The purposes of this district are to provide for and regulate a variety of institutional/medical uses and to preserve and protect the many existing institutional uses located in this district. Large institutions occupy large parcels of land in the Borough and represent a significant portion of the remaining open space. Appropriate control of these properties, the activities conducted thereon and possible changes in their future use is essential to preserve the open space and character of the development in this district. These regulations are intended to promote the effective operation of major institutions in a harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship with the surrounding community.
Land, buildings or premises shall be used by right for only one or more of the following uses:
A. 
Government building or use.
B. 
Civic use such as a community center, public library, senior citizens center or similar use.
C. 
Hospital, medical or dental clinic or center and related offices.
D. 
Nursing home.
E. 
Assisted-living facility for the elderly.
F. 
Public or private school, college or other academic educational institution, except business or trade school, dance studio or similar establishment for commercial instruction, subject to the provisions of § 153-132.
G. 
Community residence facility, group-based, subject to § 153-116.
H. 
Day-care center or group day-care home, subject to the provisions of § 153-146B.
I. 
Religious use, including accessory use and dwelling, subject to the provisions of § 153-131.
J. 
Cemetery.
K. 
Public park or recreational use.
L. 
Municipally owned public surface parking lot.
M. 
Any use of the same general character as any of the above permitted uses, when such determination is made by the Zoning Hearing Board. In deciding whether a proposed unlisted use is of the same general character, the Board shall apply the compatibility standards in § 153-123.
The following uses shall be permitted by special exception only, subject to the applicable provisions of Articles XVII and XXI:
A. 
Private outdoor recreational use, including swim club.
B. 
Public utility, except for garage, warehouse and storage yard.
A. 
Playfield, open space and recreational facility in conjunction with a permitted use.
B. 
Parking garage or area.
C. 
Living accommodation for watchman, caretaker or staff of a permitted institution whose duties require them to sleep or reside on the premises.
D. 
Offices of staff doctors or similar professionals associated with a permitted use.
E. 
Restaurant or cafeteria for use of employees, students or visitors of a permitted use.
F. 
Storage building, enclosure or area associated with a permitted main use.
G. 
Off-street parking and loading, subject to Article XIV.
H. 
Signs, subject to Article XV.
I. 
Satellite antenna, subject to § 153-113.
J. 
Small collection facility for recycling, subject to the provisions of § 153-141.
K. 
Any accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to a permitted main use and not detrimental to the surrounding community.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, the following shall be minimum requirements:
A. 
Lot area: one acre.
B. 
Street frontage: 100 feet.
C. 
Setbacks.
(1) 
From exterior road: 75 feet.
(2) 
From interior road or driveway: 20 feet.
(3) 
From side and rear property lines: 40 feet.
D. 
Distance between buildings: 40 feet.
E. 
Height: 75 feet maximum.
A. 
Development may be on individual lots or by addition of new buildings on a lot or parcel with one or more existing buildings.
B. 
More than one building is permitted on a single lot, provided that the setback and spacing requirements in § 153-65 are met.
C. 
The lot area and street frontage requirements shall not apply in cases where a building or buildings are added to existing buildings on a lot, provided that the parking requirements in Article XIV are met and building separation as per § 153-65D is maintained.
D. 
Where new buildings are constructed on the same lot or parcel as existing institutional buildings, consideration shall be given to connecting the interior driveways of such new buildings with the driveways serving existing buildings in order to limit the number of access points on Lansdowne Avenue.
E. 
All applicable regulations concerning screening (§ 153-117) and landscaping (§ 153-118) shall be followed.
F. 
All parking facilities and signs shall comply with Articles XIV and XV, respectively.
A. 
Institutional land and the uses for which it provides have a special impact on the community. This is particularly true in a community such as Darby, where institutional properties are the largest tracts of land and represent a significant portion of the open space remaining in the Borough. Accordingly, the Borough has a special interest in the future of such properties in the event of abandonment or change in existing use.
B. 
It is the intent of this section to ensure a reasonable choice of appropriate use in the event of the sale, abandonment, nonuse or change of use of institutionally zoned land. In such event, on its own motion or upon petition for rezoning, the Planning Commission shall consider whether the land is suitable for continued institutional use or whether it should be rezoned for other use and shall make appropriate recommendations to Borough Council.