To promote, protect and facilitate the public health, safety, morals, and the general welfare; coordinated and practical community development; vehicle parking and loading space, transportation, water, sewerage, schools, recreational facilities, public grounds, and the provision of a safe, reliable and adequate water supply.

To promote the preservation of the natural, scenic and historic resources in the Borough.

To prevent overcrowding of land, blight, danger and congestion in travel and transportation, loss of health, life or property from fire, flood, panic or other dangers.

To accommodate reasonable overall community growth, including population and employment growth, and opportunities for development of a variety of residential dwelling types and nonresidential uses.

To implement the objectives and policies outline in its Comprehensive Plan.

Facilitate the redevelopment of the Third Ward and promote compatible infill development in the Borough's traditional commercial center.

Provide for maintenance, replacement, and connection of the Borough's sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure, namely within the commercial centers of the Borough.

Encourage rehabilitation of structures that is consistent with the historic integrity and functionality of the neighborhood in which the structure is located through traditional neighborhood development design standards.

Provide clear standards for nonconforming uses that protect property rights while encouraging long term development and maintenance of compatible uses.

Promote the maintenance and preservation of single-family detached housing.

Promote reuse of vacant or abandoned properties in a manner compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and uses.

Encourage development of varied but compatible residential and nonresidential establishments, traditional neighborhood development, and preservation of open spaces corridors within areas of land available for development or redevelopment.

No building or land shall, after the effective date of this chapter, be used or occupied, and no building or part thereof shall be erected, moved, or altered unless in conformity with the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located, and then only after applying for and securing all permits and licenses required by all laws and ordinances, provided also that nonconforming uses, lots, and structures shall be occupied, expanded, or continued in accordance with the standards and processes set forth in this chapter.

No structure, use, or occupation of land that does not lawfully exist at the time of adoption of this chapter shall be made legal solely through the adoption of this chapter or subsequent amendments thereto.

Where any provisions of this chapter conflict with other applicable state and federal laws, the stricter shall apply.

This chapter is not intended to annul or supersede any private easements, covenants, or agreements, except where provisions of this chapter are more restrictive. The Zoning Officer shall not be responsible for the enforcement of the aforesaid agreements unless the Borough is a party thereof.

The zoning classification of improved and unimproved rights-of-way within the Borough boundaries shall be considered part of the adjacent zoning district. In cases where these areas are bordered by more than one district, the abutting zoning shall extend to the centerline of the subject right-of-way.

Zoning classifications as initially determined generally follow existing lot boundaries, where apparent, as defined by recorded deeds. However, the revision, through subdivision, of current boundary lines does not constitute any revision of zoning district boundaries, which shall retain the boundary of the original lot line, unless an amendment the Zoning Ordinance via the Zoning Map is approved.

In cases where a lot lies within multiple zoning districts, district boundaries traversing the lot shall be determined as lines extending from points originating at apparent known points on adjoining lot lines.

Borough land incorporated by the annexation process after adopted of this chapter shall be zoned as R-1 until or unless the Zoning Map is amended to indicate zoning of the property as another district set forth in this chapter.

In interpreting the language of this chapter to determine the extent of the restriction upon the use of property in the Borough, the language shall be interpreted, where doubt exists as to the intended meaning of the language written and enacted by the Borough, in favor of the property owner and against any implied extension of the restriction.