It is the purpose and intent of this district to encourage the development of institutional uses in accordance with an approved plan of development subject to the requirements of this chapter.
A building or group of buildings may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes or uses:
A. 
Place of religious worship.
B. 
Educational uses, including schools (private or public), colleges and universities, including dormitories, dining halls and similar uses accessory to an educational use.
C. 
Library or museum.
D. 
Hospital, medical center, or nursing home.
E. 
Life care complex, under the requirements of § 350-157 hereof.
F. 
Cemetery.
G. 
Day-care center, under the requirements of § 350-155 hereof.
H. 
Municipal use, under the requirements of § 350-156 hereof.
I. 
Accessory buildings, structures, or uses customarily incidental to uses permitted in an INST Institutional District.
J. 
Antenna or cellular tower as a special exception in accordance with the provisions of § 350-185 of this chapter.
K. 
Medical outpatient campus as a conditional use when authorized by the Board of Commissioners in accordance with the development regulations and standards specified below, which development regulations and standards shall supersede the terms of the Township Zoning and Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances inconsistent herewith:
[Added 11-9-2015 by Ord. No. 1655]
(1) 
Area and yard requirements.
(a) 
Gross tract area and width. Any parcel of land developed for a medical outpatient campus shall have a gross tract area of eight acres with a width of not less than 500 feet at the building line.
(b) 
Building and impervious coverage. Maximum building coverage shall not exceed 30% of the tract area. Maximum impervious surface coverage shall not exceed 75% of the tract area.
(c) 
Yard requirements.
[1] 
There shall be a front yard of not less than 20 feet.
[2] 
There shall be two side yards, neither of which shall be less than 25 feet.
[3] 
There shall be a rear yard of not less than 25 feet.
(2) 
Building height. The maximum building height shall be 80 feet.
(3) 
Buffer and screening requirements. Along all exterior property boundary lines there shall be a permanent buffer of at least 20 feet in depth. Buffering and screening shall be provided in accordance with § 300-43C.
(4) 
Parking.
(a) 
Off-street parking spaces shall be provided at 4.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area.
(b) 
Each parking space shall be at least nine feet by 18 feet.
(c) 
Parking aisles shall be at least 25 feet wide.
(d) 
Parking shall be set back at least 20 feet from any tract boundary.
(5) 
Declaration of covenants. The owner shall record a declaration of covenants, acceptable to the Township Solicitor, relating to the use, control, and maintenance of the common areas, including access, green space, and parking areas which shall run with the land and apply to future owners of a subdivided lot within the tract, and further providing that the application of zoning regulations, including, but not limited to, building coverage, impervious coverage, parking, loading, and landscaping, as well as required area, width and yard regulations, shall apply to an overall tract approved as a medical outpatient campus. Individual lots created pursuant to this section need not comply with these zoning requirements.
(6) 
Special conveyancing. When the development of a tract and uses therein are in accordance with a medical outpatient campus plan, then a conveyance of a lot within the tract shall be permitted upon compliance with the following conditions:
(a) 
Irrevocable cross-easements in favor of and duly binding on all title owners within the area of the medical outpatient campus, their successors and assigns, with respect to use, control and maintenance of the common areas, including access, green space, and parking areas, are in effect and recorded. All easements shall be submitted to the Township Solicitor for review prior to recording.
(b) 
Application of zoning regulations, including, but not limited to, building coverage, impervious coverage, parking, loading and landscaping, as well as required area, width and yard regulations, shall apply to an overall tract approved as a medical outpatient campus. Individual lots created pursuant to this section need not comply with these zoning requirements.
(c) 
The owner or owners shall designate, in writing, to the Township, no less frequently than annually, a single agent to be responsible for all issues relative to operation and maintenance of the medical outpatient campus.
(7) 
Pedestrian circulation design standards.
(a) 
There shall be clear grade-separated pedestrian connections between all parking areas and all buildings. The sidewalks required within planting strips by Township Code may be used to meet this requirement.
(b) 
Unobstructed sidewalks, no less than five feet in width, shall be provided along the full length of the building along any facade featuring a customer entrance and along any facade abutting public parking areas. Along facades with building entrances, the required five-foot-wide sidewalk area shall be set back from the facade by a three-foot area that either contains planting beds or additional sidewalk width.
(c) 
Buildings and sidewalks shall be constructed in accordance with the latest ADA standards for accessible design as required by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and Chapter 11 of the International Building Code.
(8) 
Signs for a medical outpatient campus shall be allowed in accordance with the following standards:
(a) 
Monument signs. A medical outpatient campus may have one monument sign per street entrance and one monument sign for each building. The gross surface area for each sign shall not exceed 100 square feet for each exposed face. The maximum height of a monument sign shall be 15 feet. The height of the monument sign shall be measured from the base of the sign or grade of the nearest adjacent roadway, whichever is lower. The monument sign may be positioned along any street behind the ultimate right-of-way, or driveway.
(b) 
Wall signs shall be permitted on each building of a medical outpatient campus. The maximum gross surface area of such signs shall be as follows:
[1] 
One square foot of sign area for each foot of distance a building is set back from the ultimate right-of-way of the nearest adjacent roadway up to a maximum of 300 square feet; or
[2] 
Two square feet of sign area per linear foot of building wall to a maximum of 400 square feet.
[3] 
In either case of Subsection K(8)(b)[1] or [2], the maximum sign area is limited to 25% of the area of the building wall, including doors and windows, to which the signs are attached.
(c) 
No wall sign shall extend more than three feet above the eaves line of a roof or the building parapet.
(d) 
Illumination of signs shall be from interior sources only.
(e) 
Directional signs shall be permitted and may include logos. Directional signs shall not exceed 25 square feet and shall not obstruct the sight triangles at internal intersections on the premises.
(f) 
For a medical outpatient campus, additional ground signs may be approved by the Board of Commissioners during the conditional use proceedings.
The following uses are permitted as a special exception when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with the provisions of Article XXIX.
A. 
Recreational facility owned or operated by a nongovernmental agency.
B. 
Private club or lodge.
C. 
Community center, adult education center or other similar facility.
D. 
Parking area.
E. 
Customary home occupations or office accessory to a residence.
The regulations for INST Institutional District pertaining to lot area, density and the arrangement of buildings on subject lots shall be as specified below:
A. 
Lot area and width. Any parcel of land developed under the terms of this article shall contain a total minimum area of 80,000 square feet with a width of not less than 200 feet at the building line.
B. 
Building and impervious surface coverage. Maximum building area coverage shall not exceed 20% of the lot area. Maximum impervious surface coverage shall not exceed 60% of the lot area.
[Amended 9-12-2011 by Ord. No. 1602]
C. 
Yard requirements.
(1) 
There shall be a front yard of not less than 100 feet in depth.
(2) 
There shall be two side yards on each side yard on each lot, neither of which shall be less than 25 feet in width.
(3) 
There shall be a rear yard on each lot which shall be not less than 50 feet in depth.
(4) 
There shall be interior yards, as follows:
(a) 
Interior yards. For buildings of three stories or less, but not in excess of 35 feet in height, the minimum distance between any two buildings shall be 35 feet.
(b) 
The required distance between any two buildings shall be increased by an amount equal to that portion of the height of each building which exceeds 35 feet or three stories, whichever is lower. Part or all of the additional required distance between buildings may be provided by setbacks in the buildings at the thirty-five-foot or three-story level.
(5) 
Along any district boundary line, separating the INST Institutional District from any residential district, a buffer yard shall be provided which shall be not less than 50 feet in width measured from such boundary line or from the street line where such street constitutes the district boundary line. Such buffer yard may be coterminous with any required yard in this district, and in case of conflicts, the larger yard requirements shall apply. In addition, a buffer yard of not less than 50 feet in width shall be provided in the area separating nonresidential uses from residential uses within the INST Institutional District. Minimum landscaping requirements shall be in accordance with Chapter 300, Article V, § 300-43C, of the Upper Moreland Township Code.
A. 
Parking. Off-street parking space shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Article XXIV.
B. 
Streets. All access streets shall have minimum right-of-way widths of 60 feet.
C. 
Utilities. Each building and use shall be served by public water and sanitary sewer facilities at the time of development.
Any day-care provider proposing to operate a day-care center shall, prior to the commencement of operation of such day-care center, obtain an annual day-care use permit from the Township and shall demonstrate compliance with the following conditions:
A. 
The day-care provider shall provide to the Township's Code Enforcement Department a copy of such day-care provider's license issued by the Department of Public Welfare of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The day-care provider shall execute a consent to the Township's Code Enforcement Department that will allow such Department to be informed by the Department of Public Welfare of the termination or revocation of such license.
B. 
There shall be provided a minimum of 40 square feet of space for each child, excluding for such calculation halls, kitchen, staff areas, utility rooms and bathroom areas.
C. 
There shall be provided a minimum of 65 square feet of space of outside play area for each child within the rear or side yards of the structure or facility. Such space, in order to be included for the purpose of calculating compliance, must be reasonably level and fully enclosed with a safety fence at least four feet in height and equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates. Such play area may not include driveways or parking areas in use during the hours of operation of the day-care center. Such fence shall be constructed of masonry, wire mesh or chain-link fencing of a minimum of nine-gauge wire or wood with at least three-fourths-inch thickness. There shall be no gap or opening in such fence in excess of three inches in width.
D. 
The property on which a day-care center is to be located shall have driveways and off-street parking areas designed to provide for proper traffic circulation so that the dropping off of children can be accomplished off-street and without vehicular traffic obstructing any public street or highway.
E. 
All trash or refuse generated by the operation of any day-care center shall be placed for disposal in a container with a close-fitting lid. All such trash containers shall be stored within a building or enclosed structure until the day of regular trash collection.
F. 
The day-care provider shall provide evidence of compliance with other applicable provisions of the Township Code, including, but not limited to, the Fire Prevention Code, Building Code and Existing Structure Code.
The regulations for INST Institutional District pertaining to any building used for a municipal use shall be as specified below:
A. 
Lot area and width. Any parcel of land developed for a municipal use shall contain a total minimum lot area of 80,000 square feet with a width of not less than 200 feet at the building line.
B. 
Building area. Not more than 25% of the area of any tract shall be occupied by buildings.
C. 
Yard requirements.
(1) 
There shall be a front yard of not less than 20 feet.
(2) 
There shall be two side yards with each side yard having a width of not less than 25 feet.
(3) 
There shall be a rear yard of not less than 25 feet.
(4) 
There shall be an interior yard between any buildings of not less than 25 feet.
A. 
Area, density and yard requirements. The following area, density and yard requirements shall apply to a life care complex:
(1) 
Minimum area. An area of not less than six acres shall be provided for any life care complex.
(2) 
Maximum density. The maximum density of eight dwelling units per acre shall be provided, with two nursing beds being deemed to constitute the equivalent of one dwelling unit. At least 25%, but not more than 35%, of the dwelling units shall be comprised of nursing beds.
(3) 
Yard requirements. The following yard setbacks shall be observed:
(a) 
Apartment-type building and health care facilities: 100 feet from any property line.
(b) 
Single-family detached or attached buildings: 75 feet from any property line.
(c) 
Any other buildings or structures: 75 feet from any property line.
(4) 
Distances between buildings. The minimum distance between buildings shall be equal to 1 1/2 times the height of the tallest building, but not less than 20 feet.
(5) 
Building area and impervious surface coverage. Not more than 20% of the area of the lot or tract shall be occupied by buildings. The maximum impervious surface coverage of the lot or tract shall not exceed 65% of the area of the lot or tract.
B. 
Buffer and screening requirements. The following minimum buffer standards shall apply to uses in a life care complex:
(1) 
General. Along all exterior property boundary lines there shall be a permanent buffer of at least 15 feet in depth. Such buffer, when the proposed life care complex abuts a residential district or use, shall consist of a planting of a double row of evergreen trees (of such species that attain a height at maturity of not less than 20 feet) with a height at planting of not less than six feet, spaced at planting not more than 10 feet apart on center and with the trees in one row offset five feet from the trees in another row and with the rows at least 10 feet apart.
(2) 
Maintenance. All plantings shall be maintained permanently and, in the event of death or other destruction, shall be replaced within one year by a replanting by a tree that conforms to the original specifications.
C. 
Parking. The following minimum parking standards shall apply to uses in a life care complex:
(1) 
One-and-one-half parking spaces for each dwelling unit.
(2) 
One parking space for every two beds for any health care facility provided as a part of a life care complex.
(3) 
One parking space for each employee working on the largest shift of employees.
D. 
Building height. The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.
E. 
General requirements. All buildings within a life care complex shall be served by public sewage and public water service. The requirements of § 300-34 of Subdivision and Land Development, Chapter 300, Article IV, of the Upper Moreland Township Code shall be complied with by any life care complex, provided that two nursing beds shall be deemed to constitute the equivalent of one dwelling unit for the purpose of the calculations required by such § 300-34.