West Whiteland Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXI
Rail Transit Overlay District
§ 325-127 Purpose.
The Board as a matter of public policy hereby establishes that the provision of passenger rail service as part of an integrated, multimodal, transportation network is a benefit to the Township residents and businesses in that it provides multiple options for transit for Township residents and visitors, including particularly those who may not have access to a private motor vehicle; facilitates access to and from centers of employment, entertainment, housing, and transportation; and has the potential to reduce congestion and wear on local roads and to improve local air quality. Accordingly, the purposes of this article and of the establishment of a Rail Transit Overlay ("RTO") District are as follows:
A.
To promote the availability of passenger rail service in the Township to the benefit of Township residents and businesses by accommodating the particular needs of rail stations, including their principal, ancillary, and associated structures and land uses as well as any other related property improvements in a manner that will have a minimal adverse impact upon nearby properties and upon the Township generally.
B.
To facilitate connections between passenger rail service and other modes of transit, including but not necessarily limited to private and shared motor vehicles, bicycles, pedestrian travel, and all forms of mass transit, specifically including buses.
C.
To promote the safety of rail patrons and of those traveling in the vicinity of rail stations by providing for the orderly parking of vehicles, appropriate accommodation for mass and shared transit, and facilities promoting the safety and security of bicyclists and pedestrians.
§ 325-128 Relation to other zoning districts. [1]
A.
The RTO District is hereby established as an overlay district.
(1)
The inclusion of a property within the RTO District shall not modify the boundaries of any underlying zoning district or limit the rights conferred upon the owner of such property owner pursuant to other provisions of this Zoning Ordinance.
B.
Any development proposed for a property within the RTO District shall be fully compliant with either the provisions of this Article XXI or with the provisions of the underlying zoning district.
C.
For any property within the RTO District, any amendment to the Zoning Map resulting in a change to the underlying zoning of said property, such amendment shall have no effect on the RTO District designation unless specifically cited by such amendment.
D.
The provisions of this RTO District shall not be applied in such a way as to repeal, abrogate, or impair any existing easements, covenants, deed restrictions, or other overlay districts as may be applicable to a given property. However, where the regulations of this Article XXI impose greater restrictions than any such easements, covenants, deed restrictions, or overlay district, the provisions of this article shall apply.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also the Rail Transit Overlay Map attached to this chapter.
§ 325-129 Use regulations.
A property in the RTO District may be used and developed for any one or more of the following uses.
A.
Uses by right.
(1)
Passenger rail station.
(2)
Mass transit station.
(3)
Surface parking lot, including charging stations(s) for electric vehicles. Where a parking lot will result in a net increase of 100 or more parking spaces to serve any single passenger rail station or mass transit station, the developer of such lot shall provide to the Township a traffic impact study that satisfies the requirements of § 325-42C(1) of this chapter.
[Amended 5-13-2015 by Ord. No. 424]
(4)
Uses and structures accessory to a permitted use when in combination with such use. Where retail sales, retail services, or eating establishments are provided as an accessory use, such use(s) shall be within the same structure or on the same lot as a passenger rail station or mass transit station. In addition, the total floor space occupied by such uses shall not exceed 750 square feet within the limits of any single area of RTO zoning.
[Amended 5-13-2015 by Ord. No. 424[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Subsection A(5), which immediately followed and listed uses permitted only when located on the same lot as a passenger rail station or mass transit station.
B.
Uses requiring conditional use review and approval, pursuant to § 325-124B above.
[Amended 5-13-2015 by Ord. No. 424]
(1)
Multilevel parking structures, subject to the following limitations:
(b)
The structure shall not be closer than 400 feet to any dwelling unit.
(c)
Not more than 1,500 square feet of space on the ground level of the structure may be used for retail sales, retail services, and eating establishments, This figure shall be reduced by the amount of such space provided under § 325-129A(4) above.
(d)
The structure shall comply with the architectural design standards in § 281-67A, B(3), E, and F of the West Whiteland Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. Portions accommodating retail sales, retail services, or eating establishments shall further comply with § 281-67B(1) and (2) of the said ordinance.
(e)
The conditional use application shall include a traffic impact study that satisfies the requirements of § 325-42C(1) of this chapter.
(f)
Charging stations for electric vehicles are permitted, but not required, within a multilevel parking structure.
C.
Prohibited uses. Except in the event of an emergency, the maintenance and/or repair of motor vehicles, railroad cars, and railroad coaches shall be prohibited unless such maintenance and/or repair is permitted in the underlying zoning district and is being carried out in compliance with the regulations of such district.
§ 325-130 Area and bulk regulations.
The area and bulk regulations shall be based upon developable acreage unless stated otherwise.
A.
Minimum lot size: 43,560 square feet.
B.
Maximum building coverage: 50 percent
C.
Maximum impervious coverage: 90 percent
D.
Minimum lot width at street line: 60 feet.
E.
Minimum lot width at building setback line: 60 feet.
F.
Minimum yard requirements: Structures appurtenant to the operation of and public access to mass transit are hereby declared exempt from the minimum yard requirements here below; however, such structures shall be sited to assure safe sight distances to the satisfaction of the Township. Such exempt structures shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, train platforms, train station buildings and/or shelters, bus station buildings and/or shelters, and pedestrian walkways, ramps, and staircases providing access to such structures. All other structures shall be sited in compliance with the following:
§ 325-131 Design standards.
All uses in the RTO District shall be subject to the following design standards.
A.
Landscaping as required by § 325-32 of this chapter; however, the parking lot landscaping requirements of § 281-37B and C are hereby modified as applied to parking lots for passenger train stations and mass transit stations such that the parking lot design need not include the planting islands and divider strips specified thereby, on the condition that the quantity of landscaping materials required for such features are provided elsewhere on the property. The design of such landscaping shall take particular care to buffer any nearby residential uses.
[Amended 5-13-2015 by Ord. No. 424]
D.
Off-street parking as required by § 325-39 of this chapter; however, the parking space size requirements of § 325-39E are hereby modified as applied to parking lots and multilevel parking structures for passenger train stations and mass transit stations such that up to 35% of all spaces in such a lot or structure [or a combination of lot(s) and structures(s) when accessory to a single passenger train station or mass transit station] may be as small as 8 1/2 feet by 18 feet.
[Amended 5-13-2015 by Ord. No. 424]
E.
All new utilities shall be designed, placed, and installed underground; however, this requirement shall not be applicable to overhead cables and wires where such overhead placement is necessary for the operation of vehicles on the railroad track.