Township of Lower Salford, PA Article XIIA AO Administrative Office District

[Added 5-19-1982 by Ord. No. 82-6]

§ 164-62.1 Declaration of intent.

[Amended 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

It is the intent of this article to permit office development for the administrative, executive and/or professional purposes of individual companies and/or corporations which desire a campus or institutional-style setting, and to permit uses generally focused on the research and development industry. It is further the intent to encourage only that development which is compatible with the village character of Harleysville and which doesn't detract from any nearby areas of existing or future residential development.

§ 164-62.2 Permitted uses.

A building or group of buildings may be erected and/or used, and a lot area may be used and/or occupied, for the following purposes and no others:

A. Office buildings for administrative, executive and/or professional purposes.

B. Accessory uses customarily incidental to the above use.

C. Class One, Class Two and Class Three institutional uses, in accordance with the standards of Article XIVA of this chapter.

[Added 8-21-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]

D. Municipal buildings, offices and uses.

[Added 8-21-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]

E. Fire companies and other rescue services.

[Added 8-21-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]

F. Life sciences.

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

G. Technology and engineering.

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

H. Assembly and light manufacturing.

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

I. Microbrewery.

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

§ 164-62.3 Dimensional standards.

A. Minimum dimensional standards shall be as follows:

(1) Net lot size: 15 acres.

[Amended 8-21-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]

(2) Lot width and depth where the principal building is located: 450 feet.

(3) Building setbacks:

(a) From street ultimate rights-of-way: 200 feet.

(b) From residential zones: 100 feet.

(c) From zones other than residential: 50 feet.

(4) Parking and internal driveway setbacks:

(a) From street ultimate rights-of-way: 50 feet.

(b) From property lines: 50 feet.

(c) From buildings: 30 feet.

(5) Buffer area: 25 feet. (Refer to § 164-62.6.)

(6) Spacing between buildings: height of the taller building.

B. Maximum dimensional standards shall be as follows:

(1) Principal building height: 45 feet, except that spires, steeples, pitched roofs or similar nonoccupied architectural features for aesthetic, mechanical or decorative purposes may be permitted up to a height of 65 feet, provided that any nonoccupied mechanical elements are completely screened from view with a decorative facade that is architecturally compatible with the building as a whole.

[Amended 12-16-1999 by Ord. No. 99-17]

(2) Impervious coverage: 50%, including buildings, roads, driveways, parking lots, walks, patios and terraces.

(3) Accessory building height: 25 feet.

§ 164-62.4 Development requirements.

All development within this district shall conform to the following requirements:

A. Development shall be in accordance with an overall plan for the site, consistent with zoning requirements and the generally accepted principles of site planning, designed to integrate buildings, service and parking areas, traffic circulation and landscaped areas.

B. A planned, efficient system of ingress, egress and interior circulation shall be provided and shall be designed to minimize interference with existing street traffic patterns and flow.

C. Adequate areas shall be provided for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and servicing of offices by refuse collection, fuel, fire and other service vehicles. Service areas shall be screened from view by decorative walls and/or evergreen tree screening.

D. Lighting shall be provided and arranged in a manner which will protect adjacent streets and properties from unreasonable direct glare.

E. All utility lines shall be placed underground.

F. Public water and sewers shall be utilized if available. If not available, an adequate water supply and sewage disposal system may be used, subject to approval by appropriate regulating agencies and the Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation of the Township Engineer.

G. A maximum of 30% of the total building floor area on any one parcel may consist of assembly and light manufacturing and microbrewery uses, combined.

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

H. Warehouse and distribution shall be permitted as an accessory use only, and shall be subject to the following standards:

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

(1) Shall only be permitted as an accessory use to the following primary uses: life sciences, technology and engineering, assembly and light manufacturing, and microbrewery uses.

(2) Shall comprise of no more than 30% of the total square footage of the primary use.

I. Outside storage or display areas are prohibited.

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

J. The following uses shall have primary vehicular access on a principal arterial road:

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

(1) Life sciences.

(2) Technology and engineering.

(3) Assembly and light manufacturing.

(4) Microbrewery.

K. A maximum of 30% of the total building floor area devoted to the microbrewery use may consist of accessory uses such as a tap room with food service, tasting room, and retail sales.

[Added 10-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-03]

§ 164-62.5 Parking requirements.

Suitably designed parking areas shall be provided in compliance with the following:

A. The number of parking spaces required shall be one space per 275 square feet of gross floor area.

B. If the number of spaces required by Subsection A above is substantially larger than the number anticipated by the applicant, the reserve parking concept may be utilized to avoid unnecessary paving, in accordance with the following criteria:

(1) The total number of spaces which must be paved initially may be reduced by the Township Supervisors, upon recommendation of the Township Planning Commission and Engineer, to not less than one space per anticipated 1.5 employees during the most heavily staffed periods.

(2) A suitable area must be available and reserved for construction of the balance of the total number of spaces required by Subsection A above, in accordance with the overall plan for development.

(3) Reserved parking spaces shall be installed if and when deemed necessary by the Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation of the Township Planning Commission and Engineer, to relieve overcrowded conditions, if they develop.

(4) The applicant shall provide evidence supporting the validity of a request to use the reserve parking concept.

C. Parking lot design shall comply with the requirements of the applicable standards of Ch. 142, Subdivision and Land Development.

§ 164-62.6 Landscaped buffer requirements.

A. Along all road frontages and property lines of developed properties, the buffer area shall contain shade trees, evergreen trees and ornamental shrubs capable of softening the appearance of the office development.

B. Parking lots shall be partially screened from view from roads and abutting residentially developed properties by an extensively landscaped buffer area containing evergreen trees and shrubs and earthen mounding for a screening effect, in addition to the shade trees and ornamental shrubs required for a softening effect.

C. Along property lines abutting undeveloped fields zoned residentially, occasional shade tree groupings shall be provided as a benefit to future development.

D. Where wooded areas or desirable hedgerows exist, additional landscaping shall not be required.

§ 164-62.7 Plan submission requirements.

All proposals for development, including landscaping, within this district shall be submitted to the Township for review and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Ch. 142, Subdivision and Land Development.