In expansion of the declaration of legislative intent contained in Article I, § 255-2, of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article, with respect to Shopping Center Districts, to establish reasonable standards for the height and size of buildings , the areas and dimensions of yards and open spaces, the provision of facilities to minimize traffic congestion, noise, glare and pollution, so as to lessen the danger to the public safety and surrounding building values from traffic congestion, overcrowding of land, inadequate provision for water and sewage facilities and inadequate transportation; and to establish reasonable standards for a shopping center suitable with the general character of the adjoining district. In any SC Shopping Center District, the following regulations shall apply:

In an SC Shopping Center District, a building or combination of buildings may be erected or used and a lot area may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no other:

   A.   Retail store, including retail outlet or showroom for uses permitted in Subsection I below, but not including automobile sales agency, provided that no goods shall be displayed on the exterior of any building or on the lot and provided that only incidental storage, including floor samples, shall be permitted.

   B.   Restaurant .

   C.   Office or studio.

   D.   The following personal service shops, dealing directly with customers; beauty parlors, barbershops, clothes cleaning agency (not including a cleaning and dyeing plant), automatic self-service laundry, dressmaking, millinery or similar shops, provided that all repair or processing work is conducted in accordance with Subsection I below.

   E.   Theater, not including outdoor motion picture establishment; assembly hall or community building , indoor recreational establishments or library; licensed day-care center . [Amended 10-12-1999 by Ord. No. 1010]

      (1)   Amusement games , provided that there are no more than three per establishment.

      (2)   Amusement games , in excess of three, when allowed as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with Chapter 61, Amusement Games.

   F.   Bakery, confectionary or custom shop for the production of articles to be sold at retail on the premises, provided that all baking or processing is conducted in accordance with Subsection I below.

   G.   Bank.

   H.   Passenger bus station; electric substation; telephone and telephone offices.

   I.   The following uses , provided that if such uses are located on the ground, they shall not be located within 20 feet of the front of the building , and provided that they shall be effectively screened from the front portion of the building by a wall or partition.

      (1)   General servicing or repair.

      (2)   Upholstering.

      (3)   Carpentry and woodworking.

      (4)   Electrical, radio or television repair.

      (5)   Hand laundering, dry cleaning or pressing, provided that no inflammable fluids are used.

      (6)   Tailoring, dressmaking or repair.

      (7)   Millinery repair or processing.

      (8)   Watch or clock repair.

      (9)   Baking, confectionery making or similar processing.

      (10)   Frozen food lockers.

      (11)   Any similar use involving a repair, processing or storage activity.

   J.   Accessory uses customarily incidental to any of the above uses .

   K.   Any use of the same general character as any of the above permitted uses , when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board, provided that such use shall be permitted subject to such reasonable restrictions as the Zoning Hearing Board may determine, and further provided that no trade or business shall be permitted which is either noxious or hazardous. [Amended 1-10-1995 by Ord. No. 879]29

The development shall be executed in accordance with, the following essential conditions:

   A.   The development shall be consistent with this chapter and with the purpose of the ordinances to promote the health, safety, morals and the general welfare of the Township.

   B.   The development shall consist of an harmonious selection of uses and grouping of buildings , service and parking areas, circulation and open spaces, planned and designed as an integrated unit, in such manner as to constitute a safe, efficient and convenient retail shopping center. The distance at the closest point between buildings or groups of attached buildings shall be not less than 12 feet.

   C.   The appropriate use of property adjacent to the center shall be safeguarded. Where such center abuts any residential district, a suitable and uninterrupted planting screen, not less than 25 feet in depth, shall be provided and maintained by the owner of the shopping center. Lighting facilities shall be arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties from direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind.

   D.   All buildings within the center shall be served by a central sanitary sewage disposal system and public water supply and available public utilities.

   E.   Adequate provision shall be made for safe and efficient pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation within the boundaries of the center.

   F.   Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets and to highways serving the center without undue congestion to or interference with normal traffic flow within the municipality. All points of vehicular access to and from public streets shall be located not less than 200 feet from the intersection of any public street lines with each other.

   G.   Parking shall be provided as required by Article XIX of this chapter. [Amended 6-11-2002 by Ord. No. 1089]

   H.   All access roads , parking areas, service and other areas for vehicular use shall be paved with bituminous or other concrete material to a minimum standard of secondary roads of the Pennsylvania Department of Highways.

   I.   All utility lines serving the center shall be placed underground.

   J.   (Reserved) 30

   K.   If the development of the center is to be carried out in progressive 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. The initial stage of development shall comprise a total ground-floor area of not less than 25,000 square feet and at least three of the selected and designated uses .

   L.   Required minimum area and yards and maximum building and impervious coverage regulations shall be as follows: [Amended 9-14-2004 by Ord. No. 1138]

      (1)   Lot area : six acres.

      (2)   Front yard : 40 feet.

      (3)   Side yard (each): 50 feet.

      (4)   Rear yard : 50 feet.

      (5)   Building coverage : 15% of total lot area .

      (6)   Impervious surface : 75% of total lot area .

   M.   Required height. The maximum height of any building or structure erected or enlarged in this district shall be 40 feet, except that the height of any such other building or structure may be increased to a maximum of 65 feet, provided that for every foot of height in excess of 40 feet there shall be added to each yard requirement one corresponding foot of width or depth.

   N.   The Board of Commissioners may prescribe particular requirements or any further reasonable conditions deemed appropriate with respect to the suitability of the shopping center in the neighborhood .

   A.   Plans for any SC Shopping Center use shall be submitted to the Planning Commission prior to the issuance of any buildingpermit or certificate of occupancy as provided in Article XXIV. If, however, portions of the project are to be completed in successive stages, a less detailed sketch or layout of the area not scheduled for immediate development will suffice initially, provided that as further development occurs, a plan showing all of the required detail shall then be submitted prior to this construction of any portion. Information to be shown on all shopping center plans shall include:

      (1)   A plot plan of the lot showing the location of all present and proposed buildings , sidewalks and all other areas to be devoted to pedestrian use , drives, paving lots , loading and unloading areas and other constructional features on the lot ; and all buildings , streets , alleys , highways, streams and other topographical features of the lot and within 200 feet of any lot line .

      (2)   Architectural plans for any proposed buildings .

      (3)   The location, dimension and arrangement of areas to be devoted to planting lawns, trees or any other purpose.

      (4)   A description of the commercial uses proposed, including the approximate number of employees and expected number of customers in sufficient detail to indicate the effects of those operations in producing traffic congestion, noise, glare, air pollution, water pollution, fire hazards or safety hazard.

      (5)   Engineering and architectural plans for the treatment and disposal of sewage.

      (6)   Analysis of the market area, market needs, adequacy of service of needs by present or proposed commercial centers or enterprises, with evidence of need for the planned shopping center. Such evidence of need shall include estimates for the extent of the need, of the floor area or magnitude of enterprise and of appropriate timing for the stages of development .

      (7)   Any other date or evidence that the Planning Commission may require.

   B.   The Planning Commission shall review all plans for SC Shopping Center uses submitted to it and shall submit these plans, with recommendations thereon, to the Board of Commissioners for final approval.

   C.   Upon receipt of plans for any SC Shopping Center use and recommendations thereon by the Planning Commission, the Board of Commissioners shall have the power of approval or disapproval of these plans. The Secretary of the Board of Commissioners shall notify, in writing, the Zoning Officer of the final decision and any special conditions agreed upon regarding any SC shopping center use .

   D.   As a guide for the recommendations by the Planning Commission and for the final approval or disapproval by the Township Commissioners, on any SC shopping center plan, all the provisions of this article shall be considered.

   E.   The procedure set forth herein shall apply to any subsequent use or expansion of a shopping center.