[Amended 6-19-2006 by Ord. No. 03-06; 7-17-2006 by Ord. No. 05-06; 7-16-2012 by Ord. No. 03-12; 11-18-2024 by Ord. No. 05-24]
The following minimum requirements shall apply to all proposed land developments on lots located within the Streetscape Enhancement Overlay District. The construction of new principal buildings that do not meet the definition of a land development, existing principal buildings proposed to be expanded by 500 square feet or greater, and existing principal buildings where the principal use is proposed to be changed shall only be required to meet the minimum requirements of §
275-261C, §
275-261D, §
275-261E, and §
275-261H. Unless otherwise stated herein, all improvements shall be in accordance with requirements in the Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and Township Standard Construction Documents.
A. Building placement. The edges of the street corridor within the Streetscape Enhancement Overlay District shall be defined and reinforced by building facades in accordance with the standards below.
(1) Principal building setback from right-of-way: no less than five feet and no greater than 50 feet.
(2) All proposed building expansions of 500 square feet or greater to existing principal buildings within Streetscape Enhancement Overlay District shall have a setback from a designated streetscape enhancement area right-of-way of no less than five feet and no greater than 50 feet.
B. Parking placement.
(1) No parking lots and/or parking spaces, except for approved on-street parking, shall be permitted between the front facade of a principal building and a designated streetscape enhancement area cartway.
(2) Parking lots located within 25 feet of a streetscape enhancement area right-of-way shall be screened from the street with a combination of features such as masonry walls, fencing, piers and landscaping with a masonry wall no less than four feet in height in accordance with Subsection J(4). The masonry wall shall be constructed parallel to the street right-of-way and should be aligned with the front facade of the principal building.
C. Sidewalks.
(1) Sidewalks shall be provided along the entirety of a streetscape enhancement area right-of-way, either within the right-of-way or public access easement.
(2) Sidewalks shall be constructed generally parallel to the streetscape enhancement area right-of-way along the entire frontages of all parcels within the Streetscape Enhancement Overlay District.
D. Street trees.
(1) Street trees shall be provided at regular intervals along the entirety of a streetscape enhancement area right-of-way, but outside of the ultimate right-of-way.
(2) One street tree shall be provided for every 50 linear feet of lot frontage abutting each side of a streetscape enhancement area right-of-way.
(3) Street trees, at the time of planting, shall be no less than three to 3 1/2 inches in caliper and shall be in accordance with the latest edition of the "American Standard for Nursery Stock" of AmericanHort.
(4) All street trees shall be one of the species, or similar types, listed in §
230-71A.
E. Curbs. Concrete curbs shall be provided along the entirety of a streetscape enhancement area cartway.
F. Curb cuts and road accessways for driveways.
(1) Curb cuts and road accessways for driveways should be minimized along the streetscape enhancement area cartway. Where possible, vehicular access to parking areas shall be provided from alleys and/or service roads at the rear of parcels which front on a streetscape enhancement area cartway, or from a side street on a corner lot.
(2) In circumstances where the Township determines that it is not possible to provide vehicular access to parking areas from alleys and/or service roads, curb cuts which are provided where a driveway or accessway intersects a streetscape enhancement area cartway shall not exceed 24 feet in width, or as otherwise approved by PennDOT.
(3) In circumstances where a driveway or vehicular accessway must cross a sidewalk, or other pedestrian way, the sidewalk pattern and material shall have physical precedence and shall not be physically interrupted by bituminous paving of a driveway or vehicular accessway.
(4) Driveways that do not conform to the standards herein shall be brought into conformance with all applicable standards under the following conditions:
(a) When a new driveway permit is requested;
(b) When modifications to an existing driveway permit are requested;
(c) When the property owner or applicant applies for a change in property use that will generate more vehicle trips than the existing use; or
(d) When an expansion of an existing use will result in more vehicle trips.
G. Pedestrian crosswalks.
(1) Pedestrian crosswalks shall be provided at streetscape enhancement area intersections.
(2) Pedestrian crosswalks shall conform to PennDOT specifications.
(3) Pedestrian signals shall be provided, as supported by a traffic impact study and as approved by PennDOT.
H. Pedestrian-scaled, ornamental streetlights.
(1) Pedestrian-scaled, ornamental streetlights shall be provided at regular intervals along the streetscape enhancement area right-of-way.
(2) One pedestrian-scaled, ornamental streetlight shall be provided for every 100 to 140 linear feet of frontage along the entirety of a streetscape enhancement area right-of-way.
(3) Pedestrian-scaled, ornamental streetlights, shall be 12 to 20 feet in height, measured from the mounting surface to the top of the fixture.
(4) Pedestrian-scaled, ornamental streetlight fixtures shall conform to the Illumination Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) "full cutoff" criteria.
(5) Pedestrian-scaled, ornamental streetlights shall have a matte black finish.
(6) At least one streetlight shall be installed at each street intersection and at any pedestrian street crossing other than at street intersections.
I. Street edges. Frontages within the Streetscape Enhancement Overlay District shall be defined and reinforced by building facades, masonry walls or fences with masonry piers, continuous hedge row, and related landscape improvements to establish street edges in accordance with the standards below.
(1) Street edges shall be provided along the entirety of a streetscape enhancement area right-of-way. Street edges shall establish a continuous vertical boundary, except where vehicular and pedestrian accessways are located or to avoid a sight triangle obstruction, parallel to the streetscape enhancement area right-of-way.
(2) Shall be installed at or consistent with the grade of the adjacent sidewalk.
(3) Street edge setback from right-of-way: no less than five feet and no greater than 25 feet, or at the perimeter of a required sight triangle where a conflict exists.
(4) Masonry walls, fences with masonry piers, hedges, and related landscape improvements shall be, to the extent practicable, aligned with the front facade of the primary building.
(5) Masonry walls and piers shall be faced with stone, brick, cultured stone veneers, and/or calcium silicate masonry units.
(a) Shall have a wall cap at least two inches thick, which overhangs the vertical face of the wall by at least one inch.
(b) Caps shall be composed of stone, brick, calcium silicate masonry units, and/or precast concrete.
(c) Shall be no less than four feet in height measured from the ground to the top of the wall or column.
(d) Faced with brick or calcium silicate masonry units shall have pilasters spaced at intervals no greater than 12 feet on center.
(e) Pilasters/Columns shall project horizontally no less than two inches beyond the vertical plane of the wall face.
(6) Fences shall be composed of solid wood, solid steel, PVC composites or industrial-grade tubular aluminum.
(a) Fences shall be no less than three feet, six inches in height measured from the ground to the top of the fence.
(7) Hedges shall be composed of shrubs no less than 30 inches in height.
(a) Shrubs shall be spaced at intervals to form a continuous visual screen within four years.
(b) Hedges shall be composed of the following shrub species and/or cultivars, or a species and/or cultivar of similar types, subject to Township approval:
[1] Buxus – Boxwood varieties.
[3] Ilex x meserveae "China Girl" – China Girl meserve holly.
[4] Itea virginica – Virginia sweetspire.
[5] Taxus baccata – Irish yew.
[6] Taxus x media "Hatfieldii" – Hatfield yew.
[7] Taxus x media "Hicksi" – Hicks yew.
[8] Prunus laurocerasus — Cherry Laurel.
[9] Viburnum x carlcephalum – Fragrant viburnum.
[10] Viburnum dentatum – Arrowwood viburnum.
[11] Viburnum nudum "Winterthur" – Winterthur witherwood viburnum.
J. Bus shelters.
(1) Bus shelters shall be provided at all designated public transportation stops within the Streetscape Enhancement Overlay District, unless expressly declined by LANTA.
(2) All bus shelters shall be designed to meet Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority standards.
(3) A concrete pad to the curb shall be provided at all bus stop locations and shall be designed to meet LANTA standards, unless expressly declined by LANTA.