Zoning explained · Palm Beach County

C-3 general commercial district Tequesta, Florida

The C-3 district provides lands for a general variety of commercial uses offering a wide range of goods and services. Permitted uses include retail, business, medical/professional office, restaurants (excluding fast food/drive-in/carryout), wholesale establishments, automotive repair, printing, and general service and repair; heavier or higher-impact uses (fuel stations, shopping centers, fast food, indoor amusements, major automotive repair, larger places of assembly) are special exceptions.

8 buildings zoned C-333 permitted business types
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Insights › Zoning & land use › Tequesta — C-3
Permitted uses

What you can operate in C-3, Tequesta

The businesses the C-3 district in Tequesta allows. The ones on the left are permitted by right; the ones on the right need a special approval first. (Zoning codes are set by each municipality, so C-3 here means specifically Tequesta's C-3 district.)

Allowed by right
Retail sales and servicesBusiness servicesHealth care facility or medical or dental office; professional office; professional servicesPersonal servicesRetail package liquors, lounges and barsRestaurants, excluding fast food restaurants, drive-in restaurants and carryout restaurantsRestaurant, specialtyNurseriesFloristsPrinting establishmentsCarwashBakeryAutomotive repair establishmentsDry cleaning and laundry establishments, including laundromatsWholesale establishmentsGeneral service and repair establishmentsWireless telecommunication towers and antennas located on village owned property (Art. IX, Div. 5)Motor vehicle dealers (conditions: 2-5 acre site; 1,000 ft from another dealer; limited hours, closed Sundays; all servicing indoors; used-vehicle sales only accessory; 3,000 sf minimum new-vehicle showroom; 15% landscaping; fenced rear-yard vehicle storage)Places of assembly, 1,500 square feet or less (all events inside a building; accessory preschool/school, assembly halls, community centers, offices, gift shop, playgrounds and athletic fields allowed)Veterinary officeMedical marijuana treatment centers (500 ft from schools; state license; comply with F.S. 381.986)
With special approval
Public utility buildings (water pumping/treatment plants, sewage lift stations, electric substations); police and fire stations; libraries and governmental usesPlaces of assembly, 1,515 square feet or more (events entirely within a building; listed accessory uses allowed)Theaters (events entirely within a building; none started after 11:00 p.m.)Full-service fuel station or gasoline service station (40 ft main building setback; 50 ft from residential district; no vehicle sales/rental; 7-day emergency backup generator)Convenience store (not within 1,500 ft of another; security/camera and lighting requirements; generator if fuel is dispensed)Wireless telecommunication towers and antennas on property not village owned (Art. IX, Div. 5)Indoor amusements (bowling, pool, billiards, video game arcade and similar)Drive-in/fast food/carryout restaurants (defined stacking lanes; bypass lane if one-way flow)Automotive repair establishments (major or minor)Shopping centersAdult entertainment, pursuant to Art. XIIIPrivate museum (500 ft minimum from any other private museum; Sec. 78-363/78-364 criteria)
Build envelope

Development standards

Headline dimensional limits for this district. Confirm exact figures against the current code for your specific parcel.

StandardMinimum lot size 5,000 sf; minimum lot width 50 ft
StandardMaximum lot coverage 40%; minimum landscaped open space 25%
StandardFront yard 15 ft; side yard none except 10 ft at any intersecting street and where contiguous with a noncommercial district; rear yard 10 ft (none where abutting railroad right-of-way or spur track)
StandardMaximum building height 3 stories / 40 ft
StandardUses are regulated by the Tequesta Drive Overlay, U.S. Highway 1 Overlay and Village Center Overlay where applicable (Secs. 78-211 to 78-213)
Sec. 78-178(e)any use or structure not specifically or by reasonable implication permitted is prohibited
Accessory usesAny accessory use customarily incidental to a permitted use
StandardRead from Sec. 78-178 (with Sec. 78-143 schedule of site requirements); permitted = by right, conditional = needs conditional-use / special-exception approval
The fine print

In plain English

BY RIGHT No hearing needed

If your business is on the by-right list, you can occupy a space in this district and open — no zoning hearing. Building permits and licensing still apply, but the use itself is already allowed.

SPECIAL Approval first

Special-approval uses can work here too, but they go through a public review before opening. Plan for extra time and possible conditions — we'll tell you which path a space needs.

Looking for space zoned C-3 in Tequesta?

Tell us what you'll run in it — we'll match you to the right building in Tequesta and flag anything that needs approval.

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Based on the Tequesta zoning code.
Educational content — not legal or zoning advice. Verify permitted uses with the municipality for your specific parcel.