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Township of Schuylkill, PA
Chester County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
In addition to the general purposes expressed in § 370-2 and the community development objectives of § 370-5 of this chapter, it is the purpose of this district to allow development of multifamily buildings, office establishments, and professional buildings. This district is located near low- and medium-density residential areas, and is therefore intended to represent a transition between nearby residential uses and higher-intensity residential areas and nonresidential areas. Due to the proximity of this district to residential districts, the APO I District permits a wide range of residential uses and is also intended to encourage structures that are to be located near adjacent residential districts to be designed to blend in with the surrounding area, as indicated in the Schuylkill Township Comprehensive Plan.
A. 
A building may be erected or used, and a lot may be used or occupied, for any one of the following purposes and no other, except as otherwise provided in § 370-58 of this chapter:
[Amended 12-7-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-11]
(1) 
Any use permitted as a use by right in the R-2 Residential District; and any use permitted as a special exception in the R-2 Residential District when such use is approved as a special exception, pursuant to the provisions applicable to each.
(2) 
Multifamily housing; townhouses; semidetached and quadraplex dwellings; and two-family dwellings, pursuant to the provisions of § 370-143, when approved as a special exception.
(3) 
Offices for the following uses; administrative, professional, executive, service, sales, commercial, banking, or saving and loan associations, and other similar uses.
(4) 
Day-care center, pursuant to the provisions of § 370-165, when approved as a special exception.
(5) 
Signs, in accordance with Article XXI, herein.
(6) 
Off-street parking and loading, in accordance with Article XXII, herein.
(7) 
Conversion of single-family dwelling into multifamily dwelling, as a special exception pursuant to the provisions of § 370-149.
(8) 
Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any of the foregoing permitted uses pursuant to the provisions of § 370-132.
(9) 
Bus or train station, when approved as a special exception pursuant to the provisions of § 370-167.
(10) 
Hospital for humans, when approved as a special exception pursuant to the provisions of § 370-153.
B. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no exterior storage of materials or equipment shall be permitted and no use shall be permitted which may be noxious or offensive by reason of order, dust, fumes, smoke, gas, vibration or noise, or which may constitute a public hazard by reason of fire, explosion, or otherwise.
The maximum density for this district shall be a net density of not more than five dwelling units per acre of developable area.
The following regulations shall apply in this district.
A. 
The following shall apply to office buildings:
Regulation
Minimum developable area
5 acres
Maximum building coverage
35%
Maximum lot coverage (except recreational area)
50%
Maximum height
35 feet
Minimum lot width at building line
300 feet
Minimum front yard depth
100 feet
Minimum rear yard depth
75 feet, except when abutting a FR, R1, or R2 District, then 100 feet
Minimum side yards (two required)
75 feet each
(1) 
Building arrangement. In the case of a group of buildings, all buildings shall be arranged in a harmonious grouping and:
(a) 
The distance between any two buildings either of which faces or backs upon the other in whole or in part, shall be not less than 75 feet.
(b) 
The distance between the ends of any two buildings similarly oriented, or whose front or rear facades form an angle from 135° to 180°, shall be not less than 24 feet.
(c) 
The distance between corners of any two buildings having front or rear facades forming an angle from 90° to 134° shall be not less than 12 feet.
(d) 
No two buildings shall be permitted having front or rear facades forming an angle of less than 90° unless separated by a minimum distance of 75 feet.
(e) 
Not more than three sides of a court shall be enclosed by buildings or walls.
(2) 
Building size.
(a) 
No single building shall have a total length including angles greater than 120 feet.
(b) 
The joining of two or more buildings by means of an extension of a roof or enclosed walkway shall not in itself be deemed to create a single building.
(3) 
Recreation areas. In the case of multifamily housing and rental townhouses, there shall be provided on the premises an area having not less than 100 square feet per dwelling unit, and located conveniently thereto, designed and developed exclusively for outdoor recreational use, such area being permitted to extend within the otherwise required yards or open space, exclusive of front yards.
B. 
The following shall apply to multifamily housing, townhouses, semidetached and quadraplex dwellings, two-family and single-family dwellings:
(1) 
All buildings shall be erected on individual lots, and conform to all requirements of Chapter 320, Subdivision and Land Development.
Regulation
Minimum developable area
5 acres
Maximum building coverage
35%
Maximum tract coverage (except recreational or open space)
50%
Maximum height
35 feet
Minimum front lot line width
Multifamily and townhouse
300 feet
Semidetached and quadraplex
40 feet
Two-family
60 feet
Single-family
60 feet
Minimum lot width at building line
Same as minimum front lot line width
Minimum front yard depth
40 feet
Minimum rear yard depth
30 feet
Minimum side yards (two required for single- and two-family)
10 feet each
Minimum combined side yard (for two-family and single family)
25 feet
Minimum side yard abutting a street
40 feet
Maximum length of townhouses
5 units, not to exceed 120 feet
(2) 
All open space not part of a building lot shall be in single ownership and such ownership shall be vested in an automatic property owners association composed of abutting owners of said building lots.[1]
[1]
Note: The definition section refers to an "automatic" association.
An accessory use building or other structure may be erected in the rear yard in accordance with Article XIX, § 370-132E herein.
On all lots abutting a residential district, the off-street parking and loading areas shall be screened therefrom by means of an effective screen pursuant to the provisions of § 320-34D of Chapter 320, Subdivision and Land Development.
All land development allowed in this section is subject to the availability of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection-approved public water and sewer.