West Mifflin City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVII
Mixed Use Overlay Zoning District
§ 290-179 Purpose.
The purpose of the Mixed Use Overlay District (MUOD) is to:
A.
Ensure new development contributes positively to established residential neighborhoods and character and improves the transition between commercial development and adjacent residential neighborhoods.
B.
Provide landowners and/or developers with an alternative development approval process that promotes flexibility in the mixture of land uses, lot design and building arrangement not afforded by conventional lot development.
C.
Permit a more varied, innovative and efficient development pattern without undue delay in the approval process.
D.
Encourage the conservation of unique and environmentally sensitive resources and site features.
E.
Enable the efficient and cost-effective provision of community facilities, including sanitary sewer and water services, roadway improvements and recreational areas.
F.
Define a procedure to relate the type, design and layout of development to the characteristics of a particular lot.
G.
Permit the creative adaptive reuse of large existing institutional buildings.
§ 290-180 General requirements.
A.
Location of overlay. The MUOD is located as shown on the Zoning Map on file in the Borough office.
B.
Concept. The MUOD is a development alternative available to landowners and/or developers. A MUOD is voluntary and not required. If a landowner and/or developer chooses to apply for a MUOD, all development standards and procedures shall comply with the provisions defined by this article of the chapter.
C.
Applicability. Where this article conflicts with another article in the chapter, the stricter standard shall apply.
§ 290-181 Authorized uses.
The following uses are authorized in a MUOD, provided that their design, arrangement, landscaping, relationship to adjacent properties and uses and construction form a compatible and harmonious group of uses, afford reasonable protection to adjacent development and otherwise meet all requirements set forth in this article.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: For the authorized uses, see the Table of Uses, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 290-182 Area bulk requirements.
Uses in the MUOD shall adhere to the following.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Tables of Dimension, Area and Bulk Standards are included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 290-183 Required improvements.
The following improvements shall be completed in connection with every development in the MUOD, and such improvements will be in conformance with such standards as may be specified and required in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance[1] or other Borough, county or state law:
A.
Screening.
(1)
Loading areas, trash collection and similar facilities shall be incorporated into the overall design of buildings and landscaping so that the visual and acoustic impacts of these functions are fully contained and out of view from adjacent properties, neighboring residential areas and public streets. Loading docks shall be screened by a solid masonry wall at least six feet in height. Trash collection and similar facilities shall be enclosed with a masonry wall or fence at least six feet in height on three sides and an opaque self-closing gate on the fourth side so as to maintain a visual screen on all sides.
(2)
Off-street parking areas shall be screened from the view of public streets and neighborhood residential areas.
B.
Vehicular circulation. To reduce congestion and the number of curb cuts along public streets, to minimize pedestrian/vehicular conflicts, and to facilitate emergency vehicle access, internal access roads and parking areas shall be designed to facilitate connection to adjacent parcels and adjacent businesses within the MUOD.
(1)
Shared driveway entrances and access drives are encouraged.
(2)
Vehicular access to parking areas and businesses shall be through access drives within the MUOD, unless a traffic study recommends otherwise.
(3)
The number of driveway entrances is limited to two per parcel, unless a traffic study recommends otherwise.
C.
Sidewalks and internal walkways.
(1)
Public sidewalks are required in the Borough right-of-way.
(2)
Sidewalks and walkways shall be constructed in accordance with the chapter.
(3)
Continuous internal walkways shall be provided from the public sidewalk along the street to the principal customer entrance of any retail, commercial or office use. This walkway must feature landscaping, benches and other pedestrian amenities for no less than 50% of its length. Internal walkways shall be distinguished from driving surfaces through the use of materials containing contrasting color and textures. Provide bike lanes.
D.
Streetscape plantings. Buffer yards shall be provided for along the street right-of-way, subject to the following restrictions:
(1)
The buffer yard shall be no less than 10 feet wide.
(2)
The buffer yard shall be provided along the entire frontage of the parcels, except for entranceways for vehicles.
(3)
The buffer yard shall be made up of existing mature trees or new plantings as proposed in a landscape plan accompanying any application for development.
(4)
No structure within the MUOD shall be within 10 feet of the buffer yard or within 25 feet of the street right-of-way.
(5)
A landscape plan is prepared that shows that proposed plantings are not located in the sight triangle and will not impede visibility within the clear sight area.
E.
Design guidelines for architectural materials and building orientation for new construction.
(1)
Ground floor transparency. The street-level facade of any building facing a public street or access drive shall provide clear or tinted glass or tinted material between the height of three feet and eight feet above the walkway grade for at least 60% of the horizontal length of the building and/or structure. Not more than two sides of any one building shall be subject to these provisions. Surface treatments such as cornices, brackets, window and door moldings and details, recesses, projections, awnings, decorative finish materials and other architectural articulation shall be required along 100% of the horizontal length of any wall.
(2)
Facades. Buildings with long, flat facades and continuous linear strip development are prohibited.
(3)
Exterior wall materials. Materials that are not permitted include large split-faced block size eight inches by 16 inches or greater; tilt-up concrete panels; prefabricated metal panels; standard concrete masonry units.
(4)
Roofs. Structures with flat roofs must have parapets concealing roofs and rooftop equipment. Variations in the roof form and profile are encouraged for large roof areas.
(5)
Doorways and entrances. All buildings shall provide a prominent and highly visible street-level doorway or entrance along the front or side of the building that faces a public street.
(6)
Frontage. Storefronts and display windows are encouraged along frontages. There shall be at least one entrance accessible to the public for every 100 feet of frontage.
(7)
Ground floor. The ground floor along store frontages shall be architecturally distinguished from the upper floors by a change in materials, scale of openings, change of plane or other means.
§ 290-184 Express conditions.
A.
Garden center, plant nursery, landscaping business or greenhouse: No outdoor storage is permitted.
B.
Gasoline service stations/convenience stores: Convenience stores are permitted with fuel pumps as a secondary use to the convenience store. Monument signs must adhere to the sign section of the chapter[1] and not be any taller than six feet in height and a maximum of 24 square feet per face. Exterior lighting must be shielded, and no lighting may spill onto the adjacent residential neighborhood.
C.
Retail trade. No retail use shall be approved with more than 20,000 square feet of floor area in a single building.
§ 290-185 Adaptive reuse of existing building.
To allow for adaptive reuse of a vacant public, semipublic, institutional or historically significant structure within a residential zoning district, which, by the nature of its size, structural layout, site layout or other unique features, could not feasibly be redeveloped for adaptive reuse under existing zoning regulations, a conditional use permit may be granted. Reuse of an existing building shall include no use that begins prior to 7:00 a.m. or ends after 9:00 p.m. prevailing time. No recreational use shall result in noise discernible beyond the property line of the subject property. Redevelopment of an existing building may occur within its existing footprint or may be expanded subject to compliance with the lot coverage, intensity and height standards for the MUOD. Existing buildings that exceed 45 feet in height may be redeveloped within the existing building envelope height; buildings which are less than 35 feet in height may not be expanded to exceed 35 feet in height. The following uses or combinations of uses shall be eligible to apply for a conditional use permit:
A.
Any type of residential development at a maximum density of 35 units per gross acre.
B.
Child-care facilities.
C.
Personal care home, long-term nursing care facility, assisted living residence, medical facilities, hospital.
D.
Recreation facility-indoor, community center.
E.
Motel, hotel or inn.
F.
Offices, personal services, research and development facility.
G.
Restaurant, retail trade, financial institution.
H.
College or university, school.
I.
Municipal, state or federal building.
J.
Church, place of worship.
§ 290-186 Parking requirements.
Parking requirements shall be in accordance with § 290-29. For mixed-use developments, calculate parking requirements based on each use in conformance with § 290-29. Shared parking between nearby uses (for example, uses that have different hours of operation) will be considered by the Borough, based on a parking study provided by the applicant.
§ 290-187 Sign requirements.
Sign requirements shall be in accordance with § 290-27, unless additional restrictions are listed in this article.