Middletown Township Bucks
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVII
GB General Business District
§ 500-1701 Purpose and intent.
[Amended 3-26-1991 by Ord. No. 91-16; 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07]
The purpose of the General Business District is to provide for major commercial, multifamily, intensive office and light industrial uses in a concentrated area. Such developments should be planned for adequate improvements, internal streets, suitable open space and landscaping, and compatibility with adjacent uses. The design standards for specific uses in this district are reflective of the Township's desire to encourage appropriate high-quality, mixed-use development and to promote flexibility for redevelopment in consideration of the changing nature of shopping centers, the demand for a diversity of uses in a singular location, including, but not limited to, entertainment, lodging, housing, hospitality, retail, office, cultural, and gathering space.
§ 500-1702 Use regulations.
[Amended 10-2-2001 by Ord. No. 01-13]
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.
Retail use and services, including the following:
(2)
Consumer service and personal service shops.
(3)
Bank or similar financial institution.
(4)
Restaurant.
(5)
Indoor theater, radio and television studios.
(6)
Hotel or motel which furnishes sleeping accommodations for tourists or short-term transient guests only. Such uses shall not include rental units equipped with cooking or housekeeping facilities.
B.
Professional, business or government offices.
C.
Religious and educational uses, including churches, public schools and schools for adult education.
D.
Community buildings, such as a municipal building, post office or library.
E.
Clinics of hospitals which are accessory and incidental to a medical office or a group of medical offices in one building.
F.
General service or repair shop.
G.
Utility and public services, including electric substation, telephone central office, and rail or bus passenger station.
H.
Laboratory uses (research, experimental and testing) which are not noxious or hazardous.
I.
Wholesale business, wholesale storage, warehousing, motor freight terminal, and express office.
J.
Light manufacturing activities which are not noxious or hazardous, as follows:
(1)
Manufacture of clothing, hosiery and other textiles; fur or leather goods (not including tanning or dyeing); jewelry, clocks and watches; musical, professional and scientific instruments; optical goods and umbrellas.
(2)
Manufacture or assembly of products from the following previously prepared materials: bone, canvas, ceramics, cork, feathers, felt, fur, glass, hair, horn, leather, paper, plastics, shells and rubber (excluding all rubber and synthetic processing).
(3)
Manufacture or assembly of light metal products, excluding foundries, drop forge plants, smelting, refining, alloying or other basic metallurgical processes.
(4)
Manufacture, bottling and distribution of nonalcoholic beverages.
(5)
Printing and publishing establishments.
K.
Combining and processing of food products as an accessory or incidental use to the main use, such as a retail store, excluding all processing of meat or fish products.
L.
Heliport, subject to approval and authorization by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Aviation, and compliance with all applicable federal and state requirements.
M.
Apartment for one family in combination with a business use when operated by the owner or caretaker.
N.
Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any permitted use in this district.
P.
Any use of the same general character as any of the above permitted uses when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board.
R.
Multifamily dwellings. A grouping of three or more dwelling units in a building or a grouping of buildings each consisting of three or more dwelling units on a site with shared amenities, subject to the additional design requirements in § 500-1705.
[Added 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07]
S.
Recreational entertainment facility (An indoor and/or outdoor commercial facility for the purposes of entertainment by recreation or organized sport-related events or activities in which members of the public themselves participate).
[Added 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07]
T.
Fitness, spa and/or health club/center.
[Added 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07]
U.
Museum/gallery.
[Added 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07]
V.
Parking, including structured parking.
[Added 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07]
§ 500-1703 Area, dimensional and design requirements.
Unless a greater area or dimensional regulation is stated in § 500-1702, Use regulations, for a specific use, all uses in the GB District shall meet the following requirements:
A.
Minimum site area: 50 acres.
B.
Minimum frontage at street line: 300 feet.
D.
A minimum lot area of five acres shall be provided for each principal use; however, up to nine lots within the site may have a minimum lot area of one acre.
E.
Minimum lot width: 100 feet.
F.
Maximum building coverage (on lot): 30%.
G.
Maximum impervious surface ratio (on lot): 65%.
I.
Minimum building spacing: 30 feet.
J.
Minimum building height: 2 stories.
K.
Maximum building height: 100 feet.
L.
Buffer yard. Along any adjacent land zoned for or in residential or agricultural use, a buffer yard shall be provided which shall be not less than 75 feet in width, measured from the property line or the street line. The buffer yard shall be in accordance with the provisions of § 500-2605.
M.
Adequate areas shall be provided for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles; servicing of shops by refuse collection, fuel, fire and other service vehicles; automobile accessways and pedestrian walks. All areas provided for use by vehicles shall be constructed in accordance with Township specifications.
N.
Parking, loading and service areas used by motor vehicles shall be located entirely within the General Business District.
O.
Any proposed development shall be served by adequate public water and public sewage disposal facilities.
P.
Lighting facilities shall be provided and arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties from direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind.
R.
Where the Board of Supervisors has approved development plans in the GB District for a site meeting the requirements for the GB District, individual units, buildings, or parcels of land within the approved GB District development may be subdivided, leased, purchased, sold, mortgaged, and developed as individual units or lots without meeting area, dimensional and design requirements for those individual lots as provided in §§ 500-1703, 500-1704 and 500-1705; provided, however, that the development plan for the entire site shall at all times remain compliant with the requirements set forth in §§ 500-1703, 500-1704 and 500-1705.
[Added 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07]
§ 500-1704 Parking, loading, accessway and planting requirements applicable to shopping centers in GB District.
[Amended 12-1-1992 by Ord. No. 92-13; 3-1-1994 by Ord. No. 94-02; 2-11-1997 by Ord. No. 97-01]
The following paving, loading, accessway and planting requirements shall be the exclusive parking, loading, accessway and planting requirements of this chapter applicable to that portion of a General Business District which is developed as a shopping center. For purposes of this section, a "shopping center" shall be deemed to be an area principally devoted to establishments used for the sale of goods and services at retail, for office uses (including professional, business, administrative, finance, utility, insurance or government office) and related and ancillary facilities, including all parking and adjacent planted areas serving such establishments which are not separated therefrom by a paved area other than pedestrian walks or automobile accessways designed to carry traffic exclusively to and from such establishments.
A.
Off-street parking requirements. Shopping centers in the General Business District shall provide 5.5 parking spaces for each 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area (other than offices) in excess of the first 25,000 square feet; five parking spaces for each 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area (other than offices) in excess of the first 25,000 square feet up to 100,000 square feet; and 4.5 spaces for each 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area (other than offices) in excess of 100,000 square feet. Offices shall provide 2.5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area to the extent that such area exceeds 20% of the gross leasable area devoted to uses other than offices. "Gross leasable area" is the total floor area designed for tenant occupancy, including basement, mezzanines and upper floors, if any, expressed in square feet and measured from center lines of joint partitions and exteriors of outside walls. The gross leasable area does not include the area of any common malls or walkways or public facilities. Uses not specifically mentioned in these requirements shall be governed by the requirements set forth herein for a use which is of the same general character to the proposed unmentioned use or to which the proposed unmentioned uses are customarily incidental.
B.
Parking and maneuvering areas. Parking spaces and loading spaces shall be arranged so as to provide adequate space for parking maneuvers and circulation in the access drives and aisles with a minimum danger of accidental collision.
(2)
Striping shall be required as is set forth in § 500-2704F(1) and (2).
C.
Automobile entrance and accessways. Shopping centers shall take access from an arterial or collector highway. Paved entrance and accessways to the parking area of a shopping center in a General Business District shall be a minimum of 30 feet and a maximum of 50 feet in width, except that there shall be provided widened radii where such accessways enter on streets and highways adjacent to the shopping center, so that the width at the entrance to such streets and highways shall be a minimum of 60 feet and a maximum of 100 feet. The locations of entrances and accessways shall be designed, constructed and maintained to provide safe and efficient ingress and egress for traffic without undue congestion or interference with the normal traffic flow on the streets and highways adjacent to the shopping center. The Township authorities reviewing proposed plans may require that adequate acceleration and deceleration lanes be provided on the streets and highways adjacent to the shopping center.
D.
Off-street loading requirements.
(1)
Paved areas for loading and unloading of delivery trucks, for refuse collection, fuel and other service vehicles, and for customer parcel pickup shall be provided on the land forming that portion of a General Business District which is devoted to shopping center use. Such areas shall be adequate in size and shall be so arranged that they may be used without blocking or interfering with the safe use of access roads or lanes or required automobile parking spaces. Off-street loading space shall be provided for the retail establishments in the shopping center on the basis of the following minimum requirements:
Aggregate Gross Leasable Area in Shopping Center (square feet) | Required No. of Berths | |
|---|---|---|
00 to 32,000 | 1 | |
32,001 to 80,000 | 2 | |
80,001 to 188,000 | 3 | |
188,001 to 192,000 | 4 | |
192,001 to 256,000 | 5 | |
256,001 to 320,000 | 6 | |
320,001 to 392,000 | 7 | |
For each additional 72,000 | 1 additional |
(2)
An off-street truck loading or unloading berth shall be defined as an on-the-property space for the standing, loading and unloading of vehicles to avoid undue interference with the public use of streets and alleys. Such space shall be not less than 12 feet in width, 14 feet in height, and 55 feet in length, exclusive of access aisles and maneuvering space. In order to permit safe and expeditious maneuvering of trucks and trailers, at least 100 feet of unobstructed paved access area shall be provided adjacent to each off-street truck loading or unloading berth. Loading areas shall be screened with walls or dense planting screen at least nine feet high.
E.
Pedestrian walkways traversing the parking areas shall be provided. Such walkways shall be closed to automobile traffic except at points of intersection with automobile access or maneuvering lanes. Walkways shall be at least 9.5 feet wide and shall be delineated by painted markings on the paving and by planted areas or containers spaced at reasonable distances.
F.
Continuing character of obligation.
(1)
Compliance with the schedule of requirements in this section for vehicle parking and loading applicable to newly erected or substantially altered structures shall be a continuing obligation of the owner of any building affected by this chapter. It shall be unlawful for an owner to discontinue, change or dispense with or cause the discontinuance or change of the required vehicle parking or loading space, apart from the discontinuance, sale or transfer of such structures, without establishing alternative vehicle parking or loading space which meets the requirements of and is in compliance with this chapter. No person, firm or corporation shall use such building without acquiring such land for vehicle parking or loading space which meets the requirements of and is in compliance with this chapter.
(2)
All off-street parking facilities shall be provided and maintained so long as the use exists which the facilities were designed to serve. No open area in an off-street parking area shall be encroached upon by buildings, storage or any other use, nor shall the number of parking spaces be reduced in total extent after their provision except upon the approval of the Zoning Hearing Board, and then only after proof that, by reason of diminution in floor area, seating area, the number of employees, or change in other factors controlling the regulation of the number of parking spaces, such reduction is in conformity with the requirements of this article.
G.
Plan of off-street parking and/or loading areas. For the purpose of constructing or converting parking and/or loading spaces into the required parking and/or loading areas, such areas shall be shown on the land development plan which shall be submitted to the Zoning Officer. Such plan shall indicate that the arrangement and number of parking and/or loading spaces and the aisles and accessways for parking maneuvers and ingress and egress to the parking and/or loading areas meet the requirements of this chapter.
H.
Mixed uses. The total requirements for off-street parking and off-street loading spaces shall be the sum of the requirements of the different uses computed separately as specified above in this section. No part of an off-street parking area required for any building or use for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this section shall be included as a part of an off-street parking area required for another building or use unless the type of structures indicate that the periods of usage of such structures will not be simultaneous with each other.
I.
Construction and maintenance of off-street parking places. All off-street parking facilities required pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be paved, drained and lighted; painted so as to indicate their location; periodically maintained by the owner in accordance with Township specifications; and arranged for convenient access and safety of pedestrians and vehicles. The off-street parking and loading areas shall be physically separated from any adjacent highway or street by a concrete cut and by a planting strip which shall be no less than 12 feet in width. The applicant for a building permit requiring the installation of paved off-street parking shall, at the same time that he installs off-street parking, extend the paving of any street adjacent to the shopping center to the proposed curb. All planting strips shall be landscaped with a combination of shrubs, flowers or trees which the property owner shall choose and shall be maintained at all times in a neat and orderly manner. All sidewalks installed in the off-street parking areas or in the aforementioned planting strips shall be concrete and shall conform to Township specifications.
J.
Landscaping. There shall be incorporated within that portion of a General Business District which is principally devoted to development as a shopping center appropriate planting strips and other landscaped areas, which shall include any combination of lawn, shrubs, flowers or trees which the property owner shall choose after consultation with the Township Planning Commission and shall be maintained at all times in a neat and orderly manner. Effective grouping of trees and shrubs may be substituted for planted islands. Such groupings shall be used to provide relief from massive, unbroken paved areas.
§ 500-1705 Design requirements for mixed-use developments including multifamily dwellings in GB District.
[Added 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07]
The following design requirements shall be applicable solely to mixed-use developments including multifamily dwellings in the GB District, and such requirements shall supersede all other requirements to the contrary contained in this chapter or Chapter 440 (Subdivision and Land Development):
A.
All multifamily dwellings shall be part of a mixed-use development including at least one other permitted use in the GB District.
B.
Maximum density for multifamily dwellings: five dwelling units per acre of site area.
C.
Area, dimensional and design requirements for mixed-use developments including multifamily dwellings:
(3)
Setback from street lines, including internal street lines, per § 500-1703C(1) and § 500-1703H(1): 10 feet.
(4)
Maximum number of stories for multifamily dwellings: five stories.
(5)
Maximum building height for multifamily dwellings: 75 feet.
(6)
No buffer yard, per § 500-1703L, shall be required between residential and nonresidential uses within a site containing multifamily dwellings and another use in the GB District.
(7)
Open space, as required by §§ 500-2604 and 440-424B(1), which may be provided anywhere within the site: 250 square feet per residential dwelling unit.
D.
Parking for multifamily dwellings located in a mixed-use development shall be calculated at a rate of 1.5 off-street parking spaces for each dwelling unit and shall not be counted in the otherwise-required shopping center parking required by § 500-1704A. Parking for multifamily dwellings in a mixed-use development may be provided under buildings and/or in structured parking.