One purpose of this article is to provide space for limited
commercial uses of a neighborhood type to serve the primary needs
of the local residents and to provide off-street parking facilities
for such uses. Another purpose is to provide regulations for certain
special commercial uses that do not serve a neighborhood primarily,
or else have special impact on neighboring uses.
A.
Permitted uses.
(1)
Retail store.
(2)
Supermarket.
(3)
Drugstore.
(4)
Service station.
(5)
Personal service shops, such as barbers and beauty salons.
(6)
Repair shops such as radio and television repair or other similar
services.
(7)
Commercial schools.
(8)
Offices.
(9)
Bowling alleys.
(10)
Social clubs.
(11)
Therapeutic message establishment.
(12)
Sustainable forestry activities in accordance with accepted
silvicultural best management practices.
(13)
Restaurants.
B.
Area and bulk regulations.
(1)
Minimum lot size: one acre.
(2)
Minimum lot width: 200 feet.
(3)
Minimum lot depth: 125 feet.
(4)
Maximum lot coverage: 60%.
(6)
Building height: 45 feet.
(7)
Access spacing.
(a)
One hundred fifty feet on same side of collector or arterial
street, provided that the sight distance shall be 250 feet minimum
in each distance as determined 10 feet back from the edge of the street
cartway where the driveway meets the street with an eye height of
42 inches above the access surface;
(b)
On a local street the minimum access spacing shall be 50 feet.
(9)
Screening. A planted visual barrier or landscape screen shall be
provided between any district and a contiguous residentially zoned
district. In keeping with the rural character of the Township, this
screen shall be composed of plants and trees arranged to create a
natural appearance through varying types, heights and spacing of vegetation
as well as varying terrain. Existing trees of at least four inches
caliper, i.e., trunk diameter at breast height, shall be retained
which are suitable to function in the screening.
(a)
Within the landscape screen trees shall be planted as follows:
[1]
At intervals of not less than 10 feet and not more than the
tree species allows for spacing on center between trees, though not
evenly spaced across as the screen width, nor planted in a straight
line as screen length.
[2]
At the time of planting deciduous trees shall be at least two
inches in caliper.
[3]
At the time of planting conifer or evergreen trees shall be
at least five feet tall.
(b)
Within the landscape screen shrubs shall be planted as follows:
[1]
At intervals of not more than five feet, though not evenly spaced
across as screen width, nor planted in a straight line as screen length.
[2]
At the time of planting deciduous trees shall not exceed 1/3
of the total shrubs planted and shall be at least two feet tall.
[3]
At the time of planting conifer or evergreen shrubs may exceed
2/3 of the total planted and shall be at least three feet tall.
(c)
All trees and shrubs in the screen must be hardy and perennial
in Halfmoon Township.
(d)
All plants not surviving three years after planting, or in perpetuity
thereafter, must be replaced at the expense of the property owner.
(e)
The Supervisors, at their option, may require a constructed
visual barrier of an acceptable fence or wall which shall not be less
that four feet nor more than six feet in height; and/or earth mounding,
to properly screen and protect adjacent residentially used areas,
in combination with the landscape screen.
(10)
Storage. All storage shall be completely screened from view and from any public right-of-way and any residentially used lot. Screening shall consist of evergreen planting or an architectural screen installed at a minimum height of six feet, and at the height of the vermin-proof container or dumpster. All organic rubbish or storage shall be contained in an airtight, vermin-proof container which shall also be screened from view from any public right-of-way or abutting residential district. The exterior storage of tractor trailers which supply or service establishments in the district shall be prohibited. The limited industrial uses permitted by § 255-13A(7) shall screen outdoor storage from view form any agriculturally or residentially used property, including state game lands.
(11)
Landscaping.
(a)
Any part or portion of the site which is not used for buildings,
other structures, loading or parking spaces and aisles, sidewalks
and designated storage areas shall be planted with an all-season ground
cover and shall be landscaped with trees and shrubs in accordance
with an overall landscape plan as recommended by the Planning Commission
and approved by the Board of Supervisors. All sites and parcels of
land adjacent to a public street or dedicated service roadway shall
maintain a landscaped strip adjacent to the right-of-way at least
15 feet. This area shall not be used for building, parking spaces,
aisles or storage, and only approved driveways shall be permitted
to be constructed on or across this strip. The right-of-way of any
public street, highway, or service road shall not be used for any
use incidental to the adjoining property.
(b)
The landscape plan shall indicate all landscaped areas, plant
and landscaping materials to be used and a replacement program for
nonsurviving plants.
(c)
The Planning Commission may make recommendations to the Board
of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors shall reserve the right to
include any additional requirements to the landscape plan that they
feel is necessary to protect and promote the public health, safety,
and general welfare.
(d)
The developer shall be responsible and obligated to carry out
the approved landscape plan in an expedient manner.
(12)
Access and traffic control.
(a)
All access to any arterial street or highway shall be by indirect
means when possible.
(b)
The means of indirect access shall be either by access to a
local public street which connects to the arterial street or highway
by a service road parallel to the arterial street or highway. All
service roadways shall be dedicated to the public and shall have a
minimum right-of-way of 40 feet and a minimum cartway of 24 feet.
Service roadways shall be required to allow access (by their extension)
to adjoining properties' lines. Service road access to arterial streets
and highways may be permitted, provided the distance from other points
of access (including public streets) is not less than 500 feet and
where the sight distance of oncoming traffic is not less than 500
feet.
(c)
The developer must submit a circulation plan for all parcels
of land adjacent to a major road showing the design of all service
roadways, the driveways to the service roadway and all access points
to all public streets and highways. The Planning Commission and Board
of Supervisors shall reserve the right to require any changes to the
circulation plan submitted and to require any additional traffic control
devices and acceleration/deceleration that is deemed necessary to
protect the safety and welfare of the public. The circulation plan
must be approved before a building permit can be issued. The developer
shall be responsible for the construction of all traffic controls
and access requirements according to the approved circulation plan.
(13)
(Reserved)
(14)
Interior circulation.
(a)
Interior drives shall be designed so as to prevent blockage
of vehicles entering or leaving the site. Drives may be one-way or
two-way as approved by the Planning Commission and Township Supervisors.
(b)
All interior drives shall be designed in relation to the parking
areas and pedestrian circulation routes to minimize the conflicts
between parking, pedestrians and vehicle circulation.
(c)
Areas provided for loading and unloading of delivery trucks
and other vehicles, and for the servicing of shops by refuse collection,
fuel and other service vehicles, shall be adequate in size, and shall
be so arranged that they may be used without blockage, or interference
with the use of accessways or automobile parking facilities.
(16)
(Reserved)
(17)
(Reserved)
A.
Where a commercial district abuts a residential district, the side
yard requirement shall be at least equal to the building height but
not less than 20 feet.
B.
The first 15 feet back from the front property line shall be used
for purposes of landscaping only except reasonable access may be provided
to parking lots and to any structures on the lot.
C.
The requirement for one side yard may be waived if the building is
to be attached to an adjacent commercial building on a separate lot.
