Limerick Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE I
General Regulations; Districts Established
§ 184-1 Title, effective date.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Limerick Township Zoning Ordinance of 1961, as amended by Comprehensive Amendment enacted September 29, 1992," and shall become effective upon enactment.
§ 184-2 Legislative intent.
This chapter is enacted for the purpose of promoting the health, safety, morals and the general welfare of the Township. The chapter is in accordance with a Comprehensive Plan and is designed to lessen congestion on the roads and highways, to secure safety from fire, panic and other danger, to provide adequate light and air, to prevent the overcrowding of land, to avoid undue congestion of population, to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public requirements, to conserve the value of buildings and to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the Township.
§ 184-3 Community development objectives.
[Amended 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196]
This chapter is enacted in conformance with the requirements of the Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247, as amended.[1] The goals and objectives of the Growth Management and Comprehensive Plan of 1995, as may be amended, are hereby included by reference. In addition, the following specific objectives are intended to guide the Township's future development:
A.
Residential development objectives.
(1)
To encourage the maintenance of the rural character of the Township while providing for a variety of housing types and densities for persons of varying incomes, ages and lifestyles.
(2)
To establish growth areas within the Township within which higher density development will be concentrated and centralized sewer and water service provided.
(3)
To provide for low-density residential development in areas outside the Township's growth area which neither have nor are planned to have centralized sewer and water service.
(4)
To provide for the timing of growth at a rate consistent with the availability of community facilities and municipal services.
(5)
To encourage the retention of agricultural uses and the preservation and reuse of historic buildings and structures.
(6)
To encourage development of the Township's villages, Limerick and Linfield, as focal points for the neighborhoods around them, and to encourage further village residential development at a pedestrian scale.
(7)
To encourage clustering and other flexible lotting techniques to preserve open space and minimize disturbance of sensitive natural features.
B.
Office and industrial development objectives.
(1)
To provide sufficient developable land for all types of industrial development, in proximity to major regional roads and highway interchanges.
(2)
To concentrate office and limited industrial development around highway interchanges, to facilitate circulation and minimize interference with local traffic.
(3)
To minimize conflict between industrial development and surrounding land uses by means of performance standards governing odors, emissions and other potential side effects of industrial development.
(4)
To ensure the protection of sensitive natural resources by limiting building coverage and impervious coverage within all nonresidential development.
C.
Commercial development objectives.
(1)
To make provisions for adequate commercial facilities to serve the present and projected population of Limerick Township, rather than a regional market.
(2)
To encourage small-scale, pedestrian-oriented commercial development within the villages, especially where it leads to the reuse of existing historic buildings.
(3)
To ensure that highway-oriented commercial development is designed to maximize traffic safety and convenience, and avoid the cluttered appearance and traffic hazards of traditional "strip" development.
(4)
To encourage development of planned commercial centers, combining retail and office uses with strong design and circulation controls at the intersections of major roads.
E.
Environmental and open space objectives.
(1)
To provide standards to control the density and intensity of development in areas of sensitive natural resources, such as stream valleys, steep slopes, woodlands and groundwater recharge areas.
(2)
To encourage the setting aside of suitable open space within residential developments, to meet the needs of present and future residents for active and passive recreational facilities.
(3)
To provide for a comprehensive trail system within the Township, to provide for nonmotorized recreation and to link neighborhoods with recreational and community facilities.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
§ 184-4 Establishment of districts.
A.
For the purpose of this chapter, the Township is hereby divided into the following districts, which are designated as follows:
[Amended 11-4-1998 by Ord. No. 198; 7-19-2005 by Ord. No. 253; 6-19-2012 by Ord. No. 330; 9-4-2012 by Ord. No. 334]
R-1 | Residential-Agricultural | |
R-2 | Low Density | |
R-3 | Medium Density | |
R-4 | Medium-High Density | |
R-5 | Village Residential | |
MHP | Mobile Home Park | |
VC | Village Commercial | |
HC | Highway Commercial | |
O/LI | Office/Limited Industrial | |
LLI | Limited Light Industrial | |
HI | Heavy Industrial | |
RB | Retail Business District | |
MS | Main Street District |
B.
The locations and boundaries of these districts are shown on the Zoning Map of Limerick Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, prepared by Carrigan Geo, dated May 1, 2018, and as may be amended, which is hereby made a part of this chapter. The Zoning Map and all the notations, references and other data thereon shall be as much a part of this chapter as if fully described herein.[1]
[Amended 12-16-1997 by Ord. No. 191; 7-3-2018 by Ord. No. 392]
[1]
Editor’s Note: The Zoning Map is included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 184-5 District boundaries.
Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries of the district as indicated on the Zoning Map, the following rules shall apply:
A.
Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately coinciding with the center lines of streets, highways, railroad lines or streams, such center lines shall be construed to be such boundaries.
B.
Where district boundaries are so indicated that they approximately coincide with lot lines, such lot lines shall be construed to be said boundaries; or where district boundaries are extensions of lot lines or connect the intersection of lot lines, such lines shall be said district boundaries.
C.
Where a district boundary divides a lot, the locations of such boundary shall be specified by figures on the Zoning Map, or where no figures exist, by use of the scale appearing on the map.
D.
Where figures are shown on the Zoning Map between a street and a district boundary, they shall indicate that the boundary runs parallel to the center line of the street or highway, at a distance therefrom equal to the number of feet so indicated.
E.
In case any further uncertainty exists, the Zoning Hearing Board shall interpret the map as to the location of district boundaries.
F.
Where a district boundary line divides a lot held in single or separate ownership at the effective date of this chapter, the use regulations applicable to the less-restricted district shall extend over the portion of the lot in the more-restricted district a distance of not more than 50 feet beyond the district boundary line.
§ 184-6 Conflict with other provisions.
It is not intended by this chapter to repeal, abrogate, annul, or interfere with any existing ordinances or enactment or with any rule, regulation or permit adopted or issued thereunder, except insofar as the same may be inconsistent or in conflict with any of the provisions of this chapter, provided that where this chapter imposes greater restrictions upon the use of buildings or land, or upon the height and bulk of buildings, or prescribes larger open spaces than are required by the provisions of such ordinance, enactment, rule, regulation or permit, then the provisions of this chapter shall control.
§ 184-7 Severability.
Should any section or provision of this chapter be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the chapter as a whole or of any other part thereof.
§ 184-8 Repealer.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.