The Municipality of Murrysville is hereby divided into Zoning Districts as shown on the Zoning District Map, which, together with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this chapter.[1]

The Zoning District Map shall be identified by the signature of the President of the Murrysville Council, attested by the Chief Administrator and certified by the Municipal Engineer, and shall bear the seal of the Municipal Engineer under the following words: "This is to certify that this is the Zoning District Map referred to in Article III of this chapter, as amended, of the Municipality of Murrysville, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania," together with the date of adoption of this chapter.

All amendments affecting district boundaries shall be noted on the Zoning District Map by the Municipal Engineer, including the date of adoption, and shall be attested to by the Chief Administrator.

No changes of any nature shall be made in the Zoning District Map or matter shown thereof except in conformity with the procedure set forth in this chapter. Any unauthorized change of whatever kind by any person shall be considered a violation of this chapter and punishable as provided under Article XI of this chapter.

The Zoning District Map, which shall be located in the Municipal Building, shall be the final authority as to the current zoning status of land and water areas, buildings and other structures in the Municipality.

District boundaries indicated as appearing to follow the center lines of streets, highways or alleys shall be construed to follow such center lines;

District boundaries indicated as appearing to follow platted lot lines shall be construed as following such lot lines;

District boundaries indicated as appearing to follow municipal boundaries shall be construed as following municipal boundaries;

District boundaries indicated as following railroad lines shall be construed to be midway between the main tracks;

District boundaries indicated as approximately following the center lines of streams, rivers or other bodies of water shall be construed to follow center lines, and in the event of change in the location of streams, rivers and other bodies of water, shall be construed as moving with the actual body of water and following the center line;

Distances not specifically indicated on the Zoning District Map shall be determined by the scale of the Map.

P-L Public Land District. This District in intended to protect publicly owned land where preservation of land and where land uses are designed to benefit the public interest. Schools, park and conservation areas owned and operated by a governmental entity shall be identified and mapped as public land.

R-R Rural Residential District. This District is intended to protect environmentally sensitive areas and portions of the Municipality that are not otherwise suitable for development at higher densities. Single-family residential uses on large lots where needs for traffic facilities and utilities are low and where it is appropriate to reserve the rural atmosphere of the Municipality are primary considerations.

R-1 Low Density Residential District. The purpose of this District is to provide for development of residential uses at a relatively low density. It is expected that this area will usually require off-site water and sewerage services, although initial development of single-family homes may not require immediate servicing. The uses would be restricted to single-family homes, except in planned residential developments, and accessory uses appropriate to the principal uses.

R-2 Medium Density Residential District. The purpose of the Medium Density Residential District is to provide an alternative in the choice of housing areas for those persons who desire a relatively low density of single-family development but do not wish to obtain a minimum of one-acre lot and a verity of housing types in the planned residential development. It is expected that off-site sewer and water services would be required because of the density of development provided.

R-3 High Density Residential District. The purpose of the High Density Residential District is to recognize the need for an alternative to single-family detached houses as the preferred housing type. The locations and regulations of this District are consistent with the fact that such development requires far more extensive servicing for a given unit of land area and has a greater impact on community facilities, such as streets and highways.

MU Mixed Use District. The purpose of the Mixed Use District is to provide for the location of small retail, office and residential uses as well as to direct the development of properties located between commercially developed and residentially developed properties. The objective is to encourage the convenient placement of such uses for the benefit of the residents in locations compatible with the type and impact of the use. The intent is to maintain a residential character for properties in the Mixed Use District so that the impact of use is minimal to nearby properties used residentially. Since this is the case, the combination of lots and the use of common accesses and parking areas is encouraged and anticipated.

B Business District. The purpose of the Business District is to provide areas for the location of commercial and industrial uses in areas of the Municipality where infrastructure can support such uses; to develop and operate these uses in such a manner as to minimize the impact of these uses on that infrastructure and surrounding properties; and to develop and operate these uses consistent with the goals and objectives of the Municipality.

General Business Overlay. The purpose of the General Business Overlay is to promote and maintain a sustainable mixture of commercial and residential development based on the scale and mixture relative to existing development and access to adequate street infrastructure and major and minor arterials. The options and standards provided in the overlay help to encourage the preservation of adjoining property values and community character.

Residential Zoning Districts Area and Bulk Regulation Table for Principal Uses.

Flag lots. Flag lots as defined in this chapter shall be permitted to the extent that design principles detailed in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance[1] are satisfied. The minimum lot frontage required shall apply to the width of the body of the lot most nearly paralleling the right-of-way from which it is accessed. The front yard required shall be measured from this line.

Unit lots, R-3 District.

Accessory structures less than 500 square feet in area may be located no closer than five feet from the property line. All accessory structures more than 500 square feet in area shall comply with the yard requirements in the following table.

Where the principal structure is situated behind the required front yard setback line of the respective district, the term "front yard," as applied to the above table, shall include the area of the lot from a line parallel to the principal structure to the front yard setback line in addition to the required front yard.

This table shows the authorized uses in the MU and B Zoning Districts. The table includes a key to indicate the type of authorized use.

Business District performance standards. The following performance standards shall apply to all construction of principal and accessory structures within the B Zoning District. Development resulting in less than forty-percent total impervious surface coverage or new buildings or building additions resulting in less than 1,000 square feet of additional lot coverage shall be considered de minimis and are exempt from the following provisions. The preceding exemptions shall consider the entirety of development proposed in both preliminary and final land development as required and defined in Chapter 201, Subdivision and Land Development, and to all imminent development (any development for which an application for further subdivision or land development on the site is submitted within 18 months of tentative approval) related thereto.

Objectives. The developments authorized in the General Business Overlay aim to provide for the following objectives, which shall form the basis of the design standards outlined herein as well as the findings made by Council in the requirement of design standards and consideration of the application as a whole.

The boundaries of the General Business Overlay (GBO) shall be delineated on the Zoning Map. Areas within the GBO shall be authorized for the following uses, notwithstanding that which is authorized in the respective underlying zoning districts and those bulk regulations related thereto: