Washington Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVIII
HC Highway Commercial District
§ 285-100 Permitted uses.
[Amended 3-8-2007 by Ord. No. 4-2007; 10-27-2010 by Ord. No. 23-2010; 10-10-2012 by Ord. No. 13-2012; 2-26-2025 by Ord. No. 1-2025]
A.
In any HC Highway Commercial District, land, buildings or premises shall be used by right only for only one of the following:
(1)
General retail merchandise stores, including department stores, five-and-ten variety stores, general merchandise discount stores, drugstores and sporting goods stores.
(2)
Retail apparel and accessories stores, including shoe stores, furriers and custom tailors.
(3)
Retail furniture, home furnishings and equipment, including household appliance stores; hardware, paint and glass stores; and radio and television stores, including services.
(4)
Retail stores, including supermarkets, bakeries and confectionery shops.
(5)
Eating establishments, including restaurants, lunch counters, delicatessens, tea rooms, taverns, confectioneries or similar establishments serving food or beverages.
(6)
Retail gift shops, including camera, book, stationery, antique, musical supply, cosmetic, candy, cigarette and tobacco, flower, hobby, jewelry and leather and luggage shops.
(7)
Offices for the conduct of medical and other professions, real estate and insurance and banks, including branch banks, messenger or telegraph services and general and administrative offices.
(8)
Office business shops, with sales and services only.
(9)
Dry cleaning, barber, beautician, shoe repair, laundromat and tailor shops.
(10)
Government offices serving the public, including a post office or other public or semipublic offices.
(11)
Indoor recreational facilities, including theaters and bowling alleys.
(12)
Artists' and photographers' studios.
(13)
Factory authorized new automobile sales agencies and services, including repair shops adjacent to and in connection therewith and including new and used car lots.
(14)
Mortuaries.
(15)
Libraries and museums.
(16)
Motels/hotels and related facilities such as restaurants, meeting rooms and auditorium spaces and swimming pools.
(17)
Newspaper publishing and job printing.
(18)
General service and repair shops, including carpenter, cabinetmaking, furniture repair, plumbing or similar shop.
(19)
Office of a builder, carpenter, caterer, cleaner, contractor, decorator, electrician, furrier, mason, painter, plumber, roofer, upholsterer and similar non-nuisance businesses, excluding open storage of materials and excluding open storage of motor vehicles.
(20)
Substation, telephone central office, electric and gas facilities, sewage lift stations, water pumping station, subject to the following special requirements:
(a)
No storage of materials and trucks and no repair facilities or housing of repair crews, except within completely enclosed buildings, shall be permitted.
(b)
The architectural design of the exterior of any building shall be in keeping with other structures in the neighborhood.
(c)
Screening shall be developed in accordance with the requirements of this article. All plants not surviving after planting must be replaced.
(21)
Automobile repair shops. No outside storage of materials is permitted. Storage of motor vehicles is permitted, provided that the vehicles have up-to-date inspection stickers and registration and are properly fenced from view and located in the rear of the property.
(22)
Tourist, rooming or boarding house.
(23)
Veterinary hospital, provided that all animals are kept in a permanent enclosed structure and are not within 150 feet of any existing residential use or zone.
(24)
Laboratory, dental and medical.
(25)
Exterminator.
(26)
Catering establishment.
(27)
Business and instructional school, including trade school.
(28)
Dance studios.
(29)
One apartment unit, provided that such use is in conjunction with the main business use, such as living quarters for a watchman. Such apartment shall be located above the main floors or in the rear of the business structure. An additional two parking spaces shall be provided for such apartment unit.
(30)
Clubs and lodge halls for fraternal organizations and meeting places, public or private.
(31)
Rescue squads.
(33)
Social club and fraternal, social service, union or civic organizations.
(34)
Day-care center, preschool and day nursery school, subject to the following special requirements:
(35)
Nursing homes, rest home or home for the aged.
(36)
Ambulatory care facilities, which may include an ambulatory surgery facility.
§ 285-101 Conditional uses.
A.
The following uses may be permitted as conditional uses when authorized by the Planning Board in accordance with the specifications and standards listed in Subsection B below:
B.
Applications for conditional uses shall be in compliance with the following minimum specifications and standards:
(1)
That the use will not injure or detract from the use of neighboring property.
(2)
That the use will not detract from the character of the neighborhood.
(3)
That the use of property adjacent to the area included in the plan is adequately safeguarded.
(4)
That the property is suitable for the intended use.
(5)
That the use will serve the best interests of the Township.
(6)
That the use will not adversely affect public sewers and facilities such as water, sewer, police and fire protection.
(7)
That the use will not adversely affect the drainage facilities in the adjacent neighborhood.
(8)
That the use will not adversely affect the safe flow of highway traffic and that adequate roadway accesses are provided to protect roadways from undue congestion and hazards.
(9)
That there shall be no display or sale of any merchandise whatsoever in the street right-of-way.
(10)
That all merchandise accessible to the public shall be adequately safeguarded to prevent injury to persons.
(11)
That there shall be no storage in the front yard setback.
§ 285-102 Accessory uses.
Only the following accessory uses shall be permitted:
A.
Accessory uses on the same lot with, and customarily incidental to, any of the above permitted uses.
B.
Cafeteria facilities for employees.
C.
For office buildings only, retail stores or personal service shops may be permitted as an accessory use. Such uses shall be limited to items listed in § 285-100A(1) through (10), and shall be located only in the basement or first floor. Such uses shall be wholly within the structure and limited to service type uses designed to service primarily the needs of the occupants of the buildings.
§ 285-103 Area and bulk regulations.
The following area and bulk regulations shall apply:
A.
Minimum lot size: 13,500 square feet.
B.
Minimum lot width: 100 feet.
C.
Minimum lot depth: 135 feet.
D.
Maximum lot coverage: 50% for inside lot and 40% for corner lot for all uses, except 20% for gasoline service stations.
E.
Minimum front yard: 50 feet from all streets.
F.
Side yards: 20 feet aggregate total with minimum of eight feet, provided that when a written agreement is provided by adjoining property owners, no side yard shall be required between properties of separate ownership where two or more commercial uses abut side to side. In case of a series of abutting structures paralleling a public right-of-way, an open and unobstructed passage of at least 30 feet in width shall be provided at grade level at intervals of not more than 200 feet.
G.
Minimum rear yard: 35 feet.
H.
Maximum building height: 60 feet.
[Amended 7-26-2007 by Ord. No. 19-2007]
§ 285-104 Regulations for gasoline service stations.
Gasoline service stations shall be subject to all of the following standards and regulations:
A.
Lot dimensions. Lots shall be at least 20,000 square feet in area, with a minimum lot depth of 125 feet and a minimum lot width of 125 feet.
B.
Minimum frontages.
(1)
In order to minimize traffic hazards and permit safe ingress and egress to and from service stations, the following minimum frontages are required:
(a)
Where stations are located on Township streets or county highways, not less than 200 feet for stations with not more than three dispensing pumps. For every three additional pumps or fraction thereof, there shall be an additional 50 feet of frontage.
(b)
Where stations are located on state highways, not less than 250 feet for stations with not more than three dispensing pumps. For every three additional pumps or fraction thereof, there shall be an additional 50 feet of frontage.
(2)
Each meter and dispensing hose shall be considered a separate pump.
C.
Pump locations. All fuel pumps, appliance and air pumps shall be located at least 35 feet from the street lines and 25 feet away from the side and rear property lines, or edge of any required buffer areas, so as to permit all services to be performed within the lot lines. All other services shall be performed within an enclosed building.
D.
Fuel tanks. All fuel tanks shall be installed underground.
E.
Driveways.
(1)
Driveways shall not be more than 25 feet wide at any point thereof.
(2)
There shall be a minimum distance of 30 feet between driveways as measured from the edges of the paved portion. Driveways shall be at least 10 feet from the adjoining property line and at least 20 feet from the street line of any intersecting street.
(3)
There shall be a maximum of two driveways on any street.
F.
Paving. The entire area of the station or garage or sale area traversed by motor vehicles shall be macadam or concrete.
G.
Station location. No gasoline selling or service station, or area so utilized, shall be located within 500 feet of any property upon which a church, nursing home, hospital, public or parochial school, private school, college, institution or theater shall be located; nor shall any gasoline selling or service station be located within 2,000 feet of another gasoline selling or service station. Such distance shall be measured from the property or lot line on which the proposed service station is to be located on a straight line to the property line or lot line on which the church, hospital, public or parochial school, private school, college, institution, theater or gasoline or service station shall be located.
H.
Buffer yard; setback; canopies; building area and height.
(1)
Buffer yard. A buffer yard of not less than 50 feet in width shall be provided on any special use when such special use is located within 50 feet of any residential zone. Such distance shall be measured as provided in Subsection G above. This buffer yard shall be used only as a planting strip in which hedge, evergreens shrubbery or other suitable planting shall be provided and maintained with a visual screen year round.
(2)
Setback. The walls of any building shall be set back at least 25 feet from every adjoining property line or required buffer yard and at least 50 feet from a street right-of-way line.
(3)
Canopies. Canopies or roof overhangs attached to or extended from the buildings shall not extend more than five feet from the building.
(4)
Building area and height not more than 2% of the area of each lot may be occupied by buildings. No building shall exceed one story in height.
I.
Outdoor activity. All lubrication, repair, maintenance or similar activities shall be performed within a completely enclosed building. In addition thereto, all displays and sale of merchandise shall be made or sold within a completely enclosed building, except as specifically provided or allowed under the terms of this article.
J.
Parking. Sufficient parking space for all vehicles of employees and patrons shall be provided, with a minimum of five spaces in any event, with the total number of spaces computed on the basis of three spaces for each lift, wheel alignment pit, bay or similar work area, which spaces shall be separate from the driveway and general apron areas giving access to the air pumps, gasoline pumps and garage doors.
K.
Sale of vehicles. No automobile, truck, trailer or boat shall be allowed to stand on any gasoline selling or service station property publicly advertising such vehicle for sale.
L.
Residential use. No part of any gasoline selling or service station may be used for resident or sleeping purposes.
M.
Signs. Signs shall be erected in accordance with the requirements enumerated in Article XXXVI of this chapter, except that no sign shall exceed 25 feet in height; nor shall any sign be erected less than 15 feet from any curb or property line.
N.
Utility lines. All electric, gas, telephone and other utility lines and uses shall be installed underground.
O.
Lighting. Exterior lighting shall be shielded so that it is deflected away from adjacent properties and from passing motorists.
§ 285-105 Other regulations.
A.
There must exist approved public water and public sewer systems which shall be available to each unit prior to the issuance of the building permit.
B.
All other applicable regulations of this chapter shall be followed as required.
C.
For developments to be constructed over a period of years, a phasing plan shall be submitted as part of the preliminary plan for the entire concept.
D.
The buildings, sizes, shapes, site positions and architectural design may be considered along with the landscape and natural features.
§ 285-106 Special regulations for used car lots.
[Added 4-13-2000 by Ord. No. 4-2000]
Used car lots shall be subject to all of the following standards and regulations:
A.
All used car lots shall be limited in location to properties with frontage on state highways within the Highway Commercial District (HC).
B.
The minimum lot size shall be two acres.
C.
There shall be a principal structure on the lot, consisting of offices and showroom only, of not less than 1,500 square feet in order to conduct the operations of the business.
D.
The short-term renting or leasing of vehicles is prohibited unless the operator is licensed by an agency of the state. Long-term renting and leasing, defined as six months or longer, is permitted.
E.
No cars shall be displayed in the right-of-way.
F.
Light intensity shall not exceed 0.25 footcandles at all perimeter property lines.
G.
Storage vehicles may be stacked three deep provided they are operated only by the dealer.
H.
Separate customer and employee parking spaces shall be provided. Customer parking signs shall be installed.
I.
A fifty-foot-wide buffer shall be provided along all property lines where adjacent properties are zoned residential or used residential. No improvements except detention basins are permitted in the buffer area. A double-staggered row of evergreen trees, 10 feet on center, shall be planted in the buffer. A six-foot-high, solid, wood fence may also be required to protect adjacent properties.
J.
Twenty-five-foot-wide driveway aisles shall be provided.
K.
Banners, streamers, bare light bulbs, etc., are prohibited as a means of attracting attention.
L.
Display or storage vehicles may not be parked closer than 25 feet to any front and side yard property line.
M.
On-site storage of fuel is prohibited.
N.
All applications shall be classified as major site plans.
O.
There shall not be any repair or body work performed on vehicles on site.
P.
Sales of trucks and trailers shall be a permitted use.
Q.
Wrecked, disabled, dismantled or untitled motor vehicles and junkyards are prohibited. Junkyards shall be as defined in Article III of this chapter.
R.
All vehicles shall be inspected and maintained regularly. Vehicles found to be leaking oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, radiator coolant or any other chemical fluids shall be repaired immediately, and all leaks and spills shall be cleaned up immediately.
S.
Vehicle washing operations shall be performed such that no waste wash water is discharged into adjacent surface waters, existing storm sewers, existing stormwater detention/retention systems or any other place off-site that will contribute to pollution of the environment. Wastewater shall be collected and disposed of appropriately.
T.
All used car lots shall not be closer than 2,500 feet to an MUA well head.
U.
All used car lots shall provide sidewalks, curbing, paving and detention or retention basins.
V.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the penalty provisions of Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Code of the Township of Washington. Each and every day a violation of this chapter continues shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct violation thereof.