Northampton Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 27-101 General Intent; Community Development Objectives.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977]
1.
The zoning regulations and districts set forth in this chapter are made in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan of the Township and are intended to achieve the following goals:
A.
To promote, protect and facilitate one or more of the following: the public health, safety, morals, general welfare, coordinated and practical community development, proper density of population, civil defense, disaster evacuation, the provisions of adequate light and air, police protection, vehicle parking and loading space, transportation, water, sewerage, schools, public grounds and other public requirements.
B.
To prevent one or more of the following: overcrowding of land, blight, danger and congestion in travel and transportation, loss of health, life or property from fire, panic or other dangers.
C.
To provide standards to foster the amount of open space within the Township; to control the intensity of development in areas of sensitive natural resources or natural features in order to reduce or eliminate adverse environmental impacts; to protect the people's right to clean air, pure water and the natural, scenic, historic, recreational and aesthetic values of the environment; to protect the soils, waterways, trees and other vegetation; and to protect natural and agricultural resources which are a part of the ecological system to which the residents are all bound and therefore are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come, and which must be protected to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all the people.
D.
To provide standards for various types of dwelling units so that all the people may have access to decent, sound and sanitary housing; and to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the Township.
§ 27-102 Relationship to the Comprehensive Plan.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977]
This chapter is adopted to promote an orderly plan of development according to the Township Comprehensive Plan, including data on existing conditions, statements concerning the proposed plan and evaluation of implementation techniques, and with reasonable consideration, among other things, of the existing character of the various areas within the Township and their respective suitability to particular land uses.
§ 27-103 Interpretation.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977]
In the interpretation and application of this chapter, the provisions thereof shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the public health, safety and general welfare. Where the provisions of this chapter impose greater restrictions than those of any other ordinance or regulation, the provisions of this chapter shall be controlling. Where the provisions of any statute, other ordinance or regulation impose greater restrictions than this chapter, the provisions of such statute, ordinance or regulation shall be controlling.
§ 27-104 Establishment of Zoning Districts.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 177, 8/1/1979; by Ord. 210, 5/9/1984; by Ord. 241, 9/24/1986; by Ord. 272, 5/11/1988; by Ord. 307, 6/13/1990; by Ord. 343, 12/11/1991; and by Ord. 346, 2/26/1992]
The following zoning districts are hereby created:
AR | Agricultural-Residential District |
EP | Environmental Protection District |
CR | Country Residential District |
R-1 | Single-Family District |
R-2 | Single-Family District |
R-3 | Multi-family District |
R-5 | Mobile Home Park District |
C-2 | General Commercial/Office District |
C-3 | Planned Commercial District |
PO | Professional Office District |
I-1 | Planned Industrial/Office District |
IP | Institutional/Public District |
REC | Recreation District |
FP | Floodplain and Flood Hazard District |
§ 27-105 Zoning Maps.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 210, 5/9/1984; and by Ord. 441, 12/9/1998]
The boundaries of districts shall be as shown on the map attached to and made a part of this chapter, which map shall be known as the "Zoning District Map of Northampton Township." Said map or subsequent revisions and all notations, references and data shown thereon are hereby incorporated by reference into this chapter and shall be as much a part of this chapter as if all were fully described herein.
§ 27-106 Interpretation of District Boundaries.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 441, 12/9/1998]
1.
Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries of a zoning 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 rights-of-way 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, they shall be construed to be said boundaries; or where district boundaries are extensions of lot lines or connect the intersections of lot lines, such lines shall be said district boundaries.
C.
Where district boundaries are so indicated that they are approximately parallel to center lines of streets or highways, such district boundaries shall be construed as being parallel thereto and at such distance therefrom as indicated on the Zoning Map.
D.
Where district boundaries divide a lot, the location of such boundaries shall be determined by the use of the scale shown on the Zoning Map unless the boundaries are indicated by dimensions.
§ 27-107 Federal, State, County or Municipally Owned Property.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 289, 5/10/1989]
Wherever Federal-, State- or County-owned property is included in one or more zoning districts, it shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter only insofar as is permitted by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.