Site Development Standards and Conditions. Development plans for a PUD shall at a minimum comply with the standards and conditions provided in this Section as well as the review criteria and standards applicable to all conditional uses under this Chapter. Other lot development standards within a given zoning district, excepting as to building height, shall not apply.
 

A. Building Size, Placement and Appearance. Individual commercial buildings and attached commercial buildings shall be of a size and scale reflective of neighborhood commercial developments.
 

(1) A free-standing building containing no more than one commercial establishment shall not exceed 15,000 square feet of gross floor area.

(2) A building that contains two or more commercial establishments shall not exceed 25,000 square feet of gross floor area. Such building shall have a roof line common to the commercial establishments.

(3) The maximum amount of gross floor area for all buildings approved for a PUD shall not exceed 100,000 square feet.

(4) The building coverage ratio shall not exceed 40%. The Planning Commission, however, may recommend and the Township Board of Supervisors may approve a building coverage ratio of up to 50% in the case of lots of less than 200,000 square feet in area. In determining whether or not to allow this increase the Planning Commission and Township Board of Supervisors shall each find, based upon the facts presented by the applicant, that the following criteria have been met:

(a) The increased size of the project will not create traffic hazards on site or on adjacent publicly used roadways.
(b) The additional building area allowed will not result in buildings that are out of scale with the size of the parcel.
(c) The additional building area allowed will not result in building size or design that is incompatible with the character of nearby land uses.
(d) The additional building area is necessary to achieve a development size and mix of land uses for long-term viability of the PUD.
(e) The increase in building area allowed will still achieve the intended purpose of these provisions.
 

(5) A proposed commercial use shall not be of a size that would attract substantial numbers of users who would otherwise not utilize adjacent streets to reach the development. So as to determine compliance with this standard, the Planning Commission, in reviewing the size of a proposed commercial use, may require a market study to demonstrate the area which a proposed commercial use is designed to serve.

(6) Buildings and structures shall have a unified, attractive, architectural theme reflective of the character of nearby buildings in the Township. Buildings shall be designed to avoid massive walls or facades, flat roofs and box like building appearance which would be out of character and scale with existing nearby buildings which are located within the Township. Buildings with residential or varied roof lines shall be encouraged.

(7) Buildings shall be located so they do not detract from or predominate the existing view along Township roadways. When a PUD area abuts land zoned for residential use, building setbacks should be such that the privacy and quiet of nearby residents is not adversely affected.

B. Area and Yard Requirements. Lots developed as PUD’s shall be at least five acres in size. This requirement may be reduced by the Board of Supervisors if, in its discretion, it is determined that the PUD can be developed on a smaller parcel in accordance with the intent and standards of these provisions.

C. Building Setbacks. Setbacks from lot lines, including the fight of way lines for public and private roads abutting the site or serving the interior of the site, shall be determined for the PUD by the Planning Commission and Township Board of Supervisors, based on the application of site planning criteria to achieve integration of the development with the characteristics of the site area. In making these determinations, the criteria considered shall include the following:

(1) Number, type and size of buildings in relation to the lot size.
(2) Proximity to adjacent existing and future land uses.
(3) Preservation of existing vegetation or other natural features on site.
(4) Topography of the site.
(5) Ability to provide electricity, water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and other utilities.
(6) Overall design of the development relatives to its capability with nearby existing or proposed land uses.
(7) Ability to provide for drainage and utility easements as well as access for emergency purposes.

D. Landscaping.

(1) A landscaping plan shall be submitted along with the PUD site plan as required herein for other conditional uses. The landscape plan shall illustrate the type, size, location and number of plantings proposed along with any existing on-site vegetation that is to be retained. Existing mature trees shall not be removed except as may be necessary to accommodate those improvements that are of the Township approved site plan. Significant existing vegetation that is proposed to be removed shall be illustrated on the site plan and no removal shall take place in advance of such approval.

(2) A minimum twenty-five-foot wide landscaped strip shall be provided along that portion of the property that abuts a public street or parcel zoned for residential use and at the discretion of the Planing Commission and Board of Supervisors, this buffer may be required to be increased to achieve the intended purposes. Earthen berms may also be required to improve the screening capabilities of the landscaped area.

(3) Landscaping shall be provided adjacent to all buildings in order to reduce the visual impact of larger buildings, provide shade, and improve building appearances.

E. Parking and Circulation. The control of traffic is an important consideration in the development of a PUD and a traffic impact study may be required to be submitted with the preliminary site plan. The study if required shall provide data and findings for on-site and off site traffic control measures, information on the amount of traffic generated by proposed uses, the impact of traffic on adjacent and nearby street, and other traffic information as required by the Planning Commission. Other parking and traffic standards contained herein shall also be met.

F. Lighting.

(1) Any lighting for exterior environments should be arranged to minimize uncontrolled light, glare, over lighting, light trespass and sky glow.
(2) Lighting fixtures within 150 feet of any residential area shall not exceed 20 feet in height. All other fixtures shall not exceed 35 feet in height.
(3) Blinking, flashing, lights which change intensity and beacon lights are not permitted.
(4) Interior building lights shall be arranged and designed so as not to be a distraction or a visual nuisance to passing motorists or nearby residents or property owners.

 

Signs. PUD signs shall be in accordance with a master signage plan to be submitted with the preliminary site plan. Drawings illustrating sign design, size, location and lighting shall be submitted and processed as part of the conditional use application.

See § 27-509: Planned Unit Developments for detailed information.
See Forms and Documents for information on a sign application and other forms.