(a)   Borough Council has adopted the Swarthmore Town Center Revitalization Strategy.

   (b)   It is the intention of Borough Council to implement the revitalization strategy. The Borough believes that certain additional commercial development adjacent to the existing TC Town Center District is a highly desirable component of that plan. Therefore, a new district, to be called IN–C Institutional Commercial District (hereinafter referred to as the “Overlay District”) is hereby created as a portion of the existing IN Institutional District. The intent is to preserve the IN Institutional District zoning in this district while specifically permitting commercial development consistent with the Borough’s revitalization plan.

   (c)   It is the intention of Borough Council that any commercial development in the Overlay District should extend and enhance the character of the existing townscape design concepts within the adjacent TC Town Center District. The design of the various structures, including their materials and proportions and the vertical and horizontal subdivision of their masses shall be a continuation of and compatible with the existing townscape along South Chester Road between Rutgers and Park Avenues.

   (d)   It is further the intention of Borough Council to permit commercial development only to the extent that such development and related site improvements, including pedestrian and traffic circulation, parking, hard and soft landscaping, lighting and heights of all the structures, are a continuation of and compatible with the existing townscape and serve as a link between the town center and the college.

   (e)   It is further the intention of Borough Council that any commercial development be able to accommodate future possible enlargement and enhancement of existing pedestrian access between the north and south parts of the College campus and between the campus and the Swarthmore Town Center.

   (f)   It is further the intention of Borough Council that any commercial development: 1) provide adequate parking for the users of the commercial facilities; 2) provide for the replacement of all public parking which might be displaced because of any commercial development; and 3) share available public parking in the Town Center by making reasonable use of underutilized public metered parking, while not imposing any additional burden on residential streets in the Borough.

(Ord. 990. Passed 6-13-05; Ord. 1049. Passed 5-14-12; Ord. 1056. Passed 11-12-13.)

   The locations and boundaries of the Overlay District are as shown on the map attached hereto as Exhibit A, and hereby made a part of this chapter and the official Zoning Map. Where interpretation is needed concerning the exact location of the boundaries as shown on the official Zoning Map, the Zoning Officer shall make an initial interpretation in conjunction with the Borough Engineer. Should a dispute arise concerning the interpretation, the Zoning Hearing Board shall, on appeal to it, make the necessary interpretation.

(Ord. 990. Passed 6-13-05; Ord. 1049. Passed 5-14-12.)

   (a)   The provisions of the Overlay District shall add additional uses by conditional use not otherwise permitted in the underlying IN Institutional District.

   (b)   Any commercial development proposed under the provisions of the Overlay District must conform with all of the provisions set forth herein.

(Ord. 990. Passed 6-13-05.)

   (a)   The following commercial uses are permitted as conditional uses in the Overlay District, provided that the applicant shall comply with capacity, area, bulk, parking and other requirements of this chapter and all applicable requirements of Chapter 1264 of the Planning and Zoning Code:

      (1)   Inn;

      (2)   Restaurant; and

      (3)   Retail space, including but not limited to a college bookstore open to the general public selling books and related products and including a coffee shop.

   (b)   As an accessory to any of the above, parking, either surface or in a parking structure, shall be developed in accordance with Section 1261.07.

   (c)   The uses identified in the Overlay District may be developed separately or together, and may be accommodated in one or more buildings.

(Ord. 990. Passed 6-13-05; Ord. 1049. Passed 5-14-12.)

   The regulations of the Overlay District do not apply to uses allowed under the underlying IN Institutional District zoning regulations. They apply only to the commercial development permitted as conditional uses in the Overlay District.

(Ord. 990. Passed 6-13-05.)

      (1)   Maximum occupancy and floor area:

         A.   Inn: Capacity shall not exceed fifty rooms.

         B.   Restaurant:

            1.   Seating capacity for dining shall not exceed 100.

            2.   Outdoor dining, not to exceed thirty, is permitted and is in addition to the maximum capacity of 100 allowable restaurant seating capacity, for a total possible seating of 130.

         C.   Meeting rooms: Usable floor area shall not exceed 5,000 square feet and the usable floor area of any single meeting room shall not exceed 3,000 square feet..

         D.   Retail space, including a café/coffee house: Usable floor area shall not exceed 8,000 square feet.

      (2)   Area and bulk regulations:

         A.   Setbacks:

            1.   Front yard setback for South Chester Road: The building façade along South Chester Road shall be located at the "build-to line" shown as Line 1 on Exhibit A, except that architectural features including but not limited to porches, bays, building projections and building recesses provided for architectural interest may be located on either side of the build-to line so long as they are located within ten feet of the build-to line.

            2.   Front yard setback, all other roads: No minimum front yard requirements.

            3.   Side yards: No minimum side yard requirements.

            4.   Rear yard: No minimum rear yard requirements.

         B.   Façade:

            1.   The minimum length of the façade of the buildings along South Chester Road shall be 150 feet. This façade may be accommodated in a single structure or multiple structures but must be viewed as a continuous surface.

            2.   Building façades along South Chester Road must have a proportion of wall to opening ranging from 2 to 1 to 1 to 1.

            3.   Dark tinted or reflective glass in windows is prohibited.

            4.   The exterior materials of new buildings should be similar in appearance to those of existing buildings on South Chester Road between Park Avenue and Rutgers Avenue. New materials not found on other buildings on the block may be judged acceptable if the new building conforms with existing buildings in other ways, such as height, form, scale and proportion of wall to openings.

         C.   Height:

            1.   The maximum height of that portion of any building or structure along South Chester Road between the "build-to" line and Line 2 on Exhibit A shall be within fifteen percent of the height of the existing buildings on South Chester Road between Park Avenue and Rutgers Avenue. A building may be erected with a height of up to fifty-five feet provided the applicant can demonstrate that the building will be compatible with existing buildings on South Chester Road between Park Avenue and Rutgers Avenue. In no case shall the building height be less than twenty-five feet.

            2.   The maximum height of that portion of any building or structure area located west of Line 2 on Exhibit A shall be five stories or fifty-five feet, whichever is less.

         D.   Floor Area Ratio (FAR): No limitation.

         E.   Lot coverage: No limitation.

         F.   Maximum combined hardscape coverage shall be 80%, but in no case shall lot coverage exceed the maximum allowed for the zoning district.

         G.   At least one major pedestrian entrance to the commercial development must be oriented towards the adjacent TC Town Center District on South Chester Road.

(Ord. 990. Passed 6-13-05; Ord. 1049. Passed 5-14-12; Ord. 1056. Passed 11-12-13; Ord. 1087. Passed 10-15-19.)

      (1)   Parking is required to accommodate the parking needs of the conditional uses identified in Section 1261.04(a). The developer shall provide a detailed analysis and parking plan prepared by a professional engineer licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Borough Council that the proposed parking plan is sufficient for the intended uses. The analysis shall take into account that different uses may have peak parking demands at different times and that there may be opportunities for some conditional uses to share parking. Such parking plan shall provide for at least eight-tenths of a parking space for each guest room contained in any commercial development, plus a sufficient number of parking spaces to accommodate parking needs for any meeting rooms and restaurant or retail space contained within any commercial development, along with the preparer's analysis as to the sufficiency of the proposed parking plan.

      (2)   No parking is permitted east of Line 2 in Exhibit A in the Overlay District. Temporary parking and loading or unloading for purposes of inn registration or checkout, not to exceed fifteen minutes, is permitted.

      (3)   Any displaced public parking will be replaced on site or at any off site location approved by Borough Council.

      (4)   Parking provided to support the conditional uses identified in Section 1261.04(a) may be located in the Overlay District, in the IN District within 100 feet of the Overlay District and, to the extent permitted by Borough Council, elsewhere in the IN District or in available on-street parking.

      (1)   Means for safe vehicular access and that also addresses adjacent residential streets with a scope approved by the Borough Engineer.

      (2)   How traffic will pass through the site.

      (3)   Where and how service vehicles will access buildings.

      (1)   In general, compliance with the objective of encouraging pedestrian access to the zone to be concentrated in the northeastern corner near the train station.

      (2)   Integration of new development with existing and proposed pedestrian circulation patterns of the town and the Swarthmore College campus.

      (3)   Safe pedestrian circulation throughout the zoning parcel, including separation of pedestrian and vehicular circulation to the greatest extent possible. The layout of the streets and intersections in the area extending from parking to the inn, restaurant, other retail space and train station and connections to the Swarthmore Town Center shall give priority to pedestrians.

(Ord. 990. Passed 6-13-05; Ord. 1049. Passed 5-14-12.)

      (1)   All utilities are to be below grade.

      (2)   All functions such as receiving and shipping docks, maintenance and service access and parking, and dumpsters and similar waste containers must be concealed from view from South Chester Road.

(Ord. 990. Passed 6-13-05; Ord. 1056. Passed 11-12-13.)