West Donegal Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
General Commercial GC District 1
§ 240-63 Purpose.
[Amended 12-21-2015 by Ord. No. 221-2015]
The General Commercial (GC) District seeks to accommodate the needs for distribution of goods and services to the consumer in a retail and/or professional office setting in accordance with the Regional Strategic Plan. This district generally coincides with public utility service areas and is within the Designated Growth Area. The district seeks to properly manage business development to provide for efficient and safe transportation and compatibility with neighboring uses. The uses provided in this district are meant to serve local residents as well as those motorists passing through the area.
§ 240-64 Permitted uses.
Permitted uses shall be as follows:
A.
Banks and other financial institutions.
B.
Bowling alleys.
C.
Business and professional offices, including medical and dental, provided that the gross floor area does not exceed 10,000 square feet.
D.
Confectionery and bakery shops.
E.
One dwelling that is accessory to and in the same building as a business use, provided that both public sanitary sewer and public water are utilized with total sales and/or display area not greater than 3,600 square feet.
F.
Motor vehicle sales and service establishments.
G.
Mortuary.
H.
Municipal uses, fire houses, and similar public buildings.
I.
Parking lot.
J.
Personal service shops, including tailor, barber, beauty shop, dressmaking, shoe repair, or similar shop.
K.
Privately owned and publicly owned recreation facilities.
M.
Retail stores and shops, provided that the gross floor area does not exceed 10,000 square feet.
N.
Restaurants, taverns, hotels, motels, theaters, dry cleaning and laundry establishments.
P.
Butcher shop, including game processing.
Q.
Storage, warehousing, retailing, including lumber, coal, and fuel oil yards, building material sales rooms which deal primarily with the public sales, as opposed to the commercial user accommodated in the General Industrial District.
[Amended 12-21-2015 by Ord. No. 221-2015]
R.
Commercial communications antenna attached to an existing structure and meeting the requirements of § 240-105A.
S.
Accessory uses customarily incidental to the above permitted uses.
§ 240-65 Special exceptions.
[Amended 12-21-2015 by Ord. No. 221-2015]
The following uses are permitted when a special exception is granted by the Zoning Hearing Board after public hearing. In granting any special exception, the Zoning Hearing Board may attach conditions to its approval which are necessary in order to preserve and protect the character of the district.
B.
Veterinary facilities and kennels constructed in accordance with and subject to the provisions of § 240-94.
D.
Accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to the above permitted uses.
E.
The Zoning Hearing Board may permit any other use which is considered by it to be of the same general character as any of the permitted uses, provided that none of the following uses shall be permitted:
(1)
Any process of manufacture, assembly or treatment which is not clearly incidental to a retail business conducted on the premises or which normally constitutes a nuisance by reason of odor, noise, dust or smoke, even if incidental to a retail business conducted on the premises.
(2)
Lumber- and coal yards, building material storage yards, contractors' equipment and storage yards, and commercial warehouses, except where these uses are within a completely enclosed structure.
(3)
The storage of volatile products, except those which are used on the premises in the conduct of business on the premises.
F.
The Zoning Hearing Board may also permit by special exception adult-oriented businesses, provided that the following specific requirements are met by the applicant:
(1)
The lot or property line of such business shall not be located within 500 feet of any Residential District or Agricultural (A) District.
(2)
The lot or property line of such business shall not be located within 500 feet of the lot or property line of any religious structure, school, day-care facility or public library.
(3)
The lot or property line of such business shall not be located within 500 feet of the lot or property line of another adult-oriented business.
(4)
There shall be no display of adult-oriented materials that can be seen from the exterior of the building.
(5)
Not more than one adult-oriented business or activity shall be permitted within any one building or lot.
(6)
No unlawful sexual activity or conduct shall be performed or permitted.
(7)
The Zoning Hearing Board shall determine that the adult-oriented business is in general harmony with the immediate neighborhood; does not create an atmosphere of enticement for minors; and will not be detrimental to the public health, public safety or general welfare of the Township.
(8)
The Zoning Hearing Board shall review and approve all exterior signs for compatibility with adjacent uses.
(9)
No adult-oriented business or activity may change to another type of adult-oriented business or activity except upon application to and approval by the Zoning Hearing Board of such change as a special exception, subject to the criteria set forth herein.
G.
The Zoning Hearing Board may permit by special exception shopping centers (as defined herein), provided that the following specific requirements are met by the applicant:
(1)
The subject property shall front on an arterial road, and all access drives shall be set back at least 200 feet from the intersection of any street right-of-way lines.
(2)
The applicant shall provide an analysis, prepared by a professional engineer experienced in the field of traffic analysis, of the physical conditions of the primary road system serving the site. This analysis shall include information of the current traffic flows on the road system, level of service at each intersection, with particular attention to peak-hour conditions, accident history for the past five years, and projections of traffic generated by the proposed use. Improvements to the road shall be provided by the applicant to insure safe turning movements to and from the site and through movement on the existing road.
(3)
All parking lots shall be constructed and maintained with a paved surface of concrete or bituminous materials.
(4)
The applicant shall furnish evidence that an approved means of sewage disposal and water supply shall be used.
§ 240-66 Design requirements in General Commercial District.
[Amended 12-21-2015 by Ord. No. 221-2015]
The Table of Design Requirements in the General Commercial District is included at the end of this chapter.