Minimum Distance |
|---|---|
| Front Setback | 25 feet |
| Side Setback (Interior) | 10 feet |
| Street Side Setback (Corner Lot) | 20 feet |
| Rear Setback | 10 feet |
[Table 4-5: Site Standards - Non-Residential Districts]
Height-Based Setback Adjustments
When a non-residential development in the B-3 General Commercial District abuts a single-family residential zoning district (including RE, RA-1, RA-2, RA-3, RA-4, RB-1, RB-2, and MH), the City of Kissimmee mandates a restrictive height-to-setback ratio. In these instances, the developer must provide a setback of one foot for every foot of building height [Section 14-4-6.C].
Developers may choose between three options to satisfy this requirement:
- Option A: Apply the setback to each floor above the second story (the "step-back" approach).
- Option B: Apply the setback to the entire building façade.
- Option C: Set back all stories located above the second floor [Section 14-4-6.C].
Additionally, the first 50 feet of any rooftop closest to a single-family zoned lot in the City of Kissimmee cannot be occupied by active uses that produce noise, such as open-air restaurants or bars [Section 14-4-6.C].
Permitted Setback Encroachments
The City of Kissimmee Land Development Code permits specific architectural and mechanical elements to extend into the required B-3 General Commercial District setbacks as follows:
- Roof Projections: May project up to 3 feet into any required setback.
- Balconies and Awnings: May project up to 3 feet into any required setback area, provided they have no supports within the setback zone.
- Mechanical Units: Air conditioning units, pool pumps, and similar equipment may project up to 5 feet into a required rear or side yard setback, provided at least 2 feet of the yard remains unobstructed.
- Stoops and Porches: Stoops, colonnades, and open-sided porches may encroach up to 10 feet into the front setback, but they must remain at least 5 feet from the front property line [Section 14-4-6.A.3].
Multi-Frontage Yard Identification
For B-3 General Commercial District lots in the City of Kissimmee that feature multiple frontages (such as corner or through lots), the Director makes a determination regarding which yard constitutes the "front." In cases of corner or through lots, the front yard is typically a continuation of the front yard of adjacent lots or the lots across the street. Other sides facing a street are designated as "street side" yards [Section 14-4-6.A.1].
Sections Cited
- Section 14-2: Terms Defined
- Section 14-4-6: Regulations for zoning districts
- Section 14-4-6.A.1: Yard identification on multiple frontage lots
- Section 14-4-6.A.3: Setback encroachments
- Section 14-4-6.C: Building height and setbacks adjacent to residential zoning
- Table 4-5: Site Standards - Non-Residential Districts