Caln Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE I
General Provisions
§ 155-1 Preamble.
An ordinance establishing regulations, specifications and restrictions for the uses of land, watercourses and other bodies of water; the size, height, bulk, location, erection, construction, repair, maintenance, alteration, razing, removal and use of structures; the areas and dimensions of land and bodies of water to be occupied by uses and structures including areas, courts, yards and other open spaces and distances to be left unoccupied by uses and structures; and the density of population and intensity of land uses, within Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and for said purposes dividing Caln Township into districts and prescribing certain uniform regulations for each such districts and providing for the administrative enforcement and amendment provisions in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended.
§ 155-2 Short title.
Chapter 155 of the Caln Township Code shall be known as and may be cited as the "Caln Township Zoning Ordinance of 2026."
§ 155-3 Purpose.
This chapter has been adopted in accordance with the requirements of Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended; with the goals, objectives and policies established within the Caln Township Comprehensive Plan and with consideration for the character of Caln Township and its capacity to accommodate growth, development and redevelopment. In addition, the purpose of this chapter is designed:
A.
To promote, protect and facilitate one or more of the following: the public health, safety, and general welfare; coordinated and practical community development and proper density of population; emergency management preparedness and operations, airports, and national defense facilities, the provisions of adequate light and air, access to incident solar energy, police protection, vehicle parking and loading space, transportation, water, sewerage, schools, recreational facilities, public grounds, the provision of a safe, reliable and adequate water supply for domestic, commercial, agricultural or industrial use, and other public requirements; as well as preservation of the natural, scenic and historic values in the environment and preservation of forests, wetlands, aquifers and floodplains.
B.
To prevent one or more of the following: overcrowding of land, blight, danger and congestion in travel and transportation, loss of health, life or property from fire, flood, panic or other dangers.
C.
To preserve prime agriculture and farmland considering topography, soil type and classification, and present use.
D.
To provide for the use of land within the municipality for residential housing of various dwelling types encompassing all basic forms of housing, including single-family and two-family dwellings, and a reasonable range of multifamily dwellings in various arrangements, mobile homes and mobile home parks.
E.
To accommodate reasonable overall community growth, including population and employment growth, and opportunities for development of a variety of residential dwelling types and nonresidential uses.
§ 155-4 Community development objectives.
This chapter attempts to emulate through its regulations the goals, objectives and policies of the Caln Township Comprehensive Plan. These regulations have been established with considerations to Caln Township's physical characteristics, population trends, housing characteristics, existing land use characteristics, community facilities and services and existing transportation characteristics. The regulations established in this chapter reflect and portray the goals, objectives and policies of the functional components of the adopted Comprehensive Plan.
§ 155-5 Application and interpretation.
A.
Except as hereinafter provided, no building, structure, land, watercourse or parts thereof within the Township shall be used or occupied, erected, constructed, assembled, moved, removed, demolished, eliminated, enlarged, reconstructed or structurally altered unless in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
B.
In interpreting and applying the provisions of this chapter, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements adopted for the promotion of the public health and safety and the general welfare of the residents and occupants of the Township. Where the provisions of this chapter impose greater restrictions than those of any other Township statute, ordinance or regulation, the provisions of this chapter shall be complied with. Where the provisions of any other Township statute, ordinance or regulation impose greater restrictions than this chapter, the provisions of such other Township statute, ordinance or regulation shall be complied with unless otherwise stated in this chapter.
§ 155-6 Severability.
Should any article, section, subsection, paragraph, clause, phrase or provision of this chapter be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect the validity of this chapter as a whole or any part or provision thereof other than the part so decided to be invalid or unconstitutional.
§ 155-7 Repealer.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances, together with the amendments and supplements thereto, are hereby repealed to the extent that the same conflict with the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, that the provisions of this chapter shall not affect any suit or prosecution pending or to be instituted to enforce any provision of such repealed ordinance or to punish any offense against any such repealed ordinance committed prior to the effective date of this Zoning Chapter.
§ 155-8 Exemptions.
This chapter shall not apply to any existing or proposed buildings, or extension thereof, used or to be used by a public utility corporation, if, upon petition of said corporation, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission shall, after a public hearing, decide that the present or proposed situation of the building in question is reasonably necessary for the convenience or welfare of the public. It shall be the responsibility of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to ensure that both the corporation and the Township have notice of the hearing and are granted an opportunity to appear, present witnesses, cross-examine witnesses presented by other parties and otherwise exercise the rights of a party to the proceedings.
§ 155-9 Effective date.
The Caln Township Board of Commissioners has enacted the Caln Township Zoning Ordinance of 2026 on April 30, 2026. This chapter of the Caln Township Code shall become effective upon the adoption by the Board of Commissioners.
