A.
In addition to the General Business and Light Industrial zoning districts established by this chapter, there shall be established a Commercial and Light Industrial Redevelopment Overlay District.
B.
The Commercial and Light Industrial Redevelopment Overlay District shall not be an independent zoning district, but shall be a set of special zoning regulations to be applied over and above the zoning regulations otherwise controlling upon a tract of land, as enabled by and described in Section 605 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.[1] The district upon which the overlay district is superimposed is referred to herein as the "underlying district."
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10605.
C.
The purpose of this overlay district is to provide an incentive for the redevelopment of commercial and light industrial sites within the Borough of West Reading by permitting certain uses or combinations of uses not otherwise permitted in the underlying district and by permitting a greater density of development than that which would be otherwise permitted in the underlying district, so as to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the residents and inhabitants of the Borough.
D.
A secondary and subordinate purpose of this overlay district is to encourage respect for the historic and architectural identity of the structures and neighborhoods in which redevelopment may occur under the terms of this chapter.
E.
The Commercial and Light Industrial Redevelopment Overlay District shall be available throughout the Light Industrial District, and more specifically identified on the Borough's Zoning Map, provided the following requirements are met:
(1)
A site proposed for redevelopment shall be under single and separate ownership, or in the case of multiple ownership, the lot or lots shall be redeveloped according to a single overall plan.
(2)
The site proposed for redevelopment shall be a minimum of 0.5 acre in area. If the site is not a single, contiguous parcel, no part of the site shall be separated by more than 100 feet from another part of the site. If a site containing a minimum of 0.5 acre is approved under this section, smaller adjacent properties may qualify under this section at a later date as long as the smaller adjacent properties are within the boundaries of this district and the other requirements of this section (other than minimum site acreage) are met.
(3)
The site proposed for redevelopment shall be occupied by existing commercial or industrial development, and the following shall apply:
(4)
The site is not required to be located within a single underlying zoning district, but all portions of the site which are planned to be redeveloped in accordance with this chapter shall be located within a commercial or industrial zoning district or within 50 feet of such a district.
(5)
Land may be added to an established redevelopment site, provided the revised redevelopment site, as modified by the addition of land, continues to meet the requirements of this chapter.
(6)
Plans for redevelopment shall demonstrate, to the extent practically achievable, respect for the historic and architectural identity of the structures and neighborhoods in which redevelopment may occur under the terms of this chapter.
(7)
Plans for redevelopment shall include a schedule for completion of the development, which schedule shall be subject to the approval of the Borough Council.
F.
To the extent any regulation in this chapter conflicts with any regulation in any other chapter, this chapter shall be controlling.