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Township of Bethlehem, PA
Northampton County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (4) Index
The purpose of this district is to:
A. 
Provide for a carefully controlled selection of light commercial uses in locations that have a mixed commercial-residential character.
B. 
Provide for commercial uses that are primarily designed to serve nearby neighborhoods.
C. 
Make sure that these uses are compatible with nearby residences.
D. 
Encourage the redevelopment of existing commercial uses that are not appropriate near residences.
Only the following uses are permitted by right in the NC District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article XX are met:
A. 
Any use permitted by right in the MDR District shall be permitted if it complies with the requirements of the MDR District, as opposed to the requirements of the NC District and provided such a lot is deed restricted to residential principal uses.
B. 
The following uses are permitted within the requirements of this district:
(1) 
Greenhouse/plant nursery, which may include retail sales.
(2) 
Standard restaurant, without drive-through service and not including fast-food restaurants.
(3) 
Nursery school/day-care center.[1]
[1]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(4) 
Recycling collection center.[2]
[2]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(5) 
Adult day-care center.[3]
[3]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(6) 
Retail store, other than uses prohibited under § 275-67, of items similar to the following character:
(a) 
Gifts, cards and books.
(b) 
Home furnishings.
(c) 
Office or computer equipment.
(d) 
Musical instruments.
(e) 
Apparel or shoes.
(7) 
Business, professional, medical, dental or government offices.
(8) 
Financial institution with or without drive-through service.
(9) 
Bakery.
(10) 
Tailoring or custom dressmaking shop.
(11) 
Barber or beautician.
(12) 
Laundromat.
(13) 
Dry-cleaning or shoe repair.
(14) 
Membership club.
(15) 
No-impact home-based business.[4]
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 10-04]
[4]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(16) 
Home occupation, major or minor.[5]
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 10-04]
[5]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(17) 
Public or private primary or secondary school[6]
[6]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(18) 
U.S. Postal Service facility.
(19) 
Cultural/community center.[7]
[7]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(20) 
Crop farming.
(21) 
Golf course.[8]
[8]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(22) 
Swimming pool, public.
(23) 
Publicly owned recreation.
(24) 
Wildlife sanctuary.
(25) 
Place of worship.[9]
[9]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(26) 
Cemetery.[10]
[10]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(27) 
Township-owned use.
(28) 
Accessory use or structure clearly customary and incidental to a permitted by right, approved special exception or conditional use.[11]
[11]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(29) 
Essential services.[12]
[12]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(30) 
Accessory uses or structures permitted by § 275-190C.
(31) 
Group home within any lawful dwelling unit.
(32) 
Animal hospital/veterinary offices, provided that no animals shall be kept outdoors and that no outdoor runs are provided, and provided the use is located within 2,000 feet of the right-of-way of an expressway.
(33) 
Co-located commercial communications antenna, subject to the requirements of § 275-189A(18), Co-located commercial communications antenna.
[Added 3-19-2001 by Ord. No. 03-01]
Only the following use is permitted by special exception in the NC District, provided that the requirements for the use in Article XX are met:
A. 
Convenience store, open only between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight.
B. 
Dormitory, serving college, university or primary or secondary school that is located within Bethlehem Township, set back a minimum of 60 feet from the lot line of any existing dwelling or residential district.
Only the following are permitted conditional uses in the NC District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article XX are met:
A. 
Emergency services station.[1]
[1]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
All uses not specifically permitted are prohibited, unless their allowance is clearly implied in the determination of the Zoning Hearing Board by a very close similar use. The following uses are very specifically prohibited in the NC District as principal or accessory uses:
A. 
Auto service station.
B. 
Auto repair garage.
C. 
Auto, boat or mobile/manufactured home sales.
D. 
Commercial uses involving drive-through service, other than a financial institution.
E. 
Car wash.
F. 
Taxi terminal or bus station.
G. 
Hotel or motel.
H. 
Fast-food restaurant.
I. 
Tavern or nightclub.
J. 
Adult bookstore, cabaret, adult movie theater or massage parlor.
K. 
Motor vehicle race track.
L. 
Uses primarily involving delivery of products off of the site.
M. 
Trucking company terminal.
N. 
Supermarket, with greater than 8,000 square feet of total floor area.
O. 
Junkyard.
P. 
Funeral home.
Q. 
Commercial indoor or outdoor recreation.
R. 
Animal hospital, large or small.
S. 
Building contractor's storage.
T. 
Commercial or industrial outdoor storage or display.
U. 
Manufacturing.
The following lot and setback regulations shall apply to uses in the NC District, unless a more restrictive requirement is stated in Article XX (for a particular use) or elsewhere in this chapter.
A. 
Lot area: 15,000 square feet minimum for each business establishment or each principal use, whichever is more restrictive.
B. 
Number of uses. No lot may include more than two individual principal uses or establishments, whichever is more restrictive, unless such lot was previously approved to include more than two such uses or establishments.
C. 
Minimum lot width: 75 feet, except 150 feet for any lot with its own driveway entering onto an arterial street for any lot created after the adoption of this chapter.
D. 
Minimum lot depth: 60 feet.
E. 
Maximum lot coverage: 50% for buildings, 80% for total impervious surfaces. The remaining 20% shall be covered by landscaping and an all-season ground cover.
F. 
Minimum front yard setback.
(1) 
Thirty feet from the future street right-of-way.
(2) 
See definition of "right-of-way, future" in Article II.
G. 
Minimum side yard setback: 15 feet per side, except 30 feet for a side abutting an existing dwelling or residential district.
H. 
Minimum rear yard setback: 15 feet, except 30 feet along areas abutting an existing dwelling or residential district.
I. 
Maximum height: 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet, whichever is less.
J. 
Shared parking and driveways. Sharing of parking and driveways by adjoining uses is strongly encouraged. See § 275-142B for possible reduction of parking requirements.
A. 
Off-street parking. See Article XVII.
B. 
Signs. See Article XVIII.
C. 
Site plan review. See § 275-178, which requires site plan review by the Planning Commission for nonresidential principal buildings.
D. 
Buffer yard and evergreen screening. See § 275-171.