Old Lycoming Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 1
TITLE, AUTHORITY, AND PURPOSE
§ 27-101 Short Title.
[Ord. 168, 8/11/1992, § 100; as amended by Ord. 231, 10/14/2008; by Ord. 271, 11/10/2015, Art. 1; and by Ord. 279, 4/12/2016, Art. 1]
This chapter shall be known and cited as the "Old Lycoming Township Zoning Ordinance of 1992," as amended September 10, 1992, July 20, 1994, May 14, 1996, February 10, 1998, February 9, 1999, January 29, 2004, April 11, 2006, January 7, 2008, December 9, 2008, August 12, 2009, December 14, 2010, April 12, 2011, July 10, 2012, May 14, 2013, December 10, 2013, August 12, 2014, and November 10, 2015.
§ 27-102 Authority.
[Ord. 168, 8/11/1992, § 101; as amended by Ord. 231, 10/14/2008]
1.
Section 601 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq., provides that of Old Lycoming Township may implement comprehensive plans or accomplish any of the purposes of the Planning Code by enacting a zoning ordinance.
2.
Old Lycoming Township, under the authority cited above, do hereby ordain that this Zoning Ordinance was enacted in order to promote and protect the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the residents of the Township.
§ 27-103 General Purposes.
[Ord. 168, 8/11/1992, § 102; as amended by Ord. 231, 10/14/2008]
1.
The zoning regulations and districts herein set forth were developed in accordance with an overall program for the Township, with consideration being given to the character of the area, the municipality's various parts, and the suitability of the various parts for particular uses and structures. As such, the regulations were designed to:
A.
Promote, protect, and facilitate the public health, safety, morals, and the general welfare; coordinated and practical community development; and proper density of population; emergency management preparedness and operations, the provision of adequate light and air, access to incident solar energy, police protection, vehicle parking and loading space, transportation, water, sewerage, schools; recreational facilities, public grounds, the provision of a safe, reliable, and adequate water supply for domestic, commercial, agricultural, or industrial use, and other public requirements; as well as preservation of the natural, scenic, and historic values in the environment and preservation of forests, wetlands, aquifers, and floodplains.
B.
Prevent the overcrowding of land, blight, danger, and congestion in travel and transportation, loss of health, life, or property from fire, flood, panic, or other dangers.
C.
Preserve prime agriculture and farmland considering topography, soil type, and classification, and present use.
D.
Provide for the use of land within the municipality for residential housing of various dwelling types encompassing all basic forms of housing.
E.
Accommodate reasonable overall community growth and provide opportunities for development of a variety of residential dwelling types and nonresidential uses.
F.
Facilitate appropriate development of the Township, protect the tax base, and encourage economy in public expenditures.
§ 27-104 Community Development Objectives.
[Ord. 168, 8/11/1992, § 103; as amended by Ord. 231, 10/14/2008; and by Ord. 240, 8/12/2009, Art. 1]
1.
This chapter provides the legal basis and framework for future development in Old Lycoming Township. Its provisions were guided by the growth management goals set forth in the Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan for the Lower Lycoming Creek Planning Area and the Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan for the Greater Williams-port Alliance Planning Area, both adopted by the Township May 5, 2005. The following list of goal statements, taken from the Comprehensive Plans, represent the Township's desires with respect to land use; density of population; the need for housing, commerce and industry; the location and function of streets and other community facilities and utilities; the need for preserving agricultural land and protecting natural resources; and other factors which the Township believes to be relevant in guiding the future development of the municipality. (Detailed objectives which supplement the identified goals and recommended strategies designed to help achieve each goal are established in the Comprehensive Plan.)
A.
Community and Economic Development Goals.
(1)
To maintain and enhance the planning area's quality of life.
(2)
To promote Old Lycoming Township as a vibrant place to live, work and play.
(3)
To diversify housing choices while enhancing and preserving local community settings.
(4)
To increase and diversify educational and training opportunities for the County workforce.
(5)
To maintain the viability of existing businesses, while increasing small business start-ups and expansions.
(6)
To strengthen and diversify the area's economy, while retaining and growing existing businesses and industries.
(7)
To maintain and reinvest in downtown districts as vital community centers.
B.
Land Use and Resource Management Goals.
(1)
To conserve ridgetops and steep slopes for their environmental and aesthetic value to the County, and to manage limited development in these areas.
(2)
To manage new development as well as re-development along highway corridors in ways that complement and enhance local communities.
(3)
To manage land and associated natural resources with clear regard for economic, environmental and aesthetic values.
(4)
To maintain and develop cultural diversity.
(5)
To reduce the loss of life and property due to flooding by restricting floodplain development.
C.
Transportation Goals. To more fully develop a functional and effective multi-modal transportation network.
§ 27-105 Disclaimer.
[Ord. 168, 8/11/1992, § 104; as amended by Ord. 213, 1/29/2004, Art. 1; and by Ord. 231, 10/14/2008]
1.
This chapter is not intended to create nor assume liability on the part of Old Lycoming Township or any officer or employee thereof for any fire, flood, or other damage that may result from reliance on this chapter or from any administrative decisions lawfully made thereunder. These regulations shall not guarantee a specific level of protection for any construction. Furthermore, issuance of a zoning permit shall not constitute a representation, guarantee, or warranty of any kind by the Township as to the accuracy of the information provided by any applicant as part of a permit application.
2.
The Township elected to enforce the provisions of the Uniform Construction Code, 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, implemented under the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, 35 P.S. § 7510.101 et seq., by Ord. 214, 3/9/2004 [Chapter 5, Part 1]. Also, by § 8 of Ord. 214, the Township adopted and elected to administer and enforce the International Property Maintenance Code [§ 5-101.8]. In addition, because the Township is in a high radon potential area, the Township has elected to enforce Appendix F of the International Residential Code [§ 5-101.9].