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Township of Upper Providence, PA
Montgomery County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
Zoning Map New Laws (3) Index Notes (18)
[Amended 6-5-1995 by Ord. No. 338; 6-1-1998 by Ord. No. 372; 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 382; 7-3-2000 by Ord. No. 391; 7-3-2000 by Ord. No. 393; 7-3-2000 by Ord. No. 394; 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 399; 3-18-2002 by Ord. No. 413; 5-20-2002 by Ord. No. 415; 6-3-2002 by Ord. No. 416; 4-21-2003 by Ord. No. 425; 12-1-2003 by Ord. No. 432; 3-15-2004 by Ord. No. 439; 5-2-2005 by Ord. No. 450; 10-17-2005 by Ord. No. 451; 3-3-2008 by Ord. No. 485; 4-7-2008 by Ord. No. 486; 1-19-2010 by Ord. No. 507; 8-1-2011 by Ord. No. 517; 8-19-2013 by Ord. No. 530]
In expansion of the community development objectives contained in § 182-2 of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article with respect to IN Institutional Districts, which shall overlay and supplement the existing or hereafter created underlying districts, to encourage the preservation and subsequent logical and timely development of land for institutional purposes, to assure the suitable design of institutions in order to protect the environment of the adjacent and nearby neighborhoods and to ensure that institutional development will take place only when served by adequate public utilities. The protective standards in this article are intended to minimize any possible adverse effect of an institutional development on nearby premises.
The Institutional District shall be deemed to be an overlay on designated properties in Upper Providence Township.
A. 
In those areas of Upper Providence Township where the Institutional District applies, the requirements of the Institutional District shall supersede the requirements of the underlying zoning district(s).
B. 
Should the Institutional District boundaries be revised as a result of legislative or administrative actions or judicial decision, the zoning requirements applicable to the area in question shall revert to the requirements of the underlying zoning district(s) without consideration of this article.
C. 
The Institutional District shall apply to the following parcels (as designated by the Montgomery County Board of Assessment Appeals), including any successor parcels thereto. All successor parcels must be approved by resolution by the Board of Supervisors.
[Amended 12-16-2013 by Ord. No. 535; 1-20-2015 by Ord. No. 542; 12-4-2017 by Ord. No. 569]
Block/Unit
Parcel Number
006-006
61-00-04447-00-1
007-001
610003169001
007-008
61-00-04456-001 (portion)
008-001
61-00-04459-007 (portion)
009-009
011-001
61-00-03928-00-7
011-002
61-00-03064-00-7
011-008
61-00-03061-00-1
011-018
61-00-03931-00-4
011-023
61-00-02923-00-4
011-027
61-00-02953-00-1
011-034
61-00-03934-00-1
011-035
61-00-02963-00-9
011-039
61-00-03027-00-8
012-040
61-00-01804-00-7
012-053
61-00-05272-00-4
016-022
61-00-04654-00-1
016D-034
61-00-04988-02-6
019-013
61-00-00193-00-7
019A-101
61-00-00197-80-4
020-064
61-00-05657-501
021-015*
61-00-01252-00-1
022-002
61-00-04675-00-7
022-003
Unknown
022-012
61-00-01210-00-7
022-016
61-00-01216-00-1
022-017
61-00-01216-50-5
022-018
61-00-01249-50-8
023-001
61-00-04476-00-8
023-002
61-00-04476-00-8
024-004
61-00-01138-00-7
024-012
61-00-00322-20-2
025-014
61-00-03316-00-7
025-032
61-00-03334-00-7
025-034
61-00-03343-00-7
025-035
61-00-03346-00-4
025-038
61-00-03349-00-1
025-040
61-00-03337-00-4
"Unknown" adj. to B025-U048
Unknown
025-055
61-00-03342-00-8
026-003**
61-00-00100-00-1
028-001
61-00-04750-00-4
029-006
61-00-00037-00-1
029-018
61-00-02679-50-9
61-00-00082-00-1
029-028
61-00-02746-00-1
029-029
61-00-02749-00-7
030-039
61-00-00631-00-1
031-029
61-00-00221-00-6
032-007
61-00-00205-00-4
032-008
61-00202-00-7
032-055
61-00-00203-6
032-056
61-00-00203-10-5
032-057
61-00-00203-20-4
032-082
61-00-00199-10-9
032-085
61-00-00199-05-5
042-003
61-00-00298-00-1
043-008? "Parcel V"
61-00-03698-00-3
043-010
61-00-01261-60-4
043-011
61-00-01545-90-5
045-010
61-00-02134-00-1
045-010
61-00-02137-00-7
046-016
61-00-02140-00-4
046-017
61-00-02143-00-1
046-025
61-00-02164-00-7
048-002
61-00-00340-00-4
056-006
61-00-05335-00-4
056-007
61-00-05332-00-7
057-010
61-00-01667-00-9
058-010
61-02473-00-4
059-011
61-00-05320-00-1
059-016
61-00-05329-00-1
059-020
61-00-05330-00-9
060-017
61-00-04303-00-1
061-001
61-00-00817-00-4
061-024
61-00-00820-00-1
061-025
61-00-00823-00-7
062-006
61-00-03310-00-4
063-008
61-00-04261-00-7
066-010
61-00-03310-00-4
066-011
61-00-03232-00-1
067-006
61-00-01576-00-1
073-003
61-00-02140-00-4
079-033
61-00-02761-00-4
NOTES:
*
Portion south of Rt. 113 removed
**
In addition to the main property, a small triangular parcel of land along west boundary of Block 26 Unit 1; assumed to belong to St. Michael's and included in Institutional District.
1.
Some areas include road, Schuylkill Canal and PECO rights-of-way.
2.
Areas have been taken from information on tax maps and County Board of Assessment records; where not available, areas have been computed. Areas have also been computed where those listed on maps have proven erroneous.
The following uses, and no others, shall be permitted in this district: the construction, alteration or use of structures and/or land for:
A. 
Churches, chapels or other places of worship and their adjunct residential dwellings.
B. 
Convents and monasteries.
C. 
Institutional headquarters for educational, fraternal, professional, religious and other nonprofit organizations of a similar nature.
D. 
Schools and other educational facilities less than 10,000 square feet of floor area: private or public, day-care center, elementary, junior high and high (including nonboarding or boarding), trade schools.
E. 
Accessory uses customarily incidental to any of the above uses, including but not limited to agriculture, offices, residences of institutional employees and recreational facilities.
F. 
Communications antennas, in accordance with the provisions of § 182-21.1, mounted on an existing public utility transmission tower, existing building or other existing structure, and communications equipment buildings. Communications towers are not permitted.
A. 
The following conditional uses are permitted, when authorized by the Board of Supervisors, pursuant to the procedural requirements set forth in Article XXIV, § 182-204, of this chapter, and additional criteria set forth in Subsection C below:
(1) 
Schools and other educational facilities with greater than 10,000 square feet floor area: private or public, day-care center, nursery, elementary, junior high and high (including nonboarding or boarding), trade schools.
(2) 
Libraries.
(3) 
Licensed nursing, convalescent home, residential care facility for senior citizens, personal care home, assisted living residence, or adult day care if in the same building as the personal care home or assisted living residence.
(4) 
Cemeteries.
(5) 
Clinics.
(6) 
Accessory uses customarily incidental to any of the above uses, including but not limited to agriculture, offices, residences of institutional employees and recreational facilities. Accessory uses to a residential care facility for senior citizens may include those service facilities associated with a residential care facility, including community facilities, congregate dining facilities, personal care and health-care services.
B. 
The following conditional uses are permitted, when authorized by the Board of Supervisors, pursuant to the procedural requirements set forth in Article XXIV, § 182-204, of this chapter, and additional criteria set forth in Subsection C below, and shall be on tracts with a minimum size of 10 acres:
(1) 
Colleges, universities and theological schools and adjunct dormitories and other uses customarily incidental to a school.
(2) 
Medical and surgical hospitals or sanitaria and philanthropic institutions.
(3) 
Municipal buildings, offices, garages and other municipal uses.
(4) 
Camps, recreational facilities and open space preservation areas.
(5) 
Accessory uses customarily incidental to any of the above uses, including but not limited to agriculture, offices, residences of institutional employees and recreational facilities.
C. 
Standards for consideration of conditional uses. The Board of Supervisors shall determine that the following standards are met prior to granting approval of a conditional use application:
(1) 
Access and frontage. The proposed use shall have direct access to a feeder or higher classification road according to the Township's adopted Ultimate Right-Of-Way Ordinance, Art. IV and Map. A minimum of 300 feet of continuous frontage on at least one such road shall be required. In the case of a unified development and master plan approval as noted in § 182-81I, the 300 feet may be part of an entire development, not just the institutional use.
(2) 
Density for the development types listed within Subsection A(3) shall be as follows:
(a) 
Residential care facility for senior citizens: 12 dwelling units per developable acre.
(b) 
Personal care home or assisted living residence: 15 dwelling units per developable acre. In computing density for this use type, every two beds shall constitute one dwelling unit.
(3) 
The maximum impervious coverage shall be 50% of the lot area of the proposed development.
(4) 
All setbacks prescribed in § 182-81E shall be increased by 10 feet. All buffers prescribed in said section shall also be increased by 10 feet. An additional 10 feet in setback on any property line abutting an existing residential use shall be required, unless the proposed use is a cemetery.
(5) 
Cemeteries have a minimum gross tract area of 10 acres.
(6) 
All other requirements contained in § 182-81 shall be met. In the event of conflict between any requirements in said section with the requirements contained in this section, the more restrictive shall apply.
For all authorized buildings and uses, the following regulations shall apply:
A. 
Area and width. No Institutional District lot shall be less than five acres, and no Institutional District lot shall have a width of less than 100 feet measured along the building line.
B. 
Lot coverage. The total area covered by buildings, parking lots and vehicular accessways shall not exceed 50% of the total lot area. The remaining 50% shall not include buildings, parking lots or vehicular accessways and shall be landscaped open space, woodlands, appropriate recreational area, or similar nonintensive use; of that 50% of open space, 30% of it must all be in one area, contiguous, uninterrupted, not bisected by an accessway; it may be irregular in shape, but the longest boundary shall be at least equal to 1/2 of the frontage abutting the highest classification of road as identified in the SALDO, and one other boundary shall be at least half as long as the longest boundary. Of the remaining open space area (50% total open space less 30% contiguous and uninterrupted), 10% of that area may be impervious to accommodate walkways, utility pads, sport courts, or similar uses.
[Amended 3-20-2017 by Ord. No. 562; 3-15-2021 by Ord. No. 588]
C. 
Height.
[Amended 3-20-2017 by Ord. No. 562]
(1) 
Buildings. The maximum height of any building shall be 70 feet; however, for each foot over 40, one additional foot of setback must be provided. Chimneys and steeples are included as a part of the building height. Purely architectural elements (nonstructural) may extend an additional 10 feet in height.
(2) 
Freestanding structures. Water towers, silos, radio antennas and other similar freestanding structures may not include habitable space and must provide one foot of setback for each foot of height.
D. 
Sewer and water facilities. The proposed institutional use shall be served by a public sewer system and a public water supply system.
E. 
Building and parking setbacks. The following building and parking setback requirements shall apply to all development in the IN Institutional District:
Setback Requirement
Distance
(in feet)
Minimum Building Setbacks
From a feeder or higher classification road, Buffer Type 1A required following specifications in § 154-36D(5) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development
50
From a residential or village road, Buffer Type 2A required following specifications in § 154-36D(5) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development
50
From a residentially or institutionally zoned or developed property, Buffer Type 3 required following specifications in § 154-36D(5) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development
451
From any other property line, Buffer Type 2 required following specifications in § 154-36D(5) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development, except in the case of a unified development and master plan approval, in which case there is no setback to internal property lines
50
From interior drives or parking lots, except in areas required for loading or passenger drop-off, and except in the case of a unified development and master plan approval, in which there is no required setback to internal property lines
15
From adjacent buildings (All structures connected by common rooflines or covered walkways shall be considered 1 building.)
Distance equal to height of taller building
Minimum parking setbacks
From a feeder or higher classification road, Buffer Type 1A required following specifications in § 154-36D(5) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development
25
From a residential or village road, Buffer Type 2A required following specifications in § 154-36D(5) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development
35
From a residentially or institutionally zoned or developed property, Buffer Type 3 required following specifications in § 154-36D(5) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development
25
From any other property line, Buffer Type 2 required following specifications in § 154-36D(5) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development, except in the case of a unified development and master plan approval, in which there is no required setback to internal property lines.
25
From another parking area, except in the case of a unified development and master plan approval, in which there is no required setback to internal property lines.
20
NOTES:
1
Minimum required setback shall be increased one foot for each foot or portion thereof of building height in excess of 35 feet.
F. 
General landscape requirements. In addition to the buffers required pursuant to Subsection E herein, all other areas not devoted to buildings or parking shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs, ornamental plants and grass or other appropriate ground cover or developed as recreational space as described within § 182-81B herein.
G. 
Parking lot landscaping. For parking areas of more than 20 cars, a minimum of 10% of the parking lot shall be devoted to interior parking lot landscaping, exclusive of any other landscaping or buffering requirements of this article. The minimum dimension of a planting island shall be nine feet by 18 feet.
H. 
Landscape plan. A landscape plan shall be submitted for any development in the IN District to document all proposed buffering, general tract landscaping, and parking lot landscaping. Said landscape plan shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements of § 182-120.10 of this chapter.
I. 
Master plan. A master plan shall be required for all developments proposed in this district with more than five developable net acres or any parcel that is proposed to be subdivided from a larger parcel with IN Overlay District designation. The master plan shall be prepared in accordance with the following requirements:
[Added 12-16-2013 by Ord. No. 535]
(1) 
The master plan must be drawn, at a minimum, to the requirements outlined for a tentative sketch plan, as detailed in § 154-11 of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development.
(2) 
Master plan submissions must also show the following:
(a) 
Potential development of the entire tract, including potential future subdivisions;
(b) 
Relationship between new and proposed lots and uses and how those new and existing function as an integrated development;
(c) 
Relationship between existing and proposed buildings;
(d) 
Relationship between existing and proposed parking, both internally and to the entire tract;
(e) 
Tabulation of the ratio of open space provided on the development tract;
(f) 
Generalized stormwater areas;
(g) 
Generalized pedestrian amenities, including potential trail locations and other outdoor areas for use by residents/students;
(h) 
Existing and proposed vehicular circulation;
(i) 
Existing and proposed landscaping and buffer areas; and
(j) 
The demonstration of natural feature preservation as outlined in the following:
[1] 
Floodplain and wetland delineation and preservation within Article III herein and § 154-12.C.(5).(d) of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development.
[2] 
Steep slope conservation within Article XVIII herein.
[3] 
Disturbance of woodlands and other vegetation as detailed in § 154-35B of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development.
[4] 
Topsoil shall be protected in accordance with § 154-35C of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development.
(k) 
Existing and proposed zoning tabulation.
(3) 
Any change to proposed lots, buildings, circulation, parking, landscaping or natural features which is substantive in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors will necessitate a revised master plan to be submitted, approved and recorded to replace any master plan recorded prior to the proposed change. No subdivision or land development for any development on the subject tract shall be approved without a current recorded master plan.
(4) 
A revised master plan must be recorded simultaneously with the recording of each subsequently approved subdivision and/or land development, with the open space tabulation current through the most recently approved subdivision or land development.
(5) 
As part of the master plan, internal setback within the IN Overlay District and any other zoning district that are part of the master plan can be freely disposed of in a unified plan. In such case, the overall development shall be considered a single tract for purposed of driveway access and parking. Reciprocal cross easements that allow for common parking, internal vehicular access, stormwater management, pedestrian interconnections, etc., between the lots shall be provided.
(6) 
A declaration of restrictive covenants shall be required to accompany any master plan submission. That declaration shall provide all of the restrictions necessary to assure that a proposed development will operate as depicted on the master plan. The minimum requirements for the declaration of restrictive covenants shall meet the minimum criteria outlined within § 182-120.8 within this chapter.
J. 
Building articulation. For buildings with any individual facade 100 feet or greater, building articulation shall be provided on each such facade. For each 100 feet of facade, there shall be at least one recessed or protruding building segment. Such segment shall be a minimum of four feet in depth and 15 feet in width. At its discretion, upon recommendation of the Planning Commission, the Board of Supervisors may permit use of alternate building treatment to break up facades longer than 100 feet. In order to evaluate proposed building treatment, architectural drawings and elevations shall be submitted.
K. 
Property maintenance area. A suitable outdoor area shall be provided on site for the storage of landscaping, snow removal, and other property-maintenance-related materials, if it is determined that such areas are necessary for the operation of the use. Such area shall not occupy any required parking spaces, and shall be located at locations screened from view from public roads and surrounding properties to the extent feasible.
L. 
Pedestrian amenities, such as but not limited to benches and other outdoor seating areas, paved walkways, plazas, or water features compliant with ADA requirements shall be provided when complementary to the proposed use. Design of pedestrian amenities must be consistent with the overall concept for the proposed development.
M. 
Limited subdivision of any tract proposed for development in accordance with this article may be permitted subject to the requirements of this section and also subject to the requirements for a master plan and declaration of restrictive covenants as outlined within § 182-81I herein. Any subdivided lots may only be for uses outlined within § 182-80.1A and B; those uses must meet all conditions outlined within § 182-80.1C. Any lots proposed for subdivision shall meet the following minimum requirements:
[Added 12-16-2013 by Ord. No. 535]
Subdivision Requirements
Dimensions
Minimum lot size
10 acres
Minimum lot width
250 feet
Maximum building coverage
10%
Maximum impervious coverage
35%
Average lot size
20 acres
Institutional use(s) shall make provisions for control of each of the following:
A. 
Access. A planned system of efficient access, egress and internal circulation of traffic which shall interfere minimally with nearby traffic shall be required. Loading and unloading areas shall be provided where deemed necessary and shall be located to the rear of the proposed use and effectively screened from abutting residential districts, as set forth in Article XXII herein. If the rear of the proposed use abuts existing residential development, the Board of Supervisors may approve an alternate location.
B. 
Lighting. Lighting shall be arranged in a manner which will protect adjacent highways and neighboring properties from unreasonable direct glare and shall be installed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development, of the Code of the Township, § 154-40.
C. 
Solid waste disposal. A plan for the weekly disposal of solid waste material shall be required. All solid waste shall be stored in covered containers either within a building or outside. Any trash disposal area outside a building shall be surrounded with either a masonry wall or opaque fence; in either case, a gate shall be provided for access to the trash container(s). The wall or fence shall be designed to shield the trash area from direct view of any adjacent property and must be at least six feet high. No solid waste shall be stored closer than 50 feet to any property line.
A. 
All proposals for development within the district shall comply with Chapter 154, Subdivision and Land Development.
B. 
All proposals for application of the IN Overlay District, and/or development within the district, shall include a community impact statement prepared in accordance with § 182-55 of this chapter; said analysis shall be evaluated based upon the criteria in § 182-56 of this chapter. All proposals shall also be accompanied by a traffic impact statement prepared in accordance with § 182-120E of this chapter.
All signs and off-street parking and loading facilities shall comply with the requirements of Articles XIX and XXII of this chapter.