The purpose of the Downtown Riverfront District is to encourage
and permit a mix of uses that are compatible and complementary with
the historic character of the community and its downtown, to assist
in its revitalization, and to create accessible public areas along
the riverfront for year-round outdoor recreation opportunities. In
addition, the purpose is to implement the goals and objectives of
the redevelopment plan, the Norristown economic redevelopment strategy,
the Lafayette Street Land Use and Access Study, and other applicable
policies. Pedestrian-oriented uses and an urban character of design
are permitted and encouraged, while automobile-related uses and design
qualities that promote a suburban mall or strip commercial appearance
are restricted. Also, uses that traditionally accompany and strengthen
the commercial core are permitted, such as office, cultural, residential,
educational, entertainment, recreational and related uses. New construction
should utilize traditional building materials and accepted principles
of urban design, while preserving the existing streetscape by placing
new buildings at or close to the edge of the public sidewalk.
A.
Permitted uses. A building may be erected, altered, or used and a
lot may be used or occupied for one or more of the following purposes,
with uses allowed to be mixed within a building or mixed in separate
buildings on a property, and no other:
(1)
Retail establishments, including department stores for the sale
of dry goods, variety and general merchandise, books, magazines, clothing,
food, medical supplies, drugs, pets, flowers and floral arrangements,
furnishings or other household supplies, and the sale and repair of
jewelry, watches, clocks, optical goods or musical, professional or
scientific instruments. Pawnshops shall not be permitted.
(2)
Business offices, professional offices, government offices and
office buildings. Client-based social service providers shall not
be permitted.
(3)
Research and development facilities for technology, pharmaceuticals,
and similar uses.
(4)
Institutional and educational facilities and accessory complementary
services, including college dormitories; studios for dance, music,
photography or martial arts; private schools or colleges, including,
but not limited to, a barber school or business or technical college.
(5)
Banks, savings-and-loan associations, and financial institutions,
provided that no drive-through window service shall be permitted.
Check cashing facilities shall not be permitted.
(6)
Public or private transit stations or terminals; public or private
communications company offices, studios, information transmittal and
data transfer facilities.
(7)
Restaurants, tearooms, delicatessens, luncheonettes, coffee
shops, retail bakers, confectionery or ice cream shops, taverns or
other places serving food or beverages, including outdoor restaurant
and dining facilities and walk-up windows; however, no drive-through
facilities shall be permitted.
(8)
Hotels, convention centers, and similar facilities.
(9)
Sports and recreational facility, including, but not limited
to, stadiums, arenas, fitness center, health club, racquet club, indoor
theater, performing arts center, river-oriented recreation uses such
as boathouses, marinas, boat launch, waterfront recreation facility
and associated uses.
(10)
Parks, urban plazas and other active or passive open space,
including public or private spaces available for the enjoyment of
the general public.
(11)
Business services, including photocopy shops, insurance agencies,
title companies, travel agencies, and real estate offices.
(12)
Multifamily residential uses, including mid- and high-rise apartment
buildings, which may include a mix of residential and nonresidential
uses (e.g., office/residential or retail/residential).
(13)
Parking garages and parking lots, provided that a parking lot
is buffered from any street or sidewalk by a low-lying wall, not to
exceed three feet in height, in conjunction with a decorative iron
fence or other decorative boundary acceptable to the Municipality.
(14)
Museums, art galleries, or aquariums.
(15)
Child day-care facilities.
(16)
Personal services shops, including tailors, barbers, beauty
salons, dressmaking, shoe repair, retail dry cleaning, and similar
shops.
(17)
Accessory uses on the same lot with and customary incidental
to any principal use permitted by this section, including no-impact
home-based businesses.
A.
All uses.
(1)
Area, width and setbacks.
(a)
No minimum lot area shall be required.
(b)
Each lot shall have a width of at least 20 feet at the street
line.
(d)
For buildings on separate lots but not abutting streets, the
following setbacks between buildings shall apply:
[1]
That portion of separate buildings sharing a party wall shall
be set back zero feet.
[2]
That portion of separate buildings not sharing a party wall
and up to four stories shall be set back 10 feet.
[3]
That portion of separate buildings not sharing a party wall
and up to five to 15 stories shall be set back 30 feet.
(e)
For buildings on a single lot, the following setbacks shall
apply:
[1]
That portion of separate buildings sharing a party wall shall
be set back zero feet.
[2]
That portion of separate buildings not sharing a party wall
and up to four stories shall be set back 20 feet.
[3]
That portion of separate buildings not sharing a party wall
from up to five to eight stories shall be set back 50 feet.
[4]
That portion of separate buildings not sharing a party wall
from up to nine to 15 stories shall be set back 100 feet.
(3)
Building heights. Buildings must meet height requirements for
both stories and feet.
(4)
Building length.
(a)
Principal buildings shall not exceed 350 feet in horizontal
length, unless the principal building wraps a garage structure.
(b)
Garage structures shall not exceed 350 feet in horizontal length,
unless the garage is wrapped by a principal building.
(c)
Principal buildings and parking garage structures which are
attached shall not exceed 500 feet in horizontal length, provided
the parking garage is wrapped on at least three-quarters of its perimeter
by the attached occupied principal building, and where the portions
of the parking garage above flood level are hidden from view of rivers,
creeks, and abutting streets by the attached occupied principal buildings.
C.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonus. Properties may qualify for the following
floor area ratio (FAR) bonuses:
(1)
On properties where sound design practices are utilized which provide for two of the public amenities as set forth in § 320-117D of this article and where integration of an additional 10% public open space is provided in the design as set forth in § 320-119A, a bonus FAR of 0.25 will be allowed. This bonus FAR may be increased by 0.25 for every two additional public amenities provided, as set forth in § 320-117D.
(2)
On properties which utilize and preserve historic facades or
structures as designated by Norristown's official list of historic
structures in a manner generally consistent with the Secretary of
the Interiors' guidelines for historic preservation, a bonus FAR of
0.25 will be allowed.
(3)
On properties where retail, restaurants, or similar business
uses are provided along at least 75% of the street level frontage
of buildings and parking garages, a bonus FAR of 0.75 will be allowed.
(4)
On properties where 90% or more of off-street parking is provided
in parking garages, where any parking garages on the property are
wrapped on at least three-quarters of its perimeter by attached occupied
principal buildings or where parking is located completely underground,
and where the portions of any parking garages above flood level are
hidden from view of rivers, creeks, and abutting streets by attached
occupied principal buildings, a bonus FAR of 0.75 will be allowed.
D.
FAR bonus provisions. In order to qualify for the above FAR bonuses,
two or more of the following public amenities shall be provided as
part of a private development project as long as they are above and
beyond what would otherwise be required by the minimum provisions
of the Gateway Redevelopment Overlay District or any other applicable
Municipal regulations:
(1)
Public restrooms which are convenient and easily accessible
to the users of the open space and recreational facilities provided
by the development, provided the restrooms are available during all
normal hours when the public would be using the open space and recreational
facilities, including evenings and weekends.
(2)
A public boat launch area for the launching and removal of carry-in
nonmotorized watercraft, including provisions for temporary short-term
on-water and/or on-land mooring of said watercraft and convenient
on-land parking and access to the launch site; the launch area design
shall comply with all safe, normal and reasonable standards for such
a facility.
(3)
A scenic overlook of the Schuylkill River (such as an urban
plaza) that is open to public use, highlights views of the river and
is designed specifically to encourage public gatherings.
(4)
Outdoor recreational facilities that are open to public use
at all reasonable times, including evenings and weekends, including
but not limited to ice skating rink, tennis court, basketball or similar
sports court, and similar uses.
(5)
Outdoor public fountain, garden, pavilion, or similar amenity
available for public use, including weather-protected kiosks for display
for historical, cultural, educational, or other resource information
for public benefit.
(6)
Other similar facilities that provide a desirable benefit and
amenity to the public, as determined by the Municipal Council.
A.
No more than four pinnacle buildings having a maximum height of 15
stories and 225 feet, whichever is less, are allowed on a first-come
basis in accordance with the following:
(1)
A portion of the pinnacle building must be within 1,000 feet
of an active passenger rail station.
(2)
Pinnacle buildings may not be located on properties where a
historic structure, as designated by Norristown's official list of
historic structures, has been razed, when this historic structure
existed at the time of adoption of this chapter.
(3)
Pinnacle buildings shall not stand alone but shall be an integral
part of the uses and urban design of a planned multi-use complex (such
as an educational campus, a complex of sports or recreational facilities
that integrate complimentary uses, an integrated office/retail/residential
complex or a research and development center with associated offices
and retail uses.) No single type of use shall comprise more than 60%
of the gross floor area of any individual building within a planned
multi-use complex.
A.
Riverfront access.
(1)
Minimum area. A minimum of 10% of the land area of a lot or
group of lots under common ownership shall be provided and maintained
as permanent open space used for riverfront greenways, plazas, central
greens, and/or central landscaped features. The open space shall be
a key component integrated into the basic design of the built environment
that implements the above purpose and not be left over pieces of land
at the periphery of the developed area. This minimum area shall be
measured from top or toe (as appropriate) of all slopes exceeding
15%, such that slopes along the roadways and riverbanks may not be
included as part of the required open space. Riverfront building setback
areas may be used for meeting this minimum permanent open space requirement.
(2)
Riverfront building setback. A continuous riverfront open space
area having a minimum depth of 100 feet that is free of buildings,
structures, parking lots or garages, loading or storage areas, roadways,
driveways or any other nonpedestrian or non-open space type uses shall
be permanently maintained, as measured from the top of bank (TOB)
of the Schuylkill River (30 feet from the TOB along the Stony Creek),
in addition to the permanent preservation of the entire riverbank
itself between the TOB and the water's edge, with the following exceptions.
(3)
The following uses shall be permitted within the riverfront
building setback area. The materials used, configuration, and design
of such uses shall be consistent with the overall vision for the riverfront,
as expressed by Municipal Council:
(a)
Private uses.
[1]
Up to 30% of the minimum riverfront setback area and up to 30%
of the linear river frontage measured along the TOB may be utilized
up to the river edge for private uses as designated in this section
below, provided that such areas do not contain over 300 linear feet
of contiguous development and provided these private use areas are
separated from other such nodes by a minimum of 500 linear feet, and
provided that an equivalent continuous open space area at least 60
feet wide (except as modified herein) is provided around such private
use to allow for the free flow of movements and visual openness.
[2]
Private use areas shall meet the following requirements:
[a]
These private uses may occupy land up to (and,
where permitted by the authorities having jurisdiction, overlapping)
the water's edge so as to restrict access by others to the water's
edge, provided a pedestrian access corridor at least 15 feet wide
and generally parallel to the river is provided around the use:
[b]
Restaurants, along with their associated outdoor
dining areas, parking, loading and access;
[c]
Boathouses, along with their associated launching
areas, parking and access;
[d]
Water-oriented cultural or recreational facility,
such as an aquarium, along with associated parking and access.
(b)
Every use abutting the required access corridor shall be designed
to compliment the corridor and make it feel secure, comfortable, functionally
stimulating, and visually attractive to its users.
(c)
The remaining 70% of the area and riverbank length must remain
as open space but may include outdoor recreational, cultural, and
open space uses such as skating rinks, plazas, boat launching facilities,
promenades, and similar uses for the enjoyment of the local population
and businesses.
(4)
All public amenities shall be maintained to an acceptable standard
as determined by the Code Enforcement Officer as per Municipal standards.
(5)
Existing historic structures designated by Norristown's official list of historic structures that are used for a permitted use listed in § 320-116A and which are utilized and preserved in a manner that is generally consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's guidelines for historic preservation may continue to occupy land within the corridor, provided an equivalent continuous open space area at least 60 feet wide is provided around such private use to allow for the free flow of movements and visual openness.
(6)
Public access.
(a)
There shall be twenty-four-hour daily emergency (i.e., fire,
ambulance, and police) access to the full length of the Schuylkill
River and the Stony Creek.
(b)
There shall be continuous and connected twenty-four-hour public access every day for walking, sitting, fishing and similar passive use recreational activities to all of the areas referred to in Subsection B of this section. Within the riverfront area, all developers shall construct a walkable hard surface trail at least 10 feet wide to be installed at or near the top of the riverbank as each property is developed.
(c)
Pedestrian access to the river and creek from nearby streets
that are perpendicular or parallel to the river and creek shall be
provided at intervals not to exceed 600 feet.
B.
Landscaping.
(1)
Landscaping shall meet all provisions of the Municipality's
Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance except as modified or supplemented
below:
(2)
Shade trees meeting the specifications and spacing of § 433C.3
of the Municipal Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance[1] shall be provided along all streets, riverfront greenways,
planting strips in parking lots, and perimeters of plazas, central
greens, and central landscaped features and may be within the legal
right-of-way of streets.
[1]
Editor's Note: See § 282-433.C.3.
(3)
Parking areas shall be separated from buildings, property lines
(except where shared parking lots overlap a common property line),
sidewalks, and internal collector drives by a landscaped area at least
five feet in width.
(4)
All surface parking lots shall have a shade tree, with a caliper
of two inches to 2 1/2 inches, at the ends of each single row of cars
with at least one tree for every 24 spaces.
(5)
All buildings shall be landscaped with a combination of evergreen
and deciduous trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to be used as foundation
planting, i.e., plantings to be installed in proximity to the facades.
Where foundation plantings are not possible or advisable, decorative
architecture features such as permanent planters or window boxes may
be used. All such features shall be designed to allow for healthy
plant growth.
(6)
Existing healthy trees along rivers and creeks shall be preserved
to the greatest extent feasible.
(7)
Riverfront greenways, and perimeters of plazas, central greens,
and central landscaped features shall be landscaped with a combination
of shade trees, shrubs, and groundcovers.
C.
Off-street parking and loading.
(1)
All proposed developments shall meet the off-street parking requirements of Article XXVI, Off-Street Parking and Loading, unless the Municipal Council determines that less parking is needed based on a parking needs analysis study that meets the following standards:
(a)
The parking needs analysis study shall be paid for by the applicant.
The municipality may choose to hire the consultant for the study or
may ask the applicant to hire the consultant.
(b)
The study shall be based on the Institute of Traffic Engineers
Standards and be prepared by a professional traffic engineer licensed
in the State of Pennsylvania.
(c)
The study must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Municipal
Council that the parking requirements for all proposed uses are adequately
met, considering provisions for shared and off peak uses, the needs
of the proposed uses, and programming for joint use facilities.
(2)
Required parking may be provided in joint use parking structures.
(3)
Surface parking lots shall be located to the rear of principal
buildings or to the side. Surface parking lots shall not be located
between a building and a street.
(4)
Surface parking lots shall not extend more than 70 feet in width
along any street without being interrupted by a principal building.
(5)
Surface parking lots shall be screened from view from streets
through the use of low-lying decorative walls not to exceed three
feet in height, decorative iron fencing, and evergreen plantings.
(6)
Structured parking garages, including garage levels below occupied
principal buildings, shall have ground floor retail, restaurant, or
personal service uses facing streets or design treatments such as
colonnades, screens, arcades, awnings, landscaping, street furniture,
and other public amenities to create the appearance of an occupied
building. Blank walls are not permitted to face streets, and all sides
visible from public streets shall be designed to create the appearance
of an occupied building.
(7)
Sufficient loading area complying with Municipal requirements
shall be provided to serve nonresidential uses in order to prevent
obstruction to local traffic and pedestrian patterns in the neighborhoods.
D.
Pedestrian circulation.
(1)
All developments shall include an integrated and coordinated
pedestrian circulation system linking the development with nearby
uses and buildings, the riverfront, parks, transit facilities, other
pedestrian traffic generators, and the remainder of Norristown.
E.
Design standards.
(1)
Architectural criteria. The following provisions shall apply
for all exterior walls that are visible from public streets, waterways,
and open space lands available for public use:
(a)
Preliminary architectural elevations shall be prepared by a
registered architect. Such elevations shall illustrate the general
design, character, and materials for facades of buildings visible
from public streets, waterways, and open space lands available for
public use.
(b)
The details of the architectural designs may be modified after
preliminary plan approval, provided the overall designs and types
of materials conform with the approved plans.
(c)
The architectural designs of all buildings should provide a
variety of rooflines and treatments when viewed from public streets,
waterways, and open space lands available for public use. Buildings
shall not have the exterior appearance of large monolithic structures.
Instead, large buildings shall have the appearance of connected smaller
buildings. Building walls shall not have an unbroken single appearance
for more than 100 feet on the average in horizontal length. Instead,
variations in materials, colors, textures, overhangs, setbacks of
at least 20 feet, display windows and/or entranceways shall be used
to provide visual interest.
(d)
Front facades of buildings shall be oriented towards both existing/proposed
streets and, when properties front it, the Schuylkill River. Everyday
ground-level entrances shall be provided for front facades facing
streets and the river.
(e)
All primary building entrances shall be accentuated. Permitted
entrance accents include: recessed, protruding, canopy, portico, or
overhang.
(f)
The architectural design of a building's vertical height shall
be broken with variations in materials, colors, textures, setbacks,
fenestration, and architectural detailing.
(g)
The facades of buildings visible from public streets, waterways,
and open space lands available for public use shall not have a dissonant
architectural theme. All buildings within a single project should
have a unified or complimentary architectural character.
(h)
Blank walls shall not be permitted along any exterior wall facing
a street, parking area, pedestrian walkway, stream, or river. These
walls shall comprise a minimum of 25% window area and a maximum of
75% window area.
(i)
Rooftop heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment
shall be screened from view from adjacent buildings, public streets,
waterways and open space lands available for public use in a manner
that is consistent with the architectural design.
(j)
All buildings and roofs shall avoid garish or dissonant color
schemes. However, companies will not be required to abandon their
legally protected trademarks, logos, color schemes and trim colors,
provided they are appropriately integrated into an aesthetically pleasing
overall design.
(k)
A coordinated design scheme shall be presented that will promote
attractive sign designs among tenants. A detailed design shall be
presented for freestanding signs for the development during the subdivision/land
development process.
(l)
Loading and unloading docks, dumpsters and exterior compactors
shall be located, designed and screened in a manner that minimizes
their visibility from adjacent public streets, waterways, and open
space lands available for public use and dwellings. No outdoor storage
is permitted.
(2)
Views of the Schuylkill River Valley from streets generally
perpendicular to the river, from parks, and from other public gathering
places shall generally be preserved.
A.
Tentative sketch. A tentative sketch plan shall be submitted, as defined in Article III of the Norristown Municipal Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, with the following information also to be shown:
(1)
A site plan showing the location of all present and proposed
buildings, drives, roadways, proposed traffic patterns, parking lots
and garages, pedestrian walkways and plazas and other constructed
features on the lot, plus all designated open space and open space/recreational
facilities and all water, floodway/floodplains and topographic features.
Surrounding existing features may be indicated with aerial photographic
information.
(2)
Architectural plans for any proposed buildings in adequate detail
to indicate building setback, footprint dimensions, building heights
and building mass.
(3)
Architectural elevations and sections in adequate detail to
indicate how proposed buildings will be compatible with Norristown's
built environment and will affect views to the river and across the
river to the hills and ridges.
(4)
Landscaping plan showing the general location of all landscaping
areas and the mature height of all proposed vegetation, differentiating
between trees and shrubs.
(5)
Any other pertinent data or evidence that the Municipality may
require.
(6)
There shall be nine copies of each plan submitted.
(7)
One copy of the plan shall be submitted to either the Historical
Architectural Review Board or the Design Review Board, whichever is
applicable.
(8)
Municipal Council shall also review the recommendations of the
Historical Architectural Review Board or Design Review Board in subsequent
action on the tentative sketch plan. In all cases, Municipal Council
shall have the final approval of all development.
A.
All proposed developments 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 proposed developments shall be reviewed by a Design Review Board, as outlined in § 320-243.
B.
In addition to its other review standards, the Historical Architectural
Review Board or Design Review Board shall determine whether the proposed
development adequately matches the character of nearby historic neighborhoods
and whether any proposed riverfront open space areas are welcoming
to the general public.
A traffic impact study as per § 320-265 shall be required for any residential development 20 units in size or greater or nonresidential development 10,000 square feet in size or greater.
