§ 175-156. General requirements for business districts.
   A.   One building may contain more than one use, provided that the total building coverage of the combined uses and paving does not exceed the maximum coverage specified for the district, and further that each use occupies a minimum gross floor area of 500 square feet.
   B.   A shopping center within the H-B Highway Business District may contain more than one principal building, provided that the total coverage specified for the district is not exceeded and the following building separation requirements are met:
[Amended 11-28-2011 by Ord. No. 23-2011]
      (1)   All principal buildings shall be separated by a minimum of 25 feet, provided that such separation is to be used solely for pedestrian circulation. (NOTE: The separation requirements should not be construed to prohibit covered pedestrian walkways when the roof or covering of such walkway extends between the principal buildings.)
      (2)   All principal buildings shall be separated by a minimum of 50 feet when such separation is to be used for parking or vehicular circulation. (NOTE: The separation requirements should not be construed to prohibit covered pedestrian walkways when the roof or covering of such walkway extends between the principal buildings.)
   C.   At least the first 40 feet adjacent to any street and rear property line and 15 feet adjacent to any side property line in the H-B District shall not be used for parking or a drive aisle, except for the entrance drive, and shall be planted and maintained as a buffer area as stipulated in § 175-91 and separated from the parking area by poured concrete or Belgian block or other suitable curbing as determined by the Planning Board during site plan review. This buffer area shall not contain stormwater drainage facilities but may, if approved by the Planning Board, be swaled to accept a portion of the site's stormwater runoff.
[Amended 10-12-1987 by Ord. No. 13-1987; 11-28-2011 by Ord. No. 23-2011]
   D.   No merchandise, products or similar material or objects shall be displayed or stored outside so as to reasonably obstruct pedestrian access on any sidewalk. Any use resulting in the storage of vehicles outside shall have such area entirely enclosed by a fence, wall, plant material or combination thereof in order to provide a visual barrier between the storage areas and any street, residential zoning district or existing residential use. Such outside storage area shall not exceed 30% of the lot area and shall be located in the rear yard only.
   E.   All buildings shall be compatibly designed, whether constructed all at one time or in stages over a period of time. All building walls facing any street or residential district line shall be suitably finished for aesthetic purposes.
   F.   All areas not utilized for building, parking, loading, access aisles and driveways or pedestrian walkways shall be suitably landscaped with shrubs, ground cover, seeding or similar plantings and maintained in good condition. A buffer area of a minimum width of 50 feet shall be provided in addition to the building setback requirements within the H-B Highway Business District along any common property line with a residential district or an existing residential use which buffer shall be planted according to the standards as set forth in § 175-91.
[Amended 10-12-1987 by Ord. No. 13-1987; 10-9-1989 by Ord. No. 33-1989; 11-28-2011 by Ord. No. 23-2011]
   G.   Where the commercial development in question is more than 1,000 feet in depth as measured from the right-of-way line of the roadway upon which it fronts and where a buffer is required pursuant to Subsection F, the buffer as set forth in Subsection F shall be of a minimum width of 100 feet in addition to the building setback requirements for a H-B Zone and shall be planted as set forth in § 175-91.
[Added 10-9-1989 by Ord. No. 33-1989; 11-28-2011 by Ord. No. 23-2011]
   H.   All applications for development which fall within the provisions of Subsections F and G as to required buffer areas shall have as a condition of preliminary approval a requirement that the applicant shall place on record prior to applying for final approval a deed creating a perpetual conservation easement over the required buffer area.
[Added 10-9-1989 by Ord. No. 33-1989]
   I.   Minimum off-street loading in the H-B Highway Business District.
[Amended 11-28-2011 by Ord. No. 23-2011]
      (1)   Each non-shopping-center activity shall provide for off-street loading and unloading with adequate ingress and egress from streets and shall provide such area(s) at the side or rear of the building. There shall be no loading or unloading from the street, except during designated business hours. Loading area requirements may be met by combining the floor areas of several activities taking place under one roof and applying the above ratios.
      (2)   Shopping centers shall provide sufficient loading areas to adequately service the activities within the shopping center.
      (3)   There shall be at least one trash and garbage pickup location provided by each building or in a pickup location outside the building. The trash and/or garbage shall be stored in a steel-like, totally enclosed container located in a manner to be obscured from view from parking areas, streets and adjacent residential uses or zoning districts by a fence, wall, planting or combination of the three. If located within the building, the doorway may serve both the loading and trash/garbage functions. If a container is used for trash/garbage functions and is located outside the building, it may be located adjacent to or within the general loading area(s), provided that the container in no way interferes with or restricts loading and unloading functions.
      (4)   All off-street loading areas shall be lighted.
   J.   No nonresidential use in the Downtown Districts or H-B Highway Business District shall be located on a parcel of less than one acre unless served by a centralized wastewater treatment plant.
[Added 6-28-1993 by Ord. No. 13-1993; 11-28-2011 by Ord. No. 23-2011]
   K.   Individual lots within the H-B Highway Business District may contain more than one principal use and more than one principal building or structure, provided that the total lot coverage specified for the district is not exceeded. Notwithstanding this subsection, shopping centers shall abide by the building separation requirements set forth in § 175-156B. Any entity that proposes to develop a lot in accordance with this subsection (§ 175-156K), as revised, shall submit a site plan to the Town of Hammonton Planning Board for review and approval.
[Amended 3-22-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010; 11-28-2011 by Ord. No. 23-2011]