Ridley Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VIII
C-2 General Commercial Districts
§ 325-31 Intended purpose.
The C-2 General Commercial District is intended to serve the central retail marketing function of the entire Township and surrounding trade area. The standards of this district are designed to encourage development of an intensive self-contained shopping area catering to the free circulation of pedestrian activity having arrived by automobile, the minimization of traffic congestion along major thoroughfares and providing buffer yards and screen planting when necessary to separate residential areas from commercial areas. This district is intended for a wide range of shopping and service functions which and provide adequate comparison shopping activities.
§ 325-32 Permitted uses.
[Amended 10-26-1994 by Ord. No. 1728; 5-22-2024 by Ord. No. 2084]
A structure may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following uses and no other:
A.
Permitted uses.
(1)
Any principal use permitted in the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial Districts.
(2)
Any retail business whose principal activity is the sale of new merchandise in an enclosed building, including, but not limited to the following:
(a)
Automobile sales, boat sales, motorcycle sales.
(3)
Retail sales in which both a workshop and a retail outlet or showroom are required (such as plumbing, electrician, interior decorating, dressmaking, tailoring, upholstering, photographic reproducing, radio and home appliance and similar establishments), subject to the following provision: Not more than 25% of the total usable floor area of the establishment shall be used for servicing, repairing, manufacturing or processing activities.
(4)
Restaurants, tea rooms, cafes and other establishments serving food and beverages, except those having the character of a "drive-in" type.
(5)
Enclosed theaters, assembly halls, concert halls, and similar places of assembly or entertainment.
(6)
Customary accessory uses and buildings incidental to any of the above permitted uses, including the following:
(7)
Uses which, in the opinion of the Zoning Hearing Board, are of the same general character as those listed as permitted uses and which will not be detrimental to the intended purpose of this district.
(8)
No permitted use in this district shall include a drive-through or walkup window whereby the consumer transacts for goods or services outside of the building.
B.
Conditional uses. Subject to the general standards set forth in § 325-113 governing conditional uses, the following uses shall be permitted as conditional uses when authorized by the Board of Commissioners after review by the Township Planning Commission as to conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and this chapter:
(1)
Smoke shops, tobacco stores and mixed-use establishments stores shall be permitted as a conditional use in the C-2 General Commercial District pursuant to the Board of Commissioners approval subject to the general standards set forth in § 325-113 governing conditional uses and specific standards set forth below:
(a)
No smoking shall be permitted on the premises at any time.
(b)
No sales may be solicited or conducted on the premises by minors.
(c)
No self-service tobacco, tobacco products, vape products or tobacco paraphernalia displays shall be permitted.
(d)
No distribution of free or low-cost tobacco, tobacco products, vape products or tobacco paraphernalia, as well as coupons for said items, shall be permitted.
(e)
Smoke shops, tobacco stores and mixed-use establishments shall not be located within 2,000 feet, measured property line to property line, from a school (private, parochial or public), family day-care home, child-care facility, youth center, community center, recreational facility, park, church or religious institution, hospital, or other similar uses where children regularly gather. This distance shall be measured in a straight line from the closest exterior wall of the building or portion thereof in which this significant tobacco retailor is located to the closest property line of the protected district or use, regardless of the municipality or zoning district in which it is located.
(f)
Smoke shops, tobacco stores and mixed-use establishments shall not be located within 2,000 feet, measured from property line to property line, from another smoke shop and/or tobacco store and/or mixed-use establishment.
(g)
It is unlawful for a smoke shop and/or tobacco store to knowingly allow or permit a minor not accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian to enter or remain within any smoke shop or tobacco store.
(h)
Smoke shops and tobacco stores shall post clear signage stating that minors may not enter the premises unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. At least one such sign shall be placed in a conspicuous location near each public entrance to all such stores. It shall be unlawful for the above-listed stores to fail to display and maintain, or fail to cause to be displayed or maintained, such signage and is subject to violations and penalties as listed in Chapter 325, Article XVI.
(i)
All smoke shops and tobacco stores shall provide and maintain a minimum of one garbage can per entryway, locations as approved by the Zoning Officer.
(j)
Owners shall be responsible for removal of all trash, litter, garbage, etc., as a result of the purchase or use of tobacco related products, from their property and the adjacent rights-of-way within the Township.
(k)
Significant tobacco retailers shall cease operations between the hours of 10:00 pm and 10:00 am.
(l)
No alcoholic beverages shall be served or consumed within the premises of a significant tobacco retailer.
§ 325-33 Special exception uses.
The following special exception uses shall be permitted, upon the issuance of a permit by the Zoning Hearing Board as provided in this chapter:
§ 325-34 Lot area, building height and yard requirements.
A.
Lot requirements. A lot width, lot area and setbacks of not less than the dimensions shown on the following table shall be provided for every principal building erected or altered for any use permitted in this district.
Lot Requirements | Setback Requirements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Min. Lot Area | Min. Lot Width | Max. Lot Coverage % | Front | One Side | Sides | Total Rear | |
5,000 sq. ft. | 40 ft. | 70% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. 50 ft.* (if provided) | 20 ft. | 30 ft. | |
NOTES: *Side yard requirement when abutting residential districts. |
B.
Building height. No building shall exceed three stories or 45 feet in height, unless authorized as a special exception.
§ 325-35 Minimum off-street parking and loading requirements.
§ 325-36 Limitations on signs.
Only those signs referring or relating to the uses conducted on the premises or to the materials or products made, sold or displayed on the premises shall be permitted, and further provided that all signs and advertising structures shall be maintained in accordance with Article XII of this chapter.
§ 325-37 Buffers required to separate adjacent residential district.
Where C-2 Districts abut any residential district or alleyway separating the two districts, a landscaped strip of not less than 50 feet in width shall be planted and maintained with appropriate vegetative landscaping materials. Such vegetative planting, including any architectural screens, fences or masonry walls, shall be planted and maintained at not less than five feet in height, except on corner lots where a clear sight area shall be maintained in accordance with Article XIII of this chapter.