East Norriton Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIIA
EC Executive Campus District
§ 205-63.1 Intent.
The following is an expansion of the statement of community development objectives contained in Article I, § 205-3, of this chapter. It is the intent of this article to provide for offices in a campus setting with certain compatible commercial uses in districts of at least 10 acres and having at least 800 feet of frontage along a principal arterial street. Furthermore, it is the intent of this article to:
A.
Establish standards and certain limitations which encourage orderly and planned development of an architecturally harmonious office campus while prohibiting incompatible uses and minimizing community impact.
B.
Provide employment centers in close proximity to existing and future commercial and residential developments to reduce commuting distance for the workforce and minimize traffic impact as well as to enhance the community tax base.
C.
Ensure that residential and institutional neighbors will be buffered against the Executive Campus District and prevent encroachment upon existing highways by the use of setbacks and encourage the preservation of natural features and existing foliage.
D.
Encourage efficiency from shared planned parking and shared driveways through the use of an internal driveway network in order to eliminate uncontrolled access to exterior streets and to reduce excessive impervious surfaces.
§ 205-63.2 Regulations to apply.
In any EC Executive Campus District, the following regulations shall apply.
§ 205-63.3 Permitted uses.
[Amended 2-25-2014 by Ord. No. 550; 10-27-2015 by Ord. No. 566]
A building or buildings may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be occupied for the following purposes or combination of the following purposes and no other, provided that the requirements of the following sections are met:
A.
The following are the permitted uses in an Executive Campus District:
(1)
Offices for administration, executive, business, medical, veterinary, professional, sales, data processing, financial institutions, research and other uses of the same general character, including insurance and real estate offices, the normal attributes of which do not involve the actual bulk warehousing, exchange or delivery of inventory on the premises.
(2)
Municipal or governmental offices; educational or conference center uses.
(3)
Educational and academic institutions and studios for instruction and the production of music and other arts.
(4)
Communications broadcasting studios and offices.
(5)
Cafeterias, when allied with and contained within permitted office uses.
(6)
Retail uses as follows:
(a)
Retail sales when contained within the confines of permitted office buildings, parking garages or hotels. The total gross floor area of retail uses permitted by this subsection shall not exceed 10% of the total gross floor area approved for the entire executive campus development. In the event that the project is constructed in phases, the 10% of retail use shall be computed on fully completed phases.
(b)
Retail sales and/or a combination of retail sales and other uses that are permitted in the Executive Campus district, provided that the retail sales component shall be limited to a maximum floor area of 15,000 square feet and that such retail sales is limited confined to one building in the Executive Campus District.
(7)
Hotels with lodging accommodations of 100 or more rooms, provided that not more than two such hotel facilities shall be permitted within any EC District. Hotel restaurants and lounges shall be exempt from the 10% calculation when located within the hotel.
(8)
Day-care centers and nursery schools, provided that any mandatory state licensing requirements are met.
(9)
Off-street automobile parking facilities.
(10)
Accessory uses customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses.
(11)
Full-service restaurants and fast-casual restaurants.
(12)
Apartment house or group of apartment houses and related amenities, including, but not limited to, a fitness center, swimming pool, and/or community room, provided that such amenities are designated for use by the residents and guests of the apartment house(s) and that the apartment houses are a minimum of four stories in height. A maximum of two apartment houses shall be permitted in the Executive Campus District.
§ 205-63.4 Development requirements.
The plan for the development of an Executive Campus District shall include evidence and facts showing that it has considered and made provision for, and the development shall be executed in accordance with, the following essential conditions:
A.
A proposed development shall be constructed in accordance with an overall preliminary subdivision and land development plan for the entire site and shall be designed as a unified architectural unit with appropriate landscaping. If the development of the executive campus is to be constructed in phases, each phase shall be so planned that the foregoing requirements and the intent of this chapter shall be fully complied with at the completion of any phase. The initial phase of the development shall comprise a total floor area of not less than 30,000 square feet.
B.
A subdivision or land development plan which has been granted final approval by the Board of Supervisors for a proposed development in the EC District may not be altered without the approval of the Board of Supervisors. In order to be considered for subdivision for the sole purpose of facilitating secured financing and subsequent exemption from setback, coverage, area of tract/open space and fee requirements, a development in the EC District must provide documentation satisfactory to the Board of Supervisors and the Township Solicitor assuring the appropriate covenants are recorded against the affected parcels requiring all parcels to be operated and maintained in good order and repair, in a clean and sanitary condition, uniform with the appearance and maintenance of the Executive Campus District complex and providing appropriate covenants for driveways, accessways and easements for shared facilities and improvements.
§ 205-63.5 General regulations.
A.
Area of tract. Not less than 10 acres shall be provided for every area to be used, in whole or in part, as an Executive Campus District.
B.
Street frontage. There shall be frontage on at least two public roads, one of which shall be not less than 800 feet on a four-lane highway which is classified as a principal arterial street.
C.
Building coverage. No more than 20% of the gross lot area shall be occupied by buildings or structures. The total floor area when divided by the gross lot area shall not exceed 70%.
D.
Building and structure setback.
(1)
Setback from street. The required minimum setback from the ultimate right-of-way of each street on which an Executive Campus District abuts shall be at least 100 feet.
(2)
Setback from property lines. There shall be a minimum setback from any property line which the Executive Campus District abuts, which shall not be less than:
E.
Additional building and structure setbacks.
(1)
Beginning at the minimum required building and structure setback line, there shall be imposed additional setbacks as follows:
(a)
Buildings having a height of not greater than four stories or 55 feet, whichever is less, and structures having a height of not greater than 55 feet above grade shall be permitted throughout the balance of the site except as may be further restricted under Subsection F below, entitled "Parking."
(b)
Buildings and structures having a height greater than four stories or 55 feet shall be subject to additional setbacks as follows:
[1]
For each additional one foot in height above 55 feet, there shall be added four feet to the required horizontal setback in addition to the minimum setback previously established.
[2]
In the case of a building having a building height of six stories or less adjacent to a principal arterial street and principally uses as a hotel, the additional setbacks required in Subsection E(1)(b)[1] above shall be measured from the geometric center of the building. The portion of the building extending into the additional setback established above shall be positioned so that no perimeter building wall shall be at an angle less than 30° when measured from the ultimate right-of-way line of the adjacent street.
(c)
This formula of four feet additional setback for each one foot in building height above 55 feet shall be applied across the site until a building reaches a height of eight stories or 110 feet, whichever is less; this shall be the building height ceiling (BHC).
F.
Parking.
(1)
For all permitted uses, off-street parking shall be provided for and located within the development at the rate of not less than 3.25 parking spaces per every 1,000 square feet of floor area, except in the case of an apartment house or group of apartment houses and related amenities, which shall require 1.5 parking spaces for each apartment or unit, and except in the case of a hotel, which shall require 1.25 parking spaces for each hotel room or suite, which shall include all ancillary services of the hotel. In the event that a hotel provides for rooms or suites only and may include common dining facilities limited to hotel overnight guests only, such as a coffee or breakfast shop, then parking may be permitted at the ratio of one parking space per room or suite when authorized as a conditional use.
[Amended 12-13-2016 by Ord. No. 570]
(2)
Upon request of the Township Board of Supervisors, and when agreed to by the applicant, up to 20% of the required parking spaces may be held in reserve and devoted to landscaping at locations which shall be determined by the Board, in addition to the requirements of Subsection Q of this § 205-63.5. The reserve area shall be paved if the applicant so elects, or if directed by the Board. In the event that the applicant or the then current owner should fail to construct the reserve parking when directed by the Township, the applicant or owner shall be subject to the penalties set forth in this chapter of the Code for violation of provisions of this chapter and shall further be liable for the payment of the Township's costs of enforcement, including but not limited to attorney's fees.
(3)
Aboveground parking structures or decked parking facilities shall not be located less than 250 feet from a district boundary line adjacent to an AR or BR Residential District.
(4)
Parking or paved areas shall be placed so as not to interfere with any service or emergency access area and shall not be less than:
(a)
Forty feet from any residential or institutional district property line to which the Executive Campus District abuts.
(b)
Ten feet from any nonresidential district property line to which the executive campus abuts.
(c)
Fifteen feet from the ultimate right-of-way line of any contiguous public street.
(d)
Twenty feet from any building unless said parking is located within the lines of the building or in an attached parking structure.
(5)
Not less than 5% of the total lot area devoted to parking facilities shall consist of interior parking lot landscaping, except that this shall not apply to parking structures. The area of interior parking for landscaping may be included as nonvehicular open space as required in § 205-63.5Q, Open space. The ends of each row of parking shall contain landscaped islands not less than the size of a parking space.
G.
Height of buildings and structures.
(1)
No building shall exceed the height of eight stories or 110 feet, whichever is less (exclusive of the basement). However, one building in excess of eight stories or 110 feet, to a maximum of 12 stories or 160 feet, whichever is less (exclusive of the basement), may be permitted only when authorized as a conditional use.
(2)
No structure, other than a building, including parking decks or garages shall exceed the height of 55 feet, exclusive of the basement.
(3)
When approved by a conditional use and subject to the conditions listed below, one building within the Executive Campus District may extend above the building height ceiling (BHC) to a maximum of 12 stories or 160 feet, whichever is less, above ground elevation.
(a)
The building area penetrating the BHC shall not exceed 2% of the total area (1/10 of the maximum building and structure coverage permitted within the executive campus development).
(b)
When any portion of a building exceeds eight stories or 110 feet in height, then the floor area of each story eight stories or 110 feet shall be reduced by not less than 8% of the floor area of the preceding story below.
(c)
Existing healthy vegetation and woodland adjacent to residential and institutional districts shall be preserved and protected along the entire property line for a minimum width of not less than 40 feet.
H.
All buildings shall have fire protection in accordance with the East Norriton Township Fire and Building Codes in effect at the time of construction.
I.
Distance between buildings. The minimum distance between buildings shall be at least 75 feet. The minimum does not apply to parking structures or decked parking.
J.
Signs. Notwithstanding Article XIX, Signs, of this chapter, in the EC Executive Campus District, signs shall be permitted subject to the following regulations:
(1)
One executive campus identification sign displaying only the names of the executive campus developer, owner or operator but not building tenants shall be permitted along each street or road frontage in excess of 500 feet in length subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Along each public street, the total sign area shall not exceed 100 square feet on each face and such signs shall not be positioned at a height greater than 20 feet and shall not be greater than 20 feet in length.
(b)
Where the executive campus is located at the corner of two streets, the sign area permitted along both streets may be combined and the sign may be placed at or near the corner, provided that it shall not exceed 20 feet in height and shall not be more than 35 feet in length.
(2)
Entry signs displaying the name of the executive campus and tenants shall be permitted subject to the following regulations:
(3)
Wall-mounted signs shall be permitted on any wall of a building subject to the following regulations:
(a)
Wall-mounted signs shall be installed parallel to the supporting wall and project no more than 18 inches from the face of such wall and shall not extend above the roofline of a building having a flat roof or above the eaves of a roof having a slope or ridged line.
(b)
The maximum display area shall not exceed two square feet per lineal foot of length of wall on which it is mounted or a maximum of 200 square feet, whichever is less, and to a maximum of 400 square feet per building.
(c)
One sign per building wall identifying the name of the building or a principal user of the building shall be permitted above the first floor level. Signs identifying other users within the building are permitted only at the first floor level.
(4)
Ground signs. One individual business sign per non-office use building which is a ground or freestanding sign is permitted, subject to the following:
(a)
The area of such sign may not exceed 25 square feet.
(b)
Such sign may not exceed three feet in height, except that up to 25 feet in height may be permitted if the sign is set back a minimum of 15 feet from the street ultimate right-of-way line and a minimum of 25 feet from the nearest street access driveway.
(5)
Directional signs identifying the location of buildings or individual uses within the executive campus shall be permitted subject to the following regulations:
(6)
Flags of the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, East Norriton Township, other government flags and corporate flags of the executive campus or its tenants shall be permitted and not considered as sign area.
K.
Service. Areas for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and for the servicing of refuse collection, recycling containers, fuel and other services shall be provided and shall be adequate in size and shall be so arranged that they may be used without blockage or interference with the use of accessways or automobile parking facilities. These areas shall not be located within the minimum building setback established for the district and shall be screened from view from the district boundary.
L.
Access. Provisions shall be made for safe and efficient access to and from public streets and highways serving the executive campus at predetermined locations and widths approved by the Board of Supervisors without undue congestion to or interference with normal traffic flows. In no event shall more than one access per 500 feet of total road frontage for the entire tract be permitted. Direct access to public streets and highways at other than approved locations shall be prohibited.
M.
Utilities. All buildings within the executive campus shall be served by a public sanitary sewage disposal system of public water supply. All utility lines servicing the executive campus shall be placed underground.
N.
Lighting facilities. Lighting facilities provided shall be arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties, whether contiguous or not, from unreasonable direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind. Lighting facilities shall be required where deemed necessary for the safety and convenience of the executive campus. Freestanding light fixtures situated within the minimum building setback established from an adjacent residential or institutional district property line shall not exceed a mounting height of 20 feet.
O.
Buffer. The Executive Campus District shall have a permanent landscape buffer area of at least 20 feet in depth and permanently screened to a height of not less than eight feet when abutting a residential or institutional district property line and 10 feet in depth when abutting all other district property lines. Existing vegetation shall be utilized for said buffer area where practicable. Along any public road, Subsection P, below, shall apply.
P.
Landscaped planning area. A landscaped planning area shall be provided along each street frontage between the edge of any paving and the right-of-way line and along all boundaries of the district between the edge of paving or structures and the property line.
Q.
Open space. No less than 35% of the total lot area of a site shall be provided and maintained as nonvehicular pervious open space. Up to 5% of the required open space may be devoted to impervious walkways or courtyards used for leisure activities such as sitting areas or walking trails. In addition, the developer shall be required, where possible, to preserve or incorporate natural features such as healthy trees and shrubs, woods, streams and ponds as open space areas which add to the overall cohesive development of the executive campus and overall community amenity.
R.
In any instance in which the landscape requirements of Chapter 175, Subdivision and Land Development, shall be more stringent or require additional landscaping over the requirements of this chapter, the requirements of Chapter 175 shall apply. A landscape and conservation plan shall be provided with preliminary plans submitted for the entire site which shall identify those existing natural and culturally important features which shall be permanently maintained in addition to proposals for new plant material and earth shaping. The plan shall minimize removal or disturbance of natural features. The plan shall specify the name, size and quantity of plant material for:
(1)
A landscaped buffer area planted to a minimum height of eight feet along all district boundaries adjacent to residential or institutional districts which are not a street frontage.
(2)
Parking lot landscaping, which shall consist of not less than one shade tree having a size at planting of not less than two-and-one-half-inch caliper and a minimum height of 12 feet for every 10 surface parking spaces.
(3)
Street tree planting along public streets and highways at regular intervals or informally arranged consistent with Chapter 175, Subdivision and Land Development.
(4)
Existing trees, shrubs and other natural features to be preserved and methods employed to assure their protection during and after construction.
S.
Density. For an apartment house or group of apartment houses, density shall not exceed 35 dwelling units per acre.
[Added 10-27-2015 by Ord. No. 566]