Allen Township City Zoning Code
PART 4
AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT
§ 27-401 Uses Permitted By Right.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. IV, § 401; as amended by Ord. 2003-001, 1/9/2003; by Ord. 2003-05, 6/12/2003, § 4; by Ord. 2017-02, 3/28/2017; by Ord. No. 2023-02, 8/8/2023]
1.
Single-family detached dwellings.
2.
Farming, including pasturing, truck gardening, horticulture, and similar enterprises.
3.
Animal husbandry.
4.
Greenhouses (retail sales permitted only as conditional use below).
5.
Plant nursery (retail sales permitted only as a conditional use below).
6.
Aviaries, hatcheries and apiaries complying with all State and Federal Regulations.
7.
Intensive agricultural operations meeting the requirements of this chapter. New operations, structures or the renovation, conversion, or expansion of existing structures to house an intensive agricultural operation are permitted only if the requirements of this chapter can be met.
8.
Kennel or stable.
9.
Public conservation areas and associated structures for the conservation of open space, water, soil, forest and wildlife resources.
10.
Commercial forestry.
11.
(Reserved)
12.
Churches and similar places of worship.
13.
Cemeteries.
14.
Public municipal building and facilities, including libraries.
15.
Commercial communication antenna.
16.
Customary accessory uses and buildings incidental to any of the permitted uses, including the following:
Nonpermanent roadside stands for the sale of "home grown" or "homemade" products when located not less than 20 feet from the cartway of any road. More than 50% of the items offered for sale must have been raised and/or harvested by the seller. |
17.
No-impact home-based business.
18.
Church or place of worship.
19.
Family farm support business (site plan required).
20.
Farmer's market.
21.
Horse riding academy.
22.
Special event center — accessory use.
23.
Vineyard.
24.
Winery.
25.
Banquet facility, only as an accessory use to farming, vineyard and winery uses.
§ 27-402 Uses Permitted By Conditional Use.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. IV, § 402; as amended by Ord. 2003-001, 1/9/2003, § 1; and by Ord. 2017-02, 3/28/2017]
1.
The following uses will be considered by the Board of Supervisors as conditional use subject to the procedures in this chapter:
A.
Commercial communication tower.
B.
Golf courses and country clubs.
C.
Outdoor recreation facility/commercial; not including, rifle, shooting and target ranges, or shooting preserves.
D.
Animal hospitals, veterinary offices.
E.
Agriculturally oriented commercial establishments, i.e., farm implement dealers and feed mills.
F.
Retail sales in greenhouses and nurseries.
G.
Publicly owned educational institutions.
H.
Country club.
I.
Golf course.
J.
Microbrewery.
K.
Microdistillery.
L.
Nanobrewery.
M.
Solar energy collectors.
N.
Temporary shelter.
O.
Treatment center.
P.
Wind turbine.
Q.
Flea market, indoor.
R.
Flea market, outdoor.
§ 27-403 Land Development Plan Approval.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. IV, § 403]
Land development plan review by the Planning Commission and approval by the Board of Supervisors shall be required for all uses as required by the Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance [Chapter 22] and the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC).
§ 27-404 Area, Yard and Height Regulations.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. IV, § 404; as amended by Ord. No. 2023-02, 8/8/2023]
1.
Single-Family Detached Dwellings.
A.
The provisions of Subsection 1B and C of this section shall apply to all parcels of land legally existing on the effective date of this chapter. Regardless of size, no tract of land subsequently subdivided from its parent tract shall qualify for additional single-family detached dwellings or lots pursuant to this section. Similarly, any subsequent owner of any parcel of land legally existing on the effective date of this chapter shall be bound by the actions of previous owners in that such current owner may only subdivide for purposes of additional single-family dwellings the number of lots, if any, remaining from the original number permitted by this section.
(1)
Any subdivision or land development plan hereafter filed for a tract of land in the Agricultural Zone shall specify which lot or lots shall carry with them the right to erect or place thereon any unused quota of single-family detached dwellings as determined by the provisions of this section.
(2)
In the event a tract of land, which was not classified as part of the Agricultural District on the effective date of this chapter, is hereafter classified as part of the Agricultural District, the size and ownership of such tract of land shall be determined as of the effective date of the change in the zoning classification.
B.
For each tract of contiguous land in single ownership that is less than 30 acres, as of the effective date of this chapter, the provisions of Part 5 shall apply with regard to single-family detached dwellings.
C.
For each tract of contiguous land in single ownership that is in excess of 30 acres, there may be one lot subdivided for each 30 acres to be utilized for a single-family detached dwelling, provided that the minimum lot area shall be one acre and a maximum lot area of two acres.
2.
Area, Yard and Height Requirements. Lot area, yard, and height requirements (except as otherwise noted).
Maximum Regulations | Farming, Animal Husbandry, Intensive Agricultural Operations | Single-Family Detached Dwelling (Including Farm Dwelling) | Kennel/ Stable | All Other Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Building Height | 35 feet | 35 feet | 35 feet | 35 feet |
Lot Coverage | 10% | 20% | 10% | 25% |
Minimum Regulations | ||||
Lot Area | 10 acres (20 acres for intensive agriculture) | 1 dwelling per 30 acres (1 acre minimum, 2 acre maximum) | 6 acres | 1 acre |
Lot Width | ||||
At Street Line | 150 feet | 100 feet | 150 feet | 100 feet |
At Minimum Building Setback Line | 200 feet | 150 feet | 200 feet | 200 feet |
Building Setback | 50 feet | 50 feet | 50 feet | 50 feet |
Rear Yard | 50 feet | 50 feet | 50 feet | 50 feet |
Side Yard | ||||
Total | 100 feet | 70 feet | 100 feet | 100 feet |
One Side | 50 feet | 35 feet | 50 feet | 50 feet |
2 | Subject to additional requirements and restrictions. |
3.
Maximum building height for a building associated with a banquet facility use, if permitted as an accessory use to a farm, vineyard, or winery, shall be 62 feet as measured by the average finished grade around the building perimeter, provided that no occupied floor can be higher than 25 feet.
§ 27-405 Agricultural Nuisance Disclaimer.
[Ord. 2000-03, 9/14/2000, Art. IV, § 405]
All subdivision and land development plans within the Agricultural Zone must contain the following note:
All lands within the Agricultural Zone are located within an area where land is used for commercial agricultural production. Owners, residents, and other users of this property may be subjected to inconvenience, discomfort and the possibility of injury to property and health arising from normal and accepted agricultural practices and operations including, but not limited to, noise, odors, dust, the operation of machinery of any kind including aircraft, the storage and disposal of manure, the application of fertilizers, soil amendments, herbicides, and pesticides. Owners, occupants and users of this property should be prepared to accept such inconveniences, discomfort, and possibility of injury from normal agricultural operations, and are hereby put on official notice that § 4 of the Pennsylvania Act 133 of 1982, the Right to Farm Law, may bar them from obtaining a legal judgment against such normal agricultural operations.
§ 27-406 General and Specific Regulations.
[Ord. 2002-03, 9/14/2000, Art. IV, § 406]
All uses are subject to the applicable regulations of Parts 14 and 15.