[Amended 12-21-2015 by Ord. No. 221-2015]
The purpose of the Agricultural (A) District is to encourage
the preservation of productive farmland as a finite and valuable natural
resource and therefore protect farmland against incompatible development
and uses that could adversely affect the long-term economic viability
of these lands. Effective agricultural zoning can achieve good growth
management by:
A. Protecting the integrity of a critical mass of sustainable, large
contiguous parcels;
B. Avoiding incompatible scattered development of nonagricultural structures
and uses that interfere with conventional agricultural operations;
and
C. Minimizing land use conflicts and controversies.
Permitted uses shall be as follows:
A. Any form of agriculture, sylviculture (excluding sawmills) and/or
horticulture and related buildings and uses (including one single-family
detached dwelling).
B. Single-family detached dwellings.
D. Accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to the above
permitted uses, including but not limited to the following:
(1) Manure storage facilities, if contained upon and accessory to a farm,
subject to the following regulations:
(a)
All manure storage facilities shall be designed in compliance
with the guidelines outlined in the publication Manure Management
for Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Quality Management Publication
No. 43, and any revisions, supplements and replacements thereof, published
by DEP.
(b)
All manure waste storage facilities' designs shall be reviewed
by the County Conservation District. The applicant shall furnish a
letter from the Conservation District attesting to approval of the
design of the proposed facility.
(c)
Construction and subsequent operation of the manure storage
facility shall be in accordance with the permit and the approved design.
Any design changes during construction or subsequent operation will
require the obtainment of another review by the County Conservation
District.
(2) Beekeeping, subject to the following:
(a)
It shall be the duty of the applicant to maintain each colony
so as to not create a public nuisance.
(b)
Colonies shall be maintained in movable frame hives.
(c)
Hives shall be located only within the rear yard and shall be
situated to maximize sunshine exposure and/or natural wind protection.
(d)
In no case shall hives be located within 25 feet of any property
line.
(e)
All hives shall have access to an on-site water supply. Unless
a natural water supply exists on the subject property, the applicant
shall furnish a water-filled tank with a board or crushed rock for
the bees to land on.
(f)
Hives shall not be oriented to children's play areas or neighboring
properties.
(g)
Adequate techniques in handling bees, such as requeening and
adequate hive space, shall be maintained to prevent unprovoked stinging
75 feet or more from the hive.
(3) The storage, processing and sale of farm products by a person engaged
in any form of agriculture, subject to the provisions below:
(a)
At least 1/2 of the various types of products must be grown
or raised on the same property on which they are sold or on other
farm property in the Township owned or leased by the person selling
the products. It is the intention of this provision to comply with
the requirements of the Pennsylvania Right to Farm Act, as amended.
(b)
Any structure which is used for the sale or display of farm
products shall contain no more than 300 square feet of floor area
and shall be at least 50 feet from any property line and the legal
right-of-way line of any street.
(c)
Off-street parking must be provided for all employees and customers.
(d)
The processing of farm products must be accessory to the raising
or growing of such products on the same property on which they are
processed.
(4) No-impact home-based businesses subject to the provisions of §
240-91.
(5) Accessory anaerobic digester, subject to the requirements of §
240-115.1.
[Added 9-6-2011 by Ord. No. 189-2011]
E. Commercial communications antenna attached to an existing structure and meeting the requirements of §
240-105A.
F. Regional anaerobic digester as a principal use, subject to the requirements of §
240-115.1.
[Added 9-6-2011 by Ord. No. 189-2011]
[Amended 9-6-2011 by Ord.
No. 189-2011; 12-21-2015 by Ord. No. 221-2015]
The following uses are permitted when special exceptions are
granted by written approval of the Zoning Hearing Board. In granting
any special exceptions, the Zoning Hearing Board may attach certain
conditions to its approval which it feels are necessary requirements
in order to preserve and protect the character of the district in
which the proposed use would locate.
A. Public utility structures, subject to the provisions of §
240-96.
B. Home occupations, subject to the provisions of §
240-90.
C. Farm-related business, subject to the provisions of §
240-111.
D. Family/caregiver suite, subject to the provisions of §
240-115.6.
E. Accessory dwelling units, subject to the provisions of §
240-115.7.
F. Bed-and-breakfasts, subject to the provisions of §
240-92.
G. Veterinary facilities and/or kennels, subject to the provisions of §
240-94.
H. Temporary farm employee housing, subject to the provisions of §
240-85.
I. Conversion of existing dwellings, subject to the provisions of §
240-83.
J. Conversion of an existing structure to a mini-warehouse, subject to the provisions of §
240-103.
K. Accessory uses customarily incidental to the above permitted uses.
L. Commercial communications antennas and towers, subject to the provisions of §
240-105B.
The Table of Design Requirements in the Agricultural (A) District
is included at the end of the chapter.
[Amended 12-21-2015 by Ord. No. 221-2015]
Regardless of the above-required setbacks, no structure housing
more than 500 birds and/or more than 25 head of livestock shall be
located within 300 feet of any area of the Mining and Natural Extraction,
Rural, Institutional, R-1 Residential, R-2 Residential, R-3 Residential,
General Commercial, or General Industrial Districts.
All lands within this district are located within an area where
land is used for commercial agricultural production. Owners, residents
and other users of this property may be subjected to inconvenience,
discomfort and the possibility of injury to property and health arising
from normal and accepted agricultural practices and operations, including
but not limited to noise, odors, dust, the operation of machinery
of any kind, including aircraft, the storage and disposal of manure,
the application of fertilizers, soil amendments, herbicides, and pesticides.
Owners, occupants and users of this property should be prepared to
accept such inconveniences, discomfort and possibility of injury from
normal agricultural operations, and are hereby put on official notice
that Section 4 of the Pennsylvania Act 133 of 1982 The Right to Farm
Law may bar them from obtaining a legal judgment against such normal
agricultural operations.