The primary purposes of the (A) Agricultural Zone are to protect
and stabilize agriculture in areas of productive soils as an ongoing
viable major component of the economy of the Township and of Lancaster
County as expressed in Pennsylvania Act 133 of 1982 (the "Right to Farm Law"); to permit, with exceptions,
only those land uses and activities which are agricultural in nature;
to encourage the preservation of the most productive farmland within
the Township as a valuable resource which is lost and not reclaimable
once it is developed for building purposes; and to prevent adverse
effects resulting from the encroachment and mixing of residential
and other incompatible development with agricultural uses. Consequently,
intensive residential or other incompatible land uses will be restricted
from the A Zone.
The following uses are permitted when special exceptions are
granted by written approval of the Zoning Hearing Board. In granting
any special exceptions, the Board may attach such reasonable conditions
and safeguards, in addition to those expressed in this chapter, as
it may deem necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter.
A. Business in the Agricultural Zone, subject to §
310-174.
B. Radio and television transmitting towers and broadcasting facilities, subject to §
310-211.
C. Veterinary facilities and animal hospitals, subject to §
310-168.
E. Storage facilities in converted structures, subject to the provisions of §
310-220.
F. Temporary farm employee housing, subject to the provisions of §
310-223.
G. Construction or enlargement of poultry houses, hog or swine houses, livestock and cattle houses, subject to §
310-179.
I. Riding school and horse boarding stables, subject to §
310-216.
J. Churches, synagogues and other places of worship, and associated cemeteries, provided that the use does not exceed five acres, and subject to the provisions of §
310-176.
K. Church-related uses such as social halls, picnic grounds, etc., subject to §
310-176.
L. Ultralight vehicle landing fields, subject to §
310-166.
M. Commercial communication antennas, towers and equipment for commercial operation (cell sites), subject to §
310-177.
N. One- and two-room school uses, public and private, subject to the provisions of §
310-217.
O. Elder cottage housing units on lots of less than five acres, subject to §
310-183.
P. Off-premises advertising signs and billboards, subject to the provisions of §
310-266.
Q. Home occupations, subject to the provisions of §
310-193.
R. Accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to the above
uses.
The following uses are permitted when conditional uses are granted
by written approval of the Board of Supervisors. In granting any conditional
uses, the Board may attach such reasonable conditions and safeguards,
in addition to those expressed in this chapter, as it may deem necessary
to implement the purposes of this chapter.
A. School uses of three rooms or larger, public and private, subject to the provisions of §
310-217.
D. Commercial sightseeing rides, subject to §
310-178.
E. Petting zoos and menageries, subject to §
310-208.
G. Regional methane digester systems, subject to §
310-236.
H. Accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to the above
uses.
The primary purpose of this zone is to accommodate commercial
agriculture. Nonfarm dwellings or uses in this zone may be subject
to some common characteristics of agriculture which are sometimes
regarded as objectionable, including but not limited to odor, dust,
night, holiday, early morning and weekend operations, noise, heavy
vehicle use of roads, the storage and disposal of manure, the application
of fertilizers, herbicides, etc. Residents, owners and users of property
in this zone should accept these factors as normal and unavoidable
characteristics of an agricultural area and are hereby put on official
notice that Section 4 of the Pennsylvania Act 133 of 1982, referred
to as "the Right to Farm Law," may bar them from obtaining a legal
judgment against such normal agricultural operations.
Except as otherwise provided for in this chapter, the following
regulations apply to unattached buildings for accessory uses.
A. Maximum building height: 26 feet from the lowest finished floor elevation.
In the case of a sloping lot, this maximum building height may
be increased by special exception, subject to the following considerations:
(1) The proposed building shall not be offensive to any adjacent residential
uses; and
(2) In no case shall the height of the building exceed 35 feet from the
lowest finished floor elevation.
Agricultural buildings shall not be subject to height requirements.
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B. Minimum yard setbacks.
(1) Front: the minimum front yard setback shall be equal to the distance
required for principal buildings.
(4) Where the proposed accessory building will be located adjacent to
an existing residential use or a residential zoning district boundary
line, the side and/or rear yard setback shall be the required minimum
or a distance equal to the height of the accessory building, whichever
is greater.
[Added 8-2-2016 by Ord.
No. 135]
The following uses are specifically prohibited within the (A)
Agricultural Zone:
A. Commercial composting of animal and/or food products, including dead
animals.