The purpose of the (TC) Town Center District is to provide for
a mix of residential and commercial activity, as has historically
characterized village development along Main Street. The TC District
is largely coincident with the Elverson Historic District, listed
on the National Register of Historic Places. The TC District is intended
to promote the long-term economic viability of the historic district
and to provide for new residential, office and commercial development
which is compatible with the historic village context.
A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be
used or occupied for any one of the following principal purposes and
no other.
A.
Uses by right. The following uses are permitted by right in the Town
Center District:
(1)
Single-family detached dwelling.
(2)
Two-family dwellings.
(3)
The following uses are permitted by right, provided such uses
occupy no more than 5,000 square feet of gross sales/service area:
(4)
Municipal use.
B.
Conditional uses. The following uses are permitted when approved by the Borough Council as a conditional use, subject to the provisions of Article XVII herein. In addition to the standards and criteria of Article XVII, Borough Council shall consider the standards of § 290-1212 of this chapter and the recommendation(s) of the Elverson Historical Commission prior to approving, denying or establishing specific conditions of approval for any conditional use for a contributing structure within the Elverson Historic District:
(1)
Any use permitted by right under Subsection A(3) of this section when occupying more than 5,000 square feet of gross sales/service area.
(2)
Restaurant.
(7)
Mortuary.
(8)
Crematory.
(12)
Historic resources. The use of existing structures classified as contributing in the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Elverson Historic District may involve any one or more of the uses permitted herein. Alterations to such historic resources shall result in maintenance of general historical integrity, and enlargement of such structures by greater than 25% of gross floor area shall be permitted only when authorized by conditional use in accordance with § 290-1212.
(13)
Hotel.
The following shall apply to all uses except those included in a Site Responsive Residential Community, in which case the provisions of § 290-1226 shall apply.
C.
E.
Front and rear yard, minimum:
(1)
Single-family detached dwelling: front yard, 20 feet; rear yard,
20 feet
(2)
Two-family dwelling: front yard, 20 feet; rear yard, 20 feet.
(3)
Multiple-family dwelling (tract): front yard, 20 feet; rear
yard, 20 feet.
(5)
Reduction of minimum front-yard requirement. The front yard
of a proposed structure in the TC District may be decreased in depth
to the average alignment of existing structures within 100 feet on
each side of the proposed structure. Such reduction may occur when
alignment of adjacent existing structures is less than the minimum
front-yard requirement.
The following standards shall apply in the TC District, where
applicable:
A.
Buildings greater than 35 feet in height. Buildings may be permitted to exceed 35 feet in height but shall not exceed 65 feet in height when authorized by conditional use in accordance with Article XVII and in accordance with the requirements of this section. In addition to the requirements of § 290-605B, buildings permitted to exceed 35 feet in height shall meet the following requirements:
(1)
Not more than two consecutive buildings greater than 35 feet
shall be permitted immediately adjacent to a building of the same
height.
(2)
Not more than two consecutive buildings greater than 35 feet
shall be permitted to have the same roofline as the building immediately
adjacent. Roofline variations include but are not limited to flat
roofs, mansard, hip, gable, gambrel, dormer, or any combination or
variation thereof.
(3)
Buildings of a height of greater than 35 feet shall have their
vertical massing broken up with horizontal elements at the thirty-five-foot
height at a minimum. Elements to achieve this variation shall include,
but are not limited to, such features as varying facade cladding,
belt course, window and door fenestration, pilasters, piers, bay windows,
bow windows, and other appropriate elements that project from the
building facade no less than three inches and no more than two feet.
(4)
Buildings permitted to exceed 35 feet in height shall be required
to achieve one of the following three options to offset the impacts
of increased building height:
(a)
Any portion of a building greater than 35 feet in height shall
be set back an additional 10 feet from the lower building facade.
For example, for a building 50 feet in height, the first 35 feet of
building may be at the front-yard setback/building line, but the additional
15 feet of building shall be set back 10 feet from the lower portion
of the building. See Figure 6-1.
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Figure 6-1: Additional Building Height Setback
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(b)
The entire building set back a minimum of 10 feet to create a civic space in the form of a plaza, courtyard or outdoor dining space. The design criteria in § 290-605A(4)(d) shall be required for additional building height.
(c)
Increase the sidewalk width from the minimum of five feet for each additional 10 feet of building height, but sidewalks shall not exceed 15 feet in width. The design criteria in § 290-605A(4)(d) shall be required for additional building height.
(d)
The following shall be included as deemed appropriate to the design for each building approved for increased building height as per Subsection A(4)(b) or (c), above, as a part of the conditional use approval:
[1]
Trees and landscaping maintained in perpetuity shall be provided
for a minimum of 15% of the surface area in front of each building.
Vegetation shall be of a variety that will be an appropriate size
at maturity to not encroach upon existing on-site or otherwise required
street trees or other landscaping, or that of any adjacent lot. This
may be accomplished through a combination of the following:
[a]
Trees, planted or in planters.
[b]
Surface planters (minimum size 24 inches in diameter).
[c]
Hanging baskets (minimum size 12 inches in diameter),
hanging cantilevered from the building face or other appropriate structure
(streetlights, etc.), or other approved means.
[d]
Planted window boxes at the bottom of all first-floor
windows and/or along the front building facade.
[e]
Raised planting beds against the front building
facade beneath windows or between the sidewalk and building line or
entrance.
[2]
Brick or textured paving, benches, trash receptacles, awnings,
decorative lighting, low stone walls and similar streetscape amenities,
and other elements appropriate for the size of the resulting space
are encouraged in order to promote a human scale and greater attractiveness
to the proposed development and shall be approved as part of the conditional
use process.
(5)
A written report shall be submitted that includes plans, conceptual
building elevations, diagrams, photographs and other data sufficient
to demonstrate the following:
(a)
The intent of the architectural design of the proposed building(s)
and the manner in which the proposed building(s) contextually fit
into and enhance the block pattern and streetscape of the traditional
downtown area.
(b)
Compliance with the conditional use standards and criteria set
forth in this section.
(c)
General consistency with the Borough Comprehensive Plan, specifically
regarding the Town Center and the 2010 Elverson Borough Revitalization
Plan.
(6)
An impact assessment report shall be prepared to address measures
pertaining to such impacts as traffic, infrastructure, and parking
requirements, including assessment of off-street parking accomplished
through on-site parking lots, off-site parking, public parking lots,
or on-street parking.
B.
Standards for all buildings and structures.
(1)
No more than 30 feet of continuous street wall shall be created
for any new building or structure on a side facing a public street,
unless a break in depth of not less than three inches and no more
than three feet is provided at intervals of not less than 20 feet
accomplished through elements to achieve this street wall variation,
which shall include but not be limited to such features as varying
facade cladding, vertical building extensions, window and door fenestration,
recessed or extended doorway entrances, pilasters, piers, display
windows, bay windows, bow windows and other appropriate elements that
project from or extend into the street wall. See Figure 6-2.
(2)
No building or structure shall be a windowless box. Building
openings and windows shall constitute not less than 25% or greater
than 85% of all exterior walls that face a public street or parking
area. See Figure 6-3.
(3)
No building or structure shall have opaque, mirrored or dark-tinted
windows. See Figure 6-4.
(4)
Blank walls shall not be permitted along any exterior wall.
Walls or portions of walls where windows are not provided shall have
architectural treatments that include one or more of the following:
concrete or masonry plinth at the base of the wall, belt courses,
vertical columns, projecting cornice, medallions, artwork or murals,
decorative trimwork, lighting fixtures, or other similar decorative
feature. See Figure 6-5.
(5)
If a new building has a flat roof, then it shall have a wraparound
parapet wall sufficient in height to conceal the building's mechanical
and other rooftop equipment.
(6)
All rooftop mechanical equipment and structures shall be concealed.
(7)
For all buildings, the architectural design and detailing of
buildings should be varied in order to minimize the impact and scale
of the building and to visually enhance the appearance. Upper-story
setbacks and rooflines, fenestration (windows), use of varied compatible
materials and colors, and additional architectural detailing shall
be employed to the greatest extent appropriate in context with the
traditional town center.
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Figure 6-2: Street Wall Interruption
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Figure 6-3: Window Ratio Requirement
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Figure 6-4: Opaque, mirrored, or dark tinted windows are
not permitted
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Figure 6-5: Examples of architectural treatment of blank
walls
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