Royersford City Zoning Code
ARTICLE I
General Provisions
§ 475-1 Short title.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Royersford Borough Zoning Ordinance of 1983."
§ 475-2 Legislative intent.
This chapter is enacted for the purpose, inter alia, to lessen congestion on the roads and streets, to secure safety from fire, panic and other damages, to promote health and the general welfare; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population; to facilitate the adequate provision for transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public services and facilities; and to promote the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the Borough of Royersford, County of Montgomery, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
§ 475-3 Interpretation.
[Amended 5-11-2010 by Ord. No. 833]
In interpreting and applying the provisions of this chapter, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. Where the provisions of this chapter impose greater restrictions than those of any statute, other ordinance or regulation, the provisions of this chapter shall be controlling. Where the provisions of any statute, other ordinance or regulations impose greater restrictions than this chapter, the provisions of such statute, other ordinance or regulations shall be controlling. A use or facilities, including municipal signs, of the Borough of Royersford, shall be exempt from the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance.
§ 475-4 Community development objectives.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
The Borough of Royersford, which has an adopted Comprehensive Plan adopted January 31, 2017, to guide the orderly growth and development of the Borough, intends this Zoning Ordinance to implement the following Statement of Community Development Objectives, in accordance with Act 247, The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code:[1]
A.
Growth. Royersford is a developed community with an established character that should be preserved; no drastic changes in the present development pattern should occur.
(1)
All future growth, whether by infilling of remaining vacant land or by redevelopment of existing developed parcels, should occur in an orderly and controlled manner that is consistent with the scale and character of the Borough.
(2)
The Borough's population should remain stable in the future at a level of approximately 5,000 persons.
B.
Land use. Royersford should remain a multifaceted community which functions as an urban core serving adjacent less developed areas.
(1)
The integrity of established residential neighborhoods in the Borough should be protected; nonresidential development should be located in a manner which complements, rather than downgrades, residential areas.
(2)
Existing land use conflicts between residential and nonresidential uses should be eliminated, and future land use decisions should avoid the creation of additional land use conflicts.
(3)
Highway business uses should be differentiated from neighborhood commercial uses which primarily serve Borough residents.
(4)
Industrial development should be located along the Schuylkill riverfront and in other selected areas of the Borough committed to and appropriate for such use.
C.
Housing. Adequate housing opportunities should be available in the Borough for people of all ages and incomes.
(1)
A variety of housing types should be provided within the Borough, and efforts to preserve and enhance the quality of the housing stock should be encouraged.
(2)
High-density housing should be encouraged in those areas of the Borough which are accessible to business and employment opportunities as well as community facilities and services. Primary locations are those in close proximity to the railroad station and both within the adjacent to the central business district.
(3)
New multifamily development should provide adequate areas for off-street parking, recreation, and open space.
D.
Commerce. Future commercial activity in Royersford should be limited to those types of establishments which will create minimal adverse impact on adjacent residential neighborhoods and on vehicular movement throughout the Borough.
(1)
Traffic-intensive, highway-oriented commercial uses should be restricted to the frontage of Lewis Road and should be properly buffered from adjacent residential areas. The timing of such development should be in accordance with the capacity of Lewis Road to accommodate additional traffic generated by such uses.
(2)
Low-intensity business and professional office uses should be permitted in residential areas along the frontage of Main Street and Lewis Road where such development would constitute an appropriate alternative use for converted dwellings and, at the same time, serve to maintain the residential character of these neighborhoods.
(3)
Rehabilitation of the central business district should be encouraged. Mixed-use development, i.e., residential uses plus commercial and/or office uses, should be permitted where appropriate.
(4)
The gradual elimination of nonconforming commercial uses in residential neighborhoods should be encouraged.
E.
Industry. The diversification and revitalization of industry should be encouraged as a means of strengthening the Borough's economic base.
(1)
New industrial development should be restricted to nonfloodplain areas along the Schuylkill riverfront and the northwestern section of the Borough, i.e., west of Fifth Avenue and north of Chestnut Street. All riverfront development should be elevated and/or floodproofed in accordance with the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program.
(2)
Nonconforming industrial uses located in residential areas of the Borough should be appropriately controlled and buffered to achieve compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.
(3)
Industrial development should be properly screened from surrounding neighborhoods. A landscaped buffer area along the Schuylkill River should be established where possible.
(4)
Noise, odors, and other noxious effects of industrial activity should be adequately controlled.
(5)
Structural rehabilitation and improved access should be encouraged as means of enhancing the appearance and functioning of existing industrial development.
F.
Transportation. A mutually beneficial relationship between traffic circulation and land use should be established.
(1)
Vehicular circulation should be designed to separate regional traffic from local residential traffic wherever possible.
(2)
Adequate off-street parking and loading areas should be required for all new development in the Borough.
(3)
Use of public transportation services by Borough residents should be encouraged through the programming of necessary rail station improvements and by the concentration of high-intensity land use in areas accessible to rail services. The Borough's rail station should become a focal point of the community with compatible, mixed-use development located within one-quarter-mile radius around the station.
G.
Community facilities and services. Continued improvements of the level and quality of community facilities and services in the Borough should be fostered.
(1)
Existing institutional uses should be identified and protected by appropriate regulatory tools, and the provision of additional off-street parking areas to serve these uses should be encouraged.
(2)
The development of additional areas for active and passive recreation should be encouraged.
(3)
Adequate open space and other amenities should be required in conjunction with all new development in the Borough.
(4)
New development should be consistent with the capabilities of the Borough and the Spring-Ford Area School District to meet the demands for community facilities and services which such development will generate.
H.
Environment. Borough regulations should encourage the maintenance of a high standard of air and water quality and the protection of the Borough's natural resources, including woodlands, floodplains, and steep slopes. Historical and cultural resources should be identified and preserved, and the overall aesthetic qualities of the Borough should be improved through sign regulations, landscaping requirements and similar controls.
I.
Intergovernmental cooperation and implementation. Cooperation with surrounding communities in dealing with social and physical problems which transcend municipal boundaries and the adoption of a strong planning program with active citizen involvement by Borough residents should be encouraged.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
§ 475-5 Conflict with other provisions.
It is not intended for this chapter to repeal, abrogate, annual or interfere with an existing ordinance or enactment, or with any rule, regulation or permit adopted or issued thereunder, except in so far as the same may be inconsistent or in conflict with any of the provisions of this chapter, provided that where this chapter imposes greater restrictions upon the use of buildings or land, or upon the height and bulk of buildings, or prescribes larger open spaces than are required by the provisions of such ordinance, enactment, rule, regulation, or permit, then the provisions of this chapter shall control.