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Southampton Township Cumberland County
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VI

Data Center Overlay

§ 350-601 Purpose.

This overlay is dedicated to data centers which require vast energy and water infrastructure and should be located in close proximity to the source. Also, they should be located close to the Interstate infrastructure for Al purposes.
A. 
Data Centers are permitted by conditional use.

§ 350-602 Permitted uses.

See Table 350-305.

§ 350-603 Accessory uses.

See Table 350-305.

§ 350-604 Conditional use.

See Table 350-305.

§ 350-605 Area, yard, height and coverage regulations.

A. 
Minimum lot size: three acres.
B. 
Maximum impervious coverage: 65%.
C. 
Setbacks:
(1) 
Front: 50 ft (20 ft landscaped).
(2) 
Side: 150 ft (20 ft landscaped).
(3) 
Rear: 150 ft (20 ft landscaped).
(4) 
Height: 35 ft.

§ 350-606 Off street parking.

A. 
Minimum parking setback:
(1) 
Parking must be setback at least 100 feet from the common property line, provided existing forest and other natural screening exist within 50 feet of the lot line and such forest and screening remain undisturbed. Or if no forest or natural screening exists, berms are provided at least 10 feet in height constructed to maximum 2:1 slope on either side of the crown edge, and 10-foot-tall fencing and plantings are placed on top of the berm;
(2) 
Off-street parking shall be provided as required by Article XII, § 350-1211.

§ 350-607 Signs.

The placement, type and size of all signs erected in the Data Center Overlay shall be as regulated by provision of Article XII, § 350-1212.

§ 350-608 Principal building facades.

A. 
Applicability. Principal Facade requirements apply to all building facades that face adjacent existing or planned public roads or that face an adjacent property with existing residential development, an approved plat, or plan showing residential development, or Zoning District permitting residential uses; and all building facades adjacent to or facing property with the following existing uses or an approved plat, or plan showing the following uses:
(1) 
Uses listed in Table 350-305 under the Residential and Lodging use classifications;
(2) 
Uses listed in Table 350-305 under the Day Care, Financial Services, Food and Beverage Sales/Service, Government, Education, Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, and Retail use categories; and
(3) 
The following additional uses: civic, social, and fraternal meeting place, community center, standalone religious assembly, cemetery.
B. 
Requirements.
(1) 
Differentiated surfaces. Principal facades of a building must incorporate the following standards at horizontal linear intervals that may vary in frequency but must be no less frequent than every 150 horizontal linear feet or no less frequent than three times the average height of the building:
(a) 
Fenestration or fenestration and (optional) green wall; and
(b) 
A change in one of the following design elements:
[1] 
Building material;
[2] 
Pattern;
[3] 
Texture;
[4] 
Color; or
[5] 
Accent materials.
(2) 
Consistent design. When a building has more than one principal facade, the principal facades of such building must be consistent in terms of design, materials, details, and treatment.
(3) 
Fenestration. Each principal facade of a building must include fenestration as follows:
(4) 
Fenestration surface coverage of the facade. Fenestration must comprise at least 30% of the total surface coverage area of the principal facade.
(5) 
Distributed fenestration coverage. Fenestration provided to meet the following:
(a) 
Each placement or bay may count towards no more than 7.5% of such total surface coverage area.
(b) 
Required 30% total surface coverage area of the principal facade must be located in separated, individual placements or clustered bays.
(6) 
Fenestration coverage pattern. The placement pattern of individual or clustered bays of fenestration must be distributed horizontally and vertically across the principal facade; and
(7) 
Fenestration consistent design with principal facade. The fenestration must be compatible with the other design, materials, details, and treatment used on the same principal facade.
C. 
Green-wall treatment.
(1) 
Applicability. A green-wall treatment may be provided in lieu of up to half of the fenestration surface coverage of the facade requirement of § 350-608C(5).
(2) 
Requirements. Green-wall treatments must provide the following:
(3) 
Maintenance. The owner, or the owner's agent, is responsible for the repair, replacement, and maintenance of the green-wall for the duration of the use;
(4) 
Distributed green-wall surface coverage. Green-wall areas must be provided to meet up to half of the required 30% total surface coverage area of the principal facade of a building; and
(5) 
Green-wall coverage pattern. The green-wall areas must be distributed horizontally and vertically across the principal facade.
D. 
Data center mechanical equipment facade.
(1) 
Applicability. If two principal facades are required on opposing sides of a building pursuant to § 350-608B, up to one data center mechanical equipment facade pursuant to § 350-608C(5) may be provided in lieu of one such required principal facade if such principal facade faces an adjacent existing or planned public road.
(2) 
Requirements.
(a) 
Data center mechanical equipment facade. Optional data center mechanical equipment facades must provide the following:
(b) 
Partial or full visual screening of data center mechanical equipment. Data center mechanical equipment attached to or mounted on the building facade must be partially or fully visually screened from view at the ground level from all existing and planned public roads and adjoining parcels using mesh, lattice, cladding, or grillwork or a combination of these methods, or similar methods so as to ensure that the Data Center Mechanical Equipment is partially or fully screened to the maximum extent that permits necessary ventilation for any equipment; and
(c) 
Differentiated surfaces. The data center mechanical equipment facade, including any provided screening methods, must incorporate a change in at least one of the following design elements at horizontal linear intervals that may vary in frequency but must be no less frequent than every 150 horizontal linear feet or no less frequent than three times the average height of the building:
[1] 
Building material;
[2] 
Pattern;
[3] 
Texture;
[4] 
Color; or
[5] 
Accent materials.
E. 
Any side of a building that faces a road or a zoning district that permits residential use must incorporate at least two of the following design elements every 150 horizontal feet. If more than two sides of a building meet the facade requirements, the facades shall be consistent in terms of design and materials.
(1) 
Change in building height;
(2) 
Building step-backs or recesses;
(3) 
Fenestration (i.e. arrangement, design, and installation of windows and other openings in a building);
(4) 
Change in building material, pattern, texture or color;
(5) 
Use of accent materials.
F. 
Data center mechanical equipment. All ground level and roof top mechanical equipment must meet the following standards:
(1) 
Data center mechanical equipment must be shown on any proposed site plan and must be fully screened on all sides. Such visually solid screen must be constructed with a designed, materials, details, and treatment compatible with those used on the nearest principal facade of a building;
(a) 
Perforation for ventilated screening. As determined by the Zoning Officer, screening for data center mechanical equipment may incorporate perforated surfaces on screening walls as necessary to permit ventilation of data center mechanical equipment;
(b) 
Separation from residential. Ground mounted data center mechanical equipment must be separated from adjacent property that has existing residential development, an approved plan showing residential use, or Zoning District permitting residential use, Zoning District permitting residential uses, by a principal building, or is otherwise not permitted adjacent to property with existing residential development or plan showing residential development, of Zoning district permitting residential uses;
(c) 
Ground mounted prohibited in front yards. Ground mounted data center mechanical equipment must not located in any required front yard; and
(d) 
No screening requirements adjacent to other Zoning Districts. As determined by the Zoning Officer, mechanical equipment located in a manner found to have no adverse impact on adjacent properties zoned M and C is not required to be screened, except that such data center mechanical equipment must be screened from any existing or planned public road.

§ 350-609 Main entrance feature.

A. 
Applicability. Each building containing a data center must include at least one main entrance feature that meets the requirements of § 350-609B.
B. 
Requirements.
(1) 
Entrance feature design. Main entrance features must either project or recess from the main building plane, and/or be differentiated from the remainder of the building facade by a change in building material; and
(2) 
Foundation plantings or enhanced landscaping. Main entrance features must incorporate foundation plantings consisting of a mix of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, grasses, sedges, or rushes, and/or herbaceous perennials, ferns, or vines for a minimum of 50% of the length of the Facade. These foundation plantings are in addition to any required buffers and parking lot landscaping required by § 350-1210 in lieu of foundation plantings, any required buffering and parking area landscaping may be provided at an enhanced rate of 20% of plant units greater than what is required pursuant to §§ 350-1210 and 350-1211.
C. 
General site design standards.
(1) 
Loading bay location. Loading bays are permitted to be located on only one facade.
(2) 
Location and screening of data center mechanical equipment. All ground level and roof top data center mechanical equipment must meet the following standards: Data center mechanical equipment must be shown on any proposed site plan and must be fully screened on all sides. Such visually solid screen must be constructed with a design, materials, details, and treatment compatible with those used on the nearest principal facade of a building;
(3) 
Perforation for ventilated screening. As determined by the Zoning Administrator, screening for data center mechanical equipment may incorporate perforated surfaces on screening walls as necessary to permit ventilation of data center mechanical equipment;
(4) 
Separation from residential. Ground mounted data center mechanical equipment must be separated from adjacent property that has existing residential development, an approved plat or plan showing residential development, or Zoning District permitting residential uses, by a principal building, or is otherwise not permitted adjacent to property with existing residential development, an approved plat or plan showing residential development, or Zoning District permitting residential uses;
(5) 
Ground mounted prohibited in front yards. Ground mounted data center mechanical equipment must not be located in any required front yard; and
(6) 
No screening requirements adjacent to industrially zoned property. As determined by the Zoning Administrator, data center mechanical equipment located in a manner found to have no adverse impact on adjacent properties zoned A, C, and M is not required to be screened pursuant to § 350-609C(2), except that such data center mechanical equipment must be screened from any existing or planned public road.
D. 
Refuse collection and loading bay area screening. Refuse collection areas must be fully screened on all sides and loading bays must be screened from view at the ground level from all adjacent parcels and existing or planned public roads.
E. 
Minimum parking setback. Parking must be setback at least 50 feet from the common property line, provided existing natural screening exists within 50 feet of the lot line, and such screening remains undisturbed; if no natural screening exists, berms are provided at least 10 feet in height constructed to a maximum 2:1 slope on either side of the crown edge, and 10-foot-tall fencing and plantings are placed on top of the berm.
F. 
Minimum setback for structures. Structures must be setback at least 200 feet from the common property line.
G. 
Change in building height. If a building is located within 400 feet measured from the property line adjacent to property with existing residence, or Zoning District permitting residential uses, any building facade facing the adjacent property must include a change in building height at a minimum interval no less frequent than every 150 horizontal linear feet or no less frequent than three times the average height of the building.
H. 
Building step-back. If a building is located within 400 feet measured from the property line adjacent to property with existing residence or Zoning District permitting residential uses, the building envelope must provide a step-back of no less than 15 feet from the building wall at a height point that begins at the top of the second story of the building or 40 feet, whichever of the two is lower.
I. 
Light and glare. Data centers must include a photometric plan that shows all exterior lighting, including any security lighting.
J. 
Noise studies. Noise studies are required for conditional approval.
K. 
Water study. A water study will be required for a property without public water.
L. 
Soundproofing. For data centers on property adjacent to property with existing residential use, an approved Zoning District permitting residential uses, any data center mechanical equipment located on the property, whether on a roof top, on the ground level, or elsewhere on the exterior of the property, must be screened on all four sides by an acoustical barrier. For purposes of this section, acoustical barrier is defined as an exterior solid or louvred wall containing sound-proofing materials designed to absorb noise and protect neighboring properties from noise pollution.
M. 
Landscaping/buffering/screening. All applicable regulations for landscaping, buffers, and screening pursuant to §§ 350-1210 and 295-408 apply except as follows:
(1) 
Specific plant unit composition requirements. In lieu of the requirements of § 350-1210, the following requirements apply to the plant types used to meet section buffer requirements. Maximum percentages apply solely in determining the quantity of a given plant type that can be counted towards meeting a plant unit requirement and do not preclude the installation of additional plant material from that plant type, if desired.
(2) 
Specific plant unit percentages. The following plant unit percentages apply to each property line where the buffer or road corridor buffer is required. A maximum of 20% of the required plant units may be a combination of shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennials.
(3) 
A minimum of 40% and a maximum of 70% of the required plant units must be evergreen trees that are a minimum of eight feet in height at the time of planting. A maximum of 30% of the required plant units may be small deciduous trees. A maximum of 30% of the required plant units may be large deciduous trees.
(4) 
Buffer substitution using topography and vegetation. Use of natural topography and preservation of existing vegetation, supplemented by new vegetation, if needed, may be substituted for the above requirements if determined by the Zoning Administrator in consultation to provide screening at the density, depth, and height.
(5) 
Berm requirements. Is required with the specified plantings and located on an earthen berm that has a minimum height of six feet and a grade lower than 2:1. Use of natural topography and preservation of existing vegetation, supplemented by new vegetation, if needed, may be substituted if determined by the Zoning Administrator.