The existing civic and institutional buildings within the Borough of North Wales are integral to the built environment and are part of the essential fabric of the community by virtue of their architectural prominence and their longevity. In order to keep these important buildings in character with their original intended use, the intent of the Institutional Overlay District is to:
A. 
Recognize and promote the preservation of existing civic and institutional buildings by permitting their continued operation, alteration or expansion, and limited change of use to those uses which are most in-line with the original intended use.
B. 
Provide suitable areas within the Borough to accommodate community service and institutional uses.
C. 
To conditionally allow for educational institutions and residential care facilities on existing institutional properties and within existing institutional buildings, while ensuring the continued compatibility with adjacent uses and minimizing any adverse environmental impacts on the surrounding community.
The Institutional Overlay District shall be an overlay to the existing or hereafter created underlying districts as shown on the Zoning Map.
A. 
Should the Institutional Overlay District be declared inapplicable to any tract by reason of action of the Borough Council in amending this chapter; or the Zoning Officer, the Zoning Hearing Board or any court of competent jurisdiction in interpreting the same; or the Zoning Hearing Board or any court of competent jurisdiction in determining a legal effect of the same, the zoning applicable to such lot shall be deemed to be the district in which it is located without consideration of this article.
B. 
Should the zoning of any parcel or any part thereof which the Institutional Overlay District is located be changed through any legislative or administrative actions or judicial discretion, such change shall have no effect on the Institutional Overlay District unless such change was included as part of the original application.
A. 
A building may be erected, altered or used, and a lot may be occupied or used, in whole or in part, for any of the uses indicated in the Appendix A, Permitted Use Matrix,[1] and those permitted in the underlying zoning district, provided that such uses shall comply with the district regulations established in this article, Article IV, Use Regulations (in the event of a conflict between district and use regulations, the more stringent regulation shall be applicable), and all other applicable sections of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B. 
Conflict with underlying zoning. Should any use permitted in the overlay also be permitted by the underlying zoning district, compliance with the standards of the underlying district and applicable use regulations per Article IV, Use Regulations, shall be adequate to permit such use. Compliance with this article is not required in such cases.
Permitted Uses
Conditional Uses
Min. lot area
25,000 square feet
1 acre
Min. lot width
75 feet
150 feet
Min. front setback
Required front setback shall be established by the dimensional requirements of the underlying zoning district
See § 208-57
Min. side and rear setbacks
30 feet
50 feet
Max. building coverage
25%
30%
Max. impervious coverage
50%
60%
Max. building height
40 feet (3 stories max.)
Borough Council shall not grant approval of any application for conditional use until compliance with intent and spirit of the Institutional Overlay District is demonstrated by the applicant, and after ensuring compliance with the following standards:
A. 
Retention of existing buildings required. The proposed use(s) shall maintain, protect, and preserve the existing principal buildings by retaining the outward appearance of the building to the greatest extent possible.
B. 
New buildings. New buildings proposed on the same lot shall not be eligible for the uses permitted only by this overlay and shall comply with all requirements of the underlying zoning district.
(1) 
New buildings shall not block views of the existing, primary building from the public way.
(2) 
The distance between the closest points between any two buildings shall be not less than 25 feet.
C. 
Additions. Building additions shall be eligible for the uses permitted by the overlay when the following conditions are met:
(1) 
Additions to existing buildings shall only be permitted to the side and/or rear of the existing building.
(a) 
For corner lots or lots with multiple frontages, the two facades located nearest a public roadway shall be considered the front facades. For any front setback beyond the aforementioned two, the required setback shall be established by the dimensional requirements of the underlying zoning district.
(2) 
Additions may increase the footprint of the applicable building by a maximum of 50%.
(3) 
Additions may not increase the length of any front (street-facing) facade beyond 300 feet.
(4) 
Building additions shall be compatible with the existing building by virtue of their appearance, size, scale, and material; however, additions may be visually distinct from the existing building and need not replicate the existing architectural style.
(5) 
Quality building materials, such as brick, stone, concrete, and glass shall be utilized to create visual interest and enhance the quality of additions.
(a) 
The following building materials are prohibited: exterior insulation and finishing systems (EIFS); aluminum or vinyl siding or shutters; white, tan, or painted brick; concrete block; T-111 or other similar plywood siding.
D. 
Architectural elevations required. Architectural elevations and sections, renderings, or the like shall be submitted with the application; any conditional use application shall not be deemed complete until the submission of such. Furthermore, such shall include adequate detail to indicate how the proposed buildings, additions, and/or alterations will be compatible with the existing building(s).
E. 
Rooftop equipment. Rooftop HVAC systems, elevator equipment, or any other mechanical or utilitarian protuberances shall be screened from view from adjacent buildings and from ground level using similar building materials and in a manner that is consistent with the architectural design of the building.
F. 
Landscape buffers required.
(1) 
When abutting a residential use or a residential district (R-1, R-2, or R-3), any shared lot lines shall require the installation of a vegetated screen buffer. The screen buffer shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width and shall meet the requirements for screen buffers as regulated by § 184-26F(1).
(2) 
A landscaped buffer along any public roadway frontages may be required when deemed necessary to mitigate impacts on the surrounding community.
G. 
Lighting. Outdoor lighting shall not shine on abutting properties, and lighting poles shall not exceed 15 feet in height.
H. 
The applicant shall guarantee the permanent protection of the architectural features and design integrity of the principal building(s) on the lot. This guarantee shall be made by means of a deed restriction, conservation easement, facade easement, or other means acceptable to the Borough Solicitor and Borough Council. At minimum, this shall include:
(1) 
Surface materials shall be maintained or replaced with like/in-kind materials.
(2) 
Window or door openings shall not be altered, other than for maintenance or replacement with like/in-kind materials.
(3) 
There shall be no further additions or structural alterations to any part of the building visible from any public sidewalk or right-of-way, except for replacement of existing features, such as porches, patios, etc., with like/in-kind materials and assemblies.
(4) 
Utilities located on the exterior of existing buildings, such as heat pumps, central air conditioning units, etc., shall not be relocated except to areas that are equally or less visible from any public sidewalk or right-of-way.