[1]
Editor's Note: Maps showing the Central Business District boundaries on the Zoning Map, as adopted in 1994, and the 2006 adopted Central Business District Boundaries, based upon recommendations of the Nittany Valley Joint Comprehensive Plan, are on file in the Borough offices, where they are available for inspection.
The intent of the Central Business District is to promote the following:
A. 
To serve as the Nittany Valley Region's commercial, cultural and civic core;
B. 
To provide for retail, service and office uses of appropriate scale in appropriate locations.
C. 
To promote uses oriented towards pedestrian customers and create continuous shopping frontage;
D. 
To maintain Bellefonte's historic character;
E. 
To promote adaptive reuse of existing buildings;
F. 
To encourage mixed-use commercial and residential opportunities; and
G. 
To meet minimum standards of health, safety and welfare by protecting against hazards and nuisances.
A. 
All construction, alteration and/or demolition for buildings located within the Central Business District and the boundaries of the Historical Architectural Review Board District shall be subject to the guidelines, standards and approval processes of the Bellefonte Historic District and the Historical Architectural Review Board.
B. 
To maintain the unique character of historic Bellefonte, buildings should not be branded using an architectural style of a company. Therefore, franchise architecture (building design that is trademarked or identified with a particular chain or corporation and is generic in nature) shall not be permitted.
Only uses listed below shall be permitted in the Central Business District. All uses must conform to the lot, yard setback, and maximum height requirements stipulated herein, as well as other appropriate requirements of this chapter. Adult-oriented businesses shall not be permitted within the Central Business District.
A. 
Permitted uses.
Amusement enterprises
Art and dance studios
Art galleries
Bakeries with retail sales
Banks
Bed-and-breakfasts
Clubs, lodges and fraternal organizations
Computer and software sales
Community centers (includes senior centers and youth centers)
Dry cleaner service retailers with no dry cleaner operation
Eating and drinking establishments
Essential services
Farmers market
Florists
Government offices
Health and fitness centers
Hotels
Jewelry stores
Laundromats
Libraries
Live/work units
Medical and dental offices
Motion picture and other theaters
Multifamily residential*
Multi-shop arcade stores**
Museums and galleries
Neighborhood retail stores
Opticians and optical goods dealers
Personal services
Pharmacies
Photocopy and office supply stores
Photography studios
Places of worship
[Added 5-3-2010 by Ord. No. 05032010-01]
Professional offices
Public or private schools
Repair establishments (including small appliance, shoe and electronic, but excluding automotive)
Special events, contingent upon Borough Council approval
Tailors and seamstresses
Tattoo establishments
[Added 4-16-2018 by Ord. No. 041618-01]
Transportation terminals
NOTES:
*
Multifamily residential development shall not be permitted on the ground floor of any structure, except for those units developed within residential condominiums by conditional use.
**
The development of multi-shop arcade stores shall be limited to the adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
B. 
Accessory uses.
(1) 
Customary. All uses customary to the uses listed above.
(2) 
Residential. Residential uses shall be permitted on the upper stories of mixed-use buildings (ground-floor residential development shall not be permitted) and in existing residential buildings and carriage houses (the construction of new accessory buildings, outbuildings, carriage houses, or other accessory units shall not be permitted for residential use).
(3) 
Craft/artisan studio/limited manufacturing. Studios/limited manufacturing may be permitted subject to the following criteria:
(a) 
Retail sales activities must occupy the ground-floor storefront portion of the building.
(b) 
Manufacturing activities are limited to the rear of the ground-floor portion of the building.
(c) 
Manufacturing is limited to products made for on-site retail sales, off-site art and craft sales, and e-commerce sale.
(d) 
Manufacturing facilities may occupy no more than 50% of the total floor area.
(e) 
Craft and artisan studios containing health and environmental hazards that reach beyond the limits of the property shall not be permitted. (For example: noise and/or odors associated with the fabrication process may limit studio activity.)
(f) 
Welding and/or machining shall not be permitted in the craft/artisan studio or limited manufacturing space.
(4) 
Outdoor cafes.
(a) 
Outdoor seating may be provided as an accessory use to eating and drinking establishments.
(b) 
At a minimum, a sidewalk width of six feet must be maintained between the limits of the outdoor seating area and the roadway edge of the sidewalk.
(c) 
The applicant shall secure a permit from Bellefonte Borough prior to providing outdoor seating. At the request of the applicant, this permit may be renewed on an annual basis by Bellefonte Borough.
(5) 
Youth day care. Youth day-care facilities shall be permitted as an accessory use to churches, health and fitness centers, or in adaptive reuse of residential buildings.
C. 
Conditional uses. Conditional uses shall conform to all applicable conditional use criteria contained within this section and chapter.
(1) 
Residential condominiums.
(2) 
Public or private parking structures.
A. 
Height requirement.
(1) 
The height of any building constructed within the Central Business District shall be within 10% of the average height of all buildings along the shared street front of the block within which the building is to be constructed. However, no building shall be constructed that is less than 30 feet in height or more than 50 feet in height, except as provided for in the conditional use provisions of this district.
(2) 
To encourage architectural detailing and features consistent with the historic character of Bellefonte's downtown, the height of buildings within the Central Business District shall be measured from the average of the ground-floor elevation to the finished ceiling of the highest habitable space.
B. 
Front yard setback. The front yard setback of any building constructed within the Central Business District shall be, at a minimum, zero feet from the interior edge of the sidewalk and, at a maximum, within 10% of the average setback of all buildings along the shared street front of the block within which the building is to be constructed. However, no building shall be constructed with a front yard setback that is greater than five feet.
C. 
Side yard setback: no minimum.
D. 
Rear yard setback: no minimum.
A. 
Building size. The total footprint of any building constructed within the Central Business District shall not exceed 30,000 square feet, except as provided for in the conditional use provisions of this district.
B. 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection B, regarding maximum building width, was repealed 2-17-2014 by Ord. No. 02172014-01.
C. 
Facade standards. Buildings constructed on assembled lots with a total width greater than 50 feet shall have facades that vary the plane of the front facade and shall contain varied roof shapes using height and architectural features.
D. 
Building materials. All materials to be used in the construction or alteration of buildings located within, or to be constructed within, the Bellefonte Historic District shall be subject to the Bellefonte Historical and Architectural Review Board process.
A. 
Outdoor sales and storage of merchandise and/or materials shall be permitted in accordance with § 495-15, Display of merchandise on sidewalks.
B. 
The dispensing of and retail sale of gasoline products for vehicular use shall not be permitted.
C. 
Adult businesses shall not be permitted.
D. 
New ground-floor residential uses shall not be permitted (except for those developed by conditional use within residential condominium developments).
E. 
Street venders shall be permitted as an extension of an existing business, by permit only, with necessary permits, sales tax number, DEP food handler's permit, health permits, and/or insurance.
The building height restriction may be expanded by 10 feet (to a maximum height of 60 feet); the maximum building footprint may be expanded by up to 20,000 additional square feet (to a maximum of 50,000 square feet); the maximum building width may be expanded by up to 150 additional feet (to a maximum of 250 feet) and/or the front yard setback may be extended, by conditional use, subject to the following:
A. 
The project must meet the definition of a residential condominium, which is hereby defined as "a building dedicated for multifamily residential use within which each individual dwelling unit is owned by an individual person or persons with a requirement that the building itself and all related facilities and common areas are owned and maintained by a condominium property owners' association."
B. 
The maximum number of living units that can be constructed on the property shall be 35 units per acre.
C. 
The project must provide for various sizes of condominium living units.
D. 
Site design shall be sensitive to environmental concerns and shall minimize impervious coverage to the greatest extent possible. Blasting shall be specifically addressed and reviewed by Borough Council. Only upon determination of no adverse effect will blasting be permitted.
E. 
The design of landscaping, outdoor lighting, and outdoor space shall be a component of the plan.
F. 
Parking shall be provided at a minimum of two spaces per residential dwelling unit.
G. 
All required parking (surface, structure and/or underground) shall be located on site and subject to the requirements of Chapter 500, Subdivision and Land Development. Preference will be given to parking located to the rear of the building, except as follows:
(1) 
Side yard or front yard parking may be permitted to provide connectivity to adjacent parking areas and allow for an overall improvement to the district's parking network.
(2) 
Side yard or front yard parking that does not connect to adjacent parking areas may be provided through construction of an on-site parking structure.
H. 
If all required parking cannot be accommodated on site, the applicant shall provide 1.5 spaces per living unit on site, include specific conditions on providing off-site parking, include design during the subdivision and land development process for the required two spaces per unit, and post surety for the remainder (the number of parking spaces above 1.5 spaces per unit that cannot be built on site) with the stipulation that a traffic study be done to evaluate need and establish the threshold for completion of the additional spaces. Upon reaching the established and agreed upon thresholds, the developer would be required to construct the additional spaces.
I. 
A condominium association shall be formed in accordance with the Pennsylvania Condominium Act,[1] and condominium documents shall be provided to the Borough and recorded with the Centre County Recorder of Deeds.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 68 Pa.C.S.A. § 3101 et seq.
J. 
Other provisions as are determined by the Borough Council to be necessary to provide for the general public health, safety and welfare.
The maximum building footprint may be expanded by up to 20,000 additional square feet (to a maximum of 50,000 square feet); the maximum building width may be expanded by up to 150 additional feet (to a maximum of 250 feet); and/or the front yard setback may be extended by conditional use, subject to the following:
A. 
Parking structures shall include space for ground-floor commercial development.
B. 
A traffic study shall be prepared to show the proposed number of parking spaces, proposed ingress and egress areas, and any associated impacts to the road network and local traffic flows.