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Township of East Bradford, PA
Chester County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Amended 11-11-1980 by Ord. No. 41-1980; 7-14-1981 by Ord. No. 43-1981; 3-21-1988 by Ord. No. 97-1988]
A. 
It is the intent of the C-2 District, as outlined in the East Bradford Township Comprehensive Plan, to provide for retail, service and office uses situated in areas of the Township accessible to the regional office uses situated in areas of the Township accessible to the regional transportation system. The C-2 District establishes standards for a unified and organized arrangement of buildings, service and parking areas to facilitate access management in the Township through the use of planned commercial development and planned business park options.
B. 
In the C-2 Commercial District, the following regulations shall apply.
A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used for any of the following purposes and for no other:
A. 
Retail sale of dry goods, variety and general merchandise, clothing, food, flowers, drugs, household supplies or furnishings, including convenience stores, as defined by this chapter and consistent with the site development standards in § 115-35B(7) of this chapter; sale or repair of jewelry, watches and clocks, optical goods or musical, professional or scientific instruments.
[Amended 7-11-1989 by Ord. No. 112-1989]
B. 
Automotive and farm equipment sales and services, excluding gasoline service stations.
C. 
Barbershops, hairdresser, cleaning and pressing and other shops for personal service.
D. 
Eating and drinking establishments, but excluding fast-food restaurants.
[Amended 11-8-1988 by Ord. No. 105-1988]
E. 
Farm supply outlet.
F. 
Banks, offices and medical clinics.
G. 
Animal hospital.
H. 
Churches.
I. 
Funeral parlor or undertaker's establishment.
J. 
Blacksmith, tinsmith, plumbing or pipe fitting, welding, carpenter, cabinetmaking, furniture or upholstery shop, electrician or electronics (including radio, computer or television shop).
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
K. 
Bakery, confectioner or similar patisserie for production of articles to be sold at retail on the premises.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
L. 
Wholesale sales distribution and storage.
M. 
Commercial accessory uses and solar energy systems, as an accessory use, subject to the provisions of § 115-151 of this chapter.
[Amended 8-10-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
N. 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection N, regarding communication antennas, added 12-9-1997 by Ord. No. 6-1997, was repealed 7-14-2015 by Ord. No. 10-2015.
O. 
Forestry (subject to the provisions of § 115-11E of this chapter).
[Added 1-11-2005 by Ord. No. 1-2005[2]]
[2]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Subsections O and P as Subsections P and Q, respectively.
P. 
The following uses shall be permitted by conditional use when authorized by the Board of Supervisors subject to the provisions of this chapter and, in particular, § 115-77:
(1) 
Multiple use of a single lot as a planned commercial development. Each planned commercial development must be on a single lot to be considered for a conditional use. Each separate lot shall be subject to § 115-34. A planned commercial development may include any use permitted in the C-2 District, as specified in Subsections A through M above, as well as any of the following additional uses:
[Amended 11-8-1988 by Ord. No. 105-1988; 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(a) 
Fast-food restaurant.
(b) 
Hotel/Motel.
[Added 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 05-2020]
(2) 
Offices, warehousing and distribution, research and development, engineering and testing laboratories, as part of a planned business park and ancillary private recreational facilities, including a golf course.
(3) 
Mobile home parks, subject to the provisions of Article XIV of this chapter.
(4) 
Mini-storage facilities.
(5) 
Hotel/Motel subject to the provisions of § 115-34G. Permitted accessory uses include eating and drinking establishments, indoor fitness facilities and pools, and areas suitable for hosting meetings, conferences, conventions, banquets, receptions and similar events. Accessory uses with the exception of eating and drinking establishments and meeting/conference/convention/banquet/reception facilities shall be primarily for the use of guests of the Hotel/Motel.
[Added 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 05-2020[3]]
[3]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection P(5), regarding communication towers, added 9-12-1995 by Ord. No. 164-1995, was repealed 7-14-2015 by Ord. No. 10-2015.
(6) 
Adaptive reuse of Class I or Class II historic resource pursuant to the provisions of §§ 115-131.2 and 115-131.3. In this C-2 Commercial District, an adaptive reuse of a Class I or Class II historic resource may include the conversion of the resource to a residential use that is permitted in the R-4 Residential District.[4]
[Added 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005; amended 12-13-2006 by Ord. No. 8-2006]
[4]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection P(7), regarding telecommunication antennas, added 8-10-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 7-14-2015 by Ord. No. 10-2015.
Q. 
The following uses may be permitted as a special exception when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board subject to the provisions contained in Article XVI:
(1) 
Gasoline service stations.
(2) 
Public utility offices and operating facilities.
A. 
The following shall apply for planned commercial developments:
(1) 
Lot area: Minimum tract size of 10 acres.
[Amended 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 05-2020]
(2) 
Lot width at street line/building line: 500 feet minimum.
(3) 
Building coverage: 30% maximum.
(4) 
Floor area ratio: 60% maximum.
(5) 
Landscaped open space: 20% minimum, provided that landscaping required for parking or within the street right-of-way is not included.
(6) 
Building setback line: 100 feet minimum.
(7) 
Side and rear yards: 75 feet minimum abutting residential districts and 50 feet minimum abutting nonresidential districts.
(8) 
Building and accessory building or structure height: three stories above grade plane or 35 feet maximum, except for Hotel/Motels which shall be permitted to be four stories above grade plane or 45 feet maximum.
[Amended 9-13-2011 by Ord. No. 3-2011; 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 05-2020]
B. 
The following shall apply for planned business parks:
(1) 
Total tract area: 10 acres minimum.
(2) 
Lot width at street line/building line: 500 feet minimum.
(3) 
Building coverage: 40% maximum.
(4) 
Floor area ratio: 60% maximum.
(5) 
Landscaped open space: 20% minimum, provided that landscaping required for parking or within the street right-of-way is not included.
(6) 
Building setback line: 75 feet minimum.
(7) 
Side and rear yards: 75 feet minimum abutting residential districts and 50 feet minimum abutting nonresidential districts.
(8) 
Building and accessory building or structure height: three stories above grade plane or 35 feet maximum.
[Amended 9-13-2011 by Ord. No. 3-2011]
C. 
The following shall apply to Hotels/Motels that are not part of a planned commercial development:
[Added 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 05-2020[1]]
(1) 
Lot area: five-acre minimum.
(2) 
Lot width at the street line/building line: 500 feet minimum.
(3) 
Building coverage: 30% maximum.
(4) 
Floor area ratio: 100% maximum.
(5) 
Landscaped open space: 20% minimum, provided that landscaping required for parking or within the street right of way is not included.
(6) 
Building setback line: 75 feet minimum.
(7) 
Side and rear yards: 75 feet minimum abutting residential districts and 50 feet minimum abutting nonresidential districts.
(8) 
Building and accessory building or structure height: four stories above grade plane or 45 feet maximum.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection C, regarding mobile home parks, was repealed 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005.
D. 
The following area and bulk regulations shall apply to golf courses:
(1) 
Minimum lot area for nine-hole regulation course: 50 acres.
(2) 
Minimum lot area for eighteen-hole regulation course: 90 acres.
[Amended 4-11-1989 by Ord. No. 109-1989]
(3) 
Building and accessory building or structure height: three stories above grade plane or 30 feet maximum.
[Amended 9-13-2011 by Ord. No. 3-2011]
(4) 
Perimeter setback. All buildings shall be set back a minimum of 40 feet from the tract perimeter, except where the tract perimeter abuts existing residential uses, in which case, the minimum distance from the tract perimeter abutting said uses shall be no less than 80 feet.
(5) 
If the golf course lies in more than one municipality, evidence shall be submitted that the area set aside and dedicated to golf course use in all the municipalities is the minimum amount specified above.
E. 
The following shall apply for all other uses:
(1) 
Lot area: one acre minimum.
(2) 
Lot width at street line/building line: 150 feet minimum.
(3) 
Building coverage: 25% maximum.
(4) 
Floor area ratio: 40% maximum.
(5) 
Landscaped open space: 30% minimum, provided that landscaping required for parking is not included.
(6) 
Building setback line: 75 feet minimum.
(7) 
Side and rear yards: 50 feet minimum abutting residential districts and 25 feet minimum abutting nonresidential districts.
(8) 
Building and accessory building or structure height: three stories above grade plane or 35 feet maximum.
[Amended 9-13-2011 by Ord. No. 3-2011]
F. 
In addition to area and bulk regulations enumerated herein, the following shall apply for all principal buildings and uses within the vicinity of a Class I or Class II historic resource:
[Added 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(1) 
Historic setback line: 150 feet minimum from any Class I or Class II historic resource, regardless of whether such resource is located upon a tract or lot itself.
The following standards shall apply to all uses within the C-2 District.
A. 
General.
(1) 
With the exception of planned commercial developments and planned business parks, which are addressed in § 115-35B below, a single shared access shall be provided in order to limit new accesses onto the highway. Access shall take the form of an internal road which directs traffic to a single entrance with divided lanes or by means of reverse frontage access.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005; 8-10-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
(2) 
A landscaped buffer shall be provided in accordance with § 115-45.1 of this chapter.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(3) 
Parking areas shall be landscaped in accordance with § 115-45.1 of this chapter.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(4) 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection A(4), which provided for a landscaped buffer along all property lines which abut a residential use or district boundary, was repealed 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005.
(5) 
Unless adequate provision for off-site sewage disposal is provided, there shall be a minimum contiguous area suitable for on-site sewage disposal which is 20% of the tract, but in no case less than 10,000 square feet.
(6) 
The uses permitted by this article in § 115-33 shall not be open to the public between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m., with the exception of the lodging aspect of Hotels/Motels. Any eating and drinking establishments, and meeting, conference, convention, banquet or reception facility usage within a Hotel/Motel must cease operations by 2:00 a.m. In addition, there shall be no truck or other deliveries arriving or leaving during the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. Furthermore, any delivery trucks or other vehicles arriving prior to 12:00 midnight and parked on the property shall not have engines, refrigeration units or other motors associated with the delivery truck or vehicle operating between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.
[Added 7-12-2005 by Ord. No. 5-2005; amended 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 05-2020]
B. 
Planned commercial development and planned business park.
(1) 
The applicant shall prepare a plan indicating how the lot will be developed and used. The plan shall also identify specific ownership and maintenance responsibilities of the lot, buildings, structures and other improvements.
(2) 
The combined uses, buildings, structures and other improvements, shall collectively comply with the bulk regulations of § 115-34A and B.
(3) 
There shall be a maximum of one access for each road frontage which may consist of a combined point of ingress and egress or separate point of ingress and egress, one each. The minimum distance from access points on any adjacent properties along Routes 162 or 322 shall be 300 feet, measured along both sides of the highway. A reduction in the minimum separation distance shall occur only when compliance with said distance will not allow for minimum safe sight distance as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(4) 
Entrances shall be of a minimum width and depth as specified by the Pennsylvania Code, Title 67, Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Chapter 441, “access to and occupancy of highways by driveways and local roads,” for the traffic volume level of driveway proposed, or other width and depth requirements as may be required by state regulation.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(5) 
Parking requirements shall be calculated in accordance with §115-58. Parking facilities may be designed as a common parking lot, provided that the required number of parking spaces are provided for each use. Pedestrian access to a use shall not be provided across a main access loop road, unless raised pedestrian walkways, including stop signs or other appropriate traffic controls, are provided for each crossing. In any event, such pedestrian access over or through a main access loop road shall not be a primary access, but shall instead be used primarily to serve overflow parking areas.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(6) 
Only one freestanding sign shall be permitted on any entrance to a planned commercial development lot as a directory use on the lot. Only one freestanding sign as permitted by § 115-95 shall be permitted at each building court. All individual signs shall be mounted on the building or structure housing the use. Signs shall be designed in accordance with Article XVII.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(7) 
For any fast-food restaurant proposed to be included within a planned commercial development and for any convenience store as defined by this chapter, the applicant shall propose and carry out measures, deemed satisfactory by the Board, that assure compliance with the following requirements:
[Added 11-8-1988 by Ord. No. 105-1988; amended 7-11-1989 by Ord. No. 112-1989]
(a) 
Food and/or beverage is not to be consumed within the parking area or any other exterior portion of the restaurant or convenience store site.
[Amended 7-11-1989 by Ord. No. 112-1989]
(b) 
Trash disposal shall be managed so as to prevent any problems of littering, on or off the site.
(c) 
All materials used in the packaging or containment of the foods and beverages offered for sale at the fast-food restaurant shall be biodegradable.
(d) 
Noise, odors and lighting shall be controlled so as to avoid any impact on adjacent residential properties.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(e) 
Parking shall comply with the requirements of §115-58B(2)(e)[2]. Pedestrian access to a use shall not be provided across a main access loop road, unless raised pedestrian walkways, including stop signs or other appropriate traffic controls, are provided for each crossing. In any event, such pedestrian access over or through a main access loop road shall not be a primary access, but shall instead be used primarily to serve overflow parking areas.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
The following design standards shall apply:
A. 
Screening standards as established in § 115-52 of this chapter.
B. 
Storage standards as established in § 115-53 of this chapter.
C. 
Landscaping standards as established in § 115-45.1 of this chapter.
[Amended 12-13-2006 by Ord. No. 8-2006]
D. 
Access and traffic control standards as established in § 115-55 of this chapter.
E. 
Interior circulation standards as established in § 115-56 of this chapter.
F. 
Lighting standards as established in § 115-57 of this chapter.
G. 
Off-street parking as established in § 115-58 of this chapter.
H. 
Off-street loading as established in § 115-59 of this chapter.
I. 
Standards limiting emission of smoke, fumes, odors, etc., as established by § 115-60 of this chapter.
J. 
The following additional design standards shall apply to golf course uses:
(1) 
Boundaries shall be established for the golf course to include the minimum lot area provided in § 115-34D. The area within such boundary may include service facilities, including storage buildings for the maintenance equipment, and clubhouse facilities for food services and other functions customarily incidental to a golf club.
(2) 
Clubhouse facilities may include the service, sale and use of food and alcoholic beverages upon issuance of a proper license by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The sale of sporting gear and clothing shall be limited in clubhouse facilities to that associated with the sport of golf.
(3) 
The clubhouse, lodge building, golf course and their services shall be for the use of members and their guests only.
(4) 
Residential or commercial uses developed in conjunction with the golf course and intended to abut the golf course shall be set back a minimum of 25 feet from the tract boundary established for the golf course, but in no case shall be located less than 150 feet from any fairway, green or tee.
[Amended 4-11-1989 by Ord. No. 109-1989; 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(5) 
Plans for construction of a golf course shall be prepared by a generally recognized or licensed golf course architect and shall show sufficient information with regard to grading to indicate the direction and disposition of drainage from the golf course.