This Ordinance shall be known and may be cited as THE PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP ZONING ORDINANCE OF 1960 and shall become effective ten (10) days after publication of notice of its passage as required by law.
This Ordinance is enacted for the purpose of promoting the health, safety, morals and the general welfare of the township, is in accordance with a comprehensive plan, and is designed to lessen congestion in the roads and highways, and to secure safety from fire, panic, and other dangers, to provide adequate light and air, to prevent the overcrowding of land, to avoid undue concentration of population, to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public requirements, to conserve the value of buildings and to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the Township.
[Ord. No. 638, § 1, 12-13-1971]
In interpreting and applying the provisions of this Ordinance, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the health, safety, morals and the general welfare of the Township. The comprehensive plan in accordance with which this Ordinance is enacted and which is reflected in the provisions of this Ordinance has been formulated to implement the purpose set forth in Section 101 hereinafter, in the respects therein stated and more particularly with a view toward, inter alia, the following objectives:
A. 
Guiding and encouraging the future development of the Township in accordance with comprehensive planning of land use and population density that represents the most beneficial and convenient relationships among the residential, commercial, industrial and recreational area within the Township, having regard to their suitability for the various uses appropriate to each of them and their potentiality for such uses, as indicated by topography and soil conditions, existing man-made conditions, and trends in population, in the direction and manner of the use of land, in building development, and in economic activity, considering such conditions and trends both within the Township and with respect to the relation of the Township to surrounding areas;
B. 
Protecting the character and the social and economic stability of each of such areas and encouraging their orderly and beneficial growth;
C. 
Protecting and conserving the value of land and buildings throughout the Township, depending upon necessity or circumstances; appropriate to the various zoning districts established herein;
D. 
Bringing about through proper timing the gradual conformity of land use to the comprehensive plan aforesaid, and minimizing conflicts among the uses of land and buildings;
E. 
Maintaining the Township's natural amenities, its streams and woodlands and encouraging development in a manner which leasts disrupts their continuance;
F. 
Aiding in the efficient utilization of all existing and proposed public facilities in all development plan applications;
G. 
Aiding in bringing about the most beneficial relation between land use and the circulation of traffic throughout the Township, having particular regard to traffic to and from the expressways, and to avoidance of congestion in the streets and the provision of safe and convenient access appropriate to the various land uses; insofar as such objectives are consistent with the purpose set forth in Section 101 and with the aforesaid minimum requirements therefor. The provisions of this Ordinance shall be interpreted, administered and applied in such manner as will facilitate attainment of the said objectives, and all others permitted by law.
It is not intended by this Ordinance to repeal, abrogate, annul or interfere with any existing ordinances or enactment, or with any rule, regulation or permit adopted or issued thereunder, except insofar as the same may be inconsistent or in conflict with any of the provisions of this Ordinance provided that where this Ordinance 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 Ordinance shall control.
Should any provision of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any particular circumstance be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remainder of this Ordinance or the application of such provision to other circumstances.
The Plymouth Township Zoning Ordinance No. 237 of 1954, with all amendments thereto, is hereby repealed. All other ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency.