Gettysburg City Zoning Code
PART 19
STREETSCAPE ENHANCEMENT OVERLAY DISTRICT
§ 27-1901 Purpose.
[Ord. 1352-08, 5/5/2008]
The purpose of this Part is to maintain and improve the streetscape within the Old Town District and the neighborhoods throughout the Borough, which have a traditional block pattern and street and alley network as shown on Exhibit A, the Zoning Map.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Zoning Map is on file in the Borough offices.
§ 27-1902 Compliance Required.
[Ord. 1352-08, 5/5/2008]
All new development and redevelopment shall comply with the design standards of this Part 19 to the extent shown on Exhibit A, the Zoning Map.
§ 27-1903 Minimum Requirements.
[Ord. 1352-08, 5/5/2008]
Minimum requirements for the Streetscape Enhancement Overlay District shall be as described and shown on the following pages[1] relative to:
1.
Building Location.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
Buildings are intended to be located in close proximity to sidewalks, with parking located in the rear.
B.
Traditional development in downtown Gettysburg is intended to form a continuous street wall along all corridors.
C.
Buildings are intended to be located across from one another, so that the "outdoor room" character of the streetscape is maintained.
Design Standards: |
D.
Buildings within the Old Town District shall be located adjacent to the sidewalk.
E.
New buildings in all other districts shall be located at the build-to line or in alignment with existing buildings on the block.
F.
Buildings shall be located to anchor street corners.
G.
Unenclosed porches, stoops, and the like shall be built and maintained as transitional elements from the principal building to the streetscape.
2.
Parking Location.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
On-street parking is intended to provide vital parking spaces, as well as a buffer for pedestrians from vehicular traffic.
B.
Off-street parking is intended to be located to the rear or side of buildings.
C.
On-street angled parking is intended to be maintained in the central square to complement vehicular traffic flow.
Design Standards: |
D.
On-street parking shall be provided and maintained to the maximum extent possible.
E.
Line-striped "end lines" seven feet from the curb at twenty-two-foot intervals shall be provided for parallel on-street parking.
F.
Surface off-street parking lots shall be located to the rear or side of a building, not in front of the building, and not at street corners.
G.
Off-street parking shall be accessed via alleys wherever possible.
3.
Parking Lots and Decks.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
Off-street parking is intended to be screened from view.
B.
Parking decks are intended to be integrated with the existing architectural character of other buildings along the streetscape.
Design Standards: |
C.
Existing off-street parking shall be screened with hedges, walls, fences or other landscaping at least 30 inches in height if located in front of or to the side of a building.
D.
New parking shall be located behind or to the side of buildings.
E.
Parking decks shall be designed to continue the existing street wall.
F.
Parking decks should provide ground floor retail.
4.
Building Types.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
Traditional development in downtown Gettysburg is intended to consist of diverse building types with smaller building footprints and a mix of uses.
Design Standards: |
B.
Vertically mixed uses with apartments or office space above commercial uses should be provided in the Old Town and Residential Office Districts.
C.
New buildings shall be designed to be generally consistent with the height and scale of existing commercial, residential, and mixed-use building types.
D.
Diversified residential uses should be provided to promote housing affordability.
E.
Individual footprint buildings of 50,000 square feet or greater shall not be built in the overlay district, unless liner shops are built and maintained as shown below.
5.
Building Heights.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
All new buildings are intended to be at least two stories in height.
B.
Smaller-footprint, two-story to four-story buildings are intended to continue along the major street corridors and in the Old Town District.
Design Standards: |
C.
The minimum height of any new building shall be 24 feet.
D.
The maximum height of buildings in the Old Town District shall be 50 feet, and they comply with the Historic District Guidelines.
E.
The maximum building height for buildings outside of the Old Town District shall be 48 feet in height, unless otherwise specified. Where there is a conflict between this standard and the standards for a specific permitted use, the standards for the specific permitted use shall control.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1454-18, 12/10/2018]
F.
No building shall be constructed to be more than two stories taller in building height than the height of any nearby buildings located on adjacent lots, except where additional building height is authorized for a mixed-use building, extended height, by special exception pursuant to the standards and criteria set forth in § 27-1524 of this chapter.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1454-18, 12/10/2018]
6.
Lighting: Streetlights and Building Lights.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
Streetlights are intended to be installed and maintained to enhance safety and wayfinding for drivers and pedestrians.
B.
Streetlights are intended to reinforce the traditional town character of Gettysburg.
Design Standards: |
C.
Pedestrian-scale streetlights shall be provided on both sides of all streets.
D.
Pole height shall be no greater than 20 feet.
E.
There shall be no trespass glare.
7.
Gateways.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
Gateways are intended to welcome visitors and provide a positive first impression of the Borough.
B.
Gateways are intended to provide a form of traffic calming for drivers as they enter a pedestrian-friendly community.
Design Standards: |
C.
Landscaping, lighting, and signage shall be provided at all gateways.
D.
Gateway signage shall promote a cohesive image of the Borough.
E.
Sidewalks and crosswalks shall be provided as part of gateway design.
F.
Piers should be provided as gateway monuments.
8.
Street Trees and Other Landscaping.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
Landscaping is intended to define and add beauty to the streetscape and provide buffering between uses.
B.
Street trees are intended to provide shade and add a vertical element to the streetscape.
Design Standards: |
C.
Street trees shall be planted and maintained along both sides of all streets.
E.
Planting buffers shall be installed to screen off-street parking lots.
9.
Fences, Walls, and Hedges.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
The Borough intends to promote development that provides attractive architectural features in the public realm such as walls, fences, and hedges.
B.
Fences, hedges, and walls are intended to be used to continue the street wall.
Design Standards: |
C.
Low walls, fences and/or hedges shall be placed to form the street wall whenever buildings do not adjoin the sidewalk or build-to line.
D.
A thirty-inch high wall, fence or hedge shall be used at the build-to line to screen existing off-street parking located in front or to the side of a building.
E.
Wall design shall be appropriate to the architectural style of the building.
10.
Signage.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
The Borough intends to promote small signs in scale with pedestrian activity and for wayfinding.
Design Standards: |
B.
Projecting signs shall be as small as possible.
C.
Simple, colorful wall signs should be used as an attractive complement to the character of Gettysburg.
D.
Freestanding signs shall be minimized to reduce visual clutter.
E.
Ground signs shall be installed instead of freestanding signs outside of the Old Town District. Within the Old Town District, projecting signs or wall signs shall be installed.
11.
Sidewalks and Crosswalks.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
Sidewalks and crosswalks are intended to be located throughout the Borough to connect neighborhoods together and to the downtown.
Design Standards: |
B.
Sidewalks and crosswalks shall be continuous and form an integrated network.
C.
Sidewalks shall be at least five feet in width on both sides of the street.
D.
Continue sidewalk material across curb cuts to emphasize pedestrian continuity.
E.
Crosswalks shall be at least eight feet in width.
12.
Streets and Alleys.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
The street and alley network is intended to be maintained, enhanced and extended.
Design Standards: |
B.
Existing streets and alleys shall be maintained.
C.
A new street and alley network shall be created that ties into the existing network, whenever properties are developed or redeveloped.
D.
New street and alley widths shall be consistent with existing street and alley widths.
E.
New two-way alleys shall be at least 16 feet wide.
13.
Curb Cuts.
Legislative Intent: |
A.
The Borough intends to limit new curb cuts that would be disruptive to pedestrian movement along sidewalks.
Design Standards: |
B.
Access properties from existing curb cuts, driveways, and alleys.
C.
New mid-block curb cuts shall not be created.
D.
Excessively wide curb cuts shall be narrowed to a minimum width of 24 feet.
[1]
Editor's Note: The pages which followed contained color photographs depicting the requirements. The text from those pages is included here. The photographs are on file in the Borough offices.