Kittanning City Zoning Code
ARTICLE I
Title and Purpose
§ 550-1 Short title.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Zoning Ordinance of the Borough of Kittanning."
§ 550-2 General intent and objectives.
[Amended 5-10-1972 by Ord. No. 166-1972]
The intent of this chapter is to establish a Comprehensive Plan for the use of land in the Borough of Kittanning and is enacted in order to promote and to protect the general health, safety, welfare and convenience of the residents of the Borough. The community development objectives of the Borough of Kittanning are as follows.
A.
Housing.
(1)
Safe, decent and sanitary housing should be available to every resident of the Borough;
(2)
Efforts to rehabilitate or improve the maintenance of existing housing units will be encouraged;
(3)
Innovative approaches to building construction and land development which are consistent with the other objectives set forth herein will be encouraged if they will result in an expanded supply of housing, especially for low- or moderate-income families.
B.
Environmental.
(1)
Subsequent land development should not entail excessive erosion of land because of grading or needless removal of trees from wooded areas;
(2)
All subsequent land development should be conducted only where it has no detrimental effect on the purity of air and water;
(3)
Steep slope and floodplain areas should be withheld from development and utilized for conservation and recreation purposes;
(4)
The quality of the environment should not be unnecessarily damaged by indiscriminate proliferation of billboards and garish or oversized outdoor advertising signs.
C.
Economic development.
(1)
Commercial uses should be grouped in compact, accessible locations, except where convenience commercial uses are necessary in neighborhoods;
(2)
High-standard industrial uses will be encouraged in appropriate locations.
D.
Transportation.
(1)
The road system should be improved and expanded to provide good accessibility within and between the Borough and outside destinations;
(2)
Adjacent land uses should not be permitted to adversely affect the primary function of the safe movement of people and goods on arterial and collector roads;
(3)
All future development should provide adequate off-street parking facilities and off-street loading facilities.
E.
Community facilities.
(1)
Park and recreation facilities should be provided where necessary;
(2)
Sanitary sewers should be provided in connection with all areas and in any location where a collective water system is installed;
(3)
Industrial areas should provide industrial sewage treatment facilities which are consistent with their needs.
§ 550-3 Scope of regulations.
This chapter has been adopted in order to:
A.
Establish zoning districts. Establish zoning districts and to regulate therein the use of land and structures for residential, commercial, manufacturing and other purposes.
B.
Regulate buildings and population density. Regulate the location, height, bulk and size of buildings and structures, the size of yards, courts and open spaces, the percentage of a lot which may be occupied by a building or a structure, and the density of population.
§ 550-4 Purposes.
Such regulations are deemed necessary to achieve the following purposes:
A.
Promote orderly development. To protect the character and maintain the stability of residential, business and manufacturing areas within the Borough, and to promote the orderly and beneficial development of such areas.
B.
Limit street congestion. To limit congestion in the public streets and to protect the public safety and convenience by providing for off-street parking of motor vehicles and for the loading and unloading of commercial vehicles.
C.
Protection against hazards. To provide protection against fire, explosion, noxious fumes, and other hazards in the interest of the public health, safety, comfort and the general welfare.
D.
Regulate intensity of use. To regulate the intensity of use of zone lots, and to determine the area of open spaces surrounding buildings and structures which are necessary to provide adequate light and air circulation around buildings, privacy and convenience of access to property and to avoid undue concentration of population.
E.
Provide adequate facilities. To facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, sanitary sewers, water supply, schools, parks and other public improvements.
F.
Establish standards of development. To fix reasonable standards to which buildings or structures shall conform.
G.
Prohibit incompatible use. To prohibit uses, buildings or structures which are incompatible with the character of development or the permitted uses within specified zoning districts.
H.
Regulate alterations of existing buildings. To prevent such additions to, and alterations or remodeling of, existing buildings or structures as would not comply with the restrictions and limitations imposed hereunder.
I.
Conserve taxable value of land. To conserve the taxable value of land and buildings by encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout the Borough.