Source: https://www.ecode360.com/32313109
Timestamp: 2020-07-02 06:32:22
Document Index: 247255803

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', '§ 27', 'art 11', '§ 1200', '§ 1201', '§ 1202', '§ 1203', '§ 1204', '§ 1205', '§ 1206', '§ 1207', 'art 1', '§ 1208', '§ 1209', '§ 126', '§ 27', '§ 1211', '§ 1212', '§ 1213', '§ 1214']

Township of Lower Oxford, PA DESIGN STANDARDS
Ch 27 Pt 11 DESIGN STANDARDS
§ 27-1100 Applicability.
§ 27-1101 Screening.
§ 27-1102 Storage.
§ 27-1103 Landscaping.
§ 27-1104 Access and Traffic Control.
§ 27-1105 Interior Circulation.
§ 27-1106 Lighting.
§ 27-1107 Shopping Cart Storage.
§ 27-1108 Off-Street Loading Regulations.
§ 27-1109 Off-Street Parking Regulations for Other Than Single-Family Residential Use.
§ 27-1110 Single-Family Residential Parking Controls.
§ 27-1111 Leg Lots.
§ 27-1112 Fire and Explosion.
§ 27-1113 Neighborhood Impact Analysis.
§ 27-1114 Evaluation of Neighborhood Impact Analysis.
Part 11 DESIGN STANDARDS
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1200]
The following standards shall apply to uses where required by the regulations of the various zoning districts created by this Chapter 27 or amendment thereto.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1201]
A completely planted visual barrier, or landscape screen, shall be provided and continually maintained between any use to which this standard is applied and contiguous residential properties.
The planting area shall contain suitable vegetation of sufficient planted density to produce a total visual screening consistent with the topography. Wherever possible the owner shall make every effort to retain existing natural screening.
All evergreen vegetation to be installed shall not be less than four feet in height at the time of planting and shall be of such species that expected height at maturity shall not be less than 15 feet.
All deciduous material to be installed shall not be less than eight feet in height or two-inch caliper at the time of planting.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1202]
Provisions shall be made for the storage of trash, refuse and garbage either inside the buildings or within a masonry or wooden fence area outside the buildings. The walls of such trash and refuse areas must shield the trash and refuse from the direct view of any adjacent property and must be at least six feet in height. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to submit detail plans, showing the type of material and method of construction to be used for the storage areas. Organic rubbish or garbage shall be contained in tight, vermin-proof containers.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1203]
Any part of the site which is not used for buildings, other structures, loading or parking spaces and aisles, sidewalks, and designated storage areas shall be planted and continually maintained with an all-season ground cover and shall be landscaped in accordance with an overall landscape plan.
No less than 3% of a parking area shall be landscaped and continually maintained. Planting along the perimeter of a parking area shall be considered as part of the 3% parking area landscaping.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1204; as amended by Ord. 3-99, 5/12/1999, § H; and by Ord. 2-2003, 2/12/2003]
Every building hereafter erected or moved shall be on a lot adjacent to a public street or with access to an approved private street. The erection of buildings without approved access shall not be permitted. Approved access shall be defined in terms of the Lower Oxford Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance [Chapter 22], as may be amended from time to time, for street design or as subsequently provided for by the Township. Access to lots containing single-family dwellings shall be via driveways; access to lots containing other uses shall be via access drives.
Driveway Requirements.
No more than two driveway connections per lot shall be permitted, unless an additional driveway location is approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Driveways shall not connect with a public street within 80 feet of the edge of the cartway of any street intersection.
A clear sight triangle must be provided and maintained as per the requirements of the Lower Oxford Township Subdivision Ordinance, Driving and Access Driveways [Chapter 22].
Any driveway intersecting with a state-owned road shall require the obtainment of a highway occupancy permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Any driveway intersecting with a Township-owned or proposed Township-owned road shall require the obtainment of a driveway permit from Lower Oxford Township.
Access Drive Requirements.
Except as specified elsewhere, the number of access drives intersecting with a street may not exceed two per lot. The Board of Supervisors may grant a waiver for additional access points where required to meet exceptional circumstances and where frontage of unusual length exists.
The edges(s) of all access drives shall be set back at least:
Ten feet from any side and/or rear property lines; however, this setback can be waived (by the Board of Supervisors) along any one property line when a joint parking lot is shared by adjoining uses.
Any access drive intersecting with a state-owned road shall require the obtainment of a highway occupancy permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Any access drive intersecting with a Township-owned or proposed Township-owned road shall require obtainment of a driveway permit from Lower Oxford Township.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1205]
Interior drives shall be designed so as to prevent blockage of vehicles entering or leaving the site. Drives, if one way, shall be a minimum of 20 feet wide and if two way it shall be a minimum of 24 feet wide. All drives shall have a maximum grade of 10%. Areas provided for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles, and for the servicing of shops by refuse collection, fuel, and other service vehicles shall be so arranged that they may be used without blocking or interfering with the use of accessways or automobile parking facilities.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1206]
Loading, ingress, egress, and parking areas shall be provided with a minimum of 0.75 footcandles at any point. Lighting facilities shall be arranged in a manner which will shield as best as practicable the highway and adjoining properties from glare.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1207]
Any establishment which furnishes cars or mobile baskets as an adjunct to shopping, shall provide definite areas within the required parking space areas for storage of said carts. Each designated storage area shall be clearly marked for storage of shopping carts. Such signs indicating storage shall not be considered as regulated by the Sign Controls listed in Chapter 19, Part 1.[1]
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1208]
Off-street loading and unloading space, or spaces with proper and safe access from the street shall be provided on each lot, either within a structure or in the open, to serve the uses within the district adequately.
Loading and unloading spaces shall be at least 12 feet wide, 45 feet long, and shall have at least a fourteen-foot vertical clearance.
Loading and unloading spaces shall have all-weather surfaces to provide safe and convenient access during all seasons.
Loading facilities shall not be constructed between the building setback line and a street right-of-way line.
Required off-street parking space shall not be used for loading and unloading purposes except during hours when business operations are suspended.
Requirements. Off-street loading shall be required of any new construction in those commercial zoning districts imposing these regulations. The required number of spaces shall be adequate to serve the purpose intended.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1209; as amended by Ord. 3-99, 5/12/1999, § I]
Off-street parking shall be required in accordance with the provisions of this section prior to the occupancy of any building or use, so as to alleviate traffic congestion on streets. These facilities shall be provided whenever:
A building is constructed or a new use is established.
The use of an existing building is changed to a use requiring more parking facilities.
An existing building or use is altered or enlarged so as to increase the amount of parking required.
Each application for a zoning permit (for a use for which parking spaces are required) shall include a drawing (site plan) showing proposed layout of the lot. The drawing shall clearly indicate all of the design elements required below.
No zoning permit shall be issued for any use for which parking spaces are required unless the site plan has been approved or necessary variances have been obtained.
Design Requirements. Vehicular parking facilities for land use other than single-family residences shall be designed in accordance with the Lower Oxford Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance [Chapter 22] and the additional following provisions:
In any parking lot containing 20 or more parking spaces, 5% of the total area of the lot shall be devoted to interior landscaping. Such interior landscaping may be used, for example, at the end of parking space rows, to break up rows of parking spaces every 20 parking spaces and to help visually define travel lanes through or next to the parking lot. Landscaped areas situated outside the parking lot, such as peripheral areas and areas surrounding buildings, shall not constitute interior landscaping. For the purpose of computing the total area of any parking lot, all areas within the perimeter of the parking lot shall be counted, including all parking spaces and access drives, aisles, islands and curbed areas. Ground cover alone is not sufficient to meet this requirement. Trees, shrubs or other approved material all be provided. At least one shade/ornamental tree shall be provided for each 300 square feet of required interior landscaping area. These trees shall have a clear trunk at least five feet above finished grade level.
If a parking lot of under 20 spaces is built without interior landscaping and later additional spaces are added so that the total is 20 or more, the interior landscaping shall be provided for the entire parking lot. A land development plan must be submitted to the Township.
Parking spaces shall be clearly delineated by suitable markings. Special use spaces such as short term visitor parking, handicapped parking and pickup/dropoff zones shall be differentiated from long term employee parking by suitable markings.
Joint Parking Lots.
In commercial shopping centers over three acres in size, joint parking lots may be permitted. These joint facilities can reduce the total number of parking spaces required by a maximum of 20%. Therefore, the resulting joint parking lot will be required to provide at least 80% of the total number of spaces required by the sum of all the shopping center's tenants. Such reduced parking spaces must be appropriately distributed upon the lot to provide convenient walking distance between every vehicle and each of the shopping center's stores.
Required parking spaces may be provided in spaces to jointly serve two or more establishments or uses, provided the number of required spaces in such joint facility shall be less than the total required for all such establishments or uses. Where it can be conclusively demonstrated that one or more such uses will be generating a demand for parking spaces, primarily using periods when the other use(s) is not in operation, the total number of required parking spaces may be reduced to the required number of spaces that would be needed to serve the use generating the most demand for parking; plus 20% of that number required parking spaces needed to service the use(s) generating the demand for lesser spaces.
Unified commercial/light industrial development shall be subject to the regulations contained in Subsection 4A and B above.
For unified commercial/light industrial developments where the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors that the cumulative required parking space total is excessive due to the likelihood that various uses may share parking or upon the recommendation of the Township Engineer, the Board may reduce the required number of parking spaces as a part of the conditional use application process.
Prohibited Uses of a Parking Lot. Automobile parking lots are for the sole purposes of accommodating the passenger vehicles of the persons associated with the use which requires them. Parking lots shall not be used for the following:
The sale, display or storage of vehicles or other merchandise.
Performing services (including services to vehicles).
Required off-street parking space shall not be used for loading or unloading purposes except during hours when business operations are suspended.
Handicapped Parking. The following shall apply to commercial, industrial, professional office, institutional, religious and educational uses.
If the total number of parking spaces exceeds 10, a minimum of 2% of the total number of parking spaces, but not less than one parking space in any lot shall be designated and designed for physically handicapped persons, unless otherwise specified by the Board of Supervisors and/or state or federal regulations.
Each space shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide to allow room for persons in wheelchairs or on braces or crutches to get in and out of either side of a vehicle onto level, paved surfaces suitable for wheeling and walking.
There shall be sufficient space provided for each use so that there is a minimum of one space for each employee on the shift of greatest employment, plus additional parking spaces to be provided by the application of the appropriate formula for each use listed in this section. The Board of Supervisors may authorize a reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces in cases where the applicant can justify the reduction and still provide adequate facilities. In the case of mixed uses, the total number of required parking spaces shall be the sum of the required spaces for the various uses computed separately unless otherwise modified by other sections of this Part.
Minimum off-street parking in addition to employee spaces shall be as follows:
One Additional Space for Each
Automobile repair, filling and washing facilities
400 square feet of gross floor and ground area devoted to repair and service facilities in addition to areas normally devoted to automobile storage
Automobile, boat and trailers sales
1,000 square feet of gross indoor and outdoor display areas
Carpeting, drapery, floor covering and wall covering sales
Drive-through and/or fast food restaurants
150 square feet of gross floor area for public use
Hotels, motels, tourists homes
Guest sleeping room (restaurant and other accessory uses shall add to this requirement)
25 units plus 1 per 250 square feet office space
Professional offices of dentists, physicians, veterinarians, etc.
1/6 physician, dentist, etc.
Retail stores or shops (except those listed above)
200 square feet of gross floor area of display or sales area
300 square feet of gross leasable floor area
400 square feet of gross floor area
Boarding houses, group homes and bed and breakfast
Clubs, lodges and other similar places
Auditorium, banquet, conference and/or meeting facilities; church, theater and other such places of public assembly
200 square feet of gross floor area public use
2 accommodations (bed)
Museum, art galleries, cultural centers, libraries
Rehabilitation centers and clinics (without overnight accommodations)
1/6 physician, dentist and/or therapist
Schools below grade 10, including commercial day care and kindergarten
Schools, 10th grade and above, including colleges
Vocational training and adult education facilities
Industrial and heavy manufacturing establishments
2,500 square feet of gross floor area
5,000 square feet of gross floor area
4 seats of spectator seating
Bowling alleys, billiards rooms
1/4 lane/table
2 stalls plus 1 every 4 seats of spectator seating
4 persons of legal occupancy
Duplex, townhouse or multifamily dwellings
1/3 dwelling unit
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 126; as amended by Ord. 3-99, 5/12/1999, § H]
Every single family dwelling shall be required to provide at least three off-street parking spaces. Such spaces must be provided behind the street right-of-way and may take the form of garages, carports or driveways. Additional regulations pertaining to driveways are contained in § 27-1104, Subsection 1, of this Part.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1211]
Residential lots shall in general front on a Township street, existing or proposed. Where it is necessary for the proper utilization of land to create lots without direct frontage on a street, such interior lots shall have an access with a minimum width of 50 feet. No more than two contiguous interior lots shall be so formed.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1212]
All activities and all storage of flammable and explosive materials at any point shall be provided with adequate safety and fire-fighting devices in accordance with the Fire Prevention Code of Chester County.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1213]
Where required by the Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors, the following information shall be supplied for a proposed development or use, residential, industrial or commercial: Neighborhood Impact Analysis, as explained under "Definitions."
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1214]
The Planning Commission and/or the Board of Supervisors shall evaluate the study to determine the appropriateness of the site in question to accommodate the magnitude of the proposed development, as well as the impact of the proposed development on the community facilities and services of Lower Oxford Township. The following alternative findings shall result from the evaluation process.
Evaluations which lead to an overall negative assessment for the proposed development shall lead to a denial by the Board.
Evaluations which lead to an overall negative assessment for a proposed development may lead to a conditional approval by the Board, when the developer agrees to undertake activities or improvements which will compensate or correct deficiencies or negative impacts caused by the implementation of the proposed development.
Evaluations which lead to an overall positive or neutral assessment for a proposed development shall lead to an approval by the Board of Supervisors.