Township of Worcester, PA Article IV AGR Agricultural District

[Amended 12-18-1991 by Ord. No. 123; 9-15-1993 by Ord. No. 133; 9-17-1997 by Ord. No. 153; 5-20-1998 by Ord. No. 163; 6-17-1998 by Ord. No. 164; 12-15-1999 by Ord. No. 176]

§ 150-10 Legislative intent.

In expansion of the legislative intent and community development objectives contained in Article I, §§ 150-2 and 150-3, of this chapter and in support of the goals and recommendations of the Worcester Township Comprehensive Plan, it is the intent of this article to:

A. Preserve agricultural land and open space areas of Worcester.

B. Allow agricultural, institutional and low-density single-family detached development to coexist in a manner that limits the impact of each use on the other.

C. Buffer residential development from agricultural uses and existing roads.

D. Limit the adverse environmental impacts of development on the Township's steep slopes, floodplains, streams, wetlands, woodlands, riparian corridors and groundwater.

E. Preserve the Township's historic, rural character and heritage.

F. Limit the impact of development traffic on the Township's major roads.

§ 150-11 Use regulations.

A building may be erected or used and a lot may be occupied for any of the following purposes and no other:

A. Agriculture.

B. Single-family detached dwellings:

[Amended 3-22-2006 by Ord. No. 208; 10-19-2016 by Ord. No. 262]

(1) On tracts of less than eight acres, single-family detached dwellings shall be developed in accordance with the requirements of §§ 150-12 through 150-17 of this article.

(2) On tracts of eight acres or more, single-family detached dwellings shall be developed in accordance with the requirements of Article XVIA, Conservation Subdivisions, and §§ 150-16 and 150-17 of this article. In the case of any conflicts between the provisions of §§ 150-16, 150-17 and Article XVIA, Article XVIA shall control.

C. Special need camp, school/developmental center.

[Added 2-16-2022 by Ord. No. 288[1]

(1) On tracts of 60 acres or more with frontage on at least two public roads, a special needs camp, school/developmental center shall be permitted in accordance with the requirements of § 150-12 through § 150-17 of this article.

(2) Special needs camp, school/developmental center may include the following uses and facilities:

(a) Classrooms, vocational-technical classrooms and workspaces, offices, cafeterias, indoor recreation facilities, and other facilities typically associated with schools and developmental centers.

(b) Outdoor recreational facilities and uses including sports fields, playgrounds, play courts, swimming pools, tree houses, ropes courses, amphitheaters, and other similar facilities. Outdoor recreational facilities are primarily for the use of special needs camp, school/developmental center students and staff, while also being available for rental and community use. The illumination of any outdoor recreational facility is permitted by conditional use approval of the Board of Supervisors, in accordance with § 150-215.

(c) Facilities for the operation of day camps and overnight camps including offices, cafeterias, indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, dormitories and cabins, tent camping, and horse-riding stables.

(d) Agriculture including but not limited to agritainment, pick-your-own produce, a farm stand for the sale of products including products developed on the property such as agricultural produce, baked goods, and craft-type artisanal works.

(e) A restaurant and cafe school that is open for public dining with a maximum indoor dining capacity of 40 persons and a maximum outdoor dining capacity of 30 persons. The restaurant and cafe school shall be associated with a culinary or other vocational program of the special needs camp, school/developmental center, and restaurant and cafe school staffing shall primarily consist of students enrolled in the special needs camp, school/developmental center. The restaurant and cafe school shall not offer drive-through service or third-party food delivery.

(f) Residential units for employees and clients of the special needs camp, school/developmental center, but only as an accessory use to permitted uses listed above.

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also redesignated former Subsections C through F as Subsections D through G.

D. Accessory uses in accordance with Article XXIV.

E. Any one of the following uses shall be permitted when authorized as a conditional use by the Township Board of Supervisors, subject to the provisions in § 150-215, all applicable requirements of the AGR District and the specific standards listed below:

(1) Any country club, provided that the use is located on a lot 50 acres or larger, building coverage does not exceed 2% of the net lot area and impervious coverage does not exceed 5% of the net lot area.

(2) Public or private schools, provided that the use is located on a lot 25 acres or larger, building coverage does not exceed 15% of gross lot area and impervious coverage does not exceed 40% of gross lot area, and provided that a safe and efficient off-street passenger dropoff/pickup area is provided.

[Amended 1-15-2014 by Ord. No. 248]

(3) Noncommercial playing fields, parks, playgrounds, passive recreation areas, nature preserves, forest preserves and nature centers, provided that the use is located on a lot 10 acres or larger, building coverage does not exceed 1% of the net lot area, and impervious coverage does not exceed 5% of the net lot area.

(4) Place of religious worship, provided that the use is located on a lot 25 acres or larger, building coverage does not exceed 10% of the net lot area and impervious coverage does not exceed 30% of the net lot area, and such facility may also be used on a daily basis for Sunday school, preschool and day-care purposes.

(5) Day camp, provided that the use is located on a lot 25 acres or larger, the building coverage does not exceed 1% of net lot area and impervious coverage does not exceed 2% of the net lot area.

(6) A farm market or roadside stand for the retail sale of produce, plants and dairy products may be permitted, subject to the following provisions:

(a) Minimum site size. Twenty-five acres shall be the minimum size parcel on which a farm market or roadside stand may be erected or operated.

(b) Operation by farmer. The farm market or roadside stand shall be operated by the owner of the farm, the agent of the owner or the lessee of the farm (with the owner's permission), who shall, in all cases, be the same person or entity who actually farms the property on which the farm market or roadside stand is located.

[Amended 11-16-2011 by Ord. No. 232]

(c) Maximum site utilization.

[1] The maximum amount of land that may be used for the farm market or roadside stand shall be limited to 5% of the developable area of the site, not to exceed 7.5 acres. This includes parking.

[2] The balance of the land shall remain undeveloped, except for active farming, passive open space or one single-family dwelling. The sale, development or use of the balance of the land in any way that would result in the violation of these requirements shall result in the termination of the conditional use approval and require the cessation of all farm market or roadside stand activity.

(d) Master Plan. All development and use shall be in strict accordance with the detailed Master Plan as approved by the Board of Supervisors, which shall be kept on file in the Township. Any proposed deviation or addition to that plan must be presented to the Board of Supervisors at a public hearing for approval. Such approved revision shall go on record as the approved revised Master Plan.

(e) Setbacks. Any and all activity of the farm market or roadside stand shall be set back a minimum of 250 feet from any ultimate right-of-way line of a street. All parking related to such use shall be set back a minimum of 40 feet from any ultimate right-of-way line of a street.

(f) Buffers. A buffer screen shall be provided between this use and any adjacent single-family residential use. The setback at the frontage of this shall be landscaped.

(g) Signs. Signs shall be regulated in accordance with the provisions of Article XXI.

(7) A residential life-care facility, provided that the use is located on a lot 100 acres or larger, building coverage does not exceed 15% of the net lot area and impervious coverage does not exceed 40% of the net lot area.

[Added 11-15-2000 by Ord. No. 182; amended 5-16-2018 by Ord. No. 277]

F. Municipal use, as defined in Article III.

G. No-impact home-based business, as defined in § 150-9; provided that the permission for such use granted herein shall not supersede any deed restriction, covenant or agreement restricting the use of land, nor any master deed, bylaw or other document applicable to a common interest ownership community.

[Added 8-17-2011 by Ord. No. 230]

§ 150-12 Lot area and width regulations.

A. Minimum lot area. Eighty thousand square feet shall be the minimum lot area that shall be provided for every building or use.

B. Minimum lot width. All lots shall meet the following lot width requirement:

(1) Two hundred fifty feet shall be the minimum lot width for every building or use.

(2) Lots which front secondary collector or primary streets (highways) shall have a minimum lot width measured at both the building and street lines of at least 250 feet for every building or use.

[Amended 5-16-2007 by Ord. No. 214]

§ 150-13 Yard regulations.

A. Single-family detached uses.

(1) Front yard. All lots shall meet the following front yard setback requirements measured from the ultimate right-of-way:

(a) Seventy-five feet shall be the minimum size of front yards measured from local streets, which include marginal access, rural, residential and cul-de-sac streets.

(b) Seventy-five feet shall be the minimum size of front yards measured from secondary feeder streets.

(c) One hundred feet shall be the minimum size of front yards measured from secondary collector or primary streets (highways).

(d) One hundred feet shall be the minimum size of front yards measured from scenic roads, as identified in the Township's current Comprehensive Plan.

(e) Dwellings that existed as of the date of adoption of this revised AGR District that do not comply with the required front yard setback of the AGR District may be expanded to the side or rear of the dwelling as a matter of right, provided that the expansion will comply with the side and rear yard setbacks of the AGR District and the building and impervious coverage standards in the AGR District. In no case shall an expansion be permitted to extend closer to the road ultimate right-of-way than the nonconforming front wall of the existing dwelling closest to the road.

(2) Rear yard.

(a) One hundred feet shall be the minimum size of the rear yard on each lot.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsection A(2)(b), regarding setback requirements for a separate detached accessory structure to a single-family residential use, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 5-16-2018 by Ord. No. 277.

(3) Side yards.

(a) Fifty feet shall be the minimum size of each of two side yards on each lot.

(b) Corner lots shall be regulated by Article XXIV.

B. Nonresidential uses. All nonresidential uses shall be governed by the following yard requirements:

(1) One hundred fifty feet shall be the minimum size of front, side and rear yards for religious buildings. Fifty feet shall be the minimum size of front, side and rear yards for agricultural buildings, except for seasonal roadside stands as set forth in § 150-177.1.

[Amended 12-19-2012 by Ord. No. 239]

(2) Two hundred fifty feet shall be the minimum size of front yards and 125 feet shall be the minimum size of side and rear yards for all structures except single-family detached, religious and agricultural uses.

(3) Except as otherwise set forth in this chapter, in no case shall the minimum yard area for any use be less than the minimum yard area required for single-family detached homes, as specified in § 150-13A.

[Amended 12-19-2012 by Ord. No. 239]

§ 150-14 Coverage regulations.

[Amended 5-19-2021 by Ord. No. 284]

A. Building coverage. Ten percent shall be the maximum total building coverage at each lot.

B. Impervious coverage. Twenty percent shall be the maximum total impervious coverage at each residential, municipal or agricultural lot. Forty percent shall be the maximum total impervious coverage at all other lots.

§ 150-15 Height regulations.

[Amended 11-15-2000 by Ord. No. 182]

Building height. Thirty-five feet, not exceeding 2.5 stories, shall be the maximum height for any building or other structure erected or enlarged in this district, except as noted below:

A. Fifteen feet, not exceeding 1.5 stories, shall be the maximum height for any structure accessory to a single-family detached dwelling.

B. Sixty feet shall be the maximum height for silos used to store ensilage.

C. Eighty-five feet shall be the maximum height for steeples and/or bell towers of places of worship.

§ 150-16 Parking regulations.

A. Single-family detached residential parking.

(1) For each dwelling in this district, two all-weather off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the applicable provisions of Article XXII.

(2) Setbacks. No parking area or driveway shall be located within 15 feet of any property line except as required for normal ingress and egress.

B. Nonresidential parking.

(1) For any uses other than single-family detached residential uses in this district, off-street parking and loading facilities shall be provided in accordance with Article XXII. Further, such parking shall not occupy any of the front, side or rear yards required under this article.

(2) Setbacks. No parking area or driveway shall be located within 100 feet of any property line for any use except as required for normal ingress and egress.

§ 150-17 Special requirements.

A. Signs. Signs shall be permitted in accordance with the applicable provisions of Article XXI.

B. Driveways. Along secondary collector and primary streets (highways), driveways for all uses shall be located at least 300 feet from street intersections and other driveways on the same side of the street, unless the Township Board of Supervisors determines that a shorter distance between driveways is safer or that meeting the three-hundred-foot setback is physically infeasible.

C. Lot layout. All AGR subdivisions shall be laid out in a manner that minimizes the number of new driveway access points onto existing roads. Subdivisions may take advantage of new roads, common driveways and other means found acceptable to the Township to meet this requirement. It shall be incumbent on applicants to demonstrate to the Township Board of Supervisors that the number of new driveway access points onto existing roads have been reduced to the greatest extent possible.

D. Nondwelling structures. Swimming pools, tennis courts and domestic animal shelters may be permitted in this district subject to the applicable regulations under Article XXIV, General Regulations.

E. Additional regulations. Lots in this district shall be subject to modified and/or additional regulations under Article XXIV, General Regulations, as applicable.

F. Detention basins in yard areas. Detention basins shall be allowed in yard areas only in accordance with the applicable regulations under Article XXIV, General Regulations.

G. Application procedure. The procedure for making application for uses other than single-family detached residential uses shall be in accordance with § 150-202 of Article XXIV, General Regulations, and § 150-214 of Article XXV, Administration.

H. Private or public schools. Normal and routine accessory structures to private or public schools are permitted subject to the applicable regulations under Article XXIV, General Regulations.

[Added 1-15-2014 by Ord. No. 248]