East Bradford Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXI
C-3 Historic Neighborhood Commercial District
§ 115-132 Purpose; applicability.
A.
It is the intent of the C-3 District, as generally outlined in the East Bradford Township Comprehensive Plan, to provide for retail, service and office uses in a manner that is compatible with the scale of surrounding neighborhoods and which promotes continued use of historical structures. The C-3 District establishes standards for unified and organized arrangement of buildings, service and parking areas to promote those ends and to facilitate access management in the Township.
[Amended 4-9-2002 by Ord. No. 4-2002]
B.
In the C-3 Historic Neighborhood Commercial District, the following regulations shall apply.
§ 115-133 Use regulations.
A.
A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used for any one of the following purposes and for no other:
(1)
A convenience store, provided that there is 250 feet between individual structures containing a convenience store use.
(2)
The retail sale of dry goods, variety and general merchandise, clothing, food, flowers, drugs, hardware and household supplies or furnishings designed to serve the immediate neighborhood; and the sale or repair of jewelry, watches and clocks, cameras, optical goods or musical, professional or scientific instruments.
(3)
Barbershops, hairdressers, tailoring, shoemaking and repair and other shops for personal service. Cleaning, laundering and processing of film shall not be permitted on premises within the C-3 District.
(4)
A bakery, confectioner or custom shop for preparation of food and related items to be sold at retail on the premises.
(5)
An eating and drinking establishment, excluding fast-food restaurants and pizza shops.
(6)
A bank or medical, dental, legal, insurance, financial, real estate, travel, administrative and other professional office or agency.
(7)
An exercise facility, dance studio, weight-loss center or similar personal fitness or educational service.
(8)
A day-care center.
B.
The following use shall be permitted by conditional use when authorized by the Board of Supervisors, subject to the provisions of this chapter, and in particular §§ 115-134, 115-135, 115-136 and 115-77, and also subject to the requirement that any change of any use in the multiple use facility(ies) shall require the application for and issuance of a new use and occupancy permit:
[Amended 12-13-2006 by Ord. No. 8-2006]
(2)
Adaptive reuse of Class I or Class II historic resource pursuant to the provisions of §§ 115-131.2 and 115-131.3. In this C-3 Historic Neighborhood Commercial District, an adaptive reuse of a Class I or Class II Historic Resource may include conversion of the resource to a residential use permitted in the R-4 Residential District.
(3)
Telecommunication antennas affixed to existing electrical transmission structures, as an accessory use.
[Added 8-10-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
§ 115-134 Area and bulk regulations.
The following area and bulk regulations shall apply:
A.
Gross area: one-acre minimum; where multiple use of a single lot or tract is permitted as a conditional use, there shall be no less than 14,000 square feet of gross tract area per individual use.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
B.
Lot width at street line/building line: 150 feet minimum.
C.
Building coverage: 15% maximum.
D.
Floor area ratio: 25% maximum.
E.
Landscaped open space: 40% minimum, provided that landscaping required for parking is not included.
F.
Building setbacks/yard areas: 30 feet minimum from any street right-of-way or lot line, 50 feet minimum from any zoning district boundary. Structures that have been designated Class I or II historic resources, including additions to such structures undertaken in accordance with § 115-135 below, are exempt from this provision.
G.
Building and accessory building or structure height: two stories above grade plane or 25 feet maximum.
[Amended 9-13-2011 by Ord. No. 3-2011]
H.
The longest dimension of any building may not exceed 325 linear feet.
§ 115-135 Site development standards.
B.
For multiple use of a single lot or tract where permitted as a conditional use pursuant to § 115-133B, the applicant shall prepare a plan indicating how the lot or tract will be developed and used. The plan shall also identify specific ownership and maintenance responsibilities of the lot or tract, buildings, structures and other improvements. The plan shall also demonstrate compliance with the following standards:
(1)
The design of the structures and landscaping shall complement historical architectural and landscape themes evident on the tract or on adjacent tracts. To facilitate such compliance, plans shall be submitted to the East Bradford Historical Commission for review and comment prior to conditional use approval. In particular, the applicant shall demonstrate compliance with the following provisions, where applicable:
(a)
Any construction plans for the rehabilitation, alteration or enlargement of a Class I historic resource must be in substantial compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's currently adopted Standards for Rehabilitation, as revised (refer to (§ 115-128), and must otherwise comply with the provisions of Article XX, Historic Resource Protection Standards.
[Amended 8-10-2004 by Ord. No. 4-2004]
(b)
The design of any new structures, including exterior light fixtures, in terms of how such structures may be viewed from public roads or surrounding properties, shall, to the extent reasonably feasible to do so, replicate proportional relationships of form and massing evident in existing historic resources and shall complement the overall appearance of such resources, including ratios of height to width, length of individual facade segment, roof pitch, relative size and placement of windows, doors and other facade details. In addition, every 120 linear feet of facade of a building shall be offset by a minimum of three feet.
[Amended 4-10-2001 by Ord. No. 2-2001]
(c)
Authentic period materials and colors shall be utilized on any portion of any structure visible from a public right-of-way or from any neighboring residence, including exterior light fixtures. Appropriate replication may be substituted upon the recommendation of the East Bradford Historical Commission.
[Amended 4-10-2001 by Ord. No. 2-2001]
(d)
Facilities and equipment for heating/air conditioning, trash collection and compaction and other structural elements not in keeping with historical architectural themes shall be concealed architecturally or otherwise screened from view.
(e)
Existing trees greater than eight inches diameter at breast height (dbh) and any historical landscape features shall be preserved to the greatest degree feasible.
(2)
There shall be a maximum of one point of primary vehicular access per tract, which access may consist of a combined point of ingress and egress or separate points of ingress and egress, one each. Multiple uses on a single tract existing as of the effective date of this article shall be provided shared access, whether or not further subdivision occurs after said date. Where improvement to public safety and convenience can be demonstrated, additional secondary points of access may be permitted to provide for deliveries.
(3)
Primary points of vehicular access shall be a minimum of 24 feet wide and have a depth of 40 feet before being intersected by an internal access aisle and shall comply with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) requirements.
(4)
Parking requirements shall be calculated in accordance with § 115-58. Parking facilities for multiple use of a single lot or tract may be designed as a common parking lot or lots, provided that the required number of spaces are provided per the standards for a planned commercial development as specified in § 115-58B(2)(e)[16].
[Amended 2-10-2009 by Ord. No. 1-2009]
(5)
There shall be a landscaped area provided between the street right-of-way and interior parking areas with a minimum width of eight feet, extending the entire frontage, except where such frontage is broken by pedestrian or vehicular accessways or where precluded by the presence of any Class I or II historic resources. Any unpaved area between the street right-of-way and the edge of the cartway shall also be continuously maintained as a landscaped area. No improvements other than access drives shall be permitted within these landscaped areas. Landscaping shall consist of select material and be designated so as not to obstruct vision along the street. Landscaping species shall be resistant to road salt and contamination associated with vehicular traffic.
(6)
All parking areas shall be landscaped, in accordance with § 115-45.1 of this chapter.
[Amended 12-13-2006 by Ord. No. 8-2006]
(7)
There shall be a landscaped buffer along all property lines which abut a residential use, with a minimum depth of 30 feet, except where broken by pedestrian or vehicular accessways or where precluded by the presence of any Class I or II historic resources. Plantings within the buffer shall be in accordance with § 115-45.1 of this chapter. The portions of a lot not used for parking, buildings or buffer shall be landscaped in accordance with §§ 115-45 of and 115-45.1 this chapter.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(8)
Unless adequate provision of off-site sewage disposal is provided, there shall be a minimum contiguous area suitable for on-site sewage disposal which is 20% of the tract, but in no case less than 10,000 square feet.
(9)
Only one freestanding sign shall be permitted on each lot or tract, existing as of the effective date of this article, whether or not further subdivided after said date. Such sign may serve as a directory use on the lot. All individual signs otherwise shall be mounted to the building or structure housing the use. Internally illuminated signs are prohibited. All signs within the C-3 Historic Neighborhood Commercial District shall require a review in accordance with the provisions of § 115-127 herein.
[Amended 4-9-2002 by Ord. No. 4-2002; 12-13-2006 by Ord. No. 8-2006]
(10)
The permitted hours of operation shall be from 6:00 a.m. through and including 11:00 p.m., prevailing time.
§ 115-136 Design standards.
In addition to the site development standards referred to above, the following design standards shall apply: