[Added 11-13-2018 by Ord.
No. 809]
A.
The purpose of this Article VA shall be to enhance the functional safety and aesthetic character of the Township Commons District (TCD) and Highway Commercial District (HCD) in order to facilitate the following goals:
(2)
Preserve and enhance property values in these zoning districts
through the design and implementation of excellent site design, landscaping,
and architectural standards.
(3)
Promote high-quality development by utilizing appropriate building
materials to create highly articulated architecture with a fully integrated
streetscape and site design.
(4)
Encourage and promote safe, convenient, and direct pedestrian
access to buildings, to and from public sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian/bicycle
paths, and parking lots, and between buildings.
(5)
Promote a pedestrian-friendly character and atmosphere throughout
these districts by including public courtyards and plazas, pedestrian/bicycle
paths, street trees and parking lot trees, seating areas, coordinated
street furnishings, ornamental lighting, and pedestrian-scale signage
and wayfinding.
(6)
Improve traffic flow and safe vehicular circulation in parking
lots.
(7)
Reduce the urban heat island effect through the planting of
shade trees, shrubs, and other ground cover.
(8)
Encourage a high level of architectural detail, aesthetically
pleasing signage, and functional site design through the utilization
of design standards.
(9)
Encourage cross-access easements and shared driveways to minimize
the number of driveways abutting existing roadways, enhance safety,
and provide more efficient, economical access and parking.
(10)
Encourage shared parking between compatible uses on the same
lot or on adjacent lots.
(11)
Encourage the redevelopment of existing roadways as complete
streets that safely accommodate buses, automobiles, bicycles, and
pedestrians.
B.
Applicability.
(1)
These design standards shall apply to any land development application
within the TCD and HCD, as defined by the Township ordinances.
(2)
Chain store/restaurant architecture. If a proposed use has standard
architectural styles, materials and motifs, the proposed architecture
shall be subject to the design standards of this article.
(3)
If there is a conflict between the design standards in this
article and other Township Land Development and Subdivision Ordinance
standards, the design standards of this article shall govern.
C.
Compliance.
(1)
Photographs, plans, elevations and other materials shall be
submitted by the applicant in conjunction with a sketch plan or preliminary
land development application demonstrating how the development will
comply with the design standards set forth in this article. These
materials shall include the following items:
(a)
Site plan, drawn to scale, showing the plan elements as contained
within this article;
(b)
One or more of the following: i) photographs of existing buildings
that illustrate the design intent of the proposal; ii) building elevations
drawn to scale; and/or iii) photo-realistic illustrations depicting
proposed scale, proportions, design elements, materials and color;
(c)
Colored rendering of the plan(s);
(d)
Landscape plan; and
(e)
Current photographs of site.
(2)
Once the preliminary design approach is reviewed by the Board
of Supervisors, and the Township provides the applicant with verbal
and/or written comments, additional and more detailed architectural
renderings, prepared by a registered architect, shall be submitted
for all proposed buildings, together with a list and samples of types
of exterior building materials that will be visible from any public
street. Similarly, a rendered schematic landscape plan, prepared by
a registered landscape architect, shall also be submitted for review.
An outdoor lighting plan shall also be submitted for review.
(3)
For renovations to existing buildings, the Board of Supervisors
may waive the requirement for a registered architect to prepare additional
and more detailed architectural renderings.
D.
All required planting plans and landscape plans for land developments
are to be sealed by a landscape architect registered in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
A.
When the side and/or rear of a lot adjoins land zoned for residential purposes, a 20-foot buffer strip suitably landscaped to provide a screen, and in which no paved areas or structures are permitted, except as noted in § 330-48.2B, shall be provided.
B.
The buffer area shall be a continuous planting area consisting of canopy trees, small understory trees, and shrubs, with grass or groundcover. No paving shall be permitted within the buffer areas except for driveway crossing and/or walkways. The applicant shall establish that the buffer complies with the design standards set forth in § 390-31E and the buffer design shall be subject to Exeter Planning Commission approval. The buffer area can be included within the open area requirement of the TC and HC Districts.
Any single parking area with 20 or more spaces shall include
parking area landscaping of an area within the lot that is equal to
at least 12% of the area covered by parking spaces and aisle ways.
Said landscaped area shall be in addition to the open area requirement
of the TC and HC Districts.
A.
There shall be no more than 15 contiguous parking spaces without
a planting island and the ends of parking rows shall be separated
from drives by planting islands.
B.
Planting islands shall be a minimum of 10 feet by 20 feet in area.
Each planting island shall contain at least one shade tree and two
shrubs or ornamental grasses and groundcover to cover the entire area
at maturity. There can be two alternate approaches:
(1)
Flush curb shall enclose the island, and the island shall be
slightly depressed to act as a bioswale to accept and infiltrate stormwater
where appropriate.
(2)
Alternatively, based on the stormwater management plan of the
site, these islands shall be raised with a six-inch-tall curb and
not act as a stormwater management facility, in accordance with the
stormwater management plan. Six-inch curbs may have scuppers (openings
in curb that divert waterflow to desired location) to allow sheet
flow of stormwater into planting beds.
C.
Location of parking. The site shall be designed to minimize the negative
impact and appearance of the parking lots. Parking in the front of
the building shall be minimized. Parking shall be concentrated to
the side and rear of the building(s) and behind the building setback
line.
A.
The plan shall include the planting of one tree for every 30 feet
of right-of-way, plus one tree per 10 spaces in the parking area.
Trees planted along rights-of-way shall not be counted toward the
number of trees required for the parking area. No more than 1/3 of
the required trees shall be of a single species.
B.
Generally, all trees shall be planted no less than 30 feet apart.
Whenever possible, shade trees shall be planted alternately along
both sides of all streets or driveways.
Pole-supported light fixtures for the illumination of parking areas or pedestrian ways shall be installed in planting beds or planting islands whenever possible and shall be placed on concrete footings that are no more than six inches high above the soil level. All other lighting requirements shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Exeter Township Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (Chapter 235 of the Exeter Township Code).
In order to facilitate efficient internal traffic circulation
and minimize road traffic for short trips, all parking areas shall
connect directly to parking areas on adjacent lots. If a connection
is not possible at the time of land development, site design provisions
shall be made for a future connection to adjacent properties. Permanent
cross-access easements between properties should be designed and constructed
whenever possible. Shared or common driveways shall be designed whenever
feasible.
A.
If a lot is developed or redeveloped, any new vehicular access point
shall be located along a side lot line in order to create a shared
driveway with the adjacent lot, whenever feasible.
A.
Site design standards. The following design standards apply to the
TCD and HCD:
(2)
The primary building entrance:
(a)
A primary pedestrian building entrance shall be located on one
or more primary front facades facing the street and pedestrian way,
rather than the rear or sides of the building, and shall be well articulated
and visible from the street as described herein. Secondary access
points may be located along other facades.
[1]
In multiuse buildings, each building use and street
level tenant space shall have at least one functional entrance directly
visible and accessible from the street. Where tenant entrances are
via common lobbies, lobby entrances shall create architectural emphasis
through design features such as changes in plane, stepbacks, fenestration
patterns, balconies, towers, bays, or similar features.
(b)
If the primary building entrance is not located along the primary
front facade, the applicant must demonstrate that the primary building
entrance may not feasibly be located along the primary front facade.
In such a situation, the primary building entrance shall be located
to the side of the building in accordance with the following:
[1]
Buildings with the primary building entrance on
the side shall make the side entrance visually emphasized such that
the entry is visible from adjacent and nearby public roadways. Architectural
emphasis shall be achieved through design features such as changes
in plane, stepbacks, fenestration patterns, balconies, towers, building
entries, bays, or similar features.
[2]
Buildings with the main entry on the side shall
be accessible by a public walkway connecting the sidewalk along the
site's street frontage to the parking areas.
(3)
Pedestrian circulation. A safe and direct pedestrian access
shall be provided from streets, parking lots and sidewalks to the
building entrances and exits.
B.
Architectural design standards. The architectural design standards
are intended to ensure that the size, proportions, and design of new
or substantially improved buildings create a pedestrian-friendly environment
that is highly articulated as described herein. The visual mass of
all buildings shall be de-emphasized through the use of architectural
elements including form, architectural features, and materials to
reduce their apparent bulk and volume, enhance visual quality, and
contribute to human scale development in accordance with the following:
(1)
All structures proposed under the same land development application
shall consist of a unified and coordinated architectural theme.
(2)
Exterior building materials. The predominant material of all
facades facing public streets shall be brick, stone, highly textured
masonry block, curtain wall, metal panel systems with concealed fasteners,
glazed panels, cement-board siding or wood. Stucco or dryvit may be
utilized provided it is no more than 20% of nonwindow facades at the
street floor level and no more than 50% of nonwindow facades above
the street level.
(a)
All sides of a building shall be architecturally designed to
be consistent with regard to style, materials, colors and details.
The architectural treatment of the front facade shall be continuous
in its major features around all visibly exposed sides of a building
with the exception of parking structures or that portion of a building
containing a parking structure. Blank wall or service area treatment
of side and/or rear elevations visible to the public shall be prohibited.
(b)
If approved by the Board of Supervisors, simulated brick or
simulated stone may be used as the predominant material of all facades
facing public streets.
(3)
Vertical articulation. Buildings are required to provide articulation
on the exterior of any wall surface in order to provide architectural
interest and variety to the massing of a building and to relieve the
effect of a single, long monotonous wall or roof. Blank facades, without
windows or architectural elements to create interest, are prohibited.
(a)
The massing of any one building wall shall not exceed 50 feet
(horizontal dimension) without a vertical articulation along its entire
height. Vertical articulation may include a change of facade plane
or material. The depth of change in facade plane for vertical wall
articulation shall be a minimum of two feet zero inches. Such articulation
may consist of building wall offsets, recesses and projections such
as bays, balconies, canopies, awnings, pilasters, columns and other
similar features.
(4)
Horizontal articulation. Horizontal articulation of the building
facade, including changes to the horizontal building plane and/or
materials, shall be used to break up the scale of the building facade.
Such horizontal articulation may be provided by roof terraces, setbacks
or other devices. Horizontal articulation shall emphasize the building
base, body and roof/parapet edge.
(a)
Buildings greater than 30 feet in height shall be designed utilizing
a definition of the base, body and roof or parapet edge (or similar
designations) as the primary method of defining and relating buildings
to one another.
(b)
The base shall generally be considered the first story of the
facade facing a public street, but can vary depending on the overall
building height and range from ground plane to the floor line of the
third floor in buildings of at least four stories in height. The design
of the base should be emphasized through the design, quality and durability
of its materials to create visual interest. The transition from the
base of a building to the body may be expressed either horizontally,
through a shift in the horizontal plane and/or through a change in
building materials.
(c)
The top of a building greater than 30 feet in height shall be
architecturally distinguished by providing a visual termination to
the facade and interest at the skyline by incorporation of highly
detailed architectural elements that are visible from street level.
(d)
Any building measuring taller than 50 feet in height shall provide
an expression line on the wall plane, continuing around all sides
of a building above the first or second floor. The expression line
may consist of a projecting element, a minimum two inches in depth,
such as a belt course or cornice as well as a terrace that sets back
the walls of the building above the expression line.
(5)
Roofs.
(a)
Rooflines shall be articulated vertically with a change in roofline
every 50 feet. This requirement does not apply to flat roofs.
(b)
On buildings with flat roofs, all visibly exposed walls shall
have an articulated cornice that projects a minimum of four inches
horizontally from the top of the vertical building wall.
(c)
Fixed or retractable awnings are permitted at street floor level
and on upper levels where appropriate, if they complement a building's
architectural features. Metal or internally lit awnings are prohibited.
In buildings with multiple storefronts, or on adjacent buildings,
compatible awnings should be used as a means of unifying the structures.
(d)
All rooftop mechanical equipment, including antennas, shall
be visually and acoustically screened from view of both the public
right-of-way and adjacent properties. Screening may be accomplished
by using parapets, walls or roof elements. Such screening shall be
integral to the architectural design of the building.
(6)
Proportions of walls to openings for street level facades.
(a)
A street level facade is the building wall or walls where there
are primary and secondary customer entrances and where they are the
prominent facades as viewed from streets or parking areas.
(b)
A wall-to-clear-window/door ratio for the total square footage
of the street level facade of between 2:1 and 4:1 is required. For
street floor level commercial and retail uses, a wall-to-clear-window
ratio between 1:1 and 2:1 is required.
(c)
The maximum length of a blank wall between clear window/door
openings shall be 15 feet.
(d)
Elements such as pent eaves, pediments, or sills and lintels
above and below windows and doors are required.
(7)
(8)
Signs.
(a)
Signs shall be an integral part of the architectural design for the building(s). Sign materials shall utilize the same, similar or complementary materials as utilized for the buildings. Sign dimensions and other standards shall be regulated in accordance with Zoning Ordinance § 390-69, Signs, of the Exeter Township Zoning Ordinance.
(b)
Directory signs for one or multiple tenants shall be consolidated
and located within 20 feet of the driveway entrance.
