345 Morris Rd, Fort Washington, PA 19034

Village Commercial District

It is the intent of the Village Commercial District VC to permit the development or redevelopment of land for limited commercial, office and residential uses, while preserving and restoring the distinct architectural character of historic areas of Whitemarsh Township. In addition, the specific intent of this article is as follows: To provide areas to accommodate nonresidential uses which do not generate large volumes of traffic, which minimize adverse impacts on abutting residential properties and which maintain or improve the visual character and architectural scale of existing development.; To prohibit development of strip-type, highway-oriented commercial uses which create traffic hazards and congestion because they generate higher traffic volumes and require multiple individual curb cuts.; To provide regulating standards which are necessary to encourage orderly, well-planned development and to ensure the compatibility of development with the character of the district and the surrounding areas.; Provide incentives for building restorations of existing historic structures or buildings built prior to 1940.; Use building scale, building orientation and landscaping to establish or preserve community identity.; Encourage the retention, rehabilitation, and reuse of existing historic structures or buildings built prior to 1940.; That new buildings or building additions and restorations have an architectural scale and character commensurate with the existing pre-1940 architecture of the area.; Encourage bicycle- and pedestrian-accessible developments, reflecting a village center rather than auto-oriented commercial strip development.; Provide incentives that encourage shared access points, parking areas and public spaces. Protect, to the greatest extent possible, the natural features of the district, including the open spaces, steep slopes and large trees. To provide a distinction for those areas where only less intensive uses are appropriate and those areas where more permissive uses may be allowed, through the creation of subdistricts to be known as VC-1, VC-2 and VC-3.; Implement the Comprehensive Plan.; To create a subdistrict known as VC-4 which promotes the development of an internalized, destination style of commercial center in accordance with the design guidelines and intent of the Village Commercial District on tracts of land 15 acres and larger.