Hempfield Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXXI
Municipal and Fire Use Overlay District
[Added 3-23-2026 by Ord. No. 2026-03]
§ 87-211 Purpose.
The purpose of the Municipal and Fire Use Overlay District (MFU) is to facilitate the adaptive reuse of former municipal and public safety facilities. The Township recognizes that these facilities were intentionally located within residentially zoned areas to serve the community effectively, and that their scale and infrastructure are inherently non-residential. The MFU is intended to allow low-impact, neighborhood-compatible commercial uses, promoting adaptive reuse, reducing blight, and returning surplus public assets to productive uses.
§ 87-212 Applicability and compliance.
A.
The regulations outlined in this chapter apply only to the redevelopment of parcels as identified herein.
B.
All standards in the underlying zoning district shall be met unless specifically addressed in this chapter. In the event of contradictory regulation, this chapter shall take precedence over the underlying zoning district.
§ 87-213 District boundaries.
A.
The Boundary of the MFU district is limited to the following tax parcels. These parcels contain existing public safety or municipal-owned facilities. Future decommissioned facilities shall be added to this district upon official decommissioning from service.
(1)
50-29-03-0-016 – West Point.
(2)
50-21-08-0-167 – Hempfield No. 2.
(3)
50-04-15-0-016 – Hannastown.
(4)
50-16-07-0-129 – Bovard.
(5)
50-09-00-0-062 – North 66.
(6)
50-13-00-0-063 – Adamsburg.
(7)
50-08-13-0-189 – Grapeville.
(8)
50-13-04-0-046 – High Park.
(9)
50-13-04-0-045 – High Park.
(10)
50-21-10-0-002 – Carbon.
(11)
50-21-10-0-005 – Carbon.
(12)
50-20-00-0-216 – Fort Allen.
(13)
50-28-10-0-001 – Midway St. Clair.
§ 87-214 Permitted uses.
A.
The following uses shall be permitted by right:
(1)
Animal hospital.
(2)
Professional office, minor.
(3)
Retail business, neighborhood.
(4)
Service business.
(5)
Uses permitted by right in the underlying zoning district.
B.
The following uses shall be permitted by special exception, unless the use is permitted by right in the underlying zoning district:
(1)
Banquet facility.
(2)
Automobile repair, minor.
(3)
Manufacturing, light.
(4)
Restaurant, drive-in.
(5)
Civic, social and fraternal club.
(6)
Medical clinic, out patient.
(7)
Uses permitted by special exception in the underlying zoning district.
C.
Those uses identified as special exceptions in Subsection B above, the Zoning Hearing Board shall consider the following characteristics of the proposed use:
(1)
The number of employees.
(2)
The gross floor area of the building or gross area of the lot devoted to the proposed use.
(3)
The type of products, materials, equipment and/or process involved in the proposed use.
(4)
The magnitude of the walk-in trade.
(5)
The traffic and environmental impacts.
§ 87-215 Site plan required.
A.
A site plan and land development approval shall be obtained in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of Hempfield Township before the issuance of any building permit, including but not limited to the retrofitting of an existing structure to serve a new commercial purpose.
§ 87-216 Regulations for parcels with residential base zoning districts.
A.
A screening and buffer planting shall be provided for any lot improvement other than a proposed single-family use.
B.
Dumpsters shall be provided in accordance to § 87-133 of the Township zoning ordinance. Additionally, the dumpster shall be located on the lot where it is not visible from the adjacent residential homes.
C.
A parking study and plan shall be submitted and approved by the Township as part of the site plan and land development process. This study shall determine the amount of parking that will be required to best serve the use based on recognized and generally accepted measurements of parking sufficiency. In addition, the plan shall include a circulation and access management plan.
D.
Parking shall be planned for on the lot on which it is to serve. Parking shall not be permitted in the public right-of-way.
E.
All lighting shall be shielded away from adjacent residential lots and shall not exceed more than one light candled as measured at any property line. A photometric plan shall be submitted as part of the site plan and land development review.
F.
Development within the MFU shall abide by all other Hempfield Township guidelines and/or design standards as applicable.
