A motor vehicle that is inoperable for any reason, or which is without a valid current registration plate or current certificate of inspection.

A paved surface, other than a street, which provides vehicular and/or pedestrian access from a street or a private road to a lot.

A subordinate use or building, the purpose of which is customarily incidental to that of the main use or building and on the same lot.

An establishment open to the general public or a private club open to members which is used and occupied for one or more of the following activities:

The tilling of the soil, the raising of crops, horticulture and gardening.

A minor right-of-way used primarily for vehicular service access to the rear or side of properties otherwise abutting on a street.

As applied to a building or structure, any change or rearrangement in the total floor area, or an enlargement, whether by extending on a side or by increasing in height, or the moving from one location or position to another.

Any change in the supporting members of a building or structure, such as bearing walls, columns, beams or girders.

A change which includes revisions to the zoning text and/or the Official Zoning Map, and the authority for any amendment lies solely with the Borough Council.

A building used primarily for the treatment, by a veterinarian, of small domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits and birds or fowl. Boarding of such animals shall be for medical or surgical treatment.

The use of a building, structure or land for the care, raising, and keeping of livestock (animals such as cattle, sheep and swine) and poultry.

A multifamily dwelling constructed by converting an existing dwelling into apartments for more than one family without necessarily altering the exterior of the building.

A building occupied by three or more dwelling units.

A landowner or developer, as hereinafter defined, who has filed an application for development, including his heirs, successors and assigns.

The total area taken on a horizontal plane at the mean level of the ground surrounding the main building and all accessory buildings, exclusive of uncovered porches, terraces, and steps.

A self-propelled motor vehicle designed for the conveyance of persons or property requiring a registration plate by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for operation upon public highways, including a truck, motor home, motorcycle.

An open lot for the outdoor display of new or used automobiles or trailers when accessory to an automobile or trailer sales display building.

A building on a lot that is used for the repair or painting of bodies, chassis, wheels, fenders, bumpers, and/or accessories of automobiles and other vehicles for conveyance.

A building on a lot designed and/or used primarily for mechanical and/or body repairs, storage, rental, servicing, or supplying of gasoline or oil to automobiles, trucks, and similar motor vehicles.

An accessory building for the storage of one or more automobiles and/or vehicles accessory and incidental to the primary use of the premises, provided that no business, occupation, or service is conducted for profit therein or space therein.

A building on a lot or part thereof, that is used primarily for the retail sale of gasoline, oil, other fuel and which may include facilities used for polishing, greasing, washing, dry cleaning, or otherwise cleaning or servicing automobiles and other vehicles.

A building for the display and sale of new or used automobiles or trailers.

A building on a lot, designed and used primarily for the washing and polishing of automobiles and which may provide accessory services as set forth therein for automobile service station.

The dismantling or wrecking of used automobiles or trailers, or the storage, sale or dumping of dismantled, partially dismantled, obsolete or wrecked vehicles or their parts.

A story partly underground, but having 1/2 or more of its height above the average level of the adjoining ground.

Single-family residences, or portions thereof, containing not more than two guest rooms which are used by not more than five guests where rent is paid in money, goods, labor or otherwise.

A sign whose major purpose is for directing attention to a business commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold or offered elsewhere than upon the same lot.

A building, where for compensation, provisions are made for lodging and meals for at least three but not more than 15 persons.

Any structure having a roof supported by columns, piers, or walls, including tents, lunch wagons, trailers, dining cars, camp cars or other structures on wheels or having other supports and any unroofed platforms, terrace or porch having a vertical face higher than three feet above the level of the ground from which the height of the building is measured.

The vertical dimensions measured from the average elevation of the finished lot grate at the front of the building to the highest point of ceiling at the top story in the case of a flat roof, to the deckline of a mansard roof and to the average height between the plate and ridge of a gable, hip or gambrel roof.

A line formed by the intersection of a horizontal plane at average grade level and a vertical plane that coincides with the exterior surface of the building on any side. In the case of a cantilevered or projected section of a building, the vertical plane will coincide with the most projected surface. All yard requirements are measured to the building line.

A building surrounded by open space on the same lot.

A certificate issued and enforced by the Zoning Officer upon completion of the construction of a new building or upon a change or conversion of the structure or use of a building, which certifies that all requirements and regulations as provided herein, and within all other applicable requirements, have been complied with.

A state licensed and/or registered facility in which care is provided or is intended to be provided for seven or more children at any age at any time.

A state licensed and/or registered single-family dwelling in which child day care is provided at any time for not more than six children under the age of 12, including any children under the age of 12 who are residents of the dwelling.

The official public document prepared in accordance with Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 170 of 1988, as amended, consisting of maps, charts, and textual material, that constitutes a policy guide to decisions about the physical and social development of West York Borough, as amended from time to time.

A use which Borough Council is permitted to authorize in specific instances listed in this chapter, under the terms, procedures and conditions prescribed herein.

A type of multifamily dwelling which has individual ownership of the single-dwelling units and an undivided (common) interest or ownership of the common areas and facilities serving the building, such as halls, elevators, lobbies, driveways, parking lots, stormwater facilities and recreation areas.

Offices and shops for tradesmen, such as building, cement, electrical, masonry, painting and roofing contractors.

An unoccupied open space, other than a yard, on the same lot with a building which is bounded on two or more sides by the walls of such building.

A court which does not extend to a street, alley, yard, or other outer court.

A court which extends to a street, alley, yard or other outer court.

The percentage of the plot or lot area covered by impervious material.

The officially established grade of the curb in front of the midpoint of the lot.

A dwelling unit designed for and used as living quarters by a family residing therein which provides twenty-four-hour supervised and/or assisted care for unrelated persons who are disabled physically, mentally, or emotionally, or who are aged persons.

A commercial establishment, including an eating establishment, offering refreshments, entertainment, or services to patrons, who purchase and/or consume refreshments, entertainment or services on the premises and/or outside of the building, including patrons who may be served in their automobiles.

One or more rooms providing living and sanitary facilities for one family, including equipment for cooking or provisions for same.

A series of three or more one-family dwellings having a common roof and separated by party or common walls located coincident with the line of separate lots, except for the end walls, and garden apartments, including townhouses.

A detached building designed for or occupied exclusively by one family.

A building containing only one dwelling unit which has a party wall in common with another such building.

Notice given by a municipality through the Internet of the time and place of a public hearing and the particular nature of the matter to be considered at the hearing, pursuant to 53 P.S. § 10109.

One or more persons living together as a single, permanent, not transitory, housekeeping unit, and sharing common kitchen facilities and access to all parts of a dwelling unit. A "family" shall not consist of a club, fraternity, sorority, or a group occupying a boardinghouse.

A total enclosed area in the horizontal plane of a structure measured from the faces of the exterior walls.

A building or space used as an accessory to the main building which provides for the storage of motor vehicles of the families residing upon the premises and in which no occupation, business or service for profit is carried on.

A type of group quarters, specifically, a dwelling unit used as living quarters by four or more persons unrelated to each other who are disabled physically, mentally or emotionally, or who are aged persons.

A dwelling unit designed for and used as living quarters by four or more persons related to each other and unrelated to any family occupying the unit.

A special type of accessory use; it is an occupation or profession which:

A place for the diagnosis, treatment, or other care of humans and having facilities for inpatient care, including such establishments as a sanitarium, sanatorium, or preventorium.

A building designed for occupancy primarily as the temporary abiding place of individuals who are lodged with or without meals, in which building:

A surface that does not absorb rain, including all buildings and other structures, parking areas, driveways, roads, sidewalks, storage areas and areas of concrete and nonporous asphalt, and other such areas as shall be determined to be nonporous by the Borough Engineer.

A tract of land laid out in accordance with an overall plan for a group of industries with separate building sites designed and arranged on streets with utility service, setbacks, side yards, landscaped yards, and covenants controlling the architecture and uses.

Any area and/or structure used primarily for the collecting, storage and sale of wastepaper, rags, scrap metal or discarded material or for the collecting, dismantling, storage and salvaging of machinery or vehicles primarily not in running condition and for the sale of parts thereof.

A motor vehicle that is inoperable for any reason and from which parts have been removed.

A commercial establishment for the sheltering of three or more animals that are more than six months old.

Any of the following activities:

The legal or beneficial owner or owners of land, including the holder of an option or contract to purchase (whether or not such option or contract is subject to any condition), a lessee if he is authorized under the lease to exercise the rights of the landowner, or other persons having a proprietary interest in land.

A building or a portion thereof, other than an apartment hotel or a hotel, containing not more than one dwelling unit, where lodging is provided without meals for three or more persons in addition to the family unit.

A designated parcel, tract or area of land established by a plan or otherwise as permitted by law to be used, developed or built upon as a unit.

The area contained within the property lines of an individual parcel of land, excluding any area within a street right-of-way, but including the area of any easement.

The lines bounding a lot as defined herein.

A lot with two adjacent sides abutting on streets which has an interior angle of less than 135° at the intersection of the two street lines. A lot abutting on a curved street shall be considered a corner lot if the tangents to the curve at the points of intersection of the side lot lines with the street line intersect at an interior angle of less than 135°.

A lot other than a corner lot.

Notice given by a municipality by first-class mail of the time and place of a public hearing and the particular nature of the matter to be considered at the hearing, pursuant to 53 P.S. § 10109.

An area of land or building used by a recreational, civic, social, fraternal, religious, political or labor union association of persons for meetings and routine socializing and recreation that are limited to members and their occasional guests, but not including members of the general public. These uses are restricted to those not conducted primarily for gain, although a restaurant may be operated primarily to serve members and their guests.

A transportable, single-family dwelling intended for permanent occupancy, contained in one unit, or in two or more units designed to be joined into one integral unit capable of again being separated for repeated towing, which arrives at a site complete and ready for occupancy except for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operations, and constructed so that it may be used without a permanent foundation.

A parcel of land in a mobile home park, improved with the necessary utility connections and other appurtenances necessary for the erection thereon of a single mobile home.

A parcel or contiguous parcels of land which has been so designed and improved that it contains two or more mobile home lots for the placement thereon of mobile homes.

An open lot for the outdoor display of new or used mobile homes.

A building or group of buildings, whether detached or in connected units, used an individual sleeping or dwelling units, designed primarily for transient automobile travelers and provided with accessory off-street parking facilities. The term "motel" includes buildings designed as tourist centers, motor lodges, auto courts and other similar designations but shall not be construed to include mobile or immobile trailers or homes.

A sign which does not conform to the regulations of a district in which it is located.

A structure or part of a structure manifestly not designed to comply with the applicable use or extent of use provisions in the ordinance or amendments heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such structure lawfully existed prior to the enactment of such ordinance or amendment or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation. Nonconforming structures include, but are not limited to, nonconforming signs.

A use, whether of land or of structure, which does not comply with the applicable use provisions in the Zoning Ordinance or amendments heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such use was lawfully in existence prior to the enactment of such ordinance or amendment, or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.

Any aspect of a land use that does not comply with any size, height, bulk, setback, distance, landscaping, coverage, screening, or any other design or performance standard specified by this chapter, where such dimensional nonconformity lawfully existed prior to the adoption of this chapter or amendment thereto.

An office or shop with an accessory storage yard, of a building, electrical, or mechanical contractor.

Executive and administrative offices of business firms.

The office of a member of a recognized profession, as hereinafter indicated, when conducted on a residential property, shall be conducted by a member or members of the residential family entirely within a residential building and shall include only the offices of doctors, ministers, architects, professional engineers, lawyers and such similar professional occupations which may be so designated by the Zoning Hearing Board upon findings by such Zoning Hearing Board that such occupation is truly professional in character by virtue of the need for similar training and experience as a condition for the practice thereof and that the practice of such occupation shall in no way adversely affect the safe and comfortable enjoyment of property rights in any zone in which it is located to a greater extent than for the professional activities listed herein. The issuance of a state or local license or regulation of any gainful occupation need not be deemed indicative of professional standing.

An off-street space available for the parking of a motor vehicle and which, in this chapter, is held to be an area 10 feet wide and 20 feet long, exclusive of passageways and driveways appurtenant thereto and giving the access thereto.

A building or buildings in which is conducted the main or principal use of the lot on which said building is situated.[1]

The main or primary use of property, buildings, or structures. Only one use permitted by right or by special exception or conditional use shall be permitted as a principal use on an individual lot.

A strip of land occupied or intended to be occupied by a street crosswalk, railroad, road, electric transmission line, oil or gas pipeline, water main, sanitary or storm sewer main, shade trees, or for other special use. If the right-of-way involves maintenance by a public agency, it should be dedicated to public use by the maker of the plat on which such right-of-way is established.

The setback of a building from a particular lot line is the horizontal distance from such lot line to the part of the building nearest such lot line.

Ultimate sexual acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated, involving a person or persons, or a person or persons and an animal, fellatio, cunnilingus, and anilingus or physical contact with a person's nude or partially denuded genitals, pubic area, perineum, anal region, or, if such person be female, a breast.

Any artificial human penis, vagina or anus, or other device primarily designed, promoted, or marketed to physically stimulate or manipulate the human genitals, pubic area, perineum or anal area, including genitals, pubic area, perineum or anal area, including dildoes, penisators, vibrators, vibrillators, penis rings and erection enlargement or prolonging creams, jellies or other such chemicals or preparations.

A sexually oriented and explicit showing or exhibition, by any means or manner, which presents or exposes to the viewer the following anatomical areas: the human genitals, pubic area, perineum, buttocks or anal region, with less than a fully opaque covering; the covered human male genitals in a discernible turgid state; the postpubertal, full or partially developed human female breast with less than fully opaque covering of a portion thereof below the top of the areola or nipple.

A group of stores planned and designed to function as a unit for the site on which it is located with off-street parking and landscaping provided as an integral part of the unit.

Any device, structure or object for visual communication that is used for the purpose of bringing the subject thereof to the attention of others, but not including any flag, badge or insignia of any public, quasi-public, civic, charitable or religious group.

The area defined by a frame or edge of a sign. Where there is no frame or edge to the sign, the area shall be defined by a projected, enclosed, four-sided (straight sides) geometric shape which most closely outlines the said sign.

Any sign which is owned or operated by any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of outdoor advertising for direct profit gained from the rental of such signs or any sign advertising a commodity not sold or produced on the premises. This shall include "billboards" and off-premises signs indicating the direction to a particular place.

A plan of a lot or subdivision on which is shown topography, location of all buildings, structures, roads, rights-of-way, boundaries, all essential dimensions and bearings and any other information deemed necessary by the Zoning Hearing Board in unusual or special cases.

A use which the Zoning Hearing Board is permitted to authorize in specific instances listed in this chapter, under the terms, procedures and conditions prescribed herein.

A story is that part of a building between the surface of any floor and the next floor above it or, in its absence, then the finished ceiling or roof above it. A "split level" story shall be considered a second story if its floor level is six feet or more above the level of the line of the finished floor next below it. Any floor under a sloping roof at the top of a building which is more than two feet below the top plate shall be counted as a story; and, if less than two feet below the top plate, it shall be counted as a half-story. A basement shall be counted as a story if it averages more than five feet above grade.

The officially established grade of the street upon which a lot fronts or in its absence, the established grade of other streets upon which the lot abuts, at the midway of the frontage of the lot thereon. If there is no officially established grade, the existing grade of the street at such midpoint shall be taken as the street grade.

The street line is that line determining the limit of the street or highway right of the public, either existing or contemplated. Where a definite right-of-way width has not been established, the street line shall be assumed to be at a point 25 feet from the center line of the existing street.

Any man-made object having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land.

The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions of land, including changes in existing lot lines for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of lease, partition by the court to distribution to heirs or devisees, transfer of ownership or building or lot development. Provided, however, that the subdivision by lease of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of more than 10 acres, not involving any new street or easement of access, or any residential dwelling shall be exempted.

Any reasonably permanent pool, not located within a completely enclosed building, and containing, or normally capable of containing, water to a depth at any point greater than 1 1/2 feet.

A building or part of a building devoted to the showing of moving pictures or theatrical productions on a commercial basis.

The specific purpose for which land or a building is designed, arranged, intended or for which it may be occupied or maintained. The term "permitted use" or its equivalent shall not be deemed to include any nonconforming use.[2]

A small building not exceeding 144 square feet and not exceeding 10 feet in height and accessory to a dwelling unit designed primarily for the storage of yard and garden equipment, bicycles, and other miscellaneous household items incidental to a dwelling and of the type customarily made of prefabricated materials, but not including truck trailers with or without wheels that have been permanently or temporarily parked for storage purposes. Storage may not include four-wheel motor vehicles as defined by the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code.

The permission, granted by the Zoning Hearing Board, following a public hearing that has been properly advertised, for an adjustment to some regulation or provision of this chapter which, if strictly adhered to, would result in an unnecessary hardship, and where the permission granted would not be contrary to the public interest, and would maintain the spirit and intent of this chapter.

A building or lot or part thereof used for the service or maintenance of motor vehicles, including automobile filling stations, repair shops and body shops.

An open, unoccupied space on the same lot with the principal building, extending the full width of the lot and situated between the street line and the front line of the building projected to the side lines of that lot. The depth of the front yard shall be measured at right angles to the street line.

A yard extending across the full width of the lot and lying between the rear line of the lot and the nearest line of any building other than permitted private garage and utility buildings. The depth of a rear yard shall be measured at right angles to the rear line of the lot or, if the lot is not rectangular, then in the general direction of its side lot lines.

An open, unoccupied space between the side line of the lot and the nearest line of the building and extending from the front yard to the rear yard or, in the absence of either such yards, to the street or rear lot lines, as the case may be. The width of a side yard shall be measured at right angles to the side line of the lot.

The duly constituted municipal official designated to administer and enforce this chapter. The Zoning Officer shall administer this chapter in accordance with its literal terms. The Zoning Officer may be the Building Inspector and serve both offices of the Borough.

A permit stating that the purpose for which a building or land is to be used in conformity with the uses permitted and all other requirements under this chapter for the zone in which it is located or is to be located.