Hempfield Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVI
Business Transition Overlay District
§ 87-86 Purpose.
The Business Transition Overlay District is established in order to provide for nonresidential development opportunities in areas currently zoned for residential-type uses, which are in close proximity to commercially developed land and which have access to an arterial street as defined herein.
§ 87-87 District boundaries.
The following areas as indicated on the Zoning Map shall be designated as Business Transition Overlay Districts:
A.
Willow Crossing Road (S.R. 3099), from its intersection with Swede Hill Road (S.R. 3103) to its intersection with Garden Street (T.R. 784) - Business Transition District.
§ 87-88 Permitted uses.
Permitted uses are those uses listed as permitted in each underlying zoning district.
§ 87-89 Special exceptions.
The following uses shall be a special exception in the BT (Business Transition) Overlay District, subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth:
A.
All uses permitted in the NC (Neighborhood Commercial) District, provided that the gross floor area of any such use shall not exceed 15,000 square feet for a retail use and 25,000 square feet for an office use. If the proposed use includes both retail and office, the total square footage permitted shall be prorated based upon the percentage of each use in the building; provided, however, that no drive-through facilities shall be permitted.
B.
Specialty retail, provided that the gross floor area of the linked retail establishments shall not exceed 35,000 square feet.
§ 87-90 Accessory uses.
Accessory uses shall include, but not be limited to, those accessory uses permitted in the underlying zoning districts and those permitted in the NC District; provided, however, that outdoor display or storage of merchandise or other materials shall be prohibited. The location of any accessory use must comply with the setbacks established under § 87-97B below.
§ 87-91 Lot size.
The minimum lot size established for the underlying zoning district shall be applicable; however, the impervious surface coverage limitations applicable to the NC District shall apply to any special exceptions.
§ 87-92 Required yards.
The minimum yard dimensions established for the underlying zoning district shall be applicable, and additional setbacks and buffer areas shall be provided as required under § 87-97B below, where applicable.
§ 87-93 Building height.
The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.
§ 87-94 Hours of operation.
No business or maintenance operations shall be conducted in the BT District between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with the exception of normal opening and closing procedures and interior cleaning of premises.
§ 87-95 Parking and driveway requirements.
In addition to the parking requirements established in Article XXI, all proposed developments in the BT District shall be subject to the following supplementary standards. Developments shall be designed to minimize traffic disruption on adjacent streets and to use land for parking facilities as efficiently as possible.
A.
Location of off-street parking and loading facilities. Off-street parking and loading facilities shall be located to the side or rear of all buildings and shall include landscaping to soften the appearance of such facilities.
B.
Parking lot design. No parking area shall include more than 20 parking spaces in a continuous row without landscaped islands. Where a parking area abuts a street, a planted buffer area containing a mix of trees and shrubs shall be provided between the parking area and the street. Maintenance of landscaping and buffers required under this section shall be consistent with those in § 87-97B below.
C.
Joint off-street parking. Shared off-street parking facilities by different uses on a common development parcel shall be encouraged pursuant to § 87-138.
D.
Hours. Loading and unloading of merchandise and goods shall be prohibited between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
E.
Location of driveways. Access for cars and delivery vehicles to all developments in the BT District shall be from an arterial street. No access to the development shall be permitted from streets or any other access roads in any abutting zoning classification.
F.
Minimization of curb cuts. Developments in the BT District shall minimize the number of driveways for ingress and egress as follows:
(1)
New developments shall have no more than two driveways (excluding those required for emergency access).
(2)
Where feasible, driveways shall be shared with adjacent nonresidential lots through the recording of cross easements or other enforceable legal instruments that shall ensure such shared usage.
(3)
Where an applicant is proposing to consolidate two or more existing lots in the BT District for development of a use by special exception, elimination of driveways shall be encouraged. Where one or more curb cuts are eliminated from an arterial street, the applicant shall be permitted to increase the impervious surface coverage by 5%.
§ 87-96 Signage and lighting requirements.
In addition to the signage and lighting requirements established in Article XXII, all proposed developments in the BT District shall be subject to the following supplementary standards. Developments shall be designed to minimize visual impacts from signs and lighting to abutting agricultural, institutional and residential lots.
A.
Signs.
(1)
No billboard signs shall be permitted on any lot in the BT District.
(2)
Where the development contains two or more businesses, offices or other uses, one freestanding identification sign shall be permitted at each entrance to the development, jointly listing the names of all occupants. Height restriction is six feet.
(3)
All identification signs shall be oriented toward the arterial street and away from abutting agricultural, institutional or residential lots. Entrances to businesses or other uses from parking areas between buildings and abutting agricultural, institutional or residential lots shall limit identification of building occupants to lettering on such entry door.
B.
Lighting. On-site light poles shall be limited to a height of 15 feet and shall direct light away from nearby residences. A photometric plan shall be submitted, and no footcandles of higher than 0.2 shall be permitted outside the boundaries of the property in which the development is located.
§ 87-97 Supplementary requirements.
The following conditions and standards shall apply to all uses listed as a special exception in the Business Transition Overlay Zone:
A.
Traffic impact analysis.
(1)
An application for a proposed use shall be accompanied by a traffic impact analysis, prepared and sealed by a transportation engineer, which shall include, at a minimum, the following:
(a)
The estimated number of additional average daily trips (ADT) and a.m. and p.m. peak-hour car trips that would be generated by the proposed use or uses when fully occupied and operational. Such estimates shall be calculated using the most-current edition of the Trip Generation Report prepared by the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
(b)
The current levels of service of intersections within a one-half-mile radius of the subject site.
(c)
The projected levels of service of the same intersections when the proposed use is fully occupied and operational.
(d)
A demonstration that any queuing or staging of vehicles will take place on the development site.
(2)
If the traffic impact analysis indicates that proposed uses would generate more than 500 average daily trips (ADT) or more than 75 additional a.m. or p.m. peak-hour car trips per day, the applicant shall develop a traffic mitigation plan for approval by the Township and all applicable state regulatory agencies.
B.
Buffering and setback requirements. A landscaping plan shall accompany applications for a special exception approval. Such plan shall provide buffering between the special exception uses proposed for a lot (or lots) in the BT District and the abutting lot(s). By using both distance and landscaping, potential visual, noise and other impacts shall be minimized.
(1)
Applicants shall install buffering in the required setback areas in accordance with the following requirements:
(a)
Willow Crossing Road (S.R. 3099), from its intersection with Swede Hill Road (S.R. 3103) to its intersection with Garden Street (T.R. 784) - Business Transition District.
[1]
Abutting State Route 3099: 25 feet, measured from the right-of-way line of State Route 3099.
[2]
Abutting properties to the rear of the Business Transition District lot: 50 feet, measured from the lot line.
[3]
Abutting properties on the side of lots within the Business Transition District: 25 feet, measured from the lot line.
(b)
In the above Business Transition District, the buffer area plantings required shall be as follows: for every 100 linear feet, a minimum of five large canopy trees, six understory or small canopy trees, 12 evergreen trees and 30 evergreen shrubs.
(2)
Planting specifications. All plantings required in the setback areas set forth above for buffering shall comply with the planting specifications set forth in Article XXIII, Table 15.
(3)
Existing vegetation. Trees and shrubs which are within the required rear or side setback area of the development parcel and which are adjacent to any abutting agricultural, institutional or residential lot shall not be disturbed. The existing trees and shrubs shall be utilized to satisfy the required buffer area planting required herein; provided, however, that the performance standards regarding the height and mix of types of plantings are met. In the event the existing trees and shrubs do not satisfy the buffer requirements, the applicant shall use new plantings in combination with the existing plantings to satisfy the buffer requirements. Further, there shall be no grading of the existing slope within the required rear setback area, except for the planting of trees or shrubs required to satisfy the buffer requirements. If such grading is required, it shall not increase the existing slope or contour of the ground within the required buffer area.
(4)
Structures and parking. No structures, with the exception of fences and screening walls, or parking of any kind shall be permitted within the planted buffer area. In addition, no structures or parking shall be permitted within the required setback.
(5)
Modifications. The buffering standards may be modified by a recommendation of the Planning Commission and approved by the Board of Supervisors if any of the following conditions are met:
(a)
Natural land features, such as topography, on the lot to be developed would achieve the same or better buffering or screening effect as that to be achieved under the requirements of this section;
(b)
Innovative landscaping or architectural design is proposed for the development such that an equivalent or superior buffering or screening effect is achieved; or
(c)
The required screening and landscaping would be ineffective at maturity due to the topography of either the lot to be developed or the abutting lot.
(6)
Maintenance.
(a)
The owner of the development lot in the BT District or such owner's agent shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of all screening and buffer plantings required under this section.
(b)
All plant materials shall be maintained in a healthy condition and kept free of refuse and debris.
(c)
All fences and walls shall be maintained in good repair. No openings shall be permitted unless necessary to maintain buffer plantings. Any such opening shall not exceed four feet in width and shall have a gate that shall be secured at all times when maintenance activities are not occurring.
§ 87-98 Information required.
Applications filed within the Business Transition Overlay District shall provide the information required by this article and shall also provide the information required by § 76-9 (Application for approval of plan not involving subdivision). In the event the application requires a subdivision of land, the applicant shall also provide the information required by §§ 76-6.1, 76-7.1 and/or 76-8 (minor subdivisions), whichever is applicable.