Douglass Township Berks County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 1
PURPOSE AND AUTHORITY
§ 27-101 Title.
[Ord. 2013-01, 2/11/2013]
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, intensity of land uses, and protection and preservation of natural resources and agricultural land and activities, in the Township of Douglass, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and for said purposes dividing the Township into districts and prescribing certain uniform regulations for each such district and providing for the administrative enforcement and amendment provisions in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
§ 27-102 Short Title.
[Ord. 2013-01, 2/11/2013]
This chapter shall be known as, and may be cited as, the "Douglass Township Zoning Ordinance of 2013."
§ 27-103 Purpose.
[Ord. 2013-01, 2/11/2013]
1.
This chapter has been adopted in accordance with the requirements of Act 247 (Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code), as amended, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.; with the goals, objectives and policies established within the Douglass Township Comprehensive Plan Update (1988); and with consideration for the character of the Township and its capacity to accommodate growth and development. In addition to implementing the Douglass Township Comprehensive Plan Update, the purpose of this chapter is designed:
A.
To promote, protect and facilitate one or more of the following: the public health, safety, morals, general welfare, coordinated and practical community development, proper density of population, civil defense, disaster evacuation, airports and national defense facilities, the provisions of adequate light and air, police protection, vehicle parking and loading space, transportation, water, sewage, schools, public grounds, and other public requirements, as well.
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 lands and active farmland considering topography, soil type and classification, and present land use.
D.
To identify, protect, and preserve the physical and environmental amenities within the Township.
E.
Encourage aesthetic and innovative residential growth within the Township that will meet the needs of existing and future residents.
F.
Encourage commercial and industrial development that is adequate to meet the Township's needs for employment, goods and services.
G.
Ensure through planning that public facilities and controls are adequate to accommodate future growth.
H.
To provide for a system of open space through the preservation of floodplains, steep slopes, wooded areas and farmlands, providing areas for passive and active recreation.
I.
Promote, encourage, and practice energy conservation within the Township.
J.
Provide and establish a transportation network that safely and efficiently circulates people and goods throughout and within the Township.
K.
Ensure the provision of a safe, reliable, and adequate water supply for domestic, commercial, agricultural, or industrial use, and other public requirements.
L.
Ensure the preservation of the natural, scenic, and historic values in the environment and preservation of forests, wetlands, aquifers, and floodplains.
M.
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; provided, however, that no zoning ordinance shall be deemed invalid for the failure to provide for any other specific dwelling type.
§ 27-104 Application.
[Ord. 2013-01, 2/11/2013]
Except as hereinafter provided, no building, structure, land, or parts thereof, and or watercourse and other bodies of water in Douglass Township shall be used or occupied, erected, constructed, assembled, moved, enlarged, reconstructed, or structurally altered unless in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
§ 27-105 Exemptions.
[Ord. 2013-01, 2/11/2013]
This chapter applies to public utility corporations unless, as provided by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended from time to time, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission determines that a building of the public utility corporation is reasonably necessary for the convenience or welfare of the public, then such building shall be exempt from this chapter.
§ 27-106 Interpretation.
[Ord. 2013-01, 2/11/2013]
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 the lesser restrictive provision shall prevail. Where the provisions of any other Township statute, ordinance, or regulations impose greater restrictions than this chapter, the less restrictive provisions shall prevail.
§ 27-107 Community Development Objectives.
[Ord. 2013-01, 2/11/2013]
This chapter attempts to emulate through its regulations the goals and objectives of the Douglass Township Comprehensive Plan. These regulations have been established with considerations to the 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.