In expansion of the legislative intent contained in Article
I, §
230-2 of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the specific intent of this article with respect to GC-2 General Commercial and Highway Commercial development, to provide regulations for the development of retail, wholesale, office, and highway-oriented commercial uses both individually and as planned integrated developments to assure that the shopping and service needs of the Township's growing population are met and that commercial development in Horsham is compatible with commercial development in adjacent municipalities.
A. Provide for a broad range of commercial uses, including
those which would be inappropriate to locate in the SC-1 District
because of its more restricted nature.
B. Provide regulations to minimize conflict between commercial
uses and abutting residential neighborhoods.
C. Encourage the sound and appropriate commercial development
of compact segments of major highway frontage.
D. Provide locations for highway oriented businesses
that serve the needs of the traveling public.
E. Protect the primary function of major highways as
thoroughfares for through traffic movements.
F. Restrict ingress and egress movements along major
highways so as to permit the safe movement of traffic.
[Amended 9-16-1998 by Ord. No. 1147]
The following dimensional standards shall apply
to lots having the following sizes:
|
10,000 Square Feet but Less Than 30,000
Square Feet
|
30,000 Square Feet but Less Than Two Acres
|
2-Acre Lot and Greater
|
---|
Minimum front yard (measured from the ultimate
right-of-way line)
|
15 feet for buildings up to 15 feet in height
|
25 feet for buildings up to 15 feet in height
|
50 feet
|
|
25 feet for buildings exceeding 15 feet in height
|
35 feet for buildings exceeding 15 feet in height
|
|
Minimum side yard
|
12 feet (one side only required)
|
25 feet (one side only required)
|
60 feet aggregate; minimum of 20 feet (two side
yards required)
|
Minimum rear yard
|
12 feet
|
15 feet
|
25 feet
|
Maximum building height
|
All buildings shall comply with the regulations as contained in Article V, Performance Standards
|
Maximum building coverage2
|
35%
|
40%
|
40%
|
Minimum area of vegetative cover1
|
20%
|
20%
|
25%
|
NOTES:
|
---|
1 Exclusive of parking lot landscaping requirements of § 230-135A and B.
|
2 Maximum building
coverage shall be calculated on the developable area of the lot.
|
[Amended 7-24-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-3]
The greatest dimension of a structure measured parallel to an
existing wall shall be 150 feet, provided that the length of the facade
of any new building which exceeds 150 feet shall have vertical design
elements such as pilasters, columns, piers or recesses or projections
of up to four feet so that no new vertical bay or section of a building
facade exceeds 75 continuous feet in length. Nothwithstanding the
previous sentence, in no event shall the length of an exterior wall
exceed 325 feet. For circular or partially circular buildings, the
diameter or assumed diameter shall not exceed 175 feet.
On those lots on which buildings may be constructed on the lot line wherein only one side yard is required pursuant to the minimum side yard provision contained in §
230-131 for lots with a minimum area of 10,000 square feet, the following regulations shall apply:
A. No building wall situated on a lot line shall contain
windows, doors, or other openings.
B. The roof shall not be drained toward a wall situated
on a lot line.
C. No building wall shall be placed on a side lot line,
unless access is provided onto the abutting property to allow for
inspection, maintenance, and repair of the building wall and foundation.
Provision for access shall be guaranteed by irrevocable easement or
other legal mechanism to the satisfaction of the Township Solicitor.
D. Structures of abutting lots may be built along their common lot line creating a party wall between the abutting uses, provided that for purposes of measuring maximum building length as defined in §
230-132, the two buildings connected by the party wall shall be considered as one structure.
The following regulations shall pertain to access
for all lots to be developed in the GC-2 District, and shall also
govern on lots to be redeveloped in the district to the maximum extent
feasible:
A. Accessways leading onto a public street shall be built to the dimensional requirements specified in Chapter
198, Subdivision and Land Development.
B. For lots other than corner lots which have less than
100 feet of frontage, a maximum of one accessway to a public street
shall be permitted
C. For any lot used for development pursuant to this district or for a group of two or more lots which share parking pursuant to requirements of §
230-135D herein, no more than two points of access may be permitted onto each street on which the lot(s) abuts.
D. Corner lots, or groups of lots with shared parking that front onto two streets, shall not have two points of access onto one street and none on the other, unless the placement of an access point onto the other street would create a traffic hazard or unduly impact existing residential development. Two points of access onto one street shall also be permitted if one or two points of access are provided onto the other street. In addition, where the lot or group of lots front onto two streets of differing classification (according to Chapter
198, Subdivision and Land Development), the developer may elect to place two points of access on the street of lesser classification with none on the other fronting street, if the lot or group of lots have more than 100 feet of frontage on the road of lesser classification and so doing would not create a hazardous traffic situation or unduly impact existing residential development.
E. Accessways shall be spaced a minimum of 50 feet on center on any lot used for development pursuant to this district, or for a group of two or more lots which share parking pursuant to requirements of §
230-135D herein. In addition, accessways shall be spaced a minimum of 50 feet on center from existing accessways on adjacent properties whenever feasible. When this is not possible, common drives and/or the use of shared common parking pursuant to §
230-135D herein shall be encouraged.
F. No accessway shall be located closer than 25 feet
to any lot used for residential purposes. However, on lots with less
than 100 feet of frontage, an accessway may be provided as close as
10 feet to a lot used for residential purposes.
The following regulations shall govern parking
and circulation within lots to be developed in the GC-2 District,
and shall also govern on lots to be redeveloped in the district to
the maximum extent feasible:
A. The number of parking spaces required for any development shall be regulated by the requirements contained in Article
V, §
230-32, except where a lesser number may be permitted when parking is shared, according to the provisions contained in Subsection
D herein.
B. For double parking bays, 15% of the area of each parking
space may be maintained in grass provided that the grass is separated
from the paved area by a suitable wheel stop or bumper.
C. The owners of two or more adjacent lots may elect
to share common parking facilities according to the following requirements:
(1) An application to do so shall be filed jointly by
all affected lot owners with the Zoning Officer accompanied by a plan
showing the location of all proposed parking, parking reserve areas,
and accessways as well as all buildings which shall use the common
parking area.
(2) The aggregate number of parking spaces required for all uses which will share the common parking area may be reduced up to a maximum of 25% if the applicant can demonstrate to the Zoning Officer's satisfaction that a greater efficiency is effected by joint use of a common parking area, or that other circumstances warrant such reduction (i.e., complementary operating hours of the uses which will be sharing the parking area). Regardless of the number of spaces actually developed, a parking area to accommodate the aggregate number of parking spaces normally required shall be fully designed, and the area which is proposed to be eliminated shall be shown as "parking reserve area." Such area shall be required to be developed as designed if and when the Zoning Officer determines the need. The parking area shall be so designed that the minimum area of vegetative cover will not be reduced below the appropriate percentage contained in §
230-131 herein in the event the entire parking area, including reserve areas, is subsequently developed. All reserve areas not utilized for parking shall be landscaped according to an approved plan.
(3) For purposes of determining the number and location of accessways pursuant to §
230-134 herein, the entire area devoted to common parking shall be considered as one parking lot.
(4) Some portion of the common parking area shall be within
200 feet of an entrance, regularly used by patrons, into each use
served by the common parking area.
(5) An application to permit shared common parking shall
be contingent upon each lot owner obtaining any necessary access easements
and rights-of-way.
D. Internal access drives. Internal access drives (exclusive
of aisles between rows of parking spaces) shall have the following
minimum dimensions:
(1) Fifteen feet for one-way traffic.
(2) Twenty feet for two-way traffic.
E. Any internal access drives designed solely for delivery
vehicles or for access to refuse collection areas may be dimensioned
according to the standard for one-way traffic.
Along the frontage of every lot, except for area devoted to accessways, landscaping shall be provided. On lots whose area is less than 30,000 square feet, the landscaped area shall extend toward the interior of the lot for a minimum distance of five feet from the ultimate right-of-way line. On lots larger than 30,000 square feet, the landscaped area shall extend toward the interior of the lot for a minimum distance of 10 feet from the ultimate right-of-way line. Additionally, landscaping between the ultimate right-of-way line and the curbline or edge of roadway shoulder shall be encouraged, recognizing that such landscaping may have to be removed in the future for roadway improvements; landscaping in this area would therefore be encouraged to represent a low financial investment and/or be capable of relocation. In all instances, landscaping shall be so installed that the clear sight triangles shall be provided, as required in Article
IV, §
230-14, of this chapter.
The design of buildings in the GC-2 District
shall include either a provision for the storage of refuse inside
the building(s) or within an area enclosed by either walls or opaque
fencing outside the building(s) designed to be architecturally compatible
with the building(s). Such walls or fencing shall be designed to shield
the refuse areas from direct view of any adjacent property and must
be at least six feet high.
Signs shall be designed and placed in conformance with the provisions contained in Article
XXXIII, §
230-207.
In those instances wherein development in the
GC-2 District is proposed to consist of multiple buildings, the following
regulations shall apply:
A. The entire development shall be designed as an architecturally
integrated unit.
B. The minimum distance between a building or group of
buildings shall be 20 feet, except that all structures connected by
common roof lines or covered walkways shall be considered as one building.
C. In the event a tract of land in the GC-2 District equals or exceeds five acres, the development of such tract shall comply with the regulations contained in Article
XVIII, the C-1 Shopping Center District.
[Amended 8-23-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-09]
All uses except for parking lots, used car lots, or lots for the sale of recreation vehicles, camping trailers, mobile homes, or similar vehicles, outdoor places or amusement or recreation and outdoor dining areas, shall be completely enclosed within a building. No merchandise, goods, articles or equipment shall be stored, displayed or offered for sale outside any building except as specifically permitted in §
230-130B(6),
B(11) and
C(2) herein. In such cases, all articles stored outdoors shall be stored adjacent to the establishment selling the articles and shall be enclosed by either walls or opaque fencing designed to be architecturally compatible with the building and shall be at least six feet high. Any outdoor display areas shall be considered to be sales floor area for the purposes of computing building coverage and for computing parking requirements.
Lighting facilities in the GC-2 District shall be provided as needed and shall comply with the provisions for floodlighting contained in Article
IV, §
230-20.