In C Commercial Districts the following regulations shall apply.
A building may be erected, altered or used, and a lot may be
occupied or used, in whole or part, for any of the following uses
and no other, provided that such uses comply with the district regulations
below, and all other applicable sections of this Ordinance.
A.
Uses Permitted By-Right.
1.
Use B-5. Convenience Store/Mini-Market.
2.
Use B-11. Hotel/Motel/Inn.
3.
Use B-13. Mixed-Use Building.
4.
Use B-14. Personal Care Business.
5.
Use B-15. Professional Service Business.
6.
Use B-17. Restaurant.
7.
Use B-18. Retail Shop.
8.
Use B-19. Retail Take-Out Foods.
9.
Use B-20. Service or Gas Station.
11.
Use B-25. Artisanal Production/Retail Manufacturing.
[Added 1-6-2022 by Ord.
No. 407]
12.
Use D-1. Office Building.
13.
Use D-2. Professional Office.
14.
Use D-3. Medical Clinic or Office.
15.
Use E-1. Athletic Club.
16.
Use E-2. Indoor Recreation.
17.
Use E-3. Movie Theater.
18.
Use E-5. Theater (Performing).
19.
Use F-1. Body Shop/Automobile Repair.
20.
Use F-2. Building Supply.
21.
Use F-3. Car Wash.
22.
Use F-4. Commercial School.
23.
Use F-5. Contracting Shop.
24.
Use G-1a. Multifamily Unit, permitted only as a part of Use
B-13: Mixed Use Building.
25.
Accessory Uses. The following accessory uses on the same lot which are subordinate and customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses and as provided for in Article III herein:
a.
Use A-2. Residential Accessory Structure.
b.
Use A-3. Non-Residential Accessory Structure.
c.
Use A-5. Commercial Vehicles.
d.
Use A-6. Drive-Through Facilities.
e.
Use A-7. Fences and Walls.
f.
Use A-10. Home Occupation.
g.
Use A-12. No-Impact Home-Based Business.
h.
Use A-13. Outdoor Storage and Waste Disposal.
i.
Use A-15. Roadside Stand.
j.
Use A-16. Swimming Pool.
k.
Use A-17. Tennis/Sports Court.
l.
Use A-19. Recreational Sporting Vehicle.
B.
Uses Permitted Only When Authorized by Special Exception.
1.
Use B-7. Dry-Cleaners (On-Site).
2.
Use B-8. Medical Marijuana Dispensary.
3.
Use B-9. Pharmacy.
4.
Use C-6. Group Supervision Facility.
5.
Use F-6. Kennel.
6.
Any other legal use not otherwise permitted expressly or elsewhere
in this Zoning Code when authorized as a special exception by the
Zoning Hearing Board and after the imposition of conditions designed
to eliminate (to the extent reasonably possible) adverse effects upon
neighboring properties and the general public health, safety, and
welfare, provided such use is not already permitted in one of the
municipalities with which the Borough has adopted and implemented
a multi-municipal comprehensive plan.
C.
Uses Permitted by Conditional Use. The following are only permitted when authorized by Borough Council as a Conditional Use, provided that § 176-1005, all applicable use regulations of Article III, as well all other applicable requirements of this Article and Chapter, are satisfied:
1.
Any of the following, in accordance with the standards of § 176-1006:
a.
An increase of the building footprint of an existing building.
b.
The removal, demolition or partial demolition of any existing
buildings and structures in accordance with § 176-1006.B
c.
The construction of any new principal buildings for any uses
permitted by-right, by special exception or by conditional use in
this zoning district.
A.
The following dimensional requirements shall apply:
|
Dimensional Requirements
| |
|---|---|
|
Minimum Lot Area
|
5,000 square feet
|
|
Minimum Lot Width
|
N/A
|
|
Setbacks
| |
|
Front
|
25 feet
|
|
Sides
|
5 feet (where provided for a building not attached to another
building)
|
|
Rear
|
25 feet
|
|
Maximum Impervious Coverage
|
85%
|
|
Maximum Building Height
|
3 stories or 35 feet, except that that the height of any such
other building or structure may be increased to a maximum of 60 feet
when approved by the Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception.
Said Board shall make the finding that any excess height over
40 feet shall not be detrimental to the light, air, privacy or architectural
scheme of any other structure or use currently existing or anticipated,
provided that for every foot of height in excess of 40 feet there
shall be added to each yard requirement one corresponding foot of
width or depth.
|
A.
Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress
to and from public roads serving the district without undue congestion
to or interference with normal traffic flow.
B.
Lighting facilities shall be arranged in a manner which will protect
the roadway and neighboring properties from unreasonable direct glare
or hazardous interference of any kind.
C.
All proposed uses must have their primary facade oriented toward
Main Street.
D.
Any new buildings or building expansions shall be similar in size,
scale, massing, fenestration, rooflines, building materials, and general
appearance to one or more buildings located on adjoining lots or to
an existing historic building or structure within the Borough. A new
building or building expansion that differs from the existing buildings
located on adjoining lots shall be permitted, provided that it is
complimentary to the existing character of adjacent existing buildings.
E.
All areas of a lot not covered by building and/or impervious paving
shall be maintained as landscaped areas containing trees, shrubs and
groundcover material, which may include lawn areas.
F.
Lighting.
1.
Lighting fixtures shall be directed away from residential properties
and arranged in a manner that will protect the street and neighboring
properties from direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind.
2.
Lighting fixtures shall be of a character consistent with the architecture
of the structure and surrounding properties.
G.
All refuse areas shall be screened from the view of adjacent streets
or residential districts by an opaque buffer at least six feet high
and not more than eight feet high. This screened area shall be in
the rear or side yard.
H.
All new development and conversions shall be served by public water
and sewer facilities.
I.
All utility lines shall be placed underground whenever feasible for
development or expansion of existing development.
J.
No single use shall exceed 50,000 square feet. The total square footage
of any site with more than one use shall not exceed 100,000 square
feet.
In conjunction with Article XVII, Off-Street Parking and Loading, of this chapter, the following requirements shall apply to any parking areas provided in the C Commercial District:
B.
All proposed uses shall provide shared access, access easements,
consistent grading and driveway interconnections with adjoining lots
when required by the Borough. Should the Borough require shared access
between multiple users or multiple lots, or should an applicant voluntarily
provide shared access between multiple users or multiple lots, the
following requirements and conditions shall apply:
1.
When two or more abutting lots share an access driveway, that driveway
shall be designed as the main access to those lots, and one or more
existing access driveways shall then be closed.
2.
Where development of three or more adjoining parcels consolidates
vehicular access into one shared driveway, that driveway may be upgraded
into a medium volume (between 1,500 and 3,000 vehicle trips per day)
driveway according to PennDOT standards.
3.
Shared access may be located entirely on one lot or be split along
a common lot line.
4.
Access easements and maintenance agreements or other suitable legal
mechanisms shall be provided, acceptable to the Borough in consultation
with the Borough Solicitor.
5.
Liability safeguards for all property owners and lessees served by
the shared access shall be guaranteed to the satisfaction of the Borough
in consultation with the Borough Solicitor.
In addition to the development standards established in § 176-1003 herein, and all other applicable regulations of this Chapter herein, the following shall apply to any conditional uses in the C Commercial District:
A.
Conditional uses must preserve, utilize and/or maintain a building
in a manner that is consistent with the character of this section
of Main Street and the Main Street Schwenksville Streetscape Plan
and Design Guidelines.
The increase in building footprint of or removal of existing
principal buildings, or the construction of new principal buildings
for all uses within the C District shall be permitted by conditional
use subject to compliance with the standards set forth below. The
following property alterations may be exempted from the Conditional
Use review required by §§ 1005 and 1006 by the Zoning
Officer/Building Inspector, provided such alterations conform to the
Main Street Schwenksville Streetscape Plan and Design Guidelines:
the routine repair, maintenance or replacement in kind of any exterior
elements or features of any building or structure, in whole or in
part. 'Replacement in kind' refers to equal in construction characteristics,
including material, size, configuration, profile, appearance, texture,
color and method of installation with conforming lines, levels and
planes.
A.
Increase in footprint of principal buildings.
1.
Building footprint expansions to existing buildings shall only be
permitted to the rear and sides of the principal building. Expansions
to the front of the building are not permitted.
a.
Any expansions done to the rear of the building must conform
in scale and architectural design to the existing building.
b.
Expansions to the side of the building must conform in scale,
building materials, and architectural design to the front facade of
the existing building and be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the
front facade of the existing building.
c.
The rooflines of all additions shall be similar or complementary
to those of the existing building.
2.
An existing principal building that faces the street shall not be
expanded toward the street except to permit an open front porch consistent
with the architectural design of the front facade of the building.
3.
Applicants shall submit architectural drawings for the evaluation
of the proposed principal building expansion. Borough Council may
approve a building footprint expansion different from the existing
building, provided that it complements the existing building and does
not detract from the intent of this article to retain the village
atmosphere of Main Street.
B.
Removal, demolition or partial demolition of existing buildings and
structures.
1.
An applicant and/or owner shall not remove, demolish or partially
demolish an existing principal building within the C District unless
Borough Council is satisfied that the principal building is not suitable
for the proposed use according to the following criteria:
a.
The applicant demonstrates to the Borough that the existing
principal building is structurally unsound. Applicant shall submit
a written report from a structural engineer who has evaluated said
principal building.
b.
The principal building cannot be reasonably modified to accommodate
access for handicapped individuals. The applicant will submit a written
report listing all restrictions and estimated costs to modify said
principal building. The report shall be prepared by a structural engineer,
signed, and sealed.
c.
Interior spaces of the principal building are too small to be
converted to be suitable for the proposed use.
2.
An applicant shall not remove, demolish or partially demolish an
existing principal building until Borough Council has approved a land
development plan for the subject property on which the principal building
is located, subject to the following criteria:
a.
The replacement principal building is located in approximately
the same location as the building proposed to be removed.
b.
The area of the existing principal building shall not be utilized
for parking but shall be used for a replacement building, landscaping
or open space.
c.
Replacement principal buildings shall be similar in general
appearance, size, scale, and bulk and building material to the removed
principal building. Applicants shall submit architectural drawings
for the evaluation of the proposed building. Borough Council may approve
a new principal building different from the existing principal building,
provided that it complements the adjacent buildings and does not detract
from the intent of this article to retain the village atmosphere of
Main Street.
3.
Principal and accessory structures which have been identified by
either the state or have been indicated in the 2011 Historic Resource
Survey commissioned by the Borough of Schwenksville as having historic
significance shall not be removed, demolished or partially demolished
unless preservation or rehabilitation of the structure is determined
to be infeasible for all permitted uses. In determining whether the
preservation or rehabilitation of the structure is feasible, the determination
of § 176-1006.B.1 shall be followed, except that the determination
shall also be applied to the removal, demolition or partial demolition
of accessory structures, in addition to consideration of the following
conditions:
a.
Whether the structure is representative of a specific period
of significance that is integral to the Borough's history.
b.
Whether the structures can be preserved by protecting its location
from disturbance.
c.
Whether measures, such as rehabilitation, reuse, or restoration,
can result in preservation of the structure.
d.
Whether the steps necessary to preserve the structure are feasible
and do not create an economic hardship, defined as satisfying all
of the following conditions:
I.
The property is incapable of earning a reasonable return in
its current or rehabilitated state, regardless of whether the return
represents the most profitable return possible.
II.
The property cannot be adapted for any other use, whether by
the current owner or by a purchaser, which will result in a reasonable
return.
III.
Earnest and reasonable efforts to find a purchaser
interested in acquiring the property and preserving have failed.
e.
Whether the measures taken to preserve the structure are long-term
in nature.
C.
Construction of a new principal building.
1.
New principal buildings may be constructed on any empty lot, provided
that the lot and building conform in all respects to the requirements
of this zoning district, and provided the following conditions are
met:
a.
The new building shall be similar in size, scale, massing, fenestration,
general appearance, and building materials to the general character
of existing buildings within the Borough.
b.
Applicants shall submit architectural drawings for the evaluation
of the proposed building. Borough Council may approve a new building
different from the existing buildings located on adjoining lots, provided
that it complements the existing buildings and does not detract from
the intent of this article to retain the village atmosphere of Main
Street.
c.
Any new buildings constructed on a lot containing an existing
building may not be built on the portion of the lot between the front
facade of the existing building and the lot line that abuts a street
right-of-way.
