The B General Business District is designed to provide opportunities for neighborhood commercial uses of the type which primarily serve the needs of surrounding residential areas. These districts are intended to have access to a major road and to be compatible with adjoining noncommercial uses and districts.
[Amended 1-8-1990 by Ord. No. 461; 6-24-1996 by Ord. No. 569; 6-23-1997 by Ord. No. 576]
A building may be erected, altered or used and land may be used, subject to the provisions in Articles XXIX and XXX for any of the following purposes and no other:
A. 
Permitted principal uses.
(1) 
Retail store, convenience store, office or office building, post office, bank or other financial institution.
[Amended 11-8-2004 by Ord. No. 658]
(2) 
Restaurant.
(3) 
Barber- or beauty shop.
(4) 
Dressmaking, millinery, tailor, shoe repair or similar custom shop for the repair or servicing of articles sold at retail on the premises; bakery or confectionery; provided that such uses employ not more than five persons.
(5) 
Newspaper or job printing shop employing not more than five persons.
(6) 
Jewelry, radio, television, refrigerator or similar appliance shop, including service and repairs.
(7) 
Communications antennas mounted on an existing public utility transmission tower, building or other structure and communications equipment buildings, subject to the regulations set forth in § 275-216 of Article XXXIV.
[Added 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 588]
B. 
Accessory uses to permitted principal uses. The following are permitted only as accessory uses:
(1) 
Uses on the same lot which are customarily incidental to the principal uses permitted in Subsection A.
(2) 
Parking in accordance with Article XXXI.
(3) 
Signs in accordance with Article XXXII.
(4) 
Specifically permitted accessory uses include storage, within a completely enclosed building or in an area not visible from an adjoining street or residential use, which storage is customarily incidental to the principal use of the lot.
(5) 
In conjunction with a convenience store, the dispensing of motor vehicle fuels from underground tanks, which may include a canopy structure over the motor vehicle fueling positions.
C. 
Conditional uses.
(1) 
Motel, hotel or inn.
(2) 
Laundry, dry-cleaning, dyeing or clothes-pressing establishment, provided that nonflammable solvents are used in the cleaning process and that the process shall be free from obnoxious odors, fire or explosion.
(3) 
Personal service or custom shop other than a use permitted in Subsection A.
(4) 
Public garage; motor vehicle sales, service or repair shop (not including a junk or wrecking yard); gasoline service station; and motor vehicle parking lot, provided that all repair, lubrication or car washing shall be performed within a completely enclosed building.
(5) 
Drive-in restaurant or refreshment stand where patrons are served food and/or drinks for immediate consumption outside the building but on the premises and fast-food restaurant with drive-through restaurant service accessory thereto.
(6) 
Indoor or outdoor place of amusement other than an open-air or drive-in theater.
(7) 
Business, trade or private school.
(8) 
Mortuary, funeral establishment and cemetery limited to the cremation of human remains.
(9) 
Commercial greenhouse.
(10) 
Kennel, animal hospital and veterinary clinic or office.
(11) 
Private club for recreation.
(12) 
Day-care centers.
(13) 
Any alteration, enlargement, change or modification to any of the conditional uses set forth under Subsection C(1) through (12) above previously approved, including the addition of any of the permitted uses under Subsection A hereof on the same lot as the conditional use, shall require conditional use approval.
(14) 
Communications towers, subject to the standards for communications towers as conditional uses set forth at § 275-216.1, and communications equipment buildings, subject to the regulations set forth in § 275-216 of Article XXXIV.
[Added 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 588]
The maximum height of buildings and other structures to be erected or enlarged shall be 35 feet, except as provided in Article XXXIV under height limit exemptions.
[Amended 1-8-1990 by Ord. No. 461].
A. 
Permitted principal uses.
(1) 
Minimum lot area: one acre for each principal permitted building.
(2) 
Minimum lot width at building line: 100 feet.
(3) 
Minimum lot width at street line: 100 feet.
(4) 
Maximum impervious surface area: 65%.
(5) 
Maximum building coverage: 25%.
(6) 
Minimum depth of front and rear yard: 60 feet.
(7) 
Minimum aggregate width of side yards: 60 feet.
(8) 
Minimum width of each individual side yard: 25 feet.
(9) 
Minimum yard abutting the street on a corner lot: 60 feet.
B. 
Conditional uses.
(1) 
Minimum lot area: two acres for each principal permitted building.
(2) 
Minimum lot width at building line: 200 feet.
(3) 
Minimum lot width at street line: 150 feet.
(4) 
Maximum impervious surface area: 40%.
(5) 
Maximum building coverage: 20%.
(6) 
Minimum depth of front and rear yards: 100 feet.
(7) 
Minimum aggregate width of side yards: 125 feet.
(8) 
Minimum width of each individual side yard: 60 feet.
(9) 
Minimum yard abutting the street of a corner lot: 100 feet.
A. 
Access. Any lot or area used for off-street parking or for the storage or movement of motor vehicles shall, except for the necessary accessways, be separated from the street or highway by a raised curb, planting strip, wall or other suitable barrier against unchanneled motor vehicle entrance or exit. The layout of any such parking lot or area shall be designed in such a manner as to prohibit vehicles from backing out onto the street, and the capacity and arrangement of the lot shall be adequate for all related uses and sufficient to prevent the backup of vehicles on a street while awaiting entry on the lot.
B. 
Outdoor lighting. All driveways, parking areas and vehicle maneuvering areas shall be adequately illuminated, and all exterior or outdoor lighting shall be arranged in such a manner so as to protect adjoining property and traffic from any glare or hazardous interference of any kind. All such lighting shall be equipped with glare-shielding devices and be not more than 20 feet in height.
C. 
Buffering. Along each property line which directly abuts any residential district or any use permitted in those districts, a buffer area of not less than 100 feet in width, of which not less than 25 feet shall be landscaped, shall be provided. Along any property line which abuts any other use along any street line, a buffer area of not less than 25 feet in width, of which not less than 15 feet shall be landscaped, shall be provided. All landscaping shall be designed, installed and maintained in accordance with Article XXXIV.
D. 
Rubbish. All trash and rubbish storage areas shall be screened from public view and from view of any surrounding uses. The screening of such storage areas shall be shown on the landscaping plan. The proposed methods for storing and removing trash and rubbish shall be noted on plans submitted for approval and permits.
E. 
Public water and public sewer. All development in the B District shall be served by public water and public sewer.
[Added 11-8-2004 by Ord. No. 658]
A. 
In expansion of the purposes and community development objectives contained in Article I of this chapter, and the policies and recommendations of the Township's Comprehensive Plan, as amended, the primary intent of this section is to provide for designated uses and the appropriate dimensional standards which promote controlled development and the expansion of attractive uses.
B. 
The following area and bulk regulations shall apply to all permitted principal uses, if enhanced appearance options, approved by Township Council in accordance with Subsection G, are provided.
(1) 
Impervious surface may be increased to 75%.
(2) 
Minimum depth of the front yard may be reduced to 50 feet.
(3) 
Minimum depth of rear yard may be reduced to 50 feet.
(4) 
Minimum yard abutting a street on a corner lot may be reduced to 50 feet.
(5) 
The buffering alongside property lines may be reduced to an aggregate of 15 feet with no side yard less than five feet.
(6) 
Landscaped islands in parking areas may be omitted.
C. 
Enhanced appearance options shall consist of three components: improved landscaping, improved hardscaping and improved building materials and design. In order to meet the minimum criteria of enhanced appearance options, a plan shall provide for all of the following, unless specified otherwise:
(1) 
Improved landscaping.
(a) 
The sizes of plants set forth in § 275-214, Landscaping requirements, and § 275-188, for parking lot landscaping, shall be increased by 20% in height and caliper, as applicable.
(b) 
The quantities of plants set forth in §§ 275-214 and 275-188 shall be increased by 20% to determine quantity requirements. However, plants may be grouped in selected areas of the site to achieve special functional and aesthetic objectives. In the event that the increased quantities of plants cannot fit on the property, the applicant may substitute larger plants or higher grade plant species to compensate for those plants that cannot fit on the property, subject to the approval of the Township Landscape Consultant.
(c) 
At least three planting areas for shade trees shall be created and maintained at or near the corners of the principal building.
(d) 
When decorative bollards are utilized in the perimeter landscaping, they shall be wooden or black steel types.
(2) 
Improved hardscaping.
(a) 
Pedestrian pathways of at least four feet six inches in width made of brick, concrete or approved equivalent shall be installed and maintained along all street frontages.
(b) 
Pedestrian pathways of at least four feet six inches in width made of brick, or approved equivalent shall be installed and maintained to connect all perimeter pathways to all entry doors of a principal building.
(c) 
Crosswalks made of brick, concrete or approved equivalent shall be maintained and installed along any curb cuts at vehicular entranceways to promote a continuation of the pedestrian pathway system. Such crosswalks shall be at least six feet in width.
(d) 
Decorative streetlights, with black poles and bases, shall be provided along all street frontages and within the parking lot. Cobra head or shoebox type lights shall not be considered as being decorative.
(e) 
A decorative wall, made of brick, stone, or approved equivalent, 24 inches in height, shall be installed and maintained along all primary street frontage planting beds, between the sidewalk and the parking lot, except in any area where a lower wall is needed to achieve safe sight distance within a clear sight triangle.
(f) 
Where fencing is utilized, it shall be wooden such as shadowbox, picket or split rail or steel or wrought iron of at least 48 inches in height. Stockade fence and chain link fence and plastic fence shall not be used.
(g) 
The base of all freestanding signs shall be made of brick, stone, or approved equivalent, and shall be at least 30 inches in height.
(h) 
All trash enclosure areas shall be made of brick, stone, or approved equivalent, except for the gates.
(3) 
Improved building materials and design.
(a) 
No principal buildings shall have a flat roof.
(b) 
All principal buildings shall have a vertical design proportion defined by vertical architectural elements, such as windows, pilasters, columns, piers, or by recesses and projections of building walls such that no more than 12 continuous feet of blank building wall is created.
(c) 
All principal buildings shall be designed to have a defined base. The base shall be made of brick, stone, or approved equivalent, with horizontal banding, and shall be at least 30 inches in height around at least three sides of the building, including all street-side elevations.
D. 
Landscaping and screening.
(1) 
General regulations. The following is required in and around off-street parking areas and loading areas in order to provide a visual and acoustical buffer for adjacent properties, to provide a visual buffer for adjacent streets, to define traffic routes and pedestrian paths through parking areas, to control soil erosion, to slow and filter stormwater runoff, and to moderate microclimatic effects.
(a) 
Functions of parking-lot and loading area landscaping. Landscaping of parking lots and loading areas shall perform certain functions depending upon its arrangement and the type of space occupied, as described below. Aesthetic considerations are important to these functions. Where screening is required, such screening needs to be opaque, and shall be of sufficient density and height to obstruct casual observation.
(b) 
Perimeter of area, abutting street. Landscaping materials so located shall visually define the perimeter and other parking areas, shall emphasize points of ingress and egress to and from the street, and shall visually screen the parking or loading area from the street so that headlights shining into or out of the area will not affect other drivers.
(c) 
Perimeter of area, abutting other properties. Landscaping materials so located shall provide a windbreak trapping trash and dust and a visual and acoustical buffer for adjoining properties. When parking or loading areas abut a residential use or property zoned for such use, a dense screen of plantings, designed to be an effective screen, shall be provided and maintained to a minimum height of six feet from the ground at time of planting.
(d) 
Landscaping within the interior of the parking areas. Landscaping located within parking areas shall be designed to promote pedestrian safety by defining walkways, to enhance driver safety by defining traffic lanes and discouraging cross-lot taxiing, to act as a windbreak trapping trash and dust, to provide shade, to reduce stormwater runoff, and to enhance the appearance of the parking area. Interior landscaping shall be designed to preserve sight distances and not obstruct the vision of motorists or pedestrians, and shall in no way create a hazard to safety.
(2) 
Applicability and standards:
(a) 
Perimeter landscaping. Perimeter landscaping along abutting properties and public or private streets shall be required for all off-street parking areas with more than five parking spaces, and for all loading areas regardless of size.
(b) 
Interior landscaping. Interior landscaping shall be required for all off-street parking areas with more than 15 parking spaces.
(c) 
Sight distance. No landscape elements or other objects may obstruct vision above the height of two feet and below 10 feet measured from the center line grade of the driveway and an intersecting street. A clear sight triangle at the intersection of the driveway and the street shall be determined in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Publication No. 201 (current issue), entitled "Engineering and Traffic Studies."
E. 
Maintenance provisions. The owner of the facility shall be responsible for the continual maintenance of all enhanced appearance options in an attractive and healthy condition. Dead and pruned plant material and debris shall be routinely removed and replaced or within 30 days of a directive to do so issued by the Township Code Enforcement Officer.
F. 
Landscape plan. A landscape plan shall be prepared and sealed by a landscape architect registered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The landscape plan shall be incorporated as a part of the plan submitted with the subdivision or land development plan. The landscape plan shall be drawn to the same scale as the proposed subdivision or land development plan. The landscape plan shall show all existing individual specimen trees, tree masses, shrubs, water features and other natural elements of the site which are to be preserved or removed, and all trees, shrubs, ground covers, lawn area, walls and fences, pedestrian pathways, crosswalks and other enhanced appearance options, as per this section, which are to be installed in conjunction with the development of the land, including a continuous pedestrian pathway and crosswalk along the street frontage, and a continuous pedestrian pathway made of pavers connecting the perimeter sidewalk to the principal use building. A legend shall be provided to the plan which contains the botanical and common name of each species of tree and shrub to be installed, and the quantity and size of each species of tree and shrub to be provided. The landscape plan shall also be accompanied by detail sheets depicting all details for landscape and hardscape features.
G. 
Approval of Township Council. The details of the enhanced appearance options shall be subject to approval by the Township Council as part of the subdivision and/or land development plan. Upon request of the applicant, the Township Council may permit variations from the standards set forth herein if the Township Council determines that the proposed variations will further improve the appearance of the development.