Boundaries indicated as approximately following the center lines of streets, highways or alleys shall be construed to follow such center lines.

Boundaries indicated as approximately following platted lot lines shall be construed as following such lot lines.

Boundaries indicated as approximately following municipality limits shall be construed as following municipality limits.

Boundaries indicated as following railroad lines shall be construed to be midway between the main tracks.

Boundaries indicated as approximately following the center lines of streams, rivers or other bodies of water shall be construed to follow such center lines.

Boundaries indicated as parallel to or extensions of features indicated in Subsection B(1) through (5) shall be so construed. Distances not specifically indicated on the Official Zoning Map shall be determined by the scale of the map.

Where physical or cultural features existing on the ground are at variance with those shown on the Official Zoning Map or in circumstances not covered by Subsection B(1) through (6), the Zoning Hearing Board shall interpret the district boundaries.

Additional general provisions are set forth in Article IV.

Modifications to the use or dimensional requirements are set forth in Article IV.

Standards for special exception uses are set forth in Articles V and VI.

The purpose of the Agricultural Zone is to protect and promote the continuation and preservation of agricultural activities in those areas most suitable for such activities. This zone also is intended to protect and stabilize the Township's agricultural economy by restricting uses that are incompatible with farming, while permitting agricultural support businesses, and to separate agricultural land uses from incompatible residential, commercial and industrial development.

It is the specific intent of the Township to implement the provisions of Section 604(3) of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code[1] which requires that the provisions of zoning ordinances shall be designed to preserve prime agriculture and farmland considering topography, soil type and classification, and present use. In order to attain this goal, the regulations of this zone are designed to protect and stabilize agriculture in areas of productive soils as an ongoing, viable, major component of the economy of the Township and Adams County, to permit with limited exceptions only those land uses and activities which are agricultural in nature, to encourage the preservation of the most productive farmland within the Township as a valuable resource which is lost and not reclaimable once it is developed for building and other nonagricultural purposes, and to prevent adverse effects resulting from the encroachment and mixing of residential and other incompatible development with agricultural uses.

Consequently, residential uses are limited and any future inhabitants in this zone must be willing to accept the impacts associated with normal farming practices. These impacts include inconvenience, discomfort and the possibility of death or injury to health and property arising from normal and accepted agricultural practices and operations, including but not limited to noise, odors, dust, the operation of machinery of any kind, the storage and disposal of manure, and the application of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Owners, occupants and users of property within the Agricultural Zone should be prepared to accept such inconveniences, discomfort, and the possibility of injury or death from normal agricultural operations and are hereby put on official notice that Section 4 of Act 133 of 1982, known as the Right to Farm Law,[2] may bar them from obtaining a legal judgment against such normal agricultural operations.

Agriculture uses:

Nonagricultural uses:

Agricultural worker family housing.

Animal hospital or veterinary clinics.

Bed-and-breakfast inns.

Campgrounds.

Cemeteries.

Churches and related uses.

Club rooms, club grounds, meeting halls.

Cluster housing developments.

Communication transmitting and receiving facilities.

Kennels.

Park or other open space areas of a nonprofit nature.

Planned golf communities.

Public buildings, including firehouses.

Public utility buildings or service structures.

Recycling collection centers.

Resort lodge (see § 175-65).

Constrained land area equals the sum of the following:

If a portion of the tract is underlain by more than one critical natural feature subject to a density factor, that acreage shall be subject to the most restrictive density factor.

Since acreage that is contained within the public or private rights-of-way, access easements or access strips is excluded from developable lot area, any portion of these items that also contains a critical natural feature subject to a deduction from the total tract acreage should not be included when calculating the adjusted tract area.

The following chart must be placed on all Subdivision and Land Development plans with the appropriate areas completed:

The following is an example of a lot showing the adjusted tract areas:

Prime farmlands are taken from the Soil Survey of Adams County, Pennsylvania, as amended. Prime farmlands are listed below:

Option 1: Basic Density and Conservation provides for a minimum of 60% of the adjusted tract area to remain in conservation area and allocates the remaining lands for the development of residential and nonresidential uses.

Option 2: Enhanced Density with Greater Conservation provides for a larger percentage of the tract to remain in conservation use, a minimum of 80% of the adjusted tract area, in exchange for higher densities of residential and nonresidential uses.

The minimum conservation area requirements shall be as follows:

The density factor to be applied for the calculation of the maximum residential density in the development area shall be in accordance with the following standards. To provide space for additional amenities associated with nonresidential uses; each nonresidential use is equivalent to two residential uses and shall be subtracted from the maximum residential density.

No more than 20% of the development area on the tract shall be devoted to lots with nonresidential uses.

The maximum permitted residential uses shall be reduced by two for each nonresidential use.

Side: 10 feet.

Rear: 25 feet.

Front: 35 feet.

Principal structures: 35 feet.

Accessory structure: 25 feet.

Agricultural structures: 60 feet provided all structures are set back a distance at least equal to their height from all property lines.

Bed-and-breakfast inn, in conformance with § 175-37 of this chapter.

Crops and/or gardening.

Home occupation, in conformance with § 175-46 of this chapter.

Multifamily dwellings, in conformance with § 175-53 of this chapter.

Single-family detached dwellings.

Two-family dwellings.

Adult or child day-care center.

Cemetery.

Club room, club ground, meeting hall.

Cluster housing development.

Group quarters.

Medical clinic.

Mobile home park.

Park or other open space area of a nonprofit nature.

Personal service business.

Places of worship.

Professional business office.

Public building, including fire house.

Recycling collection center.

Rooming house.

Front: 35 feet.

Side: 10 feet. Semidetached and attached dwellings shall be considered as one building for this purpose.

Rear: 25 feet.

All in accordance with statutory law, each principal use shall be serviced by an existing public water system if it is determined by the Township that water capacity is available and that it is feasible to have the service extended to serve the principal use.

If public sewer is available, each principal use must be serviced by the existing public sewer system, provided that sewer capacity is available and that it is feasible to have the service extended to serve the principal use.

Caretaker or watchman dwelling.

Coin-operated laundry.

Convalescent home, nursing home, or hospital.

Financial institution.

Funeral home.

Greenhouse or horticultural nursery.

Hotel or motel.

Indoor commercial recreational establishment.

Parking lot or parking garage.

Restaurant.

Retail store or shop.

Vehicle rental, sales, service and/or repair facility.

Vehicle washing facility.

Wholesale establishment.

Bed-and-breakfast inn, in conformance with § 175-37 of this chapter.

Crops and gardening.

Home occupation, in conformance with § 175-46 of this chapter.

Horticultural and forestry uses.

Migrant worker camp.

Raising of livestock.

Single-family detached dwelling.

Accessory uses customarily incidental to the uses in Subsection B(1) through (7), above, including but not limited to roadside stands for the sale of agricultural products.

Campgrounds.

Cemetery.

Churches and related uses.

Communication transmitting and receiving facility.

Continuing care retirement community, in accordance with the standards of § 175-43.

Dog training for the detection of explosives.

Kennel.

Outdoor commercial recreation establishment.

Park or other open space area of a nonprofit nature.

Public building, including firehouse.

Public utility building or service structure.

Recycling collection center.

Resort lodge. (See § 175-65).

Storage of explosives.

Constrained land area equals the sum of the following:

If a portion of the tract is underlain by more than one critical natural feature subject to a density factor, that acreage shall be subject to the most restrictive density factor.

Since acreage that is contained within the public or private rights-of-way, access easements or access strips is excluded from developable lot area, any portion of these items that also contains a critical natural feature subject to a deduction from the total tract acreage should not be included when calculating the adjusted tract area.

The following chart must be placed on all Subdivision and Land Development plans with the appropriate areas completed:

The following is an example of a lot showing the adjusted tract areas:

Prime farmlands are taken from the Soil Survey of Adams County, Pennsylvania, as amended. Prime farmlands are listed below:

Option 1: Basic Density and Conservation provides for a minimum of 70% of the adjusted tract area to remain in conservation area permanently and allocates the remaining lands for the development of residential and nonresidential uses.

Option 2: Estate Lots provides for rural residential uses at a reduced density on larger lots in conventional layouts, where homes and streets are located carefully to minimize impacts on resource lands.

The minimum conservation area requirements shall be as follows:

The density factor to be applied for the calculation of the maximum residential density in the development area shall be in accordance with the following standards. To provide space for additional amenities associated with nonresidential uses; each nonresidential use is equivalent to two residential uses and shall be subtracted from the maximum residential density.

No more than 20% of the development area on the tract shall be devoted to lots with nonresidential uses.

The maximum permitted residential uses shall be reduced by two for each nonresidential use.

Side: 10 feet.

Rear: 25 feet.

Front: 35 feet.

Principal structures: 35 feet.

Accessory structure: 25 feet.

Agricultural structures: 60 feet provided all structures are set back a distance at least equal to their height from all property lines.

Animal grooming shop.

Animal hospital or veterinary clinic.

Caretaker or watchman dwelling.

Coin-operated laundry.

Dry-cleaning establishment.

Commercial school.

Restaurant.

Financial institution.

Funeral home.

Greenhouse or horticultural nursery.

Warehouse, building material yard, heavy storage.

Hotel or motel.

Indoor commercial recreational establishment.

Parking lot or parking garage.

Personal service business.

Professional or business office.

Public building, including fire house.

Retail store or shop.

Home occupation.

Crops and gardening.

Wholesale establishment.

Adult or child day-care center or nursery school, in conformance with § 175-33 of this chapter.

Bed-and-breakfast inn.

Club room, club grounds, meeting hall.

Public utility building or service structure.

Single-family detached dwellings.

Multifamily dwellings with no more than 10 units.

Communication transmitting and receiving facility.

Convalescent home, nursing home, or hospital.

Kennel.

Medical clinic.

Mini-storage facility.

Recycling collection center.

Outdoor commercial recreation establishment.

Research laboratory.

Service station or convenience store dispensing fuel.

Shopping center or mall.

Vehicle rental, sales, service and/or repair facility.

Vehicle washing facility.

Churches and related uses.

Truck or motor freight terminal.

Restaurant, drive-through and/or fast-food.

Resort lodge. (See § 175-65.)

Front: 35 feet.

Side: 10 feet.

Rear: 25 feet.

All in accordance with statutory law, each principal use shall be serviced by an existing public water system if it is determined by the Township that water capacity is available and that it is feasible to have the service extended to serve the principal use.

If public sewer is available, each principal use must be serviced by the existing public sewer system, provided that sewer capacity is available and that it is feasible to have the service extended to serve the principal use.

To encourage the development of and continued use of land for industrial purposes.

To prohibit any use which would substantially interfere with the development, continuation or expansion of industrial uses in the zone.

To establish reasonable standards for buildings and other structures, the areas and dimensions of yards and other open spaces, and the provision of facilities and operation of industries to minimize air pollution, noise, glare, heat, vibration, and fire and safety hazards.

Animal hospital or veterinary clinic.

Caretaker or watchman dwelling.

Greenhouse or horticultural nursery.

Warehouse, building material yard, heavy storage facilities (such as construction equipment, commercial vehicles) and related sales and service facilities.

Industrial activities involving manufacturing; processing; packaging; printing; publishing and binding; production; testing of materials, goods and products; conversion and assembly; industrial laundries; large equipment repairs; and/or machine and welding shops.

Industrial park.

Parking lot or parking garage.

Professional or business office.

Public building, including fire house.

Research laboratory.

Wholesale establishment.

Crops and gardening.

Processing of farm products.

Adult-oriented facility.

Communication transmitting and receiving facility.

Junkyard or automobile dismantling plant.

Mini-storage facility.

Recycling collection center.

Outdoor commercial recreation establishment.

Public utility building and/or service structure.

Truck or motor freight terminal.

Vehicle rental, sales, service and/or repair facility.

Vehicle washing facility.

Service station or convenience store dispensing fuel.

Front setback: 30 feet.

Each side setback: 20 feet.

Rear setback: 30 feet.

Each principal use shall be serviced by an existing public water system if it is determined by the Township that water capacity is available and that it is feasible to have the service extended to serve the principal use.

If public sewer is available, each principal use must be serviced by the existing public sewer system, provided that sewer capacity is available and that it is feasible to have the service extended to serve the principal use.

Cause vibration, dust, smoke, fumes, gas or offensive odors to be disseminated beyond the boundaries of the lot.

Cause noise exceeding that of street traffic at the front lot line.

Cause glare observable from beyond the boundaries of the lot.

Constitute a fire or explosion hazard.

Solar energy systems, subject to the limits set forth in § 175-73.1.