Lower Frederick Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
OI Office Institution District
§ 170-97 Declaration of legislative intent.
In expansion of the declaration of legislative intent and community development objectives contained in Article I of this chapter, the specific intent of this district is:
A.
To provide reasonable standards for the development of professional office, corporate office, and institutional uses.
B.
To encourage compact development in the Zieglerville core area, in accordance with the Lower Frederick Comprehensive Plan.
C.
To provide an opportunity to develop the area between the Goschenhoppen Creek and Gravel Pike as an employment and service center.
D.
To provide suitable land to attract small-scale, low- and moderate-intensity businesses and institutions.
E.
To encourage integrated development on new internal roads, prevent strip commercial development, and avoid adding to the traffic hazards on Gravel Pike.
F.
To require new development to be compatible with abutting residential districts.
G.
To require new development to be sensitive to the adjacent creek, floodplain, and riparian areas.
§ 170-98 Permitted uses.
In the OI Office Institution District, a building may be erected, altered or used, and a lot may be used or occupied for any one or more of the following uses:
A.
Class I low-intensity uses, which are permitted by right:
(1)
Individual office building, including corporate, administrative, executive, or government office.
(2)
Professional office, including insurance, investment, real estate, architecture, engineering, or similar business.
(3)
Office for the practice of medicine, dentistry, psychology, counseling, or other healing arts.
(4)
The following institutional uses:
(a)
Church, place of worship, including associated residence, but not including school or monastery.
(b)
Cemetery, graveyard, mausoleum, crematory, provided no graves are located within 50 feet of any property line or floodplain.
(c)
Library, museum, community center, senior center, post office.
(d)
Emergency service institution, fire house, ambulance station, police station.
(e)
Day-care center.
(f)
Open space uses, primarily passive in nature, including wildlife sanctuary, forest preserve, nature center, and similar uses.
(g)
Game farm, fish hatchery, hunting or fishing preserve; or similar uses designed for the protection or propagation of wildlife.
(h)
Government uses, public utility facility.
B.
Class II high-intensity uses, which are permitted by conditional use, in compliance with the provisions of §§ 170-101I and 170-31 of this chapter:
(1)
Office park, office campus.
(2)
The following institutional uses:
(a)
School (public or private, sectarian or nonsectarian, elementary or secondary, including college, university, trade or professional school).
(b)
Nursing home, personal care facility, intermediate care facility, congregate care facility, or other institution for the aged or infirm.
(c)
Convent, monastery, orphanage.
(d)
Medical and surgical hospital, rehabilitation hospital, clinic, other medical treatment facility (excluding doctor or dentist office or other Class I uses).
§ 170-99 Prohibited uses.
[Amended 2-7-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-01]
In support of the legislative intent and statement of community development objectives of this article, certain uses are prohibited in the OI Office Institution District. Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to, the following:
§ 170-100 Dimensional regulations.
[Amended 2-7-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-01; 10-3-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-03]
Each class of use shall comply with the following dimensional regulations, except parks and recreation areas:
Class I | Class II | |
|---|---|---|
Minimum lot area | 30,000 square feet | 2 acres |
Minimum building envelope | 9,750 square feet | 36,000 square feet |
Minimum lot width | 125 feet | 200 feet |
Minimum front yard setback | 50 feet | 75 feet |
Minimum side yard setback | 30 feet each | 40 feet each |
Minimum rear yard setback | 40 feet | 60 feet |
Maximum building coverage | 30% | 30% |
Maximum impervious surface coverage | 65% | 65% |
Maximum height | Unless specifically regulated elsewhere in this chapter, the maximum height for all accessory buildings and structures is 15 feet and is 35 feet for all other buildings and structures. | |
Minimum distance between buildings | Two times the height of the taller building | |
Minimum parking setback | 20 feet from all property lines; this setback may be part of a required yard area, and shall include landscaping and/or berming according to the provisions of Chapter 145, Subdivision and Land Development | |
Minimum setback from the boundary of a residential zoning district | 80 feet for any building, 40 feet for any parking or service area; this setback may be part of a required yard area, and shall include landscaping and/or berming according to the provisions of Chapter 145, Subdivision and Land Development | |
§ 170-101 Development regulations.
A.
All development in the OI Office Institution District shall be served by public sewer and water systems if available.
B.
All development shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 145, Subdivision and Land Development.
D.
All uses shall be connected by a safe and convenient pedestrian circulation system, which shall connect buildings with sidewalks along streets, and parking areas, common areas, and other buildings.
E.
Safe and convenient vehicular connections between parking areas on adjacent lots used for nonresidential purposes shall be required except where impracticable because of environmental constraints (such as steep slopes or mature trees), or other site constraints (such as existing buildings or structures). Common parking areas serving two or more lots are strongly encouraged to increase flexibility and reduce the number of access points on the street. Each use shall provide parking to meet the requirements of this chapter. Cross-access easements shall be provided for all common parking areas.
F.
Service and loading areas, dumpsters, and similar site elements shall not be located within the required front yard setback of the property, and shall be adequately screened from view according to the provisions of Chapter 145, Subdivision and Land Development.
H.
Outdoor storage. No outdoor storage shall be permitted, except that which is customary to an office use.
I.
Conditional use standards and criteria.
(1)
The proposed use shall not cause undue noise, glare or pollution of the surrounding areas, as determined by the Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation by the Township Engineer and Township Planning Commission.
(2)
Anticipated levels of traffic congestion, noise, glare, and pollution created by the proposed use will be similar to the levels created by uses permitted by right in this district.
(3)
Any visual or functional conflicts between the proposed use and surrounding existing uses shall be kept to a minimum. Increased setbacks, planted buffers, wooden fences or other measures may be required by the Board of Supervisors to minimize potential conflicts, or to reduce anticipated levels of noise. Visual and functional conflicts include, but are not limited to, loading docks, parking lots, service driveways, or large nonresidential buildings adjacent to residential neighborhoods or open space areas without adequate buffering.
§ 170-102 Design requirements.
A.
The siting of all required parking spaces in the side or rear of the lot is strongly encouraged.
B.
Parking and loading areas shall not interfere with driveways, accessways, sidewalks, or pedestrian walkways.
C.
If the front yard setback includes parking, there shall be a minimum five foot buffer between the end of the driveway or parking area and the building (except in the case of a driveway leading to a garage or carport). The buffer area shall be landscaped and shall not be paved.
D.
The use of natural building materials, such as brick, stone, stucco or wood, is strongly encouraged.
E.
The use of a gable, hip, gambrel or mansard roof is strongly encouraged.