Politics & Government

Understanding the VOD

Do you really know what Village Overlay District ordinances mean?

One of the major complaints lodged against building a Giant Food Store on the Davis Pontiac site is that the Addisville Commons plan as outlined before the Board simply does not fit into the Village Overlay District requirements.

While some members of the township are engineers, zoning officers, contractors, etc., not everyone has the time to flip through a large ordinance file and pick apart the details. 

So Patch did it for you.

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The basic premise of the Village Overlay District, encompassing Ordinances No. 535 to 537, passed on Dec. 17, 2008, is that it is a separate set of rules and guidelines that fit like a layer over the existing zoning guidelines of the township.

Two spots in the township have VODs: Richboro and a section of Holland (see attached maps). Those wishing to build in a VOD can opt into the requirements outlined by these ordinances if they so choose, but it is not necessary to do so.

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Some may ask, "Why add more guidlines when trying to build something new?" The answer is incentives.

Under the VOD, developers may find ways around certain uses not permitted in the underlying zones. They will find incentives for parking as well, Township Manager Bob Pellegrino said.

To meet the VOD codes, a new establishment must meet all of the following objectives:

  1. To improve the aesthetics, architectural appearance, commercial centers, and streetscape design within defined areas within Northampton Township.
  2. To establish uniform design standards to be referenced as the "Village Overlay Design Standards," which reflect the overall community vision.
  3. To require uniform streetscape improvements and site enhancement measures such as street trees, streetlights, curbing, sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks, architecture, controlled signage, traffic calming measures and gateway planning in accordance with the Village Overlay Design Standards.
  4. To improve the modes of transportation by enabling automobile, pedestrian and bicycle traffic to coexist in a planned and harmonious community.
  5. To retain and expand existing businesses to preserve a sound tax base and provide employment opportunities.
  6. To encourage adaptive reuse and redevelopment opportunities.
  7. To provide incentive-minded parameters to attract or expand desirable uses.
  8. To provide an expedited review process in order to achieve the overall purpose and objective of the Village Overlay District as well as to provide incentives for land owners and the private development community.
  9. To implement the recommendations for land use planning, economic development and transportation, which are contained within the Northampton Township Comprehensive Plan.

Specifically, in Ordinance No. 536 is where the details concerning apperance and engineering standards are outlined in detail. It adds amendments to Ordinance 118, the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

One of the parking incentives in the ordinanace is the number of parking and loading spaces can be up to 110 percent of the minimum requirements of the underlying zoning area. Also, the number of parking and loading spaces can be reduced up to 50 percent of the zoning code as long as the applicant demonstrates that those numbers would be enough to satisfy customers during peak demand times and that customers might be able to use some form of public transportation.

For example, the Zoning Code (Ordinance 140) allows a shopping center to have 6.0, 5.5 or 5.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor space depending on how big the establishment is (the larger the building, the fewer spaces per square footage). A supermarket can have one space for only 250 square feet of floor space, and a retail store can have one space for every 100 square feet of floor space.

If the developer opts into the VOD, however, an establishment with 10,000 square feet could have up to six more parking spaces than building in the underlying commercial zone would give them.

Building mixed types of buildings on the same lot would require a more complicated equation of mixing the parking space allowances for each type of establishment.

The process for considering the Addisville Commons application is now at the stage where both legal parties have until Nov. 10 to submit their final statements. After that the Board has another 45 days to consider the entire file and make a decision.

At last week's Board of Supervisors meeting, Vice Chairman announced that since the public record is closed, he decided to state his opinion that the submitted plan does not meet the VOD requirements. 

"Based on the criteria that the Board of Supervisors must use in evaluating this Conditional Use application, I urge my fellow Board members to also deny the Conditional Use that would allow the proposed Giant Food Store," he said in a statement. "Very simply, it is not in the best interest of Northampton Township..."

Deon's opponent in the upcoming election, , has long been vocal about her opposition to the plan. 

"I’m so grateful that Mr. Deon has finally come on board with our opposition to the … Giant coming to town," Rose said at the meeting. "It’s an issue ... that we have to stop."


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