Considering the historic, economic, aesthetic, cultural and
identity values of our villages and other similar areas to Lower Providence
Township; considering these values rest primarily on the existence
of older and historic buildings in our villages and other similar
areas; considering these values also rest on the overall character
of the combined physical elements in our villages and other similar
areas; considering the size, shape, and location of buildings and
parking as well as some building features such as, but not limited
to, gable roofs and porches, and some streetscape features determine
the overall village character; and considering safe pedestrian circulation
is important to the economic health of the village businesses, is
desired by residents in surrounding residential areas, and contributes
to community harmony and quality of life, it is the intent of the
VC Village Commercial District to permit the use of land for limited
commercial, office and residential uses, while preserving the distinct
architectural character of important historic and culturally significant
areas of Lower Providence Township. In addition, the specific intent
of this article is as follows:
A. Overall site design.
(1)
To provide regulating standards which are necessary to encourage
orderly, well-planned development and to ensure the compatibility
of development with the character of the villages and the surrounding
areas.
(2)
To regulate the location of buildings and parking so that the
village character is maintained and to make commercial enterprises
more attractive to pedestrians.
(3)
To limit building footprints and encourage multistory buildings
to remain or be constructed in order to retain and strengthen the
character of the villages.
B. Architectural scale and preservation of village character.
(1)
To allow building conversions within existing certified historic
or culturally significant structures or buildings built prior to 1945.
(2)
To require the retention, rehabilitation, and reuse of existing
certified historic or culturally significant structure(s) or building(s)
built prior to 1945, unless replaced by buildings of the same architectural
styles and proportions, while also allowing for new construction to
occur as additions to the rear and sides of existing buildings.
(3)
To ensure that new buildings or building additions have an architectural
scale and character commensurate with the existing residential architecture
of the villages.
(4)
To encourage owner-occupied, small-scale buildings with residential
character for residential, nonresidential, and/or mixed uses.
C. Traffic control.
(1)
To provide areas to accommodate nonresidential uses that do
not generate large volumes of traffic, which minimize adverse impacts
on abutting residential neighborhoods and which maintain the visual
character and architectural scale of the existing villages.
(2)
To limit and discourage development of strip-type, highway-oriented
commercial uses which create traffic hazards and congestion because
they generate higher traffic volumes and/or require numerous individual
curb cuts.
(3)
To require provisions for shared driveways and parking for nonresidential
and/or mixed uses to reduce the number of driveway intersections and
potential hazards of vehicular turning movements.
D. Existing neighborhood protection.
(1)
To limit hours of operation in order to respect nearby residential
uses so they are not adversely affected at night by noise and other
nuisances.
(2)
To ensure that unsightly accessory uses such as trash, vending,
or storage are not allowed or are completely hidden inside buildings.
(3)
To ensure that neighboring residential properties are protected
from environmental impacts with measures such as, but not limited
to, property line buffering and screening.
E. Signage: to provide for special signage regulations that help to
retain and strengthen the village character and prevent the village
character from being destroyed or diminished by signage that is not
appropriate to the character of our villages.
F. Lighting: to ensure that lighting is provided for pedestrian and
vehicular safety and to protect surrounding residential properties
from glare.
In addition to the parking requirements in Article
XII, the following regulations shall apply:
A. The parking area shall be designed to permit vehicles to turn around
on the lot. Backing onto a public street from parking is prohibited.
B. The minimum setback of parking areas and vehicular circulation areas
from property lines shall be observed unless a parking or vehicular
circulation area is shared by abutting lots, in which case the parking
or vehicular circulation area may cross property lines. Access easements
or other legal mechanisms acceptable to the Board of Supervisors shall
be provided for shared parking areas and vehicular circulation areas.
C. Shared parking areas and circulation between nonresidential lots are required to qualify for the fifty-percent maximum impervious coverage permitted by §
143-282. This requires construction of shared parking and driveway connections. If the adjacent parcel has not provided for shared parking and driveways, then driveway stubs and easements shall be required to facilitate shared parking and driveways when the adjacent parcel is further developed.
D. The total parking requirement may be reduced pursuant to §
143-73 when shared parking is provided or, in the case of no existing adjacent parking areas but a reserved parking area is physically possible, paved connections to the property line and cross easements are required, and reduction will be permitted in compliance with the Township's reserve parking standards. If the reduced parking capacity proves to be insufficient under routine use, the full parking capacity shall be required to be installed. Bike racks must also be provided close to the building entry(ies).
E. There shall be no parking in the front yard.
F. The number of driveways onto a collector or higher-classification
street, for each property under single and separate ownership at the
time this article is adopted, shall be limited to one unless additional
driveways are approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Where a nonresidential use abuts a residential district, a ten-foot screening buffer pursuant to §
123-50C of the Lower Providence Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance shall be provided.