Trainer City Zoning Code
ARTICLE I
Purposes and Objectives
§ 265-1 General.
A.
This chapter is enacted for the purpose of promoting the public health, safety, morals, general welfare, and practical and coordinated community development, in accordance with Article VI of Act 247 of 1968, as amended, known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
B.
This statement is adapted from the Borough of Trainer Comprehensive Plan, as amended, contained in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Trainer, Marcus Hook, Lower Chichester, Upper Chichester. This statement establishes objectives which should be pursued and all opportunities to achieve them should be undertaken. These objectives provide a guide for development programs, and to remain relevant, they must be periodically reevaluated.
§ 265-2 Land use.
Municipal objectives. The residents of the Borough of Trainer have expressed desires similar to those of residents in many other communities. They want a safe and prosperous town which provides an attractive living environment. They also want to be sure that, once their community achieves such a state, it will be maintained. The objectives presented below are designed to move the Borough in the direction of its desires and to promote their long-term maintenance.
A.
Limit the encroachment of industrial uses into existing neighborhoods.
B.
Minimize conflicts between the diverse categories of existing land uses and projected future uses.
C.
Preserve and improve open space and recreational areas, taking special advantage of floodplains and transmission lines.
D.
Protect the character and condition of the built environment through enforcement of appropriate zoning, housing and building codes.
E.
New commercial development in this area should be focused on meeting the needs of the local community. In this regard, any increase or expansion of auto-related retail operations should be severely restricted since the existing services are more than sufficient to meet local demands. Efforts should be made to encourage new business development that will provide desired goods and services not currently available in the community.
§ 265-3 Historic preservation.
Objectives. Several outstanding reasons for a common sense approach to conservation include efforts to:
A.
Maintain local pride in a well-defined community identity created by a dozen or more generations of forbearers.
B.
Ensure the ability to deal with current circumstances, based on an understanding of the past.
C.
Preserve the visual quality of older architecture in sharp contrast to an otherwise mediocre or sterile urban landscape.
D.
Enhance the appreciation of a family (or business) that possesses a unique place, unlike mass-produced, structural boxes.
E.
Recognize the worth of craftsmanship and quality of materials in older structures as a factor of fair market price.
F.
Avoid dislocation of established community bonds through rehabilitating rather than demolishing older neighborhoods.
G.
Establish a demand for labor-intensive renovation activities as well as machine-intensive new construction.
§ 265-4 Housing.
Objectives:
A.
Discourage the intrusion of land uses that disrupt stable residential environments and affect neighborhood quality.
B.
Develop a housing inspection expertise that can be shared by several communities to prevent gradual housing deterioration.
C.
Develop mechanisms that encourage both the private and public rehabilitation of housing units.
D.
Encourage the use of innovative approaches to development, including the cluster approach.
E.
Improve development controls through revised and tightened ordinances and more consistent enforcement.
F.
Ensure the availability of sound, affordable housing to all income and racial groups through appropriate zoning, taxing and incentive techniques.
§ 265-5 Community facilities.
A.
General objectives.
(1)
Coordinate new and existing facilities and services among all four municipalities to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts and expenditures.
(2)
Project the effects of new physical development and coordinate these impacts with the capability of the existing community service providers or with a reasonable and economically feasible extension of such services.
B.
Basic infrastructure objectives.
(1)
Assure proper collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater generated in the "study area."
(2)
Develop and maintain a safe and efficient system for handling naturally occurring stormwater.
(3)
Ensure a safe and adequate supply of potable water to meet the needs of area residents, businesses and industries.
(4)
Investigate the potential for a cooperative refuse collection and disposal system that is coordinated with the county plan which is now being revised.
C.
Public health and safety objectives.
(1)
Provide improved protection for the study area through the combined use of various police and fire specialists and of sophisticated police and fire equipment.
(2)
Reduce overall protection costs through mass purchase of police and fire equipment and elimination of unnecessary duplication of equipment or services.
(3)
Achieve and maintain the highest fire insurance rating consistent with the volunteer nature of local fire companies.
(4)
Investigate procedures for improving the provision of adequate health care to the study area.
D.
Public facilities objectives.
(1)
Improve communication between the Chichester School District and the four municipalities that comprise it through the establishment of some formal, regularly scheduled, communication process.
(2)
Investigate the potential for expanded public library services to the study area, focusing on the role of the existing Mary Campbell Library in Marcus Hook.
(3)
Maintain existing public building in an efficient and functional state and improve or expand them when necessary.
(4)
Develop a cooperative network of both active and passive recreational facilities that includes existing areas and takes advantage of new opportunities including dedicated areas, floodplains and transmission line rights-of-way.
§ 265-6 Transportation.
Objectives. Success in achieving and maintaining a sound transportation network depends on many factors. The objectives presented below are intended to focus local efforts on those activities that best serve the needs of the residential, commercial, industrial and social services sectors of the four participating communities.
A.
Maximize accessibility to work, school, recreation, medical and shipping facilities.
B.
Establish highway, street and parking systems which are compatible with existing and planned land uses.
C.
Encourage public transit facilities which are consistent with the changing needs of the study area residents.
D.
Maintain existing roadways and upgrade street networks where traffic volumes warrant improvement.
E.
Increase highway and street safety through identification and correction of high accident locations.
F.
Facilitate the movements of goods to and from industrial and commercial districts.
G.
Minimize operating and capital costs and locate an equitable and adequate financing technique for transportation improvements and maintenance.
H.
Prevent excessive transportation-generated noise levels, particularly in residential areas.
§ 265-7 Intermunicipal cooperation.
Objectives:
A.
Eliminate unnecessary service duplication in neighboring municipalities, e.g., in the purchase of an expensive piece of equipment or the hiring of specialized staff.
B.
Reduce costs through mass purchasing.
C.
Make better decisions by having information on both local and area-wide impacts.
D.
Encourage capable groups of local experts to serve on local advisory commissions, even in small communities.
§ 265-8 Economy.
Objectives:
A.
Establish an ongoing dialogue with existing industries to deal with potential problems and opportunities.
B.
Work with the owners of local industrial parks to identify and attract industries for the available industrial sites that are consistent with the overall objectives of the community.
C.
Coordinate programs for recruitment of new industries at the intermunicipal level and with the County Economic Development Center.
D.
Revitalize commercial areas with an emphasis on meeting the local market demands.
§ 265-9 Natural features.
Objectives. While technical progress has reduced the effect of many environmental constraints on man's activities, the natural environment will undoubtedly continue to impose major limitations on what is possible, as well as economically feasible. The objectives listed below are intended to help the four communities in the study area avoid significant problems with the environment and to guide them towards an optimum procedure of cooperation with natural conditions.
A.
Limit the encroachment of development into the one-hundred-year floodplain of all continuous streams.
B.
Improve local performance standards for environmental impacts and support the enforcement of state and federal standards.
C.
Maintain an adequate drainage pattern of both natural and artificial means sufficient to handle natural runoff.
D.
Establish controls over the development of steep slope and poor soil areas to prevent erosion and other negative impacts and to preserve areas of natural beauty.
E.
Preserve valuable natural resources, particularly woodlands.
§ 265-10 Energy.
Objectives:
A.
Encourage the development of improved energy information necessary for use in decisionmaking at the county and local level.
B.
Support existing energy conservation programs, such as weatherization, and identify new conservation programs and incentives.
C.
Eliminate existing restrictions and disincentives on energy conservation techniques and energy technology, such as solar and biomass.
D.
Establish an energy accounting system for municipal buildings and vehicles.
E.
Publicize and support existing and future energy education programs.
F.
Prepare a contingency program for dealing with potential energy crises.