[Ord. No. 11/10/2008, § 100]
This chapter shall be known and be cited as the "North Centre Township Zoning Ordinance of 2008" and is intended to serve as a comprehensive amendment of the North Centre Township Zoning Ordinance enacted and ordained by the Township Board of Supervisors on September 9, 1974, and amended several times thereafter.
[Ord. No. 11/10/2008, § 101]
1. 
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, P.L. 1329, Act 170, as reenacted December 21, 1988, and as subsequently amended, provides that the Supervisors of North Centre Township may implement Comprehensive Plans or accomplish any of the purposes of the Planning Code by enacting a zoning ordinance.
2. 
The Supervisors of North Centre Township, Columbia County, PA, under the authority cited above, do hereby ordain that this chapter was enacted in order to promote and protect the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the residents of the Township.
[Ord. No. 11/10/2008, § 102]
1. 
The zoning regulations and districts herein set forth were developed in accordance with an overall program for the Township, with consideration being given to the character of the area, the municipality's various parts, and the suitability of the various parts for particular uses and structures. As such, the regulations were designed to:
A. 
Promote, protect and facilitate:
(1) 
The public health, safety, morals, and the general welfare.
(2) 
Coordinated and practical community development; and proper density of population.
(3) 
Emergency management preparedness and operations, airports and national defense facilities.
(4) 
The provision of adequate light and air, access to incident solar energy, police protection, vehicle parking and loading space, transportation, water, sewerage, schools, recreational facilities, public grounds, the provision of a safe, reliable and adequate water supply for domestic, commercial, agricultural or industrial use, and other public requirements.
(5) 
Preservation of the natural, scenic and historic values in the environment and preservation of forests, wetlands, aquifers and floodplains.
B. 
Prevent the overcrowding of land, blight, danger and congestion in travel and transportation, loss of health, life, or property from fire, flood, panic or other dangers.
C. 
Preserve prime agriculture and farmland considering topography, soil type and classification, and present use.
D. 
Provide for the use of land within the municipality for residential housing of various dwelling types encompassing all basic forms of housing.
E. 
Accommodate reasonable overall community growth and provide opportunities for development of a variety of residential dwelling types and nonresidential uses.
F. 
Facilitate appropriate development of the Township, protect the tax base, and encourage economy in public expenditures.
[Ord. No. 11/10/2008, § 103]
1. 
This chapter provides a legal basis and framework for future development in North Centre Township. Its provisions were guided by the future growth management strategies set forth in the Township's General Development Goals, Objectives and Future Growth Management Strategies, dated September 8, 2008. The following list of goal statements represent the Township's findings with respect to land use; density of population; the need for housing, commerce and industry; the location and function of streets and other community facilities and utilities; the need for preserving agricultural land and protecting natural resources, and other factors which the Board believes relevant in guiding the future development of the municipality:
A. 
Goal. Preserve the peaceful, semi-rural atmosphere and exceptional quality of life in North Centre Township for future generations.
B. 
Goal. Guide and direct future development types and densities to the most appropriate and best-suited locations.
C. 
Goal. Consider the physical capabilities and limitations of the Township's land and its environment in the development of municipal land use policies and regulations.
D. 
Goal. Ensure that land use policies and regulations require developers to thoroughly plan and adequately provide for their proposed developments.
E. 
Goal. Acknowledge and protect the Township's fragile environment, its physical features, and its natural resources.
F. 
Goal. Protect and encourage the continuation of varied agricultural activities within North Centre Township.
G. 
Goal. Understand, respect, and protect the region's heritage in all Township policies and initiatives.
H. 
Goal. Identify appropriate locations for and support the growth of those commercial and industrial activities in the Township important to the local marketplace.
I. 
Goal. Support the continued availability of efficient, economical public utilities, community facilities, and municipal services for Township residents.
J. 
Goal. Maintain safe residential environments throughout the Township and support the provision of a variety of housing types and styles for municipal residents of all ages, family size, and income levels.
K. 
Goal. Maintain an efficient, safe transportation network throughout the Township.
L. 
Goal. Coordinate local and regional planning efforts to maximize the effectiveness of public sector investments; to provide for orderly growth; and to foster a pleasant, safe living environment.
M. 
Goal. Use the General Development Goals, Objectives and Growth Management Strategies as a guide for making land use decisions and as a basis for evaluating proposed actions which could affect the physical development of North Centre Township.
[Ord. No. 11/10/2008, § 104]
This chapter is not intended to create nor assume liability on the part of North Centre Township or any officer or employee thereof for any fire, flood, or other damage that may result from reliance on this chapter or from any administrative decisions lawfully made thereunder. These regulations shall not guarantee a specific level of protection for any construction. The applicant shall in all cases rely on accepted engineering methods or building practices when designing or constructing structures approved pursuant to these regulations. Furthermore, issuance of a zoning permit shall not constitute a representation, guarantee, or warranty of any kind by the Township as to the accuracy of information provided by the applicant as part of a permit application.