Zoning question
Perhaps my fellow Redditors can help me with my endeavor to buy some commercial property for myself.

I know a little bit about residential real estate but when it comes to commercial I am a lost puppy right now. What I’m unsure of is how the zoning operates. You see, I want to buy my first piece of property to run my business out of. It’s light industry printing, mostly screen printing. There’s a spot in my city available and it’s zoned C-4. I guess that’s commercial use. 

So could you do anything in this spot with industry at all like screen printing? My last location was a commercial park and I printed out of there, next to straight up retail spots... I’m unsure how they zoned it but there were 70 different businesses with varying from industry to commercial.
[{"id": "fclk08w", "text": "Easiest thing is engage a broker to represent you. If not you can call the engineering office of whatever entity assigns zoning and ask.", "replies": [{"id": "fcm9p7e", "text": "Brokers generally don\u2019t know shit other than to yes u to death and let u hear what u want to hear. All they care about is making the sale.", "replies": [{"id": "fcpi0y6", "text": "Sounds like you've worked with the wrong brokers.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fclkh9v", "text": "Location?", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fclnkbr", "text": "We need to know the location. \u201cZoning\u201d isn\u2019t a universal thing.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fclpyf2", "text": "Look up the C-4 zoning uses for the area.  This should give you an idea of what is permissible.  But as others have said, you're better off getting some help so that there is no misinterpretation.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fcm9hpv", "text": "Odds are the commercial park had a more inclusive zoning that allowed for heavier uses  (industrial or flex-office, etc) and retail users were a lighter use, which are typically allowed in those more inclusive zoning areas.\n\n\nTypically a zoning \u201cpyramid\u201d would look like this - and keep in mind the letters or labels change from city to city.\n\n\nC-1 (tier 1 retail) - neighborhood commercial... grocery stores, convenience stores, nail salons, light retail use.  Might cap size at \u201cx\u201d square feet to prevent big box users \n\nC-2 (tier 2 retail) - all of C-1 uses plus big box users and other higher traffic commercial uses\n\nC-3 (tier 3) - all of C-2 uses + more heavier uses.  Maybe bars are now allowed, or dry cleaners that don\u2019t ship offsite, so more hazardous chemicals are in play, etc.  Maybe noisier uses or some undesirable (pawn shop, head shop, check cashing, etc)\n\nAnd so on.\n\nThen you have industrial, which would typically allow all C-3 uses plus some light manufacturing.\n\n\nThis is all just an example but think of zoning classifications as cumulative in terms of use.  The zoning code should be available online, and if not, a quick call to the planning department at your city would get you a very straightforward answer.  That\u2019s what they are there for.\n\n\nSorry if formatting sucks, posting from mobile.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fcme996", "text": "This will vary from market to market (generally by county) so C4 will mean different things in different places. Most institutional buyers will consult RE attorneys to  pull survey and title search on commercial property during DD. While this process uncovers easements, cross rights and  Lien search it also includes commissioning \n of a PZR (property zoning report) to understand permitted uses per the  county zoning code. \n\nI would check the county zoning site online and enter the parcel ID as a general/reliable public resource vs paying $900/hr..at least for your cursory review. It makes sense to do this usually pre deposit and as you place the property under contract maybe have an expert review it as well. Since your buying in a flex park I\u2019d also ensure there isn\u2019t a POA/\u2018master associate agreement (kind of like Condo development HOA) that lays out  delineated usage restrictions on a map. This more commonly excludes things such as heavy manufacturing, vivariums or hazardous activities but can have limitations on industrial uses or expressly prohibit certain tenant types. Always worth checking as part of prudent Dd practices even if you\u2019re \u201cpretty sure\u201d the zoning conforms.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fcoyp0r", "text": "You definitely need to head straight for the planning dept of the city or county where is property is located.  Zoning can be crazy &amp; you can't assume anything.  If the property next door has a use identical to yours, your property could have different zoning &amp; that use is illegal.  \n\nThe planners in zoning should meet with you for free and you can probably get a zoning determination letter for a couple hundred bucks, I recommend doing that.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fcrxmqh", "text": "What will a determination letter do?", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fcsvtb8", "text": "Sounds like you haven\u2019t worked with enough brokers", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fcy0wya", "text": "Location?", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fdidubz", "text": "Its specific city to city there are a couple of sites and your traditional data companies like Reonomy, Loopnet, costar and corelogic that will give you the zone code.\n\nYou have to go  to the zone code yourself or you can try this site https://www.zoneomics.com\n\nOnce again C-4 doesn\u2019t mean the same thing city to city.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]