Halfmoon Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
Industrial District M-1
§ 255-24 Statement of intent.
The purpose of this article is to locate industrial activity in that part of the Township most suited for industrial development and related activities. It is furthermore the purpose of this article to permit the development and expansion of industrial activities in areas which are not contiguous with residential or agricultural uses unless protected by a fifty-foot landscaped buffer yard.
§ 255-25 Uses; area and bulk regulations.
A.
Permitted uses:
(1)
Commercial storage units.
(2)
Quarry/extraction operations in accordance with this chapter.
(3)
Any production, manufacturing, assembly, processing, cleaning, testing, repair, storage or distribution of materials, goods, foodstuffs and products not involving a retail activity on the lot.
(4)
Wholesale distribution or storage.
(5)
Agricultural uses and all utilities.
(6)
Sustainable forestry activities in accordance with accepted silvicultural best management practices.
B.
Accessory uses. Only the following accessory uses shall be permitted:
(1)
Restaurant, cafeteria or recreational facilities for employees.
(2)
Customary accessory uses to manufacturing or industrial uses listed above.
(3)
Wind turbines.
C.
Area and bulk regulations.
(1)
Minimum lot size: one acre minimum with both on-site sewage and water services; appropriate permit required from the Department of Environmental Protection and a letter of intent from an approved water service provider.
(2)
Minimum lot width: 200 feet.
(3)
Maximum lot coverage: 60%.
(4)
Minimum yard requirements:
(a)
Front.
[1]
Seventy-five feet from center line of PA Rte. 550;
[2]
Forty-five feet from center line of collector of arterial streets;
[3]
Thirty feet from center line of local streets.
(b)
Side: 65 feet minimum for each.
(c)
Rear: 60 feet minimum.
(5)
Maximum building height: 45 feet.
(6)
Maximum lot depth: 125 feet.
(7)
Access spacing.
(a)
One hundred fifty feet on same side of collector or arterial street, provided that the sight distance shall be 250 feet minimum in each distance as determined 10 feet back from the edge of the street cartway where the driveway meets the street with an eye height of 42 inches above the access surface;
(b)
On a local street the minimum access spacing shall be 50 feet.
(8)
Parking. On-site and off-street parking shall conform to the standards set forth in Article X.
(9)
Screening. A planted visual barrier or landscape screen shall be provided between any district and a contiguous residentially zoned district. In keeping with the rural character of the Township, this screen shall be composed of plants and trees arranged to create a natural appearance through varying types, heights and spacing of vegetation as well as varying terrain. Existing trees of at least four inches caliper, i.e., trunk diameter at breast height, shall be retained which are suitable to function in the screening. In the event an industrial use is established on a parcel contiguous to a residential or agricultural use, the screening shall be within a buffer yard having a width of at least 50 feet. With respect to incongruent uses established on two contiguous parcels, one being in the industrial district and the other in the residential or agricultural district, the more recently established use shall be responsible for providing the buffer yard and installing the screening at its owner's expense.
(a)
Within the landscape, screen trees shall be planted as follows:
[1]
At intervals of not less than 10 feet and not more than the tree species allows for spacing on center between trees, though not evenly spaced across as the screen width, nor planted in a straight line as screen length.
[2]
At the time of planting deciduous trees shall be at least two inches in caliper.
[3]
At the time of planting conifer or evergreen trees shall be at least five feet tall.
(b)
Within the landscape screen shrubs shall be planted as follows:
[1]
At intervals of not more than five feet, though not evenly spaced across as screen width, nor planted in a straight line as screen length.
[2]
At the time of planting deciduous trees shall not exceed 1/3 of the total shrubs planted and shall be at least two feet tall.
[3]
At the time of planting conifer or evergreen shrubs may exceed 2/3 of the total planted and shall be at least three feet tall.
(c)
All trees and shrubs in the screen must be hardy and perennial in Halfmoon Township.
(d)
All plants not surviving three years after planting, or in perpetuity thereafter, must be replaced at the expense of the property owner.
(e)
The Supervisors, at their option, may require a constructed visual barrier of an acceptable fence or wall which shall not be less that four feet nor more than six feet in height; and/or earth mounding, to properly screen and protect adjacent residentially used areas, in combination with the landscape screen.
(10)
Storage. All storage shall be completely screened from view and from any public right-of-way and any residentially used lot. Screening shall consist of evergreen planting or an architectural screen installed at a minimum height of six feet, and at the height of the vermin-proof container or dumpster. All organic rubbish or storage shall be contained in an airtight, vermin-proof container which shall also be screened from view from any public right-of-way or abutting residential district. The exterior storage of tractor trailers which supply or service establishments in the district shall be prohibited. The limited industrial uses permitted by § 255-13A(7) shall screen outdoor storage from view form any agriculturally or residentially used property, including state game lands.
(11)
Landscaping.
(a)
Any part or portion of the site which is not used for buildings, other structures, loading or parking spaces and aisles, sidewalks and designated storage areas shall be planted with an all-season ground cover and shall be landscaped with trees and shrubs in accordance with an overall landscape plan as approved by the Planning Commission. All sites and parcels of land adjacent to a public street or dedicated service roadway shall maintain a landscaped strip adjacent to the right-of-way at least 15 feet. This area shall not be used for building, parking spaces, aisles or storage, and only approved driveways shall be permitted to be constructed on or across this strip. The right-of-way of any public street, highway, or service road shall not be used for any use incidental to the adjoining property.
(b)
The landscape plan shall indicate all landscaped areas, plant and landscaping materials to be used and a replacement program for nonsurviving plants.
(c)
The Planning Commission may make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors shall reserve the right to include any additional requirements to the landscape plan that they feel is necessary to protect and promote the public health, safety, and general welfare.
(d)
The developer shall be responsible and obligated to carry out the approved landscape plan in an expedient manner.
(12)
Access and traffic control.
(a)
All access to any arterial street or highway shall be by indirect means when possible.
(b)
The means of indirect access shall be either by access to a local public street which connects to the arterial street or highway by a service road parallel to the arterial street or highway. All service roadways shall be dedicated to the public and shall have a minimum right-of-way of 40 feet and a minimum cartway of 24 feet. Service roadways shall be required to allow access (by their extension) to adjoining properties' lines. Service road access to arterial streets and highways may be permitted, provided the distance from other points of access (including public streets) is not less than 500 feet and where the sight distance of oncoming traffic is not less than 500 feet.
(c)
The developer must submit a circulation plan for all parcels of land adjacent to a major road showing the design of all service roadways, the driveways to the service roadway and all access points to all public streets and highways. The Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors shall reserve the right to require any changes to the circulation plan submitted and to require any additional traffic control devices and acceleration/deceleration that is deemed necessary to protect the safety and welfare of the public. The circulation plan must be approved before a building permit can be issued. The developer shall be responsible for the construction of all traffic controls and access requirements according to the approved circulation plan.
(13)
Interior circulation.
(a)
Interior drives shall be designed so as to prevent blockage of vehicles entering or leaving the site. Drives may be one-way or two-way as recommended by the Planning Commission and approved by the Board of Supervisors.
(b)
All interior drives shall be designed in relation to the parking areas and pedestrian circulation routes to minimize the conflicts between parking, pedestrians and vehicle circulation.
(c)
Areas provided for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles, and for the servicing of shops by refuse collection, fuel and other service vehicles, 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.
(14)
Lighting. See § 255-63.
(15)
Riparian buffer corridor. See § 255-64.
