Upper Moreland Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XII
Town Center Districts
§ 350-66 Intent.
In expansion of the declaration of legislative intent and the statement of community development objectives found in Article I, and in furtherance of the goals and policies of the adopted Upper Moreland Comprehensive Plan, the intent of the Town Center Districts, among others, is as follows:
A.
Require that all development and redevelopment be generally consistent with the overall standards within the 2003 Willow Grove Redevelopment and Revitalization Plans, as amended.
B.
Require that all development or redevelopment designs be oriented toward public streets with sidewalks, intensive streetscaping, and parking located to the rear or sides of principal buildings.
C.
Require development or redevelopment adjacent to War Memorial Park and the Memorial Creek through Willow Grove to be oriented toward these community assets and be considerate of the proposed recreational trail along the tributary and planned restoration of the banks.
D.
Encourage the conversion and rehabilitation of existing buildings identified in the redevelopment plan for retail uses on the ground floor with office or residential uses on the upper floors.
E.
Encourage the consolidation of parcels identified in the redevelopment plan for redevelopment.
F.
Require a pedestrian-oriented scale and design, including shop windows, frequent doorways and entrances, and awning and arcades to encourage the development of a pleasant pedestrian environment.
G.
Encourage lively, human-scaled gathering places for the community through encouraging a mix of uses.
H.
Require shared use of parking areas and shared access driveways to reduce the number of existing or future driveways and produce more efficient access.
I.
Encourage development adjacent to and oriented toward the Willow Grove Train Station and bus routes to increase transit ridership.
J.
Encourage an adequate amount of parking in convenient locations throughout the district in centralized parking structures and surface parking lots to support the economic development and transit ridership in the area.
K.
Minimize the aesthetic and safety impacts of parking structures and surface parking lots.
§ 350-67 Use regulations.
A building may be erected, altered, or used, and a lot may be occupied or used, in whole or in part, for any of the uses permitted, as shown the in Use Matrix,[1] and no other, provided that such uses shall comply with the district regulations established in this article and all other applicable sections of this chapter. Such uses shall comply with the district regulations established in Article IV, Use Regulations (in the event of a conflict between district and use regulations, the more stringent regulation shall be applicable), and all other applicable sections of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Table of Uses is included as an attachment to this chapter. See also Art. IV, Use Regulations.
§ 350-68 Development standards.
A.
Development standards for Town Center District 1 (illustrated in § 350-68, Table 1A):
(1)
Minimum lot size: 2,500 square feet.
(2)
Minimum lot width: 25 feet.
(3)
Build-to line. Buildings shall be:
(4)
Side yard setback. There shall be no side yard setback required for buildings that share a party wall. The setback between buildings shall be a minimum of 10 feet (five feet per each building) when not sharing a party wall.
(5)
Maximum impervious coverage: 90%.
(6)
Building height. Buildings shall be a minimum of two occupied stories over 90% of the building area. Buildings shall be a maximum height of 45 feet. Maximum height does not include additional height of unoccupied pitched roof area or screening of rooftop mechanical systems.
(7)
Building stepback. Buildings higher than two stories shall have a six-foot stepback between 10 feet and 40 feet above ground level.
(8)
Maximum building footprint for nonresidential buildings: 15,000 square feet.
B.
Development standards for Town Center District 2 (illustrated in § 350-68, Table 1B):
(1)
Minimum lot size: 3,000 square feet.
(2)
Minimum lot width: 25 feet.
(4)
Side yard setback. There shall be no side yard setback for buildings that share a party wall. The setback between buildings shall be a minimum of 10 feet (five feet per each building) when not sharing a party wall.
(5)
Maximum impervious coverage: 80%.
(6)
Building height. Buildings shall be a maximum of 35 feet in height. Maximum height does not include additional height of unoccupied pitched roof area.
§ 350-69 Parking and access.
A.
Shared parking.
(1)
Users shall be required to show shared parking is reasonably close to each use [see § 350-69A(4), Walking distance].
(2)
Shared parking agreement (two businesses) or district (more than two businesses), which involves contractual agreement between users, is required. A shared parking agreement allows users an opportunity, if they choose, to redesign parking lots to be more efficient in serving multiple users. This may consist of making new curb cuts between parking lots, restriping lots, or redesigning internal traffic circulation and pedestrian walkways.
(4)
Walking distance. Sufficient parking shall be provided within the below distances from each use:
(a)
Less than 100 feet: people with disabilities, deliveries and loading, emergency services, fast-food restaurant, and convenience store.
(b)
Less than 800 feet: residents, grocery stores, professional services, and medical clinics.
(c)
Less than 1,200 feet: general retail, restaurant, employees, entertainment center, and religious institutions.
(d)
Less than 1,600 feet: major sport or cultural event and overflow parking.
(5)
A "shared parking agreement" shall be recorded against the parcels involved at the Montgomery County Recorder of Deeds office in a form acceptable to the Township Solicitor.
B.
Parking garages.
(1)
Design. The following requirements apply:
(b)
Utilitarian appearances of parking structures, such as sloping levels and untreated concrete levels, are not permitted. Structures shall have design treatments such as colonnades, arcades, awnings, landscaping, street furniture, and other public amenities to create the appearance of an occupied building. Blank walls are not permitted.
(c)
Cars shall be visually screened from adjacent buildings and the street, and such screening shall be in keeping with the rest of the building's architectural style and materials.
(2)
Vehicular access for parking garages shall be located where there is the least possible impact on continuous retail frontage, pedestrian pathways, and sidewalks.
§ 350-70 General standards for Board review of conditional use applications.
In the consideration of a conditional use application, the Board of Commissioners shall:
A.
Consider the suitability of the property for the use desired. Assure itself that the proposal is consistent with the spirit, purpose, and intent of the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance,[1] the Comprehensive Plan, and other relevant plans adopted by the Board of Commissioners such as the 2007 Upper Moreland Township Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan, the 2003 Willow Grove Redevelopment Area Plan, and the 2003 Willow Grove Revitalization Plan, as amended.
B.
Determine that the proposal will not substantially injure or detract from the use of neighboring property or from the character of the neighborhood and that the use of the adjacent property is adequately safeguarded.
C.
Determine that the proposal will serve the best interests of the Township, the convenience of the community (where applicable), and benefit the public welfare.
D.
Consider the effect of the proposal upon the public services and facilities such as public water, sewers, police and fire protection, and public schools.
E.
Consider the probable effects upon highway traffic and pedestrian movements, and assure adequate access and circulation arrangements in order to protect major roads from undue congestion and hazard.
F.
Be guided in its study, review and recommendation by sound standards of subdivision and land development practice, where applicable.
G.
Impose such conditions and safeguards in addition to those required as are necessary to assure that the intent of this chapter and the 2003 Willow Grove Redevelopment Area Plan and the 2003 Willow Grove Revitalization Plan, as amended, are complied with, which conditions may include (but are not limited to) harmonious design of buildings; planting and its maintenance as a sight and sound screen; the minimizing of noxious, offensive or hazardous elements; and adequate standards of parking, loading and sanitation.
§ 350-71 Design standards for Board review of conditional use applications.
All proposed conditional use land developments are required to meet the following standards:
A.
Buildings, driveways, parking areas/loading areas, outdoor activity areas, light sources, and refuse areas shall be located and designed to minimize adverse impacts on abutting residential properties. Alternative site layouts, including increased setbacks from residential property lines; different locations of buildings, parking areas, and driveways; incorporating loading and trash collection areas as part of the principal building design; and increased screening for light sources and outdoor activity areas, may be required by the Board of Commissioners in order to limit the adverse impact of a proposed use as well as fulfill the legislative intent of the Town Center Zoning District.
B.
Architectural embellishments that serve a function and add visual interest to roofs, such as dormers, masonry chimneys, cupolas, towers and other similar elements, shall be included in the design of buildings.
C.
Windowless walls, if visible from a right-of-way or vehicular or pedestrian circulation area, are prohibited unless the construction of a blank wall is necessitated by local building codes, in which case the wall should be articulated by one or more of the following: details in masonry courses; the provision of blank window openings trimmed with frames, sills and lintels; or, if the building is occupied by a commercial use, recessed or projecting display window cases.
D.
Buildings shall be articulated by changes in wall planes, changes in exterior finishes, variations in fenestration, and additions to architectural detailing consistent with Article XIII.
E.
Driveway intersections with streets and traffic circulation patterns within lots shall be located and designed to minimize congestion and safety problems on adjacent streets and nearby intersections.
F.
Wall-mounted, ground-mounted, and rooftop heating, ventilation, air-filtering, and air-conditioning equipment shall be screened from view from adjacent buildings, public streets, and open space lands available for public use, in a manner that is consistent with the overall architectural design and Article XIII.
G.
Streetscaping and green areas to enhance the Town Center District shall be provided in a manner that is consistent with Article XIII.
H.
Multifamily buildings that are located along the street frontage on York Road, Easton Road, Moreland Road, and Davisville Road shall have active uses along the ground floor. The depth of the space devoted to the active ground floor use shall be a minimum depth of 40 feet.
I.
Multifamily buildings shall be served by shared structured parking. Shared parking may be located within the building and underground.