North Wales City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XI
LI Limited Industrial District
§ 208-46 Intent.
The Limited Industrial District (LI) is intended to establish strict performance standards to control potentially adverse environmental effects resulting from development of permitted uses and establish operational, dimensional and landscaping standards minimizing adverse impacts on surrounding uses and districts, while also preserving the opportunity for an industrial land use within a confined portion of the Borough.
§ 208-47 Permitted uses.
A building may be erected, altered or used, and a lot may be occupied or used, in whole or in part, for any of the uses indicated in the Appendix A, Permitted Use Matrix,[1] and no other, provided that such uses shall comply with the district regulations established in this article, Article IV, Use Regulations (in the event of a conflict between district and use regulations, the more stringent regulation shall be applicable), and all other applicable sections of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 208-48 Environmental regulations.
A.
Smoke. No smoke shall be emitted from any chimney or other source a visible gray greater than No. 1 on the Ringelmann Smoke Chart as published by the U.S. Bureau of Mines; smoke of a shade not darker than No. 2 on the Ringelmann Chart may be emitted for not more than four minutes in any 30 minutes.
B.
Dust and dirt, fly ash and fumes, vapors and gases.
(1)
No emission shall be made which can cause any damage to health, to animals or vegetation or other forms of property, or which can cause any excessive soiling at any point.
(2)
All emissions shall comply with the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7412) as promulgated in 40 CFR Part 61, or its most recent update.
C.
Noise.
Sound Levels | ||
|---|---|---|
Octave Band in Cycles per Second | Along Residential District (R-1, R-2, and R-3) Boundaries Maximum Permitted Sound Level in Decibels | At Any Other Point on the Lot Boundary Maximum Permitted Sound Level in Decibels |
0 to 75 | 72 | 79 |
75 to 150 | 67 | 74 |
150 to 300 | 59 | 66 |
300 to 600 | 52 | 59 |
600 to 1,200 | 46 | 53 |
1,200 to 2,400 | 40 | 47 |
2,400 to 4,800 | 34 | 41 |
Above 4,800 | 32 | 39 |
D.
Odors. There shall be no emission of odorous gases or other malodorous matter in such quantities as to be offensive at lot boundary lines. Any process which may involve the creation or emission of any odors shall be provided with a secondary safeguard system, so that control will be maintained if the primary safeguard system shall fail. There is hereby established as a guide in determining such quantities of offensive odors Table III (Odor Thresholds) in Chapter 5, Air Pollution Abatement Manual, copyright 1951 by Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Inc., Washington, D.C.
E.
Glare or heat. Any operation producing intense glare or heat shall be performed within an enclosed building or behind a solid fence in such manner as to be completely imperceptible from any point beyond the lot lines.
F.
Vibration. No vibration which is discernible to the human sense of feeling shall be perceptible without instruments at any point beyond the lot line.
G.
Radioactivity or electrical disturbances. There shall be no activities which emit dangerous or harmful radioactivity. There shall be no electrical disturbance (except from domestic household appliances) adversely affecting the operation of any equipment located beyond the property of the creator of such disturbances.
§ 208-49 Power facilities.
Every use requiring power shall be so operated that the service lines, substation, etc., shall conform to the most acceptable safety requirements recognized by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Labor and Industry, shall be so constructed, installed, etc., to be an integral part of the architectural features of the plant or, if visible from abutting residential properties, shall be concealed by coniferous planting.
§ 208-50 Dimensional requirements.
A.
Dimensional requirements in the Limited Industrial District shall be as follows:
Limited Industrial District Dimensional Requirements | |
|---|---|
Min. lot area | 10,000 feet2 |
Min. lot width | 100 feet |
Min. front setback | 25 feet |
Min. rear setback | 50 feet |
Min. side setback | 20 feet |
Max. building coverage | 50% |
Max. impervious coverage | 80% |
Max. principal building height | 40 feet (3 stories max.) |
§ 208-51 Additional requirements for conditional uses.
A.
Borough Council shall not grant approval of any application for conditional use until compliance with the following criteria are met:
(1)
A minimum lot area of two acres shall be provided.
(2)
Landscape buffer required. A landscape screen buffer 15 feet in width shall be provided along all side and rear property lines in order to mitigate the impact of the proposed use on neighboring properties. The landscape buffer shall meet the requirements of Chapter 184, Subdivision and Land Development.
§ 208-52 Application and review requirements.
Prior to the approval of any zoning permit, special exception, conditional use, subdivision or land development application in the Limited Industrial District, the Borough Planning Commission shall be given a chance to review the proposal for compliance with the legislative intent and other standards of the LI Limited Industrial District. Such review shall occur in accordance with the following process:
A.
Required documentation.
(1)
A plot plan of the lot showing the location of all present and proposed buildings, drives, parking lots, waste disposal facilities and other operational features of each use.
(2)
Architectural plans for any proposed building and/or addition.
(3)
A description of the industrial operations proposed in sufficient detail to indicate the effects of those operations in producing traffic congestion, loading requirements, noise, glare, air pollution, water pollution, fire hazard or safety hazards.
(4)
Engineering and architectural plans for the handling and disposal of sewage and industrial waste.
(5)
Engineering and architectural plans for the handling of traffic, loading, noise, glare, air pollution, water pollution, fire hazard or safety hazard.
(6)
Designation of the fuel proposed to be used or stored upon the property and any necessary architectural and engineering plans for controlling smoke.
(7)
The proposed number of shifts to be worked and the maximum number of employees on each shift.
(8)
Any other data that the Planning Commission or Zoning Hearing Board may require in order to adequately evaluate the proposal.
B.
Review process.
(1)
All required documentation shall be submitted in writing to the Borough alongside any other necessary applications, whether for use and occupancy, conditional use, or special exception.
(2)
The Borough Planning Commission shall review the proposal for compliance with the legislative intent and other standards of the Limited Industrial District and submit written comments to the Zoning Officer and/or Zoning Hearing Board within 30 days of receipt.
(3)
The approving body shall consider comments and recommendations of the Planning Commission prior to approving or denying the proposal.