East Berlin City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
Commercial C District
§ 500-14 Statement of legislative intent.
It is hereby declared to be the intent of the C District to:
A.
Ensure that automobile-oriented uses, customarily associated with commercial areas along major roadways, are provided only in locations outside of East Berlin's historic, mixed use core and surrounding residential areas.
B.
Maintain and enhance attractive "gateways" along Harrisburg and Abbottstown Streets to the historic, mixed-use core of East Berlin Borough.
C.
Provide for appropriate landscaping and on-site improvements in commercial areas to ensure that aesthetic and environmental qualities are maintained and enhanced in East Berlin's commercial areas.
D.
Discourage the appearance of strip commercial development through the careful placement of buildings, parking lots, and landscaping.
E.
Encourage the conversion, over time, of the Harrisburg Street and Abbottstown Street corridors into pedestrian-scaled commercial settings that reflect the appearance and character of the historic core of East Berlin Borough.
§ 500-15 Use regulations.
A.
Permitted uses. The following uses are permitted in the C District:
(1)
Restaurants, excluding those with drive-through service.
(2)
Financial institutions, excluding those with drive-through service.
(3)
Automobile, motorcycle, boat, and similar vehicle sales and/or service.
(4)
Hotels.
(5)
Motels.
(6)
Retail stores, excluding those with drive-through service and those including gasoline sales.
(7)
Bars and nightclubs.
(8)
Business/professional/medical offices.
(9)
Hospitals, clinics, and related medical care facilities.
(10)
Commercial recreation.
(11)
Health clubs.
(12)
Places of worship.
(13)
Governmental uses.
(14)
Emergency services.
(15)
Forestry.
B.
Accessory uses. The following uses are permitted as accessory uses to any permitted principal use in the C District.
C.
Special exception uses. The following uses are permitted by special exception in the C District in accordance with the following standards and criteria, any additional reasonable conditions that the Zoning Hearing Board may deem necessary to apply, and in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 500-96 of this chapter:
§ 500-16 Site development standards.
A.
General standards. The following standards shall be applied to all properties in the C District.
(1)
Landscaping. For all development within the C District, the following landscaping standards shall apply.
(a)
Quantity of landscaping. A minimum of two planting units shall be provided for every 1,000 square feet, or portion thereof, of building coverage proposed after the effective date of this section. This quantity shall be in addition to any other plantings required in other sections of this chapter.
(b)
Credit for existing landscaping. Credit for up to 50% of the minimum landscaping quantity requirements may be given for retaining major deciduous trees on the site, provided the following conditions are achieved:
[1]
The major deciduous trees shall be in good health.
[2]
The major deciduous trees shall be located within 25 feet of improvements on the property (for example, buildings and parking lots) that support the use.
[3]
The applicant shall replace any major deciduous tree which contributes to the minimum quantity of landscaping with another major deciduous tree if it should die within two years of the completion of the development.
(c)
Landscaping plan submission. A landscaping plan depicting the required plantings shall be provided with all required submissions in support of a given project. At a minimum, this includes applications for special exception approval and for zoning permit approval.
(d)
Landscaping compliance table. A table shall be provided with every landscaping plan with sufficient detail to demonstrate compliance with the landscaping requirements of this section. At a minimum, the table shall include the following:
(2)
Dumpsters. Dumpsters shall be located in side or rear yards in accordance with the side and rear setback standards established in § 500-17D. Dumpsters shall be placed within a masonry or fenced enclosure equipped with a self-latching gate.
(3)
Outdoor storage and display. Outdoor product display or storage shall be prohibited unless said display area is screened from view from adjoining roads or properties by landscaping or fencing. No outdoor product display or storage shall be located in the front yard. This section shall not be applicable to vehicle sales businesses.
(4)
Ingress and egress.
(a)
Paved and curbed accessways leading to and from adjoining public streets shall be built to the dimensional requirements specified in Chapter 450, Subdivision and Land Development, of this Code.
(b)
For existing lots which have less than 150 feet of frontage along an adjoining public street, a maximum of one accessway to a public street shall be permitted.
(c)
Corner lots shall be permitted a maximum of one accessway to each public street that the corner lot fronts.
(d)
No property shall have more than two accessways, and any accessway shall be spaced a minimum of 80 feet from any other.
(5)
Sidewalks. For all development within the C District, sidewalks shall be provided along all public street frontage. Sidewalks shall comply with applicable design requirements of Chapter 450, Subdivision and Land Development, of this Code, and shall extend the existing Borough sidewalk network where such network does not currently exist.
B.
Developed properties. Currently developed properties shall be subject to the following requirements in addition to those requirements of § 500-16A.
(1)
Building location. Building additions and new buildings shall be located in accordance with the following standards:
(2)
Parking location. Should additional parking be required as a result of an expansion of an existing use of property or the change of a use of property, such additional parking shall be located in the side or rear yard. Such additional parking shall not be authorized in the front yard unless the property in question is a corner lot. In this case, such additional parking may be authorized in the front yard of the secondary frontage, but shall not be authorized in the front yard of the primary frontage.
(3)
Loading location. Should additional loading spaces be required as a result of an expansion of an existing use of property of the change of a use of property, such loading spaces shall be located in the rear yard.
C.
Vacant or redeveloped properties. Vacant properties or properties proposed for redevelopment shall be subject to the following requirements:
(2)
Building orientation. New principal buildings shall be oriented such that the customer entrances face the front of the property and the associated public street.
(3)
Pedestrian orientation. A clearly defined pedestrian walkway shall be provided connecting the sidewalk with the front customer entrance. Defined pedestrian walkways shall be provided within parking areas in accordance with the parking lot design standards of § 500-68G and shall connect the parking areas to the customer entrance.
(4)
Building design. New buildings shall comply with the following building design standards.
(a)
Building facades shall be interrupted at least once within every 100 horizontal feet, with offsets of two or more feet in depth along any building facade facing a public street.
(b)
Rear and side facades shall be of the color and materials that are similar to the front facade.
(c)
Building ridgelines and roof planes shall be interrupted at least once every 100 feet by a vertical change or by a design feature such as a new gable or a dormer.
(d)
Rooftop equipment, including, but not limited to, HVAC equipment, shall be shielded from public view by a parapet or similar roof design feature.
(e)
Where two or more buildings are proposed to comprise a development, all buildings shall share a common and coherent architectural theme.
(5)
Parking location. Parking shall not be authorized in the front yard, unless the property in question is a corner lot. In this case, parking may be authorized in the front yard of the secondary frontage, but shall not be authorized in the front yard of the primary frontage.
(6)
Frontage landscaping. The following frontage landscaping standards shall apply to all proposed development, except when such development is proposed for a corner lot, in which case the following standards shall only apply along the principal frontage.
(a)
All of the area between a building and the public right-of-way shall be landscaped. Pedestrian amenities (i.e., sidewalks, outdoor patios and dining areas, etc.) may be permitted within the required landscaping area.
(b)
No other components of any use (i.e., product display area, product sales or delivery features, etc.) may be permitted in this area.
(7)
Loading location. Loading spaces shall only be located in the rear yard.