Penn Hills Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1290
Eastgate District
§ 1290.01 Purpose.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
The EastGate District lies within an area that has been legally certified as blighted and in need of redevelopment. The purpose of this chapter is to encourage economic growth in line with the goals of the Municipality and the community development objectives listed in § 1290.02.
§ 1290.02 Community Development Objectives.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
Community development objectives of the EastGate District shall be to:
(a)
Encourage new commercial investments and light industrial development along the Frankstown Road and Robinson Boulevard corridors;
(b)
Connect local residents to employment opportunities;
(c)
Create opportunities for senior, youth and family recreation; and
(d)
Eliminate existing blighting influences.
§ 1290.03 Definitions.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
Notwithstanding other conflicting definitions which may be contained in § 1260.07, the following words and phrases shall have the specific meanings indicated herein for the purpose of interpreting this chapter, and shall apply specifically to the EastGate District.
A use clearly and customarily incidental and subordinate to a principal permitted use. Accessory uses permitted in the EastGate District are listed in § 1290.04(b).
A place or child care arrangement, which is intended for the care of children, that provides care and educational programs to six or more children who are not related to the operator, and that receives a payment, fee or grant for any of the children in child care. Such facilities shall be licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW), and must be operated in accordance with the requirements of the DPW.
A group or cluster of commercial businesses, uses and structures, primarily retail establishments, which is planned, developed, owned and managed as a unit, including shopping centers, enclosed malls, strip malls, farmers markets, antique malls and similar uses.
A facility operated by a non-profit agency or organization, which is open to the general public, and is intended and designed for educational, recreational, leisure-time or other similar purposes.
Any establishment in which goods manufactured on-site or off-site are stored temporarily for the purpose of being picked up for delivery to retail or wholesale establishments or other end-users. Such businesses shall be conducted entirely within an enclosed building.
A food service facility located within a business, including cafeterias and dining rooms, that serves the employees of that business and their guests. Outdoor employee picnic areas may also be included as part of an approved landscape and/or open space plan.
Banks, including drive-thru banking services, savings and loans associations, credit unions, bank processing centers and other similar financial institutions.
A commercial establishment, intended primarily for the selling of petroleum fuels and other petroleum-based products to passenger vehicles, which may include an ancillary convenience store, but shall not include repair and/or washing of vehicles.
The total area of a building, equal to the sum of the gross horizontal areas of all floors of a building, measured between the exterior faces of the exterior building walls, or from the centerline of the wall separating two attached buildings (party wall).
Those uses listed in § 1272.03, and any other industry or activity which produces hazardous wastes or substances subject to regulations promulgated under Section 3001 of the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended (P.L. 94-580), or any subsequent Federal or Commonwealth statute or regulation.
A use engaged in the manufacture, primarily from previously prepared materials, of finished products or parts, including the processing, fabrication, treatment, assembly and packaging of materials and products, and incidental storage, sales and distribution of such products, but not including basic industrial processing. Light industry uses permitted under this chapter typically do not, and shall not, create or produce noise or vibration that has a measurable effect on adjoining property, air or water pollution, fire hazards, noxious emissions or other similar conditions, which may endanger or disturb other properties.
The total amount of all impervious surfaces, including pavement, buildings and other structures. For the purposes of this chapter, lot coverage shall be expressed as a percentage of the total lot area.
An establishment, or part thereof, used to test concepts and ideas, to determine physical layouts, materials flows and processes, types of equipment required, costs and other necessary information prior to undertaking full-scale production.
The office of an accountant, architect, attorney, dentist, doctor, engineer, insurance broker, real estate agent, travel agent, veterinarian (but not including boarding kennels), or other similar professional person or office, and/or any office used for accounting, administration, clerical services, communications, drafting, editing or research.
A commercial business establishment, indoors or outdoors, for active or passive leisure-time activities and entertainment, including bowling alleys, skating rinks, commercial play facilities intended for children, movie theaters and health and exercise centers.
A facility intended for the collecting, sorting, processing and/or consolidating of recyclable materials, for on-site treatment or for distribution to other facilities. For the purposes of this chapter, recycling facilities shall include trash transfer stations and junk yards.
An establishment, including laboratories and testing facilities, which conducts investigations and research in natural, physical, social or medical sciences, and/or in engineering and development, primarily for the purpose of developing and/or testing end products. Such facilities may include supporting storage and shipping facilities and/or pilot manufacturing, as defined herein.
An eating establishment where food is sold primarily for on-premises consumption, to patrons seated at tables and/or at counters. Conventional restaurants may include bakeries, coffee shops, sidewalk cafes, delicatessens and ice cream parlors, where seating is provided for on-premises consumption of the specialty food and/or beverage. Conventional restaurants shall not include establishments where food service is incidental or subordinate to the serving of alcoholic beverages, or fast-food restaurants.
An eating establishment which has a drive-thru window and external menu board for the purpose of providing drive-through and/or take-out services, and which is intended and designed primarily for fast service and high customer turn-over.
A commercial establishment which renders service and support to other business, commercial, professional and industrial enterprises. Business and professional services include service, repair and rental/leasing of office and business equipment; printing and reprographic services; accounting services; advertising and public relations services; management and consulting services; security and maintenance services; and computer and data processing services.
A commercial establishment which provides retail services to the general public, such as dry cleaning and laundry services, tailor and dressmaking services, shoe repair, beauty salons, barber shops, small appliance repair shops, printing and reprographic services, professional photography studios and similar services.
See § 1280.05(q).
Any change in an approved, preliminary or final land development plan which involves a change in the means of ingress or egress; any change of use; any change of more than 10% of the total number of required parking spaces; any increase or decrease of more than 10% of the total floor area of a proposed building; or any change in the approved location of a proposed building.
A business devoted to the storage and handling of freight or merchandise, not including the maintenance and/or fueling of commercial vehicles. Such businesses shall be conducted within an entirely enclosed building.
A business primarily engaged in selling merchandise to institutional, commercial, retail or professional businesses or to other wholesalers, but not to the general public, and which may include the warehousing of merchandise and the distribution of merchandise. Such businesses shall be conducted within an entirely enclosed building.
§ 1290.04 Permitted Uses.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
(a)
Principal Permitted Uses.
(3)
Wholesale, warehouse and distribution businesses.
(5)
Business, professional and personal services.
(6)
Financial institutions.
(8)
Community facilities.
(9)
Child care centers.
(10)
Fast food restaurants.
(11)
Gas stations.
(12)
Private, vocational, business and professional schools.
§ 1290.05 Procedures.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
(a)
Development Plan Required. No building, structure or land within the EastGate District shall be constructed, altered, converted or used except in accordance with an approved final land development plan.
(b)
Coordination with Zoning and Subdivision and Land Development Regulations.
(1)
Zoning Ordinance. The provisions of this chapter establish the uses of land that are permitted in the EastGate District; size, height, location and bulk and area standards for structures in the EastGate District; population density, density of development and intensity of land use within the EastGate District; requirements for parking, landscaping, open space, signage and other specific design standards applicable to the EastGate District; and provisions for conditional uses potentially permissible in the EastGate District.
(2)
Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. Unless specifically regulated in this chapter, the provisions in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance shall establish that the land is suitable for the purposes and uses proposed within the EastGate District; shall govern the design; improvement and provision of all required public and private improvements within the EastGate District; and shall govern the provision of site, drainage, stormwater management and soil erosion and sedimentation pollution control facilities within the EastGate District.
(c)
Required Plans and Procedures.
(1)
Preliminary Land Development Plan. A preliminary land development plan for a land development within the EastGate District shall include all contiguous real property within the Municipality and the Borough of Wilkinsburg, which is either held under common ownership or control, or is proposed to be held under common ownership or control. Such plan shall be prepared, submitted and processed in accordance with the requirements of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. If a preliminary land development plan encompasses land within more than one Municipality, approval by the Municipality of Penn Hills shall be conditioned upon the applicant's providing proof of approval by the Borough of Wilkinsburg.
In addition to the submittal of plans required by § 1246.06, the applicant shall also provide two copies of the preliminary application to the Borough of Wilkinsburg.
(2)
Final Land Development Plan. Applications for final land development plan approval shall be submitted and processed in accordance with the requirements of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.
A.
If land is to be subdivided for transfer of ownership, or if land is to be developed by an entity other than the applicant responsible for the preliminary land development plan, the new owner or developer shall be entitled to file the final land development plan.
B.
After a preliminary land development plan has been approved, the applicant shall be entitled to approval of the final land development plan, provided that the final land development plan is in accordance with the approved preliminary land development plan, which shall include any conditions attached to the preliminary land development plan approval.
A final land development plan which contains substantial variations from the approved preliminary land development plan shall be considered not in compliance with the approved preliminary land development plan.
§ 1290.06 Design Standards.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
(a)
Application. The design standards set forth in this section are hereby established for all permitted principal and accessory uses in the EastGate District.
(c)
Maximum Building Height. No structure shall exceed 45 feet in height.
(d)
Required Parking. Parking within the EastGate District shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements:
(1)
General Provisions.
A.
Computation. When calculation of the required amount of parking results in a fractional space, a fraction shall be counted as an entire parking space.
B.
Location. All required off-street parking shall be reasonably accessible to the uses served.
C.
Setbacks. No required off-street parking space, cartway, driving aisle, driveway or loading area may be located within a required bufferyard, or within six feet of a public right-of-way.
D.
Access. Each required off-street parking space shall open directly upon an aisle or drive which provides safe and efficient access to a public street.
E.
Lighting. All parking areas shall be suitably illuminated for night use. Such lighting shall be designed so that the light does not spill over onto adjacent Residential Districts, properties and/or uses.
(2)
Collective Parking. Off-street parking for separate uses may be provided for collectively. The total amount of parking provided shall not be less than the total amount of parking required for each use, if calculated separately.
(3)
Shared Parking. Shared parking between two or more uses may be permitted under the following conditions: The parties sharing parking shall provide and be subject to a written joint use agreement.
(4)
Design Standards.
A.
A required off-street, 90% parking space, other than a handicapped-accessible space, shall be nine feet wide by 20 feet deep, exclusive of driving aisles.
B.
All drives and parking areas shall be surfaced with bituminous asphalt, concrete pavement or other suitable material, subject to approval by the Municipal Engineer.
C.
Concrete curbing shall be provided along the perimeter of all paved areas, including parking lots and drives. Curbing requirements may be modified where necessary for control of stormwater runoff, as part of an approved stormwater management plan.
D.
Finished grades on parking lots shall not exceed 5% cross-slope, or 7% longitudinal, except handicapped accessible spaces, which may not exceed 2% in any direction.
E.
Parking areas shall be designed so that vehicles in parking spaces do not overhand sidewalks, public streets or public rights-of-way.
F.
No required off-street parking space shall be located so as to result in vehicles backing directly from the space into a public street or right-of-way.
G.
For 90° parking with two-way circulation, the minimum required width of abutting driving aisles is 22 feet. For angled parking with one-way circulation, the minimum required width is 18 feet.
H.
Traffic controls, including striping, pavement markings and traffic control signs, shall be provided, as necessary, to direct and control the movement of vehicles and pedestrians safely and efficiently.
I.
Treatment and appearance of roads, drives and parking areas throughout the EastGate District shall be generally consistent, in regard to materials, finishes and curbing.
(5)
Required Number of Parking Spaces.
A.
Commercial retail stores, less than 25,000 square feet of gross floor area (square feet GFA): 1 space per 250 square feet GFA.
B.
Commercial retail stores 25,000 square feet or larger, and planned commercial developments: 4.5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet GFA.
D.
Medical offices: one space per examining room or doctor's office, whichever amount is greater, plus one space per each employee at peak shift.
E.
Business and professional services: one space per 300 square feet GFA.
F.
Financial institutions: one space per 250 square feet GFA.
G.
Industrial: one space per 800 square feet GFA or one space per employee at peak shift, whichever is greater.
H.
Recreation and entertainment facilities shall be as follows:
1.
Bowling alleys: three spaces per lane.
2.
Health and exercise centers: one space per three users, as determined by the maximum lawful capacity of the facility, plus one space per two employees at peak shift.
3.
Movie theaters: one space per four seats.
4.
All other uses: one space per 300 square feet GFA or one space per three occupants at maximum legal occupancy, whichever is greater.
I.
Research and development: one space per office, plus one space per 800 square feet GFA.
K.
Wholesale, warehouse and distribution businesses: one space per office, plus one space per 1,500 square feet.
L.
Other uses not listed here shall be as determined by the planning agency.
(6)
Handicapped-accessible parking spaces:
A.
Location. Handicapped-accessible parking spaces shall be located as close as possible to a handicapped-accessible building entrance and access route.
B.
Gradient. The gradient on all handicapped-accessible parking spaces and related access routes shall be as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act Handbook.
C.
Dimensions. Each handicapped-accessible parking space shall be at least 13 feet wide by 19 feet long. One of every eight handicapped-accessible parking spaces shall be at least 16 feet wide, for van access.
D.
Signage. Handicapped-accessible parking spaces shall be designated by signs, which shall state that the space is reserved by law for the physically handicapped. Such signs shall be located so that they are not obscured by a vehicle parked in the space.
E.
Required number of spaces:
Total Required Parking Spaces | Handicapped-Accessible Parking Spaces (minimum) |
|---|---|
Up to 25 | 1 |
26 - 50 | 2 |
51 - 75 | 3 |
76 - 150 | 4 |
151 - 250 | 5 |
251 - 350 | 6 |
351 - 450 | 7 |
451 - 600 | 8 |
601 and over | 2% of total |
§ 1290.07 Off-Street Loading.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
Off-street loading shall be provided as required by § 1278.02, with the following modification: No required loading berth or space may be located within a required bufferyard.
§ 1290.08 Sidewalks.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
Sidewalks shall be provided in accordance with § 1278.07 and in accordance with the following provision: Treatment of sidewalks required by this chapter shall be consistent throughout the EastGate District site, in regard to materials, finishes, curbing or other edge treatment, drainage, typical pavement section and other related construction details.
§ 1290.09 Landscaping.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]
All required bufferyards and other areas of the site which are not occupied by buildings, pavement or other structures shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs, grasses, groundcovers and other herbaceous plants, in accordance with the minimum requirements of § 1278.13(a) and (d).
(a)
At least one tree per 500 square feet of gross floor area (SF GFA) shall be provided.
(b)
For any parking lot with an area of 6,000 square feet or more, or containing 15 or more spaces, interior landscaping shall be provided in curbed islands or peninsulas.
(1)
The amount of interior landscaping required under this subsection shall be not less than 10% of the total area of the parking lot.
(2)
Required landscaped islands or peninsulas shall have a minimum area of 160 square feet, and shall not be less than 8.5 feet in width, length or diameter.
(3)
The number, design and location of the required interior landscape islands may be decided by the applicant, but the following purposes, goals and design guidelines shall be considered:
A.
Large, unbroken expanses of asphalt should be avoided, to mitigate and/or reduce the effects of reflected heat, glare and sweeping winds.
B.
Demonstrable reduction in stormwater run-off should be accomplished.
C.
Providing adequate soil volume and surface area in the landscape islands, to ensure that the trees and other plantings will receive adequate moisture, nutrients and oxygen, should be considered.
D.
Protecting the plantings from physical damage that may result from excessive pruning, salt and de-icing agents, car doors, shopping carts, vandalism and other such incidents, should be considered.
E.
The use of landscaped islands to control and guide both vehicular and pedestrian circulation should be considered.
(4)
The size of required trees shall be as follows: large, deciduous shade trees, including ash, oak, maple and honey locust, shall have a minimum caliper of 2.5 to 3.5 inches. Smaller ornamental trees, including Bradford pears, hawthorns, ornamental crabapples, cherries and plums shall have a minimum caliper of two to 2.5 inches. Evergreens shall be a minimum of four feet in height.
(5)
Species chosen shall be appropriate to the location and the purpose, considering factors such as microclimatic conditions (sun, shade, sweeping winds, reflected heat), soil conditions, sensitivity to salt and de-icing agents, ultimate size of the plant, habit of growth, aesthetic value and disease tolerance.
§ 1290.10 Application of Other Zoning Regulations.
[Ord. 2311, passed 5-5-1999]