The Business Transition Overlay District is established in order
to provide for nonresidential development opportunities in areas currently
zoned for residential-type uses, which are in close proximity to commercially
developed land and which have access to an arterial street as defined
herein.
The following areas as indicated on the Zoning Map shall be
designated as Business Transition Overlay Districts:
A.
Willow Crossing Road (S.R. 3099), from its intersection with Swede
Hill Road (S.R. 3103) to its intersection with Garden Street (T.R.
784) - Business Transition District.
Permitted uses are those uses listed as permitted in each underlying
zoning district.
The following uses shall be a special exception in the BT (Business
Transition) Overlay District, subject to the provisions hereinafter
set forth:
A.
All uses permitted in the NC (Neighborhood Commercial) District,
provided that the gross floor area of any such use shall not exceed
15,000 square feet for a retail use and 25,000 square feet for an
office use. If the proposed use includes both retail and office, the
total square footage permitted shall be prorated based upon the percentage
of each use in the building; provided, however, that no drive-through
facilities shall be permitted.
B.
Specialty retail, provided that the gross floor area of the linked
retail establishments shall not exceed 35,000 square feet.
Accessory uses shall include, but not be limited to, those accessory uses permitted in the underlying zoning districts and those permitted in the NC District; provided, however, that outdoor display or storage of merchandise or other materials shall be prohibited. The location of any accessory use must comply with the setbacks established under § 87-97B below.
The minimum lot size established for the underlying zoning district
shall be applicable; however, the impervious surface coverage limitations
applicable to the NC District shall apply to any special exceptions.
The minimum yard dimensions established for the underlying zoning district shall be applicable, and additional setbacks and buffer areas shall be provided as required under § 87-97B below, where applicable.
The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.
No business or maintenance operations shall be conducted in
the BT District between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with
the exception of normal opening and closing procedures and interior
cleaning of premises.
In addition to the parking requirements established in Article XXI, all proposed developments in the BT District shall be subject to the following supplementary standards. Developments shall be designed to minimize traffic disruption on adjacent streets and to use land for parking facilities as efficiently as possible.
A.
Location of off-street parking and loading facilities. Off-street
parking and loading facilities shall be located to the side or rear
of all buildings and shall include landscaping to soften the appearance
of such facilities.
B.
Parking lot design. No parking area shall include more than 20 parking spaces in a continuous row without landscaped islands. Where a parking area abuts a street, a planted buffer area containing a mix of trees and shrubs shall be provided between the parking area and the street. Maintenance of landscaping and buffers required under this section shall be consistent with those in § 87-97B below.
C.
Joint off-street parking. Shared off-street parking facilities by different uses on a common development parcel shall be encouraged pursuant to § 87-138.
D.
Hours. Loading and unloading of merchandise and goods shall be prohibited
between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
E.
Location of driveways. Access for cars and delivery vehicles to all
developments in the BT District shall be from an arterial street.
No access to the development shall be permitted from streets or any
other access roads in any abutting zoning classification.
F.
Minimization of curb cuts. Developments in the BT District shall
minimize the number of driveways for ingress and egress as follows:
(1)
New developments shall have no more than two driveways (excluding
those required for emergency access).
(2)
Where feasible, driveways shall be shared with adjacent nonresidential
lots through the recording of cross easements or other enforceable
legal instruments that shall ensure such shared usage.
(3)
Where an applicant is proposing to consolidate two or more existing
lots in the BT District for development of a use by special exception,
elimination of driveways shall be encouraged. Where one or more curb
cuts are eliminated from an arterial street, the applicant shall be
permitted to increase the impervious surface coverage by 5%.
In addition to the signage and lighting requirements established in Article XXII, all proposed developments in the BT District shall be subject to the following supplementary standards. Developments shall be designed to minimize visual impacts from signs and lighting to abutting agricultural, institutional and residential lots.
A.
Signs.
(1)
No billboard signs shall be permitted on any lot in the BT District.
(2)
Where the development contains two or more businesses, offices or
other uses, one freestanding identification sign shall be permitted
at each entrance to the development, jointly listing the names of
all occupants. Height restriction is six feet.
(3)
All identification signs shall be oriented toward the arterial street
and away from abutting agricultural, institutional or residential
lots. Entrances to businesses or other uses from parking areas between
buildings and abutting agricultural, institutional or residential
lots shall limit identification of building occupants to lettering
on such entry door.
B.
Lighting. On-site light poles shall be limited to a height of 15
feet and shall direct light away from nearby residences. A photometric
plan shall be submitted, and no footcandles of higher than 0.2 shall
be permitted outside the boundaries of the property in which the development
is located.
The following conditions and standards shall apply to all uses
listed as a special exception in the Business Transition Overlay Zone:
A.
Traffic impact analysis.
(1)
An application for a proposed use shall be accompanied by a traffic
impact analysis, prepared and sealed by a transportation engineer,
which shall include, at a minimum, the following:
(a)
The estimated number of additional average daily trips (ADT)
and a.m. and p.m. peak-hour car trips that would be generated by the
proposed use or uses when fully occupied and operational. Such estimates
shall be calculated using the most-current edition of the Trip Generation
Report prepared by the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
(b)
The current levels of service of intersections within a one-half-mile
radius of the subject site.
(c)
The projected levels of service of the same intersections when
the proposed use is fully occupied and operational.
(d)
A demonstration that any queuing or staging of vehicles will
take place on the development site.
(2)
If the traffic impact analysis indicates that proposed uses would
generate more than 500 average daily trips (ADT) or more than 75 additional
a.m. or p.m. peak-hour car trips per day, the applicant shall develop
a traffic mitigation plan for approval by the Township and all applicable
state regulatory agencies.
B.
Buffering and setback requirements. A landscaping plan shall accompany
applications for a special exception approval. Such plan shall provide
buffering between the special exception uses proposed for a lot (or
lots) in the BT District and the abutting lot(s). By using both distance
and landscaping, potential visual, noise and other impacts shall be
minimized.
(1)
Applicants shall install buffering in the required setback areas
in accordance with the following requirements:
(a)
Willow Crossing Road (S.R. 3099), from its intersection with
Swede Hill Road (S.R. 3103) to its intersection with Garden Street
(T.R. 784) - Business Transition District.
[1]
Abutting State Route 3099: 25 feet, measured from the right-of-way
line of State Route 3099.
[2]
Abutting properties to the rear of the Business Transition District
lot: 50 feet, measured from the lot line.
[3]
Abutting properties on the side of lots within the Business
Transition District: 25 feet, measured from the lot line.
(b)
In the above Business Transition District, the buffer area plantings
required shall be as follows: for every 100 linear feet, a minimum
of five large canopy trees, six understory or small canopy trees,
12 evergreen trees and 30 evergreen shrubs.
(2)
Planting specifications. All plantings required in the setback areas set forth above for buffering shall comply with the planting specifications set forth in Article XXIII, Table 15.
(3)
Existing vegetation. Trees and shrubs which are within the required
rear or side setback area of the development parcel and which are
adjacent to any abutting agricultural, institutional or residential
lot shall not be disturbed. The existing trees and shrubs shall be
utilized to satisfy the required buffer area planting required herein;
provided, however, that the performance standards regarding the height
and mix of types of plantings are met. In the event the existing trees
and shrubs do not satisfy the buffer requirements, the applicant shall
use new plantings in combination with the existing plantings to satisfy
the buffer requirements. Further, there shall be no grading of the
existing slope within the required rear setback area, except for the
planting of trees or shrubs required to satisfy the buffer requirements.
If such grading is required, it shall not increase the existing slope
or contour of the ground within the required buffer area.
(4)
Structures and parking. No structures, with the exception of fences
and screening walls, or parking of any kind shall be permitted within
the planted buffer area. In addition, no structures or parking shall
be permitted within the required setback.
(5)
Modifications. The buffering standards may be modified by a recommendation
of the Planning Commission and approved by the Board of Supervisors
if any of the following conditions are met:
(a)
Natural land features, such as topography, on the lot to be
developed would achieve the same or better buffering or screening
effect as that to be achieved under the requirements of this section;
(b)
Innovative landscaping or architectural design is proposed for
the development such that an equivalent or superior buffering or screening
effect is achieved; or
(c)
The required screening and landscaping would be ineffective
at maturity due to the topography of either the lot to be developed
or the abutting lot.
(6)
Maintenance.
(a)
The owner of the development lot in the BT District or such
owner's agent shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and
replacement of all screening and buffer plantings required under this
section.
(b)
All plant materials shall be maintained in a healthy condition
and kept free of refuse and debris.
(c)
All fences and walls shall be maintained in good repair. No
openings shall be permitted unless necessary to maintain buffer plantings.
Any such opening shall not exceed four feet in width and shall have
a gate that shall be secured at all times when maintenance activities
are not occurring.
Applications filed within the Business Transition Overlay District shall provide the information required by this article and shall also provide the information required by § 76-9 (Application for approval of plan not involving subdivision). In the event the application requires a subdivision of land, the applicant shall also provide the information required by §§ 76-6.1, 76-7.1 and/or 76-8 (minor subdivisions), whichever is applicable.
