[Amended 5-3-1990 by Ord. No. 3-1990]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "West Goshen Township Revised Zoning Ordinance of 1990."
[Amended 5-8-1990 by Ord. No. 3-1990]
This chapter is enacted for the following purposes:
A. 
To protect and promote the safety, health and general welfare of West Goshen residents by:
(1) 
Providing for a compatible balance of residential, commercial and industrial areas to assure coordinated and practical community development.
(2) 
Providing space and arrangements for supplying needed services such as fresh water, light, clean air, sanitary sewerage service, solid waste disposal facilities, stormwater drainage, as well as schools, parks, playgrounds and other public facilities.
(3) 
Providing for transportation and communication arteries, including streets, roads, highways, walkways and paths.
(4) 
Minimizing danger from fire, panic, disaster or other dangers.
(5) 
Preserving prime agricultural and farm land, considering topography, soil type and classification and present use.
[Added 5-8-1990 by Ord. No. 3-1990]
B. 
To provide for development which will coordinate with other municipalities and which will enhance the living, working and shopping amenity by:
(1) 
Accommodating reasonable overall community growth, including population and employment growth, and opportunities for development of a variety of residential dwelling types and nonresidential uses and preventing excessive concentration of population.
[Amended 5-8-1990 by Ord. No. 3-1990]
(2) 
Directing the use of land and structures so as to minimize objectionable interference, noise and other unwanted interaction.
(3) 
Providing for the use of land within the Township for residential housing of various dwelling types encompassing all basic forms of housing, including single-family dwellings in various arrangements, mobile homes and mobile home parks.
[Amended 5-8-1990 by Ord. No. 3-1990]
(4) 
Determining the best location and arrangement for both facilities and arteries (streets, walkways, etc.), to provide the optimum combination of accessibility with personal privacy and freedom.
(5) 
Providing space and arrangements for parks, recreational areas, open space, landscaping and other aspects of visual amenity.
[Added 5-8-1990 by Ord. No. 3-1990]
This Zoning Ordinance has been prepared in accordance with the Township Comprehensive Plan, as amended, and with consideration for the character of the Township, its various parts and the suitability of the various parts for particular uses and structures, and is enacted for the following purposes:
A. 
To promote, protect and facilitate any or all of the following: the public health, safety, morals and the general welfare; coordinated and practical community development and proper density of population; emergency management preparedness and operations; 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; sewerage; schools; recreational facilities and public grounds; the provision of 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 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; and loss of health, life or property from fire, flood, panic or other dangers.
[Amended 6-4-1985 by Ord. No. 9-1985]
A. 
From and after the effective date of this chapter, the use of all land, including streets, and the use, height, area and yard requirements of every building or a portion of a building erected, altered with respect to height and area, added to or relocated, and every use within a building or use accessory thereto in West Goshen Township shall be in conformity with the provisions of this chapter. Any lawful existing building or structure and any lawful existing use of a building or land not in conformity with the regulations herein prescribed shall be regarded as nonconforming but may be continued, extended or changed subject to the special regulations herein provided with respect to nonconforming buildings or uses under Article XV.
B. 
Every street located in the Township shall bear and be governed by the zoning classification of the zoning district, established in § 84-4 of this article, in which it is located, and the use restrictions applicable to the various zoning districts shall apply to the use of the streets located within such zoning district.
A. 
Types of districts. For the purpose of this chapter, the Township of West Goshen is hereby divided into types of districts, designated as follows:
[Amended 6-13-1978 by Ord. No. 5-1978; 8-8-1978 by Ord. No. 6-1978; 12-26-1978 by Ord. No. 8-1978]
R-2 Residential District
R-3 Residential District
R-3A Single-Family Attached Dwelling Overlay District
[Added 7-27-2005 by Ord. No. 6-2005]
R-3B Flexible Design Conservation District, which shall include, within such District, Zone A, Zone B and Zone C
[Added 12-10-2008 by Ord. No. 9-2008]
R-3C Residential Infill
[Added 12-17-2019 by Ord. No. 11-2019]
R-4 Residential District
C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District
C-1-R Neighborhood Commercial District -- Restricted
C-2 Commercial Shopping Center District
C-3 Limited Highway Commercial District
C-4 Special Limited Business and Apartment District
C-5 General Highway Commercial District
I-1 Campus Light Industrial District
I-2 Light Industrial District
I-3 General Industrial District
I-2-R Light Industrial District--Restricted
[Added 2-12-1980 by Ord. No. 1-1980]
Planned Office Park District
Multipurpose District
M-S Medical-Service District
[Added 9-23-1980 by Ord. No. 6-1980]
RGC Residential Golf Course District
[Added 10-11-1988 by Ord. No. 9-1988]
I-C Industrial-Commercial District
[Added 4-9-2003 by Ord. No. 5-2003]
MCX Municipal Complex District
[Added 8-11-2004 by Ord. No. 19-2004]
PUC Planned University Main Campus Overlay District
[Added 7-6-2021 by Ord. No. 10-2021]
B. 
Districts of annexed area. Any territory hereafter added to the Township shall be considered to be zoned R-3 Residential District until otherwise classified by action of the Township of West Goshen.
C. 
Lot sizes. No lot shall be so reduced that the area of the lot or the dimensions of the required open spaces shall be less than herein prescribed.
A. 
Adoption of Zoning Map. The boundaries of said districts shall be as shown upon the map attached to and made a part of this chapter, which shall be designated the Zoning Map. Said map and all notations, references and other things shown thereon shall be made a part of this chapter as if the matters and things shown by said map were all fully described herein.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Zoning Map is on file in the office of the Township Secretary.
B. 
Boundaries of districts. District boundary lines are intended to coincide with lot lines, center lines of street rights-of-way, railroad rights-of-way and the beds of streams existing at the time of the adoption of this chapter, the corporate boundaries of the Township or as dimensioned on the Township's official Zoning Map. In the event of a dispute over the location of the boundary of any district, the Zoning Officer shall investigate and render a decision on the location of the district boundary line.
[Amended 4-14-1999 by Ord. No. 3-1999]
C. 
Lots held in single and separate ownership. Where a zoning district boundary line divides a lot which was held in single and separate ownership at the time of the adoption of this chapter, the regulations for the least restrictive district may extend into the more restrictive district a distance of not more than 50 feet measured from the district boundary line; provided, however, that in the case of a lot other than a corner lot, the regulations for the least restrictive district may extend into the more restrictive district a distance more than 50 feet beyond the district boundary line when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with the standards established in § 84-72O.
[Amended 4-14-1999 by Ord. No. 3-1999]
It is not intended by this chapter to interfere with or abrogate or annul any rules or regulations or permits previously issued thereunder and not in conflict with any of the provisions of this chapter, provided that where 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 control.