Because of the complexity of factors which affect the use of land, it is not appropriate to definitively determine all of the uses permitted in each zone. Recognizing that certain uses, activities and structures are necessary to serve the needs and convenience of the Township and region and, at the same time, realizing that such uses may be or may become harmful to the public health, safety, and general welfare if located and operated without proper consideration of existing conditions and character of surrounding property, such uses are hereby designated "conditional uses" and listed as such under the appropriate zone district in the Schedule of District Regulations. The intent of this article is to establish a procedure for the Planning/Zoning Board to consider these specified uses on a case-by-case basis. Decisions of the Planning/Zoning Board on conditional uses shall be rendered after public hearing and shall be based on the standards specified in this Article
XIII and in Article
XI.
In all requests for conditional uses, the burden
of proof shall be on the applicant. The considerations and standards
upon which the conditional use shall be heard and decided shall be
as follows:
A. The use for which application is being made is specifically
authorized as a conditional use in the Schedule of District Regulations for the district in which it is proposed.
B. All regulations and standards specified in this chapter
which are applicable to the proposed use shall apply. The area, bulk,
and height regulations for each district shall apply as minimum requirements
except in the following instances:
(1) If area or dimensional regulations are specified in Article
XII, those standards shall apply.
(2) For commercial and industrial uses, the area and dimensional
standards of the most restrictive commercial or industrial district
shall apply, unless the prevailing zone district standards are more
restrictive.
C. The design, arrangement, and the nature of the particular
use is such that the public health, safety, and welfare will be protected
and reasonable consideration is afforded the neighborhood and the
zoning district with regard to conservation of property values, avoidance
of congestion of vehicular traffic, or the creation of any unnecessary
hazard.
D. Nonresidential buildings shall be oriented so as not
to face building frontage or public entranceways in the direction
of a residential neighborhood. Special consideration shall be given
to the buffering and screening of all such uses from any residential
use.
E. Building and structural design shall be compatible
with surrounding land uses.
F. Whenever possible, commercial and industrial conditional
uses shall gain access from roads of minor collector status or above.
Traffic intensive uses, defined as generating more than 50 trips per
day, shall be located on a major collector or arterial road. Applications
for commercial or industrial uses which do not meet these criteria
shall include a detailed traffic report prepared by a qualified traffic
engineer. The traffic report shall include traffic generation calculations,
peak hour calculations, and an evaluation of the internal traffic
circulation plan and external access roads to handle the anticipated
traffic. This traffic report shall be used to determine the appropriate
level of off-tract road improvements required.
G. The Planning/Zoning Board may impose any modification
or conditions it may deem necessary to carry out the intent of this
chapter, or to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of
the public.