[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1200]
The following standards shall apply to uses where required by the regulations of the various zoning districts created by this Chapter 27 or amendment thereto.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1201]
1.
A completely planted visual barrier, or landscape screen, shall be
provided and continually maintained between any use to which this
standard is applied and contiguous residential properties.
2.
The planting area shall contain suitable vegetation of sufficient
planted density to produce a total visual screening consistent with
the topography. Wherever possible the owner shall make every effort
to retain existing natural screening.
A.
All evergreen vegetation to be installed shall not be less than four
feet in height at the time of planting and shall be of such species
that expected height at maturity shall not be less than 15 feet.
B.
All deciduous material to be installed shall not be less than eight
feet in height or two-inch caliper at the time of planting.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1202]
Provisions shall be made for the storage of trash, refuse and
garbage either inside the buildings or within a masonry or wooden
fence area outside the buildings. The walls of such trash and refuse
areas must shield the trash and refuse from the direct view of any
adjacent property and must be at least six feet in height. It shall
be the responsibility of the owner to submit detail plans, showing
the type of material and method of construction to be used for the
storage areas. Organic rubbish or garbage shall be contained in tight,
vermin-proof containers.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1203]
1.
Any part of the site which is not used for buildings, other structures,
loading or parking spaces and aisles, sidewalks, and designated storage
areas shall be planted and continually maintained with an all-season
ground cover and shall be landscaped in accordance with an overall
landscape plan.
2.
No less than 3% of a parking area shall be landscaped and continually
maintained. Planting along the perimeter of a parking area shall be
considered as part of the 3% parking area landscaping.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1204; as amended by Ord.
3-99, 5/12/1999, § H; and by Ord. 2-2003, 2/12/2003]
1.
Every building hereafter erected or moved shall be on a lot adjacent to a public street or with access to an approved private street. The erection of buildings without approved access shall not be permitted. Approved access shall be defined in terms of the Lower Oxford Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance [Chapter 22], as may be amended from time to time, for street design or as subsequently provided for by the Township. Access to lots containing single-family dwellings shall be via driveways; access to lots containing other uses shall be via access drives.
A.
Driveway Requirements.
(1)
No more than two driveway connections per lot shall be permitted,
unless an additional driveway location is approved by the Board of
Supervisors.
(2)
Driveways shall not connect with a public street within 80 feet
of the edge of the cartway of any street intersection.
(3)
Driveways shall be located and constructed so that a clear sight
triangle is provided. Two apexes of the triangle shall be located
in both directions along the street center line, 75 feet from a point
where the center line of the driveway and the street intersect. The
vertex of the triangle shall be located along the center line of the
driveway, on the site and five feet from the property/street right-of-way
line. No permanent obstructions and/or plant materials over three
feet high shall be placed within the clear sight triangle. The three-foot
height maximum shall be maintained on all material within the clear
sight triangle.
(4)
A clear sight triangle must be provided and maintained as per the requirements of the Lower Oxford Township Subdivision Ordinance, Driving and Access Driveways [Chapter 22].
(5)
Permits.
(a)
Any driveway intersecting with a state-owned road shall require
the obtainment of a highway occupancy permit from the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation.
(b)
Any driveway intersecting with a Township-owned or proposed
Township-owned road shall require the obtainment of a driveway permit
from Lower Oxford Township.
B.
Access Drive Requirements.
(1)
Except as specified elsewhere, the number of access drives intersecting
with a street may not exceed two per lot. The Board of Supervisors
may grant a waiver for additional access points where required to
meet exceptional circumstances and where frontage of unusual length
exists.
(2)
The edges(s) of all access drives shall be set back at least:
(a)
One hundred feet from the intersection of any street right-of-way
lines.
(b)
One hundred feet from any other access drive located upon the
same lot (measured from cartway edges).
(c)
Ten feet from any side and/or rear property lines; however,
this setback can be waived (by the Board of Supervisors) along any
one property line when a joint parking lot is shared by adjoining
uses.
(3)
Access drives shall be located and constructed so that a clear
sight triangle is provided. Two apexes of the triangle shall be located
in both directions along the street center line, 100 feet from a point
where the center line of the drive and street intersect. The vertex
of the triangle shall be located along the center line of the drive,
on the site 10 feet from the property/street right-of-way line. No
permanent obstructions and/or plant materials over three feet high
shall be placed or left to grow within the clear sight triangle.
(4)
A clear sight triangle must be provided and maintained as per the Requirements of the Lower Oxford Township Subdivision Ordinance, Driving and Access Driveways [Chapter 22].
(5)
Permits.
(a)
Any access drive intersecting with a state-owned road shall
require the obtainment of a highway occupancy permit from the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation.
(b)
Any access drive intersecting with a Township-owned or proposed
Township-owned road shall require obtainment of a driveway permit
from Lower Oxford Township.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1205]
Interior drives shall be designed so as to prevent blockage
of vehicles entering or leaving the site. Drives, if one way, shall
be a minimum of 20 feet wide and if two way it shall be a minimum
of 24 feet wide. All drives shall have a maximum grade of 10%. Areas
provided for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles,
and for the servicing of shops by refuse collection, fuel, and other
service vehicles shall be so arranged that they may be used without
blocking or interfering with the use of accessways or automobile parking
facilities.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1206]
Loading, ingress, egress, and parking areas shall be provided
with a minimum of 0.75 footcandles at any point. Lighting facilities
shall be arranged in a manner which will shield as best as practicable
the highway and adjoining properties from glare.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1207]
Any establishment which furnishes cars or mobile baskets as an adjunct to shopping, shall provide definite areas within the required parking space areas for storage of said carts. Each designated storage area shall be clearly marked for storage of shopping carts. Such signs indicating storage shall not be considered as regulated by the Sign Controls listed in Chapter 19, Part 1.[1]
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1208]
1.
Standards.
A.
Off-street loading and unloading space, or spaces with proper and
safe access from the street shall be provided on each lot, either
within a structure or in the open, to serve the uses within the district
adequately.
B.
Loading and unloading spaces shall be at least 12 feet wide, 45 feet
long, and shall have at least a fourteen-foot vertical clearance.
C.
Loading and unloading spaces shall have all-weather surfaces to provide
safe and convenient access during all seasons.
D.
Loading facilities shall not be constructed between the building
setback line and a street right-of-way line.
E.
Required off-street parking space shall not be used for loading and
unloading purposes except during hours when business operations are
suspended.
2.
Requirements. Off-street loading shall be required of any new construction
in those commercial zoning districts imposing these regulations. The
required number of spaces shall be adequate to serve the purpose intended.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1209; as amended by Ord.
3-99, 5/12/1999, § I]
1.
Off-street parking shall be required in accordance with the provisions
of this section prior to the occupancy of any building or use, so
as to alleviate traffic congestion on streets. These facilities shall
be provided whenever:
2.
Site Plan Approval.
A.
Each application for a zoning permit (for a use for which parking
spaces are required) shall include a drawing (site plan) showing proposed
layout of the lot. The drawing shall clearly indicate all of the design
elements required below.
B.
No zoning permit shall be issued for any use for which parking spaces
are required unless the site plan has been approved or necessary variances
have been obtained.
3.
Design Requirements. Vehicular parking facilities for land use other than single-family residences shall be designed in accordance with the Lower Oxford Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance [Chapter 22] and the additional following provisions:
A.
In any parking lot containing 20 or more parking spaces, 5% of the
total area of the lot shall be devoted to interior landscaping. Such
interior landscaping may be used, for example, at the end of parking
space rows, to break up rows of parking spaces every 20 parking spaces
and to help visually define travel lanes through or next to the parking
lot. Landscaped areas situated outside the parking lot, such as peripheral
areas and areas surrounding buildings, shall not constitute interior
landscaping. For the purpose of computing the total area of any parking
lot, all areas within the perimeter of the parking lot shall be counted,
including all parking spaces and access drives, aisles, islands and
curbed areas. Ground cover alone is not sufficient to meet this requirement.
Trees, shrubs or other approved material all be provided. At least
one shade/ornamental tree shall be provided for each 300 square feet
of required interior landscaping area. These trees shall have a clear
trunk at least five feet above finished grade level.
B.
If a parking lot of under 20 spaces is built without interior landscaping
and later additional spaces are added so that the total is 20 or more,
the interior landscaping shall be provided for the entire parking
lot. A land development plan must be submitted to the Township.
C.
Parking spaces shall be clearly delineated by suitable markings.
Special use spaces such as short term visitor parking, handicapped
parking and pickup/dropoff zones shall be differentiated from long
term employee parking by suitable markings.
4.
Joint Parking Lots.
A.
In commercial shopping centers over three acres in size, joint parking
lots may be permitted. These joint facilities can reduce the total
number of parking spaces required by a maximum of 20%. Therefore,
the resulting joint parking lot will be required to provide at least
80% of the total number of spaces required by the sum of all the shopping
center's tenants. Such reduced parking spaces must be appropriately
distributed upon the lot to provide convenient walking distance between
every vehicle and each of the shopping center's stores.
B.
Required parking spaces may be provided in spaces to jointly serve
two or more establishments or uses, provided the number of required
spaces in such joint facility shall be less than the total required
for all such establishments or uses. Where it can be conclusively
demonstrated that one or more such uses will be generating a demand
for parking spaces, primarily using periods when the other use(s)
is not in operation, the total number of required parking spaces may
be reduced to the required number of spaces that would be needed to
serve the use generating the most demand for parking; plus 20% of
that number required parking spaces needed to service the use(s) generating
the demand for lesser spaces.
C.
Unified commercial/light industrial development shall be subject
to the regulations contained in Subsection 4A and B above.
[Added by Ord. 2-2014, 9/24/2014]
D.
For unified commercial/light industrial developments where the applicant
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors that
the cumulative required parking space total is excessive due to the
likelihood that various uses may share parking or upon the recommendation
of the Township Engineer, the Board may reduce the required number
of parking spaces as a part of the conditional use application process.
[Added by Ord. 2-2014, 9/24/2014]
5.
Prohibited Uses of a Parking Lot. Automobile parking lots are for
the sole purposes of accommodating the passenger vehicles of the persons
associated with the use which requires them. Parking lots shall not
be used for the following:
6.
Handicapped Parking. The following shall apply to commercial, industrial,
professional office, institutional, religious and educational uses.
A.
If the total number of parking spaces exceeds 10, a minimum of 2%
of the total number of parking spaces, but not less than one parking
space in any lot shall be designated and designed for physically handicapped
persons, unless otherwise specified by the Board of Supervisors and/or
state or federal regulations.
B.
Said spaces shall be most accessible and approximate to the building
or buildings which the parking spaces shall serve.
C.
Each space or group of spaces shall be identified with a clearly
visible sign displaying the international symbol of access.
D.
Each space shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide to allow room for persons
in wheelchairs or on braces or crutches to get in and out of either
side of a vehicle onto level, paved surfaces suitable for wheeling
and walking.
E.
Where applicable, curb ramps shall be provided to permit handicapped
people access from the parking lot to the sidewalk or building entrance.
7.
Nonresidential Parking Requirements.
A.
There shall be sufficient space provided for each use so that there
is a minimum of one space for each employee on the shift of greatest
employment, plus additional parking spaces to be provided by the application
of the appropriate formula for each use listed in this section. The
Board of Supervisors may authorize a reduction in the number of off-street
parking spaces in cases where the applicant can justify the reduction
and still provide adequate facilities. In the case of mixed uses,
the total number of required parking spaces shall be the sum of the
required spaces for the various uses computed separately unless otherwise
modified by other sections of this Part.
B.
Minimum off-street parking in addition to employee spaces shall be
as follows:
|
Type of Use
|
One Additional Space for Each
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Automobile repair, filling and washing facilities
|
400 square feet of gross floor and ground area devoted to repair
and service facilities in addition to areas normally devoted to automobile
storage
| |
|
Automobile, boat and trailers sales
|
1,000 square feet of gross indoor and outdoor display areas
| |
|
Carpeting, drapery, floor covering and wall covering sales
|
500 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Convenience stores
|
200 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Drive-through and/or fast food restaurants
|
2 seats
| |
|
Food markets and grocery stores
|
150 square feet of gross floor area for public use
| |
|
Funeral homes
|
100 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Furniture sales
|
500 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Hotels, motels, tourists homes
|
Guest sleeping room (restaurant and other accessory uses shall
add to this requirement)
| |
|
Mini-warehouses
|
25 units plus 1 per 250 square feet office space
| |
|
Office buildings
|
300 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Professional offices of dentists, physicians, veterinarians,
etc.
|
1/6 physician, dentist, etc.
| |
|
Retail stores or shops (except those listed above)
|
200 square feet of gross floor area of display or sales area
| |
|
Eating and drinking establishments
|
4 seats
| |
|
Shopping centers or malls
|
300 square feet of gross leasable floor area
| |
|
Other commercial buildings
|
400 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Boarding houses, group homes and bed and breakfast
|
Bedroom
| |
|
Clubs, lodges and other similar places
|
200 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Auditorium, banquet, conference and/or meeting facilities; church,
theater and other such places of public assembly
|
200 square feet of gross floor area public use
| |
|
Nursing, rest or retirement homes
|
3 beds
| |
|
Hospitals, sanitariums
|
2 accommodations (bed)
| |
|
Museum, art galleries, cultural centers, libraries
|
400 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Rehabilitation centers and clinics (without overnight accommodations)
|
1/6 physician, dentist and/or therapist
| |
|
Schools below grade 10, including commercial day care and kindergarten
|
10 students enrolled
| |
|
Schools, 10th grade and above, including colleges
|
5 students enrolled
| |
|
Vocational training and adult education facilities
|
1 student enrolled
| |
|
Industrial and heavy manufacturing establishments
|
2,500 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Warehousing
|
5,000 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Amusement arcades
|
100 square feet of gross floor area
| |
|
Athletic fields
|
4 seats of spectator seating
| |
|
Bowling alleys, billiards rooms
|
1/4 lane/table
| |
|
Campgrounds
|
Per campsite
| |
|
Golf courses
|
1/2 tee
| |
|
Golf driving ranges
|
1 per tee
| |
|
Miniature golf courses
|
1/2 hole
| |
|
Riding schools or horse stables
|
2 stalls plus 1 every 4 seats of spectator seating
| |
|
Picnic areas
|
1 per table
| |
|
Skating rinks
|
4 persons of legal occupancy
| |
|
Swimming pools
|
4 persons of legal occupancy
| |
|
Duplex, townhouse or multifamily dwellings
|
1/3 dwelling unit
|
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 126; as amended by Ord.
3-99, 5/12/1999, § H]
Every single family dwelling shall be required to provide at least three off-street parking spaces. Such spaces must be provided behind the street right-of-way and may take the form of garages, carports or driveways. Additional regulations pertaining to driveways are contained in § 27-1104, Subsection 1, of this Part.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1211]
Residential lots shall in general front on a Township street,
existing or proposed. Where it is necessary for the proper utilization
of land to create lots without direct frontage on a street, such interior
lots shall have an access with a minimum width of 50 feet. No more
than two contiguous interior lots shall be so formed.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1212]
All activities and all storage of flammable and explosive materials
at any point shall be provided with adequate safety and fire-fighting
devices in accordance with the Fire Prevention Code of Chester County.
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1213]
Where required by the Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors,
the following information shall be supplied for a proposed development
or use, residential, industrial or commercial: Neighborhood Impact
Analysis, as explained under "Definitions."
[Ord. 1-71, 3/2/1971, § 1214]
The Planning Commission and/or the Board of Supervisors shall
evaluate the study to determine the appropriateness of the site in
question to accommodate the magnitude of the proposed development,
as well as the impact of the proposed development on the community
facilities and services of Lower Oxford Township. The following alternative
findings shall result from the evaluation process.
1.
Evaluations which lead to an overall negative assessment for the
proposed development shall lead to a denial by the Board.
2.
Evaluations which lead to an overall negative assessment for a proposed
development may lead to a conditional approval by the Board, when
the developer agrees to undertake activities or improvements which
will compensate or correct deficiencies or negative impacts caused
by the implementation of the proposed development.
3.
Evaluations which lead to an overall positive or neutral assessment
for a proposed development shall lead to an approval by the Board
of Supervisors.
