[Added 8-7-2006 by Ord. No. 06-06][1]
[1]
Note: The following clause shall apply: "The Board of Commissioners declares that the lands to be reclassified to the HM Highway Maintenance District would retain their current classification as being in the MDR Medium-Density Residential District in the absence of the provisions of §§ 275-266, 275-267, and 275-268 limiting the uses in the HM Highway Maintenance District. Therefore, such provisions are not severable from the other provisions of Article XXXIII. If a court of competent jurisdiction should declare §§ 275-266, 275-267, and/or 275-269 invalid or ineffective in response to a challenge by any owner of any of the lands within the HM Highway Maintenance District on the basis that additional uses should be allowed, then the tract of land reclassified from MDR Medium-Density Residential District to the HM Highway Maintenance District shall be regulated by the provisions of the MDR Medium-Density Residential District and not by the provisions of the HM Highway Maintenance District."
The purpose of this district is to:
A.
Provide
within the Township of Bethlehem a sufficient location for necessary
government facilities used for the storage of vehicles, equipment,
materials and supplies for the maintenance of state and local expressways
and streets, including accessory offices clearly incidental thereto.
B.
Recognize
that:
(1)
Such
location should be in close proximity to expressways and arterial
streets;
(2)
Most
uses, including in particular residential uses, are not closely compatible
with abutting highway maintenance facilities and with an abutting
expressway particularly where such uses lack direct interchange access
to such expressways;
(3)
Highway
maintenance facilities are utilized most frequently during winter
seasons;
(4)
The
allowance of a highway maintenance facility use requires the creation
of a distinct zoning district which should provide for and encourage
compatible uses which will be generally used most frequently during
seasons other than winter; and
(5)
Industrial
uses should be restricted within the zoning district in which highway
maintenance facilities are located where the district is located in
close proximity to existing residences and to an existing residential
zoning district.
Only the following are permitted-by-right uses in the HM District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article XX are met:
A.
The following agricultural uses:
B.
The following miscellaneous uses:
There are no special exception uses in the HM District. Only the following are permitted conditional uses in the HM District, provided that the requirements for specific uses of Article XX are met:
All uses not specifically permitted are specifically prohibited, unless their allowance is clearly implied in the determination of the Zoning Hearing Board by a very closely similar use. Any deed of conveyance of all or any part of the lands within this district shall contain a covenant and restriction, and an acknowledgment by the grantee, that the uses allowed are limited to those set forth in §§ 275-266 and 275-267.
A.
Highway maintenance facilities. See § 275-189A(38)(a) for specific lot and setback regulations applicable to highway maintenance facilities, which apply in lieu of any inconsistent provisions of this section.
B.
Minimum lot area: two acres.
D.
Minimum lot depth: 200 feet.
E.
Minimum front yard setback: 50 feet from the future
street right-of-way.
G.
Maximum lot coverage: 40% for buildings; 60% for total
impervious coverage.
H.
Minimum side yard: 20 feet minimum for each of two
side yards.
I.
Minimum rear yard: 35 feet.
J.
Maximum height. Whichever of the following maximum
heights is most restrictive shall apply:
K.
Enclosed structures. All manufacturing shall occur
within completely enclosed structures.
L.
Setback from expressways: 100 feet minimum from the
existing right-of-way of an expressway for all buildings.
M.
Setbacks from dwellings, setbacks from residential
and agricultural districts; requirements for berms.
(1)
Any industrial use or area routinely used for
the parking, storage, loading or unloading of two or more tractor-trailer
trucks or refrigerated trucks shall be set back a minimum of 400 feet
from any residential or agricultural district boundary, except:
(a)
Such setback shall not apply if such industrial
use or truck area is separated from a residential or agricultural
district by an existing expressway or a proposed expressway for which
a final environmental impact statement has been completed; or
(b)
Such setback for such area for trucks shall
be reduced to 200 feet if a principal building will completely separate
the area for trucks from a residential or agricultural district.
(2)
An earth berm shall be constructed within the
setback areas required by this subsection meeting the following conditions:
(a)
Berm height shall be measured along a series
of lines within the setback area perpendicular to the lot line. The
height of the berm along each line shall be not less than eight feet
above the highest elevation within the setback along such line.
(b)
The maximum slope of the berm shall be three
feet measured horizontally for each one foot measured vertically.
Therefore, for example, four feet horizontally to one foot vertically
shall be permitted, while two feet horizontally to one foot vertically
shall be prohibited.
(c)
The minimum width of the top of the berm shall
be five feet.
(d)
The toe of the slope of the berm adjacent to
the lot line shall be not less than 25 feet from the lot line. The
distance from the toe of the slope to the adjacent lot line shall
be increased as necessary to insure that stormwater flows onto adjoining
tracts are not altered in severity or flow characteristics from the
predevelopment state.
N.
Facade materials. It is strongly encouraged that a
minimum of 75% of the facades of buildings facing onto streets consist
of glass, brick or other decorative masonry. This provision is intended
to avoid metal or cinder block construction, at least as visible from
a street. Subdividers are strongly encouraged to place such a requirement
on each lot through deed restrictions.
O.
Landscaped front yards. Within any lot submitted for
subdivision approval after the adoption date of this article, a minimum
of 80% of the required minimum front yard setback area shall be maintained
in landscaped green space. The intent is that the remaining 20% would
be used for driveways, fire lanes, visitor parking, handicapped parking
and walkways. Other vehicle parking is intended to primarily be placed
to the side or rear of buildings.
Q.
Loading docks. An applicant shall prove to the satisfaction
of the Township that loading docks routinely serving three or more
tractor-trailer trucks have been located within reason to seek to
minimize their visibility from dwellings, public streets and existing
and planned expressways. No new loading dock routinely served by tractor-trailer
trucks shall be located within 75 feet of the existing right-of-way
of a public street.
R.
Bikeway. The Board of Commissioners may require that
a recreational bicycle path be required to be constructed in place
of requirements for sidewalks along streets. The Board of Commissioners
may permit such bikeway be located outside of the street right-of-way
if there is a satisfactory easement.
B.
Signs. See Article XVIII. Signs in this HM District shall comply with the requirements applicable to the OB Office Business District.
C.
Site plan review. See § 275-178A, which requires site plan review by the Planning Commission for most principal nonresidential uses.
I.
Utilities. All commercial, industrial and institutional
uses shall be served by both public water and public sewer service.
