New Bethlehem City Zoning Code
ARTICLE III
District Regulations
§ 500-17 Scope and application.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Lot and yard dimensions, permitted uses, conditional uses and maximum height of structures are specified for each district. Any use not expressly listed for a district is prohibited in that district. Special exceptions require approval of the Zoning Hearing Board, whereas permitted and conditional uses require only normal application procedures. Uses which are normally accessory to the declared permitted uses are also permitted.
§ 500-18 R-1 Residential District.
[Amended 1-9-1984 by Ord. No. 784; 4-11-1995 by Ord. No. 819; 11-21-2023 by Ord. No. 947; 1-21-2025 by Ord. No. 954]
The purpose of this district is to promote and encourage the development of single-family detached dwellings in an amenable and aesthetically pleasing manner. Accordingly and in consideration of safety, health and environmental effects only single-family detached dwellings and those uses most closely related to this type of development are to be permitted within this district.
A.
Permitted use.
(1)
Single-family detached dwellings.
(2)
Public and parochial schools.
(3)
Churches.
(4)
Public parks and playgrounds.
(5)
Essential services.
(6)
Home occupation (specifically enumerated in Article IV, § 500-36).
(7)
Forestry.
(8)
No-impact home-based business.
B.
Conditional uses.
(1)
Planned unit development.
(2)
Fire stations.
(3)
Mobile homes.
(4)
Home occupation (specifically enumerated in Article IV, § 500-36).
(5)
Bed-and-breakfast
(6)
Short-term rental.
§ 500-19 R-2 Residential District.
[Amended 1-9-1984 by Ord. No. 784; 6-13-1995 by Ord. No. 820; 11-21-2023 by Ord. No. 947; 1-21-2025 by Ord. No. 954]
The purpose of this district is to provide adequate space for the development of multifamily dwellings and single-family detached dwellings in a more compact pattern in keeping with the requirements and needs for more dense development, particularly in close proximity to the urban core. This district also acts as a transitional zone between the commercial and industrial areas and the single-family residential district.
A.
Permitted uses.
(1)
Single-family detached dwellings.
(2)
Multiple-family dwellings.
(3)
Churches.
(4)
Public parks and playgrounds.
(5)
Municipal buildings.
(6)
Home occupations (specifically enumerated in Article IV, § 500-36).
(7)
Essential services.
(8)
Nursing and convalescent homes.
(9)
Bed-and-breakfasts and tourist homes (rooming houses and boardinghouses).
(10)
Forestry.
(11)
No-impact home-based business.
(12)
Short-term rental.
B.
Conditional uses.
(1)
Funeral homes.
(2)
Fire stations.
(3)
Public utility buildings.
(4)
Planned unit development.
(5)
Home occupation (specifically enumerated in Article IV, § 500-36).
§ 500-20 B Commercial District.
[Amended 11-21-2023 by Ord. No. 947; 1-21-2025 by Ord. No. 954]
The purpose of this district is to provide a compact core within the Borough center for the adequate provision of commercial establishments. The permitted uses and control established within this district will maintain the basic character of the area while permitting those uses normally associated with the downtown commercial district and prohibiting those uses which either aesthetically or economically are not fully compatible with the commercial district.
A.
Permitted uses.
(1)
Retail business.
(2)
Eating and drinking, establishments.
(3)
Food stores.
(4)
Offices.
(5)
Personal, professional and business services.
(6)
Commercial schools.
(7)
Indoor commercial amusement.
(8)
Clubs.
(9)
Funeral homes, mortuaries.
(10)
Hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfasts.
(11)
Churches.
(12)
Parks and playgrounds.
(13)
Auto sales, service and repair, including gas, fuel or charging stations.
(14)
Essential services.
(15)
Forestry.
(16)
Short-term rental.
B.
Conditional uses.
(1)
Municipal buildings.
(2)
Public utility buildings.
(3)
Animal clinics.
(4)
Hospitals and clinics for humans.
(5)
Fire stations.
(6)
Wholesale business.
(7)
Printing, lithographing and publishing plants.
(8)
Auto laundries.
(9)
Auto parking lots and parking garages.
(10)
Residences above first floor.
(11)
Planned unit development.
§ 500-21 IN Industrial District.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
The purpose of this district is to provide for industrial development in those areas presently being utilized for industrial purposes within the Borough, and to contain these uses within those areas most suitable for industrial development. Because of the limited amount of land available in the Borough and the extent to which development has already taken place, industrial use is permitted only in those areas adjacent to the railbanked rails to trails corridor, and therefore, considered amenable to industrial development.
A.
Permitted uses.
(1)
Research and testing laboratories.
(2)
Office buildings.
(3)
Light manufacturing (as defined by Article VIII), including production of the following goods: home appliances; electrical instruments; office machines; precision instruments; electronic devices; timepieces; jewelry; optical goods; musical instruments; novelties; wood products; printed material; lithographic plates; type composition; machine tools; dies and gauges; ceramies; apparel; light-weight nonferrous metal castings; film processing; light sheet metal products; plastic goods, pharmaceutical goods and food products, but not including animal slaughtering, curing, nor rendering of fats.
(4)
Milling facilities and retail.
(5)
Auto sales, service and repair.
(6)
Wholesale and warehouse establishments.
(7)
Laundry and dry cleaning plants.
(8)
Auto parking lots and parking garages.
(9)
Essential services.
(10)
Forestry.
B.
Conditional uses.
(1)
Water storage.
(2)
Truck terminals.
(3)
Bulk fuel storage.
(4)
Public utility buildings.
(5)
Fire stations.
§ 500-22 C Conservation District.
This district is designed to conserve or retain land which because of its location, features or present use is peculiarly suited to specific uses or to conservation as open space or recreational area.
A.
Permitted uses.
(1)
Public parks, playgrounds, preserves, or similar open recreation use of a nonprofit nature.
(2)
Public and parochial schools.
(3)
Cemeteries.
(4)
Water storage.
(5)
Essential services.
(6)
Forestry.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
§ 500-23 L-IN Light Industrial District.
[Added 7-21-2009 by Ord. No. 894]
The purpose of this district is to insulate residential districts within the Borough from the industrial district while allowing for some expansion of light industrial uses. This district shall serve as a buffer between the industrial district and bordering residential districts. The following conditions shall apply to all structures within the L-IN Industrial District.
A.
Building facades in the district must conform and fit within the style of the neighboring residential districts through the use of brick or other residential-type siding; and
B.
Trees, shrubs, landscaping or other types of noise barriers must be planted or installed along the border of any light industrial lot that abuts a lot zoned either R-1 or R-2.
C.
Permitted uses:
(1)
Research and testing laboratories.
(2)
Office buildings.
(3)
Light manufacturing as defined in § 500-52 of the Zoning Code.
(4)
Essential services.
D.
Conditional uses:
(1)
Municipal buildings.
(2)
Public utility buildings.
E.
All lot requirements of the Industrial District, as set forth in § 500-24 of the Zoning Code, shall apply to the Light Industrial District.
§ 500-24 Lot requirements.
The lot requirements table is included as an attachment to this chapter.
