Section 503 - "C" Commercial District

The "C" Commercial District is intended for the conduct of general business to which the public requires direct and frequent access, but which is not characterized either by constant heavy trucking other than stocking and delivery of light retail goods or by any other nuisance except those created by human interaction and passenger vehicles. This includes such uses as retail stores, theaters and other amusement enterprises, business offices, newspaper offices and printing presses. Restaurants, taverns, and community garages or community parking areas subject to special regulations. Uses which would substantially interfere with the development or continuation of the commercial structures and uses in the district are restricted.

A. Permitted Uses
1. Administrative offices for commercial and industrial organization.
2. Amusement establishment, including bowling alleys, dance halls, similar place of recreation when conducted wholly within a completely enclosed building.
3. Auto accessory store, automobile and truck sales and incidental service.
4. Bakery shop, including the baking and processing of food products.
5. Bank, financial institution, savings and loan association, drive-in or main office.
6. Barber shop, beauty shop.
7. Blueprinting, photostating establishment.
8. Business, charitable, professional offices.
9. Bus passenger terminal.
10. Cabinet shop.
11. Camera and photographic supply shop, retail sales and service.
12. Car wash.
13. Day Care facilities.
14. Department store.
15. Dry-cleaning or pressing establishment, when employing facilities for the cleaning or pressing of dry goods received on the premises from retail trade only and including no wholesale cleaning or pressing business and when using nonflammable solvents as approved by the fire department.
16. Dry goods store, haberdashery, wearing apparel store.
17. Electrical appliances store, sales, service, repair, but excluding appliance assembly or manufacture.
18. Food stores.
19. Forestry.
20. Funeral home, mortuary.
21. Furniture store, upholstery shop.
22. Furrier, conducted as a retail operation for trade on the premises only.
23. Garden supplies, seed store, nursery.
24. Health club.
25.. Hotel, motor hotel, motel, club or restaurant.
26. Household appliance store, sales and service.
27. Interior decorating business, including upholstering and making of draperies, slip covers and similar articles when conducted as a part of the retail operations and secondary to the main use.
28. Jewelry store.
29. Medical Clinic, hospital, or nursing home.
30. Office, business or professional.
31. Paint, wallpaper sales.
32. Photographers studio, art gallery, including the developing of film when conducted as a part of the retail business on the premises.
33. Plumbing, heating, similar business showroom including shop or repair facilities, provided that work is carried out and storage is accommodated in an enclosed building.
34. Post Office.
35. Printing Shop.
36. Restaurant, cafeteria and snack bar, including the sale of alcoholic beverages.
37. Service station, public garage, or other motor vehicle services, provided no repair work is performed outdoors, provided all pumps, underground storage tanks, lubricating and other devices are located not less than twenty-five (25) feet from any street right-of-way, provided all fuel, oil or similar substances are stored inside or underground, and provided all automobile parts, dismantled vehicles, and similar articles are stored within a building.
38. Shoe store.
39. Shopping center.
40. Sporting good store.
41. Theater, indoor.
42. Travel agency.
43. Typewriter, office equipment sales and services.
44. Variety store.
45. Similar type retail or service use not specifically listed herein when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board.

B. Accessory Uses
Accessory uses customarily incidental to any of the above uses, and including:
1. Off-street parking and loading facilities, as regulated in this Ordinance.
2. Fence or a metal wall not over six (6) feet in height.
3. Signs as regulated in this Ordinance.
4. Cultivation of plants, non-commercial, where used for landscaping or buffer areas.

C. Uses by Special Exception
1. Residential as permitted in Section 502.
2. Telecommunication Towers and Antennas as permitted in Section 909.

D. Non-Permitted Uses
Based upon the consideration of the following factors, including, but not limited to, prevailing wind, topography, paths of odors during thermal inversion, obstructions in the path of exhausted air, visibility of the operation, special protection waters, water resources, soils suitability, local and regional transportation infrastructure, areas for application of manure, agricultural security areas, and effect/affect on adjoining lands/people, and as a result of the extensive undermining of the township by the bituminous mining industry, the offensive odors/noxious fumes and/or noise emitted and/or generated by certain processes, operations and/or businesses, and the desire of the township to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the township through community planning efforts, the following Uses are determined to be Non-Permitted Uses in this District:
1. Industrial.
2. Surface Mining.
3. See also Section 410 - General Conditions.

D. Set Back
1. No building shall be hereafter erected or altered unless the minimum set back is met as follows:
a. Front - thirty (30) feet.
b. Rear - twenty-five (25) feet.
c. Side - ten (10) feet.

2. Where a commercial structure is proposed adjacent to a residential area the following setback specifications will be met:
a. Front - fifty (50) feet.
b. Side - twenty-five (25) feet.
c. Rear - fifty (50) feet.
d. Buffer Area - ten (10) feet, which includes landscaping, abutting R District.
Note: Buffer area is located within setback dimensions.

E. Height
The maximum height of buildings hereafter erected or altered shall be as follows:
All buildings shall be a maximum height of thirty-five (35) feet.

F. Lot Area
The minimum lot area for all commercial buildings hereafter erected or altered shall be eighteen thousand (18,000) square feet and a minimum width at the building line of one hundred (100 feet).

1. Percentage of Lot Coverage
a. All buildings shall cover not more than forty (40) percent of the lot area.
b. All buildings plus accessory uses including parking shall cover not more than sixty (60) percent of the lot area.

2. Floor Area Standards
Every one story structure hereafter erected or altered shall have a total floor area of not less than one thousand (1,000) square feet.

3. Off-Street Parking and Loading Facilities
Shall be provided as required under this Ordinance.

4. Signs
Shall be provided as required under this Ordinance.

5. Site Plan Requirements
All buildings shall comply with the site plan requirements as outlined in Article IV, Section 405 of this Ordinance.

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