A. 
Intent. It is hereby declared as a matter of public policy that the logical, orderly and appropriate expansion and development of health care facilities in the Township, in order to meet the long-range health care needs of the community, are public necessities and are in the interests of the health, prosperity and welfare of the people of Lower Merion Township. To that end, a separate zoning district is hereby created for the following purposes:
(1) 
To recognize the locations and types of health care and related uses in Lower Merion Township and to encourage the development of expanded health care facilities.
(2) 
To provide for the development or further development of large parcels of land to service the health care needs of the community while assuring a harmonious relationship between such health care uses and abutting neighborhoods.
(3) 
To encourage long-range planning for health care facilities due to the unique impact of expansion on the provision of public services.
(4) 
To recognize that medical facilities are large-scale developments, dynamic and prone to change.
(5) 
To recognize that medical facilities have a significant impact on the health, safety, welfare and economic development of the community by virtue of their function and their need for growth and expansion.
(6) 
To recognize the need to provide for change in the health care facilities within the institutions themselves and to allow the community to anticipate and plan for the impact of those changes.
(7) 
To acknowledge that medical facilities have historically been permitted within residentially zoned districts in Lower Merion Township because such facilities, when properly planned and developed, are not incompatible with such districts and provide the immediate benefit of proximity to those living in nearby communities who may have the need for emergency care.
B. 
District established.
(1) 
In the MC Medical Center District, the regulations set forth in this article shall apply.
C. 
Area, width, and bulk regulations shall be according to Table 6.1, MC Medical Center District, and the following:
(1) 
Impervious surface, floor area ratio (FAR), lot and building area and open space of a single lot may exceed the requirements according to Table 6.1, MC Medical Center District, provided that such excess does not cause the resulting total of all land within the district and subject to a common covenant to exceed the requirements according to Table 6.1, MC Medical Center District.
(2) 
All impervious surface exceeding 28% requires the applicant to recharge the increase in stormwater runoff volume for a twenty-five-year storm.
(3) 
Open space is further regulated as follows:
(a) 
No more than 50% of the common open space shall be comprised of designated flood hazard districts or slopes in excess of 25%.
(b) 
Any area designated as common open space shall be no less than one acre or less than 75 feet in width or have a ratio of the longest to shortest dimension exceeding four to one, except where such areas serve as public pedestrian links and/or preserve a viewshed or scenic corridor.
(c) 
There shall be no more than four noncontiguous common open space areas. Common open space areas separated by a driveway shall be considered a single common open space area.
(d) 
The common open space may be used for the following:
[1] 
Woodland, meadow, wetland, watercourse or similar conservation-oriented area.
[2] 
Park, pedestrian trails, or outdoor recreation area.
[3] 
Stormwater management facilities, open field or lawn.
(e) 
Common open space shall not include streets, driveways, and off-street parking areas.
(4) 
Height, density and setback requirements shall be as specified in § 155-3.3, Building height, and shall be as shown in Table 6.1, MC Medical Center Form Standards.
(a) 
In determining the mean level of the ground or the lowest level of the ground surrounding the building, the following may be excluded: openings in the foundation wall which provide for ingress and egress and/or light and air; openings up to 25 feet in length providing access to required underground parking spaces; openings required to comply with the building exit provisions in the Building and Fire Codes; and, openings required for ventilation wells or shafts to comply with the Mechanical Code.
(b) 
Chimneys, enclosed stairwells, roofed and unenclosed roof terraces and roof trellises, and uninhabitable ornamental building features may be allowed to exceed maximum building height up to an additional 12 feet and occupy a maximum 20% of roof area.
(c) 
Mechanical equipment on a roof shall be enclosed by parapets of the minimum building height necessary or other means to screen it from abutting streets and adjacent properties at ground level and may extend above the maximum height as specified.
(5) 
Perimeter setback. The minimum setback for buildings or portions thereof up to 65 feet in height shall be 125 feet from the district boundary and any street right-of-way.
(a) 
Where buildings or portions of buildings are higher than 65 feet, the minimum setback for such buildings or portions of buildings between 65 feet and 75 feet shall be an additional 7.5 feet for each one foot of height above 65 feet.
(b) 
Where buildings or portions of buildings are higher than 75 feet, the additional setback for such buildings or portions above 75 feet shall be an additional five feet for each one foot of height above 75 feet.
D. 
Uses.
(1) 
Uses shall be according to Table 5.1, Uses, and further regulated by Article X, Supplemental Use Regulations.
(2) 
The following accessory uses are permitted when associated with or in support of the primary health care mission of a medical facility:
(a) 
Medical and administrative offices, medical laboratory, special medical treatment facility, patient hostel, hospital staff dormitory, employee day-care center, ambulance service and parking.
E. 
Vehicular access and parking.
(1) 
All vehicular access (ingress and egress) for uses in this district shall be provided by direct driveway connections to primary arterial streets except as set forth below.
(2) 
Construction of a driveway or road for vehicular access to a secondary, tertiary or minor public road is permitted by conditional use, where Township design and location standards can be met, only as follows:
(a) 
Emergency access - obstruction. Use of this access point shall be limited to occasions when the Lower Merion Township Police Department has determined that all access points from and to a primary arterial street have been obstructed due to accident or other emergency event. When such an obstruction occurs, use of this access by emergency vehicles shall not require Lower Merion Police Department approval. Use of the emergency access at other times shall be denied by a barrier or gate the design of which shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Commissioners.
(b) 
Emergency access - emergency vehicles. Use of this access point by a police vehicle, fire engine or ambulance shall be limited to ingress only when responding to an emergency that requires immediate access to the hospital. Conditional use of the emergency access point by ambulances will be granted only upon demonstration that actual past ingress delays, to be remedied by the proposed use of the emergency access point, have impaired patient health and safety.
(c) 
Employee access. Use of this access point by up to 10% or 250 employees of the Medical Center District, whichever is less, shall be permitted by conditional use only in the event the FAR in the district exceeds 0.4.
(3) 
Special conditions. In addition to the general requirements for conditional use approval contained in § 155-11.1F, Conditional uses, an application for conditional use authorizing emergency and/or employee access as set forth in § 155-6.1E(2) above shall demonstrate compliance with the following criteria:
(a) 
A traffic impact study shall be performed and submitted with the conditional use application. The Township Engineer shall determine the scope of the study and the assumptions utilized. The traffic impact study shall specifically address impacts on nearby residents, schools, parks, places of worship and other public facilities. The traffic generated by the proposed access shall not result in a level of service lower than C at adjacent intersections. If the level of service is already below a C, the additional traffic shall not lower such level of service or increase the average delay by more than 10 seconds per vehicle per approach on adjacent streets and/or adjacent intersections.
(b) 
No conditional use approval under Subsection E(2) above shall be granted for any access to a secondary, tertiary or minor road until the applicant has demonstrated that they have reasonably pursued all road access alternatives.
(4) 
Parking required. The uses permitted in the MC Medical Center District shall provide the minimum parking spaces as set forth below. Uses not listed below shall provide the minimum parking spaces as required in Article VIII, Parking Standards. At-grade, above- or below-ground parking and loading facilities shall be permitted.
(a) 
Medical center and hospital: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 600 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(b) 
Medical clinic and health clinic: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 300 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(c) 
Medical office buildings: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 300 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(d) 
Medical laboratory. One off-street parking space shall be provided per 600 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(e) 
Special medical treatment facility: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 400 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(f) 
Patient hostel: one off-street parking space per guest room and one parking space per employee of the largest shift.
(g) 
Hospital staff dormitory: one off-street parking space per student or employee.
(h) 
Employee day-care center: one off-street parking space per faculty/staff member or volunteer. The day-care center shall have one queuing space dedicated to dropoff-pickup for every 10 participants in the day-care center.
F. 
Covenant. In the event an applicant seeks a building permit to develop a lot subject to the provisions of this article and the lot does not meet the minimum area requirements set forth herein, the applicant shall first record a covenant in a form approved by the Township Solicitor and executed by the lot owners seeking to join such lots together for common use and development, the terms of which shall include the following:
(1) 
A description of the area to be subjected to the covenant, which area shall not be less than the minimum lot area as required in this district and shall be entirely within the MC Medical Center District.
(2) 
A covenant that the properties may not be separately transferred so as to reduce the district below the minimum area requirements set forth herein or otherwise render any lot nonconforming to the provisions of this Code or in violation of any provision of the Township Code.
(3) 
A covenant that the properties within the area subject thereto shall be used, developed and occupied only in conformance with the provisions of this chapter, as the same may from time to time be amended.
G. 
Buffer regulations. Where a lot in a Medical Center District abuts an existing single-family residential use or district, a screening buffer not less than 75 feet wide shall be provided along the abutting lot lines. However, a screening buffer is not required along primary street frontages. The requirements and standards for screening buffers (except the minimal width) shall be the same as for those set forth in Chapter 101 of the Code of the Township of Lower Merion, entitled "Natural Features Conservation." This section shall apply to an existing use only upon the further development thereof, the required buffer to be provided adjacent to the residential use or district affected by such further development.
H. 
Sound level limitations. Sound levels in this district shall not exceed the background sound level by more than 10 dBA between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and five dBA between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. when measured from any residentially zoned property immediately outside the district. This section shall not apply to sound levels associated with emergency vehicles, construction noise or emergency generator testing between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or the use of emergency generators during periods of loss of power.
I. 
Exterior lighting. Exterior lighting shall be designed to limit both light trespass onto adjacent residential properties and light pollution into the sky. The illumination level shall be no more than 0.3 footcandle measured either vertically or horizontally at a height of five feet above grade from adjacent residential properties. Lighting shall be designed to shield the source of illumination and to prevent glare on adjacent residential properties through the use of either cutoff- or full-cutoff-type luminaires and low brightness light sources.
Table 6.1. Medical Center District (MC) Dimensional Standards 1
Area, Width and Bulk (Lot Occupation)
Lot width
n/a
Lot area
50 acres minimum2
Impervious coverage
40% maximum
Building area
25% maximum3
Open space
50% minimum
Setbacks
Principal Building
Perimeter (up to 6 stories or 65 feet)
125 feet minimum4
Building Height (maximum)
Principal
10 stories4 (or 105 feet)
Intensity
FAR
0.45 maximum1
NOTES:
1
See §§ 155-6.1C(1) and F.
2
Subject to § 155-6.1C(1), no single lot shall have an area less than 15,000 square feet.
3
The total building area shall include parking structures.
4
Per setback regulations in § 155-6.1C(5)
A. 
Intent. In the interest of the public health, safety and welfare, the provisions of this section are intended:
(1) 
To recognize the need to provide for the special requirements of health care and related uses in Lower Merion Township and surrounding communities.
(2) 
To provide for the logical, orderly and appropriate expansion and development of health care and related uses to meet the long-term health care needs of the community.
(3) 
To recognize the density of development of surrounding areas and ensure the harmonious relationship of health care and related uses with the surrounding neighborhoods, in accordance with § 155-6.2E, Development design standards.
(4) 
To encourage long-range planning for health care facilities due to the unique impact of expansion on the provision of public services.
(5) 
To recognize that medical facilities are large-scale, dynamic developments.
(6) 
To recognize that medical facilities have a significant impact on the health, safety, welfare and economic development of the community by virtue of their function and their need for growth and expansion, in accordance with § 155-6.2E, Development design standards.
(7) 
To recognize the need to provide for change in the health care facilities and to allow the community to anticipate and plan for the impact of those changes, in accordance with § 155-6.2E, Development design standards.
B. 
Area, width, and bulk regulations shall be according to Table 6.2, Bryn Mawr Medical District (BMMD) Dimensional Standards, and the following:
(1) 
Tracts designated BMMD-2 and BMMD-3.
(a) 
The primary pedestrian access point to nonresidential buildings shall face onto the street right-of-way, rather than onto rear or side parking lots or alleys. Secondary access points may be located along other facades.
(b) 
Parking lots, loading areas, and driveways are discouraged in the front yard, but are permitted when enclosed with an architectural feature along the right-of-way line, including but not limited to a seat wall, pedestrian arcade, pergola, or planting area that achieves a similar visual quality.
(2) 
Covered areas for patient dropoff and pickup at medical uses are not considered part of the building for setback and coverage purposes.
(3) 
Enclosed pedestrian bridges connecting medical uses across public rights-of-way shall be permitted on tertiary and minor roads. The pedestrian bridges shall be limited to one per street frontage.
(4) 
Impervious surface shall be regulated according to Table 6.2, Bryn Mawr Medical District (BMMD) Dimensional Standards, and the following:
(a) 
Public plazas, and/or similar site amenities, and underground parking below a public plaza shall not be included in the calculation of impervious surface.
(5) 
Building height shall be regulated according to Table 6.2, Bryn Mawr Medical District (BMMD) Dimensional Standards, and the following:
(a) 
The first floor elevation of a building at a frontage shall be established at the midpoint of the front property line, and may extend a maximum of 2.5 feet above the lowest point of the sidewalk grade. A finished floor elevation more than 2.5 feet above the lowest point of the sidewalk grade shall be considered the second floor.
(b) 
In determining the mean level of the ground or the lowest level of the ground surrounding the building, the following may be excluded: openings in the foundation wall which provide for ingress and egress and/or light and air; openings up to 25 feet in length providing access to required underground parking spaces; openings required to comply with the building exit provisions in the Building and Fire Codes; and, openings required for ventilation wells or shafts to comply with the Mechanical Code.
(c) 
Building height shall not include the height of parapets, chimneys, spires and similar projections or rooftop equipment housing, provided that they do not exceed 18 feet in height or occupy more than 40% of the roof area.
(d) 
The maximum height of the portion of any building within the BMMD District located adjacent to an existing one- or two-family dwelling in MDR shall be according to Table 6.2, Bryn Mawr Medical District (BMMD) Dimensional Standards.
(6) 
Floor area ratio shall be regulated according to Table 6.2, Bryn Mawr Medical District (BMMD) Dimensional Standards.
(8) 
Buffer regulations. In all BMMD Districts, a use permitted in Table 5.1, Uses shall maintain a twenty-foot-wide landscape buffer along the side and rear property lines abutting a property devoted to single-family detached residential use. The width of the landscape buffer required by this subsection may be reduced to no less than five feet if a solid fence or wall eight feet in height is erected within the buffer area no less than five feet from the property line. In addition, the following regulations shall apply:
(a) 
In a BMMD-2, where a street separates a nonresidential use within the district from a residential use in a residential zoning district, a six-foot-wide buffer shall be provided between any building and the street. This buffer shall be in addition to required street trees. This area shall be planted with a combination of accent low-level plants, such as shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, and ground covers located in groupings and may include a wall. Plantings shall not obstruct a pedestrian's view of or access to the first floor windows, door openings and sidewalks. Breaks in the planting area to accommodate vehicular and pedestrian access are permitted.
(b) 
In a BMMD-3, where a street separates a nonresidential use within the district from a residential use in a residential zoning district, a landscape buffer shall be provided along the street line for a depth of 150 feet. In lieu of a landscape buffer, such area may be developed with a permitted residential use.
(c) 
Any lot which becomes vacant through the removal of a structure for any reason other than during the land development approval process or construction of a new facility shall be screened from all abutting public streets by planting street trees and providing a six-foot-wide landscaped area with a continuous row of two-foot-high shrubs.
(9) 
Density requirements. A minimum lot area of 1,250 square feet is required for each dwelling unit. When a lot contains both residential and nonresidential uses, the residential density shall be based on the total lot area that contains both uses.
C. 
Uses.
(1) 
Uses shall be according to Table 5.1, Uses, and further regulated by Article X, Supplemental Use Regulations.
(2) 
Accessory uses are permitted on the same lot with a permitted use within the BMMD District, including surface, aboveground or below-ground parking structures.
(3) 
The following accessory uses are permitted when associated with or in support of the primary health care mission of a medical facility:
(a) 
Medical and administrative offices, medical laboratory, special medical treatment facility, patient hostel, hospital staff dormitory, employee day-care center, ambulance service and parking.
D. 
Parking and street access requirements.
(1) 
Parking required. The uses permitted in the BMMD District shall provide the minimum parking spaces as set forth below. Uses not listed below shall provide the minimum parking spaces as required in Article VIII, Parking Standards. At-grade, above- or below-ground parking and loading facilities shall be permitted.
(a) 
Medical center and hospital: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 600 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(b) 
Medical clinic and health clinic: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 300 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(c) 
Medical office building: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 300 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(d) 
Medical laboratory: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 600 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(e) 
Special medical treatment facility: One off-street parking space shall be provided per 400 square feet of gross habitable floor area.
(f) 
Patient hostel: one off-street parking space per guest room and one parking space per employee of the largest shift.
(g) 
Hospital staff dormitory: one off-street parking space per student or employee.
(h) 
Day-care center: one off-street parking space per faculty/staff member or volunteer. The day-care center shall have one queuing space dedicated to dropoff-pickup for every 10 participants in the day-care center.
(i) 
Changing an existing nonresidential use to another use or uses permitted in the BMMD does not require additional parking, provided that:
[1] 
The existing structure will be a mixed-use building;
[2] 
The new use requires a maximum of 15 additional parking spaces above what the existing use currently requires; and
[3] 
Any exterior changes to the building comply with the district development design standards.
(2) 
Location of required parking.
(a) 
Required parking spaces for any use located within the BMMD may be located either on the lot, or on any lot within the district. Required parking is also permitted off site, outside the BMMD, provided that the distance between the exterior wall of the parking structure in which the space is located or the edge of the surface parking lot and the exterior of building served thereby does not exceed 1,000 feet.
(b) 
Surface parking lots and loading areas shall be placed between a structure and a rear lot line whenever possible.
[1] 
On a corner lot, if surface parking and loading cannot be behind a structure or otherwise screened from view as described in § 155-6.2D(3)(a), then the parking shall be located:
[a] 
Along the street with the least amount of commercial activity; or
[b] 
Along the street with the least amount of pedestrian activity.
(3) 
Parking design and screening requirements.
(a) 
If surface parking and loading areas are visible from the street frontage, then a fence, wall or plantings shall be provided to maintain the street edge and screen views of the parked cars.
(b) 
Parking and loading areas, excluding driveway access areas, shall be screened from any adjacent pedestrianway by planting street trees and providing a six-foot-wide landscaped area with a continuous row of two-foot-high shrubs, or a fence or wall.
(c) 
The primary front facade of a parking structure visible from a public or private street or pedestrianway shall be pedestrian-oriented and scaled and designed to relate to adjacent active commercial facades.
(4) 
Shared parking. Shared parking for public and/or private use is encouraged.
(a) 
When land uses on adjacent parcels create shared parking areas with circulation paths and access points that are under common ownership or controlled by a reciprocal easement agreement, the collective parking requirements for development on those properties shall equal the sum of the individual parking requirements at the greatest single peak hour of the combined uses.
(b) 
Documentation based on standards from the most recent edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) parking generation publication identifying the peak hour uses shall be submitted in a parking study and approved by the Township Engineer.
(c) 
Documentation confirming the ownership and/or management arrangement shall be submitted prior to the Board approving a final plan application and shall be subject to the Board's approval.
(5) 
On-street parking. Provided that the new or rehabilitated building or buildings comply with the development design standards herein, legal on-street parking along the parcel's street frontage may be counted toward the development's minimum parking requirements.
(6) 
Bicycle parking. Convenient bicycle facilities shall be provided as follows:
(a) 
All parking facilities containing between 10 and 50 parking spaces shall provide at least four bicycle parking spaces.
(b) 
All parking facilities containing more than 50 parking spaces shall provide one bicycle parking space for each 20 automobile parking spaces in excess of the first 50 spaces in the facility. Not more than 20 bicycle parking stalls shall be required for any one facility.
(c) 
Bicycle parking facilities shall be so located as to be safe from motor vehicle traffic and secure from theft.
(7) 
Loading.
(a) 
To the greatest extent feasible, areas used for loading or trash receptacle purposes shall not be located adjacent to residential uses and residential zoning districts. If these areas are located adjacent to residential uses/zoning districts, then they shall be screened from view. Noise, sound and odors associated with these uses shall not be discernible at the property line.
(b) 
Buildings and structures, excluding parking structures, shall provide adequate area for loading/unloading.
(8) 
The required parking for nonresidential uses permitted under Table 5.1, Uses, shall gain ingress and egress from primary, secondary or tertiary arterial roads as set forth on the Official Highway Map of the Township, unless there is no safe driveway location in the opinion of the Township Engineer, in which case the minimum ingress and egress necessary may occur from a minor road.
E. 
Development design standards.
(1) 
Purpose.
(a) 
The purpose of this section is to require buildings that are visible from street frontages, and all facades of parking structures that are visible from residential dwelling units, be pedestrian-oriented in design. For such buildings and parking structures, entrances should be oriented toward the streets, sidewalks and public accessways. Requirements for orientation and primary entrances for such buildings are intended to:
[1] 
Provide for convenient, direct, and accessible pedestrian access to and from public sidewalks, transit facilities, residential and commercial uses;
[2] 
Provide a safe, pleasant and enjoyable pedestrian experience by connecting activities between buildings and within a structure to the adjacent sidewalk and/or transit stop; and
[3] 
Promote use of pedestrian and mass transit modes of transportation to access residential and nonresidential facilities.
(b) 
The preservation and rehabilitation of existing buildings and structures is encouraged in order to create diversity of development, accent pedestrian-scale activity, and to preserve the character of the Township's neighborhoods.
(c) 
Preliminary plan application shall comply with all applicable design standards contained in this article and the Township's Subdivision and Land Development Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 135, Subdivision and Land Development.
(d) 
In granting preliminary or final plan approval for any development in the BMMD District, the Board may waive applicability of any provisions of the Subdivision and Land Development Code which may be in conflict with the purposes of this section in the context of any specific application.
(e) 
As condition(s) of preliminary or final plan approval, the Board may provide for variation or waiver of specific design standards established in the Subdivision and Land Development Code. The applicant requesting variation in design standards shall submit drawings, models or plans to demonstrate the purpose and potential impact of the request, including alternatives if specified by the Board. The applicant wishing to have any design standard varied shall bear the burden of proof in justifying the appropriateness of such variation. The applicant shall be required to post bond after final plan approval to ensure compliance with the decision and any conditions imposed by the Board.
(2) 
Building orientation and primary entrance.
(a) 
General standards. All new and rehabilitated buildings and parking structures that are visible from the street frontage shall comply with the following standards:
[1] 
Buildings shall be designed with public access points and signage facing the street and sidewalk.
[2] 
The facade treatment of walls facing residential uses or residential zoning districts shall be similar to the primary front facade along the pedestrian-oriented street.
(b) 
Primary building entrances shall be articulated and visible from the street.
[1] 
Building entrances shall incorporate arcades, roofs, porches, alcoves, awnings or other similar devices that protect pedestrians from the sun and rain.
[2] 
If the building has frontage on more than one street, the building shall provide a primary entrance oriented toward the higher classification street or a single entrance to the corner where two streets intersect.
(c) 
To the greatest extent feasible, if a single lot is redeveloped, any new vehicular access point shall be located on a side lot line and shared with adjacent lots.
(d) 
Driveways, parking areas and traffic circulation patterns shall be designed as shared facilities whenever feasible. The design of these elements shall create a unified site plan between the lots. The goal is to gain parking efficiencies, reduce the number of access points and improve internal and external vehicular circulation patterns.
(e) 
When one or more lot(s) are redeveloped such that 150 feet or more of new building facade is constructed along the primary front facade, an accessway or some method of access shall be provided to reach available shared parking facilities located on the same lot.
(3) 
Architectural design standards. The architectural design standards have been incorporated into this district to ensure that the size and proportions of new buildings and other related improvements relate to the scale of the existing structures, especially at the street level. All requirements in this section apply to buildings and portions of buildings that are visible from the street frontage and all facades of a parking structure that are visible from a public way or a residential dwelling unit.
(a) 
Buildings and other related improvements.
[1] 
If the subject property is listed on the Township's Historic Inventory or within a local and/or national historic district, the new construction shall be compatible with the character of that building/district in compliance with Chapter 88 of the Township Code and the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation.
[2] 
All buildings shall articulate the line between the ground and upper levels with a cornice, canopy, balcony, arcade, material change or other visual device.
[3] 
The massing of all buildings shall be deemphasized in a variety of ways, including but not limited to the use of projecting and recessed elements, such as porches, windows, roof dormers, mullion articulation, and facade fenestration, or a change in brick coursing, to reduce their apparent overall bulk and volume, to enhance visual quality and contribute to human-scaled development. Any walls with less than 25% of clear windows shall be articulated by any of the following:
[a] 
Details in masonry courses.
[b] 
The provision of blank window openings trimmed with frames, sills and lintels.
[c] 
Variations in materials.
[d] 
Projections and/or recesses.
[e] 
Landscaping elements where setbacks are required.
[4] 
For uses permitted under Table 5.1, Uses, second story and above of primary front facades shall contain a minimum of 50% of the horizontal width of the facade as clear windows.
[a] 
Clear window openings shall be vertical, at least twice as high as the width of those openings.
[b] 
To the extent possible, individual window units in the upper stories shall be vertically aligned with the location of window and doors on the ground level.
[5] 
Buildings shall be topped with either pitched roofs with overhanging eaves or flat roofs with articulated parapets and cornices.
[6] 
Pitched roof material may include slate (either natural or man-made), shingle (either wood or asphalt composition) and metal formed to resemble standing seams or other similar materials. Specifically prohibited are white, tan or blue shingles, and corrugated plastic or metal. Fascias, dormers and gables or similar architectural features shall be employed to provide visual interest.
[7] 
Exterior wall materials may include stucco, wood clapboard (including imitation clapboard siding with the exception of aluminum siding), stone, glass, terra-cotta, metal, or brick of a shape, color and texture as that found within the adjacent neighborhood. Specifically prohibited shall be white, tan or any type of painted brick or T-111 or other similar plywood siding. All forms of exposed concrete block shall be prohibited, except on walls not visible from street frontages or adjacent residential dwelling units. The Board may approve a prohibited material if it can be demonstrated that the material can be installed to have the same appearance and texture as any of the approved materials.
[8] 
Grade-level exterior doors that swing onto a public walkway that is less than six feet wide shall be set into the building to avoid conflict with pedestrians. Doors swinging out that project into a pedestrian walkway shall include a barrier to prohibit doors from swinging into pedestrians. If the barrier is located in the street right-of-way, authorization shall be obtained from the authority having jurisdiction.
[9] 
Mechanical and other rooftop equipment shall be screened with a wall or other barrier that is consistent with the architectural design standards in this article.
[10] 
All mechanical equipment shall be sound insulated to reduce the decibel level of such equipment. Sound levels in this district shall not exceed the background sound level by more than 10 dBA between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and five dBA between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. when measured from any residentially zoned property. This section shall not apply to sound levels associated with construction noise or emergency generator testing between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or the use of emergency generators during periods of loss of power.
(b) 
The applicant shall prepare a manual of design guidelines which shall illustrate and describe the architectural design standards for the proposed construction. Said manual shall be submitted at the time of submission of the preliminary plan or at the time of conditional use, submission, whichever shall first occur.
(c) 
The Board may, by conditional use, approve the use of architectural concepts and designs which differ from those set forth above, if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that such concepts and designs are in furtherance of the legislative intent of this article and of this section, and that such concepts and designs are consistent with the manual of design guidelines.
(d) 
Public walkways shall:
[1] 
Be constructed of brick, concrete, concrete pavers, stamped colored concrete or integral colored concrete with brick borders.
[2] 
Be constructed of consistent materials within a block.
[3] 
Have a minimum unobstructed width of six feet.
[4] 
Create a completely linked network of walkways connecting transit stops, commercial centers, institutional facilities and residential uses including parks and other open space areas.
[5] 
Not be used for exterior storage.
F. 
Landscaping.
(1) 
Landscaping for the Bryn Mawr Medical District shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, Article V, Landscape Standards.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
(2) 
Street trees.
(a) 
Street trees shall be planted by the applicant along all public rights-of-way in compliance with Chapter 128 of the Township Code. In locations where healthy and mature trees exist that comply with the street tree requirements, additional plantings are not required.
(b) 
Street trees shall be at least three- to three-and-one-half-inch caliper when planted and shall be spaced at intervals no greater than 40 feet along the public/pedestrian right-of-way.
(c) 
Mature street trees shall be limbed up from the sidewalk to six feet to enhance pedestrian safety.
(d) 
Street tree species are to be selected from those provided in Chapter A177.
(e) 
The method of planting (in grates, planters or tree pits) for street trees shall be approved by the Township Arborist.
(f) 
Every effort shall be made to save street trees that are healthy and have not reached the end of their useful life.
G. 
Covenant.
(1) 
In the event an applicant seeks a building permit to develop a lot subject to the provisions of this article and the lot does not meet the minimum area requirements set forth herein, the applicant shall first record a covenant in a form approved by the Township Solicitor and executed by the lot owners seeking to join such lots together for common use and development, the terms of which shall include the following:
(a) 
A description of the area to be subjected to the covenant, which area shall not be less than the minimum lot area as required in this district and shall be entirely within the BMMD Bryn Mawr Medical District.
(b) 
A covenant that the properties may not be separately transferred so as to reduce the district below the minimum area requirements set forth herein or otherwise render any lot nonconforming to the provisions of this Code or in violation of any provision of the Township Code.
(c) 
A covenant that the properties within the area subject thereto shall be used, developed and occupied only in conformance with the provisions of this chapter, as the same may from time to time be amended.
Table 6.2. Bryn Mawr Medical District (BMMD) Dimensional Standards
Lot Occupation
Lot width
n/a
Lot area
See Note 1.
Impervious coverage2
BMMD-1
80% maximum
BMMD-2 and BMMD-3
85% maximum
Building area3
BMMD-1
60% maximum
BMMD-2 and BMMD-3
75% maximum
Open space
n/a
Setbacks (feet)
BMMD-1
Street (buildings up to 65 feet in height)
30 minimum
Street (buildings over 65 feet in height)
120 minimum, plus 1 for each 1 foot above 65 feet)
BMMD-2
Front (minimum)
04
Front (maximum)
125
Side
0 or 10 minimum6
Rear
07
BMMD-3
Front (minimum)
04
Side
0 or 10 minimum6
Rear
07
Building Height (maximum)8
Building: BMMD-1
14 stories or 140 feet9
Building: BMMD-2 and BMMD-3
6 stories or 60 feet
Parking (structured)
5 stories or 50 feet
Abutting MDR110
25 feet to 40 feet separation
3 stories or 35 feet
40 feet to 60 feet separation
4 stories or 45 feet
60 feet or more separation
5 stories (maximum height 140 feet)
Row house
3 stories or 45 feet11
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
FAR: BMMD-1
2.2 maximum
FAR: BMMD-2
2.0 maximum
FAR: BMMD-3
0.85 maximum
NOTES:
1
See § 155-6.2B(9).
2
The impervious surface may exceed the maximum permitted on such lot, provided that it is subject to a common covenant as set forth in § 155-6.2G and such excess does not cause the impervious surfaces on all lots within such district and subject to the common covenant to exceed such maximum.
3
The building area on any single lot within the BMMD District may exceed the maximum permitted on such lot, provided that it is subject to a common covenant as set forth in § 155-6.2G, and provided that such excess does not cause the building area on all lots within such district and subject to the covenant to exceed the maximum.
4
When a permitted nonresidential use or aboveground parking structure in the BMMD District is across the street from a residential use in LDR or MDR, the minimum front yard setback in the BMMD District shall be 50 feet.
When a permitted residential use in the BMMD District is across the street from a residential use in LDR or MDR, the minimum front yard setback in the BMMD District shall be 10 feet.
5
When across the street from a residential use in a residential district the minimum standards shall apply. See Note 4 above.
6
Shall be 25 feet minimum where nonresidential use abuts single-family detached residential use or shall be 10 feet where a residential use abuts a residential use.
7
Shall be 25 feet minimum when a nonresidential use abuts a single-family detached residential use and 25 feet minimum for single-family residential use.
8
The maximum height of any building at the right-of-way line shall not exceed three stories or 45 feet, unless there is a minimum of 90 feet between the facing building or buildings across the street right-of-way and the proposed building, in which case the maximum height at the right-of-way line shall not exceed 60 feet. Portions of the building exceeding these limits shall be set back a minimum of 12 feet from the right-of-way line.
9
Per setback regulations
10
The separation applies from the proposed building to the nearest residential property line.
11
May be 50 feet if row house serves as a buffer
A. 
Purpose and applicability.
(1) 
General purpose. The Rock Hill Road District (RHR) is established to encourage the redevelopment of the existing under-utilized industrial corridor into an economically dynamic, attractive gateway to Lower Merion Township. The RHR is designed to promote the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Lower Merion Township by using pedestrian-oriented design; promoting mixed-use redevelopment that is attractive and appropriate to the area; protecting existing natural features; and improving traffic flow and pedestrian and vehicular safety. These general goals and objectives include the following specific purposes:
(a) 
Welcome residents, visitors and workers to the Township, providing an attractive destination and link between the residential areas near the corridor and the Schuylkill Expressway, Schuylkill River and Manayunk Neighborhood of Philadelphia;
(b) 
Encourage location-efficient, pedestrian-oriented design and development consistent with high standards of architecture and design;
(c) 
Support new development that includes a diverse mix of pedestrian-compatible, higher-density residential and nonresidential uses, expand economic development opportunities and minimize distances between destinations by requiring linked pedestrianways and pedestrian-oriented access;
(d) 
Provide incentives for the creation of mixed-use structures in keeping with the character and scale of the corridor, while using development design guidelines to promote compatibility of uses and stimulate pedestrian activity;
(e) 
Maintain a scale, balance and variety of residential, nonresidential and recreational uses;
(f) 
Promote the livability and identity of the corridor as a neighborhood by providing for dwellings, offices and other workplaces, recreational amenities and neighborhood-scale retail in close proximity to each other;
(g) 
Enhance the visual character and physical comfort of the district by minimizing pedestrian and vehicular conflicts and encouraging the ability of pedestrians to walk or cyclists to bike to uses within the corridor and beyond;
(h) 
Promote the smooth and safe flow of vehicular traffic through the corridor while reducing cut-through traffic in the neighboring residential districts;
(i) 
Protect existing natural features, including Gully Run Creek, a direct tributary to the Schuylkill River which runs through the corridor;
(j) 
Encourage subsurface parking in non-floodplain areas, and shared parking;
(k) 
Promote the increase and attractiveness of landscaped areas; and
(l) 
Connect RHR to the Township's park system and developing waterfront open spaces, including pedestrian trails along the Schuylkill River.
B. 
Lot occupation.
Standards for development shall be according to Table 6.3, Rock Hill Road District (RHR) Dimensional Standards, and the following:
(1) 
Newly platted lots shall comply with standards in § 155-3.4, Lot occupation.
(2) 
A building shall be located in relation to the edge of the public right-of-way, with setbacks as shown in Table 6.3, Rock Hill Road District (RHR) Dimensional Standards.
(3) 
A pedestrianway is required on all street frontages. The pedestrianway:
(a) 
Shall have an unobstructed width of 10 feet.
(b) 
Shall be separated from the from the curbline by a minimum ten-foot-wide planted strip. The distance may be modified as the sidewalk approaches a common property line as necessary to allow the free flow of pedestrian and bicycle traffic to an existing pedestrianway on an adjacent property. In accordance with Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, Article IV, the Board of Commissioners shall have the right to require the landowner to provide such easement as is reasonably necessary so that if a pedestrianway on an adjacent parcel does not, as of the date of a development of a parcel, comply with these development design standards but is later brought into compliance, the landowner's pedestrianway can be connected to the complying pedestrianway on the adjacent parcel.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
(c) 
Should contribute to a completely linked network of pedestrianways connecting residential and nonresidential uses.
(d) 
Shall not be used for exterior storage.
(e) 
Shall not be used for outdoor seating for food and drink establishments, and pedestrian-oriented accessory uses, such as sales display for flowers, small shops, and food or drink stands are permitted.
(f) 
Adjustments to the pedestrianway requirements of the district may be sought by process of conditional use.
(4) 
Building frontage shall be according to Table 6.3, Rock Hill Road District (RHR) Dimensional Standards. Pedestrian accessways to rear lot parking areas shall be spaced not more than 300 feet apart.
(5) 
Street screens.
(a) 
Street screens shall be located along the same plane as the building façade or elevation.
(b) 
Street screens for off-street parking shall be according to Article VIII, Parking Standards.
(c) 
The gaps between building facades along the frontage line shall be filled with a street screen.
(d) 
Exceptions to the street screen requirements include:
[1] 
Where a courtyard or garden may be accessed from the street.
[2] 
Access to parking according to § 155-8.5C.
C. 
Building configuration shall be according to Table 6.3, Rock Hill Road District (RHR) Dimensional Standards, and the following:
(1) 
Entries and signage shall face the street or the corner at a street intersection.
(2) 
Projections shall be allowed as specified in § 155-3.6, Projections.
(3) 
Building height shall be as specified in § 155-3.3, Building height, and shall be as shown in Table 6.3, Rock Hill Road District (RHR) Dimensional Standards.
(a) 
The first floor elevation of a building at a frontage shall be established at the midpoint of the front property line, and may extend a maximum of 2.5 feet above the lowest point of the sidewalk grade. A finished floor elevation more than 2.5 feet above the lowest point of the sidewalk grade shall be considered the second floor. At building interior side or rear dimension from grade to first floor may range.
(b) 
Chimneys, enclosed stairwells, roofed and unenclosed roof terraces and roof trellises, spires and uninhabitable ornamental building features may be allowed to exceed maximum building height up to an additional 12 feet and occupy a maximum 20% of roof area.
(c) 
Mechanical equipment on a roof shall be enclosed by parapets of the minimum building height necessary or other means to screen it from abutting streets and adjacent properties at ground level and may extend above the maximum height as specified.
(4) 
Front yard setback in this district shall be measured from the curbline directly in front of the property.
(a) 
Where the distance from the right-of-way line to the closest slope exceeding 25% is equal to or less than 100 feet, the minimum front yard setback is 20 feet, or the street right-of-way line, whichever is farther from the curbline.
(b) 
Where the distance from the right-of-way line to the closest slope exceeding 25% is greater than 100 feet, the minimum front yard setback is 30 feet.
(5) 
A minimum of 80% ground floor street frontage shall be devoted to storefront in accordance with Table 3.5.2, Subsection F, Facade Types: Storefront, with window space, public access points and signage facing the street and sidewalk.
D. 
Fences and walls shall be according to § 155-3.7, Fences and walls, and the following:
(1) 
Fence type shall be regulated by district and as specified in Table 3.7.2, Fence Type by District.
(2) 
Fence height shall be according to Table 3.7.1, Fence Height.
(3) 
The height of retaining walls shall be according to § 155-3.7, Fences and walls.
E. 
Use restrictions and standards shall be according to Article V, Uses, and the following:
(1) 
Outdoor accessory temporary uses, such as seating for food and drink, sales displays for small-scale retail, such as flower shops, antiques, hardware, may be allowed provided that a sidewalk pedestrian passage of six feet is unobstructed.
(2) 
Accessory uses are permitted on the same lot with a permitted use, including parking structures, but specifically excluding off-track betting parlors and slot parlors.
F. 
Access and parking shall be according to Article VIII, Parking Standards.
(1) 
Driveways shall be designed to directly connect the street to parking areas to the side or rear of a building, and no driveway shall be permitted in front of a building.
(2) 
Only one curb cut/driveway is permitted on each street frontage of each lot. However, a second curb cut/driveway may be permitted in order to facilitate shared parking access on adjacent lots.
(3) 
Areas used for loading or trash receptacle purposes shall be located in the rear of, or inside the buildings.
(4) 
If areas used for loading or trash receptacle purposes are located adjacent to residential uses or residential zoning districts, then they shall be screened from view. Noise, sound and odors associated with these uses shall not be discernible at the property line.
G. 
Architecture standards:
(1) 
Buildings shall demonstrate compliance with the architectural standards in § 155-3.9, Architecture standards, and with regard to parking structures, the following:
(a) 
Shall have a separate pedestrian entrance.
(b) 
The visual impact of sloping floors from any public accessway shall be minimized through design treatment of the parking structure's facade.
(c) 
That part of a parking garage that is not concealed behind a liner shall have a façade that conceals all internal elements, such as plumbing pipes, fans, ducts.
(d) 
Exposed concrete spandrel panels shall be prohibited when visible from a public way.
(e) 
Security enclosures, if provided, shall be of the mesh type that allow exterior to interior visibility, and shall be located inside the windows.
H. 
Signs shall be as per Article IX, Sign Standards.
I. 
Landscape standards.
(1) 
Where a parcel abuts a residential use in a residential zoning district, there shall be a twenty-foot buffer area along the district boundary line in compliance with § 155-3.10, Landscape standards.
(2) 
Views into any lot which becomes vacant through the removal of a structure shall be screened by planting street trees and providing a six-foot-wide landscaped area with a continuous row of shrubs with a height of at least two feet. The greening standards set forth in § 155-3.10, Landscape standards, and Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, § 135-5.5, Greening standards, shall apply.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
(3) 
Properties on which the existing Gully Run flume is located shall, to the extent feasible, enhance the waterway with natural plantings along the bank and incorporate the flume into the landscape design of the development.
J. 
Ambience standards; noise and lighting.
(1) 
Noise and lighting regulations shall be according to § 155-3.11, Ambience standards.
K. 
Steep slope provisions.
(1) 
Section 155-7.4, Steep Slopes Overlay District, shall not apply within the RHR.
(2) 
Disturbance of steep slopes and/or stony land steep soils with slopes in excess of 25% is permitted only where necessary to stabilize areas which are remnants of previous non-coal industrial surface mining activity that predate July 20, 1977. Any such disturbance shall be the minimum necessary, in the opinion of the Township Engineer, to stabilize the sloped areas and in accordance with a stabilization plan approved by the Township Engineer. All freestanding structures, buildings and substantial improvements (with the exception of driveways and utilities when no other location is feasible) are prohibited on slopes of 25% or greater.
Table 6.3. Rock Hill Road District (RHR) Dimensional Standards
[Amended 7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 4223]
Lot Occupation (See § 155-3.4, Lot occupation.)
Lot area
None
Lot width
20 feet minimum
Impervious coverage
60%
Primary frontage
70%
Setbacks (feet)1
Principal Building
Front
20 minimum2
Side
15 minimum
Rear
25 minimum
Building Height (maximum) (See § 155-3.3, Building height.)
Principal building3
2 stories minimum/5 stories maximum, up to 65 feet
Accessory building
n/a
Accessory structure
1 story up to 15 feet
Frontage Yard Type (See § 155-3.5, Frontages.)
Common yard
Not permitted
Fenced yard
Not permitted
Shallow yard
Not permitted
Urban yard
Permitted
Pedestrian forecourt
Permitted
Vehicular forecourt
Permitted
Facade Types (See § 155-3.5, Frontages.)
Porch
Not permitted
Stoop
Not permitted
Common entry
Not permitted
Arcade/colonnade
Not permitted
Gallery
Not permitted
Storefront
Permitted
Parking (See Article VIII, Parking Standards, and § 155-6.3F.)
NOTES:
1
Where a parcel abuts a residential use in a residential zoning district, there shall be a twenty-foot landscape buffer area along the district boundary line in compliance with § 155-3.10, Landscape standards.
2
See § 155-6.3C(4).
3
A maximum of two stories may be devoted to residential use.
A. 
Purpose; division into four districts.
(1) 
The Bryn Mawr Village District is intended to provide for pedestrian-oriented outlets with multifaceted interconnected and interrelated uses in an established commercial area. Specific objectives of the district include the following:
(a) 
Encourage economic development while maintaining the traditional main street environment.
(b) 
Protect existing residential neighborhoods.
(c) 
Establish a walkable community by promoting pedestrian-oriented streets and pedestrian-scaled buildings.
(d) 
Encourage lively, human-scaled activities within a mix of residential, commercial, cultural and other uses separately or in the same building.
(e) 
Ensure a vibrant street life by encouraging active ground floor retail, and discouraging certain uses on Bryn Mawr Avenue and Lancaster Avenue.
(f) 
Promote the reuse of existing structures in a manner that maintains the historic and visual character, architecture and building scale of the neighborhood.
(g) 
Reduce auto dependency by promoting transit ridership, bicycling and walking.
(h) 
Accommodate parking in a convenient and unobtrusive manner and encourage shared parking, where possible.
(i) 
Promote residential uses in upper stories.
(j) 
Concentrate commercial uses on the ground level of mixed-use buildings.
(2) 
Because of the diverse concentration of commercial, office and residential buildings, and because the road system throughout the area is so varied, the Bryn Mawr Village District is being divided into four separate zoning districts as follows: the Bryn Mawr Village District No. 1 (BMV1), the Bryn Mawr Village District No. 2 (BMV2), the Bryn Mawr Village District No. 3 (BMV3), and the Bryn Mawr Village District No. 4 (BMV4). The regulations pertaining to each district have a commonality and for that reason the regulations are combined under this single section.
B. 
Lot occupation.
(1) 
Build-to line shall be the street right-of-way and shall be regulated according to Table 6.4, Bryn Mawr Village District (BMV) Dimensional Standards, and the following:
(a) 
A building may be set back from the build-to line 10 feet to 30 feet for purposes of an urban garden, plaza, square, courtyard, recessed entrance or outdoor dining consistent with streetscape and green area standards in § 155-6.4B(4) below.
(b) 
Primary pedestrian access shall be placed along the build-to line and not the rear or side of the building. Additional pedestrian access points may be located along other facades.
(c) 
Parking lots, driveways, loading zones, and auto-related areas may not be located at or in front of the build-to line, except that a hotel may have a dropoff area in front of its primary entrance.
(2) 
Impervious surface shall be regulated according to Table 6.4, Bryn Mawr Village District (BMV) Dimensional Standards.
(3) 
Open area. "Open area" for purposes of this section is land that shall remain open, but which may be used for active or passive recreation, resource protection, amenity and or green elements. An open area within a development is one designed and intended for the use or enjoyment of all residents of the development or for the use and enjoyment of the public in general. Open area shall not include buildings, driveways or areas used for parking.
(4) 
Greening standards. In the BMV1, BMV2, BMV3 and BMV4 Village Districts the greening standards set forth in Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, at § 135-5.5, Greening standards, shall apply.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
(5) 
Size of individual retail or restaurant uses in commercial spaces. A maximum of 13,000 square feet of floor area per floor shall be permitted for individual retail or restaurant use within commercial spaces on lots up to 75,000 square feet. On lots exceeding 75,000 square feet, the limit of 13,000 square feet may be increased by 1,000 square feet for every 5,000 square feet of lot area above 75,000 square feet. The maximum size of any retail or restaurant use within a commercial space, regardless of the lot size, shall be 20,000 square feet.
(6) 
Building height shall be regulated according to Table 6.4, Bryn Mawr Village District (BMV) Dimensional Standards. Building height cannot exceed the measure in stories or in feet, whichever is lower, unless otherwise provided for in this article.
(7) 
Floor area ratio shall be regulated according to Table 6.4, Bryn Mawr Village District (BMV) Dimensional Standards.
C. 
Buffer area.
(1) 
Where a lot in the Bryn Mawr Village District abuts a residential use in a residential zoning district or a railroad right-of-way with a residential district on the opposite side of the railroad, there shall be a buffer area along the district boundary line/railroad right-of-way within the Bryn Mawr Village District, as set forth below:
(a) 
Where the district boundary line abuts a residential use in a residential zoning district, the depth of the buffer shall be at least 20 feet.
(b) 
Where the district boundary line is the center of a street or at a street line, there shall be a planted landscape area along the curbline. Other than the required street trees, the plantings shall not exceed 30 inches in height.
(c) 
Where the district boundary line is a railroad right-of-way, the depth of the buffer area may be reduced to 15 feet from the railroad right-of-way. When part of a land development application, the Board of Commissioners may by conditional use authorize a further reduction in the buffer area, provided that the following standards are met:
[1] 
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence that the average elevation of the proposed development site within 15 feet of the railroad right-of-way is at least seven feet higher than the elevation of the railroad tracks.
[2] 
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence that the residential structures on the opposite side of the railroad right-of-way in the area where the proposed buffer area is being reduced shall be no closer than 75 feet from said right-of-way.
[3] 
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence that the development utilizes the maximum available shared parking spaces provided by § 155-6.4F, Parking and loading.
[4] 
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence that the views from and to adjacent properties, including views of and from the rail line, are visually screened by a lesser buffer area or alternative technique, such as the installation of a vegetative/topiary fence, wall or other appropriate design element. The applicant for the conditional use shall have the burden of demonstrating that approval of the conditional use is consistent with and promotes the relevant purposes of this article and that the buffer reduction will not adversely affect the public health, safety and welfare specifically with respect to drainage, light, noise, air quality, natural features of the land, and neighborhood aesthetic characteristics.
(d) 
The buffer area shall be planted with a variety of high- and low-level plantings. Where the required buffer is along a railroad right-of-way, a wall or a fence or a similar architectural feature that satisfies the purpose of the buffer requirement may be used in addition to the plantings.
(e) 
There may not be more than one vehicular entrance and one vehicular exit through the buffer area to any street.
(f) 
Any lot which becomes vacant through the removal of a structure for any reason shall be screened from all abutting public streets by shade trees and a minimum six-foot-wide landscaped area with a continuous row of two-foot-high shrubs.
(2) 
Where a use other than a one- or two-family dwelling located in the BMV District abuts a one- or two-family dwelling in the BMV District, the depth of the buffer shall be 15 feet.
D. 
Height and density increases.
(1) 
Height and density may be increased above the base standard, according to Table 6.4, Bryn Mawr Village District (BMV) Dimensional Standards, and shall comply with any one of the following options:
(a) 
Reserved for affordable housing.
(b) 
Public space. If at least 10% of total lot area is dedicated contiguous public gathering space (minimum 1,000 square feet), the FAR may be increased by up to 0.2.
(c) 
Underground parking. If at least 15% of the required parking is below grade, the FAR may be increased by up to 0.2.
(d) 
Green roof. If a building is constructed with a green roof, the FAR may be increased by up to 0.2.
(2) 
The height of a parking structure in a BMV3 District may be increased up to a maximum height of 55 feet without limiting the number of stories, subject to the following requirements:
(a) 
The parking structure shall be visually screened from all adjacent public streets by residential buildings or by commercial buildings if erected as of the effective date of this article.
(b) 
A parking structure may not front on or gain access from Lancaster Avenue or Bryn Mawr Avenue.
(c) 
The maximum height of any building wrapping the parking structure shall be three stories or 38 feet, whichever is lower, if the building is within 75 feet of a residentially zoned property.
(d) 
The maximum height of any building wrapping the parking structure shall be four stories or 50 feet, whichever is lower, with a fifteen-foot stepback above any portion of the building over 38 feet, if the building is more than 75 feet from a residentially zoned property.
(3) 
If two height and density increases permitted above are used, the FAR may be increased by up to 0.4 over the base FAR, according to Table 6.4, Bryn Mawr Village District (BMV) Dimensional Standards.
E. 
Uses. Uses shall be according to Table 5.1, Uses, and Table 5.3, Use Regulations, and further regulated by Article X, Supplemental Use Regulations, and the following:
(1) 
BMV2. An accessory building may be separate from the principal building on a lot, but shall not encroach upon or extend into any of the required yards.
(2) 
BMV1, BMV3, BMV4. Accessory uses are permitted on the same lot with a permitted use, including parking structures, fitness centers and day-care centers, but specifically excluding off-track betting parlors and slot parlors.
F. 
Parking and loading.
(1) 
The parking and loading provisions of Article VIII, Parking Standards, shall apply in the Bryn Mawr Village Districts, except where in conflict with the provisions below:
(2) 
General standards.
(a) 
Additional parking in the Bryn Mawr Village District is not required for an expansion to existing buildings if the expansion complies with Bryn Mawr Village District regulations and the building is on a lot smaller than 3,000 square feet.
(b) 
Changing a nonresidential use in an existing building to another use or uses permitted in the Bryn Mawr Village District does not require additional on-site parking, provided that:
[1] 
The new use requires not more than 5 additional parking spaces above that required by the existing use; and
[Amended 1-18-2023 by Ord. No. 4258]
[2] 
Any exterior changes to the building comply with the development design standards in § 155-6.4G, Development design standards.
(c) 
All other single and mixed-use developments in the Village District shall provide parking spaces according to the following ratios:
[1] 
Single-family dwelling unit: 1.5 spaces per unit.
[2] 
Single-family dwelling units exceeding two bedrooms: 2.0 spaces per unit.
[3] 
Student home single-family dwelling unit: 3.0 spaces per unit. Student home units shall not be permitted to utilize any of the off-site parking provisions in Subsection F(5) and (6) below.
[4] 
Affordable or workforce housing, each single-family dwelling unit: 1.0 space per unit.
[5] 
Continuing-care facility for the elderly, each single-family dwelling unit: 1.0 space per unit.
[6] 
Commercial (retail, restaurant, office, etc.): four spaces per 1,000 square feet.
[7] 
Hotel: one space per room.
[8] 
Theater: one space per five seats. This parking requirement may be met by counting off-site metered spaces in a municipal parking lot within 900 feet of the theater use. Each metered space may only be counted once for theater use when this parking provision is utilized.
[9] 
Fitness center: five spaces per 1,000 square feet.
[10] 
All other uses: four spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor area.
(3) 
Surface parking.
(a) 
Vehicular access to surface parking shall be from an alley or side street where possible.
(b) 
Surface parking and exterior loading areas shall be placed between the structure and rear lot line and shall comply with the following standards:
[1] 
On a corner lot, if surface parking and exterior loading cannot be behind the buildings and screened from view, then the parking shall be located along the street with the least amount of vehicular traffic or along the street with the least amount of pedestrian activity.
[2] 
Pedestrian access to and through a surface parking lot shall require safety provisions giving warning of the pedestrian walkway. Surface parking areas and pedestrian walkways connecting to them shall be well lit, subject to compliance with the requirements of the Energy Code adopted under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.
[3] 
Surface parking that is visible from the street shall be screened by a fence or wall and plantings. Plantings or shrubs shall be maintained at a height of two to three feet.
[4] 
Off-street surface parking shall not extend more than 70 feet in width along any street frontage without being interrupted by an outdoor cafe, landscaped garden or public plaza with seating.
[5] 
Parking and exterior loading areas shall be buffered from any adjacent pedestrianway by planting street trees and providing a six-foot-wide landscaped area with a continuous row of two-foot-high (minimum) shrubs, or a fence or seating wall not less than two feet and no more than three feet high. Shrubs shall be maintained at a height of two feet to three feet.
(4) 
Parking structures.
(a) 
Except in the BMV2 District, a parking structure shall be:
[1] 
Placed underground; or
[2] 
The facade facing a street shall be wrapped with other permitted uses, such as retail or residential.
(b) 
In all Bryn Mawr Village Districts a parking structure shall comply with the following:
[1] 
Sloping floors and bare slabs shall not be visible from any public street except at access points; and
[2] 
Vehicular access to parking structures shall be from side streets or alleys wherever possible.
(c) 
Every facade of a parking structure visible from a public or private street or pedestrianway shall be pedestrian-oriented and -scaled. Building design shall comply with the development design standards and shall be complementary to nearby active facades in terms of building materials and architectural pattern, and comply with the design development standards in § 155-6.4G, Development design standards.
(5) 
Off-site and shared parking.
(a) 
Parking requirements may be met using off-site parking, subject to the following requirements:
[1] 
On-street parking spaces directly in front of the building may be counted to comply with the required parking.
[2] 
All off-site required parking shall be located within 1,000 feet of the proposed building.
[3] 
The applicant shall demonstrate that they have entered into a perpetual agreement with the property owner providing the required parking spaces.
[4] 
The applicant shall demonstrate that the off-site parking spaces are not required parking for another building.
(b) 
Shared use of parking spaces for a building containing both residential and nonresidential uses shall be permitted using the peak demand calculations listed in Table 8.2.1, Mixed Use and Shared Parking.
(6) 
If adequate on-site parking is not available, the parking requirements for uses in existing and expanded mixed-use buildings may be met by designating currently undesignated metered public parking spaces in a municipal parking lot within 900 feet of the use, measured from lot line to the center of the public parking lot. Each public parking space may only be counted once when this parking provision is utilized. A maximum of 10 parking spaces in public parking lots may be designated under this section. Public parking spaces may not be designated for uses in new buildings. If public parking spaces are designated for dwelling units, the parking required on the lot where the residential units are located shall not be reduced to less than one space per unit. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to parking required for a student home use.
(7) 
Service parking and loading.
(a) 
To the greatest extent feasible, areas used for loading or trash receptacle purposes shall not be located adjacent to residential uses or residential zoning districts. The minimum setback from a residential property line shall be 10 feet. Loading and trash receptacle areas shall be visually screened from view from any residential use or residential zoning district.
(b) 
The storage of refuse shall be provided inside the building(s) or within an outdoor area enclosed by either walls or opaque fencing. Any refuse enclosure outside of the building shall be designed to be architecturally compatible with the building(s), shall not be located in the front of the building, and shall be entirely screened by a fence or enclosure that is at least six feet high.
G. 
Development design standards.
(1) 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish consistent requirements that promote pedestrian-oriented design and traditional Bryn Mawr Village character. Adherence to these standards will carry out the purposes of the district set forth in § 155-6.4A, Purpose; division into four districts, above, will encourage property maintenance and will preserve and enhance property values within the district. It has been clearly demonstrated that the economic success of a suburban commercial center is promoted by well-maintained properties consistent in scale and appearance. The principles guiding the administration of these standards are as follows:
(a) 
New buildings should complement the pattern of existing landmark structures and have a building fabric that relates to their site and surroundings.
(b) 
Buildings should respond at street level to a pedestrian scale.
(c) 
Emphasis should be provided at prominent locations to buildings:
[1] 
With prominent facades that terminate view corridors; or
[2] 
Whose corners are at gateway locations; or
[3] 
That either surround or are surrounded by open space.
(d) 
New and existing development should have a consistent character.
(e) 
Active ground floor uses should have multiple entrances and distinctive entrance treatments.
(f) 
Texture and variety should be provided through facade articulation and composition.
(g) 
Architectural expression should be provided in windows, doors, walls, and roofs.
(h) 
Pedestrian pathways should be provided that are safe and attractive.
(i) 
Street trees and shade trees should be employed to enhance development.
(2) 
Facade articulation. Facade articulation is a series of small setbacks and projections in the overall street wall. Articulation breaks the scale of the building into an aggregate of smaller forms, introduces rhythm, and relates to the human scale, without detracting from the overall sense of a consistent street wall. All new, renovated or expanded buildings shall comply with the following standards:
(a) 
The main facade of buildings shall be designed to emphasize entryways, windows, corners, and vertical elements of the building facade, as well as other special features.
(b) 
The depth of the articulated elements shall fall within a range of two to five feet.
(3) 
Facade composition. Facade composition is the arrangement of materials and details to distinguish the components of the building, particularly its base and top. All new, renovated or expanded buildings shall comply with the following standards:
(a) 
All new building facades shall be built to the scale of the other buildings on the street.
(b) 
The design shall distinguish and emphasize the building's base and top, and reinforce the scale of the street for the pedestrian.
(c) 
The proportion of the facade of a building built on a corner lot shall be most prominent on the primary street.
(d) 
All wall-mounted mechanical, electrical, communication, and service equipment, including satellite dishes and vent pipes, shall be screened from public view.
(4) 
Ground floor facade. The ground floor is the primary zone of interaction for pedestrians on the street and includes the elements of uses, doorways, access points and window transparency. Visual access and active uses at the ground floor help ensure a vibrant pedestrian environment, especially when there are multiple entries, visual clues as to the entrance locations, and alignment with visual axes and prominent corners. All new, renovated or expanded buildings shall comply with the following standards:
(a) 
The main entrances of buildings shall face the street or public space and be oriented to the dominant street.
(b) 
Lobbies and retail spaces shall be clearly connected to the outdoor environment and visible from the street.
(c) 
The placement of windows is defined by the use of the ground level.
[1] 
On retail, restaurants, and office buildings, windows shall be at street level and allow pedestrians to see the activity inside the building.
[2] 
On residential buildings with units at the ground level, windows are allowed to permit privacy by raising them half a level above the sidewalk.
(d) 
When a building facade or tenant space faces a primary street and a side or rear parking lot, the main entrance shall face the primary street. Secondary entrances are permitted to face the side or rear parking lot. Rear tenant spaces that only face a side or rear parking lot are not required to have an entrance along a primary street.
H. 
Architectural elements.
(1) 
The architectural design of buildings shall complement the scale and proportion of surrounding buildings, celebrate innovative design, and be varied in context. Windows at the ground floor are important in activating the building and encouraging pedestrian traffic.
(2) 
All new, renovated or expanded nonresidential/commercial buildings shall comply with the following standards:
(a) 
Windows and doors: primary front facade.
[1] 
The ground floor of the primary front facade shall contain between 65% to 70% clear windows and doors.
[2] 
Bronze glass, highly reflective glass, tinted or black and smoked glass is prohibited.
[3] 
Windows and door openings at the ground floor of the primary front facade shall occur in a ratio of at least 3:1 between openings and solid surfaces.
[4] 
Windows above the ground floor on the primary front facade of new or expanded buildings shall be clear and occur in a wall-to-window ratio of 0.75:1 to 1.25:1 along the horizontal width of the facade to result in a pattern of solid wall buildings with punched windows.
[a] 
Where the primary front facade of an existing building is being renovated, the wall-to-window ratio along the horizontal width of the facade shall be within a range of 1:1 to 2.5:1.
[b] 
If the wall-to-window ratio in an existing building is currently less than 2.5:1, the existing wall-to-window ratio shall be maintained.
[5] 
Individual windows in upper stories of the primary front facade(s) shall be vertically aligned with the location of windows and doors on the ground level to the extent possible.
[6] 
The design of the ground floor shall be complementary to the Bryn Mawr Village District, with commercial uses having large, clear window displays:
[a] 
The maximum sill height above the adjacent sidewalk elevation shall be two feet or lower;
[b] 
Window heads shall be nine feet to 12 feet above sidewalk level;
[c] 
The top of the display window(s) in the primary front facade shall be at least as high as door height.
(b) 
Windows and doors: secondary facades. Any building wall with less than 25% of clear windows shall be articulated by two or more of the following methods:
[1] 
Details in masonry courses;
[2] 
Blank window openings trimmed with frames, sills and lintels;
[3] 
Where the building is occupied by a commercial use, recessed or projecting window cases.
(c) 
Ground floor exterior doors that swing onto a public walkway that is less than six feet wide shall be set into the building to avoid conflict with pedestrians. Doors swinging out that do not project into a required public walkway shall include a barrier to prohibit doors from obstructing the pedestrianway.
(d) 
Exterior walls. Construction materials may include stucco; wood clapboard (including hardie board siding); native stone; architectural concrete block; or polished block, or brick of a shape, color and texture as that found within the Bryn Mawr Village District.
[1] 
Specifically prohibited shall be any type of painted brick, T-111 or other similar plywood siding, and all-metal buildings. Exterior insulation and finishing system (EIFS) is prohibited unless authorized by the Board of Commissioners under § 155-6.4H(2)(h) below.
[2] 
All forms of conventional unfinished concrete block shall be prohibited, except on walls not visible from any public way.
(e) 
All buildings shall articulate the line between the ground and upper levels with a cornice, canopy, balcony, arcade or other visual device.
(f) 
The massing of all buildings shall be deemphasized through the use of projecting and recessed elements, such as porches, windows, and roof dormers to reduce overall bulk and volume, enhance visual quality and contribute to human-scale development. Such breaks in facades and rooflines shall occur not more frequently than the width of two Bryn Mawr Village District shop fronts (generally about 25 feet each) nor less frequently than 100 feet.
(g) 
Roofs.
[1] 
The tops of buildings shall express the roofline and have either pitched roofs with overhanging eaves or flat roofs with articulated parapets and cornices. Fascias, dormers and gables or similar architectural features shall be employed to provide visual interest. All gables shall be functional.
[2] 
Pitched roofs shall have a minimum slope of 4:12.
[3] 
Pitched roof material may include:
[a] 
Slate, either natural or man-made; or
[b] 
Shingle, either wood or asphalt composition; or
[c] 
Metal formed to resemble standing seams or other similar materials.
[d] 
Corrugated plastic or metal roofs are specifically prohibited.
[4] 
All rooftop mechanical equipment and other appurtenances, including antennas, shall be screened visually and acoustically. Such screening shall be integrated into the architectural design of the building.
(h) 
The Board of Commissioners may, by conditional use, approve the use of architectural standards and designs that differ from those set forth above if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that such standards and designs are in furtherance of the legislative intent of this article and of this subsection.
Table 6.4. Bryn Mawr Village District (BMV) Dimensional Standards
Lot Occupation
Lot width
n/a
Lot area
n/a
Impervious coverage
BMV1
90%1
BMV2
70%2
BMV3 and BMV4
70%3
Open area (BMV1)
20% minimum4
Setbacks (Build-to Line) (feet)
Principal Building
Front [See § 155-6.4B(1).]
0 maximum5
Side
06
Rear
Abutting commercial
0
Abutting residential
25 minimum
Building Height (stories)
Minimum
BMV1, BMV2, BMV3, BMV4
2/26 feet
Street wall maximum
BMV1, BMV2, BMV3, BMV4
3/38 feet
Total maximum (base)/[increase]
BMV1
(4)/[5]
BMV2
(3)/[3]
BMV3
(3)/[4]7
BMV4
(3)/[3]
Stepback minimum (base)/[increase]
BMV1
(10 feet)/[15 feet]
BMV3
(none)/[10 feet]8
Intensity9
FAR (base) [increase]
BMV1
(2.1 maximum)[2.5 maximum]
BMV2
(1.6 maximum)[1.6 maximum]
BMV3, BMV4
(1.6 maximum)[2.0 maximum]
NOTES:
1
Impervious coverage may be increased at a rate of one square foot of additional impervious surface for each two square feet of grade-level green roof that is open and accessible to the public.
2
100% for structured parking facilities open to the public
3
100%, subject to compliance with the greening standards
4
See § 155-6.4B(3).
Where the right-of-way is closer than 10 feet from the curbline, the build-to line shall be a minimum of 10 feet to 15 feet from the curbline.
5
On Lancaster Avenue and Bryn Mawr Avenue, the build-to line shall be a minimum of 12 feet to 15 feet from the curbline, unless the construction is an expansion of an existing building which is less than 12 feet from the curbline. In such case the expansion may continue the build-to line established by the existing building, but in no case shall the expansion be less than 10 feet from the curbline.
Any portion of a new building or addition to an existing building above three stories or 38 feet above grade shall be stepped back from the build-to line a minimum of 10 feet.
6
If a new or expanded structure is not built up to the side lot line, the new or expanded portion of the building shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the side lot line.
7
A parking structure may be increased in height subject to the regulations in § 155-6.4D(2).
8
A fifteen-foot stepback is required for a building authorized under § 155-6.4D(2)(d).
9
Refer to § 155-6.4D.
A. 
Purpose.
(1) 
City Avenue is the boundary between the City of Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township. The City Avenue District encompasses properties on both the Lower Merion and Philadelphia sides of the avenue. The Township has worked cooperatively with the City to encourage development and redevelopment of the City Avenue District.
(2) 
The intent of this article is to encourage development that combines residential, institutional, and commercial uses in close proximity thus decreasing auto dependency, encouraging pedestrian access, transit use and shared parking and accessways, and mitigating the effects of congestion, vehicular traffic and pollution. The regulations promote pedestrian friendly development and protect the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of Lower Merion Township. Further, this article is designed to enhance the economic stability of the Township by promoting the growth, attractiveness, convenience and stability of the City Avenue area.
(3) 
The City Avenue corridor binds the uses within the City Avenue District into a unique configuration with many common development characteristics. However, because of the diverse concentration of commercial, institutional, office and residential uses within the district's geographical boundaries, the City Avenue District is being divided into three separate zoning districts, the Regional Center Area (CAD-RCA), the Bala Cynwyd Retail District (CAD-BCR), and the Bala Village (CAD-BV).
A. 
Goals and objectives. The City Avenue District - Regional Center Area (CAD-RCA) is intended to encourage higher-density, mixed- and multiple-use, pedestrian-oriented development, and more economically productive use of land parcels in the vicinity of City Avenue (U.S. Route 1). It recognizes the importance of City Avenue as both a gateway and as an economic generator for Lower Merion Township by permitting higher densities with a mix of land uses while providing sufficient off-street, on-street and shared parking.
(1) 
These general goals and objectives include the following specific purposes:
(a) 
Enable the development of a mix of commercial, institutional and residential uses.
(b) 
Minimize pedestrian and vehicular conflicts and encourage the renovation and erection of buildings that provide direct connections from buildings to the street and sidewalk.
(c) 
Discourage the dependence on automobile use by promoting multimodal transportation, improving connections and links to public transit and creating safe and inviting pedestrian accessways, thereby reducing traffic congestion.
(d) 
Create transition in bulk and scale between higher-density development and existing residential neighborhoods.
(e) 
Enhance the visual character and identity of the district through building mass, scale and design, landscaping and signage, all appropriate to the goals and objectives of the CAD-RCA zoning.
(f) 
Ensure that the architectural proportions and design of new buildings create a pedestrian-friendly environment, especially at the street level.
(g) 
Promote the smooth and safe flow of vehicular traffic through the corridor while reducing cut-through traffic in the neighboring residential districts by creating pedestrian-scaled blocks, separated by public access streets with sidewalks.
(h) 
Encourage the development of shared parking, liner parking, underground parking, and attractive and convenient off-street parking facilities to reduce on-street congestion and facilitate vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
(i) 
Promote the creation and maintenance of landscaped open areas among buildings for public gathering space.
(j) 
Protect the character and quality of existing residential neighborhoods proximate to the CAD-RCA.
(2) 
Applicability.
(a) 
Wherein regulations or standards of this section differ from those found elsewhere in the Zoning Code, the regulations in this section prevail.
(b) 
Any new or expanded building shall comply with the standards in the CAD-RCA except as provided in § 155-6.5, CAD City Avenue Districts.
(c) 
Any building that is rehabilitated (where such rehabilitation is equal to or exceeds 50% of the facade of the building on the effective date of this section) shall comply with § 155-6.6I, Development design standards.
[1] 
The standards provided in § 155-6.6I, Development design standards, shall not apply when the building is located further than 40 feet from the curbline. However, the existing percentage of openings on each floor shall not be decreased.
B. 
Lot occupation.
(1) 
Lots shall comply with standards in § 155-3.4, Lot occupation.
(2) 
A building shall be located in relation to the property line except when abutting a street, in which case the setback shall be measured from the edge of curbline.
(3) 
Lot width and creation of minor streets.
(a) 
Where additional development is proposed on an existing lot that exceeds the maximum lot width, new minor street(s) shall be constructed to reduce the lot width to within the maximum permitted. This requirement shall only apply to additional development that exceeds the greater of 10,000 square feet in building area or the addition of 10% to the floor area of an existing building, determined cumulatively after the effective date of the article.
(b) 
Where lots front on more than one street, the maximum lot dimension of 600 feet applies to all street frontages.
(c) 
The land area required to provide new streets to comply with the lot width provisions may continue to be counted as lot area for purposes of compliance with this article, provided that the new streets include public on-street parking on both sides of the street.
(4) 
Pedestrianways.
(a) 
Pedestrianways shall create a completely linked network of walkways connecting transit stops, commercial centers, institutional facilities and residential buildings, including open space areas, and parking.
(b) 
Pedestrianways shall be provided in accordance with Table 6.6.1, CAD-RCA Pedestrianways, and § 155-6.6K(3), Landscape verge requirements, and the required improvements shall be provided in the order listed.
(c) 
The pedestrianway shall begin at the curbline.
(d) 
Pedestrianways shall be provided on both sides of all public and private streets.
Table 6.6.1. CAD-RCA Pedestrianways
C. 
Conditional use.
(1) 
The Board of Commissioners may, by conditional use, approve variations to the dimensional standards contained in § 155-6.6B(3), Lot width and creation of minor streets, and § 155-6.6B(4), Pedestrianways, if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that such variations are in furtherance of § 155-6.6A, Goals and objectives.
(2) 
When conditional use is sought from § 155-6.6B(3), Lot width and creation of minor streets, to not provide a minor street, a public, multipurpose path shall be provided at maximum intervals of 600 feet. The path shall comply with the following criteria:
(a) 
The path shall connect the pedestrianway along the street to existing or proposed building entrances or interior public gathering spaces.
(b) 
The path shall be designed to improve connectivity through the site and the overall City Avenue District. The public multipurpose path shall connect to existing sidewalks or paths on an adjoining property, if feasible.
(c) 
The path shall be at least eight feet wide. A hardscaped or landscaped verge measuring at least four feet in width shall be provided along one side of the path where it abuts a driveway or a roadway. Hardscaped surfaces shall be smooth and walkable.
Location
Total Width
(feet)
Width
(feet)
Improvement to be Installed
Along City Avenue
24
6
Landscaped verge suitable for street trees and installed in accordance with § 155-6.6K(3).
8
Public, multipurpose path
2
Hardscaped or landscaped verge
8
Unobstructed public walkway
Table 6.6.1. CAD-RCA Pedestrianways
Location
Total Width
(feet)
Width
(feet)
Improvement to be Installed
Along Belmont Avenue between St. Asaphs Road and Righters Ferry Road and along properties on Righters Ferry Road located within 500 feet of Belmont Avenue
22
6
Landscaped verge suitable for street trees
8
Public, multipurpose path
8
Unobstructed public walkway designed in such a manner as to minimize damage or to avoid the removal of existing trees in the required buffer.
These dimensions may be modified as approved by the Director of Building and Planning to minimize damage or to preserve the existing mature trees in the buffer area.
Table 6.6.1. CAD-RCA Pedestrianways
Location
Total Width
(feet)
Width
(feet)
Improvement To Be Installed
On all other streets
14
6
Landscaped verge suitable for street trees and installed in accordance with § 155-6.6K(3), except as noted below:
•
If on-street parking is provided, a hardscaped or landscaped verge strip shall be maintained at the curbline. When a hardscaped verge is provided, a space sufficient for street trees shall be in accordance with § 155-6.6K(3).
•
Where a bus pull off is provided at the curbline, a hardscaped verge shall be required in the area adjacent to the bus stop
•
When a public, multipurpose path is shown along the street line on the City Avenue District Official Map.
8
Unobstructed public walkway
Table 6.6.1. CAD-RCA Pedestrianways
Location
Total Width
(feet)
Width
(feet)
Improvement To Be Installed
When a public, multipurpose path is shown along the street line on the City Avenue District Official Map
23
5
Landscaped verge suitable for street trees
8
Public, multipurpose path
2
Hardscaped or landscaped verge
8
Unobstructed public walkway
(3) 
When conditional use is sought from § 155-6.6B(4), Pedestrianways, to provide variations to the sidewalk and landscaped verge set forth in § 155-6.6B(4), Pedestrianways, and § 155-6.6K(3), Landscape verge requirements, the applicant shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Board that such variations are in compliance with § 155-6.6A, Goals and objectives.
D. 
Building configuration shall be according to Table 6.6.6, City Avenue District Regional Center Area (CAD-RCA), and the following:
(1) 
Build-to line.
(a) 
The build-to line shall be provided according to Table 6.6.2, Build-To Line.
Table 6.6.2. CAD-RCA Build-To Line
Primary Front Facade Facing
Minimum
(feet)
Maximum
(feet)
Permitted Extensions
City Avenue
25
40
Plus 20 feet if the additional area is used for outdoor dining or if public gathering space is provided between the build-to line and the building entrance, subject to compliance with the standards outlined for public gathering space in Table 6.6.5, CAD Density Increases.
All others except as noted below
20
30
Righters Ferry Road located within 500 feet of Belmont Avenue
50
The first 150 feet of the curbline on those portions of parcels fronting on Belmont Avenue between St. Asaphs Road and Righters Ferry Road
150
St. Asaphs Road between Belmont Avenue and Conshohocken State Road
50
(b) 
The area between the required pedestrianway and the primary front facade of the building shall be improved with landscaping or hardscaping. A safe and direct pedestrian access shall be provided from the pedestrianway to the building entrance.
(c) 
The primary front facade of a building in the CAD-RCA shall be set back from the curbline a distance sufficient to comply with the pedestrianway requirements in § 155-6.6B(4) and Table 6.6.1, CAD-RCA Pedestrianways.
(d) 
The build-to line shall be measured from the curbline shown on the approved development plan and according to Table 6.6.2, CAD-RCA Build-To Line.
(e) 
Parking lots, driveways, loading/unloading zones and other auto-related areas are prohibited in front of the building. Such access driveways shall not pass in front of the building, except as noted below:
[1] 
The primary pickup and dropoff area for hotel guests.
[2] 
Transit facilities, limited to passenger waiting areas and pickup and dropoff areas.
(f) 
Any portion of a new building above three stories or 45 feet above grade shall have a stepback from the build-to line of a minimum of 10 feet.
(g) 
Exceptions to the build-to line setback requirement.
[1] 
The build-to line requirement shall not apply to additions to an existing building where the addition is up to 10,000 square feet in total area or 10% of the total floor area, whichever is greater.
[2] 
The build-to line requirement shall not apply where a greater setback is required in this article.
(2) 
Side yards.
(a) 
Structures 48 feet or less in height.
[1] 
Where a shared party wall exists with the adjoining property, there shall be no required side yard setback.
[2] 
Where a shared party wall does not exist, the minimum side yard setback shall be 10 feet.
(b) 
Structures exceeding 48 feet in height:
[1] 
Where a proposed road is shown along a side property line on the City Avenue District Official Map, there shall be a minimum side yard setback of 20 feet and a maximum side yard setback of 30 feet.
[2] 
In all other cases, the minimum side yard setback shall be no less than 25 feet.
(c) 
For a lot immediately contiguous to a residential use in a residential zoning district, the side yard abutting the residential use shall be a minimum of 25 feet.
(3) 
Rear yards.
(a) 
Where a shared party wall exists with the adjoining property, there shall be no required rear yard setback.
(b) 
Where a shared party wall does not exist, the minimum rear yard setback shall be 10 feet.
(c) 
When a new, expanded or redeveloped building is on a lot that backs up to a residentially zoned lot, then the rear yard setback is 50 feet. The lot shall also comply with the minimum buffer requirements set forth in § 155-6.6D(7), Buffer regulations, and § 155-6.6K, Landscape standards.
(4) 
Impervious surface.
(a) 
Single-use buildings. The impervious surface is limited to 60%.
(b) 
Mixed-use buildings or multiple-use developments, as defined in § 155-6.6G(1). The impervious surface is limited to 70%.
(c) 
The following improvements shall not be counted against the maximum impervious surface limits of any new mixed-use buildings or multiple-use developments, provided that the height of any building on the lot is at least 20% less than the maximum height allowed:
[1] 
The impervious surface within the right-of-way of a street constructed to comply with the maximum lot width limitation under § 155-6.6B(3), Lot width and creation of minor streets.
[2] 
The public gathering space authorized under § 155-6.6M, Density increases.
[3] 
Public, multipurpose paths authorized under § 155-6.6M, Density increases.
[4] 
In no event may the impervious surface on a lot improved with mixed-use buildings or multiple-use developments exceed 85% of the net lot area.
(5) 
Building height.
(a) 
Building height shall be as specified in § 155-3.3, Building height, and in Table 6.6.3, CAD-RCA Height Standards.
Table 6.6.3. CAD-RCA Height Standards
Minimum Height
Location
2 stories or 28 feet1
The entire district
Maximum Height (feet)
Location
45
Any portion of a building between 50 feet and 100 feet of the curbline of Righters Ferry Road between Belmont Avenue and Monument Road as shown in the above map
65
Any portion of a building between 100 feet and 150 feet of the curbline of Righters Ferry Road between Belmont Avenue and Monument Road as shown in the above map
120
Any portion of a building between 150 feet and 250 feet of the curbline of Belmont Avenue between St. Asaphs Road and Righters Ferry Road as shown in the above map
200
A building within the district boundary within the general area bounded by the Norfolk Southern railroad, Glenn Road, Presidential Boulevard, St. Asaphs Road, including properties fronting on Kings Grant Road, and City Avenue as shown in the above map
NOTES:
1
The second-story floor area shall be equal to or greater than 75% of the grade-level building area.
(b) 
The first floor elevation of a building at a frontage shall be established at the midpoint of the front property line, and may extend a maximum of 2.5 feet above the lowest point of the sidewalk grade. A finished floor elevation more than 2.5 feet above the lowest point of the sidewalk grade shall be considered the second floor.
[1] 
Chimneys, enclosed stairwells, roofed and unenclosed roof terraces and roof trellises, spires and uninhabitable ornamental building features may be allowed to exceed maximum building height up to an additional 12 feet and occupy a maximum 20% of roof area.
[2] 
Mechanical equipment on a roof shall be enclosed by parapets of the minimum building height necessary or other means to screen it from abutting streets and adjacent properties at ground level and may extend above the maximum height as specified.
(c) 
Penthouses.
[1] 
A penthouse designed for and occupied by a residential or nonresidential use or common space shall not be included in measuring the height of a building if it is set back a minimum of 20 feet from the exterior walls and occupies less than 50% of the floor area of the story immediately below. The maximum height of a penthouse shall not exceed 20 feet above the roofline.
[2] 
A penthouse designed for equipment housings, including elevator shafts, shall not be included in measuring the height of a building, provided that it does not exceed 12 feet in height above the roofline or exceed 10% of the roof area.
(6) 
Floor area ratio (FAR).
(a) 
Floor area ratio (FAR) shall be as specified in Table 6.6.4, CAD-RCA FAR Standards.
Table 6.6.4. CAD-RCA FAR Standards
Location
Use
FAR
Maximum FAR
Area A: South of St. Asaphs Road, as shown on the above map
Single-use residential buildings and mixed-use buildings with more than 80% of the gross floor area designated for residential purposes
0.6
1.4
Mixed-use buildings with 80% or less of the gross floor area designated for residential purposes, or multiple-use developments
0.7
1.75
Area B: North of St. Asaphs Road as shown on the above map
Single-use residential buildings and mixed-use buildings with more than 80% of the gross floor area designated for residential purposes
0.6
1.4
Mixed-use buildings with 80% or less of the gross floor area designated for residential purposes, or multiple-use developments
0.7
1.5
(b) 
Floor area of aboveground or below-ground parking structures are not included in FAR calculations.
(c) 
The FAR may be increased subject to compliance with § 155-6.6M, Density increases.
(7) 
Buffer regulations.
(a) 
Where development within the CAD-RCA abuts a residential use in a residential zoning district, there shall be a landscaped buffer area at least 25 feet deep along the district boundary line within the CAD-RCA District. Where such a line is along a street or at a street line, there shall be a twenty-foot-wide planted landscape area that shall be located between the pedestrianway and the building facade.
(b) 
The landscaped buffer that exists along Belmont Avenue between St. Asaphs Road and Righters Ferry Road as of the effective date of this article shall be preserved and maintained to a depth of 120 feet from the curbline of Belmont Avenue, except for the improvements required for the pedestrianways as authorized in § 155-6.6B(4), Pedestrianways.
(c) 
If the existing tree canopy is diminished to a point that it no longer provides a visual screen, new deciduous trees shall be planted with the goal of reestablishing a comparable visual screen, as approved by the Director of Building and Planning.
(d) 
There may not be more than one vehicular point of ingress and egress lane through the landscaped area to any street. Such point of vehicular ingress/egress shall not exceed two lanes and 22 feet in width, except for transition areas at the curb face, unless a dedicated separate left-turn egress lane is required based on a traffic study.
(e) 
Landscape buffers shall comply with § 155-3.11, Landscape standards, and § 155-6.6K, Landscape standards.
E. 
Conditional use.
(1) 
The Board of Commissioners may, by conditional use, approve variations to the dimensional standards contained in § 155-6.6D, Building configuration, if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that such variations are in furtherance of the § 155-6.6A, Goals and objectives, of this article.
F. 
Fences, walls, and street screens.
(1) 
Fences and walls shall be according to § 155-3.7, Fences and walls, and the following:
(a) 
Fence type shall be regulated by district and as specified in Table 3.7.2, Fence Type by District.
(b) 
Fence height shall be according to Table 3.7.1, Fence Height.
(c) 
The height of retaining walls shall be according to § 155-3.7, Fences and walls.
(2) 
Street screens.
(a) 
Street screens shall be located along the same plane as the building façade or elevation.
(b) 
Street screens for off-street parking shall be according to Article VIII, Parking Standards.
(c) 
The gaps between building facades along the frontage line shall be filled with a street screen for up to 100% of the lot width or length. Exceptions include:
[1] 
Where a courtyard or garden may be accessed from the street.
[2] 
Access to parking according to § 155-8.6D(4).
G. 
Uses. Use regulations and standards shall be according to Article V, Uses, Table 5.3, Use Regulations, and the following:
(1) 
Multiple-use development. A multiple-use development for purposes of this district shall be defined as an integrated, complementary development consisting of two or more buildings on one or more lots that are adjacent to and abut one another.
(a) 
Includes nonresidential uses on any story and residential uses on upper stories only, as listed under Table 5.3, Use Regulations.
(b) 
No single use may occupy more than 80% of the total gross floor area of the buildings on the subject lot(s).
(c) 
Multiple-use development may be phased.
(2) 
Only residential uses are permitted within 100 feet of the curbline for the portions of properties fronting on Righters Ferry Road located within 500 feet of Belmont Avenue. A use permitted under this section shall also be subject to the fifty-foot setback regulation in Table 6.2.2, CAD-RCA Build-To Line.
(3) 
Outdoor accessory temporary uses, such as seating for food and drink, sales displays for small-scale retail such as flower shops, antiques, hardware, may be allowed, provided that a sidewalk pedestrian passage of six feet is unobstructed.
(4) 
Residential uses are not permitted on the ground floor of buildings facing City Avenue.
H. 
Parking, loading and traffic requirements.
(1) 
Access and parking shall be according to Article VIII, Parking Standards. Wherein regulations or standards of this section differ from those found elsewhere in the Zoning Code, the regulations in this section prevail.
(a) 
Driveways, parking areas and traffic circulation patterns shall be designed as shared facilities whenever feasible. The design of these elements shall create a unified site plan between the lots. The goal is to gain parking efficiencies, reduce the number of access points crossing pedestrian pathways and improve internal vehicular circulation patterns and external access into the site.
(b) 
Paved access/egress driveways, other than one providing access to Belmont Avenue, shall not be permitted within the first 150 feet of the curbline on those portions of parcels fronting on Belmont Avenue between St. Asaphs Road and Righters Ferry Road.
(2) 
On-site parking.
(a) 
Location of on-site parking.
[1] 
Surface parking lots and exterior loading areas shall be placed between the building and a rear lot line, except as noted below:
[a] 
On a corner lot, if surface parking and exterior loading cannot be behind the buildings, then parking and loading shall be located along the least traveled street and screened from view.
[b] 
Off-street surface parking shall not extend more than 70 feet along any public or private street.
(b) 
Only one curb cut/driveway is permitted on each street frontage of each lot. However, the Board of Commissioners may, by conditional use, approve a second curb cut/driveway in order to facilitate shared parking access on adjacent lots.
(c) 
Maximum driveway width is two lanes and 22 feet unless a dedicated separate left-turn egress lane is required, based on a traffic study. Where a lot has frontage on two streets, principal access shall be from the least traveled street.
(3) 
Parking reduction. If a minimum of 50% of the required parking as outlined in Article VIII is provided below grade, the required parking for nonresidential uses may be reduced by 10% and required parking for residential uses may be reduced to one space per unit if associated with a mixed-use building or multiple use development.
(4) 
On-street parking. On-street parallel to the curbline parking spaces may be created on existing streets and shall be required on both sides of all newly constructed minor streets. The new parallel to the curbline parking spaces can be counted toward the development's parking minimum parking requirements within Article VIII.
(5) 
Car share parking. Car share parking spaces shall be provided for all new developments containing over 50 residential units or 50,000 square feet of commercial space at the rate of one space per 50 units or one space per 50,000 square feet of commercial space. Such space may be included in the total parking requirements under § 155-6.6H.
(6) 
Bicycle parking shall be according to § 155-8.8, Bicycle parking requirements.
(7) 
Service and loading shall be according to § 155-8.7, Loading, unloading and queuing, unless in conflict with the provisions of this section which will prevail.
(8) 
Traffic impact study.
(a) 
When the total accumulated new peak-hour trips attributable to land use applications in the City Avenue District applied for after the effective date of this article exceeds 2,686 peak-hour afternoon trips, the applicant shall demonstrate that the additional peak-hour trips generated, when added to the then-existing trips, shall not result in a level of service on adjacent or otherwise impacted intersections lower than D, or, if the level of service is already below D, shall not diminish such level of service or increase the delay by more than 30 seconds.
(b) 
The applicant shall demonstrate compliance with Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, § 135-8.2, and show that the proposed use does not create unsafe traffic conditions due to queues extending out into adjacent rights-of-way and/or create site obstructions at the points of ingress and egress.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
I. 
Development design standards.
(1) 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to require pedestrian-oriented buildings and to require building entrances to be oriented toward the streets, sidewalks and/or public accessways. Requirements for orientation and primary entrances are intended to:
(a) 
Provide for safe, convenient, direct and accessible pedestrian access to and from public sidewalks, transit facilities and crosswalks.
(b) 
Provide safe and efficient pedestrian connections between buildings.
(c) 
Promote use of pedestrian and transit modes of transportation, including providing and maintaining protected transit waiting areas.
(2) 
Applicability. In accordance with § 155- 6.6A(2), Applicability, any new or expanded building or any building that is rehabilitated (where such rehabilitation is equal to or exceeds 50% of the facade of the building) shall comply with the development design standards in Subsection I(3), (4) and (5).
(3) 
Compliance. A design manual shall be submitted in conjunction with a development or permit application demonstrating how the development will comply with the development design standards and the architectural design standards. The design manual shall include material samples and at least two copies of the following items:
(a) 
Site plan drawn to scale;
(b) 
Building elevation drawn to scale;
(c) 
Colored rendering;
(d) 
Landscape plan; and
(e) 
Current photographs of site.
(4) 
Building orientation and primary entrance.
(a) 
The primary pedestrian access point to buildings shall be located on one or more primary front facades, rather than on the rear or side of the building. Secondary access points may be located along other facades.
(b) 
Building entries and site access shall conform to all applicable standards in § 155-3.5H, Building entries, and the following:
[1] 
Buildings shall be designed with windows, public access points and signage facing the street and sidewalk.
[2] 
Primary building entrances shall be articulated and visible from the street.
[3] 
If a single lot is redeveloped, any new vehicular access point shall be located on a side lot line and shared with adjacent lots, where feasible.
[4] 
Grade-level exterior doors that swing onto a public walkway that is less than six feet wide shall be set into the building to avoid conflict with pedestrians. Doors swinging out that project into a public walkway shall include a barrier to prohibit doors from swinging into pedestrians.
[5] 
Section 155-3.5F(1) is applicable.
[6] 
Security enclosures, if provided, shall be of the mesh type that allow exterior to interior visibility, and shall be located inside the windows.
(5) 
Architectural design standards. Buildings shall demonstrate compliance with the architectural standards in § 155-3.9, Architecture standards, and the following:
(a) 
Visual mass of all buildings shall be deemphasized through the use of architectural and landscape elements, including form, architectural features and materials, to reduce their apparent bulk and volume, to enhance visual quality and to contribute to human-scale development.
(b) 
All utility and mechanical shall be screened and shall be integral to the architectural design of the building.
(c) 
Buildings with active uses, including liner buildings.
[1] 
The permitted frontage yard types from Table 3.5.1, Frontage Yard Types.
[2] 
The permitted facade types from Table 3.5.2, Facade Types.
[3] 
Any ground floor walls with less than 25% of clear windows shall be articulated by two or more of the following:
[a] 
Articulation of facade plane, and/or changes in materials.
[b] 
If the building is occupied by a commercial use, recessed or projecting display window cases.
[c] 
For aboveground parking structures, by landscaping.
[4] 
The second story and above of primary front facades shall contain a minimum of 20% of the facade as clear windows. Glazing shall have a minimum light transmittance of 0.75.
[5] 
Corners. Building corners at intersections of public streets shall be visually emphasized through design features, such as changes in plane, fenestration patterns, balconies, building entries, bays, or similar features.
(d) 
Parking structures, not wrapped at all levels with active uses.
[1] 
Pedestrian-oriented active uses, such as retail or commercial, shall occupy 80% of the ground floor of the primary front façade, as shown on Figure 8.5.2, Ground Floor Liner.
[2] 
The required active uses may be either directly attached to the garage structure or separated by an interior court or service lane.
[3] 
The required active uses shall conform to the storefront facade requirements as out lined in § 155-3.9D, Storefronts.
[4] 
Shall have a separate pedestrian entrance.
[5] 
The visual impact of sloping floors from any public accessway shall be minimized through design treatment of the parking structure's facade.
[6] 
That part of a parking garage that is not concealed behind a liner shall have a façade that conceals all internal elements, such as plumbing pipes, fans, ducts.
[7] 
Exposed concrete spandrel panels shall be prohibited when visible from a public way.
[8] 
A ten-foot minimum landscaped buffer consistent with§ 155-3.10, Landscape standards, shall be installed where the parking structure is visible from the public way.
(6) 
Conditional use.
(a) 
The Board of Commissioners may, by conditional use, approve the use of architectural concepts, designs and materials which differ from those set forth above, if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that such concepts and designs are in furtherance of § 155-6.6A, Goals and objectives.
(b) 
When conditional use is sought to deviate from § 155-6.6I(4), Building orientation and primary entrance, to not provide the primary pedestrian entrance along the primary front facade the following standards shall apply:
[1] 
The applicant must demonstrate that the primary pedestrian access point to the buildings may not feasibly be located along the primary front facade.
[2] 
The primary pedestrian access point shall be accessible by a public walkway connected to the pedestrianway.
[3] 
The primary pedestrian access door(s) shall meet the minimum glazing requirements set forth in the architectural design standards.
J. 
Signs shall be according to Article IX, Sign Standards, and § 155-9.8A, Signs in the CAD.
K. 
Landscape standards.
(1) 
Landscape buffers shall comply with § 155-3.10, Landscape standards.
(2) 
The greening standards set forth in § 155-3.10, Landscape standards, and Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, § 135-5.5, shall apply.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
(3) 
Landscape verge requirements.
(a) 
The tree pit shall consist of an area of not less than 150 square feet and shall be of dimensions of no less than five feet in width and 10 feet in length.
(b) 
The tree pit shall be a minimum of 24 inches in depth or the depth of the root ball, whichever is greater. Amended soil shall not be provided in the tree pit. Street trees are not to be planted directly into amended soil. Exposed or permeable surfaces shall be excavated and replaced with fresh topsoil meeting the minimum tree planting specifications.
(c) 
Amended soil shall be provided underneath impermeable surfaces from the curbline to the edge of the pedestrianway where tree pits exist, unless otherwise directed by the Township Arborist.
(d) 
The tree pits shall be located 20 feet apart and may be adjusted to accommodate utilities, driveways, and other constraints at the direction of the Director of the Building and Planning Department.
(e) 
Street trees shall be at least two-and-five-tenths- to three-inch caliper when planted and shall be spaced at intervals no greater than 30 feet along the public/pedestrian right-of-way.
L. 
Ambience standards. Ambience standards: noise and lighting regulations shall be according to § 155-3.11, Ambience standards.
M. 
Density increases.
(1) 
Density increase. The purpose of this section is to encourage the provision of amenities to benefit the public health, safety and welfare, including: adequate open space and public gathering space; efficient roadways; safe bicycle and pedestrian connections and transit facilities; and the preservation of historic resources.
(2) 
The density authorized may be increased as shown on Table 6.6.5, CAD-RCA Density Increase, and as described in this section, subject to the provisions listed below. In order to qualify for the density increases, a public gathering space in accordance with the applicable regulations below shall be provided.
(3) 
The density increases listed below may be cumulative.
(4) 
The total FAR permitted shall not exceed the maximum as outlined in § 155-6.6D(6), Floor area ratio.
N. 
Utilities. All new electric, telephone and cable lines and building services shall be underground for new developments and additions.
Table 6.6.5. CAD-RCA Density Increases
Amenity
FAR Increase
Regulations
Public gathering space (PGS)1
0.15
The public gathering space shall be maintained by the property owner. The amount of density increase shall be noted on the plan and recorded in the deed. No portion of the public gathering space may be dedicated to a specific tenant.
(1)
The public gathering space shall be designed and located so to achieve the purpose of this subsection as stated above, as well as the purpose of the Official Map, as provided for in Chapter 107 of the Township Code. Whether or not a specific location is identified on the Official Map, the public gathering space shall comply with the requirements below.
(a)
The maximum number of separate public gathering spaces on any lot is three.
(b)
Size of the public gathering space. A minimum of 5% of the lot area shall be used as public gathering space, but in no case shall a public gathering space be less than 3,500 square feet.
[1]
Lots up to 100,000 square feet: A public gathering space shall be no less than 3,500 square feet.
[2]
Lots over 100,000 square feet: A public gathering space shall be no less than 5,000 square feet.
(c)
Design of the public gathering space.
[1]
Lots up to 100,000 square feet: A rain garden occupying a minimum of 200 square feet may be provided. No more than 30% of the public gathering space may be devoted to a rain garden use.
[2]
Lots over 100,000 square feet: A rain garden occupying a minimum of 400 square feet may be provided. No more than 30% of the public gathering space may be devoted to a rain garden use.
[3]
A minimum of 30% of the public gathering space shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs, and mixed plantings with year-round interest.
[4]
The hard surface area of the public gathering space shall be paving materials, such as unit pavers, paving stones, or concrete. No more than 20% of the public gathering space may be concrete. If the concrete in a public gathering space is stamped concrete providing the appearance of unit pavers or paving stones, the maximum area of stamped concrete shall be 30%.
[5]
The public gathering space shall not be used for parking, loading, or vehicular access.
[6]
The area of the public gathering space or the plantings within the public gathering space shall not be used to demonstrate compliance with the greening standards.
[7]
Public gathering space may include ornamental fountains, stairways, waterfalls, sculptures, arbors, trellises, planted beds, drinking fountains, benches, awnings, canopies and similar structures.
[8]
One bicycle space shall be provided for every 300 square feet of public gathering space.
(d)
Location of public gathering spaces. The public gathering space shall be located where it is visible and accessible from either a public sidewalk or pedestrian connection. The public gathering space shall connect with existing or proposed public gathering spaces on abutting properties, where feasible. Public gathering space may be located along a street and is encouraged to be located between buildings or within an inner or outer court. Location of a public gathering space adjacent to a parking lot is discouraged
(e)
The design and size of the public gathering spaces may be modified, subject to conditional use approval from the Board of Commissioners. In addition to the conditional use standards in Article XI, the following standards shall apply:
[1]
Where a minimum of 5% of the lot area is dedicated to public gathering space, the area of the individual public gathering spaces may reduced, provided that there is at least one public gathering space that meets the minimum size requirements.
[2]
Where a children's play area consisting of playground equipment and/or spray fountains is provided, the minimum area devoted to landscaping and rain gardens may be reduced by up to 30%.
Aggregation of PGS1
0.15
Public gathering space must be aggregated into one large area that equals a minimum of 10% of the total lot area of the development and no less than 35,000 square feet.
(1)
The aggregated public gathering space shall connect to any pedestrianway or any multipurpose trail on the lot(s).
(2)
The public gathering space is encouraged to be located as shown on the City Avenue District Official Map or as otherwise approved by the Board of Commissioners during the land development review and approval process
Structured parking1
0.18
Where a new building is proposed or an existing building is expanded, newly created surface parking may account for a maximum of 10% of the required parking spaces in order for the density increase to apply.
Underground parking structure1
0.5
This density increase shall be prorated based on the percentage of the parking spaces provided in the underground structure to the total required parking spaces.
Parking structure with a liner building1
0.25
A minimum of 75% of the facade of the perimeter of the parking structure as seen from a public way is surrounded by a building with an active use complying with the development design standards in § 155-6.6I, Development design standards. Such active uses may be either directly attached to the parking structure or separated by an interior court or service lane.
Transit facility improvements1
0.05
Accommodations to encourage mass transit are provided. Such accommodations include the construction of new bus shelters along a public roadway, the installation of bus pull offs along bus routes and electronic mass transit schedule boards.
(1)
The applicant shall submit documentation from the appropriate transit authority approving the design and location of the transit improvements to attain the increases listed below.
Transit facility: on-site bus stop1
0.15
An on-street bus stop must be moved onto the property being developed. The following facilities shall be provided:
(1)
Benches;
(2)
Shelters; and
(3)
Mass transit schedule boards.
Historic preservation1
0.1
A resource listed on the Township Historic Resource Inventory is preserved or renovated in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's standards.
Public, multipurpose pathway1
0.15
A public, multipurpose path is provided as shown on the City Avenue District Official Map or as otherwise approved by the Board of Commissioners, subject to the following requirements
(1)
The path shall be provided in addition to the required pedestrianway, except along City Avenue and along portions of Belmont Avenue where it is included in the pedestrianway.
(2)
The path shall be at least eight feet wide with one hardscaped or landscaped verge measuring at least four feet in width.
(3)
The path shall be paved with asphalt a minimum of 2 1/2 inches thick with a minimum aggregate subbase of four inches. An alternative material that provides an adequate walking surface, such as concrete or other similar paver systems, may be approved by the Township Engineer.
(4)
The path shall connect with public gathering spaces and shall connect with existing or proposed trails on abutting properties or a pedestrianway.
Off-site traffic improvement (OSTI)1
0.2
Installation of off-site traffic improvements as determined by the Township or contributes to a City Avenue Transportation Services Area Fund held by the Township subject to the following provisions:
(1)
Roadway improvements shall comply with the 2010 Transportation Capital Improvements Plan prepared for the City Avenue Transportation Services Area. The Township may also authorize improvement of intersections or roadways outside the district that are impacted by the proposed development.
(a)
When the applicant is installing the roadway improvement, the Township Engineer shall determine the scope of the roadway improvements installed.
[1]
Construction cost estimates shall be provided by the applicant and approved by the Township Engineer. The cost of the improvements shall be calculated as noted below:
[a]
The off-site traffic improvements or payment in lieu shall equal $20 per square foot generated by the total additional floor area constructed under § 155-6.8M.
(2)
When a fee in lieu of the improvements is made, the funds shall be administered in accordance with the provisions established in Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, § 135-11.13.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
Sustainable design (Reserved)1
(Reserved)
(Reserved)
Notes:
1
In order to qualify for the density increases, public gathering space shall be provided.
Table 6.6.6. City Avenue District Regional Center Area (CAD-RCA)
Lot Occupation
Lot width
600 feet maximum
Lot area
None
Impervious surface
60% to 70% maximum1
Primary frontage
60%2
Building Configuration
Build-to line
See § 155-6.6D(1).
Side
See § 155-6.6D(2).
Rear
See § 155-6.6D(3).
Floor area ratio (FAR)
See § 155-6.6D(6).
Buffer
See § 155-6.6D(7).
Building Height (See § 155-3.3, Building height.)
Height
See § 155-6.6D(5) and Table 6.6.3, CAD-RCA Height Standards.
Frontage yard types (See § 155-3.5 Frontages.)
Common yard
Not permitted
Fenced yard
Not permitted
Shallow yard
Permitted3
Urban yard
Permitted
Pedestrian forecourt
Permitted
Vehicular forecourt
Permitted
Facade Types (See § 155-3.5, Frontages.)
Porch
Not permitted
Stoop
Permitted3
Common entry
Not permitted
Arcade/colonnade
Permitted
Gallery
Permitted
Storefront
Permitted
Parking (See Article VIII, Parking Standards, and § 155-6.6H.)
Notes:
1
See § 155-6.6D(4).
2
When one or more lot(s) is redeveloped such that 150 feet or more of new building facade is constructed along the primary frontage, an accessway shall be provided (i.e., through a lobby or alley) to reach parking facilities at the rear of the lot, if any.
3
Row house use only
A. 
Goals and objectives. The goals and objectives in § 155-6.6A shall also apply in the CAD-BCR District.
(1) 
In addition to the goals and objectives in § 155-6.6A(1), the following specific purposes shall apply:
(a) 
Preserving the retail uses that cater to the surrounding residential community is also a goal of this article.
(2) 
The applicability in § 155-6.6A(2) shall also apply in the CAD-BCR District.
B. 
Lot occupation.
(1) 
Lots shall comply with standards in § 155-3.4, Lot occupation.
(2) 
A building shall be located in relation to the property line except when abutting a street, in which case the setback shall be measured from the edge of curbline.
(3) 
Lot width and creation of minor streets. The maximum lot width along St. Asaphs Road between Conshohocken State Road and Belmont Avenue shall be 1,000 feet.
(a) 
Where additional development is proposed on an existing lot that exceeds the maximum lot width, new interior street(s) shall be constructed to reduce lot width to within the maximum permitted. This requirement shall only apply to additional development that exceeds the greater of 10,000 square feet in building area or the addition of 10% to the floor area of an existing building.
(b) 
Where lots front more than one street, the maximum lot dimension applies to all street frontages.
(4) 
Pedestrianways shall be provided in accordance with § 155-6.6B(4), except as noted below:
(a) 
The area between the curb and buildings or structures located along St. Asaphs Road shall consist of:
[1] 
A landscaped verge adjacent to the curb a minimum of eight feet in width; followed by
[2] 
A public walkway with a minimum unobstructed width of eight feet, and then
[3] 
A landscaped area between the building and the sidewalk.
(5) 
Conditional use.
(a) 
The Board of Commissioners may, by conditional use, approve variations to the dimensional standards contained in § 155-6.7B(3), Lot width and creation of minor streets, and § 155-6.7B(4) Pedestrianways, if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that such variations are in furtherance of the § 155-6.6A, Goals and objectives, of this article.
(b) 
When conditional use is sought from § 155-6.7B(3), Lot width and creation of minor streets, to not provide a minor street, a public, multipurpose path shall be provided at maximum intervals of 1,000 feet. The path shall comply with the following criteria:
[1] 
The path shall connect the pedestrianway along the street to existing or proposed building entrances or interior public gathering spaces.
[2] 
The path shall be designed to improve connectivity through the site and the overall City Avenue District. The public multipurpose path shall connect to existing sidewalks or paths on an adjoining property, if feasible.
[3] 
The path shall be at least eight feet wide. A hardscaped or landscaped verge measuring at least four feet in width shall be provided along one side of the path where it abuts a driveway or a roadway. Hardscaped surfaces shall be smooth and walkable.
(c) 
When conditional use is sought from § 155-6.7B(4), Pedestrianways, to provide variations to the sidewalk and landscaped verge set forth in § 155-6.7B(4),Pedestrianways, and § 155-6.6K(3), Landscape verge requirements, the applicant shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Board that such variations are in compliance with § 155-6.7A, Goals and objectives.
C. 
Building configuration shall be according to § 155-6.6D and Table 6.7.2, Bala Cynwyd Retail District (CAD-BCR), except as noted below:
(1) 
Build-to line. The build-to line shall be provided according to § 155-6.6D(1), Build-to line, and Table 6.6.2, CAD-RCA Build-To Line, except as noted below.
(a) 
No structure shall be permitted within the first 50 feet of the curbline for parcels fronting on St. Asaphs Road between Belmont Avenue and Conshohocken State Road.
(2) 
Building height.
(a) 
The minimum height of any building shall be two stories and no less than 28 feet above grade. The second-story floor area shall be equal to or greater than 75% of the grade-level building area.
(b) 
The maximum height of any building within the CAD-BCR shall be in accordance with Table 6.7.1, CAD-BCR Height Standards.
Table 6.7.1. CAD-BCR Height Standards
Minimum Height
Location
2 stories or 28 feet1
The entire district
Maximum Height (feet)
Location
45
Lots(s) fronting on the portion of St. Asaphs Road located between Belmont Avenue and a point in the center line of St. Asaphs Road measured approximately 642 feet southwesterly from the intersection of the center line of Belmont Avenue and St. Asaphs Road.
65
(1)
Lot(s) fronting on the portion of St. Asaphs Road located between 100 feet and 250 feet of the curbline of St. Asaphs Road, fronting on the portion of St. Asaphs Road located between Conshohocken State Road and a point in the center line of St. Asaphs Road measured approximately 642 feet southwesterly from the intersection of the center lines of Belmont Avenue and St. Asaphs Road.
(2)
Lot(s) fronting on the portion of St. Asaphs Road located between 50 feet and 250 feet of the curbline of St. Asaphs Road, fronting on the portion of St. Asaphs Road located between Belmont Avenue and a point in the center line of St. Asaphs Road measured approximately 642 feet southwesterly from the intersection of the center lines of Belmont Avenue and St. Asaphs Road.
90
All other locations in CAD-BCR.
NOTES:
1
The second-story floor area shall be equal to or greater than 75% of the grade-level building area.
D. 
Conditional use. The conditional use standards provided in § 155-6.6E, Conditional use, shall also apply.
E. 
Fences and walls. The fences and walls standards provided in § 155-6.6F, Fences, walls, and street screens, shall also apply in the CAD-BCR District.
F. 
Use regulations and standards shall be according to Article V, Uses, and Table 5.3, Use Regulations, except as noted below.
(1) 
Mixed-use building. Uses permitted on the ground floor in a mixed-use building shall be limited to those commercial and lodging uses listed in Table 5.1, Uses, except as authorized below:
(a) 
Grade-level parking within a liner building may be permitted.
(b) 
Any use permitted in Article V, Uses, shall be permitted on upper floors of a mixed-use building.
(2) 
Multiple-use development. A multiple-use development for purposes of this district shall be defined as an integrated, complementary development consisting of:
(a) 
Two or more buildings on one or more lots, provided that the lots are adjacent to and abut one another.
(b) 
At least one mixed-use building. The mixed-use building shall be constructed first.
(c) 
No single use shall occupy more than 80% of the total gross floor area of the buildings on the subject lot(s).
(d) 
Uses permitted on the ground floor of every building in a mixed-use development shall be limited to those commercial and lodging uses listed in Table 5.1, Uses, except as authorized below:
[1] 
Grade-level parking shall be permitted when provided for in a liner building.
(e) 
The multiple-use development may be constructed concurrently or phased.
(3) 
The following uses shall apply to a lot(s) fronting on the portion of St. Asaphs Road located between Conshohocken State Road and a point in the center line of St. Asaphs Road measured approximately 642 feet southwesterly from the intersection of the center lines of Belmont Avenue and St. Asaphs Road:
(a) 
No buildings or structures shall be permitted within the first 50 feet of the curbline.
(b) 
Only residential uses are permitted within the first 100 feet of the curbline. The 100-foot regulation may be reduced to 80 feet if the nonresidential portion of the building facing St. Asaphs Road is wrapped with a residential use covering 75% of the building facade. Such uses may be either directly attached to the structure, or separated by an interior court or service lane.
G. 
Parking, loading, and traffic requirements. The parking, loading, and traffic requirements provided in § 155-6.6H, Parking, loading and traffic requirements, shall also apply in the CAD-BCR District.
H. 
Development design standards. The development design standards provided in § 155-6.6I, Development design standards, shall also apply in the CAD-BCR District.
I. 
Signs shall be according to Article IX, Sign Standards, and § 155-9.8A, Signs in the CAD.
J. 
Landscape standards. The landscape standards provided in § 155-6.6K, Landscape standards, shall also apply in the CAD-BCR District.
K. 
Ambience standards. The ambience standards provided in § 155-6.6L, Ambience standards, shall also apply in the CAD-BCR District.
L. 
Density increases. The density increases standards in § 155-6.6M, Density increases, and in Table 6.6.5, CAD-RCA Density Increase, shall also apply in the CAD-BCR District.
Table 6.7.2. Bala Cynwyd Retail District (CAD-BCR)
Lot Occupation
Lot width
See § 155-6.7B(3).
Lot area
None
Impervious surface
60% to 70% maximum1
Primary frontage
60%
Building Configuration
Principal Building (feet)
Build-to line
See § 155-6.7C(1).
Side
See § 155-6.6D(2).
Rear
See § 155-6.6D(3).
Floor area ratio
See § 155-6.6D(6).
Building Height (See § 155-3.3, Building height.)
Height
See § 155-6.7C(2) and Table 6.7.1 CAD-BCR, Height Standards.
Frontage Yard Types (See § 155-3.5, Frontages.)
Common yard
Not permitted
Fenced yard
Not permitted
Shallow yard
Permitted2
Urban yard
Permitted
Pedestrian forecourt
Permitted
Vehicular forecourt
Permitted
Facade Types (See § 155-3.5, Frontages.)
Porch
Not permitted
Stoop
Permitted2
Common entry
Not permitted
Arcade/colonnade
Permitted
Gallery
Permitted
Storefront
Permitted
NOTES:
1
See § 155-6.6D(4), Impervious surface.
2
Row house use only
A. 
Goals and objectives. The intent of the City Avenue District - Bala Village is to encourage pedestrian-oriented development and redevelopment and more economically productive use of land parcels along Bala Avenue between City Avenue and Montgomery Avenue and along City Avenue between the Cynwyd Rail Line and Orchard Road. It recognizes the importance of the City Avenue District - Bala Village as a gateway to Lower Merion Township, and as a neighborhood- and transit-oriented center, by permitting appropriate densities and a mix of land uses while providing sufficient on- and off-street parking.
(1) 
The general goals and objectives include the following specific purposes:
(a) 
Encourage multiple-use real estate development within the CAD-BV District that creates a vibrant sense of place and welcomes residents, visitors and workers;
(b) 
Preserve and enhance the special character of the traditional early-20th Century Bala Shopping District.
(c) 
Encourage pedestrian- and transit-oriented development through adoption of high standards of architecture and design;
(d) 
Minimize to the greatest extent possible any adverse impacts on existing residential neighborhoods of any new development in the CAD-BV District;
(e) 
Promote the livability and identity of the district by providing for dwellings, shops and workplaces in close proximity to each other;
(f) 
Enhance the visual character and identity of the district through appropriate building scale and design, landscaping and signage, and by encouraging the renovation and erection of buildings and storefronts that provide direct connections to the street and sidewalk;
(g) 
Discourage the dependence on automobile use by promoting alternative modes of transportation, including rail and bus, bicycling and walking, thereby reducing traffic congestion;
(h) 
Promote the smooth and safe flow of vehicular traffic through the corridor while reducing cut-through traffic in the neighboring residential districts;
(i) 
Encourage the development of shared parking and attractive, unobtrusive and convenient off-street parking facilities to reduce on-street congestion and facilitate vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
(2) 
Applicability.
(a) 
Wherein regulations or standards of this section differ from those found elsewhere in the Zoning Code, the regulations in this section prevail.
(b) 
Any new or expanded building shall comply with the standards in the CAD-BV except as provided in this article.
(c) 
Any building that is rehabilitated (where such rehabilitation is equal to or exceeds 50% of the facade of the building on the effective date of § 155-6.5, City Avenue Districts) shall comply with § 155-6.8I, Development design standards.
[1] 
The standards provided in § 155-6.8I, Development design standards, shall not apply when the building is located further than 40 feet from the curbline. However, the existing percentage of openings on each floor shall not be decreased.
B. 
Lot occupation.
(1) 
Lots shall comply with standards in § 155-3.4, Lot occupation.
(2) 
A building shall be located in relation to the property line except when abutting a street, in which case the setback shall be measured from the edge of curbline.
(3) 
Public walkways shall:
(a) 
Be constructed of brick, concrete pavers, stone, exposed aggregate concrete or integral colored concrete.
(b) 
Have a minimum unobstructed width of eight feet not including a four-foot hard landscaped strip to be maintained by the property owner at the curbline. The four-foot strip at the curbline shall be paved with unit pavers or similar decorative materials.
(c) 
Create a completely linked network of walkways connecting transit stops, commercial centers, institutional facilities and residential uses, including parks and other open space areas.
(d) 
Permit outdoor seating for food and drink establishments and pedestrian-oriented accessory uses and other appropriate street furniture, including sales display for flowers, small shops, and food or drink stands in the area between the build-to line and public walkway, provided that the minimum unobstructed walkway is maintained.
(e) 
Provide trees in tree wells at twenty-five-foot intervals, provided that the sidewalk retains a six-foot clear passage.
(4) 
Building frontage shall be according to Table 6.8.2, Bala Village (CAD-BV) Dimensional Standards. Pedestrian accessways to rear lot parking areas shall be spaced not more than 300 feet apart.
(5) 
Street screens:
(a) 
Street screens shall be located along the same plane as the building facade or elevation.
(b) 
Street screens for off-street parking shall be according to Article VIII, Parking Standards.
(c) 
The gaps between building facades along the frontage line shall be filled with a street screen for up to 100% of the lot width or length.
(d) 
Exceptions include:
[1] 
Where a courtyard or garden may be accessed from the street.
[2] 
Access to parking according to § 155-8.5.
C. 
Building configuration shall be according to Table 6.8.2, Bala Village (CAD-BV) Dimensional Standards, and the following:
(1) 
Build-to line.
(a) 
The build-to line shall be provided according to Table 6.8.2, Bala Village (CAD-BV) Dimensional Standards.
(b) 
The build-to line shall be measured from the curbline shown on the approved development plan and according to Table 6.8.2, Bala Village (CAD-BV) Dimensional Standards.
(c) 
Parking lots, driveways, loading/unloading zones and other auto-related areas are prohibited at or in front of the building. Such access driveways shall not pass in front of the building, except as noted below:
[1] 
The primary pickup and dropoff area for hotel guests.
[2] 
Transit facilities, limited to passenger waiting areas and pickup and dropoff areas.
(d) 
Features such as overhangs, bays, upper floor balconies, loggias, pergolas and similar architectural features placed on the front (street facing) side of the building may extend beyond the build-to line up to three feet.
(2) 
Building entries and signage shall face the street or the corner at a street intersection. Storefront entrance doors shall be recessed to allow doors to swing out without conflicting with pedestrian flow on the sidewalk.
(3) 
Projections shall be allowed as specified in § 155-3.6, Projections.
(4) 
Building height shall be as specified in § 155-3.3, Building height, and shall be as shown in Table 6.8.2, Bala Village (CAD-BV)Dimensional Standards.
(a) 
The first floor elevation of a building at a frontage shall be established at the midpoint of the front property line, and may extend a maximum of 2.5 feet above the lowest point of the sidewalk grade. A finished floor elevation more than 2.5 feet above the lowest point of the sidewalk grade shall be considered the second floor.
(b) 
Chimneys, enclosed stairwells, roofed and unenclosed roof terraces and roof trellises, spires and uninhabitable ornamental building features may be allowed to exceed maximum building height up to an additional 12 feet and occupy a maximum 20% of roof area.
(c) 
Mechanical equipment on a roof shall be enclosed by parapets of the minimum building height necessary or other means to screen it from abutting streets and adjacent properties at ground level and may extend above the maximum height as specified.
(5) 
Buffer standards.
(a) 
Where a CAD-BV development abuts a residential use in a residential zoning district along a side or rear property line, there shall be a buffer area of at least 20 feet.
(b) 
Where a CAD-BV development abuts a railroad right-of-way with a residential district on the opposite side of the railroad, there shall be a buffer area of at least 10 feet. When part of a land development application, the Board of Commissioners may by conditional use authorize a further reduction in the buffer area, provided that the following standards are met:
[1] 
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence that the residential structures on the opposite side of the railroad right-of-way in the area where the proposed buffer area is being reduced shall be no closer than 75 feet from said right-of-way.
[2] 
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence that the views from and to adjacent properties, including views of and from the rail line, are visually screened by a lesser buffer area or alternative technique, such as the installation of a vegetative/topiary fence, wall or other appropriate design element located on the applicant's property. The applicant for the conditional use shall have the burden of demonstrating that approval of the conditional use is consistent with and promotes the relevant goals and objectives of § 155-6.8A and that the buffer reduction will not adversely affect the public health, safety and welfare, specifically with respect to drainage, light, noise, air quality, natural features of the land, and neighborhood aesthetic characteristics.
(c) 
The buffer area shall be planted with a variety of high- and low-level plantings. Where the required buffer is along a railroad right-of-way or along a parking lot or parking structure, a wall or a fence or a similar architectural detail that satisfies the purpose of the buffer requirement may be used in addition to the plantings.
(d) 
There may not be more than one vehicular point of ingress and egress through the buffer area to any street. Such point of vehicular ingress/egress driveway shall not exceed 22 feet in width.
D. 
Conditional use. The conditional use standards provided in § 155-6.6E, Conditional use, shall also apply.
E. 
Fences and walls shall be according to § 155-3.7, Fences and walls, and the following:
(1) 
Fence types shall be regulated by district as specified in Table 3.7.2, Fence Type by District.
(2) 
Fence height shall be according to Table 3.7.1, Fence Height.
(3) 
The height of retaining walls shall be according to § 155-3.7, Fences and walls.
F. 
Use regulations and standards shall be according to Article V, Uses.
G. 
Parking, loading and traffic requirements. The parking, loading, and traffic requirements provided in § 155-6.6H shall also apply in the CAD-BV District, except as noted below.
(1) 
If adequate on-site parking is not available, the parking requirements for uses in existing and expanded mixed-use buildings may be met by designating currently undesignated metered public parking spaces in any public parking lot within 900 feet of the use, measured from the lot line to the center of the public parking lot. Each public parking space may only be counted once when this parking provision is utilized. A maximum of 10 parking spaces in public parking lots may be designated under this section. Public parking spaces may not be designated for uses in new buildings. If public parking spaces are designated for dwelling units, the parking required on the lot where the residential units are located shall not be reduced to less than one space per unit on the lot.
(a) 
Expanded building. An expanded mixed-use building in this district is one where at least 75% of the floor area remains undisturbed and no more than 75% of the floor area existing on February 21, 2018, is added.
H. 
Landscaping standards.
(1) 
Greening standards. The greening standards set forth in Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, at § 135-5.5, shall apply.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
I. 
Development design standards.
(1) 
Purpose and applicability. The purpose of this subsection is to require pedestrian-oriented buildings and to require building entrances to be oriented toward the streets, sidewalks and/or public accessways. Windows shall facilitate views into and out of buildings. Requirements for orientation and primary entrances are intended to:
(a) 
Provide for convenient, direct and accessible pedestrian access to and from public sidewalks, and transit facilities;
(b) 
Provide a safe, efficient and enjoyable pedestrian experience by connecting buildings in the CAD-BV District; and
(c) 
Promote use of pedestrian and transit modes of transportation.
(2) 
Applicability.
(a) 
In accordance with § 155-6.8A(2), Applicability, any new, expanded and renovated (exterior only) buildings may be either traditional in their architectural character or be a contemporary expression of traditional styles and forms, respecting the scale, proportion, character and materials of structures within the Bala Cynwyd area of Lower Merion.
(b) 
Any new or expanded buildings, or any building that is rehabilitated (where such rehabilitation is equal to or exceeds 50% of the facade of the building), shall comply with the development design standards in Subsections I(3), (4), and (5). Properties listed on the Lower Merion Township Historic Resource Inventory[1] shall, in the alternative, be subject to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards if the development design standards conflict with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. In such case, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards shall apply.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. A180, Historic Resource Inventory.
(3) 
Compliance. A design manual shall be submitted in conjunction with a development or permit application demonstrating how the development will comply with the development design standards. The design manual shall include samples and at least two copies of the following items:
(a) 
Site plan drawn to scale;
(b) 
Building elevations drawn to scale;
(c) 
Colored rendering;
(d) 
Landscape plan; and
(e) 
Current photographs of the site.
(4) 
Building orientation and primary entrance.
(a) 
The primary pedestrian access point to buildings shall be located on one or more primary front facades, rather than on the rear or side of the building, unless approved by the Board of Commissioners by conditional use. Secondary access points may be located along other facades. In addition to the conditional use standards in Article XI, the following standards shall apply if the primary pedestrian access point is not located along the primary front facade.
[1] 
The applicant shall demonstrate that the primary pedestrian access point to the buildings may not feasibly be located along the primary front facade.
[2] 
The primary pedestrian access point shall be accessible by a public walkway.
[3] 
The primary pedestrian access door(s) shall meet the minimum glass requirements set forth in the architectural design standards.
(b) 
Building entries and site access shall conform to § 155-3.5H, Building entries, and the following.
[1] 
Buildings shall be designed with windows, public access points and signage facing the street and sidewalk.
[2] 
Primary building entrances shall be articulated and visible from the street.
[3] 
If a single lot is redeveloped, any new vehicular access point shall be located on a side lot line and shared with adjacent lots, where feasible.
[4] 
Security enclosures, if provided, shall be of the mesh type that allow exterior and interior visibility, and shall be located inside the windows.
(5) 
Architectural design standards. The architectural design standards have been incorporated into this district to ensure that the character of new buildings relates to the scale and character of the existing commercial buildings and creates a pedestrian-friendly environment.
(a) 
Buildings with active uses, including wrapped garages.
[1] 
The visual mass of all buildings shall be deemphasized through the use of architectural and landscape elements, including form, architectural features and materials, to reduce their apparent bulk and volume, to enhance visual quality and contribute to human-scale development.
[2] 
The ground floor of the primary front facade shall contain a minimum of 60% clear windows and doors. Smoked, reflective, tinted or black glass in windows is prohibited. Glass shall have a minimum light transmittance of 0.75.
[a] 
Required window areas shall be either windows that allow views into work areas or lobbies, pedestrian entrances or merchandise display windows.
[3] 
Any ground floor walls with less than 25% of clear windows shall be articulated by two or more of the following:
[a] 
Articulation of the facade plane, and/or changes in materials;
[b] 
If the building is occupied by a commercial use, display window cases;
[c] 
For aboveground parking structures, by landscaping or screening of openings such that the majority of the view of the interior is obstructed.
[4] 
Second story and above of primary front facades shall contain a minimum of 20% of the facade as clear windows. Glazing shall have a minimum light transmittance of 0.75.
[5] 
Exterior wall materials shall be durable high-quality materials and may include brick, stone, stucco, and wood. Cement fiber siding on any portion of a building over three stories or 38 feet in height, whichever is less, vinyl and aluminum siding, and T-111 or other similar plywood siding is prohibited. Except on side or rear walls, not visible from any public way, concrete block shall be prohibited.
[6] 
All roof-top mechanical equipment, including antennas, shall be screened visually and acoustically. Such screening shall be integral to the architectural design of the building.
[7] 
Grade-level exterior doors that swing onto a public walkway that is less than six feet wide, shall be set into the building to avoid conflict with pedestrians.
[8] 
A wrapped parking structure shall include a development where a minimum of 75% of the facade of the perimeter of the parking structure facing a street is positioned behind a building with an active use.
(b) 
Vertical articulation. The massing of all buildings shall be deemphasized through vertical articulation, such as the use of projecting and recessed elements, including porches, bay windows, balconies and roof dormers to reduce overall bulk and volume, enhance visual quality and contribute to human-scale development. The depth of such articulation shall be a minimum of two feet zero inches. Such vertical articulation shall occur at a minimum fifty-foot interval.
(c) 
Horizontal articulation. The massing of all buildings shall be deemphasized through the use of horizontal articulation, including articulation of the line between the ground floor and upper levels with a cornice, arcade, canopy, and other visual device.
(d) 
The Board of Commissioners may, by conditional use, approve the use of architectural concepts, designs and materials which differ from those set forth above, if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that such concepts and designs are in compliance with § 155-6.8A, Goals and objectives.
(6) 
Parking structures:
(a) 
Shall have a separate pedestrian entrance.
(b) 
The visual impact of sloping floors from any public accessway shall be minimized through design treatment of the parking structure's facade.
(c) 
Shall have a facade that conceals all internal elements, such as plumbing pipes, fans, ducts that are not concealed behind a liner.
(d) 
Shall not have exposed concrete spandrel panels visible from a public way.
J. 
Signs shall be according to Article IX, Sign Standards, and § 155-9.8A, Signs in the CAD.
K. 
Utilities. All new electric, telephone and cable lines and building services shall be underground for new developments and additions.
L. 
Ambience standards. Noise and lighting regulations shall be according to § 155-3.11, Ambience standards.
M. 
Density increase for mixed-use buildings. The purpose of this section is to encourage the provisions of amenities to benefit the public health, safety and welfare, including adequate open space and public gathering space; efficient roadways; safe bicycle and pedestrian connections and transit facilities; and the preservation of historic resources. The density authorized for mixed-use buildings may be increased as described in this section, subject to the provisions listed below in Table 6.8.1, Bala Village (CAD-BV) Density Increase Standards. The density increases listed below may be cumulative.
[Amended 10-21-2020 by Ord. No. 4196]
Table 6.8.1. Bala Village (CAD-BV) Density Increase Standards
Amenity
FAR Increase
Regulations
Public gathering space (PGS)2
0.15
The public gathering space shall be maintained by the property owner. The amount of density increase shall be noted on the plan and recorded in the deed. No portion of the public gathering space may be dedicated to a specific tenant.
(1)
The public gathering space shall be designed and located so to achieve the purpose of this subsection as stated above and shall comply with the requirements detailed below.
(a)
The maximum number of separate public gathering spaces on any lot is two.
(b)
Size of the public gathering space. A minimum of 5% of the lot area shall be used as public gathering space.
(c)
Design of the public gathering space.
[1]
A rain garden may be provided. No more than 30% of the public gathering space may be devoted to a rain garden use.
[2]
A minimum of 30% of the public gathering space shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs, and mixed plantings with year-round interest.
[3]
The hard surface area of the public gathering space shall be paving materials, such as unit pavers, paving stones, or concrete. No more than 20% of the public gathering space may be concrete. If the concrete in a public gathering space is stamped concrete providing the appearance of unit pavers or paving stones, the maximum area of stamped concrete shall be 30%.
[4]
The public gathering space shall not be used for parking, loading, or vehicular access.
[5]
The area of the public gathering space or the plantings within the public gathering space shall not be used to demonstrate compliance with the greening standards.
[6]
Public gathering space may include ornamental fountains, stairways, waterfalls, sculptures, arbors, trellises, planted beds, drinking fountains, benches, awnings, canopies and similar structures.
[7]
One bicycle space shall be provided for every 300 square feet of public gathering space.
(d)
Location of public gathering space. The public gathering space shall be located where it is visible and accessible from either a public sidewalk or pedestrian connection. The public gathering space shall connect with existing or proposed public gathering spaces on abutting properties, where feasible. Public gathering space may be located along a street and is encouraged to be located between buildings or within an inner or outer court. Location of a public gathering space adjacent to a parking lot is discouraged.
(e)
The design and size of the public gathering spaces may be modified, subject to conditional use approval from the Board of Commissioners. In addition to the conditional use standards in Article XI, the following standards apply:
[1]
Where a children's play area consisting of playground equipment and/or spray fountains is provided, the minimum area devoted to landscaping and rain gardens may be reduced by up to 30%.
Mixed-use buildings1
0.25
(1)
The allowable density may be increased by an FAR of 0.25.
Underground and/or wrapped parking structures
0.5
The allowable density may be increased by a FAR of 0.5 for a development where parking is in a new underground and/or wrapped parking structure.
(1)
Where the required parking is split between an underground and/or wrapped parking structure and surface parking, this density increase shall be prorated based on the percentage of the required parking in the underground and/or wrapped parking structure.
Transit facility improvements
0.05
The allowable density may be increased by up to an FAR of 0.05 for a development where accommodations to encourage mass transit are provided. Such accommodations include the construction of new bus shelters along a public roadway and/or the installation of electronic mass transit schedule boards. The applicant shall submit documentation from the appropriate transit authority approving the design and location of the transit facility improvements.
Historic preservation
0.2
The allowable density may be increased by up to a FAR of 0.2 for a development where a resource listed on the Township Historic Resource Inventory is preserved or renovated in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's standards.
Off-site traffic improvements
0.2
The allowable density may be increased by a FAR of up to 0.2 for a development where the applicant installs off-site traffic improvements as determined by the Township or contributes to a City Avenue Transportation Services Area Fund held by the Township, subject to the following provisions:
(1)
Roadway improvements shall comply with the 2010 Transportation Capital Improvements Plan prepared for the City Avenue Transportation Services Area. The Township may also authorize improvement of intersections or roadways outside the district that are impacted by the proposed development.
(a)
When the applicant is installing the roadway improvement, the Township Engineer shall determine the scope of the roadway improvements installed.
(b)
Construction cost estimates shall be provided by the applicant and approved by the Township Engineer. The cost of the improvements shall be calculated as noted below:
[1]
The off-site traffic improvements or payment in-lieu shall equal $20 per square feet generated by the total additional floor area constructed under § 155-6.8M.
(2)
When a fee in lieu of the improvements is made, the funds shall be administered in accordance with the provisions established in Chapter 135, Subdivision and Land Development, § 135-11.13 of the Subdivision and Land Development chapter.
[Amended 5-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4244]
Sustainable design (Reserved)
(Reserved)
Affordable housing (Reserved)
(Reserved)
Notes:
1
In order to qualify for the density increases in this section, the building must be mixed-use.
2
In order to qualify for the density increases in this section, public gathering space shall be provided.
Table 6.8.2. Bala Village (CAD-BV) Dimensional Standards
Lot Occupation
Lot width
None
Lot area
None
Impervious surface
Single-use buildings
80% maximum
Mixed-use buildings
90% maximum
Primary frontage
70%
Setbacks
Principal Building (feet)
Build-to line
Facing Bala Avenue between City Avenue and Union Avenue
20 minimum; 25 maximum1
Facing Bala Avenue between Union Avenue and Montgomery Avenue and all other streets
15 minimum; 25 maximum1
Side
0 or 10 minimum;2 15 maximum3
Rear
Structures backing to a residentially zoned lot
25 minimum4
Structures not backing to a residentially zoned lot
0 minimum4
Building Height (feet)
Along City Avenue
2 stories minimum, up to 65 maximum
Buildings between North Highland Avenue and Montgomery Avenue
2 stories minimum, up to 60 maximum5
Buildings between Bala Avenue and the Cynwyd Rail Line from City Avenue to Montgomery Avenue
2 stories minimum, up to 60 maximum5, 6
Buildings along westerly side of Bala Avenue between Aberdale Road and North Highland Avenue and all other streets
2 stories minimum, up to 49 maximum5
Intensity
FAR (base) [increase]
(1.25 maximum) [2.0 maximum]
NOTES:
1
The build-to line may be extended as follows: up to 20 feet farther from the curbline if the additional area is used as outdoor dining and up to 20 feet farther from the curbline where a public gathering space is provided between the build-to line and the building entrance, subject to compliance with Table 6.8.1, Bala Village (CAD-BV) Density Increase Standards.
2
Where a shared party wall exists with the adjoining property, there shall be no required side yard setback. Where a shared party wall does not exist, the minimum side yard setback shall be 10 feet and a maximum of 15 feet from the side lot line.
3
The maximum dimension may be increased up to 25 feet from the side lot line where the side yard includes a vehicular driveway.
For a lot immediately contiguous to a residential use in a residential zoning district, the side yard abutting the residential use shall be at least 25 feet.
4
The lot also shall comply with minimum buffer requirements.
5
Minimum six-foot stepback from primary front facade required on portion of building above 38 feet when the building fronts on Bala Avenue.
6
The maximum height may be increased to 65 feet, provided that the stepback at 38 feet is increased to 8 feet.
Table 6.9. Special District Residential Building Types
Key:
P = Permitted use
R = Regulated use
Building Type
MC
BMMD
RHR
BMV
CAD
Single-Family Detached House
R1
R2
Twin
R1
R2
Duplex
R1
R2
Quad
Row House
R1
P/R
P/R
Small Multifamily (6-Pack)
R
P/R
R
Large Multifamily
R
P/R
R
Live/Work
P
R2
R3
NOTES:
1
BMMD3 only
2
BMV1, BMV3, BMV4
3
CAD-BV only