It is the legislative intent of the Commercial (C) District
to establish reasonable standards to provide for commercial uses in
areas of Hamilton Township already characterized by commercial development.
Furthermore, it is the intent of this article to:
A. Provide for reasonable mixture of vehicle-oriented commercial uses
that will contribute to attractive and reasonable development within
the District.
B. Enhance public safety by limiting the number of curb cuts permitted
for each parcel, by encouraging common access driveways and parking
areas serving adjoining commercial uses, and by requiring logical
circulation patterns within a development.
C. Promote appropriate building location and design standards which
will help create attractive developments and accommodate future roadway
improvements or projects.
D. Allow reasonable numbers, sizes, scales, and designs of signs which
will minimize the negative impacts of excessive signs while, at the
same time, perform their purpose of notifying the public as to the
location of a business or group of businesses.
E. Permit uses which can reasonably be accommodated by the existing
road network. Discourage uses that would have the potential of requiring
extensive and premature roadway capacity improvements.
F. Enhance the visual appearance and appeal of vehicle-oriented commercial
development by requiring the installation of landscaping within and
surrounding large parking lots and required vegetated areas within
the property.
G. Ensure that appropriate on-site improvements are included in commercial
development projects within the Commercial District.
A structure may be erected or used, and a lot may be used for
the following permitted accessory uses and no other:
A. Wind energy systems, pursuant to §
150-96.
[Amended 9-13-2021]
B. No-impact home-based businesses, pursuant to §
150-96, provided they are established in an existing, legally nonconforming dwelling.
C. Other accessory uses and structures on the same lot that are customarily incidental to the uses permitted by right per this section, pursuant §
150-96.
D. Wireless communications antennas mounted on an existing public utility transmission tower, building, or other structure, along with associated communications equipment buildings, pursuant to §
150-98.
E. Accessory solar energy systems (ASES), pursuant to §
150-96.
[Added 9-13-2021]
The following uses are permitted by special exception in accordance
with the performance standards contained in this chapter and any additional
standards that the Hamilton Township Zoning Hearing Board may deem
necessary to apply:
A. Accessory dwelling unit, pursuant to §
150-96.
B. Ambulatory care, outpatient surgery.
D. Hotels and motels, exceeding 50 units.
F. Place of worship, pursuant to §
150-98.
G. Recycled materials collection and processing facilities, pursuant to §
150-98.
H. Schools, public and private.
I. Shopping centers, pursuant to §
150-98.
J. Stadiums and spectator sports facilities.
K. Truck terminals, pursuant to §
150-98.
L. Vehicle washing facility.
M. Warehouses and wholesale businesses, pursuant to §
150-98.
N. Wireless communications towers, pursuant to §
150-98.
O. Industrial or business park, in accordance with the site design and development standards of §
150-73 and Article
XIV of this chapter, and which may include the following and other similar uses:
(1) Printing, lithography, and publishing.
(2) Scientific and commercial testing laboratories.
(3) Business and professional offices.
(5) Data processing services.
(6) Postal delivery services.
(7) Assemblage and light manufacturing.
P. Industrial or business park support uses intended to serve the needs
of employees and visitors of the tenants of the industrial or business
park, including but not necessarily limited to newsstands, coffee
shops, fitness centers, and day-care centers.
Within the C District, the following uses are permitted by conditional
use in accordance with the performance standards contained in this
chapter. The Township Supervisors may authorize a use as a conditional
use if it conforms, at a minimum, to these stated standards and criteria.
The Township Supervisors may apply additional criteria to specific
projects, where appropriate, to protect the residential environment
of developing neighborhoods, and in the interests of public health,
safety, and welfare.
A. Adult-oriented uses, including but not limited to adult-oriented retail uses, pursuant to §
150-98.
B. Electrical generating facility and substation.
The following site design requirements and applicable nonresidential building design standards in §
150-93 shall govern all uses, subdivision projects, and land development plans within the C District.
A. Buildings shall be constructed at the front yard setback line.
B. Site landscaping. In addition to parking area landscaping as provided in §
150-118H, the following landscaping standards shall be applied to all proposed uses and subdivision and land development plans within the C District:
(1) Standards for landscaping the borders of properties:
(a)
Perimeter landscaping strips shall be provided around the perimeter
of the property. Landscaping strips alongside boundary lines may be
exempted if the bordering properties both contain commercial uses
and share an access driveway.
(b)
The minimum width of the perimeter landscaping strip shall be
10 feet, measured inward from the property line.
(c)
At least one tree shall be planted at twenty-foot intervals
within the perimeter landscaping strip.
(d)
Where the perimeter landscaping strip required by this section overlaps the perimeter landscaping strip required by §
150-118H(6) above, the requirements of this section shall apply.
(e)
In instances where parking facilities and/or access driveways
are shared by adjoining uses, the perimeter landscaping requirements
for the property boundary between the adjoining uses may be waived.
(2) Standards for landscaping materials.
(a)
All required trees shall be a minimum of eight feet in height
and shall have a minimum caliper of two inches, measured at three
feet above the ground line, when planted.
(b)
All required trees shall be street trees capable of withstanding
automobile emissions and the salts used in snow melting and removal
operations.
(c)
Within any required landscaping area, any plant which dies shall
be replaced with another plant of the same or similar species within
one month of the death of the original plant, provided that climatic
conditions allow for planting.
(d)
All required landscaping shall be included in the improvement
bond required by the Hamilton Township Subdivision and Land Development
Ordinance.
The following standards shall govern all uses, subdivision projects,
and land development plans within the C District:
A. The minimum lot size shall be 40,000 square feet.
B. The minimum lot width shall be 200 feet, measured at the road right-of-way
line. Where shared access driveways are proposed to provide access
to adjoining lots, the minimum lot width may be reduced to 175 feet.
C. The minimum front yard setback shall be 30 feet.
D. For corner lots, front yard requirements shall be applied along all
property boundaries facing road rights-of-way, and rear yard requirements
shall be applied along all other property boundaries.
E. The minimum side and rear yard setbacks shall be 25 feet. In instances
where parking facilities and/or access driveways are shared by adjoining
uses, the side yard setback requirements between the adjoining uses
may be reduced to 10 feet.
F. The maximum impervious lot coverage shall not exceed 60%.
G. The maximum building height shall not exceed 35 feet.
H. Existing, nonconforming residential uses shall conform to the area and bulk requirements of §
150-32 of the Low Density Residential (R-1) District.
The uses permitted in this district are also subject to the
applicable regulations contained in the following sections of this
chapter:
A. Article
XIV - General Regulations.
B. Article
XV - Performance Standards.
C. Article
XVI - Sign Regulations.
D. Article
XVII - Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations.