Township of Lower Providence, PA I Industrial Districts

No smoke shall be emitted from any chimney or other source of visible grey greater than No. 1 on the Ringlemann Smoke Chart as published by the United States Bureau of Mines.

Smoke of a shade not darker than No. 2 on the Ringlemann Smoke Chart may be emitted for not more than four minutes in any 30 minutes.

These provisions, applicable to visible grey smoke, shall also apply to visible smoke of a different color, but with an equivalent apparent opacity.

Control of dust and dirt, fly ash and fumes, vapors and gases.

No emission shall be made which can cause any damage to health, to animals, vegetation or other forms of property, or which can cause any excessive soiling at any point.

No emission of liquid or solid particles from any chimney or otherwise shall exceed 0.3 grains per cubic foot of the covering gas at any point.

For measurement of the amount of particles in gases resulting from combustion, standard correction shall be applied to a stack temperature of 500º F. and 50% excess air.

Control of noise. Noise that exceeds the standards set forth in § 143-23 shall not be permitted to emanate from any property within any industrial district.

[Amended 7-20-2000 by Ord. No. 448]

Control of odors. There shall be no emission of odorous gases or other odorous matter in such quantities as to be offensive along a lot boundary line. Any process which may involve the creation or emission of any odors shall be provided with a secondary safeguard system, so that control will be maintained if the primary safeguard system shall fail. There is hereby established as a guide in determining such quantities of offensive odors, Table III (Odor Threshold) in Chapter 5, Air Pollution Abatement Manual, copyright 1951 by Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Inc., Washington, DC.

Control of glare or heat. Any operation producing intense glare or heat shall be performed within an enclosed building or behind a solid fence in such manner as to be completely imperceptible from any point beyond the lot lines.

Control of vibration. No vibration which is discernible to the human sense of feeling shall be perceptible without instrument at any point beyond the lot line. Vibration which is not discernible to human sense but which is at low or high frequencies capable of causing discomfort or damage to life or property is prohibited beyond the property line and must be monitored and controlled within the property line to meet acceptable industrial use standards.

Control of radioactivity or electrical disturbance. There shall be no activities which emit dangerous or harmful radioactivity. There shall be no electrical disturbance (except from domestic household appliances) adversely effecting the operation of any equipment located beyond the property of the creator of such disturbances.

Refuse areas, waste disposal and outdoor storage facilities.

[Amended 7-20-2000 by Ord. No. 448]

No flammable or explosive liquids, solids or gases shall be stored in bulk above ground; provided, however, that tanks or drums of fuels directly connecting with energy devices, heating devices or appliances located on the same lot as the tanks or drums of fuel are excluded from this provision.

All outdoor storage facilities for fuel, raw materials and products and all fuels and all raw materials and products stored outdoors shall be enclosed by a fence adequate to conceal the facilities from any adjacent properties.

No materials or wastes shall be deposited upon a lot in such form or manner that may be transferred off the lot by natural causes or forces.

All materials or wastes which might cause fumes or dust or which constitute a fire hazard or which may be edible or otherwise be attractive to rodents or insects shall be stored outdoors only in closed containers.

Materials handling, transfer and storage areas. All indoor and outdoor material handling, transfer and storage areas shall provide for accidents caused by natural occurrence, equipment failure or human error so as to contain spillage or leakage of solid, liquid or gaseous materials and to further facilitate the cleanup or dispersal of said materials without causing damage to life, ecological systems, property or the sanitary sewer system.

Electric, diesel, gas or other power. Every use requiring power shall be so operated that the service lines, substation, etc., shall conform to the most acceptable safety requirements recognized by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Labor and Industry, shall be so constructed, installed, etc., to be an integral part of the architectural features of the plant or, if visible from abutting residential properties, shall be concealed by coniferous planting.

Industrial waste or sewage. No use shall be conducted in such a way as to discharge any treated or untreated sewage or industrial waste treatment and disposal except as shall be approved by sanitary engineers or other qualified persons employed by the Township at the expense of the owner of the premises. Where the sanitary sewers of the Township and its Municipal Authority are involved, approval of the Sewer Authority shall be required.

Provision and use of water. All water requirements shall be stated in the application. Water shall be supplied from wells only after approved or accepted geologic study furnished by the applicant and certification by a professional geologist that the underground water supply and levels will not be appreciably altered in such a way as to endanger the water level and supply for other properties.

New technology of extreme hazard potential. Any industrial process or research activity conducted within the industrial districts of the Township using chemical, biological or radiological techniques and agents which are new to the industry or process and which may present extreme hazard to the physical environment beyond the site of process application or research, or in which environmental hazards because of their use is unknown, must be disclosed to the Board of Supervisors prior to use. Such disclosures and proposals for use shall be treated in conformity with § 143-128 of this chapter.

§ 143-127 General design requirements.

All industrial districts shall meet the following design and operational requirements:

Traffic impact study. A traffic impact study shall be submitted simultaneously with an application for any use within the industrial district. No permit to construct or use property within an industrial district shall be issued until the traffic impact study is deemed to be satisfactory by the Township Traffic Consultant. The traffic impact study shall be prepared by a professional traffic engineer and shall contain the following:

[Amended 7-20-2000 by Ord. No. 448]

A study impact area agreed to by the Township Engineer.

An inventory of site conditions which shall include:

(a)

A sketch plan of the proposed development.

(b)

Existing average daily traffic (ADT) on the roads within the study area, including traffic volumes at peak highway hours and at peak development-generated hours.

(c)

Existing levels of service (A through F) as defined in the Highway Capacity Manual of the Institute of Transportation Engineers on the roads and intersections within the study area. The level of service for signalized intersections refers to the average stopped delay per vehicle during a fifteen-minute analysis period.

(d)

A list of the existing and proposed developments of industrial uses in the site area.

Signs. Signs in an industrial district shall be regulated in accordance with Article XIX of the Township Zoning Ordinance as amended.

General design requirements for off-street parking and loading. Off-street parking and loading areas shall be screened from immediate view from perimeter roadways, and in no event shall parking or loading areas be closer than 50 feet to any existing curbline or closer than 25 feet to any ultimate right-of-way separating the industrial park from any residential district or residential use.

[Amended 7-20-2000 by Ord. No. 448]

Neighborhood impact. In order to determine the visual impact upon the neighborhood in which an industrial use is to be made, profile drawings shall be submitted showing the views of the structures from adjacent properties to assure that appropriate screening and buffering is in place to shield from direct view any nonresidential building, use or structure that exceeds two stories in height.

[Added 7-20-2000 by Ord. No. 448]

The profile views shall be taken from a point on each adjacent property at the minimum rear or side yard setback where the proposed building, use or structure will be most visible, at a height of 5 1/2 feet above grade.

The profile views shall be drawn with identical horizontal and vertical scale at a scale of not less than one inch equals 20 feet.

The views shall show proposed buildings, structures and uses, or portions thereof, which are visible from the proscribed vantage point. Proposed landscaping and berming which are to be installed as part of the development or use of the property shall also be depicted in the profile views.

Wherever the view or views indicate that a proposed building, use or structure, or portion thereof, greater than two stories in height will be clearly and directly visible, mitigation of this condition shall be required, including relocation or reduction of height of the proposed building, use or structure, or the addition of berming or landscaping to shield the adjacent property from direct view.

Whenever more than one building, use or structure shall be proposed for an industrial use, the proposed buildings, uses or structures shall have a single architectural theme throughout, as set forth in § 143-28A.

§ 143-128 Procedural requirements.

Any application for a building permit for erection or alteration of or addition to any building or structure or portion thereof shall be accompanied by an industrial development plan as required by this section. Also, any industrial development plan shall be deemed a "land development" within the meaning of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code[1] and shall be subject to the requirements of said state law and to the requirements of the Lower Providence Township Subdivision Regulations.[2]

Industrial development plan content. Any industrial development plan shall include the following items without limitation:

A plot plan of the site or lot at a scale not less than 1 inch equals 100 feet showing the location of all present and proposed buildings, drives, parking lots, waste disposal facilities and other constructional features on the lot; and all buildings, streets, alleys, highways, streams and other topographical features of the lot and within 200 feet of any lot line;

Architectural plans for any proposed building and/or addition;

A description of the industrial operations proposed in sufficient detail to indicate the effects of those operations in producing traffic congestion, noise, glare, air pollution, water pollution, fire hazards or safety hazards;

Engineering and architectural plans for the handling and disposal of sewage and industrial waste;

Engineering and architectural plans for the handling of any excess traffic congestion, noise, glare, air pollution, water pollution, fire hazard or safety hazard;

(6)

Designation of the fuel proposed to be used and any necessary architectural and engineering plans for controlling smoke;

(7)

The proposed number of shifts to be worked and the maximum number of employees on each shift;

(8)

Landscaping plan for all front yards, side yards and rear yards which shall show the location, species and size of trees and shrubs; and

(9)

Any other data that the Township shall deem necessary to determine that the proposed development is consistent with all regulations governing industrial development, the Comprehensive Plan of the Township and the health, safety and general well-being of the Township residents.

Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.

Editor's Note: See Ch. 123, Subdivision and Development of Land.

§ 143-129 Purpose of LI Limited Industrial District.

It is the purpose of this article to encourage industrial development which is free from offensive noise, vibration, smoke, odors, glare, hazards of fire or other objectionable effects and which generates vehicular traffic similar in character and volume to that of adjacent property uses, and of which, because of building type and design, site design, maintenance and use, the hours and methods of operations do not conflict with the use or deteriorate from the property values of adjacent zoning districts.

§ 143-130 Use regulations for LI District.

Uses by right. In an LI District, land, buildings or premises shall be used by right for only one or more of the following:

Electronics and small parts assembly and/or manufacture.

Scientific or industrial research, engineering laboratory, testing or experimental laboratory or similar establishment for research or product development.

Warehouse and distribution facilities.

Administrative activities and offices.

Light manufacturing of beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, printing and publishing, confections, food products (exclusive of meat and fish packing, sauerkraut, vinegar, yeast and the rendering or refining of fats and oils), ceramics, clothing, plastics, electrical goods, furniture and wood products, hardware, tools, dies, patterns, professional and scientific instruments, handcraft products, electronics and small parts assembly and/or manufacture.

(6)

Municipal and government buildings, services and facilities.

(7)

Communications antennas and communications buildings, in accordance with the requirements of § 143-250 of this chapter.

[Added 2-15-2001 by Ord. No. 453]

(8)

Communications towers shall be permitted by special exception, in accordance with the requirements and standards of § 143-250 of this chapter.

[Added 2-15-2001 by Ord. No. 453]

(9)

Hotel.

[Added 10-20-2011 by Ord. No. 602]

(10)

Medical/surgical center.

[Added 10-20-2011 by Ord. No. 602]

Accessory uses. Only the following accessory uses shall be permitted:

Cafeteria facilities for employees.

Recreational facilities for employees and occupants.

Storage within a completely enclosed building in conjunction with a permitted use.

Other accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses and not detrimental to the neighborhood.

§ 143-131 Area and bulk regulations for LI District.

Area and bulk regulations shall be as follows:

Minimum lot size: 1 acre.

Minimum lot width: 150 feet.

Maximum lot coverage: 50%.

Minimum building setback line: 60 feet.

Minimum side yards: 25 feet each.

Minimum rear yard: 30 feet.

Minimum distance between buildings: 25 feet.

Maximum building height: 90 feet.

[Amended 12-2-2004 by Ord. No. 520]

Minimum site size: 10 acres.

§ 143-132 Additional requirements for LI District.

In addition to the regulations for all industrial districts, the following are requirements in an LI Limited Industrial District:

Parking: in conformance with Article XII of this chapter.

[Amended 10-20-2011 by Ord. No. 602]

Signs: in conformance with Article XIX of this chapter.

[Amended 10-20-2011 by Ord. No. 602]

Abutting districts. When an industrial use abuts a residential district, no building or structure may be erected closer than 200 feet to the residential district, nor shall any parking area or loading district be located closer than 100 feet to the residential district. The area shall be planted and maintained as a green area covered in grass and appropriately landscaped.

§ 143-133 Use regulations for I District.

Uses by right. In an I District, land, buildings or premises shall be used by right for only one or more of the following:

The manufacture, compounding, processing, packaging or treating of such products as candy, drugs, pharmaceuticals and food products.

The manufacture, compounding, assembly or treatment of articles of merchandise from the following previously prepared materials: bond, cellophane, canvas, cloth, cork, rope, cord and twine, plastics and natural and synthetic rubber, feathers, felt, fibre, fur, glass, hair, horn, leather, paper, plaster, metals, precious or semiprecious stones, shell, tobacco, textiles, wood and yarns.

The manufacture of ceramic products, using only previously pulverized clay.

Printing, publishing, lithographing, binding and kindred arts.

Central heating plant.

(6)

Offices and office record storage.

(7)

Electric transforming substations, rail freight stations or other necessary public service and public transportation uses.

(8)

Manufacture of musical instruments, toys, novelties and metal stamping.

(9)

Storage buildings, warehouses and self-storage developments.

[Amended 10-20-2011 by Ord. No. 602]

(10)

Manufacture and assembly of:

(a)

Electrical or electronic devices, home, commercial and industrial appliances and instruments, including the manufacture of accessory parts or assemblies.

(b)

Graphite and graphite products.

(c)

Hair, felt and feathers (bulk processing).

(d)

Ink and colors.

(e)

Iron and steel products, including fabrication and assembly.

(f)

Jute, hemp, sisal and oakum products.

(g)

Machinery and machine tools; electrical equipment; motors (assembly and repair); railroad equipment.

(h)

Metal and metal products treatment and processing, such as enameling, lacquering, galvanizing and electroplating; metal casting and foundry products; metal alloys, reduction, refining and smelting of precious and rare metals only.

(i)

Paper products.

(j)

Rubber products, including tires and tubes.

(k)

Shoddy and waste.

(l)

Textile bleaching.

(m)

Wax products manufactured from paraffin.

(n)

Textile or textile products, including spinning and weaving.

(11)

Laboratories, experimental, manufacturing and research.

(12)

Tattoo parlors, body piercing establishments, tanning salons, personal body art and similar facilities and establishments.

[Added 3-20-2001 by Ord. No. 454]

(13)

A licensed therapeutic/medical massage facility.

[Added 10-20-2011 by Ord. No. 602]

Accessory uses. Only the following accessory uses shall be permitted:

Cafeteria facilities for employees.

Recreational facilities for employees and occupants.

Storage within a completely enclosed area in conjunction with a permitted use.

Other accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses and not detrimental to the district.

Uses by special exception. Any of the following uses shall be permitted only when authorized as a special exception:

Solid waste disposal facilities, sanitary landfills and incinerators.

Manufacture, processing or storage of explosives, paint, petroleum or gas.

Abattoirs, breweries, meat packing, tanning, curing or storage of leather, rawhides or skins, manufacture or processing of fertilizer, wood pulp, disinfectants or soap.

Limekilns, flour mills, manufacture of cement.

Any other use of the same general character as the above permitted uses, provided that the burden shall be upon the applicant to show the Zoning Hearing Board that provision will be made to adequately reduce or minimize any noxious, offensive, dangerous or hazardous feature or features thereof, as the case may be.

Conditional uses.

[Added 4-7-2011 by Ord. No. 600]

A Phase 2 outdoor wood-fired boiler may be permitted by the Board of Supervisors as a conditional use, provided the standards of §§ 143-80 and 143-288 are met.

Townhouse uses, provided that the following specific standards are satisfied:

[Added 3-19-2015 by Ord. No. 623]

(a)

Dimensional requirements.

Maximum total building coverage: 15%.

Minimum lot area: 30 acres (gross).

[3]

Maximum height: 35 feet.

[4]

Maximum building length: 160 feet.

[5]

Setbacks from road: 35 feet.

[6]

Setbacks from internal service roads or driveways: 30 feet.

[7]

Setbacks from parking lots or sidewalks: 15 feet.

[8]

Setbacks from other buildings: 60 feet.

[a]

Front to rear, front to front, rear to rear: 60 feet.

[b]

Side to front or side to back: 40 feet.

[c]

Side to side: 25 feet.

[9]

Maximum total impervious coverage: 35%.

[10]

Minimum of two off-street parking spaces for each dwelling unit. Garage parking spaces cannot be counted toward this minimum requirement.

[11]

Overflow parking spaces: one space per dwelling unit.

[12]

Minimum open space: 20% of total lot area.

[13]

Density: 4.25 dwelling units x total lot area.

(b)

Performance standards.

The applicant shall meet the design and development standards set forth in § 143-28 of this chapter.

The site area shall contain environmentally sensitive areas, including, but not limited to, watercourses, wetlands, steep slopes, and/or woodlands, which shall be preserved as part of the proposed development.

[3]

All tracts within the I District proposing townhouse developments shall be subject to an environmental remediation program under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Act 2.

(c)

Architectural renderings.

As part of the conditional use application, the applicant shall prepare a set of architectural renderings for the buildings in the development, including elevations, perspective sketches and building materials.

The applicant shall choose an acceptable set of architectural standards to be followed consistently throughout the development by generally adhering to the following design criteria to the extent they are applicable to the type of dwelling unit being developed by the applicant.

[a]

At least 50% of the front elevation of a residential building shall be a masonry product (stone, stucco, brick, etc.).

[b]

The front elevation of a residential building shall contain a minimum of one gable per the number of dwelling units in the building.

[c]

There shall be a minimum two-foot offset at the common party wall of dwelling units for at least 67% of the dwelling units in a building. Example: A four-dwelling-unit building is required to have two such offsets, and a five-dwelling-unit building is required to have three such offsets.

[d]

There shall a be a minimum of two architectural feature changes on side elevations of buildings which may be accomplished through material changes, that is, masonry water tables, cedar-shake-style vinyl siding, bay windows, porch roofs, etc.

[e]

Ridge and fascia lines of the roof of a building may not align for more than two consecutive dwelling units along the front facade of a building.

[f]

All exterior decks shall be constructed utilizing a vinyl-wrapped support post, vinyl-wrapped (Azek or equivalent) skirt boards and support beams, if necessary. All railing shall be manufactured white vinyl. All decking shall be a composite material (Trex or equivalent).

[g]

All garage doors shall have one horizontal panel of windows.

[h]

Building materials including siding, masonry products, garage doors, windows, trim, roofing, shutters shall be generally consistent throughout the build-out of the development.

[i]

An HOA shall be responsible for enforcing the architectural standards of the development in perpetuity.

§ 143-134 Area and bulk regulations for I District.

Area and bulk regulations shall be as follows:

Site location: the site shall have direct access to a major highway.

Minimum site size: 20 acres.

Minimum lot size: 1 acre.

Minimum lot width: 150 feet.

Maximum building and impervious lot coverage: 65% of the total lot area.

[Amended 9-21-2006 by Ord. No. 556]

Building setback:

From streets: 75 feet.

From side property line: 50 feet.

From rear property line if other than street: 50 feet, except along railroad trackage.

Setback from abutting residential districts:

Structures: 200 feet.

Parking lots and loading areas: 100 feet.

Minimum distance between buildings on the same lot: 25 feet.

Maximum building height: 45 feet.

[Amended 9-21-2006 by Ord. No. 556]

§ 143-135 Purpose of IP District and establishment of sectors.

[Amended 12-3-2009 by Ord. No. 586; 8-17-2023 by Ord. No. 678]

The IP Industrial Park District is intended to permit and encourage industrial development that will be so located and designed as to constitute a harmonious and appropriate part of the physical development of the Township, contribute to the soundness of the economic base of the Township, provide opportunities for local employment close to residential areas, thus reducing travel to and from work, and otherwise further the purposes set forth in this chapter. The limitations on use, height and lot coverage are intended to provide for modern light industrial development in a suburban landscaped setting. The IP District is to be developed as a planned industrial district which shall include Mixed-Use and Office Technology Campus Sectors in conformance with an overall plan for the development. Residential and the more general commercial uses are considered not compatible and are prohibited, except in the Mixed-Use Sector, as proposed in the approved Lower Providence 2040 - Lower Providence Township Comprehensive Plan, and as set forth herein. Because the nature of the uses, the location of the district, the location of the sectors and the arrangement of the uses within them are expected to have a close relationship to an overall plan, it is deemed that the exercise of planning judgment on location and site plan is essential. Within the IP Industrial Park District, there shall be sectors as follows:

Mixed-Use Sector.

Shall apply to area within the IP District as may be designated by the Board of Supervisors of Lower Providence Township.

The provisions of the Mixed-Use Sector are mandatory and shall replace the provisions of the IP Industrial Park Zoning District when an area is designated to be within the Mixed -Use Sector. An area, when zoned within the boundaries of the Mixed-Used Sector, shall not be developed in combination with the underlying IP Industrial Park Zoning District.

If the Township deletes land from the Mixed-Use Sector, the zoning for the subject land shall revert to IP Industrial Park

Office Technology Campus Sector.

Shall apply to area within the IP District as may be designated by the Board of Supervisors of Lower Providence Township.

The provisions of the Office Technology Campus Sector are mandatory and shall replace the provisions of the IP Industrial Park Zoning District when an area is designated to be within the Office Technology Campus Sector. An area, when zoned within the boundaries of the Office Technology Campus Sector, shall not be developed in combination with the underlying IP Industrial Park Zoning District.

If the Township deletes land from the Office Technology Campus Sector, the zoning for the subject land shall revert to IP Industrial Park.

§ 143-136 Use Regulations for IP District.

[Amended 7-20-2000 by Ord. No. 448; 2-15-2001 by Ord. No. 453; 9-21-2006 by Ord. No. 556; 12-3-2009 by Ord. No. 586]

In the IP District, and in the Mixed-Use and Office Technology Campus Sectors, land, buildings or premises shall be used in accordance with the Schedule of Permitted Principal, Accessory and Conditional Uses and Uses by Special Exception as follows:

[Amended 10-20-2011 by Ord. No. 602; 3-15-2018 by Ord. No. 654; 8-17-2023 by Ord. No. 678]

Key
* ( )	=	Number of designated type of use allowed in each sector or district.
P	=	Permitted by right.
C	=	Conditional use (decision by the Board of Supervisors).
SE	=	Special exception use (decision by Zoning Hearing Board).
N	=	Not permitted.
A	=	Accessory or ancillary. No one ancillary commercial use shall exceed 10% of the square feet of the primary building, and the combination of all ancillary commercial uses on a site shall not exceed 20% of the total square feet of the building.

Types of Uses		IP District	Mixed-Use Sector	Office Technology Campus Sector
Animal hospital		SE	N	P (for properties abutting Adams and Van Buren Avenues)
Antique shops		N	P	N
Appliance sales/service		P	N	N
Art galleries		N	P	N
Art supply store		N	P	N
Auto glass shops		P	N	N
Auto repair garage		P (for properties abutting Trooper Road only)	N	N
Awning manufacturing		P	N	N
Bakery, commercial		P	N	N
Bakery shop, retail		N	P	N
Banks and financial institutions		P	P	N
Barber shop/beauty shops		N	P	N
Beverage and brewery bottling		P	P	N
Beverage distributor		P	N	N
Beverage stores (liquor)		N	P	N
Bicycle sales/service		N	P	N
Bookstores (without adult entertainment)		N	P	N
Business services		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	P
Cabinet manufacturing		P	N	N
Cafeterias		A	P	A
Candy stores		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Car wash		SE	N	N
Ceramic shops		N	P	N
Ceramic tile sales		P	N	N
Cleaning services		P	N	N
Clothing and apparel store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Colleges/universities		N	N	P
Communications, wireless – Per § 143-250		P	N	N
Computer sales		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Computer sales, wholesale		P	N	N
Confectionery store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Construction company headquarters		P	N	N
Contractor (storage)		C	N	N
Convenience store (no fuel services)		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	C*(1)	N
Convention/exposition center		P*(2)	N	N
Dairy store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Dance school		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Day-care center (child or adult)		P	P	A
Delicatessen		A P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	A
Department store		N	C	N
Detective agency		P	P	N
Driving school		P	N	N
Drugstore		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Dry cleaner, commercial		P	N	N
Dry cleaner, retail		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Electrical substation		P	N	P
Floor covering sales		P	N	N
Florist shop		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Food distribution warehouse		P	N	N
Food processing		P	N	N
Furnace/air conditioning		P	N	N
Furniture repair/refinishing		P	N	N
Furniture store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Garage, storage		A	N	A
Garden supply shop		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Gift shop		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	A
Glass sales and service		P	N	N
Grocery store (less than 30,000 square feet)		N	P	N
Handicraft store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Hardware store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Health, athletic club, gym		P	P	A
Heliport-helipad		SE	P	N
Home improvement stores		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Hospital		P	P	P
Hotels (with or without convention facilities)		P*(2)	P*(1)	N
Ice cream shops		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	A
Janitorial services		P	N	N
Jewelry stores		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Kennels		SE	N	N
Libraries		P	P	A
Locksmiths		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Mail order business		P	N	N
Manufacturing, fabricating, assembly and/or processing of the following:		P	N	P (for properties abutting Van Buren or Madison Avenues only)
(a)	Scientific and precision instruments and controls.
(b)	Electronic components, including computers, pharmaceutical and optical goods.
(c)	Metalized and coated plastic film, photographic reduction, film and equipment.
(d)	Jewelry and time pieces.
(e)	Clothing and other textile products, but excluding dyeing and manufacturing of textiles.
(f)	Small electrical appliances and supplies, such as lighting fixtures, wiring, toasters, radios, medical and dental equipment and hand tools.
(g)	Small machine parts.
(h)	Musical instruments.
(i)	Toys and novelties.
(j)	Small products from previously prepared paper, plastic, rubber (excluding the manufacture of rubber or synthetic rubber), wood, tools and hardware.
(k)	Finishing, plating, grinding, sharpening, polishing, cleaning, rustproofing and heat-treating of small metal pieces (those capable of being held in one hand by the average worker) related to uses listed in items (a) through (j).
Marine accessory shops		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Meat markets		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Medical clinics		P	N	N
Medical laboratories		P	N	P
Medical marijuana dispensary		P (for properties abutting Eisenhower, Van Buren, Jefferson, and Madison Avenues only)	N	N
Medical marijuana grower/processor		P (for properties abutting Eisenhower, Van Buren, Jefferson, and Madison Avenues only)	N	N
Medical offices		P	P	P
Moving company		P	N	N
Newspaper offices		P	N	N
Newspaper printing facility		P	N	N
Offices, business		P	P	P
Optical shops		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Paint/wallpaper store		P	N	N
Parking facilities/lots		C	C	C
Parks/playgrounds		P	A	A
Pest control service		P	N	N
Pet shops		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Photocopying shops		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Photographic processing		P	N	A
Photographic studios		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	A
Photographic supplies/equipment		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Recreational, indoor		P	P	A
Rental business		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Research/development lab		P	N	P
Residential – aboveground-level retail		N	P	N
Restaurant		C	P	N
Restaurant, drive-through		C	N	N
Retail sales (a permitted commercial use not including uses listed individually in this Schedule and not including a shopping center)		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
School (vocational/trade/business)		P	P	A
Shoe repair store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Shoe store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Sign Company		P	N	N
Sporting goods store		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Storage facility, self-serve		P	N	A
Surgical center		P	P	P
Tailor/alterations		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Target range (completely indoor and enclosed)		SE	N	N
Testing or training center		P	P	A
Theaters, indoor		C	C	A
Tobacco stores		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Travel agencies		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	N
Truck terminals		SE	N	N
Upholstery shops		P	N	N
Utility offices		P	N	P
Video (sales and rental)		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	P	A
Warehousing		C	N	N
Water softener (sales/service)		P (within 600 feet of GC District)	N	N
Wholesale business		P	N	N

All uses permitted within 600 feet of a General Commercial District boundary shall be subject to the application of the minimum dimensional standards of § 143-112 and the general regulations of § 143-105.

Uses by special exception. Any use of the same general character as any of the above, including distribution plant for small parcels (those capable of being hand-delivered) may be permitted when such use is authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board.

Ancillary uses.

Permitted ancillary commercial uses include restaurants, banks or similar financial institutions, automatic bank machines, recreation facilities operated as a business within a building (i.e., sauna, health clubs), and service businesses, including barber, beautician, tailor, shoe repair, photography, copy center, travel agency and postal services.

Ancillary commercial uses shall be primarily intended to serve the daily service needs of the employees and users of the IP District.

All ancillary commercial uses shall be carried on within or contiguous to the facade of any building(s).

Conditional uses. All conditional uses shall comply with the procedures set forth in § 143-80 of this chapter.

Procedures for consideration of a conditional use. The following procedure shall be followed for consideration of any proposed conditional use pursuant to this article:

Conditional use application. An application shall be submitted, in writing, to the Township Manager. Such applications shall include, as a minimum, a tentative sketch plan indicating how the applicant intends to develop the property and sufficient data to document compliance with the applicable standards contained in Subsection E. The Township Board of Supervisors shall schedule a public hearing on said application within 60 days following the date of the regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors or the Planning Commission (whichever first reviews the application) next following the date the application is filed, provided that should the next regular meeting occur more than 30 days following the filing of the application, said sixty-day period shall be measured from the 30th day following the date the application has been filed. Such time may be waived, in writing, by the applicant.

Public hearing. Prior to deciding to approve or deny an application for the proposed conditional use, the Board of Supervisors shall hold a public hearing thereon pursuant to public notice. At least 30 days prior to the date of the hearing, one copy of the development proposal and all additional submitted information shall be transmitted to the Township Planning Commission and one to the Montgomery County Planning Commission, together with a request that these agencies submit recommendations regarding said use.

Use of a lot located in the IP District for an auto repair garage shall be permitted only when all the following requirements are met:

[Added 12-21-2017 by Ord. No. 647]

The lot abuts Trooper Road.

The lot has vehicular access to at least two public roads.

Any exterior storage of vehicles, parts, or equipment shall be completely screened from view from all public roads and/or residentially zones/used properties by solid fencing and buffer plantings.

§ 143-137 Area and bulk regulations for IP District.

[Amended 7-20-2000 by Ord. No. 448; 8-21-2003 by Ord. No. 489; 9-21-2006 by Ord. No. 556; 12-3-2009 by Ord. No. 586]

The provisions set forth in the area, bulk and height chart of this section shall apply only to properties and uses under the Mixed-Use Sector of this article. All other uses shall comply with the following provisions in Subsections B, C and D. The sign provisions of Subsection E shall apply to all properties and uses in the district.

[Amended 10-20-2011 by Ord. No. 602]

Building Type	Minimum Site/Lot Size	Site/Lot Width (feet)	Site/Lot Depth (feet)	Setbacks Front/Side/Rear (feet)	Height	Other Requirements
Industrial	1 acre			30 minimum/25 minimum/20 minimum	90 feet	Separation between buildings: 40 feet
Office	1 acre	200	200	30 minimum/25 minimum/20 minimum	90 feet	Separation between principal buildings: 40 feet; building breaks at minimum of every 50 linear feet of facade length
Retail	10,000 square feet	200/100	200/100	0 minimum to 10 maximum/20 minimum/20 minimum	90 feet	Separation between principal buildings: 40 feet: building breaks at minimum of every 50 linear feet of facade length
Mixed-Use Residential with Ground Floor Retail	10,000 square feet	200/100	200/100	0 minimum to 10 maximum/0 minimum/20 minimum	3.5 stories	Building breaks at minimum of every 25 feet; density: 11 dwelling units acre
Buildings within Office-Technology Campus	1 acre	200	200	15 minimum	90 feet	Separation between principal buildings: 40 feet
Parking Structure	—	—	—	20

Maximum building and impervious material coverage: 65% of the total lot area, except that impervious surface coverage of not more than 75% may be permitted when the design includes the use of green roofs and rain gardens.

Other building setbacks:

From accessory buildings: 25 feet.

From streets: 30 feet.

From parking areas: 15 feet.

Other minimum yards except in Mixed-Use Sector:

[Amended 8-17-2023 by Ord. No. 678]

Front yards, perimeter roads: 50 feet.