Township of Willistown, PA Article XXXII TCD Town Center District

[Added 10-22-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]

§ 139-185 Purpose.

The TCD Town Center District is intended to be consistent with Article VII-A of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247) and is designed to improve the aesthetic quality and walkability of the area and streetscape, support the economic viability of the area, and promote opportunities for mixed-use buildings which permit residential and nonresidential uses above or behind nonresidential uses.

§ 139-186 Permitted uses.

Mixed uses are encouraged. Land and buildings may be used and occupied for any one or combination of the following uses, and no other, unless otherwise specified:

A. Retail (excluding auto sales and service).

B. Office.

C. Personal services.

D. Public or private club or lodge.

E. Technical school.

F. Library.

G. Restaurant (excluding drive-in/drive-through facility), provided that any outdoor consumption shall meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Outdoor seating must be contiguous to the establishment preparing the food being served and shall not extend beyond the limits of the establishment's frontage(s).

(2) If any outdoor seating extends into any public right-of-way, an unobstructed walkway at least six feet wide shall be maintained for pedestrian circulation.

H. The following residential uses are permitted as part of a mixed-use development, provided no residential use shall be permitted on the ground floor of a mixed-use development when the development has frontage on a major arterial highway as defined in the Township's Comprehensive Plan, and further that residential uses shall only be permitted above or behind nonresidential uses:

(1) Single-family attached dwelling (townhouse).

(2) Two-family detached dwelling (duplex).

(3) Multifamily dwelling.

I. Surface parking facility, subject to the requirements of § 139-188D below and §§ 139-98 and 139-99.

J. Structured parking facility, subject to the requirements of § 139-188D below and § 139-95.

K. Day-care center, when authorized by the Board of Supervisors as a conditional use as set forth in § 139-118.1, and further provided that:

(1) Outdoor play or instruction areas shall be located at least 50 feet from any street line or property line and shall be provided with landscape screening sufficient to buffer adjoining properties from noise or other disturbances.

(2) As deemed warranted by the Board of Supervisors, adjustments to applicable parking standards may be required when a day-care center is located within a building containing a primary use.

L. Signs, when erected and maintained in accordance with Article XVIII, Signs, of Chapter 139. In addition, applicants shall adhere to the streetscape design standards provided in § 123-47.1 of Chapter 123, Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, to provide uniform signage throughout the District. A signage plan, including wayfinding signs, shall be prepared and be consistent across the site; such plan shall be submitted to the Township for review and approval.

§ 139-187 Area, bulk, height and buffer requirements.

Every building or use shall comply with the following requirements. In the case of a group or combination of buildings erected on a lot in accordance with a unified plan, the group as a unit shall comply.

A. Lot area and width. The lot area shall not be less than 7,500 square feet and the lot width at the building line shall be not less than 50 feet.

B. Lot area per dwelling unit. Each two-family attached dwelling (duplex) development shall have a lot area per dwelling unit of not less than 5,000 square feet. Each single-family attached dwelling (townhouse) development shall have a lot area per dwelling unit of not less than 2,900 square feet per dwelling unit. Each multifamily dwelling (apartment house) development shall have a lot area per dwelling unit of not less than 1,500 square feet.

C. Building footprint. For single-use buildings or mixed-use buildings, the maximum gross floor area of the ground floor shall be 5,000 square feet.

D. Impervious coverage. For lots with frontage along a major arterial highway, not more than 90% of the lot area may be covered by impervious surface. For lots without frontage along a major arterial highway, not more than 70% of the lot area may be covered by impervious surface.

E. Front yard. There shall be no minimum front yard setback, except that distance necessary to provide the required sidewalks and streetscape.

F. Side yards. No side yard shall be required, except that where a lot abuts a residential district in the Township or a similar residential district in an adjoining municipality, a side yard shall be provided which shall be not less than 20 feet in width. If a side yard is provided where none is required, it must be a minimum of 10 feet.

G. Rear yard. No rear yard shall be required, except that where a lot abuts a residential district in the Township or a similar residential district in an adjoining municipality, a rear yard shall be provided which shall be not less than 25 feet in width. If a rear yard is provided where none is required, it must be a minimum of 10 feet.

H. Height.

(1) Minimum. The minimum height of any building shall not be less than 28 feet.

(2) Maximum. The maximum height of any building shall not be more than 35 feet.

I. Buffer. Buffers shall be consistent with Article X of Chapter 73, Environmental Protection.

§ 139-188 Special development regulations.

A. Sidewalks. Sidewalks shall be provided between a building and the street.

B. Streetscape. The streetscape design standards set forth in § 123-47.1 of Chapter 123, Subdivision and Land Development, shall be utilized to provide uniform streetscape design and consistency.

C. Applicants are strongly encouraged to achieve certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The standard shall be LEED-NC Version 2.2 for new construction, LEED-CI Version 2.0 for interior improvements to existing commercial spaces, and LEED-ND Version 2.0 for neighborhood development, or as such standards are most recently amended. Applicants are strongly encouraged to achieve the highest LEED's certification possible in multiple categories. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to consider alternative stormwater management controls that can accomplish multiple objectives, e.g., contribute to infiltration and provide water to growing plants and trees. Since the majority of storm events in this region are small (one inch or less), applicants are directed to examine bioretention facilities and rain gardens as complementary to landscape features. In addition, applicants are encouraged to consider construction of "green roof" buildings capable of managing small storm events through rooftop landscaping. Such facilities offer both an attractive amenity to the community and help manage the small rainfall events common to this geographic region. Furthermore, such stormwater management controls contribute significantly to LEED's certification.

D. Parking.

(1) Surface parking lots.

(a) Surface parking facilities are permissible within side or rear yards, provided such facilities are appropriately landscaped or buffered from a street or internal roadway consistent with the requirements of Article X of Chapter 73, Environmental Protection. In no case shall surface parking facilities be located within 20 feet of a street right-of-way.

(b) On corner lots, the parking shall be located along the street with the lesser amount of commercial and pedestrian activity.

(c) Parking areas must be interconnected, to the extent feasible, with parking areas on adjacent properties to facilitate pedestrian and vehicular circulation. When interconnected parking areas are not immediately feasible, the applicant must provide access easements and design the parking area to facilitate future connections.

(2) Structured parking.

(a) Structured parking is encouraged where appropriate. Structured parking facilities are required to be designed to enhance the pedestrian-friendly streetscape and the character of the surrounding buildings and uses.

(b) Facades that are visible from the street or sidewalk shall be complementary to nearby commercial facades in terms of building materials and architectural design. Exterior finish materials shall be of an enduring quality. Synthetic stucco, concrete block and simulated wood products may not be used as primary exterior finish materials. Vehicular entrances to parking structures should be designed using residential or neighborhood commercial architectural treatments such as recesses, peaked roof forms and arches with the intention of minimizing the appearance of a parking garage. The use of chains, bars or similar security devices that are visible from a street shall be prohibited.

(c) Any structured parking facility shall contain retail or commercial space along the entire length of each first floor facade which faces a street. Such commercial or retail space may be relieved only by the vehicular entranceway to the garage area.

(3) Shared parking. In order to encourage the efficient use of land and resources, applicants are permitted to share off-street parking facilities for mixed-use developments or for uses located sufficiently close to one another that have different peak parking demands or operating hours. In order to utilize this provision, applicants must:

(a) Provide a parking demand analysis for each use that exceeds 2,400 square feet of gross floor area for approval by the Township Engineer that demonstrates adequate parking will be provided for the uses on site during peak hours. The analysis should generally be consistent with the published recommendations of the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE). Data collected from similar or comparable uses to the proposed use may also be submitted for review. For any change of use involving shared parking, a new parking demand analysis shall be submitted as determined necessary by the Zoning Officer.

(b) Demonstrate that the shared parking shall be located no further than 500 feet from the entrance to the buildings and uses they are intended to serve.

(c) Provide a written, legally-binding agreement among the owners of record, their tenants, and those with which parking facilities are shared for review and approval by the Township.

E. Design standards. Each use shall comply with the following design standards:

(1) Front facade.

(a) The front facade of any building shall promote an attractive and pedestrian-friendly streetscape. Characteristics to be considered in making such assessment shall include, but not be limited to, style, location, materials, scale and window/door placement. Varied building designs that avoid long, flat facades are required.

(b) No more than 40 feet of continuous facade shall be created for any new building at the first floor level. Any building which is wider than 40 feet at the first floor level shall have a recess of up to four feet at intervals of 20 feet.

(c) First floor breaks in the street wall that may be created for a vehicular entranceway to a structured parking facility shall be limited to 30 feet in width.

(2) Rear facade. The rear facade of any building abutting a street (or abutting a surface parking area that abuts a street) shall promote an attractive and pedestrian-friendly streetscape. Where the rear facade of the building is on a street where the surrounding buildings and uses have frontage, design of the rear facade shall be consistent with the frontages of the surrounding buildings and uses. Characteristics to be considered in making such assessment shall include, but not be limited to, style, location, materials, scale and window/door placement. Varied building designs that avoid long, flat facades are required. Trash receptacles shall be screened or buffered appropriately.

(3) No building shall be a windowless box. Doors and windows shall constitute no less than 60% of all exterior walls for buildings containing nonresidential uses.

(4) No building shall have opaque windows.

(5) If the first floor front facade is set back from the edge of the sidewalk by more than five feet, the area between the front facade and the edge of sidewalk shall be used for enhanced pedestrian spaces and amenities, such as a landscaped plaza or courtyard, a sculpture garden, or other civic-like space accessible to pedestrians.

(6) Exterior amenities, to be owned and maintained by the property owner, such as benches, information kiosks, bike facilities, bus shelters and/or publicly accessible privately owned plazas shall be provided on private property or within adjoining public rights-of-way.