[Ord. No. 2018-2, 11/5/2018[1]]
The official title of this chapter is: The Zoning Ordinance
of Forty Fort Borough.
[1]
Editor's Note: This chapter also repealed former Ch.
27, Zoning, adopted by Ord. No. 1977-3, 10/3/1977, as amended.
[Ord. No. 2018-2, 11/5/2018]
1.
This chapter is enacted to accomplish the purposes enumerated in
Section 604 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act
247, as amended.[1] The provisions of this chapter are designed to achieve
the following:
A.
To promote, protect and facilitate one or more of the following:
the public health, safety, morals, general welfare, coordinated and
practical community development, proper density of population, emergency
management preparedness, airports and national defense facilities,
the provisions of adequate light and air, access to incident solar
energy, police protection, vehicle parking and loading space, transportation,
water, sewage, schools, recreational facilities, public grounds, the
provision of a safe, reliable and adequate water supply for domestic,
commercial, agricultural or industrial use, and other public requirements;
as well as preservation of natural, scenic and historic values in
the environment and preservation of forests, wetlands, aquifers and
floodplains.
B.
To prevent one or more of the following: overcrowding of land, blight,
danger and congestion in travel and transportation, loss of health,
life or property from fire, flood, panic or other dangers.
C.
To preserve prime agriculture and farmland considering topography,
soil type and classification, and present use.
D.
To provide for the use of land within the municipality for residential
housing of various dwelling types encompassing all basic forms of
housing, including single-family and two-family dwellings, and a reasonable
range of multifamily dwellings in various arrangements, mobile homes
and mobile home parks; provided however, that the Zoning Ordinance
shall not be deemed invalid for the failure to provide any other specific
dwelling type.
E.
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.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10604.
[Ord. No. 2018-2, 11/5/2018]
1.
The enactment of this chapter is intended to assist in achieving
and promoting the following goals and objectives of Forty Fort Borough
which includes but is not limited to the following:
A.
Land Use Objectives:
(1)
To adopt appropriate land use plans and zoning regulations to
encourage new development.
(2)
To bring about gradual conformity of land use and minimize,
to an extent consistent with this objective, conflicts involving present
and future use of land.
(3)
To promote proximity and connectivity of new to existing development.
(4)
To provide for orderly growth of for an economically balanced
and socially viable community.
(5)
To encourage careful aesthetic consideration and planning in
private and public construction with visual compatibility between
the scale of existing and new development.
(6)
To encourage careful aesthetic consideration and planning in
private and public construction.
B.
Housing Objectives:
(1)
To provide housing opportunities in appropriate areas to meet
the needs of all residents, regardless of household size, age and/or
income.
(2)
To encourage, through the design of new residential construction
and the rehabilitation of existing residential structures, a wide
range of housing types, priced suitably for those working and living
in the area.
(3)
To work to encourage affordable housing, especially for young
families and senior citizens; at varied densities.
(4)
To exclude activities from residential areas, which may not
be compatible with residential development and/or stability.
(5)
To maintain standards of construction which protect the health,
safety and welfare of Borough residents.
(6)
Stabilize existing residential areas in older neighborhoods
through effective code enforcement and the preservation of the housing
stock.
C.
Economic Development Objectives:
(1)
To encourage economic growth on a scale consistent with the
Borough's basic character as a diverse community.
(2)
To maintain the economic viability of existing commercial districts.
(3)
To promote the most desirable use of land and development in
accord with a well-considered plan, to promote stability of commercial
development that will strengthen the economic base of the Borough
and protect the character of commercial districts.
(4)
To provide for a commercial/residential mix in appropriate locations
throughout the Borough.
(5)
To develop, maintain and upgrade commercial districts through
emphasis on proper access, adequate parking and loading facilities;
to promote greater efficiency and improved appearances in commercial
uses through careful application of design standards.
(6)
To insure availability of land most suitable for nonresidential
activities that protects residential neighborhoods from encroachment.
(7)
To ensure that industries are reasonably free from offensive
noise, vibration, smoke, odor, glare, hazards or fire, or other objectionable
effects.
(8)
To promote and encourage the adaptive reuse of industrial sites
with flexibility to add commercial activities.
D.
Transportation Objectives:
(1)
To provide for a safe and efficient multi-modal transportation
system at a publicly acceptable cost that supports the current and
future needs of residents and that strengthens preferred land use
patterns, protects the environment, preserves and enhances the quality
of life.
(2)
To aid in bringing about the most beneficial relationship between
land use and circulation throughout the Borough, with particular regard
to vehicular traffic and the avoidance of congestion in the streets,
and provision of safe and convenient access appropriate to the various
uses.
(3)
Maintain and manage existing transportation facilities and services
to optimize efficiency.
(4)
Focus transportation investments to encourage smart-growth land
use patterns that maximize use of the transportation investments.
(5)
Offer mobility options that expand transportation capacity.
(6)
Promote/provide needed pedestrian and bicycle facilities to
use as a safe and healthy alternative to automobile travel. Support
the role of walking and bicycling through street design and walkway
standards which can safely accommodate the elderly, handicapped persons
and children.
(7)
To inject long-range considerations into the determination of
short-range actions.
(8)
To protect the appearance of visually prominent areas within
the Borough.
E.
Open Space/Environmental Objectives:
(1)
Promote and encourage sustainable development practices.
(2)
Maximize preservation/conservation of open space and natural
resources throughout the Borough while supporting economic growth.
(3)
Encourage open space and recreational areas in areas such as
riparian areas, along creek, wetlands areas, and floodplains less
suitable for building in order to maintain, for public welfare, the
natural watersheds and drainage system in the Borough.
(4)
Implement stormwater best management practices.
(5)
Encourage the use of renewable energy sources including wind
and solar power.
(6)
Minimize the negative impact of automobile off-street parking
through the use of maximum permitted spaces, shared parking facilities
and design mitigation measures, including required landscaping standards
and the use of porous pavement, bioswale and rain gardens.
F.
Governmental Objectives:
(1)
To inject long-range considerations into the determination of
short-range actions.
(2)
To bring professional and technical knowledge to bear on the
decisionmaking process concerning the physical development of the
community.
(3)
To continue to cooperate with other adjoining municipalities
on intergovernmental issues of mutual concern.
(4)
To coordinate Borough plans and programs with county, state
and federal plans, policies and programs with the intent of seeking
such governmental funding when applicable to the Borough's plans.
(5)
To continue to conduct Borough affairs in an open, efficient,
economical and fair manner for the welfare of all citizens.
[Ord. No. 2018-2, 11/5/2018]
All ordinances, or any parts thereof, which are inconsistent
or in conflict with this chapter are hereby repealed to the extent
of such conflict, including but not limited to the October 1991 Forty
Fort Borough Zoning Ordinance, as amended.
[Ord. No. 2018-2, 11/5/2018]
This chapter shall become effective from the date of its approval
and adoption, as provided for by law.
