Standards to increase height to a maximum of 60 feet in the HO-60 Height Option Overlay District.
A.
A proposed building, structure or part thereof in excess of 45 feet and up to 60 feet within the HO-60 Overlay District as shown on the Zoning Map and Height Option Overlay Map[1] and the parcel the building is constructed on shall comply with the standards set forth in this § 112-401.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said maps are included in the online version of the Code of Borough of West Chester (eCode360®). Said maps are also on file in the Borough offices.
B.
In order to increase the height of a building, other structure or any portion thereof from 45 feet up to 60 feet, the following standards and criteria shall be met:
(1)
Building uses.
(a)
First-floor/ground-floor use. Except for buildings which are used as public parking garages which are permitted as governmental uses or municipal uses, the first floor/ground floor of all buildings shall:
[1]
Be used to promote a continuation and continuity of retail shops and stores, restaurants, personal service shops, indoor motion-picture theaters, lobbies and reception spaces, and, where applicable, comply with the provisions of the Retail Overlay District within the Town Center District as set forth in this chapter.
[2]
Not be used for funeral homes.
(b)
Parking.
[1]
If parking is located in or under the building, any access driveway leading to such parking shall not be wider than 24 feet in width.
[2]
If parking is located in or under the building, the parking facility and access driveway leading to such parking facility shall not be greater than 50% of the building frontage, except for public parking garages which are permitted as governmental uses or municipal uses.
(2)
Lighting.
(a)
All lighting shall have a shield or diffuser to prevent trespass glare and visibility of the light source from a public street and alley.
(b)
No lighting shall have any blinking, flashing, pulsing or other moving lights or other illuminating device or beacon which has a changing light intensity, brightness or color.
(c)
All lighting shall be in accordance with the latest standards of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES).
(3)
Pedestrian amenities and public art.
(a)
Pedestrian plazas, courtyards, entrance courts, outdoor cafe spaces, brick sidewalks of at least six feet in width, benches, arbors, pergolas, fountains, low stone walls and the like shall be used to promote a human scale and greater attractiveness to the proposed development. Such features shall be computed as part of the applicable minimum green area requirements set forth in this chapter.
(b)
All required street trees along the building frontages shall be of a caliper of at least 3 1/2 inches. All such trees shall be limbed-up to have a clear area free of branching above the sidewalk of at least seven feet and shall be subject to approval of the Borough Tree Commission and the Borough Council.
(c)
All required street trees shall be selected from a list of species approved by the West Chester Borough Tree Commission and the West Chester Borough Urban Forester. The list of approved street trees is available at the Borough offices, Department of Building, Housing, and Code Enforcement.
(d)
The applicant shall be required to incorporate public art into the design of the building or as part of the outdoor pedestrian space. The public art shall conform to general guidelines established by the Borough's Public Art Commission, which are available at the Borough offices, Department of Building, Housing, and Code Enforcement. The applicant shall meet with the Public Art Commission for review of and recommendations on the specific type and location of public art proposed by the applicant. The Public Art Commission shall advise Borough Council whether or not the proposed public art complies with the guidelines.
(4)
Conservation performance standards.
(a)
All new buildings over 45 feet shall be designed, constructed and maintained, at a minimum, to earn and comply with the GOLD certification level based on the standards for such certification included in the document attached hereto as Appendix A, titled West Chester Sustainable Certification Program, which is hereby adopted as part of this chapter and incorporated herein by reference.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Said appendix is on file in the Borough offices.
(5)
Architectural design standards.
(a)
The following architectural design standards shall be met for buildings where the height of the building is proposed to be over 45 feet up to 60 feet:
[1]
The Design Guidelines for the West Chester Historic District, July 2002, as may be amended from time to time, shall be used for elements including but not limited to massing, scale, proportion, rhythm, building materials, roofs, building placement, building width, windows and streetscapes.
[2]
If a new building has a flat roof, then it shall have a wraparound parapet wall sufficient in height to screen the building's mechanical and other rooftop equipment from view from public streets.
[3]
All rooftop mechanical equipment and structures shall be screened from view from public streets.
[4]
The HO-60/HO-75 Supplementary Design Guidelines, which are attached to this chapter as an appendix, shall apply.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Appendix C, HO-60/HO-75 Supplementary Design Guidelines, is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(b)
Within the Retail Overlay District, not less than 35% of the street wall of the building shall abut the street line. The remaining street line shall incorporate a combination of architectural and landscape elements such as, but not limited to, columns, piers, fences, hedges, pergolas, low walls, street trees and other pedestrian amenities and public art as provided in this § 112-401.
(c)
The maximum building coverage shall be 85%.
(6)
Historic preservation standards.
(a)
The applicant shall make every effort to retain existing contributing resources located on the subject property and incorporate them into the new use of that property. The applicant shall demonstrate this effort to the Borough Council as part of land development approval.
[1]
A "contributing resource" is defined as being a resource that is listed as contributing, as defined by the National Register of Historic Places Standards, in the West Chester Borough Historic Resource Inventory of 2003, as amended, and that is shown to be a contributing resource on the accompanying Historic Resource Inventory Map.
[2]
A "noncontributing resource" is defined as being a resource that is listed as noncontributing, as defined by the National Register of Historic Places Standards, in the West Chester Borough Historic Resource Inventory of 2003, as amended, and that is shown to be a noncontributing resource on the accompanying Historic Resource Inventory Map.
(b)
If permission is granted to demolish a contributing resource by Borough Council, then, unless otherwise required by another code of the Borough, no resources shall be demolished until the building permits for new construction and financing for the entire project are secured and documented and the following is completed and filed, when appropriate, with the Borough Council:
[1]
A full historic documentation of the resources and the property shall be prepared by the applicant according to the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) guidelines and provided to the HARB and Borough Council with a copy to the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS) and a letter to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) informing it that such documentation is available; and
[2]
A plaque or marker shall be provided by the applicant relating the history of the resources. The plaque or marker shall contain accurate information about the history of the resources which has been approved by HARB and the Borough Council and shall be placed at a location on the site that is recommended by HARB and approved by Borough Council.
C.
All applications for buildings with a building height over 45 feet and up to 60 feet shall include the following additional materials:
(1)
A written report that describes the intent of the architectural design of the proposed building(s) and the manner in which the proposed building(s) have a context-sensitive fit into the historic block, streetscape and neighborhood of the development.