The purpose of this district is to:
A. Provide
for a wide range of needed commercial uses in locations that are less
likely to involve conflicts with existing residences.
B. Use special
care and control on access onto arterial and connector streets to
avoid traffic hazards.
Only the following uses are permitted by right in the GC District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article
XX are met:
A. The following uses as principal or accessory uses:
(2) Financial institution with or without drive-through
service.
(4) Bus station or taxi terminal.
(7) Drive-through service or delivery service as an accessory
use.
(9) General merchandise store.
(11)
Commercial indoor or outdoor recreation, including mini-golf course, bowling alley, exercise club,
indoor or outdoor movie theater or skating rink.
(13)
Building contractor's office and storage.
(14)
Home occupation, major or minor or no-impact
home-based business.
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 10-04]
(15)
Retail store similar in character to uses listed
as permitted by right, except for uses listed as special exception
uses or prohibited.
(16)
Standard restaurant with or without drive-through
service.
(18)
Printing and bookbinding.
(22)
Indoor storage as an accessory use.
(23)
Self-storage development.
(27)
Wholesale sales or warehousing, not including
a trucking company terminal as a principal use.
(29)
Crafts or artisan's studio.
(32)
U.S. Postal Service facility.
(35)
Nursery school/day-care center.
(36)
Recycling collection center.
(38)
Business, professional, medical, dental or governmental
offices.
(43)
Public or private primary or secondary school.
(44)
Cultural/community center.
(48)
Publicly owned recreation.
(50)
Place of worship, but not including any dwelling.
(53)
Accessory use or structure clearly customary
and incidental to a permitted by right, approved special exception
or conditional use.
(55)
Co-located commercial communications antenna.
[Added 3-19-2001 by Ord. No. 03-01]
(56)
Check-cashing business.
[Added 3-5-2007 by Ord. No. 01-07]
(57)
Pawn shop.
[Added 3-5-2007 by Ord. No. 01-07]
Only the following are permitted by special exception in the GC District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article
XX are met:
B. Auto, boat or mobile/manufactured home sales.
C. Fast-food restaurant, with or without drive-through service.
E. Commercial outdoor storage or display, not including an auto sales use or plant nursery/greenhouse.
F. Dormitory, serving a lawful college, university or
primary or secondary school that is located within Bethlehem Township,
provided such building is set back a minimum of 60 feet from the lot
line of any existing dwelling or residential district.
Only the following use is a permitted conditional use in the GC District, provided that the requirements for this use in Article
XX are met:
A. Emergency services station.
B. Dispensary facility.
[Added 3-20-2017 by Ord.
No. 02-17]
C. Medical marijuana delivery vehicle office.
[Added 3-20-2017 by Ord.
No. 02-17]
All uses not specifically permitted are prohibited,
unless their allowance is clearly implied in the determination of
the Zoning Hearing Board by a very closely similar use. The following
uses are very specifically prohibited in the GC District as principal
and accessory uses:
A. Motor vehicle race track.
B. Trucking company terminal.
C. Manufacturing, except printing and bookbinding.
E. Adult bookstore, cabaret, adult movie theater or massage
parlor.
The following lot and setback regulations shall apply to uses in the GC District, unless a more restrictive requirement is stated in Article
XX (for a particular use) or elsewhere in this chapter.
A. Number of uses. A lot in the GC District shall include
a maximum of 10 principal uses and/or establishments, whichever is
more restrictive.
B. Lot area: 65,000 square feet minimum, for the first
principal land use and/or establishment, plus 5,000 square feet minimum
for each additional principal land use and/or establishment.
C. Minimum lot width: 200 feet, except 250 feet along
the existing right-of-way of any arterial or connector street which
the use or uses will have a driveway or accessory entering onto. If
two lots share one and only one access point on to an arterial or
connector street, each lot may have a minimum 150 feet lot width along
that street.
D. Minimum lot depth: 200 feet.
E. Maximum lot coverage: 40% for buildings, 70% for total
impervious surfaces. The remaining 30% shall be covered by landscaping
and an all-season ground cover.
F. Minimum front yard setback.
(1) Thirty feet from the future street right-of-way.
(2) Auto service station canopy. The front yard setback
shall be reduced to a minimum of 20 feet from the future street right-of-way
for an auto service station canopy. Such a structure may be attached
to the principal building. An auto service station canopy shall only
include an unenclosed structure that serves only to cover gasoline
pumps from inclement weather. No advertising sign shall be attached
to such a canopy.
G. Minimum side yard setback: 15 feet minimum for each
of two side yards, except 60 feet minimum for side yards along the
lot line of an abutting existing dwelling or residential district.
H. Minimum rear yard setback: 30 feet minimum, except
60 feet minimum for a rear yard along the lot line of an abutting
existing dwelling or residential district.
I. Maximum height: two stories or 35 feet, whichever
is less.
J. Shared parking and driveways. Sharing of off-street parking and driveways by adjoining uses is strongly encouraged. See §
275-142B for possible reduction of off-street parking requirements.