This district is intended to include a mix of single-family
detached and singe-family attached homes, neighborhood commercial
establishments, and professional and personal service establishments
on a minimum of one acre lots in the Village of Stormstown. All new
developments will be served by on-lot septic systems. Some specific
intentions include:
A.
Accommodate future single-family growth while at the same time preserving
the existing historic and architectural features;
B.
Permit compatible land uses within and adjacent to the Village of
Stormstown;
C.
(Reserved)
D.
Preserve and protect existing scenic, cultural, historic and natural
resources;
E.
Establish an area for business development along State Route 550
and single-family residential elsewhere.
Only the uses listed below shall be permitted as uses by right
and or conditional uses in this district. All uses must conform to
the density, open space, bulk, area and height requirements as well
as any other applicable requirements of the Halfmoon Township Code,
as amended. This district is intended to include a mix of single-family
attached and detached homes, neighborhood commercial establishments,
and professional and personal service establishments on a minimum
of one acre lots. It is anticipated that all new development will
be served by on-lot systems.
A.
Permitted uses:
(1)
Single-family detached dwelling;
(2)
Single-family attached (townhouse)/semidetached (twin/end townhouse);
(3)
Two-family dwelling (duplex) and/or multifamily (apartment);
(4)
Bed-and-breakfast establishments;
(5)
Churches and other places of worship;
(6)
Retail establishments for the sale, service, and rental of goods
(requires direct access to PA Rte. 550);
(7)
Studios, galleries, and performing arts theaters (requires direct
access to PA Rte. 550);
(8)
Personal service shops, businesses and professional offices (requires
direct access to PA Rte. 550, unless allowed as a home occupation);
(9)
Clubs, lodges and fraternal organizations;
(10)
Family and group day care and day-care centers (requires direct
access to PA Rte. 550, unless allowed as a home occupation);
(11)
Group care facility and nursing home;
(12)
Mixed-use structures (requires direct access to PA Rte. 550);
(13)
Public and private parks;
(14)
Sustainable forestry activities in accordance with accepted
silvicultural best management practices.
B.
Accessory uses. Uses incidental but consistent with the primary use
as listed above; home occupations.
A.
Criteria and standards for the Village Zoning District:
(1)
Minimum lot size for all uses: one acre.
(2)
Minimum width for all uses: 125 feet.
(3)
Maximum building coverage for all uses: 25%.
(4)
Maximum impervious coverage:
(a)
Single-family detached dwelling: 35%;
(b)
Single-family attached (townhouse)/semidetached (twin/end townhouse):
35%;
(c)
Two-family dwelling (duplex) and/or multifamily (apartment):
35%;
(d)
Bed-and-breakfast establishments: 35%;
(e)
Churches and other places of worship: 20%;
(f)
Retail establishments for the sale, service, and rental of goods
(requires direct access to PA Rte. 550): 20%;
(g)
Studios, galleries, and performing arts theaters (requires direct
access to PA Rte. 550): 20%;
(h)
Personal service shops, businesses and professional offices
(requires direct access to PA Rte. 550, unless allowed as a home occupation):
20%;
(i)
Clubs, lodges and fraternal organizations: 20%;
(j)
Family and group day care and day-care centers (requires direct
access to PA Rte. 550, unless allowed as a home occupation): 20%;
(k)
Mixed-use structures (requires direct access to PA Rte. 550):
20%;
(l)
Public and private parks: 10%.
(6)
Maximum building height for all uses: 30 feet.
B.
Loading requirements. Commercial loading/unloading stalls must be
provided in accordance with the Township's Commercial Zoning District
standards.
C.
Sidewalks and bikeways. Sidewalks and bikeways shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 215, Subdivision and Land Development.
D.
Buffering for parking lots. Parking lots for commercial or mixed
uses shall be landscaped along the collector and/or arterial frontages.
Existing vegetation may be counted towards landscaping requirements.
E.
Exterior lighting fixtures.
(1)
Lighting fixtures shall have a maximum height of 16 feet; shorter
pedestrian scaled lighting with a maximum height of 12 feet adjacent
to sidewalks.
(2)
All outdoor lighting fixtures shall be of a type containing glare
shields, reflectors, fracture panels or recessed light sources such
that the cutoff angle is less than 90°. The cutoff angle is an
angle formed by a line perpendicular to the ground and the highest
line that can be drawn from the light source in the direction of light
rays.
A.
Purpose. The purpose of these standards is to ensure that the physical
characteristics of proposed buildings and infill Village development
are compatible when considered in the historical context of the Stormstown
community as a whole. They are intended to promote the design of a
Village environment that is built to a human scale; to encourage creativity
in new development (as opposed to homogeneity or "look-alike" developments);
and to foster attractive street fronts and pedestrian environments,
while accommodating vehicular movement and access.
B.
Applicability. These standards may apply to all development activity
within the defined limits of the VZD.
C.
General community design standards.
(1)
Newly proposed or redeveloped properties located at the Village's
gateways may mark the transition into and out of the Village in some
distinct fashion, using massing, contrasting materials and/or architectural
enhancements to obtain this effect.
(2)
More prominent, monumental buildings and structures by virtue of
enhanced height, massing, distinctive architectural treatments or
other distinguishing features may generally occupy focal points.
.tif.png) Civic building at prominent location has a cupola that distinguishes
it from adjacent homes
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(3)
Buildings may define the streetscape by respecting setbacks already
established for a particular location or block. The building line
may be generally continued across side yard setback areas between
buildings, where applicable, by using landscaping. The streetscape
may also be reinforced by lines of closely planted shade trees (see
§ 255-34C) and may be further reinforced by walls, hedges
or fences which define front yards.
(4)
Exterior public and semipublic spaces, such as courtyards or plazas,
may be designed to enhance surrounding buildings and provide amenities
for users, in the form of textured paving, landscaping lighting, street
trees, benches, trash receptacles and other items of street furniture,
as appropriate. Courtyards may have recognizable edges defined on
at least three sides by buildings, walls, elements of landscaping,
and elements of street furniture, in order to create a strong sense
of enclosure. Use of recycled or "green" products are strongly encouraged
where feasible.
(5)
Buildings may be considered in terms of their relationship to the
height and massing of adjacent building, as well as in relation to
the human pedestrian scale.
(6)
Buildings may be located to front towards and relate to public streets,
both functionally and visually, to the greatest extent possible. Buildings
may not be oriented to front toward a parking lot.
.tif.png) Houses and front porches face the street
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.tif.png) Stores facing street make for a welcoming scene
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(7)
Walls and fences shall be architecturally compatible with the style,
materials, and colors of the principal building and adjacent buildings.
Solid wooden fences are recommended in rear and side yards. Highway-style
guardrail, stockade or chain-link fencing, including barbed or razor
wire, is discouraged.
.tif.png) Front fence that is compatible with building style
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.tif.png) Tall fences provide privacy along side yard
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D.
Architectural design standards.
(1)
Buildings shall generally relate in scale and design features to
other surrounding buildings, showing respect for Village context.
Some items may include things such as change in building scale or
color; the use of front porches on residential or mixed-use buildings;
maintaining cornice lines in buildings of the same height; extending
horizontal lines of windows; and echoing architectural styles and
details, design themes, building materials, and colors used in other
existing Village buildings.
.tif.png) |
(2)
Buildings on corner lots shall be considered more significant structures,
since they have at least two front facades visibly exposed to the
street. If deemed appropriate, such buildings should be designed with
additional architectural embellishments, such as wraparound porches.
(3)
All sides of a building should be architecturally designed to be
consistent with regard to style, materials, colors, and details. Blank
wall or service area treatment of side or rear elevations visible
from the public viewshed is discouraged.
(4)
Flat roofs should be avoided. Architectural enhancements that add
visual interest to roofs, such as dormers, masonry chimneys, cupolas,
clock towers and other similar elements are encouraged.
(5)
Windows should be architecturally compatible with the style, materials,
colors and details of a building and be proportioned where feasible.
(6)
Blank windowless walls are discouraged. Where the construction of
a blank wall is necessitated by local building codes, such walls should
be articulated by the provision of blank window openings trimmed with
frames, sills and lintels or by utilizing display window cases. Intensive
landscaping may also be appropriate in certain cases.
(7)
All entrances to a building should be defined and articulated by
architectural elements, such as lintels, pediment, pilasters, columns,
porticos, porches, overhangs, railing, balustrades and others, where
appropriate. Any such element utilized shall be architecturally compatible
with the style, materials, colors and details of the building as a
whole.
(8)
Storefronts are an integral part of a building and should be integrally
designed with the upper floors of a building to be compatible with
the overall character of the facade. It is recommended that ground
floor retail, service and restaurant uses shall have large pane display
windows on the ground level. Buildings with multiple storefronts shall
be unified through the use of architecturally compatible materials,
colors, details, awnings, signage, and lighting fixtures.
 
Ground floor commercial in area Village illustrate desired display
windows for pedestrian interest
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.tif.png) |
(9)
Use of awnings is encouraged to add visual interest to a building.
In buildings with multiple storefronts, compatible awnings should
be used as a means of unifying the structure.
(10)
Light fixtures attached to the exterior of a building shall
be architecturally compatible with the style, materials, colors and
details of the building and shall comply with local building codes.
The type of light source used on the exterior of buildings, signs,
parking areas, pedestrian walkways and other areas of a site, and
the light quality produced, should be the same or compatible.
(11)
All air-conditioning units, HVAC systems, exhaust pipes or stacks,
elevator housing and satellite dishes and other telecommunications
receiving devices should be thoroughly screened from view from the
public right-of-way and from adjacent properties, by using walls,
fencing, roof elements, penthouse-type screening devices or landscaping.
(12)
Fire escapes should be visible from any street right-of-way.
In buildings requiring a second means of egress pursuant to the local/state
codes, internal stairs or other routes of egress shall be used.
