Township of Swatara, PA: Lot and Yard Requirements.

Any uses not otherwise prohibited by law of a manufacturing, fabricating, processing, compounding, or treatment nature which, in the opinion of the Zoning Officer, would be nonobjectionable in terms of smoke or dust emission, odors, noise or glare, and will not otherwise be injurious to the public health, safety, and welfare and will not have an adverse effect on adjacent areas. Should the Zoning Officer feel that there is any likelihood of the aforementioned dangers or nuisances, the applicant shall prove the contrary to the Zoning Hearing Board in an administrative review before a permit is issued. In such a case, the Township Planning Commission shall be notified of the hearing in order to provide the Zoning Hearing Board with a recommendation.

B.

Warehousing, high cube warehousing and wholesaling establishments and storage yards, not including junkyards.

[Amended by Ord. No. 2022-9, 7/14/2022]

C.

Railroad, trucking, busing and other transit facilities including storage, repair, and transfer operations.

D.

Automobile body shops, repair garages and gasoline stations, provided that the following conditions are met:

All gasoline and petroleum pumps shall be located outside of buildings, no less than 35 feet from any street right-of-way line or lot line.

All fuel, oil or similar combustible petroleum product storage tanks shall be located under ground at least 35 feet from any street right-of-way line or lot line.

No mechanical or auto body repair work shall be performed out of doors.

All automotive parts, dismantled and derelict vehicles and similar articles or parts thereof shall be stored only within an enclosed building.

(5)

Automotive vehicles without valid, current license plates and/or state inspection shall be regulated according to § 27-1418 of this chapter.

(6)

Any structure housing an automobile body shop shall be a minimum of 50 feet from any lot line when located adjacent to any residential district.

(7)

Flammable and/or combustible materials associated with the automobile body shop use shall be stored within a fireproof enclosure within the principal structure or within an accessory building located no less than 50 feet from any lot line.

E.

Municipal buildings and facilities, including emergency or law enforcement services facilities, sewage and water pumping stations, reservoirs and similar structures.

F.

Customary accessory uses and buildings incidental to any of the above-permitted uses.

G.

Medical marijuana dispensary, provided the following conditions are met:

[Added by Ord. No. 2022-9, 7/14/2022]

The use shall be set back a minimum of the following:

1,000 feet from the property line of an existing primary or secondary school or child day-care center;

250 feet from a public park or playground; and

(c)

250 feet from a residential district.

The use shall not have any outdoor activities, such as outdoor seating.

The use shall not be open for business beyond the maximum hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

The use shall meet all other zoning requirements that would apply to a retail store.

H.

Medical marijuana growing/processor facilities, provided the following conditions are met:

[Added by Ord. No. 2022-9, 7/14/2022]

The use shall be set back a minimum of the following:

1,000 feet from the property line of an existing primary or secondary school or child day-care center;

250 feet from a public park or playground; and

(c)

250 feet from a residential district.

The use shall meet all the same zoning requirements that apply to a manufacturing use.

2.

Special Exception Uses. Upon approval by the Zoning Hearing Board, the following special exception uses are permitted, provided that the use complies with the conditions listed herein and the applicable requirements specified in Part 22 of this chapter:

Automobile recycling and junkyards used for storage, wrecking and converting used or discarded materials, provided that the following conditions are met:

Minimum lot area of 10 acres.

Such use shall be no closer than 150 feet to any street right-of-way and no less than 500 feet from any use district other than industrial.

Such use shall be completely enclosed by an evergreen screen planting to be planted and maintained at a height of not less than eight feet and backed by a solid fence not less than six feet in height.

B.

Air fields, strips, or landing facilities and buildings accessory thereto, provided that the following conditions are met:

Minimum lot area of 10 acres.

Applicant shall submit a plot plan of the lot indicating the runway and approach area and existing residences located within a five-hundred-foot radius of the runway.

Runway shall be no closer than 100 feet to any residential district, and no closer than 50 feet to any property line or street right-of-way line.

A description of equipment and facilities to be utilized, and a description of overall development plans for the lot shall be made available to the Zoning Hearing Board.

(5)

The airport approach area shall be defined as a three-hundred-foot-wide area lying within and below an inclined plan extending outward horizontally 1,000 feet at a ratio of one foot of height for each 20 feet from each end of the runway. No building, structure or airport hazard shall exceed one foot in height, for each 20 feet of length of an established airport runway, with no structure or airport hazard to exceed 35 feet in height anywhere within the lot.

(6)

Any pulsating or intermittent lighting is prohibited.

(7)

Floodlights, spotlights and other lighting devices shall be arranged or shielded so as to illuminate parallel to the ground and not in an upward direction.

(8)

Any radio or electronic device shall be permitted only with approval and license by the Federal Communications Commission.

(9)

All facilities of this nature shall conform and operate under the standards set by the FAA and the Pennsylvania Aeronautical Commission.

(10)

The Zoning Hearing Board may impose other conditions as are appropriate to public safety and welfare, including hours of operation, frequency of use and a location in relation to existing residences.

C.

Sandpits, gravel pits, removal of topsoil, and the excavation, extraction or removal of any natural resource from the land or ground for any purpose, are permitted, subject to the following conditions:

Application for the special exception shall be accompanied by and approved by the Department of Environmental Protection permit authorizing said activities.

The proposed operation shall not adversely affect soil fertility, drainage and lateral support of abutting land or other properties, nor shall it contribute to soil erosion by water or wind.

Where any open excavation will have a depth of 10 feet or more and a slope of more than 30%, there shall be an appropriate, protective fence with suitable gates where necessary, effectively blocking access to the area in which extraction is located. Such fence shall be located no less than 50 feet from the edge of the excavation. All operations shall be screened from nearby residential uses as required by the Zoning Hearing Board.

That portion of access streets located within 100 feet of any lot in residential use or lot zoned residentially shall be provided with a dustless surface. Access streets shall connect to collector or major road networks avoiding undue movement through residential areas.

D.

A site plan for rehabilitation, showing both existing and proposed final contours, shall be submitted. After any such operations, the site shall be made reusable for a use permitted in the zoning district. Where topsoil is removed, sufficient arable soil shall be set aside for retention on the premises and shall be respread over the premises after the operation is terminated. Except where lakes are created and retained, the area shall be brought to final grade by a layer of earth at least two feet deep or to original thickness, whichever is less, and be capable of supporting vegetation. Fill shall be of an acceptable material.

3.

Conditional Uses. Upon approval of the Board of Supervisors, the following conditional uses are permitted, provided that the uses comply with any conditions listed herein and the applicable requirements specified in Parts 14 and 20.

[Added by Ord. No. 2021-5, 4/8/2021]

Short-term rentals, subject to the criteria set forth in § 27-602, Subsection 1P.

[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 12.03; as amended by Ord. 44, 6/11/1998]

1.

A lot area, lot width, lot coverage, yard depths and building height satisfying the requirements of the following list, unless otherwise specified heretofore in this section or § 27-1202, shall be provided for every principal building or use hereafter erected, altered, or established in this district.

Lot Area, Lot Width and Coverage Requirements.

Minimum lot area: two acres.

Minimum lot width: 200 feet.

Maximum lot coverage: 50%.

B.

Yard Regulations. For every principal or accessory building or use in the Industrial District, the minimum yard regulations shall be as follows:

Required front yards, measured from the street right-of-way (lot line) to the building, are as follows:

A depth of not less than 100 feet along any street right-of-way.

A depth of 150 feet if said front yard is across the street from a residential district.

Required side yards, measured from the lot line to the building line are as follows:

Not less than 20 feet on each side of the building.

No building or structure shall be located less than 150 feet from any residentially zoned district.

Rear yards of not less than 30 feet shall be provided, except chat no building or structure shall be located less than 150 feet from any residentially zoned district.