Bloomsburg City Zoning Code
PART 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 27-101 Purpose.
[Ord. No. 1055, 6/3/2024]
The fundamental purpose of this Chapter is to: promote the public safety, health, and general welfare; to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the Town; prevent overcrowding of land and buildings; lessen congestion in the streets; secure safety from fire, panic, and other dangers; provide adequate open spaces; facilitate adequate provision of streets, water, treatment of sewerage, drainage and other public facilities; and position future development, redevelopment, and infill to reflect the established characteristics of the Town of Bloomsburg.
§ 27-102 Community Development Objectives.
[Ord. No. 1055, 6/3/2024]
1.
This Chapter is designed to provide a legal basis and framework for implementing development goals and objectives for the Town of Bloomsburg established by the Town Council. The Town's overall goal is to ensure consistent and coordinated management of growth and existing development in order to accomplish the following community-wide objectives which will:
B.
Create an environmentally healthy community by protecting, conserving and preserving sensitive natural resources;
C.
Preserve community cultural features and resources;
D.
Focus various forms of residential and nonresidential growth and development in the most appropriate areas in order to minimize land use conflicts and protect property values and investments;
E.
Accommodate housing needs for all segments of the population;
F.
Promote the efficient provision of public facilities and services;
G.
Provide for a safe and convenient transportation network;
H.
Encourage commercial development to help maintain the vitality of the local economy;
I.
Reinforce the compatibility of scale and activity associated with the Town's institutional campuses and the overall community; and
J.
Provide for recreational opportunities.
§ 27-103 Grant of Power.
[Ord. No. 1055, 6/3/2024]
Section 601 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968, as amended), 53 P.S. § 10601, authorizes the Town of Bloomsburg Council to implement comprehensive plans or accomplish any of the purposes of Act 247 by enacting a Zoning Ordinance.
§ 27-104 Applicability.
[Ord. No. 1055, 6/3/2024]
This Chapter provides that, within Town of Bloomsburg, in the County of Columbia, of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, no land, body of water, or structure shall hereafter be used or occupied and no structure or part thereof shall hereafter be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved or altered except in conformity with all the regulations and procedures herein specified for the district in which such land, body of water or structure is located.
§ 27-105 Interpretation.
[Ord. No. 1055, 6/3/2024]
1.
In the event of conflicts between the provisions of this Chapter and any other ordinance or regulation, the more restrictive provisions shall apply.
2.
In interpreting and applying this Chapter, its provisions shall be considered minimum requirements adopted for the promotion of the health, safety, and general welfare of the public.
3.
In interpreting the language of this Chapter to determine the extent of the restriction upon the use of property, the language shall be interpreted, where doubt exists as to the intended meaning of the language written and enacted by the Town of Bloomsburg, in favor of the landowner and/or developer and against any implied extension of the restriction.
4.
Where any provision of this Chapter incorporates by reference the provisions of other chapters (or articles or sections thereof) of the Town of Bloomsburg Municipal Code, such referred to and incorporated by reference provisions shall be, for the purposes of this Chapter, deemed to be fully applicable to the activities and usages regulated by this Chapter in the same manner and to the same degree as if said referred-to and incorporated provisions of such other chapters (or articles or sections thereof) were set forth in at length herein in their entirety.
§ 27-106 County Authority.
[Ord. No. 1055, 6/3/2024]
The Columbia County Commissioners' Office of Planning and Development is empowered by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq., as amended, to submit its recommendations on the proposed adoption, amendment or repeal of any municipal zoning ordinance or part thereof.
§ 27-107 How to Use This Chapter.
[Ord. No. 1055, 6/3/2024]
1.
This Zoning Ordinance presents a straightforward set of regulatory provisions related to retaining cohesive form and function of lot development within the Town.
2.
Many of the requirements for proposed development within the Town are summarized on the land use and dimensional tables within Part 3. These tables include key development relationships pertaining to permitted land uses, dimensional standards, and additional development information applicable to the property. As the relationship of buildings and streets is the foundation of the community, the way in which a lot presents its street wall as well as the way in which it is accessed by pedestrians and vehicles alike will enable the Town to maintain the development continuity of established development patterns. The other Parts of the Chapter provide additional provisions related to zoning and land use.
3.
To navigate through this Chapter and determine the zoning parameters for any specific lot situated within the Town, an applicant should review and complete the following general steps:
A.
Step 1: The Zoning Map illustrates the location of each parcel in its particular assigned Zoning District.
In which Base Zoning District is my lot located? | See the Town's Official Map |
What Overlays apply to my lot? | See the Town's Official Map |
4.
Step 3: Certain land uses require additional criteria to be met as part of the Town's special exception approval process. To find out if your particular land use requires special exception approval, first check the land use tables included in § 27-303, which reference the section number where additional criteria for applicable land uses are located.