The purpose of the Mixed Use Overlay District (MUOD) is to:
A.
Ensure new development contributes positively to established residential
neighborhoods and character and improves the transition between commercial
development and adjacent residential neighborhoods.
B.
Provide landowners and/or developers with an alternative development
approval process that promotes flexibility in the mixture of land
uses, lot design and building arrangement not afforded by conventional
lot development.
C.
Permit a more varied, innovative and efficient development pattern
without undue delay in the approval process.
D.
Encourage the conservation of unique and environmentally sensitive
resources and site features.
E.
Enable the efficient and cost-effective provision of community facilities,
including sanitary sewer and water services, roadway improvements
and recreational areas.
F.
Define a procedure to relate the type, design and layout of development
to the characteristics of a particular lot.
G.
Permit the creative adaptive reuse of large existing institutional
buildings.
A.
Location of overlay. The MUOD is located as shown on the Zoning Map
on file in the Borough office.
B.
Concept. The MUOD is a development alternative available to landowners
and/or developers. A MUOD is voluntary and not required. If a landowner
and/or developer chooses to apply for a MUOD, all development standards
and procedures shall comply with the provisions defined by this article
of the chapter.
C.
Applicability. Where this article conflicts with another article
in the chapter, the stricter standard shall apply.
The following uses are authorized in a MUOD, provided that their
design, arrangement, landscaping, relationship to adjacent properties
and uses and construction form a compatible and harmonious group of
uses, afford reasonable protection to adjacent development and otherwise
meet all requirements set forth in this article.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: For the authorized uses, see the Table of Uses, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
Uses in the MUOD shall adhere to the following.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Tables of Dimension, Area and Bulk Standards are included as an attachment to this chapter.
The following improvements shall be completed in connection
with every development in the MUOD, and such improvements will be
in conformance with such standards as may be specified and required
in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance[1] or other Borough, county or state law:
A.
Screening.
(1)
Loading areas, trash collection and similar facilities shall
be incorporated into the overall design of buildings and landscaping
so that the visual and acoustic impacts of these functions are fully
contained and out of view from adjacent properties, neighboring residential
areas and public streets. Loading docks shall be screened by a solid
masonry wall at least six feet in height. Trash collection and similar
facilities shall be enclosed with a masonry wall or fence at least
six feet in height on three sides and an opaque self-closing gate
on the fourth side so as to maintain a visual screen on all sides.
(2)
Off-street parking areas shall be screened from the view of
public streets and neighborhood residential areas.
B.
Vehicular circulation. To reduce congestion and the number of curb
cuts along public streets, to minimize pedestrian/vehicular conflicts,
and to facilitate emergency vehicle access, internal access roads
and parking areas shall be designed to facilitate connection to adjacent
parcels and adjacent businesses within the MUOD.
(1)
Shared driveway entrances and access drives are encouraged.
(2)
Vehicular access to parking areas and businesses shall be through
access drives within the MUOD, unless a traffic study recommends otherwise.
(3)
The number of driveway entrances is limited to two per parcel,
unless a traffic study recommends otherwise.
C.
Sidewalks and internal walkways.
(1)
Public sidewalks are required in the Borough right-of-way.
(2)
Sidewalks and walkways shall be constructed in accordance with
the chapter.
(3)
Continuous internal walkways shall be provided from the public
sidewalk along the street to the principal customer entrance of any
retail, commercial or office use. This walkway must feature landscaping,
benches and other pedestrian amenities for no less than 50% of its
length. Internal walkways shall be distinguished from driving surfaces
through the use of materials containing contrasting color and textures.
Provide bike lanes.
D.
Streetscape plantings. Buffer yards shall be provided for along the
street right-of-way, subject to the following restrictions:
(1)
The buffer yard shall be no less than 10 feet wide.
(2)
The buffer yard shall be provided along the entire frontage
of the parcels, except for entranceways for vehicles.
(3)
The buffer yard shall be made up of existing mature trees or
new plantings as proposed in a landscape plan accompanying any application
for development.
(4)
No structure within the MUOD shall be within 10 feet of the
buffer yard or within 25 feet of the street right-of-way.
(5)
A landscape plan is prepared that shows that proposed plantings
are not located in the sight triangle and will not impede visibility
within the clear sight area.
E.
Design guidelines for architectural materials and building orientation
for new construction.
(1)
Ground floor transparency. The street-level facade of any building
facing a public street or access drive shall provide clear or tinted
glass or tinted material between the height of three feet and eight
feet above the walkway grade for at least 60% of the horizontal length
of the building and/or structure. Not more than two sides of any one
building shall be subject to these provisions. Surface treatments
such as cornices, brackets, window and door moldings and details,
recesses, projections, awnings, decorative finish materials and other
architectural articulation shall be required along 100% of the horizontal
length of any wall.
(2)
Facades. Buildings with long, flat facades and continuous linear
strip development are prohibited.
(3)
Exterior wall materials. Materials that are not permitted include
large split-faced block size eight inches by 16 inches or greater;
tilt-up concrete panels; prefabricated metal panels; standard concrete
masonry units.
(4)
Roofs. Structures with flat roofs must have parapets concealing
roofs and rooftop equipment. Variations in the roof form and profile
are encouraged for large roof areas.
(5)
Doorways and entrances. All buildings shall provide a prominent
and highly visible street-level doorway or entrance along the front
or side of the building that faces a public street.
(6)
Frontage. Storefronts and display windows are encouraged along
frontages. There shall be at least one entrance accessible to the
public for every 100 feet of frontage.
(7)
Ground floor. The ground floor along store frontages shall be
architecturally distinguished from the upper floors by a change in
materials, scale of openings, change of plane or other means.
(8)
Design elements. All buildings shall incorporate a minimum of
four of the following design elements:
A.
Garden center, plant nursery, landscaping business or greenhouse:
No outdoor storage is permitted.
B.
Gasoline service stations/convenience stores: Convenience stores
are permitted with fuel pumps as a secondary use to the convenience
store. Monument signs must adhere to the sign section of the chapter[1] and not be any taller than six feet in height and a maximum
of 24 square feet per face. Exterior lighting must be shielded, and
no lighting may spill onto the adjacent residential neighborhood.
C.
Retail trade. No retail use shall be approved with more than 20,000
square feet of floor area in a single building.
To allow for adaptive reuse of a vacant public, semipublic,
institutional or historically significant structure within a residential
zoning district, which, by the nature of its size, structural layout,
site layout or other unique features, could not feasibly be redeveloped
for adaptive reuse under existing zoning regulations, a conditional
use permit may be granted. Reuse of an existing building shall include
no use that begins prior to 7:00 a.m. or ends after 9:00 p.m. prevailing
time. No recreational use shall result in noise discernible beyond
the property line of the subject property. Redevelopment of an existing
building may occur within its existing footprint or may be expanded
subject to compliance with the lot coverage, intensity and height
standards for the MUOD. Existing buildings that exceed 45 feet in
height may be redeveloped within the existing building envelope height;
buildings which are less than 35 feet in height may not be expanded
to exceed 35 feet in height. The following uses or combinations of
uses shall be eligible to apply for a conditional use permit:
A.
Any type of residential development at a maximum density of 35 units
per gross acre.
B.
Child-care facilities.
C.
Personal care home, long-term nursing care facility, assisted living
residence, medical facilities, hospital.
D.
Recreation facility-indoor, community center.
E.
Motel, hotel or inn.
F.
Offices, personal services, research and development facility.
G.
Restaurant, retail trade, financial institution.
H.
College or university, school.
I.
Municipal, state or federal building.
J.
Church, place of worship.
Parking requirements shall be in accordance with § 290-29. For mixed-use developments, calculate parking requirements based on each use in conformance with § 290-29. Shared parking between nearby uses (for example, uses that have different hours of operation) will be considered by the Borough, based on a parking study provided by the applicant.
Sign requirements shall be in accordance with § 290-27, unless additional restrictions are listed in this article.
