For the purpose of this chapter, certain terms and words used
herein shall be interpreted as follows:
A.
Words used in the present tense include the future tense; the singular
includes the plural, and the plural includes the singular; words of
masculine gender include feminine gender, and words of feminine gender
include masculine gender.
B.
The word "includes" or "including" shall not limit the term to the
specific example, but is intended to extend its meaning to all other
instances of like kind and character.
C.
The word "person" includes an individual, firm, association, organization,
partnership, trust, company, corporation, or any other similar entity.
D.
The words "shall" and "must" are mandatory; the words "may" and "should"
are permissive.
E.
The words "used" or "occupied" include the words "intended," "designed,"
"maintained," or "arranged to be used or occupied."
[Amended 1-13-1983 by Ord. No. 97; 9-14-1987 by Ord. No. 109; 5-31-1989 by Ord. No. 118; 10-12-1992 by Ord. No. 144; 9-14-1992 by Ord. No. 145; 4-12-1993 by Ord. No. 147; 4-12-1993 by Ord. No. 148; 10-9-1995 by Ord. No. 168; 10-13-1997 by Ord. No. 180; 12-9-1996 by Ord. No. 181; 11-10-1997 by Ord. No. 187; 4-13-1998 by Ord. No. 196; 8-10-1998 by Ord. No. 199; 11-8-1999 by Ord. No. 207; 2-11-2002 by Ord. No. 219]
Unless a contrary intention clearly appears, the following words
and phrases shall have the meaning given in this section. All words
and terms not defined herein shall be used with a meaning of standard
usage:
An area of land or other area used for a solar collection
system used to capture solar energy, convert it to electrical energy
or thermal power and supply electrical or thermal power primarily
for on-site use. An accessory solar energy system consists of one
or more freestanding ground- or roof-mounted solar arrays or modules,
or solar related equipment and is intended to primarily reduce on-site
consumption of utility power or fuels.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 347]
A separate structure or building used to house or provide
for an accessory use.
See "extension."
An establishment, having as a substantial or significant
portion of its stock-in-trade (for sale or rental), books, magazines
and other materials which are distinguished or characterized by their
emphasis on matter depicting, describing or relating to specified
sexual activities or specified anatomical areas, as defined herein.
Any adult bookstore, adult cabaret or adult mini-motion-picture
theater, as defined below, and which under Chapter 59, Title 18, of
the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, must exclude minors or may
not knowingly disseminate to minors.
A cabaret, tavern, theater or club which features strippers,
male or female impersonators or similar entertainers who exhibit,
display or engage in nudity, sexual conduct or sadomasochistic abuse,
as defined by Chapter 59, Title 18, of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes.
An enclosed building offering video presentations distinguished
or characterized by an emphasis on matter depicting, describing or
relating to specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas
for observation by patrons within private viewing booths and/or by
use of token or coin-operated projectors or other video machines.
Any business, indoor or outdoor, which exhibits a motion
picture or other presentation which, in whole or in part, depicts
nudity, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic abuse as defined by Chapter
59, Title 18, of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.
Any of the following transported or intended to be transported
in commerce:
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
Agricultural, aquacultural, horticultural, floricultural, viticultural
or dairy products.
Livestock and the products of livestock.
Ranch-raised fur-bearing animals and the products of ranch-raised
fur- bearing animals.
The products of poultry or bee raising.
Forestry and forestry products.
Any products raised or produced on farms intended for human
consumption and the processed or manufactured products of such products
intended for human consumption.
The activities, practices, equipment and procedures that
farmers adopt, use or engage in the production and preparation for
market of poultry, livestock and their products and in the production,
harvesting and preparation for market or use of agricultural, agronomic,
horticultural, silvicultural and aquacultural crops and commodities
and is:
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
Activities conducted on and accessory to a working agricultural
operation and offered to the public or to invited groups for the purpose
of recreation, education, or active involvement in the agricultural
operation. Agritainment Enterprise shall also include farmstays and
farm wedding venues. Agritainment enterprises do not include the direct
sales of products produced on site or other activities that are regulated
by the Pennsylvania Right to Farm law.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
All facilities for the storage, maintenance, takeoff, and
landing of motorized aircraft.
A corridor used for access within a parking lot by motor
vehicles to the parking space.
See "street."
As applied to a structure, a change or rearrangement in the
structural parts, including supporting members such as bearing walls,
columns, beams; or girders, or an enlargement, whether by extending
on a side or by increasing in height, or the relocation of a structure
onto or within a lot.
Any change or revision of the text of this chapter or the
Official Zoning Map.
A national organization which formulates guidelines and standards
which are recognized as authoritative by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
A building used by a veterinarian for the treatment, housing,
or boarding of small domestic animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits,
birds, and fowl.
A system of electrical conductors that transmits and receives
radio waves including, but not limited to, panels, microwave dishes,
satellite dishes, and whips.
A group of two or more buildings occupying a lot in single
ownership, with each building used by three or more families.
A landowner or developer who has filed an application for
a zoning permit.
A professional licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to practice architecture.
The use of land and structures engaged in the retail sale
of gasoline, oil, grease, batteries, tires, and other motor vehicle
accessories, which may also provide minor mechanical repairs and servicing
of motorized vehicles.
The use of land and structures for the storage, baling, packing,
sorting, handling, disassembling, purchase, or sale of any material
which has been used, salvaged, scrapped, or reclaimed, but is capable
of being reused in some form, including metals, fiber, paper, cloth
and rags, rubber, rope, bottles, machinery, tools, appliances, fixtures,
utensils, lumber, boxes, crates, pipe and pipe fittings, tires, motor
vehicles which do not have a current and valid inspection sticker
as required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and motor vehicle
parts; but not including garbage or other organic wastes.
An owner occupied single-family dwelling providing to transient
guests, for compensation, sleeping accommodations and breakfast.
The area which encompasses the houses on both sides of the
street, bordered at either or both sides by the nearest cross street.
The Board of Supervisors of the Township of Harris, County
of Centre, Pennsylvania.
Any dwelling or establishment in which six or more dogs,
cats, or other domesticated animals over six months of age are housed,
bred, boarded, or sold, whether for profit or not. This term shall
not include the routine keeping of animals within a veterinary office/clinic
while undergoing recuperation or a permitted retail pet store.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
A line marking the limit or border of a lot or district.
A structure, including any part thereof, having a roof and
used for the shelter or enclosure or persons or property.
The line within a lot defining the required minimum setback
distance between any structure and the adjacent street line.
A solar photovoltaic system attached to any part or type
of roof on a building or structure and that is either the principal
structure or an accessory structure on the property. This system also
includes any solar-based architectural elements.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 347]
A paved indentation at the side of a roadway designed to
allow buses to pick up and discharge passengers.
[Added 11-9-2015 by Ord.
No. 322]
A retail facility that is accessory to an established, active
campground in which a limited number of recreational, household, food,
gift and camping items are available for and intended for purchase
by campground registered guests and their visitors.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
A lot or a portion thereof owned by a public or private entity
on which 10 or more campsite accommodations, including cabins, tents,
and/or recreational vehicles, for temporary occupancy are located
or may be placed and which is used for recreational purposes and retains
an open air or natural character. Campgrounds may or may not include
accessory uses such as a retail store and laundry facility.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The use of land and structures by campers for seasonal, recreational,
and temporary living purposes in cabins, tents, or outdoor recreational
vehicles.
The portion of a street right-of-way designed or intended
for vehicular use.
A line running parallel to and equidistant from both sides
of a street.
A perceptible natural or artificial waterway, which periodically
or continuously contains moving water having a definite bed and banks
which confine the water.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The use of land and structures for supervised day care of
six or more children.
The use of land and structures for religious, worship, education,
and related activities; includes chapels, cathedrals, temples, synagogues,
and the like.
In a Karst geologic area, a distinct bowl-shaped depression
in the land surface; size and amplitude are variable; drainage is
internal. It differs from a sinkhole in that the ground surface is
unbroken and usually occurs in greater density per unit area.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The use of land and structures by a nonprofit group which
is not operated for the purpose of trade or business, no part of the
earnings of which benefit any individual but which is operated for
social and community service activities among group members and their
guests.
A land development design that concentrates buildings on
a part of the tract to allow the remaining land to be used for productive
agriculture, preservation of environmentally sensitive areas, common
open space, recreation, and essential services.
The use of land and structures for the manufacture and processing
of dairy products.
A parcel or parcels of land or an area of water or a combination
of land and water within a development site designed and intended
for the use or enjoyment of residents of the planned residential development,
not including streets, off-street parking areas and areas set aside
for public facilities (e.g., schools, utilities, or municipal facilities).
A structure, partially or wholly exterior to a building,
used for mounting antennas which transmit or retransmit radio signals.
A facility operated by a government agency, nonprofit organization,
or homeowners' association which is used for a variety of civic, educational,
recreational, and/or cultural services and programs. Community centers
shall not include living quarters.
[Amended 6-11-2012 by Ord. No. 303]
The construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, extension,
expansion, alteration, or relocation of a building or structure, including
the placement of manufactured homes.
A document issued by the FCC to a broadcast applicant giving
permission to construct a radio or television broadcast station; is
not a station license.
Small stores permitted in selected rural and residential
districts which retail food and beverages primarily to the immediately
surrounding population.
Provides land use and land development controls along specified
corridors in the Township.
A curved curb connecting the tangents of two intersecting
curbs of streets or driveways.
Razing or demolishing an entire building or structure, whether
or not reconstruction is planned after demolition, or removal of a
building or structure from its present location.
[Added 11-9-2020 by Ord. No. 345]
Any existing or potential well site where such well is to
be used for the provision of potable water supply, and which has been
identified by an official water survey, Official Map, or other study
deemed acceptable by the Township Engineer. This site may include
water reservoirs, water storage tanks, and/or water treatment operations
and facilities either as primary or accessory uses and structures.
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, the
placement of manufactured homes, streets and other paving, utilities,
filling, grading, excavation, mining, dredging, or drilling operations.
The provisions for development of a planned residential development, including a plat of subdivision, all covenants relating to use, location and bulk of buildings and other structures, intensity of use or density of development, streets, ways and parking facilities, common open space and public facilities. The phrase "provisions of the development plan," when used in the Article XV, Planned Residential Development, shall mean all the written and graphic materials referred to in this definition.
Light emitted directly from an outdoor lighting fixture or
reflected from any part of the fixture or its supports.
All land and watercourses located within designated boundaries
on the Official Zoning Map; a zoning district.
A facility providing such services as obedience classes,
training or behavioral counseling, provided that overnight boarding
is not permitted.
[Added 1-28-2015 by Ord.
No. 318]
A stormwater management facility designed to transmit stormwater
runoff and shall include streams, channels, swales, pipes, conduits,
culverts, storm sewers and similar structures.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The use of land and structures in which goods or services
are dispensed directly to the patron while in a motor vehicle.
A corridor which provides motor vehicle access from a street
into or across a lot.
A building designed for human living quarters.
DWELLING UNITThe portion of a dwelling occupied by one family.
SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLINGA single dwelling unit occupying the building from ground floor to roof.
TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGTwo dwelling units, one above the other.
MULTIFAMILY DWELLINGThree or more dwelling units, with the units stacked one above the other.
DETACHEDEach dwelling unit has open space on all sides.
SEMIDETACHEDOne side of each dwelling unit is a party wall in common with an adjoining dwelling unit.
ATTACHEDBoth side walls of all except the dwelling units at the ends of the building are party walls.
A technical term for the nature of energy emitted by a transmitting
antenna.
Construction or assembly.
The removal, of soil, stone, and other surface materials
by the action of natural elements.
The erection, construction, alteration, or maintenance by
public utilities, municipalities, or other governmental agencies of
underground or overhead gas, electrical, steam; or water transmission
or distribution systems, collection, communication, supply, or disposal
systems and their essential buildings, excluding communications towers
and antennas, as herein defined.
An addition to the floor area of an existing structure, an
increase in the size of a structure, or an increase in that portion
of a lot occupied by an existing use; an enlargement of a use or structure.
A person or two or more persons, all of whom are related
by blood, marriage, parentage, or adoption (including foster children)
living together as a single housekeeping unit. In addition to the
family, two or fewer unrelated persons may reside within the housekeeping
unit in the dwelling unit. Except that in the case where one or more
of the unrelated persons is a family care client, the number of unrelated
persons permitted to be with the housekeeping unit shall be three
or fewer. Domestic servants employed on the premises and temporary
gratuitous guests may be housed on the premises without being counted
as part of the family.
The provision of care in accord with regulations of the appropriate
state agency(ies) for up to three mentally ill, retarded or disabled
children or adults or elderly persons in a dwelling unit where a professional
caregiver administers care 24 hours a day.
A farm stay is a paid, overnight, guest accommodation provided
in a legally established dwelling unit on a property containing an
active agricultural operation for the purpose of participating in
educational, recreational, or social activities on the farm. Farmstays
provided in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling may have a maximum
of three guestrooms. Any other legally established dwelling units,
including farmstay accommodations shall be occupied by no more than
one family, as defined within this chapter.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The use of land and structures for one or more of the following:
the tilling of the land, the raising of crops, fruits, and vegetables,
and the raising and keeping of animals and plants; horticultural uses
related to the raising, propagating, and selling of trees, shrubs,
flowers, and other plant materials; forestry uses related to the harvesting
of lumber products.
A lot, building or structure that is part of an active agricultural
operation that is used for weddings, civil unions and associated receptions.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
A winery operated by the owner of a Pennsylvania farm and
producing table, sparkling, or fortified wines from grapes, grape
juice, other fruit bases or honey.
[Added 10-10-2011 by Ord.
No. 296]
Any establishment whose principal business is the sale of
food or beverages with rapid turnover to customers in a ready-to-consume
state for consumption either within the building or for carry-out
off the premises, and whose design or principal method of operation
includes the following: foods and beverages are usually served in
disposable or edible containers; it is self-service, with customers
expected to clean up after themselves; and menus are posted.
The limits of the floodplain conservation regulations are
hereby determined, to be areas subject to periodic inundation by floodwaters
or runoff as delineated in the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and accompanying
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Harris Township, as prepared by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
All proposed development located within areas classified as
hydric or hydric inclusive soils by the Soil Survey of Centre County,
Pennsylvania, prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shall
provide a wetlands delineation prepared by a qualified wetlands expert
and be subject to review and acceptance by Harris Township.
Excluded from this definition of floodplain are:
All lands within such areas designated above to which the natural
flow of floodwaters or runoff within drainage swales has been prevented
because of lawful alterations to such areas by roads, dams, or other
obstructions; and
All lands which, prior to the passage of this chapter as part
of the Code by Ord. No. 97, 1-13-1983, were filled with earth to an
elevation greater than that of the boundary of the natural floodplain
drainage swale as shown on said maps.
A relatively flat or low land area which is subject to partial
or complete inundation from an adjoining or nearby stream, river,
or watercourse, and/or any area subject to the unusual and rapid accumulation
of surface waters from any source.
Waters which escape from streams or other bodies of water
and over low adjacent lands, as distinct from runoff.
The sum of the gross usable area of all floors of a building
measured from the face of the exterior walls; retail and service floor
area is that portion of the total floor area relegated to use by the
customers and the employees to consummate retail sales and services,
including display areas for goods, but not including office space
or storage areas.
[Amended 3-14-2022 by Ord. No. 348]
The portion of a lot boundary abutting a street.
An evaluation that determines whether the soils and geological
conditions of a property will provide the necessary safety and support
for development. The evaluation must include a written and graphic
summary of the subsurface investigation, documentation of the design
criteria selected, conclusions or assessment from that investigation,
recommendations for the proposed development that will ensure proper
and structurally sound soil conditions during and after construction,
and any additional information deemed necessary by the Township Engineer.
Such an evaluation may be prepared, at the discretion of the Township
Engineer, by any licensed professional experienced and competent to
perform such work, including but not limited to a soil engineer, soil
scientist, civil engineer, geotechnical engineer, or geologist.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The effect produced by light with an intensity sufficient
to cause annoyance, discomfort, or loss in visual performance and
visibility.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 347]
The act of excavating and/or filling land for the purpose
of changing natural slope.
A parcel of land and/or water, within a conservation design
subdivision, set aside for the protection of natural and cultural
resources. Greenway land is permanently restricted against further
subdivision or development beyond that permitted on greenway lands.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
A solar photovoltaic system mounted on a structure, pole
or series of poles constructed specifically to support the photovoltaic
system and not attached to any other structure.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 347]
A dwelling unit in which care and residence are provided
in accord with regulations of the appropriate state agency(ies) for
more than three, and not more than eight nonadjudicated clients who
are dependent children or elderly, mentally ill, retarded, or disabled
adults.
A residence or community center in which social and community
service activities in accord with regulations of the appropriate state
agency(ies) are provided for no more than eight residents and an unlimited
number of nonresident alcoholics, drug addicts, emotionally disturbed
adults, former convicts, or other adjudicated individuals.
A linear plant community dominated by trees and/or shrubs.
Hedgerows often occur on long roads, fence lines, property lines,
or between fields and may occur naturally or be specially planted.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The vertical distance of a structure measured from the mean
level of the ground surrounding the structure to its highest point,
regardless of roof design.
A technical term used by the FCC to determine the effective
height of an antenna by considering the effects of terrain variations
in the coverage area provided by the antenna.
The overall height of the tower from its base to its highest
point including, but not limited to, antennas, transmitters, satellite
dishes, or other structures affixed to or otherwise placed on the
tower; if the tower base is not on ground level, the height of the
tower shall include the base of the building or structure to which
the tower is attached.
Any structure or site that is:
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
Listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places
or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting
the requirements for listing on the National Register;
Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the
Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered
historic district or a district preliminary determined by the Secretary
to qualify as a registered historic district;
Any site or structure identified in the 1982 Historic Resources
of the Centre Region inventory.
Any structure that is listed on or contributes to the National
Register of Historic Places. This shall include structures that are
identified as significant or contributory in an established National
Historic District.
[Added 11-9-2020 by Ord. No. 345]
The use of land and structures which are open to the general
public and such land, structures, and preserved and exhibited objects
which are of educational and historical significance. Historical museums
shall be permitted, but are not limited to, the following functions:
the exhibiting, preserving, recording, or storing of objects of educational
and historical significance; educational events; arts and crafts demonstrations;
art performances; and fund-raising events to benefit the museums.
An accessory use of a dwelling for gainful employment.
An establishment for the diagnosis, treatment or other care
of humans and having facilities for inpatient care; includes sanitarium,
sanatorium, and preventorium.
A building used for seasonal and temporary living purposes
by persons engaged in hunting, fishing, and similar recreational purposes.
A surface that prevents the infiltration of water into the
ground. Impervious surfaces (or areas) shall include, but not be limited
to: roofs; additional indoor living spaces, patios, garages, storage
sheds and similar structures; and any new streets or sidewalks. Decks,
parking areas and driveway areas are not counted as impervious areas
if they do not prevent infiltration.
[Amended 11-9-2015 by Ord. No. 321]
An area planned for the integrated design of two or more
primary industrial uses and structures on a lot held in single ownership
or as units in a single condominium.
[Amended 10-8-2018 by Ord. No. 333]
The technical and practical link between the solar generator
and the grid providing electricity to the greater community.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 347]
A technical term referring to the possible mixing of two
transmitted signals which creates unwanted and potentially interfering
signals.
A professional licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to practice landscape architecture.
A business that provides services related to the decorative
improvement of land including the installation, mowing, and maintenance
of lawns; landscape design; the planting and maintenance of trees,
shrubs, and flowers; tree and stump removal; the raising, propagating,
and selling of trees, shrubs, flowers, and other plant materials;
the spreading and grading of topsoil, mulch, or other ground covers;
the installation of stone, brick, and block walkways and stone walls;
and seasonal leaf cleanup and snow and ice removal.
[Added 4-9-2012 by Ord.
No. 302]
A species of tree with a mature height of over 45 feet. Examples
include but are not limited to red maple, hybrid maple, catalpa, hackberry,
ginko, Kentucky coffee tree, oaks, tulip tree, London plane tree,
basswood, and silver linden.
[Added 9-10-2018 by Ord.
No. 331]
A species of shrubbery or tree with a mature height of eight
feet to 20 feet. Examples include but are not limited to Japanese
maple, weeping cherry, flowering dogwood, saucer magnolia, some cultivars
of arborvitae, mountain stewartia, some cultivars of cypress, some
cultivars of spruce, serviceberry, dwarf Korean lilac, and star magnolia.
[Added 9-10-2018 by Ord.
No. 331]
All animals of the equine (Family: Equidae), bovine (Family:
Bovidae), leporid (Leporidae), or swine (Family: Suidae) type (or
similar animals), including, but not limited to, goats, sheep, mules,
horses, donkeys, hogs, pigs, hares, and cattle; other grazing animals;
nontraditional livestock including, but not limited to, bison, deer,
buffalo, alpaca and Ilamas; and other similar animals raised for personal
or commercial use.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
An area of land, including watercourses, held in single and
separate ownership; includes tract and parcel.
CORNER LOTA lot at the junction of and abutting on two or more intersecting streets or at the point of abrupt change of a single street where the interior angle is less than 135° and the radius of the street is less than 100 feet.
INTERIOR LOTA lot with only one frontage on a street.
THROUGH LOTA lot with front and rear street frontage.
A boundary line of a lot; includes property line.
FRONT LOT LINEThe line separating the lot from the street right-of-way.
SIDE LOT LINEAny lines which are not front or rear lot lines.
REAR LOT LINEAny line parallel to or within 45° of being parallel to a street line which defines the rear of the lot.
The area contained within the boundary lines of a lot.
The horizontal distance between side lot lines.
A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps, together
with any reflectors, refractors, diffusers, baffles or other devices
to distribute the light, and with parts to position and protect the
lamp and to connect the lamps to the power supply.
[Added 4-8-2019 by Ord. No. 337]
A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which
is built on a permanent chassis and is designed for use with or without
a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The
term includes park trailers, travel trailers, recreational and other
similar vehicles placed on a site for more than 180 consecutive days.
A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land which has been planned
and improved for the placement of two or more manufactured homes.
A tree mass or plant community in which tree species are
dominant or co-dominant and the branches of the trees form a complete,
or nearly complete aerial canopy. Any area, grove, or stand of mature
or largely mature trees (larger than 10 inches dbh) covering an area
of one acre or more shall be considered a mature woodland.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The percentage of lot area which may be occupied by the ground
floor area of all primary and accessory buildings and structures.
[Amended 3-8-2021 by Ord. No. 343]
A species of tree with a mature height of 30 to 45 feet.
Examples include but are not limited to ruby red horsechesnut, American
yellowwood, some cultivars of honeylocust, ironwood, sawtooth oak,
some cultivars of flowering cherry, and sassafras.
[Added 9-10-2018 by Ord.
No. 331]
The use of land for the purpose of extracting rocks and minerals
for sale, exclusive of grading a lot preparatory to the construction
of a structure for which a zoning permit has been issued.
A transportable single-family dwelling intended for permanent
occupancy as a residence, office, or place of assembly contained in
one unit or in two units designed to be joined into one integral unit
capable of again being separated for repeated towing, which arrives
at a site complete and ready for occupancy except for minor and incidental
unpacking and assembly operations, and constructed so that it may
be used without a permanent foundation.
A form of development permitted in Article XIII of this chapter.
Any commercial business or any portion thereof which, by
design, type of operation, or nature of business, provides service
to motor vehicles in a short period of time including, but not limited
to an automatic car wash, self-service car wash or self-service gasoline
station, or provides a service to occupants of the motor vehicle while
they remain in the vehicle, including but not limited to a drive-in
bank, drive-in restaurant, drive-in beverage sales, pickup window,
or gasoline service station.
Any nonconforming lot, structure, or use of land or structures.
NONCONFORMING LOTA lot which does not comply with either the lot size or width requirements for the uses and district in which it is located, where such lot was legally recorder prior to the enactment of Ord. No. 11, 8-2-1962, as amended, later incorporated into Ord. No. 80, 8-1-1978, readopted as part of the Code by Ord. No. 97, 1-13-1983, or amendment thereto [this chapter].
NONCONFORMING USEA use, whether of land or of structure, which does not comply with the applicable use provisions of Ord. No. 11, 8-2-1962, as amended, and later incorporated into Ord. No. 80, 8-1-1978, readopted as part of the Code by Ord. No. 97, 1-13-1983, or amendment thereto [this chapter] where such use was lawfully in existence prior to the enactment of such ordinance or amendment, or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.
NONCONFORMING STRUCTUREA structure or part of a structure manifestly not designed to comply with the applicable use provisions in Ord. No. 11, 8-2-1962, as amended, and later incorporated into Ord. No. 80, adopted 8-1-1978, readopted as part of the Code by Ord. No. 97, 1-13-1983, or amendment thereto [this chapter] where such structure lawfully existed prior to the enactment of such ordinance or amendment or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.
A building with sleeping rooms where persons are housed or
lodged and furnished with meals, nursing care for hire, and which
is approved for such by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.
The map setting forth the boundaries of the districts of
this chapter and adopted by the governing body of the Township.
A sanitary sewage collection system in which sewage is carried
from individual lots by a system of pipes to a central treatment and
disposal plant.
A space not located within any street right-of-way used by
motor vehicles for the temporary storage of trucks and other commercial
vehicles while loading and unloading merchandise or materials.
A space not located within any street right-of-way used by
motor vehicles for the temporary storage of one motor vehicle.
A flood that, on the average, is likely to occur once every
100 years (i.e., that has a one-percent chance of occurring each year,
although the flood may occur in any year).
A sanitary sewage disposal system in which sewage is treated
and discharged on the same lot as the use which it serves.
A freestanding roof structure without side walls which may
or may not be attached to the roof of an adjacent building and which
shall include but shall not be limited to canopies over gas station
pumps or canopies at convenience stores.
[Added 4-8-2019 by Ord. No. 337]
The primary use of open land for active and passive recreational
activities, including but not limited to driving ranges, golf courses,
ski and toboggan slopes, biking trails, equestrian centers, swimming
pools, ice-skating rinks, and amphitheaters. This use excludes shooting
ranges; campgrounds; RV parks; motorized vehicle race tracks; and
animal racing tracks.
[Added 2-9-2015 by Ord.
No. 311]
For properties in the Agricultural Residential District,
the parent tract shall be a developable tract of land meeting the
minimum acreage requirements for the open space-rural clustering regulations,
which is 10 acres. For properties in the Agricultural District, a
parent tract is a developable tract of land meeting the minimum acreage
requirements for the conservation design regulations, which is six
acres.
[Amended 3-14-2022 by Ord. No. 348]
A row of parking spaces abutting one another along the length
of each space.
A facility providing off-street parking space for five or
more motor vehicles.
Act of 1968, July 31, P.L 805, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10101
et seq.
The line marking the outside limit of the planned residential
development.
A component or definable part of a whole; a staged development.
A "phase" of a development plan is that part of the entire plan which,
if implemented, is capable of standing on its own. A "phase" of a
PRD shall be able to function independently of the undeveloped phases,
while being compatible with adjacent or neighboring land uses, even
if the remainder of the PRD were to be discontinued and its land reverted
to its original zoning. Also referred to as "stage."
Area(s) laid out devoted to and designed for the active and/or
passive recreational pursuits of the residents of the planned community.
Such areas may include but shall not be limited to ball fields, play
apparatuses, nature trails, picnic areas, bike paths, and like uses.
However, all common open space within the planned residential area
shall not be deemed to be "planned recreational area."
An area of land, controlled by a landowner, to be developed
as a single entity for a number of dwelling units, the development
plan for which may not correspond, in lot size, bulk, or type of dwelling,
density, lot coverage and required open space, to the regulations
established in any one residential district created, from time to
time, under the provisions of this chapter.
The Harris Township Planning Commission, Township of Harris,
County of Centre, Pennsylvania.
Any species of domestic fowl, including, but not limited
to, chickens, turkeys, ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries, pigeons,
pheasants, peacocks, swans, guinea fowl, and other waterfowl and game
birds raised for personal or commercial use.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
Any lot and any structure constructed thereon.
Land that contains soils of the first, second, or third class,
as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural
Resource Conservation Service's County Soil Survey.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
Not publicly owned, operated, or controlled.
Owned, operated, or controlled by a government unit or a
governmental agency.
Facilities or equipment used primarily by a municipal or
joint municipal transportation authority for loading, unloading and
transferring passengers. Facilities and equipment include but are
not limited to transit shelters, transit stops, and bus pulloff's.
[Added 11-9-2015 by Ord.
No. 322]
Electric substations, automatic telephone exchanges, and
any other public utility corporation when exempted from these provisions
by state law; does not include public water and sewer facilities,
radio, television, and other private communications transmitters and
towers.
A commercial establishment for the racing of animals or motor
vehicles.
Disturbances in reception caused by intruding signals or
electrical current.
A parcel that is developed as an outdoor recreational facility
but also contains a limited amount of visitor-oriented facilities
and accommodations. Visitor-oriented facilities and accommodations
may include overnight lodging, personal services, restaurants, and
meeting facilities.
[Added 2-9-2015 by Ord.
No. 311]
For purposes of this section, a ridge includes those toeslope,
sideslope, upland valleys, and ridgetop areas which contain, in part,
"very limited" soils and/or slopes exceeding 15% grade.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
An establishment where horses are kept for riding or driving
or are stabled for compensation as part of a club, association, ranch,
or similar establishment.
A corridor of land set aside for use, in whole or in part,
by a street.
A business operated by the landowner upon property that contains
an active agricultural operation and provides the direct commercial
sale of agricultural commodities, at least 50% of which were produced
on-site by the agricultural operation. This term includes but is not
limited to "pick-your-own" operations, Christmas tree farms, plant
nurseries and other similar uses.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
Any part of precipitation that flows over the land surface.
[Amended 3-14-2022 by Ord. No. 348]
A schedule of development is the projected time frame in
which the several phases of a development are to be implemented. Also
referred to as a "development schedule."
Any place offering instruction in any branch of knowledge
under the supervision of lawfully constituted ecclesiastical governing
body, person, partnership, or corporation meeting the requirements
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
A single-family detached dwelling used for seasonal and temporary
living purposes during any season by persons engaged in recreational
pursuits.
The process by which mineral or organic matter is accumulated
or deposited by the movement of wind and water, or by gravity.
A solar energy system that is incorporated into a manufactured
device in which the system generates energy exclusively for said device.
Such solar energy systems include but are not limited to light fixtures,
signs, or mechanical devices, such as pumps, fans, water level monitoring
stations, etc.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 347]
One or more structures designed and used for the internal
storage of materials by individuals for a fee; no office, sales, rental
of goods or services, or industrial activities shall occur within
or outside of the storage buildings, nor shall any hazardous or otherwise
dangerous materials be permitted to be stored in such facilities.
A group of two or more primary uses or structures used for
retail sales and service occupying a lot in single ownership.
A localized, gradual or rapid sinking of the land surface
to a variable depth, occurring in areas of carbonate bedrock; generally
characterized by a roughly circular outline, a distinct breaking of
the ground surface and downward movement of soil into bedrock voids.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
A species of tree with a mature height of 20 feet to 30 feet.
Examples include but are not limited to paperbark maple, muscle wood,
eastern redbud, kousa dogwood, cultivars of hawthorn, cultivars of
crabapple, cultivars of cherry, and Japanese tree lilac.
[Added 9-10-2018 by Ord.
No. 331]
Radiant energy (direct, diffuse and/or reflective) received
from the sun.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord.
No. 347]
That part or portion of a solar energy system containing
one or more receptive cells or modules, the purpose of which is to
convert solar energy for use in space heating or cooling, for water
heating and/or for electricity.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord.
No. 347]
Items including a solar photovoltaic cell, module, panel,
or array, or solar hot air or water collector device panels, lines,
pumps, batteries, mounting brackets, framing and possibly foundations
or other structures used for or intended to be used for collection
of solar energy.
[Added 4-12-2021 by Ord.
No. 347]
SOLAR ARRAYA grouping of multiple solar modules with the purpose of harvesting solar energy.
SOLAR CELLThe smallest basic solar electric device which generates electricity when exposed to light.
SOLAR MODULEA grouping of solar cells with the purpose of harvesting solar energy.
The depiction of male or female genitals, pubic area, buttocks
or, if such person is female, breast.
Activities to be regulated by this chapter defined as follows:
Act of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual intercourse or physical
contact with a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area,
buttocks or, if such person is female, breast.
The condition of human male or female genitals when in a state
of sexual stimulation or arousal.
Flagellation or torture by or upon a person clad in undergarments,
a mask or bizarre costume, or the condition of being fettered, bound
or otherwise physically restrained on the part of one so clothed.
Place where a concentrated discharge of groundwater flows
at the ground surface, including perched water flow from the soil.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
Land whose slope (surfaces at an angle to the plane of the
horizon) is 25% or more (a vertical difference of 25 feet or more
per 100 feet of horizontal distance).
[Amended 3-14-2022 by Ord. No. 348]
Perennial or intermittent watercourses identified through
site inspection, local and USGS mapping.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
A public or private corridor used as a means of vehicular
and pedestrian access to two or more lots; a highway, road, or alley.
ALLEYA street, usually located to the rear or side of properties otherwise abutting a street, used primarily for vehicular service access.
ARTERIAL STREETA major street with fast or heavy traffic of considerable continuity used primarily as a traffic artery connecting two or more neighborhoods or areas. For the purposes of this chapter, existing arterial streets include the following: State College Bypass, including entrance and exit ramps, and the Route 45 spur from the College Township line to the intersection with U.S. 322; PA. 45; U.S. 322.
COLLECTOR STREETA major street which carries traffic from local streets to arterial streets. For the purposes of this chapter, existing collector streets include the following: Branch Road, Woodside Drive, Main Street, Church Street, Boalsburg Pike, LR 14061 to LR 14020 (Linden Hall Road), to T 345 to LR 14021 (Brush Valley Road) to the Potter Township line.
LOCAL STREETAny street which is not defined herein as either an arterial or collector street.
The dividing line between a street and the lot; includes
right-of-way line and front lot line.
A term describing the physical ability of a tower or other
structure on which antennas are mounted to withstand design loading
without collapsing.
Any man-made object having an ascertainable stationary location
on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land. All buildings
are structures.
Any modification, alteration, reconstruction, or improvement
of any kind to an existing structure to an extent or amount of 50%
or more of its market value either:
A natural low-lying stretch of land or minor man-made conveyance
channel, which gathers or carries surface water runoff.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The use of land and structures which may contain an assembly
hall and studios with or without stage, which may be equipped with
curtains and permanent stage scenery, or with mechanical equipment
adaptable, but not limited to, the showing of plays, operas, performances,
spectacles, and similar forms of live or audiovisual entertainment,
and for instruction in the performing arts.
The Township of Harris, County of Centre, Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
A small, roofed structure, usually having three walls, located
near a street and designed primarily for the protection and convenience
of public transit passengers.
[Added 11-9-2015 by Ord.
No. 322]
A curbside place where passengers board or alight transit.
[Added 11-9-2015 by Ord.
No. 322]
Any purpose for which a lot or structure may be designed,
arranged, intended, maintained, or occupied, or any activity, occupation,
business, or operation carried on in a structure on a lot.
PRIMARY USEThe main use of a lot or structure.
ACCESSORY USEThe use of land which is incidental and subordinate to the primary use, and located on the same lot with such unless specifically permitted elsewhere herein.
A permissive waiver of terms and conditions of this chapter
granted by the Zoning Hearing Board.
Soils that are rated as very limited based on the NRCS Soil
Survey of Centre County.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
The use of the land and structure or part thereof, which
is open to the general public and designed for the dissemination of
information. Such information may include, but shall not be limited
to, exhibits, maps, brochures, pamphlets, and similar items.
Areas within Harris Township that are inundated or saturated
by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to
support vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions;
includes swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.
An establishment providing outdoor recreation during the
winter, such as skiing, sledding, and skating.
An unoccupied space, open to the sky, extending from the
lot line to a structure. The size of a required yard shall be measured
as the shortest distance between the structure and lot line.
FRONT YARDThe yard extending the full length of the front lot line.
SIDE YARDA yard extending along the side lot line from the required front yard to the required rear yard setback area.
REAR YARDThe yard extending the full length of the rear lot line.
BUFFER YARDA yard covered with vegetation and designed to provide an area of separation between different districts or uses.
An area bounded by a lot line and a line drawn parallel to
the lot line at a distance specified in this chapter for front, side,
or rear yard setbacks.
A map-based approach to determine the potential maximum number
of dwelling units that could theoretically be built on a given property.
Yield plans depict a lot layout and design reflecting a development
pattern that could reasonably be developed, taking into account the
presence of wetlands, floodplains, riparian buffers, steep slopes,
existing easements or encumbrances. The purpose of the yield plan
is to generally determine overall potential density for a site only
and is not intended to confer a development right to any specific
number of dwelling units on any given tract of land.
[Added 3-14-2022 by Ord.
No. 348]
A building which is designed as a single-family dwelling
with setbacks on three sides with one side built on a side property
line.
The officially designated Zoning Officer of the Township
of Harris, County of Centre, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
