Upper Providence Township Montgomery County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXIV
IO-1 Interchange Office District
§ 300-432 Legislative intent.
In expansion of the community development objectives contained in Article I, § 300-2, of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article with respect to IO-1 Interchange Office Districts to provide flexible standards for corporate headquarters or multi-building office development in a campus setting.
A.
To encourage the development of employment centers at the interchanges of State Route 422 (Pottstown Expressway).
B.
To provide a visual gateway into the Township.
C.
To preserve the rural character of the Township while encouraging the development of large land areas under single direction.
D.
To provide for ancillary uses to support corporate office development, creating autonomous development that is efficient in design.
E.
To achieve the goals of the adopted Comprehensive Plan by supporting the recommendations of the interchange studies.
§ 300-433 Permitted uses.
In an IO-1 Interchange Office District, a building or group of buildings may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used for any of the following uses or a combination of the following uses:
A.
An office.
B.
Corporate headquarters.
C.
Administrative buildings or centers.
D.
A laboratory.
E.
Communications antennas, in accordance with the provisions of § 300-25, mounted on an existing public utility transmission tower, existing building or other existing structure, and communications equipment buildings.
[Added 6-1-1998 by Ord. No. 372]
F.
Helistops, subject to the specific requirements set forth in § 300-24 of this chapter.
[Added 8-6-2001 by Ord. No. 405]
G.
The manufacture and packaging of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products.
[Added 3-15-2021 by Ord. No. 588]
§ 300-434 Conditional uses.
A.
Conditional uses permitted. The following conditional uses are permitted, when authorized by the Board of Supervisors, pursuant to the procedural requirements set forth in § 300-60 and pursuant to the requirements set forth herein:
(1)
Printing, publishing, lithographic and similar processes.
(2)
Retail establishments directly serving the needs of the permitted uses in § 300-433 herein, including but not limited to such uses as pharmacies, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, newsstands and any other uses of a similar nature.
(3)
Service establishments directly serving the needs of the permitted uses in § 300-433 herein, including but not limited to such uses as automated bank machines, financial services, fitness centers, day-care centers, travel consultants and other uses of a similar nature.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 182-116A(4) of the 1990 Code, Transportation centers, heliports and supplementary parking, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 8-6-2001 by Ord. No. 405.
(4)
Lodging facilities for the express use of office park clients, visitors and employees.
(5)
Conference facilities for the express use of the office park clients, visitors and employees.
B.
Standards for consideration of conditional uses. The Board of Supervisors shall determine that the following standards are met prior to granting approval of the conditional use application:
(1)
The use shall have hours of operation that coincide with the largest shift of employees in the district, unless additional hours are deemed reasonable by the Board of Supervisors based upon the nature of the use.
(2)
The use shall be oriented to the interior of the development and visually screened from view of the abutting rights-of-way.
(3)
External identification signs shall not be permitted except where directories or kiosks list all uses within the development.
(4)
Except in the case of transportation centers, heliports and supplementary parking, the use shall not take up more than 10% of the first floor area of the development, located at ground level within the primary structure. Freestanding conditional uses shall not be permitted.
(5)
Additional parking may be required for a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors where warranted.
C.
As a special exception only, communications antennas mounted on a communications tower and communications equipment buildings, only upon a showing, in addition to any other that may be required under this chapter, that denial of such a special exception would have the effect of prohibiting the provision of personal wireless service and that it is not feasible to mount the communications antenna on an existing public utility transmission tower, existing building, or other existing structure. Communications antennas shall conform to the requirements of § 300-25.
[Added 6-1-1998 by Ord. No. 372]
§ 300-435 Landscaping and open space.
A landscaping and open space plan shall be submitted with the preliminary plan in accordance with the criteria listed below. As an expression of concern for a well-balanced development and its relationship to the rural surroundings, the Township requires that a minimum of 65% of the total tract be devoted to the creative development of passive and active landscaped open spaces.
A.
Landscaping and earth shaping (berming) shall be used to screen surface parking and mechanical service areas.
(1)
A ten-foot minimum strip shall be provided between interior drives and parking areas.
[Amended 12-16-1991 by Ord. No. 307]
(2)
Landscaping shall not cause hazardous interior movements. Clear sight triangles should be established on interior intersections.
(3)
A five-foot minimum strip shall be provided between utility facilities such as transformers, switch cabinets, meters, etc., and the rest of the development.
B.
Landscaping and earth shaping (berming) shall be used to buffer buildings and parking areas and shall be installed in the setback areas as prescribed in § 300-437; provided, however, that they may be installed outside the setback areas if, in the opinion of the Township, due to topography or other unique site conditions, they will create a more effective buffer. Specifications for the various buffer types shall be as stipulated in § 270-68D of Chapter 270, Subdivision and Land Development. In addition to the required buffers, all interior drives shall be landscaped.
[Amended 12-16-1991 by Ord. No. 307; 8-6-2001 by Ord. No. 405]
C.
Landscaping and earth shaping (berming) shall be used to buffer pedestrian walkways from vehicular traffic and create an overall pedestrian movement system.
D.
Interior areas to be preserved in open space.
(1)
Floodplains, steep slopes, woodlands and other environmental constraints should be preserved and integrated into the landscape design.
(2)
Views of open lands shall be preserved.
(3)
Areas of retention and detention shall be integrated into the overall open space design.
(4)
Wherever possible, the owner shall make every effort to retain existing natural screening such as vegetation and topography.
(5)
Planting. All evergreen vegetation to be installed shall not be less than five feet in height at the time of planting and shall be of such species that the expected height at maturity shall not be less than 15 feet. All deciduous material to be installed shall not be less than eight feet in height or two-inch caliper at chest height.
E.
To calculate the percentage of a tract which must be dedicated to the creative development of passive and active landscaped open areas, the owner may include any lot or agglomeration of lots that it owns which would be adjacent to the subject property but for a public street or streets separating such lot(s) therefrom.
[Added 3-15-2021 by Ord. No. 588]
§ 300-436 District regulations.
The following regulations shall apply in the Interchange Office District:
A.
General regulations. The following general regulations shall apply for any development proposal within the IO-1 Interchange Office District:
(1)
Ownership. The tract of land to be developed shall be in one ownership or shall be the subject of an application filed jointly by the owners of the entire tract, and it shall be agreed that the tract will be developed under single direction in accordance with an approved plan. The transfer of ownership to another applicant prior to the commencement of construction shall render the development agreement required in Subsection A(4) below void. Said agreement shall then be renegotiable between the new owner(s) and the Board of Supervisors.
[Amended 12-16-1991 by Ord. No. 307]
(2)
Sewer and water facilities. The tract of land shall be served by public sewer facilities and water facilities deemed acceptable by the Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation of the Municipal Authority Engineer and review by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Lower Perkiomen Valley Sewer Authority and the Board of Supervisors.
[Amended 6-2-2008 by Ord. No. 490]
(3)
Development plan. The application for development shall be accompanied by a plan or plans showing the detailed use of the entire tract, which plan or plans also shall comply with all requirements of Chapter 270, Subdivision and Land Development, and other applicable ordinances. The plan shall clearly designate the proposed use(s) of each area of the tract The plan shall also be subject to tentative, preliminary and final review in accordance with Chapter 270.
(4)
Development stages and permits. The development of a tract carried out in either a single phase or in stages shall be executed in accordance with a development agreement. The owner, developer and Township shall enter into said agreement embodying all details regarding compliance with this article to assure the binding nature thereof on the overall tract and its development, which agreement shall be recorded with the final development plan.
§ 300-437 Site development requirements.
[Amended 12-16-1991 by Ord. No. 307; 6-15-1992 by Ord. No. 311; 3-15-2021 by Ord. No. 588]
A.
The following site development requirements shall be complied with for a development proposal in the IO-1 Interchange Office District:
Site Development Requirements | Dimensions | |
|---|---|---|
Minimum tract size (acres) | 25 | |
Minimum width along the ultimate right-of-way line (feet) | 500 | |
Minimum building setbacks (feet) | ||
From a limited access highway (Buffer Type 2 required) | 50 | |
From a controlled or semicontrolled access highway (Buffer Type 2 required) | 75 | |
From a collector, feeder or road of any other classification (Buffer Type 3 required) | 100 | |
From a residentially or institutionally zoned or developed property (Buffer Type 3 required) | 200 | |
From any other district boundary line (Buffer Type 2 required) | 50 | |
From interior drives (Buffer Type 1 required) | 20 | |
From parking areas (Buffer Type 4 required) | 20 | |
From adjacent buildings | 20 | |
Minimum parking setbacks (feet) | ||
From a limited access highway (Buffer Type 2A required) | 30 | |
From a controlled or semicontrolled access highway (Buffer Type 2A required) | 40 | |
From a collector, feeder or road of any other classification (Buffer Type 3 required) | 100 | |
From a residentially or institutionally zoned or developed property (Buffer Type 3 required) | 100 | |
From any other district boundary line (Buffer Type 2A required) | 50 | |
From interior drives (Buffer Type 1A required) | 20 | |
From adjacent buildings (Buffer Type 4 required) | 20 | |
Maximum building coverage | 10% | |
Maximum height (feet) | 55, but with a limitation of no more than 4 habitable or occupied stories | |
B.
To calculate the maximum building coverage in this section, the owner may include any lot or agglomeration of lots that it owns which would be adjacent to the subject property but for a public street or streets separating such lot(s) therefrom.
§ 300-438 Other development regulations.
The following additional development regulations shall apply for any development proposed in the IO-1 Interchange Office District:
A.
Utilities. All utility lines (electrical, telephone, etc.) shall be placed underground.
B.
Signs. All signs in the IO-1 Interchange Office District must adhere to the requirements of Article XXXIII, Signs, of this chapter.
C.
Access. Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets and highways serving the IO-1 District development without causing undue confusion or interference with the normal traffic flow. The Township Planning Commission, with the advice of the Township Engineer, shall satisfy itself as to the adequacy of the thoroughfares and access points intended to accommodate the traffic generated by the proposed IO-1 District development, as well as to the street frontage of the proposed development. Access points shall be limited to no more than two curb cuts per site from any street or highway unless such site has more than 600 feet of frontage on said street or highway. In no event shall more than three curb cuts be provided.
D.
Loading and unloading. All loading and unloading operations shall be carried on within or contiguous to the facade of any building(s) used for such purposes.
E.
Traffic impact. Satisfactory provisions shall be made to prevent traffic congestion and hazards resulting from projected traffic, as determined by the evaluation of a traffic impact study to be prepared by a professional traffic engineer and/or transportation planner. Said study shall be submitted for any application for development in the IO-1 Interchange Office District or for any request for a rezoning to this district. Minimum guidelines for the preparation of a traffic impact study shall be as listed below, with additional guidelines to be set forth as deemed necessary by the Board of Supervisors:
[Amended 12-16-1991 by Ord. No. 307]
(1)
The traffic on all roadways, intersections and interchanges within a half-mile radius from the edge of the site shall be considered.
(2)
The study shall include a description of the type of operation proposed and the traffic characteristics associated with it.
(3)
Traffic volumes for average daily traffic at peak highway hour(s) and at peak development-generated hour(s) shall be included for all roadways in the study area.
(4)
Documentation of the source(s) of trip generation rates used shall be included.
(5)
An origin and destination analysis for the projected traffic shall be included.
(6)
Documentation of any on-site or off-site improvements proposed by the applicant to mitigate any projected adverse impacts shall be enumerated.
F.
Lighting facilities. Lighting facilities shall be provided as needed and arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties from unreasonable glare or hazardous interference of any kind and shall be installed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 270, Subdivision and Land Development, of the Code of the Township, § 270-76.
[Amended 6-3-2002 by Ord. No. 416]
G.
Trash and refuse areas. Provision shall be made for the storage of trash, refuse and garbage, whether inside the building(s) or within a walled area outside the building(s). The walls of such trash and refuse areas must shield the trash and refuse from the direct view of any adjacent property and must be at least six feet in height.
H.
Amenity areas. The developer shall be encouraged to provide amenity areas for community or customer use, such as tot-lots, playgrounds, benches, sitting areas and other services necessary for the comfort and convenience of the prospective users of the IO-1 District development.
I.
Community impact analysis. Any application for development in the IO-1 Interchange Office District or for any request for a rezoning to this district shall be required to submit a community impact analysis for evaluation by the Township, covering the following subject areas:
[Amended 12-16-1991 by Ord. No. 307]
(1)
The conformance of the proposed development with the Comprehensive Plan of Upper Providence Township and its compatibility with existing and proposed land uses adjacent to the site.
(2)
The impact on any existing floodplains, heavily wooded areas, rock outcroppings, steep slopes and other sensitive natural features, if any.
(3)
The impact on the Township and regional transportation system and the ability of adjacent streets and intersections to efficiently and safely handle the traffic generated by the proposed development.
(4)
The impact on public utilities, including but not limited to sewage disposal, garbage and rubbish disposal, water supply, storm drainage and electric utilities.
(5)
The impact on the provision of police and fire protection for the proposed development.
(6)
The impact upon the character of the surrounding neighborhood. The applicant must show that the proposed development will not adversely affect the neighborhood by reason of noise, odors, smoke or vibration.