In expansion of the declaration of legislative intent and the statement of community objectives contained in Article
I, the specific intent of this district is to:
A. Preserve the traditional late 19th and early 20th century character
of Main Street.
B. To allow for new buildings or additions that reflect the existing
architecture of the street.
C. To allow for a mix of use at a scale and intensity found along a
small-town Pennsylvania Main Street.
D. Prohibit uses that are more appropriate in the Borough's other commercial
districts.
[Amended 3-7-2007 by Ord.
No. 526]
The following uses are permitted by right on any lot in the
MSC District:
A. Retail store for sale of dry goods, variety merchandise, books and
stationary, clothing, food, beverages, flowers and plants, furnishings
or other household supplies, antiques, consignment or secondhand thrift
shop, and/or similar goods.
B. Retail stores for sales and repair of jewelry, clocks, optical goods,
cameras, household items, electronic equipment, scientific and professional
instruments, and/or similar goods.
C. Restaurants, retail bakery, confectionery or ice cream shop, other
places serving food and beverages (excluding drive-through windows).
D. Personal service shop, including but not limited to barber shops,
hairdresser, shoe repair, tailor, dry cleaner (dropoff service only),
and/or similar uses.
E. Business or professional office.
F. Studio for photography, dance, art, etc.
H. Bed-and-breakfast home or inn, pursuant to §
680-47 of this chapter.
I. Apartments, provided that they are above a nonresidential use.
J. Residential conversion, pursuant to §
680-44 of this chapter.
L. Pedestrian pickup windows.
M. Outdoor dining, food service or merchandise sales, provided it does
not block the legal right-of-way of any sidewalk.
N. Single-family detached dwelling or semidetached dwelling (twin) pursuant to the appropriate regulations of §
680-95 of this chapter.
O. An apartment may be used as a student home subject to the following
provisions:
(1)
Shall be located above a nonresidential use.
(2)
Shall be located in a parcel with frontage on an arterial road.
(3)
Shall have a floor area of at least 400 square feet for each
resident.
(4)
Shall have no more than three residents per student home.
(5)
In mixed-use structures, no more than two apartments may be
used for student homes.
(6)
Must register their use as a student home in conformity with §
680-71 of this chapter.
[Amended 3-7-2007 by Ord.
No. 526]
The following uses are permitted by special exception, pursuant to §
680-20 of this chapter:
B. Student homes are permitted when authorized as a special exception subject to the following provisions and the provisions of §
680-71:
(1)
Shall be located in an existing SFD or twin.
(2)
Shall have no more than three residents per student home.
(3)
Shall have a floor area of at least 1,500 square feet, exclusive
of basements, garages, and accessory buildings.
The following uses are not permitted in the MSC District:
C. Gas station, auto repair, or body shop or gasoline sales of any kind.
[Amended 7-12-2006 by Ord. No. 519]
The following regulations shall apply to all buildings in the
MSC District.
A. Yard requirements.
(1)
Front yard: for existing buildings, the setback in place when
this chapter was adopted shall be used. Additions shall only be permitted
to the rear or side of an existing building. For any new structure,
the setback of the nearest adjacent building fronting Main Street
shall be used. If a conflict arises over which is the nearest adjacent
building, then the setback of the building closest to Main Street
shall be used.
B. Coverage requirements.
(1)
Maximum building coverage: 70%.
(2)
Impervious coverage: 85%.
C. Height.
(1)
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
D. Maximum building footprint of commercial buildings:
(1)
For a single use: 10,000 square feet.
(2)
For all uses on site: 15,000 square feet.
Any new construction of a building, which is considered a land
development by Act 247 and is not a de minimis land development, as
defined by the Borough's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, shall be only permitted as a conditional use when authorized by Borough Council subject to §
680-55 of this chapter and the standards set forth in §
680-139 of this article, unless the construction meets the requirements of §
680-140 of this article.
The following shall apply to all conditional uses:
A. Any new structure shall be designed to be compatible with the pre-1950
buildings found along Main Street. Building materials traditionally
found along Main Street shall be used and design motifs such as pitched
roofs, sash windows, and varied facades with bays and porches are
required.
B. All conditional uses must have their primary facade oriented toward
Main Street.
C. Borough Council may require design changes or modifications to address
safety issues upon the advice of the Borough Engineer.
When a principal building is destroyed owing to a fire, natural
disaster, or other acts of God or is razed because of a structural
instability not caused by neglect or lack of maintenance, the owner
is allowed by right to replace the building, provided the following
standards are satisfied:
A. The new structure must be built within the existing building footprint for the front and side yards. Rear extensions are permitted provided they conform to the dimensional standards in §
680-137 for rear yards, and where applicable, side yards.
B. Any facade that faces a public street must be constructed of building
materials typically found along Main Street. It shall also be similar
to the scale, bulk and massing, fenestration, and overall character
of the demolished structure. An exact replica is not required but
rather design details commonly found along the Main Street corridor
shall be used.
C. Borough Council may require design changes or modifications to ensure
the building's design is harmonious with the existing buildings along
Main Street.
The following shall apply to all uses with parking lot and loading
areas:
A. Parking shall be to the rear of the principal building or in the
side yard, behind the building's front setback line.
B. Access drives to Main Street are only permitted when the applicant
can demonstrate that no other alternative is possible.
C. When an applicant believes that their parking needs are less than those required by §
680-73 of this chapter, they may petition Borough Council to reduce the requirements up to 50%. When considering this petition, Council may consult with the Borough Planning Commission, Engineer, and staff.
D. Any use or property that is within 250 feet of a publicly owned parking lot is exempted from the parking requirements of §
680-73 of this chapter.