Bath City Zoning Code

Residential class districts:

Commercial class districts:

Manufacturing class districts:

The Residential class districts are intended to provide sufficient area in appropriate locations for residential uses and development to meet the housing needs of the Borough with due allowance for providing a choice of sites and types of housing without sacrificing desirable established residential patterns. No-impact home-based businesses, as defined in the MPC and subject to the requirements of the MPC,[1] are permitted by right in any residential district, notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this chapter.

The Commercial class districts are intended to provide sufficient area in appropriate locations for various forms and types of business uses and development; to satisfy the needs of modern business development by providing off-street parking, loading and unloading areas, safe and efficient means of vehicle ingress and egress, and continuity and homogeneity of business development; to encourage the development of attractive, functional and economic forms of commercial buildings under proper standards; to encourage the enhancement and beautification of commercial areas; and to minimize any negative effects of commercial areas on adjoining residential areas. Recognizing the mixed-use character of the Borough of Bath, it is intended that residential uses be permitted in commercial class districts in accordance with standards of specified residential districts.

The Manufacturing class districts are intended to provide suitable space for industrial and commercial types of business and development not ordinarily found nor desirable in commercial or neighborhood districts, to satisfy the needs for this type of development by providing for off-street parking and loading and unloading areas in the course of the development of attractive functional and economic forms of commercial and offices as well as industrial development; and to minimize any negative effects of industrial commercial areas on the adjoining residential areas. Recognizing the opportunity for adaptive reuse of existing manufacturing buildings and for reuse of vacant industrial lands for other purposes, it is the intent of this chapter that the Manufacturing-Commercial Zone permit such adaptive reuse of industrial buildings as housing, neighborhood commercial and offices where existing buildings are appropriate for these uses and, on sites of a minimum size of five acres, planned unit development. In the event that there is an existing single-family detached or semidetached dwelling in a Manufacturing class district, the expansion of said building for the establishment of accessory uses for said dwellings may be permitted, provided the proposal is in compliance with the Residential class district it abuts, or if not abutting a Residential class district, the minimum standards of an R-3 Residential District are followed.

Preservation district: Preservation Zone.

Floodplain district: Floodplain Zone.

Historic district: Historic District of the Borough of Bath.

Parking overlay district. The defined boundaries of the Parking Overlay District shall be as follows:

All of the four overlay districts shall be shown on a map of the Borough to follow the Zoning Map as an appendix to this chapter.[1]

The Preservation Zone is designed to conserve the natural quality of land at, adjacent to, or near streams, ponds, lakes, watercourses or similar geologic features, including those geologic features that contain water only during times of extreme flooding; to protect the habitats of wildlife in areas which there is or has been little human intrusion; to protect areas that environmentally are fragile because of soil structure, slope or type of vegetation or wildlife habitation; to prevent the blockage of stream valleys; to minimize erosion or creation of soil; to prevent the diversion of natural watercourses; to minimize the loss of ground cover and other forms of vegetation; to protect places having unique natural, architectural or historic interest or value; to protect public buildings and public grounds; and to regulate uses in and around floodplain areas, so as to minimize flood-related damage.

The Floodplain Zone is intended to prevent the loss of property and life; the construction of health and safety hazards; the disruption of commerce and governmental services; the extraordinary and unnecessary expenditure of public funds for flood protection and relief; and the impairment of the tax base by regulating uses, activities and development which, acting alone or in combination with other existing or future uses, activities and development, will cause increases in flood heights, velocities and frequencies; restricting or prohibiting certain uses, activities and development from locating within areas subject to flooding; requiring all those uses, activities and developments that do occur in flood-prone areas to be protected and/or floodproofed against flooding and flood damage; and protecting individuals from buying lands and structures which are unsuited for intended purposes because of flood hazards.

The purpose and intent of the Historic District is to protect, enhance, perpetuate and preserve the Historic District for the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the public through preservation, protection and regulation of buildings, structures, and areas of historic interest or importance within the Borough; to safeguard the heritage of the Borough by preserving and regulating historic districts which reflect elements of its cultural; social, economic, political, and architectural history; to preserve and enhance the environmental quality of neighborhoods, to strengthen the Borough's economic base by the stimulation of the tourist industry; to establish and improve property values; to foster economic development; to foster civic pride in the beauty and accomplishments of the Borough's past; and to preserve and protect the cultural, historical and architectural assets of the Borough for which the Borough has determined to be of local, state or national historical and/or architectural significance.

The purpose of the Parking Overlay District is to relax off-street parking requirements in the primary historic business portion of the Borough to encourage the growth and development of business activity therein.