[Ord. No. 353, 6/19/1991, § 100; as amended by
Ord. No. 430, 7/17/2002, § I.A]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Hatfield
Borough Zoning Ordinance of 1991," and shall become effective upon
enactment.[1]
[1]
Informational Note: The first Hatfield Borough Zoning Ordinance
was adopted in 1968.
[Ord. No. 353, 6/19/1991, § 101]
This chapter is enacted for the purpose of promoting the health,
safety, and the general welfare of the Borough. This chapter is in
accordance with a comprehensive plan, and is designed to lessen congestion
on the roads and highways, to secure safety from fire, panic, and
other danger, to provide adequate light and air, to prevent the overcrowding
of land, to avoid undue congestion of population, to facilitate the
adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks,
and other public requirements, to conserve the value of buildings,
and to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the Borough.
[Ord. No. 353, 6/19/1991, § 102; as amended by
Ord. No. 430, 7/17/2002, § XIII.B]
1.
The Borough of Hatfield, which has an adopted Comprehensive Plan
dated December, 1970, to guide the orderly growth and development
of the Borough, intends this chapter to implement the following statement
of community development objectives, in accordance with Act 247, the
Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101
et seq.
A.
Growth. Hatfield Borough is a developed community with an established
character that should be preserved; no drastic changes in the present
development pattern should occur.
(1)
All future growth, whether by infilling of remaining vacant
land or by redevelopment of existing developed parcels, should occur
in an orderly and controlled manner that is consistent with the scale
and character of the Borough.
(2)
The Borough's population should remain relatively stable in
the future, increasing only slightly from its present level of approximately
2,600 persons. Sharp increases or decreases in population are not
expected or encouraged.
B.
Land Use. Hatfield Borough should remain a primarily residential
community, which also functions as an employment and service center
for surrounding less developed areas.
(1)
The integrity of established residential neighborhoods in the
Borough should be protected; nonresidential development should be
located in a manner which complements, rather than downgrades, residential
areas.
(2)
The Borough's existing mix of small-scale commercial and residential
uses helps to give it a distinctive character; continued mixing of
uses should be fostered as long as it does not detract from the character
of established neighborhoods.
C.
Housing. Adequate housing opportunities should be available in the
Borough for people of all ages and incomes.
(1)
A variety of housing types should be provided within the Borough,
and efforts to preserve and enhance the quality of the housing stock
should be encouraged.
(2)
Design of new "infill" residential development should be consistent
with that of surrounding neighborhoods, and should not overburden
these neighborhoods with traffic, parking, or stormwater runoff.
(3)
New multifamily development should provide adequate areas for
off-street parking, recreation and open space.
D.
Commerce. Future commercial development in the Borough should be
limited to those types of establishments which will create minimal
adverse impact on adjacent residential neighborhoods and on vehicular
movement throughout the Borough.
(1)
Low intensity business and professional office uses should be
permitted in residential areas along the frontage of Lincoln, Broad,
Market and South Main Streets, where such development constitutes
an appropriate alternative use for converted dwellings, while maintaining
the residential character of these neighborhood.
(2)
In the Borough's Commercial District, development of small scale
and convenience commercial uses to meet the needs of Borough residents,
rather than a wider market, is encouraged. Highway-oriented, high-traffic
commercial uses are not encouraged.
(3)
To encourage the adaptive reuse of older buildings, to create
a pedestrian friendly environment and to discourage blight, the Borough
has added new design and zoning requirements to the regulations involving
its Core Commercial District.
E.
Industry. The retention of existing industry should be encouraged
as a means of maintaining the Borough's economic base.
F.
Transportation. A mutually beneficial relationship between traffic
circulation and land use should be established.
(1)
Vehicular circulation should be designed to separate regional
traffic from local residential traffic whenever possible.
(2)
Effects of regional traffic through the Borough should be mitigated
by limiting the number of driveway accesses and traffic generating
uses on arterial streets.
(3)
Adequate off-street parking and loading areas should be required
for all new development in the Borough:
(4)
Efforts should be made to address regional traffic problems
through cooperation with surrounding municipalities.
G.
Community Facilities and Services. Continued improvements in the
level and quality of community facilities and services should be fostered.
H.
Environment. Borough regulations should encourage the maintenance
of a high standard of air and water quality and the protection of
the Borough's natural resources, including woodlands and floodplains.
Historical and cultural resources should be identified and preserved,
and the overall esthetic qualities of the Borough environment should
be improved through sign regulations, landscaping requirements, and
similar controls.
I.
Intergovernmental Cooperation. Cooperation with surrounding communities
in dealing with social and physical problems which transcend municipal
boundaries is encouraged.
[Ord. No. 353, 6/19/1991, § 103; as amended by
Ord. No. 430, 7/17/2002, XIII.A]
2.
Location and boundaries of such districts shall be shown on the Zoning
Map, which is made a part of this chapter. The said map and all notations,
references, and other things shown thereon shall be as much a part
of this chapter as if the matter and things shown by said map were
all fully described herein.
[Ord. No. 353, 6/19/1991, § 104; as amended by
Ord. No. 430, 7/17/2002, § I.C]
1.
Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries of the districts
as indicated on the Zoning Map the following rules shall apply:
A.
Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately coinciding
with the center lines of streets, highways, railroad lines or streams,
such center lines shall be construed to be such boundaries.
B.
Where district boundaries are so indicated that they approximately
coincide with lot lines, such lot lines shall be construed to be said
boundaries; or where district boundaries are extensions of lot lines
or connect the intersection of lot lines, such lines shall be said
district boundaries.
C.
Where a district boundary divides a lot, the location of such boundary
shall be specified by figures on the Zoning Map, or where no figures
exist, by use of the scale appearing on the map.
D.
Where figures are shown on the Zoning Map between a street and a
district boundary, they shall indicate that the boundary runs parallel
to the center line of the street or highway, at a distance therefrom
equal to the number of feet so indicated.
E.
In case any further uncertainty exists, the Zoning Hearing Board
shall interpret the map as to the location of district boundaries.
[Ord. No. 353, 6/19/1991, § 105]
It is not intended by this chapter to repeal, abrogate, annul,
or interfere with any existing ordinances or enactment, or with any
rule, regulation, or permit adopted or issued thereunder, except insofar
as the same may be inconsistent or in conflict with any of the provisions
of this chapter; provided, that where this chapter imposes greater
restrictions upon the use of buildings or land, or upon the height
and bulk of buildings, or prescribes larger open spaces than are required
by the provisions of such ordinance, enactment, rule, regulation or
permit, then the provisions of this chapter shall control.
