Washington Township Lehigh County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIII
C Commercial District
§ 360-80 Purpose.
The purpose of the C Commercial District is to provide reasonable standards for the development of commercial uses in areas where such uses already exist and where, due to the character of undeveloped land, the development of commercial uses is practical. This district is designed to centralize heavy commercial activity where such will be convenient to the majority of Township residents.
§ 360-81 Permitted uses.
[Amended 1-17-2011 by Ord. No. 231; 3-21-2016 by Ord. No. 254; 12-21-2020 by Ord. No. 280]
A.
Churches or similar places of worship including parish houses and parsonages.
B.
Nursing homes, day-care centers, domiciliary care facilities, convalescent homes and geriatric centers, hospitals, and mortuaries.
C.
Federal, state and local municipal buildings and uses, essential services and essential municipal services facility.
D.
Multiple-use buildings, provided there is a minimum lot area of 10,000 square feet for the first use and 5,000 square feet for each additional use in accordance with the yard and setback requirements of this district.
E.
The following uses in accordance with the commercial lot area requirements:
(1)
A single apartment or conversion apartment when combined with another permitted commercial use in a multiple-use building.
(2)
Hotels, motels, tourist homes, restaurants, commercial recreational facilities.
(3)
Automobile, motor home, and/or manufactured home sales garages, service stations, repair garages, and new and used car dealers, subject to the following:
(a)
Entrance and exit driveways shall have an unrestricted width of not less than 12 feet nor more than 30 feet and shall be located not less than 20 feet from any property line.
(b)
Vehicle lifts or pits, dismantled or salvage automobiles and all parts or supplies shall be located within completely enclosed buildings. Wrecked automobiles shall be screened from adjacent properties. In no case will more than five unregistered, untagged vehicles be allowed on a single property.
(c)
All service or repair of motor vehicles, other than such minor servicing as change of tires or sale of gasoline or oil, shall be conducted in completely enclosed buildings. This requirement shall not be construed to mean that the doors to any repair shop must be kept closed at all times.
(d)
The storage of gasoline or flammable oils in bulk shall be located fully underground and not nearer than 50 feet from any property line other than the street line.
(4)
Drive-in establishments.
(5)
Wholesaling, storing, and warehousing.
(6)
Shopping centers in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(7)
Retail businesses.
(8)
Business services.
(9)
Personal services.
(10)
Repair services.
(11)
Manufacturing, assembling, etc., where goods so produced or processed are to be sold exclusively on the premises.
(12)
Veterinary clinics, hospitals, animal care facilities.
(13)
Social and service clubs.
F.
Accessory uses and buildings customarily incidental to the above permitted uses, provided that no outside storage of materials or processing activity shall be permitted unless the activity is effectively screened from the adjacent properties by a wall or fence.
§ 360-82 Conditional uses.
A.
Adult entertainment.
(2)
Regulation of adult entertainment uses. No adult entertainment uses shall be permitted in any district except the C Commercial District and no such use shall be permitted:
(a)
Within 1,000 feet of any other existing adult entertainment; and/or
(b)
Within 500 feet of any residentially zoned district or any of the following residentially related uses:
(c)
For the purpose of this subsection, spacing distances shall be measured as follows:
[1]
From all property lines of any adult entertainment use;
[2]
From the outward line of boundary of any residential zoning district;
[3]
From all property lines of any residentially related use in Subsection A(2)(b)[1] through [3] above.
B.
Light manufacturing uses such as assembling, converting, and processing activities in accordance with the following standards:
(1)
Upon application for a land use permit, a report shall be submitted setting forth the reasons why such light manufacturing use is sufficiently compatible to the other uses permitted in the Commercial District in terms of traffic generation, parking requirements and site demands. Such report shall be subject to approval of the Township before a land use permit is issued.
C.
Communications towers.
§ 360-83 Screen plantings.
Screen plantings are required between any Commercial District and any Residential District, and shall be in accordance with the general regulations of this chapter. Screening may also consist of fences, walls, and other visual barriers, if approved by the Township. Screen plantings are not required between the Commercial District and Forest Conservation and Agricultural Districts.
§ 360-84 Off-street parking, loading areas and access drives.
§ 360-85 Minimum area and density requirements.
A.
All buildings including accessory buildings shall not cover more than 35% of the area of the lot. No less than 10% of the lot area shall be covered with lawns and landscaping.
B.
Minimum required for all uses not otherwise listed:
[Amended 11-6-2006 by Ord. No. 204; 3-21-2016 by Ord. No. 254]
Minimum Required | Commercial | |
|---|---|---|
Lot size* | 10,000 square feet | |
Lot width | 80 feet | |
Lot depth | 120 feet | |
Front yard | 30 feet | |
Side yard** | 10 feet | |
Rear yard | 30 feet | |
Building height (maximum) | 35 feet | |
Buffer yard (as required by § 360-86 of this chapter) | ||
* | When on-lot sewer facilities are to be utilized, the minimum lot size may be increased by the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer or Department of Environmental Protection for factors relating to health and sanitation. | |
** | When mutual agreement is provided in writing by the adjoining property owners, no side yard shall be required where two or more commercial uses adjoin side to side. In case of a series of adjoining structures abutting and paralleling a public right-of-way, an open and unobstructed passage of at least 20 feet in width shall be provided at grade level at intervals of not more than 400 feet apart. |
§ 360-86 Buffer yards.
[Added 11-6-2006 by Ord. No. 204]
Buffer yard requirements for the commercial zoning district shall be as follows:
A.
Where commercial use abuts any district other than Commercial, Industrial or Agricultural, a buffer yard of not less than 30 feet shall be required and off-street parking and loading areas shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet.
B.
Buffer yards shall be in addition to normal yard setbacks for this district. However, when mutual agreement is provided in writing by the adjoining property owner/s, no additional buffer yard shall be provided. All the other requirements of this section shall be met within the normal yard setback.
[Amended 6-15-2009 by Ord. No. 221]
C.
All buffer yards shall be planted with grass, sod, or ground cover, and, where specified, screen planting. However, when mutual agreement is provided in writing by the adjoining property owner(s), a solid fence or wall may be used for screening with or without plantings as indicated with the agreement. Buffer yards shall be maintained and kept free of all debris and rubbish.
[Amended 6-15-2009 by Ord. No. 221]
D.
No structure (except permitted signs), manufacturing or commercial processing activities, or storage of materials shall be permitted in buffer yards. However, access driveways may cross the buffer yard.
[Amended 6-15-2009 by Ord. No. 221]