This chapter shall be known and may be cited
as the "Crafton Borough Zoning Ordinance" and the district map shall
be known as the "Official Crafton Borough Zoning District Map."
This chapter shall take effect upon the effective
date of Crafton Borough Ordinance No.1551.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The effective date of Ord.
No. 1551 was one year after its adoption 10-23-2003.
This chapter is adopted by virtue of the authority
granted to the Borough by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the
Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. 10101 et seq.,
as amended.
A.
Wherever the regulations within this chapter are at
variance with other lawfully adopted rules, regulations, ordinances,
restrictions or covenants, those which impose the most restrictive
requirements shall govern.
B.
No structure or use which was not lawfully existing
at the time of the adoption of this chapter shall become or be made
lawful solely by the reason of the adoption of this chapter, and to
the extent that, and in any respect that, said unlawful structure
or use is in conflict with the requirements of this chapter, said
structure remains unlawful hereunder.
C.
Regardless of any other provision of this chapter,
no land shall be used and no structure erected or maintained in violation
of any state or federal environmental protection law or regulation.
The fundamental purposes of this chapter are
to promote the safety, health, convenience and general welfare; to
encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the Borough;
to conserve and stabilize the value of property; to prevent overcrowding
of land and buildings; to avoid undue concentration of population;
to lessen congestion in the streets; to secure safety from fire, panic
and other dangers; to provide adequate open spaces for light and air;
to facilitate adequate provision of streets and highways, water, sewerage,
drainage and other public facilities; to conserve life, property and
natural resources; and to conserve the expenditure of funds earmarked
for public improvements.
The goals and objectives of the 1991 Crafton-Rosslyn
Farms-Thornburg Comprehensive Plan, as they specifically pertain to
Crafton Borough, as amended, and the 1999 Crafton Borough Strategic
Plan are hereby incorporated by reference. The general community development
objectives on which this chapter is based are:
A.
The general objective for the development of the Borough
of Crafton is to provide a pleasant, attractive, healthy, safe and
convenient environment for living, working, education, shopping and
recreation. This objective shall be pursued by the creation and implementation
of land use plans to:
(1)
Preserve and improve the natural environment;
(2)
Provide safe, adequate and attractive housing;
(3)
Increase property values, employment opportunities,
and the economic base of the community;
(4)
Provide the necessary infrastructure of utilities
and transportation arteries; and
(5)
Provide recreational and community facilities;
B.
The preservation and improvement of the environment
shall be pursued by:
(1)
The elimination of visual and physical blight such
as overhead utility lines, concentration of signs of excessive size
and proximity, large expanses of uninterrupted pavement, dilapidated
structures and trash;
(2)
The preservation of existing trees and green space,
natural topography and wooded slopelands, including the limiting of
hillside development beyond a reasonable gradient, the control of
floodplains and watersheds;
(3)
The reclamation of derelict land; and
(4)
The municipal acquisition and the promotion of the
dedication of natural open space and wooded slopeland to link the
existing and proposed park sites and neighborhoods and to prevent
ecological problems resulting from wooded slopeland development.
C.
The provision of safe, adequate and attractive housing
for the entire population of the community shall be pursued by:
(1)
The provision of a wide range of housing density alternatives;
preservation of a mix of housing types; correlation of residential
density and housing type with topography, existing conditions and
the capacity of and distance from existing and proposed utilities,
streets and community facilities;
(2)
The rehabilitation and removal of deteriorating housing,
the maintenance of sound housing and the development of new housing;
and
(3)
The promotion of an attractive residential environment
through the implementation of the other objectives set forth herein.
D.
The increase of property values, employment opportunities
and the economic base of the community shall be pursued by:
(1)
The promotion of economic growth and employment opportunities;
(2)
The concentration of commercial and industrial uses
in the areas where streets and utilities can provide the necessary
services and where conflicts with other uses can be minimized through
site design and transitional provisions; and
(3)
The implementation of the other objectives set forth
herein.
E.
The provision of the necessary infrastructure of utilities
and transportation arteries shall be pursued by:
(1)
The extension of the municipal improvements of waterlines,
storm and sanitary sewers and roads and their improvement where economically
feasible to guide and promote development;
(2)
The encouragement of public utilities to improve and
extend services consistent with the objectives set forth herein;
(3)
Traffic planning and control which will provide safe,
rapid and convenient movement of people and goods within and through
the municipalities, with a separation of through and local traffic,
and minimal disruption of existing and proposed development patterns
and community integrity; and
(4)
Promote safe and convenient circulation for pedestrians
and bicycles.
F.
The provision of recreational and community facilities
shall be pursued by:
(1)
The creation of outdoor and indoor recreational facilities
to accommodate the existing and future population;
(2)
The promotion of schools and parks in close proximity
to decrease duplication of services and provide the greatest value
for public expenditures;
(3)
The promotion of acquisition or dedication of natural
open space for park and recreational purposes;
(4)
The provision of residential areas with adequate commercial,
governmental, recreational and educational facilities; and
(5)
The preservation of historical landmarks.
G.
The creation and implementation of land use plans
shall seek to achieve the foregoing objectives and to:
(1)
Achieve the purpose for which each zoning district
is intended, as stated in the purpose statements for each article
of this chapter, which are to be considered a part of these development
objectives, and incorporated herein;
(2)
Protect against the detrimental effect of incompatible
land uses through planting, open space and natural breaks in topography;
(3)
Concentrate development where possible to prevent
sprawl, conserve open space and make full use of utilities and services;
and
(4)
Provide site plan control.
No structure shall be located, erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved, altered, converted or enlarged, nor shall any structure or land be used or designed to be used, except in full compliance with all the provisions of this chapter and after the lawful issuance of all permits and certificates required by Article XX of this chapter.
The regulations of this chapter shall not apply
to any existing or proposed building or use or extension thereof,
used or to be used by a public utility corporation, if upon petition
of the corporation the Public Utility Commission, after a public hearing,
decides that the present or proposed situation of the building in
question is reasonably necessary for the welfare of the public.
If any of the provisions of this chapter or
the application of any provision to particular circumstances is held
to be invalid, the remainder of the chapter or the application of
such provision to other circumstances shall not be affected.
