Schuylkill Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVIII
Cluster Development Provisions
§ 370-119 Purpose.
A.
In addition to the general purposes expressed in § 370-2 and the community development objectives of § 370-5 of this chapter, it is the purpose of this article to add flexibility in providing for future Township needs, and to encourage the use of new and innovative methods of providing for commercial and industrial development within the Township for the following:
(1)
Commercial buildings, and groups thereof, to achieve greater convenience and safety for the public through improved methods of merchandising, distribution of services, and efficient use of land for parking, circulation and other factors advantageous to the public welfare, all of which can be possible in the modern shopping center; and
(2)
Industrial buildings, and groups thereof, to achieve greater harmony between off-street parking areas, loading areas, and on-site circulation with minimum conflict with traffic on the Township roads, while maintaining open space on the individual lots for better retention of stormwater runoff and stabilization of the soils and natural vegetation, all of which are possible with a coordinated industrial park development.
B.
These goals will necessitate variations in the use and area requirements otherwise prescribed in this chapter and in the regulations applying to buildings and yard areas without deviating from requirements of the various state and federal regulatory agencies.
§ 370-120 Commercial cluster development or shopping center.
Within any C Commercial District, a retail shopping center may be developed on a parcel of land containing not less than 10 acres, subject to the approval of the Township Supervisors, and provided that:
A.
The plan and location is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan for the orderly development of the Township.
(1)
The appropriate use of property adjacent to the shopping center shall be safeguarded.
B.
The development shall consist of a harmonious grouping of buildings, service and parking areas planned as an integral unit, in such manner as to constitute a safe, efficient, and convenient retail shopping center, and shall include the following:
(1)
Adequate provision shall be made for safe and efficient pedestrian and vehicular circulation within boundaries of the site;
(2)
Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets and highways serving the site without undue congestion;
(4)
All buildings within the site shall be served with public sewerage and public water.
C.
If the development is to be carried out in stages, each stage shall be so planned that the foregoing requirements and the intent of this chapter shall be fully complied with at the completion of any stage.
D.
The following variations or deviations from the requirements of § 370-87 are permitted or are imposed with respect to lot size or building area, coverage, yard, and building height controls:
Regulation | Requirement |
|---|---|
Minimum lot or building area | 7,500 square feet of developable area |
Maximum building coverage | 40% |
Maximum lot coverage | 90% |
Maximum building height | 35 feet |
Minimum front lot line width on a public street | 200 feet |
Minimum individual building lot width | 60 feet |
Minimum front yard depth for the site and/or building lot | 50 feet |
Minimum rear yard depth for site of building | 35 feet |
Minimum side yard for site | 50 feet |
Minimum side yard between buildings where no common party wall is proposed | 25 feet |
Minimum distance from parking spaces to building faces | 15 feet |
Minimum private green area or private open space for the entire site (based on gross site acreage) | 10% of site |
§ 370-121 Industrial cluster development or industrial park.
Within any LI Industrial or I Industrial District, an industrial park may be developed on a parcel of land containing no less than 10 acres, subject to the Township Planning Commission's review and approval by the Township Supervisors, as prescribed by Chapter 320, Subdivision and Land Development, and provided that:
A.
The basic scheme shall be approved by the Township Planning Commission as a preliminary plan, at which time evidence of provision of both public sewerage and public water shall be offered. The applicant is encouraged to submit a sketch plan to the Township Planning Commission, prior to the submission of a preliminary plan, for an unofficial review.
(1)
It is characteristic of industrial parks that the developer cannot usually prepare a final lot layout plan for approval prior to initial construction, such as can be done with residential subdivisions, since the space needs of future tenants or purchasers may not be known, but the schematic arrangement of road circulation and intent of the developer as to the character of the proposed development must be acceptable to the Planning Commission and the Township Supervisors.
(2)
Prior to the issuance of each building permit, the Zoning Administration Officer shall review the application with the Planning Commission, or with a committee thereof appointed by the Chairman for such purposes, and each lot shall conform generally with the initially approved preliminary plan arrangement.
B.
All streets within the industrial park shall be curbed, and shall be not less than 36 feet in width between curbs, and all curb radii shall provide for tractor-trailer trucks.
C.
Within any industrial cluster development or industrial park, the minimum lot area may be reduced from the requirements of § 370-117, and without special exception approval as noted below:
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
D.
The following variations or deviations from the regulations contained in § 370-93 may be permitted for any industrial cluster development or industrial park:
(1)
Maximum building and lot coverage may each be increased by 5% for each range of permitted lot size as shown in § 370-93B.
(2)
Minimum front lot line width may be reduced to 200 feet and the minimum lot width at the building line may be reduced to 200 feet.
(3)
Front, side, and rear yard depths may be decreased to 50 feet except when abutting any residential district, a minimum seventy-five-foot yard shall be maintained.
F.
Any area within any industrial cluster development or industrial park which is not utilized for paving, parking, loading area or building areas as prescribed by this chapter shall be set aside, provided with and maintained permanently as a green area (with shrubs, trees, and an all-season ground cover).