The Borough of Cheswick is hereby divided into the following
zoning districts:
R-1
|
Residential
|
R-2
|
Residential
|
R-3
|
Residential
|
C-1
|
Community Business District
|
C-2
|
General Commercial
|
I-1
|
Industrial
|
CD
|
Conservation District
|
SD
|
Special Development
|
District regulations governing the uses and area and dimensional
standards for each zoning district shall be as set forth in the schedule
of district regulations which follows.
[Added 6-21-1994 by Ord.
No. 692-C]
A. Purposes. The river in the Borough of Cheswick is an important environmental,
recreational, aesthetic, historic and economical resource. The long-term
value and integrity of the river in the Borough of Cheswick depends
on the character, location and magnitude of development of land along
the river. Properly planned and designed development can enhance the
environmental, recreational, aesthetic and economic values of the
river in the Borough of Cheswick and avoid adverse impacts on the
public health, safety and welfare of the Borough of Cheswick. Consequently,
the purposes of these regulations are: to preserve and enhance the
value of the river as an irreplaceable public resource; to encourage
uses and improvements along the river that enhance rather than detract
from the environmental, scenic, recreational and economic values of
the river; and to encourage opportunities for the public to view,
use and enjoy the river. The Riverfront Overlay District consists
of two subdistricts intended to achieve the following specific purposes:
(1)
Land conservation. This subdistrict is intended to:
(a)
Include environmentally sensitive land within the Riverfront
Overlay District, including steep hillsides, landslide-prone areas,
floodplains, wetlands and water intake protection areas, river access
sites, rail corridors located near and along the river and a continuous
setback along the river extending from the ordinary high-water line
landward to the top of the slope.
(b)
Prevent hazards and to maintain the natural character of environmentally
sensitive areas; to preserve existing public access sites and the
potential for public access provided by rail corridors; to maintain
or provide for the development of landscaped open space at the river's
edge with the potential for a pedestrian pathway or trail through
it; and to provide for the location of water-dependent uses within
the riverfront setback areas.
(2)
Land development. The purpose of this subdistrict is to allow
the full range of development authorized by the underlying zoning
districts, to provide for public access to the Land Conservation Subdistrict
and to encourage the establishment of public access uses on sites
adjacent to the river or to the Land Conservation Subdistrict.
B. Boundaries. The Riverfront Overlay District shall apply to all land
areas depicted on the Borough of Cheswick's Riverfront Overlay
District Map, which shall be deemed part of the Borough of Cheswick's
Official Zoning Map.
C. Permitted uses. Only the uses expressly listed in this section shall
be permitted as of right in the Riverfront Overlay District:
(1)
Land Conservation District.
(a)
Conservation and wildlife protection areas.
(b)
Trails, walkways and bike paths.
(2)
Land Development District.
(a)
Any use authorized in the Land Conservation District as a permitted
use.
(b)
Any "public access use," which is defined as any facility operated
by a public or private entity, whose operations fall within at least
one of the following categories:
[1] An inn, hotel, motel or other place of lodging.
[2] A restaurant, bar or other establishment serving
food or drink.
[3] A motion-picture house, theater, concert hall,
stadium or other place of exhibition or entertainment.
[4] An auditorium, convention center, civic hall or
other place of public gathering.
[5] A museum, library, gallery or other place of public
display or collection.
[6] Retail uses accessory to any other public access
use.
D. Conditional uses. The uses expressly listed in this subsection shall be allowed as conditional uses in the Riverfront Overlay District in accordance with the conditional use procedures in Article
VI of this chapter.
(1)
Land Conservation District.
(a)
Recreation uses involving permanent structures or construction,
provided that they do not violate any environmental protection standard
of this or other applicable ordinances.
(b)
"Water dependent uses," defined as any use which requires direct
access to the river, including boat launches or landings, harbors
and marinas and locks and associated facilities, provided that the
land development plan for such uses maintains an open space corridor
through the site which connects with the riverfront setback area of
adjoining sites.
(2)
Land Development District.
(a)
Any use authorized as a conditional use in the Land Conservation
District.
(b)
Any use authorized as a permitted or conditional use in the
underlying zoning district, except for gasoline service stations.
(c)
All storage areas in this district must be enclosed.
E. Development standards. All development within the Riverfront Overlay
District shall comply with the following standards, in addition to
the standards of any underlying zoning districts. In case of conflicts,
these standards shall govern.
(1)
Riverfront setback. All development shall be set back from the river in accordance with Subsection
E(1)(a) or
(b) hereunder.
(a)
All uses and structures, except for those expressly allowed under Subsections
C(1) and
D(1), shall be set back from the ordinary high-water line of the river to the top of the slope.
(b)
If the riverfront setback required by Subsection
E(1)(a) above would comprise more than 25% of the depth of a riverfront parcel or lot existing on the date that this section is first advertised, the required setback may be reduced to equal, but not less than, 25% of the lot or parcel depth, but in no case less than 25 feet.
(2)
Improvement of setback area. The riverfront setback area shall be improved and maintained for uses which are authorized in Subsection
C(1).
(3)
Access to street. Multiple pedestrian access routes that are not less than 20 feet in width from the nearby streets to the river are encouraged. In addition to other access which may be required under Chapter
141, Subdivision and Land Development, access to the nearest street must be provided at intervals not exceeding an average of 600 feet. Access to the river edge solely via a building should be avoided. At least one access route should be open to the sky and should permit emergency vehicles to reach the river edge. Access routes should be lighted at night and given an attractive architectural treatment. Access routes lined with shops, restaurants or other active uses are encouraged. When access is provided through a building, the route should be designed to suggest its public character.
(4)
Landscaping. Landscaping enhances the river's appearance,
increases usable open space near the river and attracts more people
to the water. Landscaping can also provide visual relief from urban
or industrial riverfront environments. Accordingly, developers are
strongly encouraged to make a riverside park, plaza or garden the
centerpiece of their projects. Fountains, sculpture and artwork are
also desirable, but not to the exclusion of landscaping. In designing
landscaping, the following guidelines should be observed:
(a)
All public open space along the river, including walkways, parks
and plazas, should have a minimum average landscaping coverage of
20%. Ground covered by tree grates may count toward the 20%.
(b)
Parks and gardens should be planted rather than paved to the
degree permitted by their intended use.
(c)
Vegetation should be planted in the ground rather than in planters
to provide adequate root space. If planters must be used, they should
be as large as possible, particularly for trees. Under ideal conditions,
the horizontal diameter of a tree's roots may equal or exceed
its height. For trees, long pits permitting multiple plantings and
shared root space are preferable to smaller pits with single plantings.
Aboveground pots which crowd roots and expose them to freezing winds
should be avoided.
(d)
To permit moisture and oxygen to reach roots, the ground surface
around trees should be kept in a natural state. If paving is necessary,
paving blocks set in sand, which permit moisture to seep into the
ground, are strongly preferred over slab concrete or other impermeable
surfaces.
(e)
Plants selected for riverfront landscaping should be able to
tolerate the drying effects of strong wind and periodic inundation.
Trees should be chosen for year-round interest, such as spring flowers,
summer foliage, bright fall colors and attractive shape, bark, berries
or other features in the winter.
(f)
Trees native to the riverbank are preferred for planting in
the ground closest to the river. These include elm, red maple, ash,
sugar maple, tulip trees, hemlock, rhododendron, silver maple, sycamore,
black willow, spicebush, dogwood, red river, birch, shrub willow and
alder.
(5)
Outdoor seating. Benches and group seating areas should be provided
for any public use. Private public access uses are encouraged to include
outdoor patios or seating areas. To the greatest extent possible,
seating should permit a direct view of the river, unimpaired by walls,
vegetation or structures. Outdoor seating should not obstruct public
access.
(6)
Signs. To promote public use, all river amenities should be adequately marked using signs and symbols that meet the standards of §
158-24 of this chapter. Owners and developers of riverfront property are encouraged to develop unified signage for their river amenities. Billboards shall be prohibited in the Riverfront Overlay District. Care should be taken to avoid excessive signage along the river's edge.