[Added 10-17-2012 by Ord. No. 235]
A.
The Cedars Village Overlay District is intended to establish reasonable
standards for a variety of residential and nonresidential uses within
Cedars Village, in conformance with the following objectives:
(1)
Preserve and reuse the historic structures in Cedars Village,
and provide for renovation and new construction that complement the
existing desirable village characteristics of Cedars Village to the
greatest extent possible.
(2)
Permit a variety of uses that can be accommodated by existing
types of structures, lot sizes, and other physical and visual attributes
of properties in the district.
(3)
Encourage development that is in keeping with the character
of Worcester Township.
(4)
Prohibit development of retail commercial uses that are typically
high-volume-traffic generators, have a strip-type or highway-oriented
commercial appearance, contain excessive amounts of paved areas or
numerous access points, have incongruous architectural styles, or
do not contribute to the historic character of the village.
(5)
Encourage shared use of access driveways to reduce the total
number of driveways, minimize the number of new driveways, and provide
more efficient and safer access and traffic flow.
(6)
Reduce the visual impact of parking and encourage adjoining
properties to share parking.
(7)
Provide safe and sufficient pedestrian access from along roadways
and from parking areas to the various permitted uses in the village,
and encourage the inclusion of trail connections to and throughout
the village.
(8)
Minimize visual and functional conflicts between residential
and nonresidential uses within the district, and protect abutting
residential districts from adverse impacts.
(9)
Provide for public gathering space and public open space.
(10)
Provide for a transfer of development rights receiving area
from rural and agricultural preservation areas of the Township into
the village, to reduce development pressures on the rural and preservation
areas of the Township and provide additional development options in
the villages, consistent with the goals above.
B.
The standards and requirements of the underlying district shall apply
where the provisions of this overlay district do not. In the event
of a conflict, the provisions of this district shall apply.
The Cedars Village Overlay District shall apply where indicated
on the Official Zoning Map of Worcester Township.
A.
The following uses shall be permitted in compliance with the density
and dimensional standards herein:
(1)
A building may be erected, altered, or used and a lot or premises
may be used for any one of the following uses, in accordance with
all use and dimensional regulations contained in this article and
all other applicable zoning ordinance requirements, and in conjunction
with one single-family residential use in the same building or on
the same lot:
(a)
Antique shop, florist, tailor, dressmaker, newsstand or bookstore;
(b)
Artisan or craft studio, or art/music/dance studio, including
related retail sales;
(c)
Shop for the repair for the following: shoes, antiques, jewelry,
watches, clocks, optical goods, furniture, computers, musical, professional
or scientific instruments, bicycles, including related retail sales.
(d)
By special exception: similar retail, repair, boutique and personal
service shops normally characterized by low customer or traffic counts
as shown in a letter from a licensed traffic engineer referring to
the expected counts for the particular use as set forth in the latest
edition of the ITE Manual.
(2)
Other sections of this article notwithstanding, no property in the Class 1 district shall be allowed to increase density or intensity of use beyond the dimensional limitations set forth in § 150-146.21 below.
B.
Standards and criteria.
(1)
All uses must be conducted and contained entirely within the
building or outbuilding(s).
(2)
There shall be no exterior storage or display of goods and/or
merchandise, except for nurseries and Christmas tree sales as allowed
by the underlying district.
(3)
Nonresidential uses on a lot shall not exceed 50% of the total
building area.
(4)
There shall be no exterior storage of trash, refuse, or recycling.
No roll-off containers or dumpsters shall be permitted on any Class
1 property.
A.
By-right uses. A building may be erected, altered, or used and a
lot or premises may be used for any of the following uses, in accordance
with all use and dimensional regulations contained in this article
and all other applicable zoning ordinance requirements:
(1)
One single-family detached dwelling unit, according to the provisions
of the underlying zoning district.
[Amended 12-19-2012 by Ord. No. 241]
(2)
Retail shops, such as antique shop, florist, newsstand, bookstore,
hardware store, copy shop or printing shop, specialty food, grocery
or produce store.
(3)
Artisan or craft studio, or art/music/dance studio, exercise/wellness
facilities that do not require outdoor court facilities for sports
or games, including related retail sales.
(4)
Shop for the repair of the following: shoes, antiques, jewelry,
watches, clocks, optical goods, furniture, computers, musical, professional
or scientific instruments, or bicycles, including related retail sales.
(5)
Barbershop, hairdresser, tailor, or dressmaker.
(6)
Business or professional office, but excluding walk-in clinics.
(7)
Financial institution or funeral home.
(8)
Restaurant, tearoom, sandwich shop, ice cream parlor, coffee
shop, bakery, or similar establishment serving specialty food or beverage
subject to the following conditions.
(a)
Outdoor dining areas shall be limited to 36 seats per establishment
and shall be located at least 25 feet (measured from the edge of the
hard surface on which tables and chairs are placed) from any other
property utilized (even partially) for residential purposes at the
time the outdoor dining is proposed.
(b)
Outdoor dining areas shall be separated from any driveway, parking
area, common area, or pedestrian walkway by removable structures such
as planters, posts with ropes, etc., or by permanent structures such
as bollards, half-walls or screens.
(c)
Outdoor dining areas that are less than 150 feet (measured from
the edge of the hard surface on which tables and chairs are placed)
from any other property utilized (even partially) for residential
purposes at the time the outdoor dining is proposed shall be screened
from such properties containing any residential use as follows:
[1]
Landscape buffer. A screen as required by § 130-28G(5)(f) of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance[1] shall be maintained around the perimeter of the outdoor
dining with a minimum width of 20 feet; or
[2]
Fencing plus landscaping. A solid fence at least eight feet in height plus a landscaping screen of at least five feet in width, as required by § 130-28G(5)(f) of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance shall be maintained around the perimeter of the outdoor dining area; or
[3]
Buildings. The outdoor dining area may be considered
screened if the area is situated such that one or more buildings (at
least 10 feet in height) are located between the outdoor dining area
and the residential property with no visual gaps as viewed from the
first floor of the dwelling unit on that property.
[4]
Any combination of the above.
(9)
Pet services, including sales of goods, training, and grooming
services, but excluding kennels, pet day care, and boarding.
(10)
Post office.
(11)
Museum or exhibit gallery.
(12)
Municipal uses.
(13)
Open space or village green.
(14)
Temporary and seasonal outdoor events such as farmers markets,
craft or art shows, sales of nursery stock or Christmas trees and
antique car shows, but excluding fairs and carnivals (i.e., events
involving amusement rides or games), in accordance with the following
additional requirements:
(a)
The minimum lot area shall be five acres.
(b)
The event area shall be located at least 40 feet
from any adjacent property.
(c)
Public restrooms within a building or temporary
toilet facilities shall be provided.
(d)
Christmas tree sales shall be limited to one month
prior to Christmas Day.
(e)
Antique car shows shall be limited to four days
per calendar year.
(f)
Any such temporary or seasonal outdoor event shall
require a special event permit from Worcester Township, in which the
number and temporary construction design of adequate parking shall
be stipulated.
(15)
Bed-and-breakfast establishment that meets the following additional
requirements:
(a)
The minimum lot area shall be 30,000 square feet.
(b)
There shall be no external alteration of the building
except as may be necessary for safety requirements. Exterior stairways,
when required for safe egress, shall be located, whenever practicable,
to the rear of the building.
(c)
There shall be no separate cooking or kitchen facilities
in any guest quarters.
(d)
The use of any amenities provided by the establishment,
such as swimming pool or tennis courts, shall be restricted to the
owners of the establishment and their guests, and guests staying at
the establishment.
(e)
A maximum of five guest rooms or suites shall be
permitted per establishment, with a maximum of 15 guests at the establishment
at any one time. No guest shall stay longer than one month, and no
guest shall use or establish the property as his or her residence.
(f)
Off-street parking shall be provided at the rate of one space for each guest room, plus one extra space for establishments with one to three guest bedrooms and two extra spaces for establishments with four or five guest bedrooms, in addition to the parking required for any other permitted use, including single-family residential use. Parking shall be located behind the main building and shall conform to the requirements of § 150-146.27 (Street access and parking) below.
(g)
If the property is not served by public sewer,
the applicant shall furnish a valid, current Montgomery County Department
of Health permit demonstrating that the existing on-lot sewage disposal
system is capable of handling the projected increased load. The total
number of bedrooms (resident and guest) on the property shall not
exceed the number of bedrooms that the on-lot sewage disposal system
is designed to accommodate. If the property is served by public sewer,
the applicant shall submit documentation that the proposed use will
be accommodated by the public sewer system, and that the appropriate
number of EDUs for the uses on the property has been acquired.
(h)
All bed-and-breakfast establishments shall be subject
to and shall demonstrate full compliance with all applicable multifamily
building code and fire code requirements.
B.
Conditional uses. A building may be erected, altered, or used and a lot or premises may be used for any of the following conditional uses, in accordance with all use and dimensional regulations contained in this article and all other applicable requirements, including § 150-215 for conditional uses. Supervisors shall consider the appropriateness of the site location and shall require the additional design standards set forth in this article and the standards set forth in § 150-215, Conditional uses.
(1)
Two-family or multifamily residential uses in an existing residential structure, with up to one additional dwelling unit permitted per existing structure and subject to all applicable multifamily building code and fire code regulations. Additional dwelling units in existing structures and dwelling units in new structures or additions may be added using TDRs, as specified in § 150-146.25 below, and subject to all applicable multifamily building code and fire code regulations.
(a)
Appropriate provision shall be made for common open space for
passive recreational use.
[Added 12-19-2012 by Ord. No. 241]
(2)
Bed-and-breakfast establishment that provides more than five and up to 10 guest rooms and meets all of the other additional requirements outlined in by-right use in Subsection A(15) above.
(3)
Historic buildings (buildings built before 1940) from elsewhere
may be relocated to this district by conditional use, if such a building
would otherwise be permissible on the lot, subject to the following
standards:
(a)
The building height of an historic building may be increased
to 40 feet to allow for the relocation of that building, but the increased
height limit shall apply only to the existing structure of that building
at the time it is moved and not to future additions.
(b)
In no case shall setbacks or limitations on total building coverage or total impervious coverage be exceeded except to the extent permitted by the use of TDRs in § 150-146.25 below.
(c)
The architectural style, scale, bulk, and design of the historic
building proposed to be relocated shall be compatible with the goals
of the Cedars Village Overlay article.
(4)
Drive-through capability for any by-right or special exception
use permitted in the Cedars Village Overlay which does not involve
the sale of food or beverage. Such drive-through facilities shall
be designed for safe and efficient ingress and egress to public roads;
shall not be located in the front yard or in front of the primary
use; and shall not unsafely interfere with any internal circulation
plan within the Village.
C.
Prohibited uses. The following uses shall be prohibited in the Cedars
Village Overlay District:
(1)
The repair and/or servicing of motor vehicles, equipment, or
tools powered by an internal combustion engine.
(2)
The sale of items such as automobiles, trucks, motorcycles,
farm equipment, boats, motorized recreational vehicles, trailers,
and gasoline.
(3)
Outdoor display, sales or storage of materials or equipment,
except for seasonal outdoor retail sales and plant nurseries.
(4)
Car washes.
(5)
Heliports.
(6)
Bulk storage, warehouses, mini warehouses.
(7)
Adult uses.
(8)
Industrial uses.
(9)
Convenience food stores.
(10)
Sale and storage of building supplies.
(11)
Recreation facilities such as athletic clubs, arcades, batting
cages, indoor golf facilities, skating rinks or skate parks.
A.
The minimum lot area shall be 30,000 square feet, unless a larger
lot area is specified in the use regulations above.
B.
The minimum lot width shall be 80 feet.
C.
Building setbacks.
(1)
The minimum front yard shall be 15 feet.
(2)
The minimum side yard shall be 15 feet.
(3)
The minimum rear yard shall be 25 feet.
(4)
Lots that front on two streets shall have a front yard along
each street, and there shall be one side yard and one rear yard.
(5)
No accessory use or building shall be permitted within the front
yard of any lot.
(6)
Minimum spacing between buildings on the same lot shall be 20
feet for one-story and 30 feet for two-story buildings.
(7)
Maximum building footprint shall be 6,000 square feet.
D.
Maximum building coverage shall be 15%.
E.
Maximum impervious coverage shall be 45%.
F.
For building lots of less than 80,000 square feet (net of road right-of-way)
at the time of the adoption of this article, the maximum building
coverage shall be 20% and the maximum impervious coverage shall be
60%.
G.
Maximum building height shall be 2.5 stories or 35 feet.
H.
Nonconformity.
(1)
Nonconforming lots and buildings. Any lawful lot or building, or the lawful use of any building, existing at the time this article became effective, that does not conform to lot area and width, building and impervious coverage, height, location, size, bulk or other regulations of the district in which it is located shall be considered a nonconforming building or lot and may continue as such in its present location, subject to all pertinent regulations governing nonconforming buildings in Article XXIII.
(2)
Expansion of nonconforming lots and buildings. Any expansion (including extensions) of a nonconforming lot or building in the Cedars Village Overlay District beyond the percentage already permitted in Article XXIII shall be permitted only where TDRs are used in compliance with § 150-146.25 below and shall conform to the area, height, setback, width, and coverage requirements of this overlay district and all other applicable regulations.
A.
The use or storage of noxious, combustible, explosive or other materials
in quantities that would endanger the health and safety of the occupants
and surrounding residents is prohibited.
C.
Architectural standards.
(1)
Existing buildings, whether principal structures or outbuildings,
constructed prior to 1940 shall be retained and reused on the property
and may not be demolished unless the applicant has demonstrated, to
the reasonable satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors, that the
buildings cannot be adapted or expanded and used for the use intended
or for any other permitted use. Where demolition is permitted by the
Board of Supervisors, the development or redevelopment of the property
shall be undertaken in a manner that preserves the character of the
Cedars Village Overlay District.
(2)
Expansion of an existing building constructed prior to 1940,
if otherwise permissible, shall be allowed only to the sides and rear.
Nonenclosed expansions, such as porches, decks, or covered entryways,
shall be exempt from this prohibition.
(3)
In addition to expansion, any alteration, renovation and reconstruction
of an existing building and all new construction shall conform in
general appearance, architectural features, scale and building materials
to the existing structures in the historic village.
(4)
The applicant shall submit architectural drawings for evaluation
of any proposed new construction, building expansion, renovation,
or reconstruction, including building elevations and colored renderings.
The Board of Supervisors may approve expansion, renovation, or reconstruction
that is different from the existing building, provided that it complements
the existing building and the other buildings in the Cedars Overlay
District and does not detract from the intent of this article to preserve
and enhance the district's appearance.
E.
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence:
(1)
That the proposed use or other subject of consideration for
approval shall be properly serviced by available public or private
utilities;
(2)
That the traffic generated by the proposed use or other subject
of consideration for approval will be accommodated in a safe and efficient
manner, or that improvements will be made in order to effect the same;
and
(3)
That the proposed use or other subject of consideration for
approval shall provide safe and appropriate pedestrian and bicycle
access.
F.
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence that the proposed
use or other subject of consideration for approval shall be properly
designed with regard to street access, pedestrian access, trail access
(if applicable), internal circulation, parking, buffering and all
other elements of proper design.
G.
Applications under this article shall include architectural plans,
including elevations, for any proposed buildings or additions/renovations
to existing buildings.
B.
TDRs may be utilized on a parcel in the receiving district as follows:
(1)
Nonresidential uses. One TDR shall allow the owner or developer of the receiving parcel an additional 6,000 square feet of impervious coverage area, in addition to that permitted in § 150-146.23D. With regard to any additional impervious coverage area allowed by virtue of utilizing a TDR or TDRs, not more than 1/3 of the additional impervious coverage may be building footprint. By use of TDRs, building coverage may be increased to 20% and impervious coverage may be increased to 60% in Class 2. Any approval of the use of TDRs pursuant to this article authorizes only an increase in maximum building footprint and/or maximum impervious coverage and shall not alter or waive the other development standards of the receiving district.
(2)
Residential uses. Each TDR shall allow the owner or developer of the receiving parcel to add one residential dwelling unit to the parcel in conformance with the requirements, and subject to the limitations, of § 150-146.22B(1) and the area and bulk regulations of § 150-146.23.
A.
Driveways, off-street parking areas, and traffic circulation patterns
shall be designed as shared facilities whenever feasible. The design
of these elements shall create a unified site plan between lots, in
order to gain parking efficiencies, reduce the number of access points,
and improve internal and external vehicular circulation patterns.
(1)
Applicants shall seek agreements for shared vehicular access
as the preferred means for reducing the total number of curb cuts
within the district for traffic safety and to eliminate unnecessary
congestion. Access agreements, maintenance agreements, or other suitable
legal mechanisms to accomplish shared access or shared parking shall
be submitted to the Township with the application for land development
approval.
(2)
Shared access may be located entirely on one lot or be split,
equally or unequally, along a common lot line. Shared access along
a common lot line shall be allowed regardless of driveway setback
requirements in this article.
(3)
When two or more abutting lots share an access driveway to a
street or road, that driveway shall be designed as the main access
to those lots, and any additional existing access driveways to that
same street or road shall be closed.
(4)
Shared parking may be located along or across a common side
or rear lot line, regardless of setback requirements in this article.
(a)
The required aggregate parking capacity may be reduced up to
25% by the Board of Supervisors, where shared parking allows greater
efficiency for the uses proposed, subject to favorable review and
recommendation by the Township Engineer.
B.
Where shared driveway access is not feasible, each lot shall have
not more than one curb cut per street frontage for a two-way driveway
for vehicular access. If sufficient room is not available for one
two-way driveway, the Board of Supervisors may approve two curb cuts
for two one-way driveways, subject to approval by PennDOT.
D.
Parking shall be set back 50 feet from the ultimate right-of-way.
Parking setbacks from side and rear property lines shall be the same
as building setbacks with the exception of the portion of shared parking
facilities which cross property lines. Parking spaces shall be set
back a minimum of five feet from all buildings.
[Amended 12-19-2012 by Ord. No. 241]
F.
Bicycle storage. Sufficient area for the storage of bicycles shall
be provided as approved by the Township Engineer, including racks
or other permanently affixed storage devices, to accommodate one bicycle
for each 10 required vehicular parking spaces, at a minimum. Bicycle
storage facilities may be held in reserve upon approval of the Board
of Supervisors upon a finding that the requirements exceed the current
need.
A.
Landscaping. All areas of a developed or redeveloped lot not covered
by building and/or impervious paving materials shall be maintained
as landscaped areas containing trees, shrubs, ground cover materials,
or hardscaping.
B.
Buffers.
(1)
A screen buffer as provided in § 130-28G(5)(f) of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance shall be installed and maintained between all portions of a property proposing a new or expanded village overlay use and all adjacent residential properties which are within the Village Overlay but which contain only a single-family residential use, or are not located within the Village Overlay District.
(2)
The buffer shall have a minimum width of 10 feet from the property
line, unless existing buildings are closer to the property line. For
a property proposing a new or expanded village overlay use, when an
existing building encroaches on the required setback, solid or semi-solid
fencing and/or wall up to 10 feet in height may be used in conjunction
with vegetative screening as needed to provide the necessary screening
from any adjacent property within residential districts.
(3)
A buffer planting is not required along those segments of internal
lot lines where shared access and/or shared parking are located for
village overlay uses.
(4)
A buffer planting is not required along those segments of internal
lot lines where the lots are owned by the same person or entity, provided
that all uses on both properties are nonresidential uses.
A.
Lighting facilities shall not produce any glare or hazardous interference
on abutting properties or streets.
B.
Glare control shall be accomplished through the selection and application
of lighting equipment, including shields.
C.
All lighting shall be directed away from residential uses on any
adjoining properties.
D.
Light fixtures shall be no higher than 15 feet above grade in parking
lots and 12 feet above grade in all other locations and shall be shielded
to protect adjoining properties from glare and so that the smallest
area necessary will be illuminated.
A.
Trash, refuse, and recycling shall be stored inside the building
or within a secured, enclosed, fenced area with opaque landscape screening
as required elsewhere in this article. Such fencing shall be at least
two feet higher than the tallest trash, refuse, or recycling container,
and the surrounding landscaping (at the time of installation) shall
be at least two feet higher than the fencing.
B.
Refuse and recycling areas, whether buildings or enclosed areas,
shall be located within the building envelope. No refuse or recycling
areas shall be located in the front yard setback.