[Amended 12-3-1991 by Ord. HR-187; 5-1-2006 by Ord. No. HR-252]
This chapter shall be known as and may be cited
as the "Tredyffrin Township Zoning Ordinance of 1939."
A.
Purposes. This chapter is enacted to promote, protect
and facilitate any or all of the following:
(1)
The public health, safety, morals and the general
welfare; coordinated and practical community development and proper
density of population; airports and national defense facilities; the
provision of adequate light and air, access incident to solar energy,
police protection, vehicle parking and loading facilities, transportation,
water, sewerage, schools, recreational facilities and 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 the natural, scenic and historic assets
in the environment and preservation of forests, wetlands, aquifers
and floodplains.
(2)
To prevent one or more of the following: overcrowding
of land, blight, danger or congestion in travel and transportation
and loss of health, life or property from fire, flood, panic or other
dangers.
(3)
To provide for the use of land within the Township
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 this chapter
shall not be deemed invalid for the failure to provide for any other
specific dwelling type.
(4)
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.
B.
Community development objectives. The community development
objectives which provide the basis for zoning policy are the planning
objectives included in the Comprehensive Plan of Tredyffrin Township,
as amended, and additional objectives as have been added by amendment
to this chapter, as follows:
(1)
To encourage and provide for the development and maintenance
of attractive, healthy, safe and stable residential areas; to provide
for the development of diversified residential environments allowing
for a sufficient choice among housing types and the changing needs
of a maturing and expanding community.
(2)
To assure the adequate and convenient provision of
public and private supporting services and facilities essential to
the development and needs of a growing and well-rounded community.
(3)
To capitalize on Tredyffrin's unique geographic position
and relationship to major rail and highway facilities by encouraging
and providing for compatible industrial, research and development,
commercial and office uses.
(4)
To protect areas with special aesthetic, scenic or
other natural qualities and features, for purposes of visual amenity
and recreation, adequate drainage, soil stabilization, protection
of water resources and other conservation requirements and to assure
that all development which occurs in or near historic areas takes
adequate account of and recognizes the heritage and the many historical
elements and features of the Township. In addition to the foregoing,
specific objectives relative to preservation of natural features are:
(a)
To preserve the natural amenities of the Township.
(b)
To protect and conserve groundwater and surface
water resources.
(c)
To minimize soil erosion and sedimentation.
(d)
To maintain adequate foliage and vegetative
cover to control problems of flooding, soil erosion, air and noise
pollution; to protect natural vegetation and wildlife habitat, especially
Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) sites identified in
the Chester County Natural Areas Inventory of 2000; to preserve vegetation
for its scenic and aesthetic value.
(e)
To protect residents of the Township from property
damage and personal injury caused by runoff, erosion, landslides and
flooding caused by nearby development.
(5)
To encourage development patterns which will minimize
future operating and capital expenditure requirements, including consideration
of imaginative and innovative approaches to the development of the
Township so as to achieve an overall environment of quality, harmony,
variety and interest.
(6)
To provide for a street and transportation system
that will move people and goods safely and efficiently.
(7)
To assure consistency with multimunicipal and county
comprehensive plans.
In interpreting and applying the provisions
of this chapter, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements
for the promotion of the health, safety and morals and general welfare
of the Township.
It is not intended by this chapter to interfere
with or abrogate or annul any rules, regulations or permits previously
issued thereunder and not in conflict with any of the provisions of
this chapter. When this chapter imposes a greater restriction upon
the use of buildings or premises or upon the height of a building
or requires larger open spaces than are imposed or required by such
rules, regulations or permits, the provisions of this chapter shall
prevail.
Should any section or provision of this chapter
be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such
decision shall not affect the validity of this chapter as a whole
or of any other part thereof.
