Bethlehem Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXXIII
HM Highway Maintenance District
§ 275-265 Purpose.
The purpose of this district is to:
A.
Provide within the Township of Bethlehem a sufficient location for necessary government facilities used for the storage of vehicles, equipment, materials and supplies for the maintenance of state and local expressways and streets, including accessory offices clearly incidental thereto.
B.
Recognize that:
(1)
Such location should be in close proximity to expressways and arterial streets;
(2)
Most uses, including in particular residential uses, are not closely compatible with abutting highway maintenance facilities and with an abutting expressway particularly where such uses lack direct interchange access to such expressways;
(3)
Highway maintenance facilities are utilized most frequently during winter seasons;
(4)
The allowance of a highway maintenance facility use requires the creation of a distinct zoning district which should provide for and encourage compatible uses which will be generally used most frequently during seasons other than winter; and
(5)
Industrial uses should be restricted within the zoning district in which highway maintenance facilities are located where the district is located in close proximity to existing residences and to an existing residential zoning district.
§ 275-266 Permitted-by-right uses.
Only the following are permitted-by-right uses in the HM District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article XX are met:
A.
The following agricultural uses:
B.
The following miscellaneous uses:
§ 275-267 Conditional uses.
There are no special exception uses in the HM District. Only the following are permitted conditional uses in the HM District, provided that the requirements for specific uses of Article XX are met:
§ 275-268 Specifically prohibited uses; covenant, restriction and acknowledgment of use limitations in deeds of conveyance.
All uses not specifically permitted are specifically prohibited, unless their allowance is clearly implied in the determination of the Zoning Hearing Board by a very closely similar use. Any deed of conveyance of all or any part of the lands within this district shall contain a covenant and restriction, and an acknowledgment by the grantee, that the uses allowed are limited to those set forth in §§ 275-266 and 275-267.
§ 275-269 Lot and setback regulations.
A.
Highway maintenance facilities. See § 275-189A(38)(a) for specific lot and setback regulations applicable to highway maintenance facilities, which apply in lieu of any inconsistent provisions of this section.
B.
Minimum lot area: two acres.
D.
Minimum lot depth: 200 feet.
E.
Minimum front yard setback: 50 feet from the future street right-of-way.
G.
Maximum lot coverage: 40% for buildings; 60% for total impervious coverage.
H.
Minimum side yard: 20 feet minimum for each of two side yards.
I.
Minimum rear yard: 35 feet.
J.
Maximum height. Whichever of the following maximum heights is most restrictive shall apply:
K.
Enclosed structures. All manufacturing shall occur within completely enclosed structures.
L.
Setback from expressways: 100 feet minimum from the existing right-of-way of an expressway for all buildings.
M.
Setbacks from dwellings, setbacks from residential and agricultural districts; requirements for berms.
(1)
Any industrial use or area routinely used for the parking, storage, loading or unloading of two or more tractor-trailer trucks or refrigerated trucks shall be set back a minimum of 400 feet from any residential or agricultural district boundary, except:
(a)
Such setback shall not apply if such industrial use or truck area is separated from a residential or agricultural district by an existing expressway or a proposed expressway for which a final environmental impact statement has been completed; or
(b)
Such setback for such area for trucks shall be reduced to 200 feet if a principal building will completely separate the area for trucks from a residential or agricultural district.
(2)
An earth berm shall be constructed within the setback areas required by this subsection meeting the following conditions:
(a)
Berm height shall be measured along a series of lines within the setback area perpendicular to the lot line. The height of the berm along each line shall be not less than eight feet above the highest elevation within the setback along such line.
(b)
The maximum slope of the berm shall be three feet measured horizontally for each one foot measured vertically. Therefore, for example, four feet horizontally to one foot vertically shall be permitted, while two feet horizontally to one foot vertically shall be prohibited.
(c)
The minimum width of the top of the berm shall be five feet.
(d)
The toe of the slope of the berm adjacent to the lot line shall be not less than 25 feet from the lot line. The distance from the toe of the slope to the adjacent lot line shall be increased as necessary to insure that stormwater flows onto adjoining tracts are not altered in severity or flow characteristics from the predevelopment state.
N.
Facade materials. It is strongly encouraged that a minimum of 75% of the facades of buildings facing onto streets consist of glass, brick or other decorative masonry. This provision is intended to avoid metal or cinder block construction, at least as visible from a street. Subdividers are strongly encouraged to place such a requirement on each lot through deed restrictions.
O.
Landscaped front yards. Within any lot submitted for subdivision approval after the adoption date of this article, a minimum of 80% of the required minimum front yard setback area shall be maintained in landscaped green space. The intent is that the remaining 20% would be used for driveways, fire lanes, visitor parking, handicapped parking and walkways. Other vehicle parking is intended to primarily be placed to the side or rear of buildings.
Q.
Loading docks. An applicant shall prove to the satisfaction of the Township that loading docks routinely serving three or more tractor-trailer trucks have been located within reason to seek to minimize their visibility from dwellings, public streets and existing and planned expressways. No new loading dock routinely served by tractor-trailer trucks shall be located within 75 feet of the existing right-of-way of a public street.
R.
Bikeway. The Board of Commissioners may require that a recreational bicycle path be required to be constructed in place of requirements for sidewalks along streets. The Board of Commissioners may permit such bikeway be located outside of the street right-of-way if there is a satisfactory easement.
§ 275-270 Additional requirements.
B.
Signs. See Article XVIII. Signs in this HM District shall comply with the requirements applicable to the OB Office Business District.
C.
Site plan review. See § 275-178A, which requires site plan review by the Planning Commission for most principal nonresidential uses.
I.
Utilities. All commercial, industrial and institutional uses shall be served by both public water and public sewer service.