Paradise Township Monroe County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE I
General Provisions
§ 160-1 Title.
This chapter shall be known and cited as the "Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance."
§ 160-2 Community development objectives.
This chapter is hereby adopted in accordance with the objectives of the Comprehensive Township Development Plan and is promulgated and set forth for the following purposes:
A.
To guide and regulate the orderly growth and development of the community; to promote public health, safety and general welfare; to provide for the most appropriate use of land; to protect the character and value of properties; to preserve the natural and scenic qualities of open land; to prevent undue concentration of population; and to lessen traffic congestion on public roads and highways.
B.
To seek to ensure that Paradise Township continues to be a desirable and tranquil location in which to reside and vacation.
C.
To provide updated zoning regulations that accommodate the community character desired by local residents, including the protection of existing neighborhoods, and to reasonably protect property values.
D.
To protect important natural features and natural areas for future generations to enjoy.
E.
To ensure that new development is carefully coordinated with existing development, to ensure that the best use of land is achieved.
F.
To ensure that Paradise Township meets its legal obligations to provide opportunities to develop all legitimate land uses.
G.
To encourage appropriate development that will create jobs and increase the tax base, while avoiding development that would have an adverse impact on the Township's existing economic base of tourism.
H.
To recognize that Paradise Township lacks a public water and sewer system and has limited capacity to serve intense development.
I.
To recognize that there are no limited access expressways within Paradise Township, and that the existing road system has many physical limitations that makes most roads unsuitable for heavy truck traffic.
J.
To seek to minimize potential hazards and nuisances, and to reasonably control the hours of operation of nuisance causing uses to meet the other objectives of this section.
K.
To seek to minimize traffic safety hazards, especially including hazards caused by high volume traffic.
N.
To conserve open land, including those areas containing unique and sensitive natural features such as woodlands, steep slopes, streams, floodplains, riparian buffers, and wetlands, by setting them aside from development.
O.
To provide greater design flexibility and efficiency in the location of services and infrastructure, including the opportunity to reduce length of roads, utility runs, and the amount of paving required for residential development.
P.
To reduce erosion and sedimentation by the retention of existing vegetation, and the minimization of development on steep slopes.
Q.
To provide for a diversity of lot sizes, building densities, and housing choices to accommodate a variety of age and income groups, and residential preferences, so that the community's population diversity may be maintained.
R.
To implement adopted Township policies to conserve a variety of irreplaceable and environmentally sensitive resource lands as set forth in the Barrett-Mt. Pocono-Paradise Open Space Recreation Plan and the Paradise Township Strategic Plan, including provisions for reasonable incentives to create a greenway system for the benefit of present and future residents.
S.
To implement adopted land use, transportation, and community policies, as identified in the Township's Comprehensive Plan.
T.
To create neighborhoods with direct visual access to open land, with amenities in the form of neighborhood open space, and with a strong neighborhood identity.
U.
To provide for the conservation and maintenance of open land within the Township to achieve the above-mentioned goals and for active or passive recreational use by residents.
V.
To provide standards reflecting the varying circumstances and interests of individual landowners, and the individual characteristics of their properties.
W.
To conserve scenic views and elements of the Township's character, and to minimize perceived density, by minimizing views of new development from existing roads.
X.
To provide multiple options for landowners in order to minimize impacts on environmental resources (sensitive lands such as wetlands, floodplain, and steep slopes) and disturbance of natural or cultural features (such as mature woodlands, hedgerows and tree lines, critical wildlife habitats, historic buildings, and fieldstone walls).
§ 160-3 Interpretation.
In the interpretation and application of the provisions of this chapter, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements adopted for the promotion of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. Except where specifically provided to the contrary, it is not intended by this chapter to repeal, abrogate, annul or in any way interfere with any rules, regulations or permits previously adopted or issued or which shall be adopted or issued pursuant to law relating to the use of buildings, structures, shelter or premises, nor is it intended to interfere with or abrogate or annul any easements, covenants or other legal agreements in effect between parties at the time of adoption of this chapter; provided, however, that where this chapter imposes a greater restriction upon the use of a building or lot or requires larger open spaces than are imposed or required by any other statute, ordinance, rule, regulation or permit, the provisions of this chapter shall prevail.
§ 160-3.1 Severability.
The provisions of this chapter shall be severable and if any of the provisions hereof shall be held to be unconstitutional, invalid or illegal by a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of any of the remaining provisions of this chapter.
§ 160-3.2 Savings.
This chapter is neither intended to, nor should it be interpreted to, violate or conflict with, any applicable state or federal statute, ordinance or regulation. To the extent that any provision of this chapter, or portions thereof, shall conflict with or violate any portion of such applicable state or federal statute, ordinance or regulation, the relevant provisions such state or federal statute, ordinance or regulation shall control.
§ 160-3.3 Definitions.
The provisions of Article II of Chapter One of the Paradise Township Code of Ordinances, entitled "Definitions," as it may be amended, is incorporated herein by reference.