Folcroft City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
MC Municipal Center District
§ 600-31 Purpose.
The purposes of the MC Municipal Center District are to create a large, contiguous area intended to be the center of civic, municipal, cultural, educational, and recreational activity in the Borough. This district is intended to be one of the main activity centers in the community where individual uses are connected by walkways and plazas and are embellished by small parks, landscaping, and green areas. Emphasis is provided on these connecting walkways as well as on the streetscape features along the Delmar Drive frontage. Provisions are included to allow small, pedestrian-oriented convenience retail establishments mainly intended to serve the users of the various institutional establishments.
§ 600-32 Uses permitted by right.
Land, buildings, or premises shall be used by right for only one or more of the following uses:
A.
Municipal or governmental office or similar municipal or public use, excluding municipal facilities, heavy impact, as defined in Article II.
B.
Civic center or community building.
C.
Library.
E.
Firehouse, ambulance, or police station.
F.
Park, green area, or recreational area.
G.
Plaza or similar outdoor meeting area.
§ 600-33 Uses permitted by conditional use.
The following uses shall be permitted by conditional use only, subject to the applicable requirements of Article XVI:
A.
Elementary school, middle school, high school, or charter school; vocational or technical school; but not including private, for-profit trade school such as truck driving, dancing, cooking, etc., subject to § 600-133.
D.
Church or other religious use, including rectory, classrooms for religious instruction, or similar customary religious activities, subject to § 600-130.
F.
Any use of the same general character as those permitted in §§ 600-32 and 600-33. Such use shall be permitted by Borough Council upon the recommendation of the Planning Commission, shall be consistent with the purposes of the district, comply with the performance standards of Article XIX, and not be detrimental to the surrounding neighborhood. To determine whether a proposed use is of the same general character as any of the uses listed in §§ 600-32 and 600-33, Borough Council and the Planning Commission shall evaluate its impacts in relation to the compatibility standards in § 600-119.
§ 600-34 Uses permitted by special exception.
§ 600-35 Accessory uses and structures.
The following uses shall be permitted as accessory uses, subject to all applicable requirements of Article XV, General Regulations, and other articles as noted below.
A.
Playfield, open space, and recreational area in conjunction with a permitted use.
C.
Offices associated with a permitted use.
D.
Restaurant or cafeteria for use by students, staff, or visitors of a permitted use.
F.
Pedestrian-oriented convenience retail, as defined in Article II, provided that no such establishment has a floor area in excess of 500 square feet.
J.
Cellular communications antenna not mounted on an independent structure, subject to applicable provisions of § 600-121.
K.
Any accessory use or structure on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any of the uses permitted above in this district and not detrimental to the neighborhood.
§ 600-36 Dimensional regulations.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, the following shall be minimum requirements:
§ 600-37 Development regulations.
Development may be on individual lots or by addition of new buildings on a lot or parcel with one or more existing buildings.
A.
Buildings may be constructed in detached or attached fashion.
B.
More than one building is permitted on a single lot, provided that the setback and spacing requirements of § 600-36 are met.
§ 600-38 Future use of institutional land.
A.
Institutional land has a special impact on the community. This is particularly true in Folcroft, where the Zoning Map provides for one large district where most of the institutional uses are permitted. Accordingly, the Borough has a special interest in the future of such properties in the event of abandonment or change of use.
B.
It is the intent of this section to ensure a reasonable choice of appropriate uses in the event of abandonment, change of use, or nonuse of institutionally zoned land. In such event, on its own motion or upon petition for rezoning, the Planning Commission shall consider whether the land is suitable for continued institutional use or whether it should be rezoned for other use and shall make appropriate recommendations to Borough Council.