The intent of this district is to provide for a variety of goods and services that are typically located in larger commercial/retail centers to the Municipality's residents. It is further the intent of this district to discourage strip-style commercial development with its excessive paved areas, numerous curb cuts and discordant architectural styles, but instead to encourage development that integrates harmoniously with surrounding properties and nearby neighborhoods. It is further the intent of this district to:
A. 
Encourage the retention of the existing community character of Norristown by preserving the existing buildings and landscape spaces to the greatest extent possible.
B. 
Encourage consolidation of driveways, parking, and curb cuts to provide more efficient and economical access and parking.
C. 
Encourage a coordinated pedestrian path system to provide safe, efficient and convenient pedestrian access from parking areas to and among the various permitted uses, and to neighboring residential areas.
D. 
Discourage the overdevelopment of lots by limiting the maximum permitted building and impervious coverage.
E. 
Assure suitable design to protect the character and property values of adjacent and nearby neighborhoods.
F. 
Minimize congestion and hazardous traffic conditions.
G. 
Allow existing commercial properties to be appropriately redeveloped.
H. 
Encourage the location of commercial buildings so they are accessible by public transportation.
A. 
Class I permitted uses. A building may be erected or uses and a lot may be used or occupied by any of the following Class I uses and no other.
(1) 
Retail stores offering dry goods, variety merchandise, clothing, groceries, baked goods, flowers, plants, drugs, books, furnishings or other household supplies, antiques, hardware, jewelry, clocks, optical goods, cameras, home appliances, electronic equipment. Shopping centers, as defined in this chapter, are only permitted as a Class III Permitted Use.
(2) 
Retail sale of professional scientific and professional instruments and equipment.
(3) 
Convenience stores without fuel pumps.
(4) 
Funeral homes.
(5) 
Personal service shop including but not limited to barbershop and/or hairdresser, shoe repair, tailor, nail salon, dry cleaner (pick-up only), self-service laundry.
(6) 
Offices of doctor, dentist and other healthcare providers.
(7) 
Administrative offices.
(8) 
Studio for dance, art, music, photography or exercise.
(9) 
Business services establishments including copy centers, retail printing and duplication services, computer rental, copying centers, mailbox rental and shipping, express and parcel delivery services.
(10) 
Bank or financial institution.
(11) 
Automotive parts and accessories stores.
(12) 
Restaurants, delicatessens, luncheonettes, coffee shops, retail bakers and confectionery or ice cream shops without drive-through facilities.
(13) 
Drug store without drive-through facilities.
(14) 
Day-care centers.
(15) 
Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to the use permitted and utilized. Accessory uses shall meet all requirements for permitted uses.
(16) 
Arcade or place of business with four or more amusement devices, according to the regulations of § 320-271, Amusement devices.
[Added 10-17-2023 by Ord. No. 23-06]
(17) 
Up to three amusement devices as an accessory use to any nonresidential use permitted in this section, according to the regulations of § 320-271, Amusement devices.
[Added 10-17-2023 by Ord. No. 23-06]
B. 
Class II permitted uses. A building may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied by any Class I Permitted Uses and the following Class II uses and no other.
(1) 
Animal hospital and/or veterinarian offices.
(2) 
Banquet facilities.
(3) 
Gas stations and convenience stores with gas pumps that are not part of a Class III permitted use.
[Amended 4-18-2017 by Ord. No. 17-01]
(4) 
Car wash facilities.
(5) 
Class I use with drive-through facilities.
C. 
Class III permitted uses. A building may be erected or uses and a lot may be used or occupied by any Class I and Class II Permitted Uses and the following Class III uses and no other.
(1) 
Shopping centers.
(2) 
Lawn and garden centers.
(3) 
Nursery or greenhouse.
(4) 
Health clubs and indoor recreation.
(5) 
Movie theaters.
(6) 
Automobile dealerships.
D. 
Special exceptions. The following uses when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception as per Article XXI, Special Exceptions.
(1) 
Tavern.
(2) 
Check cashing facilities.
(3) 
Pawn shops.
E. 
Signs. Unless otherwise noted, when erected and maintained in accordance with the provisions of Article XXVII, Signs.
F. 
Parking. Unless otherwise noted, off street parking pursuant to the standards in Article XXVI, Off-Street Parking and Loading.
A
Uses
Class I
Class II
Class III
1
Minimum lot size (net square feet or acres)
10,000
20,000
5 acres
2
Minimum lot width (feet)
75
100
200
3
Minimum front yard setback (feet)
20
30
50
4
Minimum side yard setback (feet)
15 and 25 when abutting a residential use or zone
20 and 50 when abutting a residential use or zone
40 and 65 when abutting a residential use or zone
5
Minimum rear yard setback (feet)
15 and 25 when abutting a residential use or zone
20 and 50 when abutting a residential use or zone
40 and 65 when abutting a residential use or zone
6
Minimum parking setback from the curbline of the street (feet)
20
20
25
7
Minimum parking setback from nonresidential property lines (feet)
10
10
15
8
Minimum parking setback from residential use or zone (feet)
20
30
40
9
Minimum setback of outdoor storage and trash storage areas from abutting residential a residential use or zone (feet)
30
50
50
10
Maximum building height (feet)
35
40
40
11
Maximum impervious surface (percent of net lot area)
70%
70%
65%
12
Maximum building coverage (percent of net lot area)
35%
30%
25%
A. 
Class I and Class II permitted uses.
[Amended 4-18-2017 by Ord. No. 17-01]
(1) 
All buildings associated with Class I, II permitted uses shall comply with following standards:
(a) 
Rear and side facades shall be of finished quality and shall be of color and materials that are similar to the front facade and blend with structures within the development as well as with structures in the surrounding area.
(b) 
Any property with more than one building on the site shall have a common and coherent architectural theme throughout the development.
(c) 
Building facades must be interrupted at least once within every 100 horizontal feet, with offsets of four or more feet in depth along any building facade facing a public street or public parking. Offsets shall be continuous from grade to the roofline.
(d) 
Building facades of 200 feet or more which face public streets or public parking shall, in addition to offsets, include other design elements to break up the facade, such as awnings, porches, canopies, towers, balconies, bays, changes in building materials, gables, and planted trellises.
(e) 
Principal buildings shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances with features such as canopies, porticoes, arches, and integral planters that incorporate landscaped areas and/or areas for sitting.
(f) 
Rooflines shall be varied to add visual interest, to reduce the scale of larger buildings, and to create consistency with buildings in the surrounding area.
(g) 
Buildings with less than 15,000 square feet of building area on the ground floor that are located within 100 feet of a residential zoning district shall have pitched roofs covering at least 80% of the building with a pitch of at least six vertical inches to every 12 horizontal inches.
(h) 
Buildings with more than 15,000 square feet on the ground floor shall meet one of the following roof requirements:
[1] 
The same roof requirement as outlined above in § 320-88A(1)(f).
[2] 
Parapets or mansard roofs that conceal flat roofs and rooftop equipment such as HVAC units along all roof edges.
[a] 
For all buildings, building ridgelines or roof planes facing public streets and public parking lots must be interrupted at least once every 100 feet by a vertical change of five feet, the inclusion of a new gable, or the inclusion of a dormer.
(2) 
Any establishment which provides shopping carts for transportation of goods to parking areas must furnish cart storage locations with the following standards:
(a) 
The cart storage area shall be clearly marked as such with signage consistent with this chapter.
(b) 
The cart storage area must be protected with a see-through barrier or bollards to prevent carts from drifting.
(c) 
The cart storage areas may not diminish the required number of parking spaces.
(3) 
All development shall meet the following pedestrian circulation standards:
(a) 
A pedestrian walkway, no less than five feet in width, separate and apart from parking and travel lanes shall provide a direct link from the public sidewalk or street right-of-way to the principal customer entrance of all principal retail establishments on the site.
(b) 
Walkways shall also connect focal points of pedestrian activity such as, but not limited to, transit stops, street crossings, and building and store entry points.
(c) 
Unobstructed sidewalks, no less than six feet in width, shall be provided along the full length of the building along any facade featuring a customer entrance, and along any facade abutting public parking areas.
(d) 
Along facades with building entrances, the required six-foot-wide sidewalk area shall be set back from the facade by a three-foot-wide area that either contains planting beds or additional sidewalk width.
(e) 
All internal pedestrian walkways and crosswalks shall be distinguished from driving surfaces through the use of durable, low-maintenance surface materials such as pavers, bricks or scored concrete to enhance pedestrian safety and comfort.
(f) 
Buildings and sidewalks shall be handicapped accessible.
(4) 
All proposed developments shall be reviewed by the Design Review Board in accordance with § 320-243.
B. 
Class I permitted uses.
(1) 
No outdoor storage of material or equipment is permitted.
C. 
Class II permitted uses.
(1) 
No outdoor storage of material or equipment is permitted.
(2) 
Car washes, oil change and lube facilities, gas stations, mini-marts, convenient stores with fuel pumps and any other use with fuel pumps, drive-through facilities, and veterinary clinics shall conform to the standards of Article XXIII, Supplemental Regulations.
D. 
Class III permitted uses.
(1) 
All buildings associated with Class III permitted uses shall be subject to review in accordance with § 320-89.
(2) 
All shopping centers and other retail establishments with 75,000 square feet or more in gross floor area shall meet the following additional requirements:
(a) 
All sides of shopping centers and retail establishments with 50,000 square feet or more of floor area that directly face an abutting public street shall feature at least one customer entrance connected to the street by a clearly defined pedestrian walkway. This requirement can be met for two sides of a shopping center or large retail establishment by a corner entrance that is visible from both sides.
(b) 
Shopping centers shall contain a common use area that will serve as a focal point for the center and provide walkways, seating, and landscaping. The common use area shall meet the following requirements:
[1] 
It shall generally be located between the street and the front facade of the primary shopping center or large retail establishment building, within 200 feet of this building.
[2] 
It shall be equal to or greater in size than 5% of the gross floor area of the shopping center or large retail establishment.
[3] 
It shall be directly connected to the sidewalk in front of the shopping center or large retail establishment, without intervening driveways or streets.
[4] 
It shall consist of one contiguous area and shall be improved with either a gazebo, pavilion, clock tower, or paved patio area with a fountain to help identify this area as the central gathering place for the development and shall be a minimum of 300 square feet in size.
[5] 
It shall contain shade trees, ornamental plantings, and seating; it may also contain outdoor dining areas.
(3) 
Pedestrian circulation as per the following:
(a) 
There shall be a pedestrian connection between all parking areas and all buildings.
(b) 
Continuous internal pedestrian walkways, no less than five feet in width, shall provide a direct link from the public sidewalk or street right-of-way to the principal customer entrance of all retail establishments on the site.
(c) 
Walkways shall connect focal points of pedestrian activity such as, but not limited to, transit stops and street crossings.
(d) 
Unobstructed sidewalks, no less than six feet in width, shall be provided along the full length of the building along any facade featuring a customer entrance, and along any facade abutting public parking areas.
(e) 
All internal pedestrian walkways and crosswalks shall be distinguished from driving surfaces through the use of durable materials such as, but not limited to, pavers, bricks, or scored concrete.
(4) 
Large retail uses and shopping centers with over 75,000 square feet of gross building floor area shall provide the following:
(a) 
A covered pickup area for public transportation located between the street and the front facade of the large retail use or shopping center. The pickup area must include a ten-foot-by-twenty-foot waiting area that is separated from other sidewalks in the development. The pick-up area must also include an area where a forty-foot bus can park without blocking any lanes of the development's driveways.
(b) 
Driveways and a parking area that can handle and are designed for the weight and length of a forty-foot passenger bus.
(c) 
Properties with frontages of 600 feet or less on any individual street are only permitted one driveway intersection per street. Properties with frontages greater than 600 feet may be permitted a maximum of two driveways per street frontage, provided that such driveways are at least 300 feet apart. Regardless of frontage, a development may be restricted to a single driveway depending on usage and interior and exterior traffic patterns.
(d) 
Parking areas containing 50 or more cars shall have a minimum driveway length of 50 feet provided between the road ultimate right-of-way line and the first parking space or internal driveway intersection. Parking areas containing less than 50 cars shall have a minimum driveway length of 20 feet provided between the road ultimate right-of-way line and the first parking space or internal driveway intersection.
(5) 
Automobile dealerships, new and used, shall conform to the following:
(a) 
The sale of gasoline shall be prohibited.
(b) 
No temporary storage is allowed on adjacent roadways, or within the street right-of-way line.
(c) 
Vehicles shall not be displayed on above-ground platforms and shall be displayed to appear similar to customer parking.
(d) 
All repairs, maintenance, and service activities shall be conducted within a completely enclosed building.
(e) 
A landscaped screen as per § 433.C.2 of the Municipal Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance[1] shall be planted along the edge of the parking lot and the street.
[1]
Editor's Note: See § 282-433C.2.
(6) 
Lawn and garden centers shall comply with the following:
(a) 
Outdoor storage and display of live product may be equal to, but not to exceed, 75% of the gross floor area of the retail sales building.
(b) 
All non-plant materials are stored and displayed behind areas that are clearly defined for such purpose, and are screened from public roads and residential properties.
E. 
Special exceptions.
(1) 
Tavern must be setback a minimum of 500 feet from an existing school or church.
[Added 4-18-2017 by Ord. No. 17-01]
A. 
All buildings for Class III uses shall be reviewed by the Historical Architectural Review Board when this board has jurisdiction. When the Historical Architectural Review Board does not have jurisdiction, all buildings for Class III uses shall be reviewed by a Design Review Board in accordance with § 320-243.