Township of Lower Gwynedd, PA Po Professional Office District

In a "PO" Professional Office District, a building may be erected or used, and a lot may be used or occupied, for any of the following purposes and no other:

(a)

The office or studio of a physician, psychologist or other licensed health professional, consultant, financial adviser, accountant, bookkeeper or other providers of professional support services, outside salespersons, counselor, teacher, artist, musician, lawyer, writer, designer, architect or engineer, professional association, foundation or nonprofit organizations, broker or agent for insurance, real estate or other businesses, or similar professional uses.

(b)

A municipal use.

(c)

Any similar use to those specified in Subsections (a) and (b) hereof, when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board.

(d)

A day-care facility when authorized as a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors.

(e)

An office campus use ("office campus use") consisting of two or more professional office buildings [for those uses listed in Section 1289.02 (a) through (d)] above on the same parcel when authorized as a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors.

(f)

Townhouse dwellings when authorized as a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors, subject to the development standards of § 1289.10 and the requirements of § 1298.07.

[Added 11-25-2014 by Ord. No. 493]

§ 1289.03 Prohibited uses.

[Ord. 238. Passed 8-18-1987; Ord. 420. Passed 2-17-2004]

Any use not complying with this chapter is prohibited in a "PO" Professional Office District. The following uses are specifically prohibited:

(a)

The display of materials for sale to the public, retail sales, assembly, manufacturing, storage and distribution.

(b)

A public or private school.

(c)

A bank or financial institution.

(d)

A hospital or clinic.

(e)

Personal service shops.

§ 1289.04 Lot area and width.

[Ord. 238. Passed 8-18-1987; Ord. 420. Passed 2-17-2004]

(a)

Minimum Lot Area. In a "PO" Professional Office District, a lot area of not less than 40,000 square feet shall be provided for every building.

(b)

Minimum Lot Width. A lot width of not less than 200 feet shall be provided.

§ 1289.05 Yards.

[Ord. 238. Passed 8-18-1987; Ord. 328. Passed 7-22-1996; Ord. No. 420. Passed 2-17-2004]

(a)

Front Yard. In a "PO" Professional District, there shall be a front yard on each lot which shall not be less than 75 feet; however, the front yard for an office campus use shall not be less than 25 feet.

(b)

Side Yards. There shall be two side yards on each lot, neither of which shall be less than 50 feet. For an office campus use, however, each side yard shall not be less than 25 feet.

(c)

Rear Yards. There shall be a rear yard on each lot which shall not be less than 75 feet except for an office campus use, which rear yard shall not be less than 35 feet.

(d)

District Yard. No side or rear yard adjacent and contiguous to any residential district or use shall be less than 75 feet.

(e)

Corner Lots. Yards for corner lots are regulated by Section 1298.09.

§ 1289.06 Lot coverage.

[Ord. 238. Passed 8-18-1987]

(a)

Building Coverage. In a "PO" Professional Office District, the total building coverage shall not exceed 15%.

(b)

Impervious Coverage. The total impervious coverage shall not exceed 45%.

§ 1289.07 Building height.

[Ord. 238. Passed 8-18-1987; Ord. 420. Passed 2-17-2004]

The maximum height for buildings or other structures erected or enlarged in a "PO" Professional Office District shall be 45 feet, not exceeding 2 1/2) stories.

§ 1289.08 Off-street parking and loading.

[Ord. 238. Passed 8-18-1987; Ord. 420. Passed 2-17-2004]

(a)

Parking and Loading. In a "PO" Professional Office District, all-weather parking and loading facilities shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 1294. For an office campus use, however, all off-street parking facilities shall be supported by a professionally prepared traffic study subject to review and approval by the Lower Gwynedd Township Board of Supervisors and the Township's traffic consultant.

(b)

Setbacks. No parking, loading or driveway area shall be located closer than 10 feet to any side or rear property line and/or in the front yard, except as required for normal ingress an egress. For an office campus use, however, no parking, loading or driveway area shall be located closer than 25 feet to any side or rear property line and/or in the front yard, except as required for normal ingress and egress. In the case of any property line being adjacent and contiguous to a single-family residential district, no parking, loading or driveway area shall be located closer than 30 feet to such property line, except as required for normal ingress and egress.

§ 1289.09 Special requirements.

[Ord. 238. Passed 8-18-1987; Ord. 251. Passed 2-16-1988; Ord. No. 420. Passes 2-17-2004; Ord. 424. Passed 7-20-2004]

(a)

Signs. Signs shall be permitted in accordance with Chapter 1292.

(b)

Gross Building Floor Area. No building, whether containing a single use or several uses, shall contain a gross floor area greater than 5,500 square feet of floor area, excluding unoccupied basements; provided, however, that for an office campus use, the gross floor area of a building shall not exceed 15,000 square feet, with no more than 7,500 square feet on any single floor of a building.

(c)

Landscaping. All development in the "PO" Professional Office District shall be designed and maintained in accordance with the landscape provisions of the Subdivision Regulations. In addition, there shall be a suitable and effective landscape barrier at the edge of the property adjacent to any public street. Such buffer strip shall be at least 10 feet wide and shall channel motor vehicle ingress and egress from the property providing a maximum of one access road per 100 feet of frontage and in no case more than two access roads per property.

(d)

Utilities. All development in a "PO" Professional Office District shall be served by public sewer and water. All utilities serving a permitted use in this district shall be underground.

(e)

Outdoor Land Use. There shall be no outdoor storage or display of goods or materials for marketing, storage or any other purpose. The outdoor storage of trash shall be designed and maintained to be completely screened from view by a landscape buffer.

(f)

Hazardous Uses. No building shall be erected, altered or maintained, and no lot shall be used for any purpose, trade or business, that is noxious, offensive or potentially injurious to health by reason of odor, noise, dust, smoke, heat, gas, radiation, hazardous substance, hazardous waste or vibration.

(g)

Building Spacing. The distance at the closest point between any buildings shall be not less than 30 feet.

(h)

Site Lighting. Exterior lighting provided in conjunction with any building or use shall be placed not higher than 12 feet above grade and shall be screened so as not to permit the source of illumination to be seen from off the premises. Only color-corrected types of illumination shall be used. The hours of illumination of such lights shall be limited to hours of business operation and shall otherwise be extinguished between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day, prevailing time.

(i)

(Reserved)[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: Former Subsection (i), Detention Basins, was repealed 8-22-2017 by Ord. No. 513.

(j)

Traffic Study. For office campus use, a complete and comprehensive traffic study shall be required. The physical design shall be based upon the traffic study and shall be subject to review and approval of the Board of Supervisors and the Township's traffic consultant.

(k)

Architectural Unity. For all office campus use, the project shall be of a unified design, consistent with the historic character of Lower Gwynedd Township. All aspects of both the site and the building design shall be subject to review and approval as a part of the conditional use process.

(l)

Maximum Floor Area Ratio. For an office campus use, the maximum ratio of gross floor area to gross lot area shall be 20%.

§ 1289.10 Development standards for townhouse dwellings. [1]

[Added 11-25-2014 by Ord. No. 493]

(a)

Minimum Lot Area. For townhouse use, a minimum lot area of five acres shall be provided.

(b)

Minimum Lot Width. A lot width of not less than 200 feet shall be provided along a public street or way for every access to the development.

(c)

Yards.

(1)

Front Yard. Each development for townhouse use shall have a front yard which shall not be less than 70 feet in depth.

(2)

Side Yards. Each development for townhouse use shall have two side yards, neither of which shall be less than 35 feet in width.

(3)

Rear Yards. Each development for townhouse use shall have a rear yard which shall not be less than 100 feet in depth.

(d)

Building Coverage. The total building coverage shall not exceed 30%.

(e)

Impervious Coverage. The total impervious coverage shall not exceed 55%.

(f)

Height and Size of Buildings.

(1)

Building Height. The maximum height for buildings or other structures erected or enlarged for townhouse use shall be 35 feet, not exceeding 2 1/2 stories. The maximum height for any accessory building shall be 16 feet, not exceeding one story.

(2)

Building Size. The maximum size for any townhouse building shall be 135 feet in length and shall not exceed four dwelling units in a row.

(g)

Off-Street Parking and Loading.

(1)

For each dwelling unit, 3.0 parking spaces shall be provided, in accordance with Chapter 1294, and this shall be exclusive of attached garages. Unless otherwise approved by the Board of Supervisors, only two parking spaces of this requirement may be accommodated on driveway areas. Driveway spaces must have independent access and egress.

(2)

Areas for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and for refuse collection, fuel and other service vehicles shall be provided, and all such areas shall comply with Chapter 1294.

(3)

No service area, loading area, access drive, or unenclosed parking area shall be located within 25 feet of any property line, except as required for normal ingress or egress.

(h)

Density. The number of units per gross acre (net of public right-of-way) shall not exceed 2.0.

(i)

Building Plan. All buildings shall be in accordance with an overall plan and shall be designed as a single architectural scheme.

(j)

Preservation of Natural Features. The development plan shall preserve and incorporate natural features such as woods, streams and open space areas which add to the overall cohesive development of the district and the overall character of the Township.

(k)

Lighting; Utility Lines. Lighting, including sign lighting, shall be arranged to protect the highway and adjoining property from direct glare or hazardous interference. Utility lines servicing the development shall be placed underground.

(l)

Storage of Refuse. Raw materials, supplies, trash, rubbish and other refuse shall be stored in covered containers within an adequate enclosure and handled and disposed of in such a manner as not to give rise to smoke, odor or litter.

(m)

Landscaping.

(1)

All development shall be designed and maintained in accordance with the landscape provisions of the Subdivision and Land Development Regulations, Title Four of this Planning and Zoning Code.

(2)

Screening Buffer. All street frontages shall have a continuous screening buffer, which may be interrupted only by drainage channels and/or access points to the development. The screening buffer may consist of a combination of deciduous and coniferous plantings, decorative fencing, and walls. When designed as part of the overall architectural scheme of the development, accessory buildings may be used as part of the required buffer when set back from the street line a minimum of five feet and when the outside wall closest to the street line is no more than eight feet high.

(n)

Common Open Space. Any townhouse development in the "PO" Professional Office District shall contain a minimum of 40% of the lot area as common open space. The undevelopable area of the lot may be included within the required open space. Common open space shall be of a character and quality acceptable to the Board of Supervisors. In addition, there shall be such provision for the ownership and maintenance of the common open space as is reasonable to ensure its preservation. The Board shall require the landowner to provide for and establish an organization for the ownership and maintenance of the common open space consistent with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Uniform Condominium Act,[2] and such organization shall not dispose of the common open space by sale or otherwise, except to the Township or, after approval of the Board, to an organization established to own and maintain the common open space. If the common open space deteriorates or if, in the judgment of the Board, it is not maintained in a reasonable manner in accordance with any approved plan or otherwise, the Township may proceed to remedy any such deficiency by enforcement of any applicable Township ordinance or by injunctive relief or otherwise.

[2]

Editor's Note: See 68 Pa.C.S.A. § 3101 et seq.

(o)

Interior Setback Regulations. The minimum distance between principal buildings shall be 30 feet for short-side-to-short-side conditions and 75 feet for long-side conditions. Measurements shall be taken from the mean (average) building face, not the furthest projection.

(p)

Pedestrian Circulation. Any townhouse development in the "PO" Professional Office District shall provide a complete pedestrian circulation system that is interconnected with adjacent properties. Sidewalks may be combined with walking paths such that all residents have direct access to the circulation system.

[1]

Editor's Note: Former Section 1289.10, Application procedure, was repealed 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 314.