West Grove City Zoning Code
ARTICLE X
C-1 Town Center District
§ 400-39 Purpose.
In addition to the general purposes listed in Article I, General Provisions, § 400-2, the regulations for this district are designed to provide a mixed-use district and promote economic development in the Borough as well as the following:
A.
Promote the reuse of existing structures and encourage infill development that enhances the visual character, pattern, and architectural scale of the traditional town center.
B.
Encourage economic development through the establishment of standards that maintain the traditional town center environment in accordance with the authority granted by Section 702-A of the Municipalities Planning Code to influence traditional neighborhood development.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10702-A in Article VII-A, Traditional Neighborhood Development, in the MPC.
C.
Maintain a walkable community by promoting pedestrian orientation of streets and buildings and providing a safe and convenient interconnected street and sidewalk network.
D.
To retain a business area within walking distance of the residential districts and serving the needs of the community.
E.
Accommodate parking in a convenient manner that does not interfere with the pedestrian orientation of streets and minimizes the disruption of streetscape and street wall that is encouraged through the following regulations.
F.
Create an interconnected network of streets to effectively accommodate vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle circulation and to create a block structure achieving connectivity to adjacent zoning districts.
§ 400-40 Use regulations.
A building may be erected or used or a lot may be used and occupied for any one of the following purposes and no other:
A.
Principal uses permitted by right:
(1)
Retail store.
(2)
Personal service shop.
(3)
Office.
(4)
Bank or financial institution.
(5)
Restaurant.
(6)
Coffee shop.
(8)
Studio.
(10)
Funeral parlor or undertaker's establishment.
(11)
Laundromat.
(12)
Municipal park for passive recreational use and memorial.
(13)
Theater.
(14)
Library.
(15)
Post office.
(16)
Emergency service facility.
B.
Principal uses permitted by conditional use. The following uses are permitted only when authorized by Borough Council as conditional uses, pursuant to the standards listed in Article XX:
(1)
Mixed use containing residential units in accordance with § 400-95. The use of a part of a building for a nonresidential use permitted in this district for residential dwelling units; provided that such dwelling units comply with the provision of Article XVIII, Supplemental Uses, § 400-95. The location of the nonresidential use shall be on the first floor of the building at the front of building abutting a public street. Residential dwelling units are permitted behind or above the nonresidential use.
(2)
Residential conversion. The conversion of a single-family detached residence to no more than three residential apartment units in accordance with § 400-104.
(3)
Youth activity center, provided that the off-street parking requirements set forth in Article XVII shall not apply to a youth activity center where it can be demonstrated that the parking needs of such youth activity center can be satisfied by available public parking.
(4)
Convenience store.
(5)
Grocery store.
(6)
Indoor recreational use.
§ 400-41 Area and bulk regulations.
A.
Lot size: 3,000 square feet minimum.
B.
Lot width: 30 feet minimum.
C.
Building coverage: 70% maximum.
D.
Lot coverage: 85% maximum.
E.
Building setback line: zero feet minimum, 10 feet maximum. Twenty feet maximum permitted where outdoor dining or civic space is provided.
F.
Side yards: 10 feet minimum to apply when a side yard is provided for nonattached structures (no party wall), depending on building type.
G.
Rear yard: 30 feet minimum.
I.
Building size, minimum: 10,000 square foot building footprint.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
J.
Building size, maximum: 50,000 square foot building footprint.
§ 400-42 Design standards.
The following design standards shall apply to all uses permitted in this district:
F.
Blocks. Blocks in the C-1 District shall have a minimum length of 200 feet and a maximum length of 500 feet.
G.
In the C-1 District, more than one principal use and/or structure shall be permitted on a lot; however, the area and bulk standards shall be met for each structure and for each individual lot as a whole.
H.
Development in the C-1 District shall include the following:
(2)
Streetlights shall be required. A plan for streetlights, approved by the applicable utility company, the style and type of fixture of which shall be approved by the Borough Council with the development plan and otherwise shall comply with this chapter. Streetlights shall be consistent with existing streetlights within the C-1 District.
I.
Building height. A minimum building height of 35 feet or two stories shall be required in the C-1 District, which may be accomplished through one of the following two ways, with the first option being preferred:
J.
Conditional use standards for buildings permitted to exceed 35 feet in height. In addition to the requirements of § 400-42L, buildings permitted to exceed 35 feet in height shall meet the following requirements:
(1)
Not more than two consecutive buildings greater than 35 feet shall be permitted immediately adjacent to a building of the same height.
(2)
Not more than two consecutive buildings greater than 35 feet shall be permitted to have the same roofline as the building immediately adjacent. Roofline variations include but are not limited to flat roofs, mansard, hip, gable, gambrel, dormer, or any combination or variation thereof.
(3)
Buildings with a height of greater than 35 feet shall have their vertical massing broken up with horizontal elements at the thirty-five-foot height at a minimum. Elements to achieve this variation shall include, but are not limited to, such features as varying facade cladding, belt course, window and door fenestration, pilasters, piers, bay windows, bow windows, and other appropriate elements that project from the building facade no less than three inches and no more than two feet. Buildings shall also comply with horizontal massing requirements in accordance with § 400-42L below.
(4)
Buildings permitted exceeding 35 feet in height shall be required to achieve one of the following two options to offset the impacts of increased building height:
(a)
Be set back a minimum of five feet but not greater than 20 feet from the sidewalk to create a civic space in the form of a plaza, courtyard, or outdoor dining space. The design criteria in § 400-42J(4)(c) shall be required for additional building height.
(b)
Increase the sidewalk width from the minimum of five feet for each additional five feet of building height, but not to exceed 15 feet in width. The design criteria in § 400-42J(4)(c) shall be required for additional building height.
(c)
The following shall be included as deemed appropriate to the design for each building approved for increased building height as per Subsection J(4)(a) or (b) above as a part of the conditional use approval:
[1]
Trees and landscaping maintained in perpetuity shall be provided for a minimum of 15% of the surface area in front of each building. Vegetation shall be of a variety that will be an appropriate size at maturity to not encroach upon existing on-site or otherwise required street trees or other landscaping or that of any adjacent lot. This may be accomplished through a combination of the following:
[a]
Trees planted or in planters.
[b]
Surface planters (minimum size 24 inches across).
[c]
Hanging baskets (minimum size 12 inches across), hanging cantilevered from the building face or other appropriate approved structure (streetlights, etc.) or other approved means.
[d]
Planted window boxes at the bottom of all first floor windows and/or along the front building facade.
[e]
Raised planting beds against the front building facade beneath windows or between the sidewalk and building line or entrance.
[2]
Brick or textured paving, benches, trash receptacles, awnings, decorative lighting, low stone walls and similar streetscape amenities, and other elements appropriate for the size of the resulting space are encouraged in order to promote a human scale and greater attractiveness to the proposed development and shall be approved as part of the conditional use process.
(5)
A written report shall be submitted that includes plans, conceptual building elevations, diagrams, photographs and other data sufficient to demonstrate the following:
(a)
The intent of the architectural design of the proposed building(s) and the manner in which the proposed building(s) contextually fit into and enhance the block pattern and streetscape of the traditional downtown area.
(b)
Compliance with the conditional use standards and criteria set forth in this section.
(c)
General consistency with Chapter 6, Land Use Plan, particularly the Central Business District/Downtown Plan, and Chapter 14, Revitalization Guidelines, in the 2003 Borough Comprehensive Plan regarding the downtown area.
(6)
An impact assessment report shall be prepared to address measures pertaining to such impacts as traffic, infrastructure, and parking requirements including assessment of off-street parking accomplished through on-site parking lots, parking garages (structures), off-site parking, public parking lots or structures, or on-street parking.
K.
No goods shall be displayed in any open area except in accordance with § 400-72H, Outdoor display.
L.
Standards for buildings and structures.
(1)
No more than 30 feet of continuous street wall shall be created for any new building or structure on a side facing a public street, unless a break in depth of not less than three inches and no more than three feet is provided at intervals of not less than 20 feet accomplished through elements to achieve this street wall variation which shall include, but be not limited to, such features as varying facade cladding, vertical building extensions, window and door fenestration, recessed or extended doorway entrances, pilasters, piers, display windows, bay windows, bow windows and other appropriate elements that project from or extend into the street wall. See Figure 9-2.
(2)
No building or structure shall be a windowless box. Building openings and windows shall constitute not less than 40% nor greater than 85% of all exterior walls that face a public street or parking area. See Figure 9-3.
(3)
No building or structure shall have opaque, mirrored, or dark tinted windows. See Figure 9-4.
(4)
Blank walls shall not be permitted along any exterior wall. Walls or portions of walls where windows are not provided shall have architectural treatments that include one or more of the following: concrete or masonry plinth at the base of the wall, belt courses, vertical columns, projecting cornice, medallions, artwork or murals, decorative trimwork, lighting fixtures, or other similar decorative feature. See Figure 9-5.
(5)
If a new building has a flat roof, then it shall have a wraparound parapet wall sufficient in height to conceal the building's mechanical and other rooftop equipment.
(6)
All rooftop mechanical equipment and structures shall be concealed.
(7)
For all buildings, the architectural design and detailing of the building should be varied in order to minimize the impact and scale of the building and to visually enhance the appearance of the building. Upper-story setbacks and rooflines, fenestration (windows), the use of varied compatible materials and colors and additional architectural detailing shall be employed to the greatest extent appropriate in context with the traditional town center.
Figure 9-1: One-story building with two-story facade  |
Figure 9-2: Required Street Wall Interruption  |
Figure 9-3: Window Ratio Requirement | |
 Discouraged: building with no windows |  Minimum window ratio requirement |
Figure 9-4: Opaque, mirrored or dark-tinted windows are not permitted  |
Figure 9-5: Examples of architectural requirements to treat blank walls | ||
 Medallion |  Belt Course and Projecting Cornice |  Painted Mural |