Freedom Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IX
Commercial Corridor District CC
§ 230-37 Intended purpose.
A.
Provide for functional, safe, and visually attractive development along the Emmitsburg Road Corridor.
B.
Minimize traffic congestion and enhance public safety by controlling ingress and egress to new development along the Emmitsburg Road Corridor.
C.
Provide a range of commercial and service-oriented uses designed in ways which minimize traffic congestion and which visually complement the historic and scenic values associated with the Gettysburg National Military Park and its related historic districts.
D.
Encourage the development of a visually attractive setting for residents, visitors, and tourists entering Freedom Township specifically, and the Gettysburg Region in general, by offering alternatives to typical strip commercial development patterns.
E.
Encourage the development of a functionally and visually compatible set of business uses at locations accessible to potential customers.
F.
Include requirements that will concentrate higher intensity, regionally oriented, automobile intensive commercial uses near the Route 15/Emmitsburg Road Interchange while allowing a range of lower intensity, community oriented commercial uses along those portions of the Corridor that are somewhat removed from the Interchange.
§ 230-38 Uses permitted by right.
A.
Any form of agriculture, horticulture, or floriculture excluding intensive agribusiness.
B.
Any retail business, excluding adult businesses, whose principal activity is the sale of merchandise in an enclosed building, provided the sales area of the business does not exceed 3,000 square feet.
C.
Boardinghouse, in accordance with § 230-62A(9).
D.
Business and professional offices.
E.
Florists, greenhouses, or nurseries, provided that pesticides, fertilizers, and empty cans are kept within a building.
F.
Forestry.
G.
Medical marijuana dispensary facility, in accordance with § 230-62A(34).
H.
Medical marijuana transport vehicle office, in accordance with § 230-62A(35).
I.
Municipal facility.
J.
No-impact home-based business, in accordance with § 230-62A(38).
K.
Personal service establishments, excluding drive-through service.
L.
Single-family detached dwellings.
M.
Studios.
N.
Tasting room/winery/cidery/brewery/distillery, either as a principal use or as an accessory to a farm or agricultural use, in accordance with § 230-62A(51).
O.
Within 2,500 lineal feet of the Route 15/Emmitsburg Road Interchange, measured from the intersection of the center lines of Emmitsburg Road and the Route 15/Emmitsburg Road Interchange off-ramps, the following uses are permitted by right.
(1)
Any retail business, excluding adult businesses, whose principal activity is the sale of merchandise in an enclosed building, provided the sales area of the business does not exceed 5,000 square feet.
(2)
Convenience stores, excluding fuel sales, in accordance with § 230-62A(16).
(3)
Financial establishment, excluding drive-through-window service, in accordance with § 230-62A(23).
(4)
Fitness center.
(5)
Funeral homes.
(6)
Hospital, in accordance with § 230-62A(29).
(7)
Medical office or clinic.
(8)
Motels and hotels, not exceeding 20 units.
(9)
Recreation, active.
(10)
Restaurants, excluding drive-through-window service.
(11)
Theaters.
§ 230-39 Permitted accessory uses.
A.
Accessory apartments, in accordance with § 230-62A(1).
B.
Home occupation, in accordance with § 230-62A(28).
C.
Outdoor storage and display when accessory to a permitted use.
E.
Uses and buildings customarily accessory and incidental to any permitted use.
F.
Wireless communications facility - co-location - inside public right-of-way, in accordance with § 230-62A(57).
G.
Wireless communications facility — co-location — outside public right-of-way, in accordance with § 230-62A(58).
H.
Within 2,500 lineal feet of the Route 15/Emmitsburg Road Interchange, measured from the intersection of the center lines of Emmitsburg Road and the Route 15/Emmitsburg Road Interchange off-ramps, the following uses are permitted as accessory uses.
§ 230-40 Permitted conditional uses.
The following uses may be permitted as conditional uses within 2,500 feet from the Route 15/Emmitsburg Road Interchange, measured from the intersection of the center lines of Emmitsburg Road and the Route 15/Emmitsburg Road Interchange off-ramps, pursuant to standards and criteria as set forth in this chapter.
A.
Antennas, in accordance with § 230-62A(6).
B.
Any retail business whose principal activity is the sale of merchandise in an enclosed building, where the sales area exceeds 5,000 square feet.
C.
Banquet hall, in accordance with § 230-62A(7).
D.
Convenience stores, including fuel sales, in accordance with § 230-62A(16).
E.
Cottage industry, in accordance with § 230-62A(18).
F.
Financial establishments with drive-through service, in accordance with § 230-62A(24).
G.
Hotels and motels, exceeding 20 guest rooms.
H.
Indoor recreational facility, in accordance with § 230-62A(30).
I.
Planned shopping centers.
J.
Public utility facilities, in accordance with § 230-62A(41).
K.
Restaurants with drive-through service, in accordance with § 230-62A(43).
L.
Campgrounds and facilities, in accordance with § 230-62A(10).
[Added 3-16-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-05]
§ 230-41 Site design requirements (single-family detached dwellings are excluded).
A.
Buildings shall be constructed, to the maximum extent feasible, at the front yard setback line.
B.
No parking is permitted to be placed in the front yard area between the front face of the building (the side of the building parallel to the road right-of-way) and the road right-of-way. Only landscaping, permitted signage, and permitted access driveways are permitted to be located in the front yard area.
C.
Required parking shall be located to the side or rear of the principal structure on the lot. The parking lot shall be designed in accordance with the landscaping standards established in this section, and any other standards required by this district.
D.
Outdoor refuse areas shall be enclosed by walls or opaque fencing designed to be architecturally compatible with the principle building(s). Wall or fencing shall be designed to shield the refuse areas from direct view of any adjacent property and shall be at least six feet high.
E.
Land development plans with more than one structure, or more than one space available for rent or sale, shall be designed as an integrated whole.
F.
Landscaping requirements.
(1)
Standards for landscaping within off-street parking areas containing 25 or more parking spaces shall be as follows:
(a)
A terminal island shall be provided at both ends of all rows of parking spaces. Each terminal island shall measure at least five feet in width and 15 feet in length. Each terminal island shall include at least one tree, with the remaining area landscaped with appropriate ground cover or grass.
(b)
A divider strip between abutting rows of parking shall be provided. At least one tree shall be planted at twenty-foot intervals within the divider strip. The remaining area of the divider strip shall be landscaped with appropriate ground cover or grass.
(2)
Standards for landscaping the perimeter of off-street parking areas shall be as follows:
(a)
A landscaping strip shall be provided around the perimeter of all parking lots, except for the side of the parking lot bounded by the principal structure of a lot.
(b)
The minimum width of the perimeter landscaping strip along a front property line shall be 10 feet, measured outward from the edge of the parking lot. The minimum width of the perimeter landscaping strip along side and rear property lines shall be five feet, measured outward from the edge of the parking lot.
(c)
At least one tree shall be planted at twenty-foot intervals within the perimeter landscaping strip.
(3)
Standards for landscaping the borders of properties shall be as follows:
(a)
Perimeter landscaping strips shall be provided around the perimeter of the property. Landscaping strips alongside boundary lines may be exempted if the bordering properties both contain commercial uses and share an access driveway.
(b)
The minimum width of the perimeter landscaping strip along the front property line shall be 10 feet, measured inward from the street right-of-way line. The minimum width of the perimeter landscaping strip along the side and rear property lines shall be five feet, measured inward from the property line.
(c)
At least one tree shall be planted at twenty-five-foot intervals within the perimeter landscaping strip.
(4)
Standards for landscaping materials shall be as follows:
(a)
All required trees shall be a minimum of eight feet in height and shall have a minimum caliper of two inches, measured at three feet above the ground line, immediately upon planting.
(b)
All required trees shall be deep-rooted species capable of withstanding automobile emissions and the salts used in snow melting and removal operations.
(c)
Within any required landscaping area, any plant which dies shall be replaced with another plant of the same or similar species within one month of the death of the original plant, provided that climatic conditions allow for planting.
§ 230-42 Dimensional regulations.
A.
Lot regulations.
(1)
Minimum lot area is one acre subject to any required soil testing and/or hydrogeologic studies.
(2)
Minimum lot width is 100 feet at the building setback line.
(3)
The maximum impervious coverage shall be 65%.
(4)
At least 15% of the lot area shall be maintained with a vegetative cover with appropriate landscaping.
B.
Setback regulations (see § 230-58).
(2)
Side yards: 10 feet. No side yard shall be required where structures abut one another. Where shared parking lots are proposed, which use a shared access driveway for access, between adjoining lots, one side yard requirement per lot may be waived to accommodate the shared parking lot and access driveway.
(3)
Rear yards: 20 feet.
D.
Use location. If inadvertently a property is divided when applying the distance of 2,500 feet from the Route 15/Emmitsburg Road Interchange, the property owner after consultation with the Zoning Officer may utilize the permitted use pursuant to the standards and criteria as set forth in this chapter.