This article contains regulations that are common to all zoning
districts, unless stated as pertaining to a specific district or use
herein. These regulations shall apply in addition to those established
by the individual zoning districts. In the event that the requirements
of this article conflict with other regulations within this chapter,
the more restrictive requirement shall apply.
All buildings, structures, lots, and yards shall, in addition
to the applicable district regulations, comply with the following
regulations, as applicable. See Figure 15-1.
A. Buildings and structures.
(1) No more than one single-family dwelling shall be permitted on any
lot.
(2) Exception of more than one principal structure. Not more than one
principal structure shall be permitted on a lot except as permitted
within the C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4 and LI Zoning Districts where more than
one structure housing a permitted principal use may be erected on
a single lot, provided the applicable area and bulk requirements of
the applicable district are met for each structure.
(3) Exception of more than one principal use. Except as permitted in
the C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, and LI Zoning Districts, only one principal
use shall be permitted in a single structure.
(4) One or more accessory structures may be located on a lot, subject to the district regulations and in accordance with Article
XVIII, Supplemental Uses.
(5) Building height. No building or structure in any zoning district
shall exceed the height limitations of the applicable district. The
height limitations of this chapter shall not apply to spires, belfries,
cupolas, and domes not intended for human occupancy; monuments, observation
towers, transmission towers, chimneys, smokestacks, flagpoles, radio
and television towers, and masts except as regulated otherwise by
this chapter.
(6) Minimum habitable floor area. The minimum habitable floor area of
a dwelling unit shall be in accordance with the building code for
the Borough of West Grove (UCC) and other applicable requirements
of this chapter.
B. Lots. See Figure 15-1.
(1) Not more than one principal use shall be permitted on a lot, except
as permitted in the C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4 and Limited Industrial Zoning
Districts.
(2) No lot shall be reduced in size so that the minimum lot area and/or
dimensional requirements of this chapter are no longer met.
(3) Every principal structure shall be built upon a lot with frontage upon a public or private street improved to meet Borough regulations or for which such improvements have been ensured by the posting of a performance guarantee pursuant to Chapter
350, Subdivision and Land Development.
(4) Minimum lot width. No principal structure shall be erected on any
part of a lot which has a width less than the width required in the
applicable zoning district.
(5) An existing lot that does not comply with the minimum lot area requirements
shall not be subdivided.
(6) A lot that does not comply with the minimum dimensional requirements
shall not be subdivided to further increase the nonconformity or create
a new nonconforming condition.
(7) Corner lots.
(a)
On corner lots, any yard abutting a street shall meet the minimum
required front yard for the applicable zoning district and shall be
subject to all front yard requirements of this chapter.
(b)
The minimum lot width requirements shall be applied to the street
frontage to which the front of the primary structure or structures
faces which shall be determined by the street for which the lot is
addressed by the Borough.
(c)
The yard opposite the front of the primary structure or structures established by §
400-68B(7)(b), above, shall be a rear yard and the remaining yard shall be a side yard.
(d)
Corner lots shall comply with the requirements of §
400-70, Visibility at intersections.
Figure 15-1: Lots
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(8) Flag lots. Flag lots shall be permitted by conditional use in accordance
with the following regulations:
(a)
Flag lots shall contain a lot area equal to the minimum required
lot area of the zoning district in which the lot is located. The area
of the access strip (stem) shall not be included in the calculations
of the required minimum lot area.
(b)
Access strip (stem).
[1]
A flag lot shall be connected to an existing or proposed road
by an access strip (stem) which shall have a minimum width of 25 feet
measured from the existing street line of the road being accessed
for the full length of the access strip (stem) to the point where
the lot first obtains the required minimum lot width.
[2]
Such access strip (stem) shall be owned in fee as part of the
lot and not by way of a grant or right-of-way, easement, license,
or similar grant. As such, shared driveways for flag lots shall not
be permitted.
(c)
The front yard for a flag lot shall be measured from the point
where the lot first obtains the minimum required lot width for the
district in which the lot is located.
(9) Reverse frontage lots (through lots).
(a)
Any yard abutting a street shall meet the minimum required front
yard for the applicable zoning district and shall be subject to all
front yard requirements of this chapter. Remaining yards shall be
side yards.
(b)
The minimum lot width requirements shall be applied to the street
frontage to which the front of the primary structure or structures
faces, which shall be determined by the street for which the lot is
addressed by the Borough.
C. Yards. See Figure 15-2.
(1) Where a minimum depth of a front, side, or rear yard setback is required
as specified by the area and bulk requirements in the zoning districts,
an open space a minimum of the specified depth shall be provided between
the street line(s) or lot line(s) and the nearest point of any building
or structure, except when permitted or otherwise specified elsewhere
in this chapter.
(2) Side yards shall not be required for buildings or structures on adjacent
lots or on a lot where such structures are connected by party walls
where permitted by this chapter.
(3) Space provided to satisfy the yard and area requirements for any
building or structure, either existing or proposed, shall not be used
to meet the yard and area requirements for any other building or structure.
(4) Projection into yards. All required yards shall be unobstructed except
as follows:
(a)
No structure or any other item or property shall be placed so it that intrudes upon the required clear sight distance at a street intersection in accordance with §
400-70.
(b)
Uninhabited structures, including sheds not used for automobile
storage, arbor, open trellis, flagpole, lamppost, driveway, sidewalk,
patio, eves, or unroofed steps, shall be permitted within required
yards.
(c)
An awning or movable canopy may project into any yard not more
than 15 feet, but shall not be closer than 15 feet from the property
line.
(d)
An open fire escape, unroofed porch, or deck shall not project
more than six feet into any required yard and shall be a minimum of
five feet from any lot line.
Figure 15-2: Yard and Setback Requirements
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The intent of the regulations in this section is to minimize
the off-site impact of lighting while providing for lighting that
is sufficient for safe use of a property. The following regulations
shall apply in regard to outdoor lighting in the Borough:
A. Purpose.
(1) Provide for and control lighting in outdoor public places where public
health, safety and welfare are potential concerns.
(2) Protect drivers and pedestrians from the glare of nonvehicular light
sources.
(3) Protect neighbors and the night sky from nuisance glare and light
trespass from improperly selected or poorly placed, aimed, applied,
maintained or shielded light sources.
(4) Promote energy efficient lighting design and operation.
B. Applicability.
(1) Outdoor lighting shall be required for the purpose of safety and
personal security in areas of public assembly and traverse, including
but not limited to:
(a)
Parking areas of multifamily, commercial, institutional and
industrial uses.
(c)
At the ingress and egress of parking areas.
(e)
The Borough Council may require or permit lighting to be incorporated
for other uses where security and safety reasons warrant.
(2) The requirements herein apply to all uses and situations mentioned
above, including but not limited to signs, security, landscaping,
and residential lighting.
C. Plan submission.
(1) Lighting plans shall be submitted to the Borough for review and approval
with all applications for building permits, a change in use, and subdivision
and land development plans. The required lighting plan shall include
the following information:
(a)
A site plan containing a layout of the proposed fixture locations
and type.
(b)
Catalogue cuts and photometrics for each light fixture, the
method of energizing each light fixture, a listing of the hours of
operation and a plan showing the photometrics for the entire site,
based upon the proposed placement of the light fixtures. A description
of glare-reduction devices, lamps, control devices, mounting heights,
pole foundation details, and mounting methods, as appropriate for
each fixture, should also be included.
(2) Post-approval alterations to lighting plans shall be submitted to
the Borough for review and approval.
(3) The Borough reserves the right to conduct a post-installation nighttime
inspection to verify compliance with the requirements of this chapter
and, if appropriate, to require remedial action at no expense to the
Borough.
D. Illumination levels. Lighting, where required by this chapter, shall
have intensities and uniformity ratios in accordance with, but not
limited, to Figure 15-4.
Figure 15-4: Illumination Levels
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Use/Task
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Illumination
(average)*
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Uniformity Ratio**
(average per minute)
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Pedestrian walkways
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0.2 to 0.4 avg.
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5:1
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Local commercial streets: intersections of streets-parking areas
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0.4 to 1.0 avg.
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6:1
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Local residential streets: intersection of streets-parking areas
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0.4 to 0.6 avg.
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4:1
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Parking: multifamily
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0.6 min. to 0.8 max.
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4:1
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Parking: commercial/industrial
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0.6 min. to 1.2 max.
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4:1
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Illuminated signs
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0.6 to 1.0 avg.
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6:1
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Recreational uses/parks
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0.6 to 0.8 avg.
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4:1
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NOTES:
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*
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Illumination levels are maintained horizontal footcandles on
the task, e.g., pavement or area surface.
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**
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Uniformity ratios dictate that average illumination values shall
not exceed minimum values by more than the product of the minimum
value and the specified ratio [e.g., for commercial parking, high
activity, the average footcandles shall not be in excess of 3.6 (0.9
x 4)].
|
avg.
|
Average.
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min.
|
Minimum.
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max.
|
Maximum.
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E. Design requirements.
(1) Fixtures shall be of a type and design appropriate to the lighting
application and shall otherwise comply with the UCC.
(2) Unless otherwise specified elsewhere within this chapter, for the
lighting of predominantly horizontal surfaces such as, but not limited
to, roadways, vehicular and pedestrian passage areas, merchandising
and storage areas, automotive fuel-dispensing facilities, loading
docks, active and passive recreational areas, building entrances,
sidewalks, paths, site entrances and parking areas, fixtures shall
be aimed straight down and shall meet IESNA "full-cutoff" criteria
(no light output emitted above 90° at any lateral angle around
the fixture and no more than 10% light output above 80°). See
Figure 15-5.
Figure 15-5: Full-Cutoff Lighting
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(3) For the lighting of nonhorizontal (vertical) surfaces, including
but not limited to facades, landscaping, signs, billboards, fountains,
displays, flags and statuary, the use of floodlighting, spotlighting,
wall-mounted fixtures and other fixtures not meeting IESNA full-cutoff
criteria, the following requirements shall apply:
(a)
Lighting fixtures shall be installed and aimed so their output
is not projected into the windows of adjacent uses, past the object
being illuminated, skyward, or onto a public roadway.
(b)
When necessary to redirect offending light distribution, fixtures
shall be equipped with light-directing devices such as shields, visors,
or hoods as approved by the Borough Council, based upon acceptable
glare control and their consistency with the character of the surrounding
area.
F. Control of glare.
(1) Floodlighting and outdoor lighting in all districts, whether or not
required by this chapter.
(a)
Shall not be aimed, installed, or directed so as to project
into the windows of neighboring residential uses, and shall not be
directed skyward or onto a roadway.
(b)
Shall be diffused, directed, shielded, located, designed, and
maintained in such a manner as not to present any hazardous situations
for passing vehicular or pedestrian traffic or create a nuisance by
objectionable light projected beyond its lot line onto a neighboring
use or property.
(2) All fixtures shall be equipped with light directing or shielding
of a type and design appropriate to the lighting application, for
the purpose of redirecting offending light or reducing direct or reflected
glare, and no glare shall be discernible beyond its lot line onto
adjacent properties.
(3) The intensity of illumination projected onto a residential use from
another property shall not exceed 0.1 vertical footcandle, measured
line-of-sight at the property line.
(4) Vegetation screens shall not serve as the primary means for controlling
glare. Rather, glare control shall be achieved through the use of
full-cutoff fixtures, shields and baffles, and appropriate application
of fixture mounting height, wattage, aiming angle and fixture placement.
(5) Nighttime lighting.
(a)
All nonessential lighting, including display, aesthetic, parking,
and sign lighting, shall be required to be turned off or reduced by
75% within one hour of close of business or 11:00 p.m., whichever
is earlier, and dawn, leaving only the necessary lighting for site
security or continued advertising through lighted signs as approved
by the Borough.
(b)
Where all-night safety or security lighting is deemed necessary,
the lighting intensity levels shall generally not exceed 25% of the
levels permitted by this section, but in no case shall they be less
than the minimum levels for safety or security as invoked by IESNA.
(c)
The use of automatic switching devices, timers, motion detectors,
and photocells is encouraged for extinguishing lighting.
(6) No outdoor lighting shall have blinking, flashing, or fluttering
lights or devices that cause changing intensity, brightness, or color,
except for seasonal decorative lighting.
(7) Externally illuminated signs shall be lit by fixtures mounted at
the top of the sign or billboard and aimed downward. The fixtures
shall be designed, fitted and aimed to place the light output on and
not beyond the sign or billboard.
(8) Except for public streetlights and traffic signals, freestanding
light fixtures shall not exceed 20 feet in height.
(9) All lighting requirements and necessary equipment shall meet the
requirements of the appropriate utility.
(10)
All outdoor lighting fixtures and ancillary equipment shall
be maintained as to continuously meet the requirements of this chapter.
G. Installation.
(1) Electrical feeds for lighting shall be run underground not overhead.
(2) Pole-mounted fixtures for lighting horizontal tasks shall be aimed
straight down.
H. Nuisance glare and inadequate illumination levels.
(1) When the Borough judges an installation produces unacceptable levels
of nuisance glare, skyward light, excessive or insufficient illumination
levels or otherwise varies from this chapter, the Borough may cause
notification of the person(s) responsible for the lighting and require
appropriate remedial action.
(2) If the infraction so warrants, the Borough may act to have the problem corrected as in §
400-71H(1) above at the expense of the owner violating the chapter.
Landscaping, buffering, and screening as required herein shall be in accordance with §
350-37 of Chapter
350, Subdivision and Land Development.
To minimize traffic congestion and hazard and encourage the
orderly development of street frontage, the following regulations
shall apply:
A. All lots shall be direct access to a public or private street.
B. Unless clearly impractical, no driveway shall be situated within
five feet of a side property line, except where shared or common driveways
are permitted.
C. Lots abutting two or more streets. Unless clearly impractical or
inappropriate from a safety or traffic planning perspective, lots
which abut two or more streets shall have their primary access from
the street of lesser functional classification as defined by the Borough
Comprehensive Plan or other Borough document, code, or ordinance,
in accordance with traffic counts, or as determined by Borough Council.
D. All accessways to any public street or highway shall be located a
minimum of 40 feet from the intersection of any street line, and shall
be designed in a manner conducive to safe ingress and egress.
E. The developer shall be responsible for the construction of any necessary
traffic control devices, acceleration or deceleration lanes, or other
roadway modifications or features required by the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation or the Borough Engineer for ingress or egress to
any public street.
Off-street parking and loading shall be required for all uses and shall be in accordance with Article
XVII.
In all districts, topsoil or sod may be removed from a premises
only in connection with the construction or alteration of a street,
building, structure, or parking lot and grading incidental to such
approved activity.