Borough of Downingtown, PA Article XII I-1 Limited Industrial District

§ 287-52 Intent.

It is the purpose of the I-1 Limited Industrial District to establish standards for and permit the location of light industrial and office uses in areas of the Borough where the impact on adjacent uses, particularly residential and open space uses, will be minimal. It also is the purpose of this district to recognize and afford maximum protection to industrial and office uses already in existence. All uses shall be in strict compliance with the performance standards of this chapter, and no uses of a heavy industrial nature or with the impacts or characteristics of a heavy industrial use are to be considered appropriate for this district.

§ 287-53 Use regulations.

A. Uses by right. In the I-1 District, land, buildings and premises may be used by right for any one or more of the following principal purposes and no other, subject to Article IV and Article XIA:

[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]

(1) Business, administrative, professional and governmental offices.

(2) Wholesale and distribution center, indoor warehousing, flex-space and trucking incidental to such uses.

(3) Public utility installation and public service structures.

(4) Printing, publishing, binding and similar operations.

(5) Research laboratory for scientific, industrial or engineering purposes, excluding projects with the potential for creating environmental or genetic hazards.

(6) Production and processing facilities for producing, testing, storing and/or distributing precision instruments, including optical and electronic.

(7) Assembly of small electrical appliances and parts, such as lighting fixtures, radio and television receivers, home video equipment and personal computers, but not including electrical machinery. Such assembly shall be from existing, previously produced components and materials; the process of manufacturing such components shall not be included.

(8) Light manufacture of cosmetics, clothing, pharmaceuticals, confections and food products.

[Amended 5-16-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-05]

(9) Manufacturing, including metal stamping; the fabrication, production, assemblage, and painting of metal and synthetic products/materials; and machining and assemblage of tools, dies, jigs, fixtures and molds.

(10) [1]Recycling dropoff/collection center.

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsection A(10), which listed manufacturing of packaging materials from previously prepared paper products as a use by right, was repealed 5-16-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-05. This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Subsection A(11) and (12) as Subsection A(10) and (11), respectively.

(11) Physical-fitness facility.

B. Accessory uses. Only the following accessory uses shall be permitted:

(1) Restaurant, cafeteria or recreational facility for employees.

(2) (Reserved)[2]

[2] Editor's Note: Former Subsection B(2), which listed helistops as an accessory use, was repealed 9-11-1991 by Ord. No. 91-19.

(3) Uses customarily accessory to the above permitted uses, but not including retail sales.

C. Uses by special exception. The following uses shall be permitted only upon the grant of a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board, subject to the terms of this article and of § 287-145, and subject to Article XIA:

[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]

(1) Mini-storage facility.

(2) Kennel, in accordance with the terms of § 287-86B of this chapter.

D. Conditional uses. The following uses shall be permitted only upon the grant of a conditional use approval from the Borough Council, subject to the terms of this article and § 287-137, and subject to Article XIA:

[Added 4-3-1991 by Ord. No. 91-7; amended 9-11-1991 by Ord. No. 91-19; 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]

(1) Retail sales.

(2) Helistop, as a use accessory to a principal permitted use in the I-1 District, when granted conditional use approval by the Borough Council in accordance with the terms of § 287-97 of this chapter.

[Amended 5-16-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-05]

(3) All other uses as determined by the Borough Council to be of the same general character as the uses by right.

§ 287-54 Area and bulk regulations.

[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]

Except as otherwise noted in § 287-53 above, the following regulations shall apply to all uses in the I-1 District, subject to Article XIA:

A. Minimum lot area: 1.5 acres.

B. Minimum lot width: 250 feet at the building setback line.

C. Maximum building coverage: 30%.

D. Maximum other impervious surface coverage: 40%.

E. Minimum front yard: 40 feet.

F. Minimum setback of paved areas from any property line: 15 feet.

G. Minimum side and rear yards: 50 feet for each side or rear yard, except that none shall be required along any railroad right-of-way, and 150 feet shall be required when contiguous to a residential district, unless the building is for administrative or office purposes in support of the principal industrial use, in which case the fifty-foot minimum for each yard shall be required.

H. Maximum building height: 35 feet, exclusive of roof-mounted equipment (as stipulated in § 287-71 of this chapter); additional height, up to a maximum of 55 feet, may be allowed, when approved as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board, where two feet of additional front, side and rear yard setback are provided for each one foot of increased height; except as shown on the Zoning Map for Zone 1 and Zone 2 of the Height Option Overlay Districts, taller buildings may be permitted in accordance with § 287-51D. Zone 1 buildings may be built by right up to five stories to a maximum of 75 feet; and up to seven stories to a maximum of 90 feet as a conditional use. Zone 2 buildings may be built by right up to four stories to a maximum of 60 feet to the extent shown in the Height Option Overlay Districts Map.

[Amended 8-1-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-10]

I. Minimum building height: two stories and a minimum of 30 feet.

[Added 8-1-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-10[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Subsections I and J as Subsections J and K, respectively.

J. Minimum vegetative cover. Not less than 25% of any lot shall be planted and maintained with existing and/or installed vegetative material, as further prescribed in § 287-77 of this chapter.

K. Buffer area. A minimum fifteen-foot buffer shall be provided where any lot in the I-1 District abuts a residential use or district or an open space district; in all other cases, a minimum ten-foot buffer shall be provided along all side property lines. Additional standards for the design of the buffer area shall be as prescribed in § 287-78 of this chapter.

§ 287-55 Design standards.

The following standards of this chapter shall, as applicable, govern all uses within the I-1 District:

A. Signs: as required by Article XIX.

B. Parking: as required by Article XVIII.

C. Loading: as required by § 287-111.

D. Access and traffic control: as required by § 287-80.

E. Storage: as required by § 287-79.

F. Interior circulation: as required by § 287-81.

G. Lighting: as required by § 287-82.

H. Erosion/sedimentation control and stormwater management: as required by the Downingtown Borough Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See Ch. 256, Subdivision of Land.

I. Central Business Revitalization Overlay District design standards: as required by § 287-51.1.

[Added 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]

§ 287-56 Performance standards.

Any use within the I-1 District shall be conducted in full compliance with the standards contained in § 287-84 of this chapter and with the requirements of Chapter 109, Building Construction.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Per the Borough's request, the former references to Ch. 119, Commercial and Industrial Facilities, have been changed to refer to Ch. 109, Building Construction, pursuant to the repeal of Ch. 119 9-4-1996 by Ord. No. 96-11.

§ 287-57 Plan submission requirement.

A. In order to demonstrate compliance with the terms of this article, any landowner proposing any use authorized within the I-1 District shall submit a plan (map and text) to the Borough Zoning Officer describing specifically how each standard in §§ 287-54, 287-55 and 287-56 shall be addressed. The plan also shall include a certification, from the Chief of the fire company providing service to the tract, as to the adequacy of access for emergency vehicles.

B. Where the proposed use constitutes a subdivision or land development, as defined by the Borough Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, the plan submission requirements of that ordinance shall supersede the provisions of this section.

§ 287-58 Standards and criteria for mini-storage facilities.

A. Except as noted herein below, area and bulk regulations for a mini-storage facility shall be those applicable to uses in the I-1 District, and subject to Article XIA.

[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]

B. The following uses and activities shall be prohibited:

(1) Any business activity (other than rental of storage units), including miscellaneous or garage sales, and transfer/storage enterprises that utilize vehicles as part of said business.

(2) Servicing or repair of motor vehicles, boats, trailers, lawnmowers or any similar equipment.

C. All mini-storage unit rental contracts shall include clauses prohibiting the storage of flammable liquids, highly combustible or explosive materials or hazardous chemicals and the use of the property for other than dead storage.

D. Minimum front yard setback shall be 25 feet. Minimum side and rear yard setbacks shall be 20 feet, except where such side or rear yard is adjacent to a residential district, in which case the minimum setback shall be 50 feet.

E. A high fence or wall of six feet in height shall be installed along the side and rear property lines. No fence or wall shall be required in the front yard; where a fence or wall is proposed for the front yard, it shall be constructed of decorative materials acceptable to the Borough Council.

F. Landscaping and screening of the property shall be in accordance with §§ 287-77 and 287-78. Screening and building location shall be such that overhead doors are not visible from off the site.

G. Coverage of the property by buildings shall not exceed 50%. Other impervious surfaces shall cover no more than 30% of the property.

H. The maximum height of any building containing storage units shall be 18 feet.

I. A minimum of five off-street parking spaces shall be provided on the property, situated in conjunction with an office or management structure, for use by staff, service or delivery personnel or prospective tenants.

J. Interior driving aisles shall have a minimum width of 24 feet where storage units open onto only one side of the aisle and 28 feet where storage units open onto both sides of the aisle.

K. Lighting facilities shall be in accordance with the terms of § 287-82.

L. Standards for signs shall be those in Article XIX applicable to business uses in the I-1 District.

M. The applicant for a mini-storage facility shall submit a plan, as described in § 287-57, documenting compliance with the standards of this section and all other applicable requirements of this chapter.

§ 287-58.1 Standards and criteria for retail sales facilities.

[Added 9-11-1991 by Ord. No. 91-19]

A. Except as noted herein below, area and bulk regulations for retail sales facilities shall be those applicable to uses in the I-1 District, subject to Article XIA.

[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]

B. Permitted uses for retail sales facilities shall be those uses permitted in the C-3 District. Such uses shall meet all criteria of the C-3 District regulations, except for area and bulk regulations as noted above.

C. The following requirements shall apply to horticultural retail sales:

(1) Minimum front yard setback: 40 feet, except that there shall be a fifteen-foot setback for flowers and shrubs displayed for sale, not exceeding three feet in height.

(2) Minimum side yard and rear yard setbacks: The setback requirements of § 287-54G shall apply, except that horticultural uses may have balled trees, plants, shrubs and vegetative materials within the required side and rear yards; no other materials or products shall be displayed or stored in any side or rear yard.

(3) Parking: Minimum off-street parking requirements shall be one space per employee at peak hours, plus 10 spaces per acre.