The applicant shall comply with the requirements
of the provisions of the Lower Providence Township Subdivision and
Land Development Ordinance (SLDO). Unless otherwise stated below,
where any conflicts exist, the stricter requirements shall be used.
The following requirements shall apply to all properties within the
RPBD:
A. The Township Board of Supervisors may permit an applicant
to bury all utilities along Ridge Pike frontage in lieu of payment
of Act 209 traffic impact fees.
B. Any newly constructed buildings on the site must be
constructed of natural materials, such as stone, brick, wood siding,
shingles, slate or materials of similar nature. Industrial or artificial
materials such as raw concrete finish, anodized or galvanized metal,
tinted glass, plastics, vinyls or materials of similar nature are
prohibited unless these materials are used in such a way as to resemble
natural materials.
C. The facade of all newly constructed building(s) shall
avoid any long, monotonous, uninterrupted wall(s) or roof plane(s).
The scale and massing of the facade shall be designed to present a
residential appearance. Roofs shall be pitched, and architectural
features such as porches, staggered setbacks, bay windows and various
types of wall facing(s) shall also be used to achieve a more intimate
and varied appearance. Architectural features such as gables, dormers
or chimneys shall be used. The architectural treatment of proposed
buildings shall be submitted with all Land Development Plan submissions
for review by the Township Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
D. Any newly constructed building that is on a corner
lot shall be considered significant because it has at least two visible
facades. The facades shall be designed to avoid long, monotonous,
uninterrupted wall or roof planes. Also, roofs shall be pitched. However,
the side facade need not to be designed to mimic the front facade
but rather to provide architectural interest consistent in scale and
appearance with the front facade.
E. The applicant shall submit sufficient information
in the form of architectural elevations or sketches of building(s)
and restoration of existing structure(s) in order to determine to
what extent the design guidelines are being followed. All land developments
shall be accompanied with material boards representing the various
types of materials which are to be used on the strucuture(s).
F. Each use shall provide access easements for its parking
aisles and driveways guaranteeing access to all abutting lots. The
parking area shall be so designed to readily accommodate shared access.
G. The number of driveways onto a collector or higher-classification
street, for each property under single and separate ownership at the
time this article is adopted, shall be limited to one per each street
unless additional driveways are required by the Board of Supervisors.
Access easements shall be provided for common driveways and common
parking areas between multiple uses on a single tract.
H. Pedestrian design standards. The applicant shall adhere to the requirements set forth in §
123-33, Sidewalks, of the Lower Providence Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SLDO). Unless otherwise stated below, where any conflicts exist, the stricter requirements shall apply.
(1) Sidewalks are required to connect the street frontage
sidewalks to all front building entrances, parking areas, central
open space, and any other destination that generates pedestrian traffic.
(2) Sidewalks shall connect to existing sidewalks on abutting
tracts and other nearby pedestrian destination points and transit
stops.
(3) Striped crosswalks shall be installed at any major
intersection, at the discretion of the Township Board of Supervisors.
(4) Sidewalks shall be a minimum of four feet wide, and
shall be separated from the curbline by a minimum of four feet of
grass and landscaped area.
(5) All sidewalks and pedestrian connections shall be
located a minimum of five feet from any buildings to allow for landscaping
unless arcades or entryways are part of the facade.
I. Parking standards.
(1) Parking areas on abutting lots shall be interconnected
by access driveways.
(2) Each lot shall provide cross-access easements for
its parking areas and access driveways guaranteeing access to adjacent
lots.
J. Outdoor dining.
(1) Outdoor furnishings are limited to tables, chairs,
and umbrellas.
(2) Planters, posts with ropes, or iron fencing, or other
removable enclosures, are encouraged and shall be used as a way of
defining the area occupied as outdoor seating.
(3) Refuse facilities shall be provided.
(4) Advertising or promotional features shall be limited
to umbrellas and canopies.
(5) Outdoor dining cannot impede pedestrian traffic flow.
K. Screening.
(1) All wall-mounted mechanical, electrical, communication,
and service equipment, including satellite dishes and vent pipes,
shall be screened from public view by parapets, walls, fences, landscaping
or other approved means.
(2) All rooftop mechanical equipment and other appurtenances
shall be concealed by or integrated within the roof form or screened
from view at ground level of nearby streets. The following extensions
above the roofline shall require screening: stairwells, elevator shafts,
air-conditioning units, large vents, heat pumps and mechanical equipment.
(3) Service and loading areas must be visually screened
from the street and pedestrian walkways. For new construction, service
and loading areas must be located at the rear of the building.
L. Outdoor storage. Any use which includes outdoor storage
of merchandise shall conform to the following standards:
(1) No vehicles, equipment or merchandise shall be parked
or stored within the ultimate right-of-way of any street or any areas
intended for pedestrian use.
(2) All storage areas shall be permitted only to rear
of buildings and shall be set back at least 30 feet from property
boundaries.
(3) All storage areas shall be screened from public view
by an opaque fence or wall 12 feet high. Stored materials may not
exceed the height of the fence.
M. Refuse areas. All uses shall provide for storage of
refuse either inside the building(s) or within an outdoor area to
the rear of the principal structure enclosed by walls or opaque fencing,
which shall be designed to be architecturally compatible with the
principal structure, at least six feet and no more than 12 feet high.
Refuse shall be kept within one or more lidded container(s) not to
exceed six feet in height. All refuse areas shall meet the following
requirements:
(1) The refuse area shall not interfere with circulation
within the parking lot.
(2) The refuse area shall be shielded from direct view
of any adjacent property.
(3) The refuse area shall be located at least 10 feet
from any adjacent nonresidential property and 50 feet from any residential
property line or ultimate right-of-way line.
N. Outdoor display.
(1) A minimum of 15 feet shall be preserved between the
curbline and the building envelope along the entire Ridge Pike frontage.
Any remaining lot area within the ultimate right-of-way may be used
by an owner or applicant for nonrequired parking, landscaping, outdoor
displays, and dining.
(2) The following regulations shall apply to all outdoor
display(s):
(a)
Outdoor display is intended to comprise samples
or examples of the goods, merchandise, equipment or vehicles available
for purchase, rather than the entire stock of an item.
(b)
Outdoor display areas shall be considered to
be sales floor area for the purpose of computing parking requirements.
(c)
Overnight outdoor display is prohibited except
for the display of new automobiles.
O. Landscaping. All commercial uses shall comply with the landscaping standards provided in §
123-50 of the Lower Providence Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SLDO), as amended.
P. Lighting. All commercial uses shall comply with the
following standards:
(1) Freestanding lights/lampposts shall not exceed a height
of 14 feet.
(2) Lighted fixtures shall be shielded so as not to be
seen from adjacent properties.
[Added 12-3-2009 by Ord. No. 585]
All uses within the IP Industrial Park Zoning District and the
Mixed Use Overlay and Office Technology Campus Sectors shall comply
with the requirements within the Land Use and Design Manual for the
Lower Providence Township Valley Forge Corporate Park dated October
23, 2009, attached to and made a part of this Ordinance No. 585 as
Appendix C.