Exciting enhancements are coming soon to eCode360! Learn more 🡪
Township of Charlestown, PA
Chester County
By using eCode360 you agree to be legally bound by the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the Terms of Use, please do not use eCode360.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (6) Index
[Ord. 6/20/1979; as amended by Ord. 125-2004, 12/20/2004, § 1]
The I/O/B Districts are designed primarily for selected research and industrial establishments with a view to encouraging attractive, large-site, low-lot coverage developments in areas which are well suited for such uses. Further, the general purpose of this Part is to encourage only industrial uses which would not constitute a hazard or a nuisance to people, animals, or vegetation, and to discourage future development of the same land for residential use.
[Ord. 6/20/1979; as amended by Ord. 91-2000, 11/20/2000, § 2; and by Ord. 125-2004, § 1]
1. 
A building or other structure may be erected, altered, or used, and a lot may be used and/or occupied subject to Parts 11 and 12, for the following:
A. 
Industrial/Office (I/O) District.
(1) 
Permitted Principal Uses.
(a) 
Agricultural uses and buildings, subject to the provisions of § 27-1615.
(b) 
Business or professional office, including bank.
(c) 
Assembly of such items as novelties, jewelry, watches, clocks, optical goods, professional and scientific instruments, small electrical appliances and parts, electronic equipment, and other goods and products made from previously prepared materials.
(2) 
Permitted Accessory Uses.
(a) 
Restaurant, cafeteria, personal service shop and other accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to the principal uses permitted in Subsection 1A(1) herein.
(b) 
Parking, in accordance with Part 13.
(c) 
Signs, in accordance with Part 14.
(d) 
Public utility structures or facilities including a passenger station for public transportation provided that no exterior storage of equipment, housing of construction or repair crews or above ground storage of gaseous or liquid fuel shall be permitted.
(3) 
Conditional Uses. (Refer to § 27-1809.)
[Amended by Ord. No. 210-2019, 11/4/2019]
(a) 
Manufacturing.
(b) 
Printing, publishing, lithographing, binding and similar processes.
(c) 
Warehouse, distribution center, logistics park or logistics center.
(d) 
Trucking establishment.
(e) 
Outdoor advertising billboard, subject to the regulations of Part 14.
(f) 
Laboratory for scientific research and development.
(g) 
Flex space.
(h) 
Self-storage facility.
(i) 
Kennel.
(j) 
Car wash.
(k) 
Helistop, subject to the regulations of § 27-1010.
(l) 
Junkyard, with a minimum lot area of five acres, subject to the regulations of § 27-1011.
(m) 
Garden center/plant nursery, with a minimum lot area of five acres, subject to the regulations of § 27-1012.
(n) 
Contractors yard, with a minimum lot area of five acres, subject to the regulations of § 27-1012.
(o) 
Any use of the same general character as uses permitted in Subsection 1A(1) and (3) herein.
B. 
Business-1 (B-1) District. A building or other structure may be erected, altered or used, and a lot may be used and/or occupied subject to Parts 11 and 12, for the following:
(1) 
Permitted Principal Uses.
(a) 
Agricultural uses and buildings, subject to the provisions § 27-1615.
(b) 
Business or professional office, including bank.
(c) 
Assembly of such items as novelties, jewelry, watches, clocks, optical goods, professional and scientific instruments, small electrical appliances and parts, electronic equipment, and other goods and products made from previously prepared materials.
(2) 
Permitted Accessory Uses.
(a) 
Restaurant, cafeteria, personal service shop and other accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to the principal uses permitted in Subsection 1B(1) herein.
(b) 
Parking, in accordance with Part 13.
(c) 
Signs, in accordance with Part 14.
(d) 
Public utility structures or facilities including a passenger station for public transportation provided that no exterior storage of equipment, housing of construction or repair crews or above ground storage of gaseous or liquid fuel shall be permitted.
(3) 
Conditional Uses. (Refer to § 27-1809.)
(a) 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection B(3)(a), Printing, publishing, lithographing, binding or similar processes, was repealed by Ord. No. 210-2019, 11/4/2019.
(b) 
Laboratory for scientific research and development.
(c) 
Public and private wireless communications facilities.
[Amended by Ord. No. 2017-206, 11/6/2017]
C. 
Limited Industrial/Business (LI/B) District.
(1) 
Permitted Principal Uses.
(a) 
Agricultural uses and buildings, subject to the provisions of § 27-1615.
(b) 
Business or professional office, including bank.
(c) 
Assembly of such items as novelties, jewelry, watches, clocks, optical goods, professional and scientific instruments, small electrical appliances and parts, electronic equipment, and other goods and products made from previously prepared materials.
(2) 
Permitted Accessory Uses.
(a) 
All accessory uses permitted in Subsection 1A(2) including:
1) 
Restaurant, cafeteria, personal service shop and other accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to the principal uses permitted in Subsection 1A(1) herein.
2) 
Parking, in accordance with Part 13.
3) 
Signs, in accordance with Part 14.
4) 
Public utility structures or facilities including a passenger station for public transportation provided that no exterior storage of equipment, housing of construction or repair crews or above ground storage of gaseous or liquid fuel shall be permitted.
(3) 
Conditional Uses. (Refer to § 27-1809.)
(a) 
Mineral resource extraction, in accordance with the Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act and any other applicable statues of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection or the U. S. Bureau of Mines.
(b) 
Sanitary landfill, as a municipal use, subject to all pertinent laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[Ord. 6/20/1979; as amended by Ord. 125-2004, § 1]
The maximum height of buildings and other structures erected or used in these districts shall be 35 feet above grade, provided such height may be increased to a maximum of 45 feet above grade, if for every one foot of height in excess of 35 feet there shall be added to each yard requirement two corresponding feet of width or depth.
[Ord. 6/20/1979; as amended by Ord. 125-2004, § 1]
1. 
I/O District.
A. 
Minimum Lot Area. A lot area not less than three acres shall be provided for every principal building, or structure or use.
B. 
Minimum Lot Width at Building Line. A lot width of 300 feet at the building line shall be provided for every building.
C. 
Minimum Lot Width at Street Line. A lot width of 250 feet at the street line shall be provided.
D. 
Maximum Impervious Surface Coverage. Not more than 45% of the lot area shall be covered by impervious surfaces.
E. 
Minimum Depth of Front and Rear Yards. There shall be a front yard and a rear yard on each lot, neither yard having a depth of less than 75 feet.
F. 
Minimum Depth of Side Yards. On each lot there shall be at least two side yards having an aggregate width of 200 feet; and, neither side yard shall have a width of less than 75 feet. On each corner lot there shall be two side yards: the side yard abutting a street shall have a width of not less than 100 feet and the side yard not abutting the street shall have a width of not less than 75 feet.
2. 
B-1 District.
A. 
Minimum Lot Area. A lot area not less than three acres shall be provided for every principal building, structure, or use.
B. 
Minimum Lot Width at Building Line. A lot width of 300 feet at the building line shall be provided for every building.
C. 
Minimum Lot Width at Street Line. A lot width of 250 feet at the street line shall be provided.
D. 
Maximum Impervious Surface Coverage. Not more than 40% of the lot area shall be covered by impervious surfaces.
E. 
Minimum Depth of Front and Rear Yards. There shall be a front yard and a rear yard on each lot, neither yard having a depth of less than 75 feet.
F. 
Minimum Depth of Side Yards. On each lot there shall be at least two side yards having an aggregate width of 65 feet; and, neither side yard shall have a width of less than 25 feet. On each corner lot there shall be two side yards: the side yard abutting a street shall have a width of not less than 50 feet and the side yard not abutting the street shall have a width of not less than 25 feet.
3. 
LI/B District.
A. 
Minimum Lot Area. A lot area not less than three acres shall be provided for every principal building, structure, or use.
B. 
Minimum Lot Width at Building Line. A lot width of 300 feet at the building line shall be provided for every building.
C. 
Minimum Lot Width at Street Line. A lot width of 250 feet at the street line shall be provided.
D. 
Maximum Impervious Surface Coverage. Not more than 40% of the lot area shall be covered by impervious surfaces.
E. 
Minimum Depth of Front and Rear Yards. There shall be a front yard and a rear yard on each lot, neither yard having a depth of less than 75 feet.
F. 
Minimum Depth of Side Yards. On each lot there shall be at least two side yards having an aggregate width of 200 feet; and, neither side yard shall have a width of less than 75 feet. On each corner lot there shall be two side yards: the side yard abutting a street shall have a width of not less than 100 feet and the side yard not abutting the street shall have a width of not less than 75 feet.
[Ord. 6/20/1979; as amended by Ord. 125-2004, § 1]
All land use and development in the I/O District, B-1 District, and LI/B District shall be governed by the environmental controls of § 27-1617.
[Ord. 6/20/1979; as amended by Ord. 125-2004, § 1]
1. 
No off-street parking or loading facilities shall be permitted within a required front yard, or within a required side yard abutting a street. Notwithstanding this provision, all other regulations of Part 13 apply.
2. 
No parking or loading facility shall be permitted within 35 feet of a property line.
[Ord. 6/20/1979; as amended by Ord. 125-2004, 12/20/2004, § 1]
1. 
In addition to the screening and landscaping provisions of Part 13, whenever an industrial lot abuts a residential or agricultural lot, screen planting shall be required along the interior sides of the rear and side yard lot lines as follows:
A. 
Any area for planting shall be a minimum of 35 feet in width measured from the rear and side yard lot lines.
B. 
A screen must be created of sufficient height and sufficient density to constitute a continuous visual buffer at the time of occupancy.
(1) 
When planting screens are employed the effective height of the continuous visual buffer shall be no less than six feet in height.
(2) 
When fencing is employed the effective height of the continuous visual buffer shall be no less than six feet subject to the provisions of Part 16.
C. 
The type of plant materials to be used shall be subject to review and approval by the Board of Supervisors upon the recommendation of the Planning Commission.
[Added by Ord. No. 210-2019, 11/4/2019]
1. 
In addition to the general conditional use standards in Part 18, the following additional standards shall be met in order for the Board of Supervisors to grant conditional use approval for the use of a lot as a logistics park or logistics center:
A. 
The minimum lot area shall be 20 acres.
B. 
The maximum building size shall be 200,000 square feet of gross floor area for all buildings on a lot.
C. 
The maximum building height shall be 45 feet.
D. 
The maximum building coverage shall be 50%.
E. 
The maximum impervious coverage shall be 70%.
F. 
A 100-foot-wide buffer area shall be located and maintained along frontage roads. The buffer area shall be landscaped with evergreen trees that shall be installed at a minimum height of 20 feet.
G. 
One parking space shall be provided for each employee on the shift of greatest employment, plus 10% to account for shift overlap.
H. 
No loading docks shall face frontage roads, and other roads that are visible from a public street.
I. 
Outside storage shall be prohibited.
J. 
No outdoor refrigeration operations shall occur between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
K. 
The building shall have earth tone colors, and shall not be white in color.
[Added by Ord. No. 210-2019, 11/4/2019]
1. 
In addition to the general conditional use standards in Part 18, the following additional standards shall be met in order for the Board of Supervisors to grant conditional use approval for the use of a lot as a self-storage facility:
A. 
Only dead-storage activities shall be permitted. For the purposes of this section, "dead storage" shall mean the keeping of goods not in use and not associated with any office, retail or other business activity conducted on-premises. Conducting an office, retail or other business use from a storage unit shall be prohibited. One office shall be permitted within the facility.
B. 
All storage shall be inside a building. Vehicle parking shall be for tenants and employees only, while they are on the site. Motor vehicles, boats, trailers, campers, construction vehicles, construction equipment, and the like shall not be parked overnight or otherwise stored outside within the facility.
C. 
When facing public roads, buildings shall be constructed with brick facades, or facades of similar materials.
D. 
The height of any individual storage unit, from floor to ceiling, shall not exceed 15 feet.
E. 
An evergreen tree landscaped buffer of at least 25 feet in width shall be installed and maintained in all yards facing public roads.
F. 
The maximum size for any individual storage unit shall be 1,600 square feet of gross floor area.
G. 
No loading docks or motorized materials-handling equipment shall be permitted.
H. 
Storage of gasoline and similar petroleum products, radioactive materials, explosives, and flammable or hazardous chemicals shall be prohibited. The operator of the self-storage facility shall include a provision to this effect in any lease used to rent the storage units and shall post notices to such effect at places likely to be seen.
I. 
The minimum lot area for a self-storage facility shall be three acres.
J. 
Security lighting shall comply with applicable Charlestown Township lighting regulations.
K. 
Self-storage facilities shall have perimeter fencing, lockable gates, and security cameras.
[Added by Ord. No. 210-2019, 11/4/2019]
1. 
Helistops shall be in accordance with the following regulations:
A. 
Permitted hours of operation shall be between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
B. 
Helistops shall not exceed 10 operations per day.
C. 
The helistop shall not have an approach path over any residential zoning district, and shall not have a departure path over any residential zoning district.
D. 
The landing pad or helipad shall be located a minimum of 200 feet from a property line.
E. 
The helistop shall meet all environmental control regulations in § 27-1005.
F. 
The helistop shall be subject to all county, state, and federal permits.
G. 
The helistop shall comply with all applicable FAA ordinances.
H. 
A permit to operate the helistop shall be obtained on an annual basis from the FAA.
[Added by Ord. No. 210-2019, 11/4/2019]
1. 
A junkyard shall be subject to all permit and licensure requirements of the county and state.
2. 
No junkyard area beyond the required landscaped buffer area shall be visible from a public street.
3. 
A junkyard shall have a fifty-foot-wide perimeter landscaped buffer area that shall be installed and maintained with evergreen trees at least 10 feet in height at the time of planting, staggered in multiple rows so as to create a completely opaque visual screen. The first row of evergreen trees shall be outside a solid wooden or Azek fence at least six feet in height.
4. 
Storage piles shall not exceed 10 feet in height.
5. 
The maximum lot coverage, including buildings, structures and storage of materials, shall not exceed 70%.
6. 
An accessway of at least 14 feet in width shall be provided, which shall be clear and free at all times to provide for access to all parts of the premises for firefighting and other safety or emergency purposes. No more than two adjoining rows of junked cars shall be stored together. The entrance to the accessway shall be gated.
7. 
No junk or other material shall be burned on the premises. Each junkyard shall have available in proper working condition equipment that will control, contain and suppress fires or other hazards.
8. 
No garbage or other organic waste able to give off a foul odor or to attract vermin or insects shall be kept on the premises.
9. 
All junk, including tires, shall be stored or arranged to prevent accumulation of water. Outdoor storage shall be conducted to control mosquito propagation. Controls may include use of tarps, indoor storage screens, or spraying.
10. 
A junkyard shall meet all environmental control regulations in § 27-1005.
[Added by Ord. No. 210-2019, 11/4/2019]
1. 
All garden centers/plant nurseries, and all contractor yards, shall have fencing to conceal vehicles, equipment, mulch, stone, building supplies, and the like. Fencing shall be at least six feet in height and consist of solid wooden or composite material to provide a 100% opaque surface, or other such screenings approved by the Township.
2. 
Vegetated screening shall be installed and maintained outside of the fencing to soften the appearance of fencing.