Tilden Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IX
C-3 Highway Commercial Districts
§ 500-32 Purpose.
The C-3 Highway Commercial District is established to provide for a wide range of highway-oriented retail, motor vehicle, and heavier service-type commercial activities, which generally require main highway locations and cater to transient as well as to local customers. Among the purposes of this district are:
§ 500-33 Use regulations.
A detached building may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes. Such uses shall be in conformity with the special regulations set forth in § 500-35 of this article, with the environmental performance standards set forth in § 500-72, and with the applicable provisions of Article XVIII, Performance Standards.
A.
The following uses are permitted by right:
(1)
Retail store less than 20,000 square feet of total floor area.
(2)
Personal service shop, but not including laundry, dry cleaning, or clothes pressing establishment.
(3)
Retail service shop less than 20,000 square feet of total floor area.
(4)
Office less than 30,000 square feet of total floor area.
(5)
Studio.
(6)
Financial institution.
(7)
Forestry.
(8)
Cultural facility.
(9)
Governmental use.
(10)
Veterinarian's office.
(11)
Medical/dental office less than 30,000 square feet of total floor area.
D.
The following uses are permitted when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board:
(1)
Building materials sales yard less than 20,000 square feet of total floor area.
(2)
Telephone central office.
(3)
Utility substation.
(4)
Outdoor place of amusement, recreation or assembly.
(5)
Self storage facility.
(6)
Passenger terminal.
(7)
Warehousing less than 60,000 square feet of total floor area.
E.
The following uses are permitted when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board, provided that public sewer and water service is available:
(1)
Automatic self-service laundry.
(2)
Commercial greenhouse.
(3)
Care facility, extended.
(4)
Care facility, intermediate.
(5)
Care facility, long-term.
(6)
Shopping center less than 20,000 square feet of total floor area.
(7)
Nursery.
(8)
Wholesale business establishment including wholesale bakery.
(9)
Community recreation building.
(10)
Place of worship.
(11)
Funeral home.
(12)
Club, lodge or social building.
(13)
Clinic.
(14)
Commercial park less than 20,000 square feet of total floor area.
F.
The following uses are permitted when authorized as a conditional use by the Township Board of Supervisors:
(1)
Retail store 20,000 square feet or more of total floor area.
(2)
Retail service shop 20,000 square feet or more of total floor area.
(3)
Office 30,000 square feet or more of total floor area.
(5)
Medical/dental office 30,000 square feet or more of total floor area.
(6)
Eating and drinking places, including drive-in service, that would generally result in 600 or more new trips during an average day.
(9)
Building materials sales yard 20,000 square feet or more of total floor area.
(10)
Warehousing 60,000 square feet or more of total floor area.
(11)
Shopping center 20,000 square feet or more of total floor area.
(12)
Motel or hotel.
(13)
Commercial park 20,000 square feet or more of total floor area.
(14)
Motor or recreational vehicle sales establishment.
(15)
Motor or recreational vehicle repair facility.
G.
In addition to other applicable requirements of this article, including, but not limited to, the requirements of § 500-144 of this chapter relating to conditional use approvals, the following standards shall be met for any conditional use approval in the C-3 District:
(1)
The Township finds, based on existing development and traffic conditions in and around the C-3 District, that additional requirements for transportation impact studies are necessary to determine if the travel demands of new land development can be accommodated by the Township's existing roadway system. This type of assessment is necessary to promote public safety, ensure reasonable traffic conditions following new development, and protect previous investments in the transportation system.
(2)
The applicant shall provide the Board with a traffic impact study prepared by a qualified traffic engineer and/or transportation planner. The traffic impact study shall be prepared in accordance with all applicable Township ordinances and the then-current policies and procedures suggested by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for transportation impact studies related to highway occupancy permits. In the case of conflicts, the most restrictive, nondiscretionary requirements of PennDOT or the Township's ordinances shall apply. The traffic impact study shall identify the locations where traffic related to the proposed development is likely to impact level-of-service (LOS)/travel delay within the traffic impact study area and shall demonstrate that:
(a)
Levels-of-service will not deteriorate below LOS D if predevelopment traffic operates at LOS D or better conditions, will be maintained if predevelopment traffic operates at LOS D or LOS E, and will be maintained at predevelopment levels of average travel delay if predevelopment traffic operates at LOS F. A change in average travel delay of least 10 seconds per vehicle must occur with respect to the overall intersection average before the level-of-service is determined to have been impacted.
(3)
For purposes of Subsection G(2):
(a)
The traffic impact study area shall include all existing and proposed streets and intersections expected to accommodate 600 or more new trips during an average day and shall, at a minimum, include the following intersections: 1) State Route 61/Jetson Drive/Cabela's Drive; 2) State Route 61/Lowland Road; 3) Cabela's Drive/Drive A/Wilderness; 4) Cabela's Drive/Mountain Road; 5) Laurel Avenue/Holly Road; and 6) Laurel Avenue/Pine Road. The study area for all traffic impact studies shall include the driveway access points between the proposed development and the external roadway system.
(b)
"Level of service" or "LOS" means level of service as described in the most recent edition of the Highway Capacity Manual by the Transportation Research Board.
§ 500-34 Area and bulk regulations.
A.
Lot area. Every lot shall have a lot area of not less than 65,000 square feet.
B.
Lot width. Every lot shall not be less than 150 feet in width at the building line.
C.
Building area. Not more than 50% of the area of each lot may be occupied by buildings.
D.
Impervious coverage. Not more than 75% of the area of each lot may be covered by impervious surface.
E.
Front yard. There shall be a setback on each street on which a lot abuts which shall not be less than 50 feet in depth.
F.
Side yards. There shall be two side yards, neither of which shall be less than 25 feet in width.
G.
Rear yard. There shall be a rear yard on each lot which shall be not less than 50 feet in depth.
H.
Height regulations. No building shall exceed 35 feet in height. This restriction shall not apply to nonhabitable architectural enhancements related to a building or structure, such as decorative building facade or screening of refrigeration units. Nonhabitable architectural enhancements, together with buildings or structures to which they are affixed, shall not exceed 45 feet in total height.
§ 500-35 Special regulations.
In order to encourage sound and attractive development, the following special requirements shall apply to all uses permitted in the C-3 District:
A.
A buffer yard is required along each side or rear property line that directly abuts a residential district, in accordance with Article XVII and along all property lines that directly abut a residential district along Holly Road between the intersection of Mountain Road and Laurel Avenue and along Laurel Avenue from the intersection with Holly Road to the point where it terminates in a dead end, in accordance with Article XVII.
B.
No goods, articles, or equipment shall be stored, displayed or offered for sale beyond the front lines of a building, except for the display of motor vehicles not less than 10 feet from the street right-of-way. This restriction shall not apply to nursery, greenhouse, building materials sales yard, or motor vehicle repair facility uses.
D.
All proposed structure(s) must relate harmoniously to the terrain and to existing buildings that have a visual relationship to the proposed structure(s). To achieve this favorable relationship between existing and proposed uses, create focal points with respect to avenues of approach, terrain features or other buildings and relate open space between all existing and proposed structure(s).
E.
For vehicular and pedestrian circulation, special attention must be given to the location and number of access points to public streets, width of interior drives and access points, general interior circulation, separation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and arrangement of safe and convenient parking areas. Design vehicular and pedestrian areas to enhance the appearance of and access to the proposed building(s) and structure(s) and to the neighboring properties.
F.
No building or structure except a retail showroom shall exceed 225,000 square feet. Included in the square footage area shall be any permanently fenced open areas for garden centers or similar uses.
G.
Loading and unloading areas shall be designed and located so as not to interfere with circulation and parking areas.
H.
No overnight parking allowed.
I.
Truck deliveries, truck staging and trash pickup shall be prohibited within 300 feet of any existing residential use unless conditional use approval is obtained from the Board of Supervisors.
J.
Temporary storage containers or trailers shall be allowed as long as they are placed in the rear of the building area, or in another suitable location that limits visibility from the general public with the storage area to be screened with fencing material of a height sufficient to screen up to and including the top of the containers in the storage area. There may be no sale activities directly from any such containers. In addition, there shall be no outside display of merchandise or outside vendors without a special permit pursuant to Township ordinances, unless contained within the area between the building and the building curbline and clearly marked on the project's land development plan. Such area may not be used in a way that limits pedestrian traffic along the intended walking areas outside of the store and may not overflow into the driveways or parking areas as of the shopping center. Such display and vendor areas must be well maintained on a regular basis to ensure merchandise displays are clean and orderly.
K.
Storage areas for trash and rubbish shall be completely screened. All organic rubbish shall be stored within airtight, vermin-proof containers until such rubbish is collected. No such storage areas shall be permitted within any required buffer yard.
L.
Establishments furnishing shopping carts shall provide definite areas on the site for the storage of said carts. Storage areas shall be clearly marked and designated for the storage of shopping carts.