[Ord. 1326, 5/8/1991, Section 2; amended by Ord. 1410, 4/22/1993, Section 4]
In this district, public and/or private entities may use land only and may erect, alter or enlarge structures only for the following uses:
a. 
Private or Public Day or Resident Schools;
b. 
Day-care centers;
c. 
Parks and Recreational Facilities;
d. 
Community Centers;
e. 
Performing Arts Centers, Museums and/or Art Galleries, provided they are open to the general public;
f. 
Churches and Other Places of Religious Worship and Instruction;
g. 
Accessory Use (as prescribed in Part B of this chapter);
h. 
Required Off-Street Parking (as prescribed in Part H of this chapter, except as modified in this section);
i. 
Signs (as prescribed in Chapter XV of the Codification);
j. 
Public or Private Libraries, provided that no more than 5% of the gross floor area is used for on site retail sales; and,
k. 
Special Exceptions, as provided herein:
(1) 
Conversion of Existing School Buildings to:
Professional Office;
Medical/Dental Office;
Housing for the Elderly or Disabled;
Nursing Home; and/or
Personal Care Boarding Home.
(2) 
Public Parking Area.
(3) 
Off-site parking.
(4) 
Housing for the Elderly or Disabled.
l. 
Conditional Uses.
(1) 
Public Service Facilities.
[Ord. 1326, 5/8/1991, Section 3]
Each lot in this District shall comply with the following minimum requirements, except as otherwise provided:
a. 
Lot area.
Housing for the Elderly or Disabled (per unit): 5,000 square feet.
All other permitted uses: No minimum lot area.
b. 
Lot Width. Sufficient to provide side yard setbacks.
c. 
Front Yard Depth.
(1) 
When facing a District other than PA: same requirement as the front yard in the District faced. On a corner lot, the setback of the other yard abutting a street which is not designated as the front yard shall be 10 feet, if the building height is 20 feet or less. For each additional one foot of building height in excess of 20 feet, the setback shall be increased by 1-1/2 feet.
(2) 
When facing a PA District: 20 feet.
d. 
Side Yard Depth.
(1) 
When facing a District other than PA: same requirement as the side yard in the District faced.
(2) 
When facing a PA District: no requirement.
e. 
Rear Yard Depth.
(1) 
When facing a District other than PA: same requirement as the rear yard in the District faced.
(2) 
When facing a PA District: no requirement.
f. 
Play equipment at schools, parks or recreational facilities shall be exempt from side and rear yard setback requirements. Play equipment located closer to a side or rear property line than the required side or rear yard setback of the abutting zoning district shall be screened in accordance with the buffer yard requirements set forth in Section 1308 of this chapter.
[Ord. 1326, 5/8/1991, Section 4]
The maximum height of structures permitted in the PA zone shall be two stories, not to exceed 40 feet.
[Ord. 1326, 5/8/1991, Section 5]
Except as provided for in Section 1310, parking shall be provided in accordance with Part H of this chapter.
[Ord. 1326, 5/8/1991, Section 6]
Buffer yards are required when a lot zoned PA is adjacent to an R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-3B District and is used for one or more the following uses:
Clubhouse or Community Center
The entire length of all perimeter lot lines not abutting public rights-of-way shall contain a continuous, view-restrictive screen at least six feet in height designed to obscure the view of buildings and parking areas from residentially zoned districts. When abutting R-1 or R-2 zoned land, such screen shall be a minimum of 10 feet in depth; when abutting other residential zoning districts, such screen may be reduced to five feet in depth.
The screen's length shall be comprised of trees, shrubs or a combination thereof. A minimum of 50% of the screen's length shall be of evergreen plant material. A minimum of two canopy trees shall be planted for each 100 feet of perimeter length. All plant material shall be six feet in height at time of planting and placed to provide view restriction. Walls, earth mounds and fences, or a combination thereof, may be included with the plant material to complement and provide variety to the screen but may not be exclusively used for screening. Special consideration shall be given to form, color, texture, density, growth habits and maintenance requirements. Grass or other living ground cover shall be planted, mulched and maintained on all portions of the landscaped screen not occupied by other landscaped material. All required plant material which dies shall be replaced.
[Ord. 1326, 5/8/1991, Section 8; amended by Ord. 1410, 4/22/1993, Section 6]
Under the powers set forth in Sections 301 to 304 of this chapter, the Zoning Hearing Board, after referral to the Planning Commission for review and submittal of a report within 15 days after public meeting, may authorize a permit as a special exception, subject to the conditions set forth, and any further reasonable conditions the Board may deem best suited to insure safety and general welfare, minimize traffic and safeguard adjacent properties, for the following:
a. 
Conversion of Existing State College Area School District Buildings. Upon sale or other cessation of use by the State College Area School District, existing State College Area School District buildings may be converted to the following specific uses, subject to the terms and conditions set forth hereinunder:
Professional Office.
Medical/Dental Office.
Housing for the Elderly or Disabled Nursing Home.
Personal Care Boarding Home.
(1) 
Access. Access for professional and medical/dental offices, or clubhouse or community Center uses shall be restricted to collector or arterial streets, as identified in Part J of this chapter.
(2) 
Required Off-Street Parking. Except as provided for in this section, required off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with Part H of this chapter.
(a) 
Rear and side yard setbacks for parking areas adjacent to an R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-3B District shall be increased to 10 feet. This setback shall be planted in accordance with the buffer yard requirements stated in Section 1310.a(3), below.
(3) 
Buffer Yards. Buffer yards are required when a school building, located on a site adjacent to an R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-3B District, is converted to one or more the following uses:
Professional Office.
Medical/Dental Office.
Clubhouse or Community Center.
Housing for the Elderly and Disabled.
Nursing Home.
Personal Care Boarding Home.
The entire length of all perimeter lot lines not abutting public rights-of-way shall contain a continuous, view-restrictive screen at least six feet in height designed to obscure the view of buildings and parking areas from residentially zoned Districts. When abutting R-1- or R-2- zoned land, such screen shall be a minimum of 10 feet in depth; when abutting other residential zoning Districts, such screen may be reduced to five feet in depth.
The screen's length shall be comprised of trees, shrubs or a combination thereof. A minimum of 50% of the screen's length shall be of evergreen plant material. A minimum of two canopy trees shall be planted for each 100 feet of perimeter length. All plant material shall be six feet in height at time of planting and placed to provide view restriction. Walls, earth mounds and fences, or a combination thereof, may be included with the plant material to complement and provide variety to the screen but may not be exclusively used for screening. Special consideration shall be given to form, color, texture, density, growth habits and maintenance requirements. Grass or other living ground cover shall be planted, mulched and maintained on all portions of the landscaped screen not occupied by other landscape material. All required plant material which dies shall be replaced.
(4) 
Signs. One ground pole sign is permitted on each property. Such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet per sign face. No part of the sign or any supporting structure may exceed six feet in height. The base area of all ground pole signs shall be landscaped with shrubs and other living plant material.
•
Roof signs and projecting signs are prohibited.
•
Wall signs, other than directory signs or building name signs, are prohibited. Such wall signs may not exceed 25 square feet per directory sign. No more than one directory sign is permitted per building entrance. Internally illuminated signs are prohibited.
(5) 
Building Expansion. Any existing school building(s) converted to a non-school use, as provided for herein, may be expanded by up to 20% of the existing gross floor area at the time of the initial conversion to a non-school use subject to the following conditions:
(a) 
Height of the building expansion does not exceed the height of the existing structure;
(b) 
Design, materials and color of the building expansion match that of the existing building; and,
(c) 
Setbacks for non-dwellings are maintained.
(6) 
Configuration. Housing for the elderly or disabled may be configured as one-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, multiple-family dwellings, row dwellings or any combination thereof, as defined in Part B of this chapter.
(7) 
Land Development Plan Review. Prior to review by the Zoning Hearing Board, all applications for a special exception for the conversion of an existing school building shall be submitted to the Planning Commission and Design Review Board, as specified in Section 305 of this chapter. In making its report to the Zoning Hearing Board on the application, the Planning Commission may also include suggestions for modifications of the land development plan.
b. 
Public Parking Area. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, public parking areas may be constructed and used in PA Districts.
(1) 
Location. Off-street parking areas designated as the principal use of the lot shall be located within 200 feet of the Central Business District, as defined in Part B of this chapter, and as measured from the closest property line of the lot zoned PA.
(2) 
Design. Except as provided for in this section, parking shall be designed in accordance with Part H of this chapter.
(a) 
The required front yard for off-street parking areas shall be seven feet. This yard shall be landscaped with perimeter planting, as prescribed in Section 2404.i, with the additional requirement that all shrubs used for screening must be of an evergreen variety and planted in such fashion as to provide a view-restrictive screen of the parking area.
(b) 
Rear and side yard setbacks for parking areas adjacent to an R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-3B District shall be increased to 10 feet. This setback shall be planted in accordance with the buffer yard requirements stated in Section 1308 of this chapter.
(c) 
Up to 60% of the total number of parking stalls may be designed for compact motor vehicles when standard stalls of 8.5 feet in width are used in combination.
(3) 
Land Development Plan Review. Prior to review by the Zoning Hearing Board, all applications for a special exception for the development of an off-street parking area shall be submitted to the Planning Commission and Design Review Board, as specified in Section 305 of this chapter. In making its report to the Zoning Hearing Board on the application, the Planning Commission may also include suggestions for modifications of the land development plan.
c. 
Off-Site Parking. All uses which are located in the PA District and which do not abut any land zoned R-1 or R-2 may provide all or part of the required parking on another lot, in accordance with the following standards:
(1) 
All lots used for off-site parking shall be zoned PA, R-O or C and not abut land zoned R-1 or R-2.
(2) 
All lots used for off-site parking shall be within 150 feet of the use which the off-site parking is intended and permitted to serve. The distance between lots shall be measured at the closest point between lot lines.
(3) 
All lots providing off-site parking shall be and shall remain in the same possession and ownership as the lot containing the use the off-site parking is intended to serve. On approval of the application for the special exception, the owner shall execute and record, in the Office of Recorder of Deeds of Centre County, an appropriate covenant applicable to both lots, the form and content thereof to be approved by the Planning Department prior to recording.
(4) 
The total number of parking spaces provided both on and off site shall not be less than the total number required by Part H of this chapter for the use served.
(5) 
Only one off-site lot may be used to provide all or part of the required parking for all the uses on any other lot.
(6) 
All off-site parking lots shall be developed in compliance with this Special Exception and Part H of this chapter.
d. 
Housing for the Elderly or Disabled. Except as specified below, housing projects for the elderly or disabled are permitted as a special exception, subject to the terms and conditions established in Section 607 of this chapter.
(1) 
Access. Access for public service facility uses shall be restricted to collector or arterial streets, as identified in Part J of this chapter.
(2) 
Age Restrictions. Residence housing for the elderly and disabled shall be limited to those persons aged 62 and over and their spouses and dependents and the non-elderly disabled.
(3) 
Configuration. Housing for the elderly or disabled may be configured as one-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, multiple-family dwellings, row dwellings or any combination thereof, as defined in Part B of this chapter.
(4) 
Administrative Review. All applications for a zoning permit under the provisions of this option must receive approval by the Zoning Hearing Board. Prior to review by the Zoning Hearing Board, all applications for a special exception for the development of housing for the elderly or disabled shall be submitted to the Planning Commission and Design Review Board, as specified in Section 305 of this chapter. In making its report to the Zoning Hearing Board on the application, the Planning Commission may also include suggestions for modifications of the land development plan.
[Ord. 1326, 5/8/1991, Section 9]
In addition to complying with applicable criteria in Sections 1305 through 1309, Public Service Facilities, as specified below, may be permitted as conditional uses in the PA District, subject to the following additional criteria:
a. 
Public Service Facilities. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth hereinunder, any land or structure may be used as a facility for the management and/or distribution of utility services, including gas, electric, steam, water, sewerage, telephone, cable television and similar services; for the provision of municipal services, such as road maintenance, refuse collection, public transportation and public safety and emergency services; for governmental offices.
(1) 
Access. Access for public service facility uses shall be restricted to collector or arterial streets, as identified in Part J of this chapter.
(2) 
Parking. Except as provided for in this section, parking shall be provided in accordance with Part H of this chapter.
(a) 
Rear and side yard setbacks for parking areas adjacent to an R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-3B District shall be increased to 10 feet. This setback shall be planted in accordance with the buffer yard requirements, stated in Section 1311.a(3).
(b) 
Up to 60% of the total number of parking stalls may designed for compact motor vehicles when standard stalls of 8.5 feet in width are used in combination.
(3) 
Buffer Yards. Buffer yards, as specified herein, are required when a public service facility is located on a site adjacent to an R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-3B district:
The entire length of all perimeter lot lines not abutting public rights-of-way shall contain a continuous, view-restrictive screen at least six feet in height designed to obscure the view of buildings and parking areas from residentially zoned districts. When abutting R-1- or R-2-zoned land, such screen shall be a minimum of 10 feet in depth; when abutting other residential zoning districts, such screen may be reduced to five feet in depth.
The screen's length shall be comprised of trees, shrubs or a combination thereof. A minimum of 50% of the screen's length shall be of evergreen plant material. A minimum of two canopy trees shall be planted for each 100 feet of perimeter length. All plant material shall be six feet in height at time of planting and placed to provide view restriction. Walls, earth mounds and fences, or a combination thereof, may be included with the plant material to complement and provide variety to the screen but may not be exclusively used for screening. Special consideration shall be given to form, color, texture, density, growth habits and maintenance requirements. Grass or other living ground cover shall be planted, mulched and maintained on all portions of the landscaped screen not occupied by other landscaped material. All required plant material which dies shall be replaced.
Bufferyard "A" Table
Bufferyard "B" Table
Bufferyard "C" Table
(4) 
Public Service Facilities Application Procedures.
(a) 
All applications for Public Service Facilities in the PA District shall follow the application procedures provided for in Section 2205 of this chapter.
(b) 
A development plan for Public Service Facilities shall be submitted pursuant to the requirements of Section 305 of this chapter.
(5) 
Council Action. A Public Services Facilities use permit shall be issued when Council has determined that the provisions of this ordinance have been met or will be met upon reasonable evidence and plans as presented by the applicant in a Public Hearing, pursuant to Section 2205 of this chapter. In granting a Public Services Facilities use permit, Council may attach such reasonable conditions and safeguards, in addition to those specifically expressed in the ordinance, as it may deem necessary to implement the purposes of this ordinance.