A. 
In expansion of the declaration of legislative intent and the statement of community development objectives found in Article I of this chapter, the intent of the C1 Commercial District is to:
(1) 
Encourage a broad range of commercial uses in the Township that will serve residents and complement existing businesses.
(2) 
Provide appropriate locations in the Township for large-scale commercial developments such as shopping centers, chain stores, and other uses that rely traditionally on vehicular access and parking.
(3) 
Provide regulations to minimize congestion and ensure safe traffic conditions within and near the site.
(4) 
Allow existing commercial properties to be appropriately redeveloped.
(5) 
Encourage commercial development design that will reflect community identity and protect and enhance the character and property values of adjacent and nearby neighborhoods.
(6) 
Provide safe and attractive access to shopping areas for pedestrians and provide for convenient use of public transit and bicycles.
(7) 
Minimize the impacts of commercial parking and loading areas and buildings with mitigation measures such as landscaping, fencing, and buffering between shopping centers and neighboring districts.
(8) 
Promote the principles of sustainable development by encouraging energy efficient buildings, environmentally sensitive site design, and walkable shopping districts.
(9) 
Recruit innovative, high-quality commercial uses to enhance academic, artistic and classic historical assets and interests of the Township.
[Amended 12-16-2020 by Ord. No. 2416-20; 7-16-2025 by Ord. No. 2492-25]
A. 
A building may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no other, subject to the guidelines herein:
(1) 
Use B-3: Bank or Financial Institution.
(2) 
Use B-4: Bed-and-Breakfast.
(3) 
Use B-5: Building Materials.
(4) 
Use B-8: Commercial School.
(5) 
Use B-9: Convenience Store.
(6) 
Use B-10: Dry Cleaner (Dropoff only).
(7) 
Use B-14: Funeral Home.
(8) 
Use B-15: Hotels.
(9) 
Use B-17: Mixed Use Buildings.
(10) 
Use B-20: Personal Care Business
(11) 
(Reserved)
(12) 
Use B-21: Professional Service Business.
(13) 
Use B-23: Rental Agencies (Vehicles).
(14) 
Use B-25: Restaurant, to include outdoor dining facilities.
(15) 
Use B-26: Retail Take-Out Foods.
(16) 
Use B-28: Retail Store.
(17) 
Use B-29: Supermarket, provided they have a minimum of 9,000 square feet of gross floor area.
(18) 
Use B-31: Shopping Center.
(19) 
Use B-32: Lifestyle Center.
(20) 
Use B-36: Veterinary Clinic.
(21) 
Use B-37: Motel.
(22) 
Use D-4: Adult/Child Day Care.
(23) 
Use E-1: Office Building.
(24) 
Use E-2: Medical Clinic.
(25) 
Use E-3: Medical Office.
(26) 
Use E-5: Professional Services.
(27) 
Use F-1: Amusement Arcade.
(28) 
Use F-2: Athletic/Health Club.
(29) 
Use F-4: Movie Theater.
(30) 
Use F-6: Indoor Recreation.
(31) 
Uses permitted by special exception:
(a) 
Use A-17: Accessory Service Station.
(b) 
Use A-19: Accessory Ground-Mounted Solar System.
(c) 
Use C-12: Radio or Television Transmission Tower.
(d) 
Use E-7: Specialized Medical Services.
(e) 
Use G-5: Mobile Home Development consisting of any combination of single width or multiple width units.
(32) 
The following accessory uses on the same lot which are with and customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses and as provided for in Article IV herein:
(a) 
Use A-2: Nonresidential Accessory Structure.
(b) 
Use A-4: Commercial Vehicle.
(c) 
Use A-5: Antenna Systems.
(d) 
Use A-6: Fences and Walls.
(e) 
Use A-8: Storage (Outdoor).
(f) 
Use A-12: Drive-Through Facility.
(g) 
Use A-18: Accessory Roof-Mounted Solar System.
(h) 
Use B-19: Parking Lot.
(i) 
Use C-21: Microbrewery/Microdistillery/Microwinery.
(33) 
Use B-40: Short-Term Transient Lodging or Vacation Rental.
A. 
Minimum lot area and width. A lot area of not less than two acres and a lot width of not less than 200 feet at the street line and extending from the street line to the depth of the rear yard shall be provided for every building or group of buildings hereafter erected, altered, or used in this district.
B. 
Maximum building coverage. No more than 25% of the total lot area shall be covered with buildings.
C. 
Maximum impervious coverage. No more than 65% of the total lot area shall be covered with impervious surfaces.
D. 
Minimum green area. Not less than 35% of the total lot area shall be grass or landscaped.
E. 
Minimum building setback. Buildings shall be set back a minimum of 40 feet from any ultimate street right-of-way, or 40 feet from any other property line for the entire perimeter of the property.
F. 
Minimum parking setback. Parking areas shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the ultimate street right-of-way or property line for the entire perimeter of the property. Parking and loading areas shall comply with all applicable requirements of the parking and loading section of this chapter, except § 295-2301C5, Location of surface parking, which shall not apply within this district.
G. 
Minimum landscaped buffer to residential districts. All commercial site development shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from any adjacent residential property line. Buffers adjacent to a residential use shall be continuously screened by a combination of a six-foot high wall/fence and screen plantings. Use of native species is encouraged; invasive species identified by the Township shall be prohibited. Screen plantings shall include:
(1) 
A mix of evergreen and deciduous trees with a mature height of at least 25 feet, planted in a staggered row along the property line.
(2) 
A mix of evergreen and deciduous shrubs with a mature height of at least four feet, planted in a staggered row along the property line.
(3) 
Ornamental plantings, grass, or other landscaping between property line buffer plantings and the closest building or curb.
H. 
Maximum building height. No building shall exceed 50 feet in height, except as permitted herein.
A. 
Architectural design standards have been incorporated into this district to ensure that the size and proportions of new development create a pedestrian-friendly shopping environment at the street level within and around the project. Requirements in this section apply to all building facades.
(1) 
Building massing. The massing of all buildings shall be de-emphasized in a variety of ways to enhance the visual quality of the development and contribute to a human-scaled environment at the street level. Large buildings shall include vertical and horizontal elements such as facade jogs, towers, balconies, bays, roof gables, and dormers to create the appearance of smaller-scale buildings. All buildings shall feature a proportionate and distinct base, middle, and top. Multistory buildings shall articulate the line between the ground and upper levels with a cornice, canopy, arcade, balcony, material change, or similar three-dimensional visual device.
(2) 
Outdoor spaces around buildings. Buildings shall include elements such as courtyards, balconies, arcades, terraces, and plazas to create and interact with pedestrian-oriented outdoor spaces.
(3) 
Facade articulation and composition. The facade(s) of buildings fronting on public streets and public parking areas shall include design elements to break up the appearance of blank walls, such as awnings, setbacks, window bays, and other vertical elements and openings. Setbacks shall be of a depth adequate to create visually distinct sections of the building. Individual storefronts shall be defined and articulated through distinct architectural elements, provided that all storefronts in a building or related group of buildings create an architecturally cohesive whole.
(4) 
Building entrances. Principal buildings shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances, accentuated with appropriate architectural features, lighting and landscaping elements. All public entrance doors shall be at least 50% transparent.
(5) 
Windows. The ground floor of all building facades fronting on a public street or public parking area shall be at least 50% clear windows and doors. At least 50% of each window surface shall be fully transparent. Every storefront shall include at least one display window that allows customers to see activity and lights inside the building. Windows on upper floors or any upper tier of windows on a building's facade shall be vertically aligned with the location of windows and doors on the ground floor to the greatest extent.
(6) 
Use B-31: Shopping Center and Use B-32: Lifestyle Center exceeding 100,000 square feet in gross leasable floor area shall also comply with the following standards:
(a) 
Ground floor facades that face public streets or public parking areas shall have display windows, awnings, arcades, or other such features along not less than 60% of their horizontal length.
(b) 
All sides of a shopping center or lifestyle center that front on a public parking area or public street shall have at least one customer entrance that is clearly defined by architecture and landscaping.
(7) 
Exterior lighting. All exterior lighting shall be designed to prevent glare onto adjacent properties. Pedestrian pathways outside of buildings need to be clearly marked and well lit. Lighting shall be sufficient for safety, security and identification without allowing light to trespass onto adjacent sites. The height of fixtures shall be 24 feet for parking lots and a maximum of 16 feet for pedestrian walkways.