Fairfield City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL HC DISTRICT
§ 14-700 Statement of Legislative Intent.
[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
In expansion of the Community Development Objectives contained in Article I of this Ordinance, it is hereby declared to be the intent of the HC District to:
A.
Establish reasonable standards to provide for commercial uses within appropriate locations of Fairfield Borough.
B.
Ensure that automobile-oriented uses, customarily associated with commercial areas along major roadways, are provided only in locations outside of Fairfield's historic, mixed use core and surrounding residential areas.
C.
Encourage, whenever possible, the creation of common access driveways and parking areas serving adjoining commercial uses, thereby preventing excessive curb cuts, providing adequate spacing between access points, and enhancing public safety.
D.
Maintain and enhance attractive gateways along Main Street, forming entrances to, and exits from, the historic, mixed-use core of Fairfield Borough.
E.
Provide for appropriate landscaping and on-site improvements in commercial areas to ensure that aesthetic and environmental qualities are maintained and enhanced in Fairfield's commercial areas.
F.
Require appropriate building setbacks to allow for future road expansion, if necessary, and to provide a sufficient buffer from nearby residential and institutional areas.
§ 14-701 Use Regulations.
[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
A.
Permitted Uses: The following uses are permitted in the HC District.
1.
Banks, excluding drive-through establishments.
2.
Business Offices.
3.
Child Care Facilities, in accordance with § 14-1201.G.
4.
Commercial Recreation.
5.
Contractor Supply Stores.
6.
Garden Supply Stores.
7.
General Retail, excluding drive-through service.
8.
Health Clubs.
9.
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sales.
10.
Home Occupations, in accordance with § 14-1201.O.
11.
Hotels.
12.
Liquor Stores.
13.
Motels.
14.
Municipal Uses.
15.
No-Impact Home-Based Businesses, in accordance with § 14-1201.W.
16.
Nurseries.
17.
Personal Service Businesses.
18.
Professional Offices.
19.
Restaurants, excluding drive-through service, and in accordance with § 14-1201.X.
20.
Single-Family Detached Dwellings.
21.
Small Wireless Facilities—Tower-Based—Inside Public Right-of-Way, in accordance with § 14-1201.DD.
22.
Specialty Retail, excluding drive-through service.
23.
Vehicle Sales.
B.
Accessory Uses: The following uses are permitted as accessory uses to any permitted principal use in the HC District.
1.
Child Care Facility (accessory to nonresidential use), in accordance with § 14-1201.G.
2.
Small Wireless Facility—Co-Location—Inside Public Right-of-Way, in accordance with § 14-1201.CC.
3.
Utility or Storage Building.
4.
Wireless Communication Facility—Co-Location—Outside Public Right-of-Way, in accordance with § 14-1201.KK.
C.
Special Exception Uses: The following uses are permitted by Special Exception in the HC District in accordance with the following standards and criteria, as well as any reasonable conditions that the Zoning Hearing Board may deem necessary, including conditions to protect the historic and architectural integrity of Fairfield Borough as described in the National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet - Fairfield Historic District, as published by the United States Department of the Interior, and in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 14-1607.
1.
Banks, including drive-through service, and in accordance with § 14-1201.E.
2.
Convenience Stores, in accordance with § 14-1201.J.
3.
Medical Marijuana Dispensary, in accordance with § 14-1201.Q.
4.
Restaurants, including drive-through service, and in accordance with § 14-1201.Y.
5.
Retail, General or Specialty, including drive-through service, and in accordance with § 14-1201.Z.
6.
Service Station, in accordance with § 14-1201.AA.
7.
Shopping Centers, in accordance with § 14-1201.BB.
8.
Uses Not Expressly Permitted Elsewhere in this Ordinance, in accordance with § 14-1201.GG.
§ 14-702 Site Development Standards.
[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
A.
Landscaping Requirements: The following landscaping standards shall be applied to all proposed uses and subdivision and land development plans within the HC District.
1.
Landscape Plan: A landscape plan, conforming to the following standards, shall be provided for all uses listed in § 14-701.A and C. All landscape plans shall be prepared by a qualified landscape architect, horticulturist, or similar landscaping professional.
2.
Standards for Landscape Materials.
a.
All required trees shall be a minimum of eight (8) feet in height and shall have a minimum caliper of two (2) inches, measured three (3) feet above ground level, immediately upon planting.
b.
When more than ten (10) trees are required, a mixture of species shall be planted. The number of species required shall vary according to the following scale:
Required Number of Trees | Minimum Number of Species |
|---|---|
Eleven (11) - Twenty (20) | Two (2) |
Twenty-one (21) - Thirty (30) | Three (3) |
Thirty-one (31) or more | Four (4) |
c.
All required trees shall be deep-rooted species capable of withstanding automobile emissions and the salts used in snow melting and clearing operations.
d.
All required landscaped areas not dedicated to trees shall be landscaped and maintained with grass, shrubs, mulch, or other organic landscaping material. Landscaping material shall not include sand, pavement or other inorganic material.
3.
Standards for Landscaping Off-Street Parking Areas.
a.
Interior landscaping of all off-street parking areas containing twenty-five (25) or greater parking spaces shall be required.
b.
Terminal islands shall be provided at both ends of all rows of parking spaces. Terminal islands shall be designed to protect parked vehicles, to help define the traffic circulation pattern of the parking lot, and to provide landscaping area.
c.
Each terminal island shall measure not less than five (5) feet in width and fifteen (15) feet in length.
d.
Each terminal island shall include at least one (1) tree, with the remaining area landscaped with appropriate ground cover or grass.
e.
A divider strip between abutting rows of parking shall be provided. Divider strips shall be designed to help define the traffic circulation pattern, to provide visual breaks within the parking area, and to help separate pedestrian and automobile traffic.
f.
Curbing or wheel stops shall be provided around the divider strip to prevent vehicular encroachment.
g.
At least one (1) tree shall be planted for every twenty (20) foot interval within the divider strip. The remaining area of the divider strip shall be landscaped with appropriate ground cover or grass.
4.
Standards for Landscaping the Perimeter of Parking Areas.
a.
Perimeter landscaping strips shall be provided around the perimeter of all parking areas, except where one (1) side of the parking area is bounded by the commercial structure. For shared parking areas, the perimeter landscaping strip shall be provided around the entire parking lot, regardless of the number of individual uses or number of properties using the facility.
b.
The minimum width of the perimeter landscaping strip around all parking areas shall be ten (10) feet for parking lots with twenty-five (25) or more parking spaces and five (5) feet for parking lots with less than twenty-five (25) parking spaces. The landscaping strip shall be measured outward from the edge of the parking lot.
c.
At least one (1) tree shall be planted for every twenty (20) feet of parking lot perimeter. All trees shall be planted within the perimeter landscaping strip.
d.
The required trees shall be planted within the perimeter landscaping strip in a manner providing visual buffering between adjoining properties and the parking lot. Applicants are strongly encouraged to develop a landscape design using groupings of trees and variable tree spacing rather than a rigid design approach.
e.
Area within the perimeter landscaping strip not devoted to trees shall be landscaped with grass and shrubs.
5.
Standards for Maintenance of Landscaped Areas.
a.
Within landscaped areas, grass shall be mowed and other vegetation shall be trimmed and/or pruned at regular intervals.
b.
The applicant shall, within any landscaped area, replace any tree which dies with another tree of the same or similar species, within one (1) month of the death of the original tree.
c.
Any garbage or other waste and/or refuse which accumulates within any landscaped area shall be promptly removed and disposed of.
B.
Site Design Requirements.
1.
Access Drive: A maximum of one (1) access drive is permitted to the commercial property from each adjoining public street. A minimum distance of one hundred (100) feet between access drives shall be provided.
2.
Front Yard: Front yards shall comply with the following standards.
a.
The entire front yard shall be maintained as landscaped area, except for walkways connecting the entrance of the principal building with the public sidewalk, and for one (1) access driveway.
b.
Existing trees in the front yard shall not be cut down unless they interfere with an existing or proposed driveway or become diseased or damaged by natural causes.
c.
Parking lots, loading areas, and similar improvements shall be located to the side and rear of the proposed principal building.
3.
Shared Access Drives: Developers of individual sites are encouraged to negotiate with adjoining commercial property owners to provide shared access drives to serve two (2) or more commercial properties. If shared access drives are used, the maximum impervious coverage established in § 14-703.E shall be increased to sixty-five percent (65%) for each property.
4.
Shared Parking Lots: Developers of individual sites are encouraged to negotiate with adjoining commercial property owners to provide shared parking lots to serve two (2) or more commercial properties. If shared parking lots are used, the maximum impervious coverage established in § 14-703.E shall be increased to sixty-five percent (65%) for each property.
5.
All products offered for sale in association with the principal use, or stored on site to be used by the principal use, shall be stored inside either a principal or accessory building.
§ 14-703 Dimensional Requirements.
[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
C.
Minimum Lot Depth: One Hundred Fifty (150) feet.
E.
Maximum Lot Coverage: Sixty percent (60%) percent.
F.
Minimum Vegetative Coverage: Forty percent (40%) percent.
G.
Build-to Line: Twenty (20) feet.
H.
Minimum Side Setback.
1.
Principal Building: Twenty-five (25) feet.
2.
Accessory Structures. Minimum side setback for accessory structures shall comply with § 14-1101.A.
3.
Parking Lots and Outdoor Storage Areas: Ten (10) feet. Where shared parking for adjoining uses is proposed, no side setback line for such parking shall be required.
J.
Maximum Building Height: Twenty-five (25) feet, unless otherwise defined in § 14-1101.D or elsewhere in this Ordinance.