In the VC District, the following regulations shall apply:
A. Use Regulations.
(1) Uses by Right. Only the following uses shall be permitted by right (see also Article 4):
(a) A-1 Agriculture.
(b) A-2 Accessory Agricultural Sales.
(c) A-3 Forestry.
(d) A-4 Greenhouse.
(e) A-7 Nursery.
(f) B-2a Group Home.
(g) B-6 Apartments, which shall only be allowed on the same lot as a lawful principal commercial use, and which shall be limited to a maximum of four dwelling units and provided that there is a minimum of 10,000 square feet of lot area per dwelling unit.
(h) B-7 Performance Subdivision (limited to the uses: B-4 Duplex Dwelling, B-6 Apartments, B-11a and B-11b Single-Family Detached Dwellings, B-14 Townhouse Dwellings, B-15 Twin Dwellings, and B16 Village Houses).
(i) Reserved.
(j) B11 Single Family Detached Dwelling.
(k) B-12 Single-Family Detached Cluster.
(l) B-15 Twin Dwellings.
(m) B-16 Village House.
(n) C-2 Commercial School.
(o) C-3 Day Care Center.
(p) C-6 Library or Museum.
(q) C-7 Municipal Facility.
(r) C-10 Place of Worship.
(s) C-12 Recreational Facility/Community Center.
(t) C-14 Municipal Passive Recreation Park. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(u) D-1 Medical Office or D-2 Office. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(v) D-3 Veterinary Office or Clinic. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(w) E-5 Convenience Store, not involving sales of fuel. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(x) E-6 Restaurant Without Drive-Through Service. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(y) E-8 Entertainment, limited to indoor uses with a maximum building floor area of 5,000 square feet, and not including an Adult Entertainment Use. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(z) E-9 Financial Institution, which may include Drive-Through Service. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(aa) E-10 Funeral Home. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(bb) E-11 Bed-and-Breakfast. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(cc) E-17 Repair Shop. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(dd) E-12 and E-18 Retail Trade and Service, provided that no establishment shall have a building floor area greater than 15,000 square feet, and with drive-through service being prohibited. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(ee) E-21 Parking Lot or Garage, not primarily involving tractor-trailer trucks or trailers of such combinations. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(ff) F-2 Emergency Services. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(gg) F-4 Essential Services. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(hh) H-1 Accessory Apartment. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(ii) H-2 One Dwelling Unit in Combination with a Principal Business on the Same Lot. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(jj) H-3 Family Day Care. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(kk) H-4 Home Based Business. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(ll) H-6 Outside Storage, as accessory to an allowed principal use. In no case shall outdoor storage exceed 10 percent of the total lot area of a lot. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(mm) H-7 Recreational Vehicles. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(nn) H-8 Residential Accessory Structure or Use. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5- 2014)
(oo) H-9 Spa/Hot Tubs. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(pp) H-10 Swimming Pool. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(qq) H-11 Temporary Structures and Vehicles. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5- 2014)
(rr) H-13 accessory use or structure. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(ss) H-14 Accessory Solar-Powered Generating Facilities. (Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2014)
(tt) H-16 Accessory Geothermal Heat Pump. (Ord. 203, passed 2-28- 2023)
(2) Conditional Uses. Only the following uses shall be allowed as conditional uses (see also Articles 4 and 8):
(a) C-13 Primary or Secondary School or College.
(b) E-23 Tavern.
(c) H-15 Accessory Wind-Powered Generating Facility. (Ord. 203, passed 2-28-2023)
(3) Uses by Special Exception. Only the following uses shall be allowed as special exception uses (see also Articles 4 and 5):
(a) B-9 Residential Conversion.
(b) C-8 Nursing Home.
(c) C-9 Personal Care Facility.
(d) C-11 Private Organization.
(e) F-1 Utility Operating Facility.
(f) H-17 Emerging Alternative Energy Generation Systems. (Ord. 203, passed 2-28-2023)
(4) Signs shall be allowed in accordance with Article 9.
B. Dimensional, Open Space and Coverage Regulations. The following regulations shall apply within the VC district, unless a more restrictive provision is established by another section of this Ordinance (such as Articles 4 and 5):
Maximum Density | Minimum Open Space Ratio | Maximum Impervious Surface Ratio | Minimum Gross Site Area |
Maximum Density | Minimum Open Space Ratio | Maximum Impervious Surface Ratio | Minimum Gross Site Area | |
B-11a or B-11b. Single-Family Detached Dwellings, B-15 Twin Dwellings or B-16 Village House** | – | – | .50 | – |
B-12 Single-Family Detached Cluster** | 4 | .30 | .30 | 1 acre |
B-7 Performance Subdivision *** | 4 | .35 | .50 | 1 acre |
C-16 Continuing Care Retirement Community | 10 acres | |||
– Mixed Residential/Medical/Access ory Use Building | 15 DU/acre | 0.50 | 0.50 | |
– Other housing types allowed as Use B-7 | 6 DU/acre | 0.35 | 0.50 | |
Other Allowed Use | – | – | .50 | – |
** Township-approved central sewage and central water services shall both be provided. *** See standards under Use B-7 in Section 403 regarding water and sewage services. | ||||
Dwelling Type | Minimum Lot Area* (sq. ft.) | Minimum Lot Width at Minimum Bldg. Setback Line (feet) | Minimum Yards: Front/Each Side/Rear (feet) |
Dwelling Type | Minimum Lot Area* (sq. ft.) | Minimum Lot Width at Minimum Bldg. Setback Line (feet) | Minimum Yards: Front/Each Side/Rear (feet) |
B-11a or B-11b. Single-Family Detached Dwelling or B-16 Village House (outside of a Performance Subdivision, unless a smaller yard is allowed for a Village House in Section 403.B.(16): | 10,000 | 90 | 25/10/35 |
– With Township-approved central sewage and central water services | 35,000 | 90 | 25/10/35 |
– With Township-approved central sewage but not central water service | 43,560 | 110 | 25/10/35 |
– Without Township-approved central sewage | |||
B-12 Single-Family Detached Cluster | 7,000 | 60 | 25/8/35 |
B-15 Twin Dwellings (outside of a Performance Subdivision) | 7,000 | 60* | 25/10/35 |
B-7 Performance Subdivision | |||
– Single-Family Detached Dwelling | 6,000 | 50 | 25/6/25 |
– Twin Dwelling | 5,000* | 50* | 25/6/25 |
None | 25/6/25 | ||
C-16 Continuing Care Retirement Community | 250 | 50/50/50 around site perimeter, otherwise requirements of B-7 | |
Other Allowed Use | 43,560 | 110 | 35/20**/40 |
*Per dwelling unit for residential uses. **Except a 40 feet minimum building setback shall apply for a non-residential principal commercial building to the lot line of a lot in a residential district. | |||
(1) Maximum building height–a maximum of 3 stories or 40 feet, whichever is more restrictive.
C. Site Design Standards and Guidelines. To promote infill traditional neighborhood development, as authorized by the State Municipalities Planning Code, the following additional standards and guidelines shall apply in the VC District.
(1) A maximum of 10 percent of the required off-street parking spaces may be met by providing on-street parking spaces along a newly built public street, provided that the spaces are within 250 feet of the use being served by the parking.
(2) All streets shall include a hard surface pathway meeting Township requirements on both sides of the street, if sidewalks are not required.
(3) If a new principal building is constructed on a vacant lot, at least a portion of one such building shall be located a maximum of 75 feet from the existing or ultimate street right-of-way of a public street.
(4) All lots shall have provisions for well-marked pedestrian routes from a public street to a pedestrian entrance of a principal building. This may include, but not be limited to, a path between adjacent rows of parking vehicles, that is protected by curb or curb stops from the adjacent parking spaces. Individual buildings and pedestrian entrances and parking areas shall be laid out to promote pedestrian access among different uses.
(5) A building shall have a maximum length of 200 feet if it is parallel to a public street, unless the building is designed to appear to be two or more distinct buildings that are attached to each other.
(6) Where parking or buildings do not currently exist, a minimum width of 10 feet adjacent to the curbline of an arterial street shall be planted and maintained in grass or other vegetative groundcover, except for necessary approximately perpendicular driveway crossings. Trees and shrubs shall also be planted in this vicinity, provided they do not obstruct safe sight distances. Where a sidewalk is provided, such 10 feet width may be provided in two segments, provided that the total width totals at least 10 feet. Where curb is not provided, such width shall be measured from the street right-of-way. Pre-existing parking spaces may be rearranged, provided they do not result in an increase in the land area covered by off-street parking spaces in such location.
(7) Buildings may be developed in a condominium arrangement without each building being on its own minimum sized lot provided the applicant proves that the same dimensional requirements could be met as if the dwellings were in fee-simple ownership. For example, if a 10 feet side yard is required on each side of two buildings, then a 20 feet separation shall be provided, although a lot line would not need to exist between the two buildings.
(8) Before zoning approval is granted for any new principal building, a conceptual architectural plan shall be submitted to the Township for review by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Such plans shall show the front elevation of the building and shall list the types of exterior building materials of the front facade.
(9) Street level storefronts shall be inviting to pedestrians.
(10) Loading and unloading spaces for trucks shall not block major pedestrian ways or create blind spots.
(11) Design Guidelines. The following advisory guidelines are recommended to be used by the Township and applicants in the VC District:
(a) Parking. Parking areas should be well screened from arterial roads by landscaping and/or a decorative masonry wall.
(b) Blank Walls. Blank walls without door and window openings should be avoided along a street. Overly modernistic or bland buildings devoid of details should be avoided when adjacent buildings have architectural details.
(c) Fencing. Chain link metal fencing should be avoided in the front yard.
(d) Materials. On building sides facing a street, new construction should use building materials that are similar to appearance to older buildings, such as brick, stone, glass, clapboard-type siding.
(e) Buildings of over 100 feet in length should be designed to have the appearance of inter-connected buildings and to avoid the appearance of monotony. This should be accomplished through variations in rooflines, overhangs, setbacks, colors and facade materials and use of canopies, porches and awnings.
(f) Buildings should have a pitched or peaked roof as viewed from an arterial street or have a decorative cornice roof.
(g) Retail stores should have display windows facing onto the street.
(h) To the maximum extent feasible, off-street parking should be located to the rear or side of nonresidential buildings.
(i) Buildings should be designed and arranged to provide a character similar to an older village.
(Ord. passed 10-2-2007, § 605; Ord. 173, passed 1-5-2015, § 11; Ord. 176, passed 1-5-2015, § 12; Ord. 191, passed 1-8-2019; Ord. 203, passed 2-28-2023)