Township of Middlesex, PA Article III Map; Districts; Boundaries; General Regulations

§ 175-9 Zoning District Map.

A map entitled "Middlesex Township Zoning District Map" is hereby adopted as part of this chapter.[1] The Zoning District Map shall be kept on file available for examination at the office of the Zoning Officer. The Map shall be signed and attested by the Township Secretary and shall bear the Seal of the Township. All amendments affecting district boundaries shall be noted on the Map by the Township Engineer, including date of adoption, and shall be attested to by the Township Secretary.

[1] Editor's Note: The Zoning Map is on file in the Township offices.

§ 175-10 Enumeration of districts; general concepts.

A. The Township is divided into the districts stated in this Ordinance as shown by the district boundaries on the Zoning Map. The Districts are:

[Amended 11-21-2012 by Ord. No. 125; 11-16-2016 by Ord. No. 130; 3-20-2019 by Ord. No. 133]

AG-A	Rural Residential District
R-AG	Residential Agricultural District
AG-B	Agricultural District
R-1	Suburban Residential District
R-2	Moderate-Intensity Residential District
TC	Town Center District
C-1	Neighborhood Commercial District
C-2	Highway Commercial District
C-3	Regional Commerce District
I-1	Restricted Industrial District
ADO	Airport District Overlay
Route 228 COD	Route 228 Corridor Overlay District

B. The following descriptions summarize the general concepts for each of the Township's existing and proposed zoning districts.

[Amended 11-21-2012 by Ord. No. 125; 11-16-2016 by Ord. No. 130; 3-20-2019 by Ord. No. 133]

(1) AG-A Rural Residential District. The purpose of this district is to provide for agricultural uses and estate-type single-family residential development in rural areas where public utility facilities may not be immediately available and to provide for compatible public, semipublic and accessory uses.

(2) AG-B Agricultural District. The purpose of this district is to provide for the continuation of large farms and to authorize estate-type single-family development in areas outside the service area if public utilities are provided within the Township or in areas expected to be served by the extension of public utilities from adjoining communities and to authorize compatible public, semipublic and accessory uses complementing agricultural and low density residential development.

(3) R-1 Low Intensity Residential District. The purpose of this district is to accommodate areas with existing residential development of low-intensity adjacent to the regional transportation network and easily served by the future extension of public utilities in the Township.

(4) R-2 Moderate-Intensity Residential District. The purpose of this district is to accommodate areas of moderate-intensity single-family and multifamily residential development that complement existing residential development patterns and infrastructure availability.

(5) TC Town Center District. The purpose of this district is to provide a mixture of residential, retail shopping, consumer service and personal service uses intended to serve household needs where such land use activity, character and scale can be accessible for pedestrians and vehicles to and from adjacent residential areas as well as considers the Township's historic development patterns while accommodating modern trends.

(6) C-1 Neighborhood-Scale Commercial District. The purpose of this district is to provide retail shopping and service facilities which serve immediate households' needs, do not adversely impact neighboring residential uses and are appropriate to smaller properties that accommodate uses of a limited type and size which do not generate large amounts of traffic.

(7) C-2 Community-Scale Commercial District. The purpose of this district is to provide for retail and consumer and personal service-oriented facilities which serve the needs of the general community and are located in high-volume traffic corridors to promote convenient access and minimize the traffic impact on neighborhoods and local roads.

(8) C-3 Regional Commerce District. The purpose of this district is to accommodate larger-scale nonresidential facilities, generally located in high-volume traffic corridors, and where such uses are primarily retail, office, research and development, and limited industrial in nature and geared to the needs of both the community and the region.

(9) I-1 Restricted Industrial District. The purpose of this district is to provide for light industrial uses in appropriate locations adjacent to the regional transportation network consistent with sound planning and environmental controls.

(10) R-AG Residential Agriculture District. The purpose of this district is to provide for agricultural uses, low-density residential development and planned higher density development in areas where the general character is defined by rural areas which are in close proximity to major roads, infrastructure and areas near existing concentrated residential development and to provide for compatible public, semipublic and accessory uses as conditional uses or uses by special exception.

(11) ADO Airport District Overlay. The purpose of this district is to consider safety issues around the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport, to regulate and restrict the heights of constructed structures and objects of natural growth, create appropriate zones, establish the boundaries thereof and provide for changes in restrictions and boundaries of such zones, create the permitting process for use within said zones and provide for enforcement, assessment of violation penalties, an appeals process, and judicial review.

(12) Route 228 COD Route 228 Corridor Overlay District. The purpose of this overlay district is to provide a land use management tool to guide new development in a manner consistent with the Township's Comprehensive Plans to maintain the Township's unique rural character while allowing for economic growth that will benefit the Township, neighboring communities, and the larger region. The MPC provides in Section 605(2)[1] for the establishment of additional zoning classifications (overlay districts) to be made within any zoning district for the regulation, restriction or prohibition of uses and structures at, along, or near major thoroughfares, their intersections and interchanges, and transportation arteries. This portion of Route 228, between the Township's western border and the intersection of Route 228 and Route 8, is a major thoroughfare in need of special attention with regard to land use and development in the Township.

[1] Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10605(2).

§ 175-11 District boundaries.

A. District boundaries shown within the lines of roads, streams and transportation rights-of-way shall be deemed to follow the center lines. The vacation of roads shall not affect the location of such district boundaries.

B. When the Zoning Officer cannot definitely determine the location of a district boundary by such center lines, by the scale or dimension stated on the Zoning District Map, or by the fact that it clearly coincides with a property line, he shall refuse action, and the Zoning Hearing Board, upon appeal, shall interpret the location of the district boundary with reference to the scale of the Zoning District Map and the purposes set forth in all relevant provisions of this chapter.

§ 175-12 Regulations applicable in all districts.

These general regulations shall apply in all zoning districts.

A. Any use not expressly listed for a zoning district is not permitted in that district, unless authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board as a comparable use not specifically listed in accordance with the provisions of § 175-105 of this chapter only in those districts where comparable uses not specifically listed are expressly listed as a use by special exception in the district.

B. Accessory structures which are customarily accessory to principal structures or uses authorized as uses by special exception shall be permitted as accessory uses by right.

C. In the AG-A, AG-B and R-AG Districts, principal farm buildings and structures may occupy the same lot as a single-family dwelling. Two single-family dwellings shall not occupy the same lot unless all applicable requirements of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance are met.

[Amended 8-13-2014 by Ord. No. 127]

D. In the R-1 District, a single-family dwelling or two-family dwelling shall be the only principal structure on the lot. All dwelling units shall be located within the same principal structure.

E. In all districts, all accessory structures shall be located on the same lot with the principal structure to which they are accessory. When two adjoining lots are in the same ownership, an accessory structure shall not be constructed on a lot adjoining the lot on which the principal structure is located. A consolidation plan for the two adjoining lots shall be required so that the principal structure and accessory structure may occupy the same lot.

F. In the C-1, C-2, I-1, C-3 and Route 228 Corridor Overlay Districts, several authorized uses may occupy the same lot or structure, provided all applicable requirements for each of the uses can be met on the lot.

[Amended 8-13-2014 by Ord. No. 127; 8-21-2019 by Ord. No. 134]

G. No part of any yard or other open space or off-street parking or loading space required for any building or structure to comply with the provisions of this chapter shall be included as part of a yard, open space, off-street parking or loading space required for any other building or structure.

H. All territory which may hereafter be annexed to the Township shall be placed in the AG-B, Agricultural Zoning District, until the Planning Commission has made a thorough study of the newly annexed area, reported its recommendations to the Township Supervisors, and the Township Supervisors have adopted a final zoning district classification, This study and report by the Planning Commission shall be made within three months of the date of annexation.