Stroud Township City Zoning Code
PART 12
APPALACHIAN TRAIL OVERLAY DISTRICT
§ 27-1201 General Purposes.
[Ord. 1998-5, 7/20/1998; as added by Ord. 2011-2, 2/15/2011, § 12-100]
1.
The purposes of this chapter are to:
A.
Meet the Act 24 requirements, 64 P.S. § 801 et seq., that Pennsylvania municipalities along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail take such action consistent with applicable law, as at least an interim measure, to preserve the natural, scenic, historic, and aesthetic values of the Trail and to conserve and maintain it as a public natural resource.
B.
Protect important natural and historic resources by maintaining a natural resource buffer along the Appalachian Trail. This natural resource buffer is intended to provide a physical and visual screen from the impacts of new development along the Appalachian Trail.
C.
Preserve the scenic and topographic conditions along the Appalachian Trail that are vital to the Trail's natural and scenic quality by maintaining the existing tree canopy and protecting viewsheds.
D.
Prevent negative noise, light, or other environmental impacts associated with land uses near the Appalachian Trail.
E.
Promote connections with municipal trails and greenways and integration with a community's natural resource system.
F.
Provide benefits to communities along the Appalachian Trail often associated with greenways (e.g., improve community health, increase recreational opportunities such as biking and hiking, and increase property values, etc.).
§ 27-1202 Applicability.
[Ord. 1998-5, 7/20/1998; as added by Ord. 2011-2, 2/15/2011, § 12-200]
For any lot or property, or portion thereof, within the Appalachian Trail National Scenic Trail Overlay District, the regulations of the Overlay District, the regulations of the Overlay District shall supersede and regulations of the underlying district which are in conflict with those of the Overlay District. The boundary of the Overlay District is designated on the map titled "Stroud Township Appalachian National Scenic Trail Overlay District," dated October 2010, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, as may be amended.
§ 27-1203 Primary Conservation Zone.
[Ord. 1998-5, 7/20/1998; as added by Ord. 2011-2, 2/15/2011, § 12-300]
1.
A lot or property, or portion thereof, located within the Primary Conservation Zone as herein below delineated shall be used only in accordance with the following regulations:
A.
Delineation. A distance of 500 feet from the Appalachian Trail center line as delineated on the map titled "Stroud Township Appalachian National Scenic Trail Overlay District," dated October 2010, as may be amended.
B.
Permitted Uses.
(1)
Open space, passive recreational uses (e.g., public or private trail, parkland, nature preserves, forest preserves, fishing areas).
(2)
Timber harvesting, in keeping with the purposes of this Overlay District, (without structures and in accordance with an erosion and sedimentation control plan approved by the County Conservation District) and reforestation, pursuant to the requirements of Ord. 2001-1 of this chapter [§ 27-503, Subsection 1H, et seq.], as may be amended.
(3)
Agriculture, in keeping with the purposes of this Overlay District (without structures).
C.
Prohibited Activities. The following activities are prohibited within the Primary Conservation Zone:
(1)
Clearing of vegetation, other than (a) required maintenance by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), or other trail club (partnered with the ATC), and (b) permissible timber harvesting as authorized in Subsection 1B(2) above.
(2)
Storage of hazardous, toxic and/or noxious materials.
(3)
Use of motorized vehicle traffic, except in conjunction with permissible timber harvesting as authorized in Subsection 1B(2).
(4)
Construction of parking lots, except for federal, state, or Township-owned lots.
(5)
Construction of any type of permanent structure, except for federal, state, or Township-owned structures.
(6)
Installation of above-ground utilities and related structures and equipment including, but not limited to, cell and wind towers.
§ 27-1204 Secondary Conservation Zone.
[Ord. 1998-5, 7/20/1998; as added by Ord. 2011-2, 2/15/2011, § 12-400]
1.
A lot or property, or portion thereof, located within the Secondary Conservation Zone as hereinbelow delineated shall be used only in accordance with the following regulations:
A.
Delineation. A distance of 1,500 feet from the edge of the Primary Conservation Zone as delineated on the map titles "Stroud Township Appalachian National Scenic Trail Overlay District," dated October 2010, as may be amended.
B.
Permitted Uses.
(1)
Open Space, passive recreational uses (e.g., public or private parkland, nature preserves, forest preserves, fishing areas), reforestation, and steep slope stabilization.
(3)
Agricultural uses conducted in compliance with best practices as prescribed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
C.
Prohibited Activities. The following activities are prohibited within the Secondary Conservation Zone:
(1)
Clearing of vegetation, other than (a) maintenance by a federal, state or Township agency, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), or trail club (partnered with the ATC), and (b) permissible timber harvesting as authorized in Subsection 1B(2) above.
(2)
Storage of hazardous, toxic and/or noxious materials.
(3)
Construction of parking lots, except for federal, state, or Township-owned lots.
(4)
Installation of above-ground utilities and related structures and equipment including, but not limited to, cell and wind towers.
(5)
Construction of any structures in conjunction with a nonresidential use.
§ 27-1205 Development Standards for the Primary and Secondary Conservation Zones.
[Ord. 1998-5, 7/20/1998; as added by Ord. 2011-2, 2/15/2011, § 12-500]
1.
Any use or development of a lot or property, or portion thereof, within wither the Primary or the Secondary Conservation Zone shall comply with the following development standards:
A.
Design Standards.
(1)
For any structure other then federal, state, or Township structures constructed within the Secondary Conservation Zone, the minimum setbacks from the edge of the Primary Conservation Zone shall vary by the size of the footprint of the structure, as follows:
(2)
Structures shall be screened with landscaping (native species are required) and located on the site in such a way that best preserves viewsheds from the Appalachian Trail.
(3)
Any structure shall be sited in the least visually prominent location of a site.
(4)
Any structure shall not be located at the top of a ridgeline or silhouetted against the sky.
B.
Light and Noise Requirements.
(1)
No direct or indirect glare or illumination is permitted to spillover onto another property or to measure more than 0.1 footcandle (fc) along a property line.
(2)
Any exterior light fixtures must be shielded and direct light downward at an angle to restrict illumination to the property in question. No light shall project at an angle up toward the sky.
(3)
Sound levels measured at the property line shall be limited to 55 dBA (decibels) from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. plus Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
§ 27-1206 Definitions.
[Ord. 1998-5, 7/20/1998; as added by Ord. 2011-2, 2/15/2011, § 12-600]
Act 24 of 2008, House Bill 1281, signed by Governor of Pennsylvania on June 11, 2008, effective August 10, 2008, amending the Appalachian Trail Act of 1978, 64 P.S. § 801 et seq.
A 2,178.3 mile long trail extending from Maine to Georgia owned by the National Parks Service. The Appalachian Trail is maintained by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and volunteer trail management groups.
A volunteer-based organization dedicated to the preservation and management of the natural, scenic, historic, and cultural resources associated with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. http://www.appalachiantrail.org.
Woodlands, tree cover, steep slopes, open space and fields, farmland, riparian resources, bodies of water, waterways, streams, wetlands, or any area having the essential character of nature, uses to reduce the impact of one land use activity upon another land use activity.
A set of development standards and regulations applied to a delineated area over the area's underlying zoning district regulations. Overlay Districts are used for many purposes. Examples include conservation of sensitive environmental features (e.g., waterways) or to encourage environmental features (e.g., waterways) or to encourage mixed-use development (e.g., Downtown Overlay District).
Permanently protected federal, state, or Township land surrounding the Appalachian Trail. Pennsylvania's 229-mile segment of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is within a protected corridor of varying dimensions that includes National Park Service (NPS) land and state public land (e.g., game lands). The Appalachian Trail Communities Network website includes GIS data showing the boundaries of the protected corridor. [http://www.apptrailpa.org]