It is the purpose of this district to provide
an area which, in addition to providing for uses which service the
day-to-day needs of surrounding residential areas, service other commercial
uses which are advantageously located near a major highway, serve
highway uses or serve greater geographical areas.
In an HC District, the following regulations
shall apply.
A building may be erected, altered or used and
lot or premises may be used for any of the following purposes and
no other:
A. Retail sale of goods, prepared food and services (except
adult businesses).
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
B. Business, professional and governmental office or
studio.
C. Banks, savings and loan associations, finance companies
and similar types of businesses.
E. Personal and household service establishments, such
as but not limited to barbershops, beauty shops, laundromats, laundry
and dry cleaning shops, tailor and seamstress shops and shoe and appliance
repair shops.
I. Restaurants (excluding drive-thru restaurants), taverns
and similar types of establishments.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
J. Indoor theater, bowling alleys, skating or hockey
rink, tennis or racquetball courts, amusement room for the use of
electronic and/or mechanical coin-operated devices and similar indoor
places of amusement or recreation.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
K. Lumber and building materials supply establishments.
L. Driving range or miniature golf course, tennis courts.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
M. Motor vehicle service stations, subject to the following:
(1) All automobile parts, dismantled vehicles and similar
articles shall be stored within a building.
(2) All repair activities shall be carried out within
a building.
N. Repair garage, subject to the following:
(1) All repair activities shall be performed within a
building.
(2) Temporary outdoor storage of licensed, inspected vehicles
is allowed for a maximum time period of 30 days. Outdoor storage of
dismantled vehicles is limited to three vehicles and they shall be
screened from view in such a manner that the outdoor storage of materials
is not visible from adjoining properties or public streets.
O. Car wash, subject to the following:
(1) No water used in the washing of cars shall be discharged
on the public roads or onto other properties.
(2) Car washing activities shall be carried out within
a building.
(3) An approach drive or parking area to accommodate a
minimum of four cars per bay shall be constructed, except in a case
of a facility where only one bay is provided, the approach drive or
parking area shall be constructed to accommodate a minimum of 10 cars.
Q. Accessory uses and structures to the above-permitted
uses when on the same lot as the permitted use.
S. Uses restricted by law to adults only are prohibited.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
T. The following uses are permitted when special exceptions
are granted by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with this chapter:
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
(1) Wholesale sale of goods by special exception.
U. Municipal use.
[Added 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
V. Short-term rental pursuant to the terms and conditions of Chapter
165 of the Code of the Township of Bern.
[Added 5-2-2023 by Ord. No. 342-2023]
[Amended 12-30-1997 by Ord. No. 171; 4-12-2000 by Ord. No.
186-2000]
The minimum lot size for a site is one acre
unless both public water and sewer service is provided and then the
minimum lot size is 20,000 square feet. The minimum lot size per unit
of use is one acre unless both public water and sewer service is provided,
in which case the minimum area per unit of use is 10,000 square feet.
The minimum front yard is 50 feet measured from
the street line. The minimum side yard shall be 25 feet, and the minimum
rear yard shall be 50 feet.
The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.
[Amended 12-30-1997 by Ord. No. 171; 4-12-2000 by Ord. No.
186-2000]
The minimum lot widths shall be 200 feet measured
at the street line and building setback line, except that the minimum
lot width where both public sewer and water is provided shall be 100
feet at the street line and the building setback line.
At least 25% of the lot shall be maintained
as open area.
[Amended 12-30-1997 by Ord. No. 171]
A. No paving other than connecting driveways, pedestrian
walkways and no structures shall be constructed within 50 feet of
the street right-of-way line. Along the frontage of every tract, except
for area devoted to accessways, landscaping shall be provided. The
landscaped area shall extend toward the interior of the lot for a
minimum distance of 50 feet from the street right-of-way line. In
addition to shrubbery and other landscaping, deciduous street trees
shall be required, planted at a minimum equivalent of 50 feet on center,
with a minimum diameter of two inches DBH at time of planting.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
B. When the side and/or rear yard of a lot adjoins land zoned other than commercial or industrial or used for residential purposes, 20 feet of yard area along the lot line shall be screened (according to Article
II, Definitions, and §
184-148, Landscaping). No paved areas or structures are permitted within this area.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
C. An open area free of structures and paving of at least
20 feet shall be provided along the side and rear lot lines.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
D. Drive-thru service is not permitted.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
E. There shall be a minimum distance between highway
access points of 300 feet. Each lot, land development and principal
building within a lot or land development, created after enactment
of this amending ordinance, shall have access to a marginal access
street, service road or internal street and shall not have direct
access to an arterial or collector street.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
F. Each use shall comply with the applicable parking requirements found in §
184-156.
G. Each use shall comply with the Storm Drainage District
Ordinance No. 131, the storm drainage design standards found in the Subdivision
and Land Development Ordinance for the Township of Bern, as well as the Flood Plain District
Ordinance No. 59-1980 and No. 61-1980.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
H. Each use shall comply with the design standards found in §
184-152.
I. Any development along the Route 183 corridor will
require increased rights-of-way as determined after consultation with
the Township, County and Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation.
J. Developments of five acres or more shall be designed
to include a uniform and logical selection of land uses and grouping
of buildings, service areas, parking areas, traffic circulation and
open space.
K. Where greater setbacks are established in §
184-147, or elsewhere in this chapter, regarding accessory buildings, structures and uses, such greater setbacks shall apply.
[Added 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
L. Any building facade which faces a patron parking area,
street or other space used or viewed by the public shall be provided
with decorative facade treatment, architecturally integrated with
all other building faces.
[Added 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
M. Site models and/or graphic portrayals, providing a
clear perspective of the relationship of the proposed development
to the site and its visual impact on adjacent properties, shall be
submitted to the Township.
[Added 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 186-2000]
The applicable performance standards of §
184-153 shall apply.