Maintain and enhance the aesthetic qualities of the historic, mixed-use core of Littlestown by encouraging signs to be designed of sizes, shapes, colors, and styles complementary to the historic character of Littlestown.

Allow signs in all zoning districts that balance the needs of individual property owners with the desire of the community to perpetuate an attractive, livable environment.

Maintain adequate traffic safety standards by minimizing the negative sensory impacts of excessive signage as well as minimizing signage conflicts with necessary traffic control signs and equipment.

Encourage signage that will meet the needs of pedestrians and occupants of moving vehicles traveling at speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour.

Administration.

The following types of signs are exempted from the requirements of Subsection B(1), provided the sign meets all other applicable sections of this section.

Off-premises directional signs are permitted in all districts by conditional use. The Borough Council may authorize the use of an off-premises directional sign if it conforms, at a minimum, to the stated standards and criteria. The Borough Council may apply additional standards to specific projects where relevant, to protect the historic and architectural integrity of the Borough of Littlestown, and in the interests of public health, safety, and welfare.

No sign shall be permitted that replicates or resembles a traffic signal or a traffic control sign.

No sign shall be located so as to interfere with the clear sight distance regulations of Chapter 415, Subdivision and Land Development.

Signs may be illuminated, unless otherwise prohibited herein, only to the extent necessary to be seen and read at night at a distance not to exceed 250 feet for signs of 10 square feet or more in area, and at a distance not to exceed 125 feet for signs of less than 10 square feet in area.

Calculation of area of signs. The following standards shall be used to calculate sign area and sign height:

Window signs. Window signs may be used for nonresidential uses located within the Town Center Mixed-Use (TCMU), the Highway Oriented Commercial (C-3), and Commercial-Employment (C-E) Districts, provided that the following standards are met:

Institutional signs. Signs for schools, colleges, churches, hospitals, municipal uses, emergency services uses, or other institutions of a similar public or semipublic nature may be erected in any zoning district, provided that the following standards are met:

Community welcome sign. Signs erected by municipal, civic or community organizations, and designed to welcome visitors to the Littlestown Community and notify the public of community events, may be erected in any zoning district, provided that the following standards are met:

Electronic message centers, provided such sign is authorized within the zoning district where the sign is proposed, and in accordance with the following standards:

Flashing signs and/or flashing and/or rotating lights.

Revolving, rotating, or otherwise moving signs.

Animated signs.

[2]Portable signs, with the following exceptions:

Signs with pornographic or obscene content. Signs shall be prohibited where the content of such sign is consistent with either the definition of the term "pornography," or the term "obscenities," as established in Chapter 329, Pornography and Obscenity, or its successor.

Signs advertising a home occupation are permitted, provided that the following requirements are met.

Signs identifying the name and entrances of a residential development are permitted, provided that the following requirements are met.

Signs advertising a preexisting nonconforming use are permitted, provided the following requirements are met:

Signs exempted under the provisions of Subsection B(2) are permitted in this zoning district.

Up to two signs, not including window signs as may be permitted by Subsection B(8) of this chapter, or temporary banners, as may be permitted by Subsection E(3) of this chapter, shall be permitted on the same lot as a single business to which the signs refer, provided that the following requirements are met:

Signs within a shopping center shall meet the following requirements.

Temporary banners may be used for nonresidential uses located in the Highway Commercial (C-3) and Commercial/Employment (C/E) Districts, provided that the following standards are met:

Signs exempted under the provisions of Subsection B(2) are permitted in this zoning district.

Electronic message centers, in accordance with § 500-18B(11).

A maximum of two signs, not including window signs as may be permitted by Subsection B(8) or sandwich board signs as may be permitted by Subsection F(3), shall be permitted for each nonresidential use of a structure. When two signs are used, one sign shall be either a wall sign or canopy sign, and one sign shall be either a freestanding or projecting sign. Where a structure contains three or more nonresidential uses, a maximum of two signs shall be used to identify all nonresidential uses of a structure. In addition, the following requirements shall be met:

Where the structure is located at the intersection of two public streets, the Zoning Officer may authorize one wall sign and one projecting or freestanding sign along each side of the structure facing a public street, provided that all signs meet the regulations of Subsection F(1).

In addition to the signs permitted by Subsection F(1) and (2) above, each nonresidential use shall be permitted to use one sandwich board sign along each public street upon which the nonresidential use fronts, provided that the following standards are met:

Window signs shall be permitted in accordance with Subsection B(8).

Signs exempted under the provisions of Subsection B(2) are permitted in this zoning district.

Electronic message centers may be authorized by conditional use, in accordance with § 500-18.B(11), and in accordance with the following:

A maximum of one sign shall be permitted that displays the owner/occupant of the premises and the activity conducted thereon, provided that the following requirements are met:

A maximum of one freestanding sign may be erected at each entrance and/or exit to or from a public road that identifies the owner/occupant of the premises and the entrance and/or exit, provided that the following requirements are met:

On parcels containing multiple activities, a single sign shall be permitted for each individual activity, provided that the following requirements are met:

The maximum height of any freestanding sign, except for those signs regulated by Subsection G(2), shall not exceed 25 feet. The maximum height of any wall sign or projecting sign shall not exceed a height equal to 75% of the height of the wall upon which the wall sign or projecting sign is located.

Billboards are permitted by special exception, provided the following standards are met:

Signs exempted under the provisions of Subsection B(2) are permitted in this zoning district.

Electronic message centers in accordance with § 500-18B(11).

Open private swimming pools and related bathhouses are considered "structures" for the purpose of permits and regulations of other ordinances. For the purpose of this chapter, they are not counted as floor area in computing the lot coverage but shall not be located in any required setback area.

No building, swimming place or swimming pool or artificial body of water or any other structure intended to be used for bathing or swimming purposes in which water may collect in excess of a depth of two feet and/or with a surface area of more than 50 square feet shall be constructed, altered, added to or operated within 100 feet of any property line of the property on which it is located, unless such swimming pool or place is surrounded by a fence around the entire property line of the property on which it is located, or unless such swimming pool or place is surrounded by a fence around the entire perimeter, in which case the swimming pool shall be at least 15 feet from any property line.

The type, quality and method of construction of said fence shall be such as shall be approved by the Zoning Officer with the intent that it shall act as a safeguard and protection to children. Such fence shall be at least four feet in height, but not in excess of six feet, nonremovable and shall have a self-locking type gate and shall be such as to prevent children and stray animals from going through it; provided that existing nonconforming fences may be approved by the Borough Zoning Officer.

Where the side of an aboveground swimming pool exceeds four feet in height, the fence installation requirement may be waived, provided that the following conditions are complied with:

No swimming pool shall be constructed in the Borough except in accordance with a permit therefore previously secured from the Zoning Officer of the Borough, upon written application accompanied by a plan showing the size, shape and location of the swimming pool and its enclosure and such other information as may be necessary for the Zoning Officer to determine whether the pool complies with the requirements and specifications of this chapter.

Topsoil or sod may be removed only under the following conditions:

Intent. The purpose of these provisions is to allow for customary home occupations which are compatible with the neighborhoods in which they are allowed.

Uses permitted. A home occupation may include art studios; arts and crafts studios; home-based mail-order businesses; barber shops and beauty salons containing a maximum of two chairs; day-care facilities for no more than six children or four adults; instructional services limited to two pupils at a time; professional offices for a physician, dentist, lawyer, accountant, real estate agent, architect, or similar professional; taxidermist; or other activities of a similar nature.

Use restrictions.

Automobile graveyards.

An unoccupied, unlicensed mobile home shall not be parked on a lot unless such trailer is parked so as not to be visible from a street or other property line, or is suitably screened.

Privately operated sanitary landfill or trash dump operations.

Outdoor wood-fired boilers; provided, however, that this prohibition does not apply to charcoal grills, fire pits, or other burning conducted in accordance with applicable Borough requirements.

Statement of legislative intent. Off-street parking and loading facilities shall be provided to lessen congestion, to enhance safety, and to decrease the parking burden on and within public rights-of-way. The facilities required herein shall be available for the residents, occupants, patrons, or employees of the particular business or use for which such facilities are provided.

Required facilities. Unless otherwise regulated in this article or elsewhere in this chapter, the following parking facilities are required. Any structure or building hereafter erected, converted, or enlarged for any of the following uses, or any open area hereafter developed for commercial, residential, or similar purposes, shall be provided with not less than the minimum off-street parking spaces, as set forth below, unless an alternative minimum number of parking spaces is authorized by the Zoning Officer in accordance with § 500-19I(5) or (6) of this chapter. All spaces shall be readily accessible, with proper access from a street, alley, or driveway, to the uses served thereby. In computing the number of parking spaces required, if the computation shall result in a fraction, a space shall be required for each such fractional amount.

Public right-of-way excluded. In no case shall parking within public rights-of-way be used to calculate the required parking needed by any applicant for any use.

Design standards. All off-street parking areas shall be designed to meet the following standards.

Parking held in reserve. Because of the relatively dense, built-up environment characteristic of the Town Center Mixed-Use (TCMU) and the Town Center Residential (TCR) Districts, the excessive provision of off-street parking areas may be detrimental to the aesthetic and historic character of the area. Thus, if the number of spaces required by Subsection I(2) is substantially larger than the anticipated demand for spaces by the applicant, the concept of parking held in reserve can be used by the applicant to avoid unnecessary parking while reserving adequate parking areas for potential parking demand. For an applicant to use the parking held in reserve concept, the following requirements shall be met:

Off-street limited parking waiver. Because of the relatively dense, built-up environment characteristic of some areas of the Town Center Mixed-Use (TCMU) and the Town Center Residential (TCR) Districts, there exist properties which can not meet any of the above standards for off-street parking, including parking held in reserve. In such areas where provision of the required off-street parking is impossible because of existing lot size or building coverage, the Zoning Officer may, upon review and recommendation by the Borough Planning Commission, waive the above off-street parking requirements to the extent necessary to allow utilization of a property for a use permitted by right in the TCMU and TCR Districts. For an applicant to receive such a waiver, the following requirements shall be met.

Requirements for parking lots designed as a principal use. All off-street parking lots intended to function as the principal use of a property rather than as an accessory use shall be designed and located in accordance with the following requirements:

Standards.

Requirements. At least one off-street loading space shall be provided for all commercial and industrial concerns in excess of 3,500 square feet of floor area. The number of loading and unloading spaces shall be left to the discretion of the developer; however, the standards of this section shall be maintained, and the number of proposed spaces approved by the Planning Commission.

Route 194.

Route 140.

No cesspool or septic tank tile field, or any part thereof shall be placed closer to any property line than 50 feet or closer to any well on the premises or on adjoining premises than 100 feet. And no well shall be placed closer to any side or rear property line than 25 feet.

On-site sewage disposal shall be permitted when public sewer is unavailable by approval of Borough Council when the applicant can substantiate by means of approved percolation tests that the soil on the property concerned is suitable for this use, and that the lot size is large enough so that this use will have no adverse effect upon neighboring uses or upon the community ground water supply. Such on-site sewage disposal must be abandoned when public sewer becomes available.

Maximum height for fences located within front yards for all zoning districts shall be four feet. For corner lot properties which have two front yards and two side yards (as outlined in § 500-2C, Definitions), the front yard shall be designated for the yard which has the structure's primary means of ingress/egress. The other front yard shall be considered a side yard.

Maximum height for fences located within side and rear yards in all zoning districts shall be eight feet.

No fence shall be located in a manner that obstructs vision at street intersections. Clear sight triangles shall be provided at all street intersections. Within such triangles, no fence shall be permitted which obscures vision above the height of 30 inches and below 10 feet measured from the center-line grade of intersecting streets. Such triangles shall be established as follows:

All fences shall be constructed such that fence posts or supports, including lateral supports, are located on the inside of the fence, unless such posts or supports constitute an integral component of the vertical plane created by the fence.

Metal or wire mesh fences, with the exception of ornamental fences made of wrought iron or similar metal material, shall only be permitted in the I/E, C/E, and C-3 Zoning Districts of the Borough. Such ornamental fences shall be permitted for residential application in all of the Borough's residential zoning districts, provided that manufacturer's brochures or advertising is supplied indicating the suitability of such ornamental fence design for residential application.

Fences that include barbed wire or razor wire shall be prohibited. Electrified fences shall be prohibited.

Fences shall be kept in an appropriate state or repair by the property owner at all times. Fences with broken or missing slats, supports, wire mesh, or other components shall be immediately repaired or replaced, as appropriate, by the property owner.

The business activity shall be compatible with the residential use of the property and surrounding residential uses.

The business shall employ no employees other than family members residing in the dwelling.

There shall be no display or sale of retail goods and no stockpiling or inventory of a substantial nature.

There shall be no outside appearance of a business use, including but not limited to, parking, signs, or lights.

The business activity may not use any equipment or process which creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors, or electrical or electronic interference, including interference with radio or television reception, which is detectable in the neighborhood.

The business activity may not generate any solid waste or sewage discharge, in volume or type, which is not normally associated with residential use in the neighborhood.

The business activity shall be conducted only within the dwelling and may not occupy more than 25% of the habitable floor area.

The business may not involve any illegal activity.

To permit a more varied, efficient, attractive, and economical development pattern.

To increase flexibility in the location and arrangement of homes.

To provide a more usable pattern of open space.

Any single owner of a minimum of 10 acres of land zoned as residential which permits cluster development as a matter of right any request the Planning Commission to have the regulations of this section apply to such property. The application shall include:

The Planning Commission shall have a period of 30 days to accept or reject any applications. If the application is rejected, the written reasons for such rejection shall be made available. Approval of all applications shall be based on the conformance of the plan to the stated objections of this section.

The decision of the Planning Commission may be appealed by the applicant or a group of Borough residents, whose number shall exceed 30 persons of voting age, to the Borough Council. All appeals must be requested within 10 days of the decision of the Planning Commission. Applications under this subsection shall be limited to single-family residences.

The building lot may be reduced no more than 1/2, so that when an amount of land reserved under requirements of open space regulations is added to it, the two will be equal to the lot size requirements of the district in which it is located. Unless specified to the contrary by the residential zoning district requirements, the other area and bulk regulations shall be adjusted in cluster developments as follows:

The minimum size of building lots with on-site sewer facilities shall be subject to the discretion of the Planning Commission, who shall evaluate the suitability of each proposed building lot for on-site sewage disposal.

The acceptance of the deed to such land by the Borough;

The sale, lease or other disposition of such property to a private or nonprofit corporation chartered under the laws of Pennsylvania to administer and maintain the facilities subject to an acceptable deed restriction limiting eventual disposition of said property for the purpose stated in the Articles of Incorporation;

The inclusion of a portion of said property in the deed descriptions of the individual purchasers of subdivisions subject to an acceptable deed restriction limiting eventual disposition of that portion to be used for the purposes outlined in the plan submitted to the Borough Planning Commission. Access rights for all residents within the development shall be guaranteed.

Parking spaces shall be clearly delineated by painted lines or markers.

Stalls shall be provided with bumper guards or wheel stops when necessary for safety or protection of adjacent structures or landscaped areas.

Surface drainage shall be connected to the existing or proposed drainage system.

All vehicular entrances and exits to parking areas shall be clearly designated for all conditions.

Short-term visitor parking spaces shall be differentiated from long-term employee spaces by suitable markings.

If spaces are used during evening hours, appropriate lighting shall be provided.

A planted visual barrier, or landscaped screen, shall be provided and maintained by the owner or lessee of a property between any district and contiguous residentially zoned districts, except where natural or physical man-made barrier exists. This screen shall be planted and maintained in accordance with the requirements of § 500-19G.

All visual barriers, or landscaped screen, shall be in accordance with the following minimum widths:

Any existing business affected by these regulations at the time of passage of this chapter shall not be required to comply with the above screening requirements except in case of enlargement or major alteration of such business. Similarly, for any zoning district boundary change after passage of this chapter initiated by a residential developer abutting a commercially or industrially zoned property for which these regulations apply, these screening requirements shall not be imposed upon such commercial or industrial property.

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 and shall be in keeping with natural surroundings. A replacement program for non-surviving plants should be included.

The plot plan must show a satisfactory method of irrigating all planted areas. This may be either by a permanent water system or by hose. Any single parking area with 50 or more spaces shall utilize at least 5% of its area in landscaping, which shall be in addition to open area requirements of the district.

All nonresidential parking areas, driveways, and loading areas shall be provided with a lighting system that achieves the following requirements.

The lighting system shall maintain a uniformity ration of 15:1 or better.

Locations with a higher level of night activity (such as automatic teller machines and gasoline pumping stations) may require luminance levels greater than those indicated in this section. Where higher luminance levels are requested by a developer, the design may be approved by the Zoning Officer, upon recommendation by the Planning Commission, provided the lighting system complies with all other requirements of this section.

Pole-mounted lighting fixtures shall be located in coordination with the landscaping plan, existing trees, and future tree growth so as to minimize shadowing.

Lighting fixtures shall be selected to minimize upward light that contributes to sky glow and wastes energy. Outdoor lighting fixture shall be a full-cutoff-fixture type, in accordance with American National Standards Institute/Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (ANSI/IESNA) Classification, with the exception of floodlights as allowed by variance. Floodlights are permitted to be used to illuminate landscape features or building facades, as long as such floodlights are shielded and aimed so that the light is directed toward the functional area being illuminated and in a manner that direct glare on adjoining properties does not result.

These lighting requirements provide appropriate standards to ensure adequate nighttime safety and security while minimizing the spillover of light and glare on operators of motor vehicles, along pedestrians and land uses near the light source. However, it is the safety, welfare, nuisance and hazardous aspects of lighting that form the basis of these regulations.

Requirements. Exterior lighting shall be provided in residential developments, parking areas, pedestrian sidewalks and walkways and nonresidential driveway intersections in accordance with the following standards. Lighting used for security purposes shall also conform to the following standards. These regulations permit an option of providing a lower light post for luminaries with a non-cutoff classification or a higher pole, up to 60 feet, for luminaries with full-cutoff classification. The maximum height light post permitted shall be dependent upon the amount of cutoff provided. Exterior lighting shall meet one of the following standards:

Exemption for specified uses.

Additional requirements.

Any lighting plan submitted for review shall contain at a minimum the following information:

Exterior lighting, except for overhead streetlighting and warning, emergency, or traffic signals, shall be installed in accordance with § 500-22F, in such a manner that the light source will be sufficiently obscured to prevent glare on public streets and walkways or into any residential area. The installation or erection of any lighting which may be confused with warning signals. Emergency signals or traffic signals shall be unlawful. No lighting installation shall cause illumination in excess of 0.5 footcandle measured at the property line.

Measurement. Lighting levels shall be measured in footcandles. Measurement shall be taken with a direct reading portable light meter or by light-reading equipment as recommended by the Borough Engineer.

Method. Readings shall be taken by qualified personnel so that the light-reading meter has been exposed long enough to provide a constant reading. Measurements shall be made after dark with the light sources in question on, then with the same sources off. The difference between the tow readings shall be compared to the maximum permitted illumination at the property line at ground level. This procedure eliminates the effects of moonlight and other ambient light.

The interior circulation of traffic shall be designed so that no driveway or street providing parking spaces shall be used as a through street. If parking spaces are indicated by lines with angles other than 90 degrees, then traffic lanes shall be restricted to one-way permitting head-in parking. No driveway or street used for interior circulation shall have traffic lanes less than 10 feet in width.

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.

All access ways to any public street or highway shall be located at least 200 feet from the intersection of any two street lines, and shall be designed in a manner conducive to safe ingress and egress as determined by the Planning Commission and the Borough Council. Where practical, exits shall be located on minor, rather than major, streets or highways.

No design shall be approved which is likely to create substantial traffic hazards endangering the public safety. Safety requirements which may be imposed in such review shall include traffic control devices, acceleration or deceleration lanes, turning lanes, traffic and lane markings, and signs. The developer shall be responsible for the construction of any such traffic control devices.

In order to assure the satisfactory development of sites within the commercial and industrial districts, it shall be required that prior to the use or occupancy of any lot, building site, parcel or property, a suitable site plan shall be submitted to the Littlestown Borough Planning Commission.

It is the purpose of this section to benefit the applicant by providing such information and guidance as might be required before the applicant shall have entered into any binding commitments or incurred any substantial expense in the preparation of plans, surveys and other date.

The applicant shall be the owner of the site, or if more than one owner, all owners shall act jointly. The applicant shall confer with the Planning Commission in connection with the preparation of the application and prior to the submission of the application.

The application shall contain the following:

Minimum lot area. The minimum lot area upon which an age-qualified housing development may be proposed shall be five acres.

Relationship to community amenities.

Permitted residential uses. The following type of residential uses may be permitted within an age-qualified housing development.

Area and bulk regulations. The following regulations shall be observed for age-qualified housing developments:

Design standards. An age-qualified housing development shall be subject to the following design standards.

Roof-mounted solar panels shall comply with the maximum building height requirements of the zoning district in which the installation of the solar panel is proposed.

On pitched roofs, roof-mounted solar panels shall be installed as close to parallel as possible to the pitch of the roof while not sacrificing the efficiency of the solar panel.

On flat roofs, roof-mounted solar panels may be installed at an angle to improve the efficiency of the solar panel with regard to the predominant sun angle, provided that the solar panel is placed in a manner to minimize its visibility from street level. In no case may solar panels extend more than five feet above the top of a flat roof.

Ground-mounted solar panels shall only be permitted within the C-3, C/E, and I/E Districts. Ground-mounted solar panels shall not be permitted within the R-1, R-2, R-3, TCR, and TCMU Districts.

Ground-mounted solar panels shall comply with the setback requirements of the zoning district in which the installation of the solar panel is proposed.

Ground-mounted solar panels shall not be permitted by right in front of any principal building.

Ground-mounted solar panels shall not exceed a height of 10 feet.

Glare from ground-mounted solar panels shall be directed away from adjoining properties or street rights-of-way. Fences or vegetative screens may be utilized to prevent glare from impacting adjoining properties or street rights-of-way.

Ground-mounted solar panels shall be enclosed by a fence that complies with the requirements of § 500-19N.

A planting or buffer strip that complies with the requirements of § 500-19G shall be installed around the outer perimeter of the fence required by § 500-26B(6).

Building permit required. The installation of solar panels and/or wind-generation facilities shall be subject any permitting and inspections with regard to applicable provisions of the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC)[1] in addition to any permitting required to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

Purpose of facility. The primary purpose of a power-generation facility shall be to provide power for the principal use of the property on/within which the installation of said power-generation facility is proposed. The primary purpose of the facility shall not be for the generation of power for commercial purposes, although this provision shall not be interpreted so as to prohibit the sale of excess power generated from time to time.

Removal. Power-generation facilities shall be completely decommissioned by the facility owner within 12 months after the end of the useful life of the facility or if the facility has not produced power for the previous 12 months. Decommissioning shall include removal of the entire power-generation facility, including buildings, cabling, electrical components, foundations, pilings, and any other associated feature. Failures of the property owner to decommission a power-generation facility in accordance with this section shall constitute a violation of the Zoning Ordinance and shall be subject to the enforcement remedies established in Article VIII.

Permitted uses. The following types of uses shall be authorized to be included within a CCRC:

Bulk and area regulations. The following regulations shall be observed for CCRC developments:

Design requirements. A CCRC development shall be subject to the following design standards: