Lower Gwynedd Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1282
D-1 Special Use District
§ 1282.01 Application of chapter.
[Ord. 233A. Passed 6-18-1987]
In a "D-1" Special Use District, the regulations set forth in this chapter shall apply.
§ 1282.02 Permitted uses.
[Ord. 233A. Passed 6-18-1987; amended 9-24-2013 by Ord. No. 489]
In a "D-1" Special Use District, a building may be erected or used, and a lot may be used or occupied, for any of the following purposes and no other:
(a)
A scientific research laboratory.
(b)
An engineering center.
(c)
An office building.
(d)
A municipal use.
(e)
The following uses shall be permitted by conditional use on properties in excess of 50 acres when the conditional use application is accompanied by a full traffic study demonstrating that there will be (after the proposed use is in operation) either:
[Added 5-28-2019 by Ord. No. 523]
(1)
Less than a full letter grade of level of service diminution for all movements at all intersection deemed materially impacted by the Township's Traffic Engineer; or
(2)
The construction of traffic improvements at such intersections which, in the reasonable opinion of the Township Traffic Engineer, will prevent such decrease in any level of service at such intersection:
A.
A hotel when authorized as a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors, subject to the requirements of Section 1282.09(g) and Section 1298.07.
B.
A conference center when authorized as a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors, subject to the requirements of Section 1282.09(k) and Section 1298.07.
C.
A restaurant, with or without a catering establishment, and/or a liquor license, but not including the sale of prepared food for consumption in automobiles or primarily off the premises, in a building existing on the premises as of January 1, 2019, and only when authorized as a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors, and subject to the requirements of Section 1282.09(l) and Section 1298.07.
D.
A fitness, health and wellness facility within a building, with such use limited to 2,500 square feet in space.
(f)
Accessory uses. The following accessory uses shall be permitted:
[Added 5-28-2019 by Ord. No. 523]
(1)
An outdoor fitness, health or wellness facility no greater than 2,000 square feet in size, with associated access for pedestrians and vehicles, available free of charge to all the tenants of the property and the general public, with parking therefor deemed sufficient by the Board of Supervisors and the Township Engineer.
(2)
An educational or training facility in support of a permitted use.
§ 1282.03 Prohibited uses.
§ 1282.04 Lot area and width.
§ 1282.05 Yards.
[Ord. 233A. Passed 6-18-1987; Ord. 328. Passed 7-22-1996]
(a)
Front, Side and Rear Yards. In a "D-1" Special Use District, there shall be front, side and rear yards provided on each lot, which yards shall not be less than 200 feet in depth.
(b)
District Yard. No front, side or rear yard adjacent to any single- family residential district shall be less than 400 feet in depth.
§ 1282.06 Lot coverage.
[Ord. 233A. Passed 6-18-1987]
(a)
Building Coverage. In a "D-1" Special Use District, the total building coverage shall not exceed 20%.
(b)
Gross Building Floor Area Coverage. The total gross building floor area coverage shall not exceed 40% of the developable area of the site.
(c)
Impervious Coverage. The total impervious coverage shall not exceed 40%.
§ 1282.07 Building height.
[Ord. 233A. Passed 6-18-1987; Ord. 323. Passed 1-23-1996]
The maximum height for buildings or other structures erected or enlarged in this district shall be 60 feet, with a maximum of three stories. Rooftop equipment may project an additional 10 feet above the roof.
§ 1282.08 Off-street parking and loading.
[Ord. 233A. Passed 6-18-1987]
(a)
Parking and Loading. In a "D-1" Special Use District, all-weather parking and loading facilities shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 1294.
(b)
Setbacks. No parking, loading, driveway or access roadway area shall be located closer than 200 feet to any property line, except as required for normal ingress and egress. In the case of any property line or boundary being adjacent to a single-family residential district, the setback shall be 300 feet, except as required for normal ingress and egress.
§ 1282.09 Special requirements.
[Ord. 233A. Passed 6-18-1987; Ord. 251. Passed 2-16-1988; Ord. 400. Passed 5-21-2002]
(b)
Development Regulations. The project shall be developed and constructed in accordance with an approved overall master plan which shall be updated so as to be current. The development shall be designed and constructed as a single architectural scheme.
(c)
Landscaping. All development in a "D-1" Special Use District shall be designed and maintained in accordance with the landscape provisions of the Subdivision Regulations. There shall be a suitable and effective landscape barrier at the edge of the property adjacent to any public street. Such buffer strip shall be at least 10 feet wide and shall channel motor vehicle ingress and egress from the property. There shall be a maximum of one access road per 600 feet of frontage and in no case more than two access roads per frontage.
(d)
Utilities. All development in a "D-1" Special Use District shall be served by public sewer and water. All utilities serving a permitted use in this district shall be underground.
(e)
Outdoor Land Use. There shall be no outdoor storage or display of goods or materials for marketing, storage or any other purpose. The outdoor storage of trash shall be designed and maintained to be completely screened from view by a landscape buffer.
(f)
Hazardous Uses. No building shall be erected, altered or maintained, and no lot shall be used for any purpose, trade or business, that is noxious, offensive or potentially injurious to health by reason of odor, noise, dust, smoke, heat, gas, radiation or vibration.
(g)
Building Spacing. The distance at the closest point between any buildings shall be not less than 30 feet.
(h)
Site Lighting. Exterior lighting provided in conjunction with any building or use shall be placed not higher than 14 feet above grade and shall be screened so as not to permit the source of illumination to be seen from off the premises. Only color-corrected types of illumination shall be used. The hours of illumination of such lights (except security lighting) shall be limited to the hours of business operation and shall otherwise be extinguished between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day, prevailing time.
Exterior lighting, when set back a minimum of 300 feet from an adjacent residential district and a minimum of 200 feet from an adjacent nonresidential district, may exceed the fourteen-foot limitation stated in this subsection, but shall not be placed higher than 25 feet above grade. |
(j)
Hotels. In addition to the requirements of this Chapter 1282 (D-1 Special Use District), a hotel in a "D-1" Special Use District shall be subject to the following special requirements:
[Added 5-28-2019 by Ord. No. 523]
(1)
The hotel shall have no more than 120 guest rooms.
(2)
No more than one hotel shall be permitted within a contiguous master plan within any "D-1" Special Use District.
(3)
Any outdoor space intended for the use and enjoyment of hotel guests or the general public shall be incorporated into, and accessible to, the other permitted uses in the overall master plan. Any outdoor food and beverage service, and any outdoor music or other outdoor entertainment or activities, shall cease operations by 10:00 p.m. nightly.
(k)
Conference center. In addition to the requirements of this Chapter 1282 (D-1 Special Use District), a conference center in a "D-1" Special Use District shall be subject to the following special requirements:
[Added 5-28-2019 by Ord. No. 523]
(1)
The conference center may be connected to a hotel. In the event that a covered walkway connects the conference center and a hotel or a restaurant, each structure shall continue to be considered a building or a principal building, as defined in the Zoning Code, and the walkway shall not be considered a violation of the building spacing required by Section 1282.09(g), but the walk shall provide such fire safety measures as shall be required by the applicable fire code or as reasonably suggested at the time of plan approval by the Township Fire Marshal.
(2)
The conference center shall be intended for the use and enjoyment of tenants, licensees and invitees of the "D-1" Special Use District and for the general public, provided that the maximum number of attendees at any single event shall be no more than 250 people.
(3)
Any outdoor space intended for the use and enjoyment of the conference center patrons and the general public shall be incorporated into, and accessible from, the other permitted uses in the overall master plan. Any outdoor food and beverage service, and any outdoor music or other outdoor entertainment or activities, shall cease operations by 10:00 p.m. nightly.
(l)
Restaurant. In addition to the requirements of this Chapter 1282 (D-1 Special Use District), a restaurant in a "D-1" Special Use District shall be subject to the following special requirements:
[Added 5-28-2019 by Ord. No. 523]
(1)
The restaurant shall be intended for the use and enjoyment of tenants, licensees and invitees of the "D-1" Special Use District and for the general public.
(2)
Any outdoor space intended for the use and enjoyment of the conference center or restaurant patrons and the general public shall be incorporated into, and accessible from, the overall master plan. Any outdoor food and beverage service, and any outdoor music or other outdoor entertainment or activities, shall cease operations by 10:00 p.m. nightly.
§ 1282.10 (Reserved) [1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 1282.10, Application procedure, was repealed 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 314.