Recognizing the fact that certain additional
requirements are necessary to regulate development within areas of
the Township of Chester, specifically contained within the B and LB
Zones, and in order to enable the Township of Chester to meet certain
stated objectives, to wit:
A.
To provide for commercial development consistent with
the heritage, culture, ambience and predominantly semi-rural and residential
character of Chester Township.
B.
To provide a frame of reference for such development
which, nevertheless, allows for creativity and innovation and does
not mandate adherence to a particular architectural style.
C.
To minimize the impact of commercial development on
neighboring property owners, as well as on the Township as a whole.
D.
To provide significant landscaping and otherwise to
maintain or improve existing natural landscape features.
E.
To protect additional aspects of the natural environment
and ecological balance.
F.
To ensure the safe and convenient movement of traffic.
G.
To encourage civic pride.
All development within the B and LB Zones, in
addition to any other requirements of this Part 5, shall be required
to conform to the following regulations.
The regulations contained in this article shall apply only in the B and LB Zones and shall not apply to single-family or two-family dwellings. Otherwise, no use shall be permitted, established, maintained or conducted in the Township within the B or LB Zones except in compliance with the standards as set forth in this section and Article 50.
[Amended 9-5-1989 by Ord. No. 2:19D-89; 4-18-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-06]
The following design standards shall apply,
where appropriate, to all construction with the B and LB Zones:
A.
The minimum floor area of any single building shall
be 1,000 square feet.
B.
The minimum distance between buildings on the same
lot shall be 30 feet.
C.
Building design standards.
(1)
The
overall architectural design shall complement the rural residential
character of Chester Township to the greatest extent feasible.
(2)
The
material, design, and colors of building facades and structures shall
relate to one another to the greatest extent feasible in order to
promote a visually cohesive environment. Residential building materials
(such as brick, stone, wood, and clapboard) are encouraged.
(3)
Fenestration,
articulation, and other architectural treatments shall be provided
on each building façade to the extent practical. Building facades
shall be made with similar or complementary materials between one
another.
(4)
Building
entrances should be easily identifiable, and should be highlighted
through such means, including but not limited to projecting bays,
columns, canopies, overhangs, porches, and/or stoops.
(5)
Windows
should align vertically from floor to floor where practical.
(6)
All
windows should have dimensionality so as to create shadows and texture
within the building façade.
(7)
At
a minimum, all windows should have deep headers and sills. In addition,
trim on all sides that projects from the building façade is
encouraged.
(8)
Buildings
shall be topped with pitched roofs with overhanging eaves. A minimum
pitch of 6/12 shall be used to the greatest extent feasible.
(9)
All
permitted structures shall have a roof type which has an obvious and
readily discernible ridge line. No heating, ventilating, air conditioning,
cooking and exhaust work, or other type of appurtenance shall be visible
from adjacent or nearby tracts of property.
(10)
No more than 25% of the front wall area of any structure shall be
glass. No single pane of glass used in the front wall shall exceed
25 square feet.
D.
No off-street parking shall be permitted in the front
yard on any lot, including corner lots.
E.
No off-street parking shall be permitted within 15
feet of any principal building or any lot line.
F.
Off-street loading areas, if required, shall be located
in the rear yard areas only.
G.
A fifty-foot-wide buffer strip shall be established
along the boundaries of the B or LB Zone. Such buffer strip shall
be properly landscaped so as to provide a visual and acoustical barrier
during all seasons of the year.
H.
Each business unit or structure shall provide an area
or areas concealed from customers to be used for the orderly deposit
and collection of trash.
I.
All areas not used for buildings, structures, parking,
access drives or walkways shall be suitably landscaped in accordance
with the remaining provisions of this Part 5, and shall be maintained
in good condition.
