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Township of Upper Chichester, PA
Delaware County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The purpose of this district is to provide retail, service and other commercial facilities for local residents and those of neighboring communities in areas generally located at major roadways. Standards are provided to allow for both freestanding and attached structure development.
Land, buildings or premises shall be used by right only for one or more of the following uses:
A. 
Retail store, including general merchandise store, hardware, pharmacy, variety store or video store.
B. 
Food store, including grocery, delicatessen, convenience store or supermarket, liquor store, caterer, bakery sales or ice cream shop.
C. 
Eating and drinking establishments, including taverns, fast-food restaurants with or without drive-through service, fast-casual restaurants, and full-service restaurants.
[Amended 5-6-2021 by Ord. No. 746]
D. 
Personal service shop.
E. 
Professional or business office or building, studio, bank or other financial institution.
F. 
General service or repair, including furniture, and electronic and appliance repair.
G. 
Tradesman's shop, including carpenter, electrician, plumber, cabinetmaker or similar establishment.
H. 
Health club or spa.
The following uses shall be permitted by special exception, subject to the provisions of Articles XXI and XXV as well as the specific sections listed below.
A. 
Health clinic, subject to § 600-184.
B. 
Municipal or public use, subject to §§ 600-182 and 600-183 and any other applicable provisions of Article XXI.
C. 
Wireless communications facility, with antenna, provided such antenna is attached to an existing tower, water tower, smokestack or other similar tall structure, subject to the requirements of § 600-187.
D. 
Conversion of dwelling to nonresidential use, subject to § 600-185.
E. 
Indoor commercial recreation, subject to §§ 600-182 and 600-183.
Conditional uses shall be subject to Article XXII and the provisions cited below:
A. 
Intermediate and group day-care centers, subject to § 600-191.
B. 
Adult day-care center, subject to §§ 600-189 and 600-190.
C. 
Funeral home and mortuary, subject to §§ 600-189 and 600-190.
D. 
Private commercial education, subject to §§ 600-189 and 600-190.
E. 
Private club, lodge or other nonprofit establishment, subject to § 600-193.
F. 
Standard collection facility for recycling, subject to § 600-194.
G. 
Medical marijuana dispensary, as authorized by Act 16 of 2016, and as further regulated by 28 Pa. Code Chapter 1161, Dispensaries, subject to §§ 600-189 and 600-190 of Chapter 600.
[Added 8-8-2017 by Ord. No. 711]
H. 
Brewpub, taproom.
[Added 5-6-2021 by Ord. No. 746]
Accessory uses and structures shall comply with § 600-159 and the articles/sections cited below:
A. 
Off-street parking and loading, subject to Article XVIII.
B. 
Small collection facility for recycling, subject to § 600-194.
C. 
Storage building or enclosure, subject to § 600-159.
D. 
Signs, subject to Article XIX.
E. 
Satellite antenna, subject to § 600-167.
F. 
Day-care facility, home-based in a single-family dwelling, subject to all applicable state regulations.
G. 
Restaurant-cafe as defined in Article II and subject to the provisions of § 600-180.
H. 
Any accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses and not detrimental to the neighborhood.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, the following shall be minimum requirements.
A. 
Detached commercial buildings.
(1) 
Lot area: 12,000 square feet.
(2) 
Lot width: 75 feet.
(3) 
Front yard: 45 feet.
(4) 
Side yards: 10 feet each, 25 feet if side yard abuts residential district or use.
(5) 
Rear yard: 35 feet.
(6) 
Building coverage: 30%, maximum.
(7) 
Impervious surface: 75%, maximum.
(8) 
Height: two stories, maximum, and 35 feet, maximum.
B. 
Attached commercial buildings.
(1) 
Tract area: two acres.
(2) 
Tract width: 200 feet.
(3) 
All setbacks (front, rear and sides): 50 feet.
(4) 
Building coverage: 25%, maximum.
(5) 
Impervious surface: 70%, maximum.
(6) 
Height: two stories, maximum, and 35 feet, maximum.
A. 
Detached commercial buildings.
(1) 
Buffer area. Where a rear or side yard of properties in this district abut a residential district, a buffer shall be provided within the rear yard on the commercial property between such property and the abutting residential property. Such buffer area, defined in Article II, shall vary in width depending on the depth of the lot, as indicated below:
Lot Depth
(feet)
Required Width Buffer Area
(feet)
Less than 150
10
150 to 199
15
200 to 249
20
250 to 299
30
300 or more
30
(2) 
Screening.
(a) 
Where properties in the district abut a residential district, there shall be a planted visual screen as defined in Article II within the buffer area required above. This screen shall be not less than six feet high and shall comply with § 600-172. A privacy-type fence or wall, which shall be not less than six feet high, may be substituted for the planted visual screen when approved by the Board of Commissioners.
(3) 
Landscaping. There shall be a landscaped area provided in accordance with § 600-171.
(4) 
Storage. No permanent storage of merchandise, articles or equipment shall be permitted outside a building. Goods, articles or equipment may be stored, displayed or offered for sale beyond the front line of a building with permission of the Zoning Officer.
B. 
Attached commercial buildings.
(1) 
All buffer requirements in Subsection A(1) above, except those for parking, shall be complied with.
(2) 
All screening requirements in Subsection A(1) above, except those for parking shall be complied with.
(3) 
Any part or portion of a site which is not used for buildings, other structures, parking or loading spaces and aisles, sidewalk and designated storage areas shall be planted with an all-season cover and shall be landscaped according to an overall plan. Maximum advantage shall be taken of existing natural plantings in landscaping.
(4) 
All landscaping and screening requirements in § 600-144 relating to the screening and landscaping of parking areas shall be complied with.
As required in Article XXIII.
See latest adopted Upper Chichester Township Subdivision and Land Development[1] and the definition of "land development" in Article I of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC).[2]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 505, Subdivision and Land Development.
[2]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq., and particularly 53 P.S. § 10107, Definitions.