[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977]
1.
The zoning regulations and districts set forth in this chapter are
made in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan of the Township and
are intended to achieve the following goals:
A.
To promote, protect and facilitate one or more of the following:
the public health, safety, morals, general welfare, coordinated and
practical community development, proper density of population, civil
defense, disaster evacuation, the provisions of adequate light and
air, police protection, vehicle parking and loading space, transportation,
water, sewerage, schools, public grounds and other public requirements.
B.
To prevent one or more of the following: overcrowding of land, blight,
danger and congestion in travel and transportation, loss of health,
life or property from fire, panic or other dangers.
C.
To provide standards to foster the amount of open space within the
Township; to control the intensity of development in areas of sensitive
natural resources or natural features in order to reduce or eliminate
adverse environmental impacts; to protect the people's right to clean
air, pure water and the natural, scenic, historic, recreational and
aesthetic values of the environment; to protect the soils, waterways,
trees and other vegetation; and to protect natural and agricultural
resources which are a part of the ecological system to which the residents
are all bound and therefore are the common property of all the people,
including generations yet to come, and which must be protected to
ensure the health, safety and welfare of all the people.
D.
To provide standards for various types of dwelling units so that
all the people may have access to decent, sound and sanitary housing;
and to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the Township.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977]
This chapter is adopted to promote an orderly plan of development
according to the Township Comprehensive Plan, including data on existing
conditions, statements concerning the proposed plan and evaluation
of implementation techniques, and with reasonable consideration, among
other things, of the existing character of the various areas within
the Township and their respective suitability to particular land uses.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977]
In the interpretation and application of this chapter, the provisions
thereof shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion
of the public health, safety and general welfare. Where the provisions
of this chapter impose greater restrictions than those of any other
ordinance or regulation, the provisions of this chapter shall be controlling.
Where the provisions of any statute, other ordinance or regulation
impose greater restrictions than this chapter, the provisions of such
statute, ordinance or regulation shall be controlling.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 177, 8/1/1979; by Ord. 210, 5/9/1984; by Ord. 241, 9/24/1986; by Ord.
272, 5/11/1988; by Ord. 307, 6/13/1990; by Ord. 343, 12/11/1991; and by Ord. 346, 2/26/1992]
The following zoning districts are hereby created:
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AR
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Agricultural-Residential District
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EP
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Environmental Protection District
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CR
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Country Residential District
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R-1
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Single-Family District
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R-2
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Single-Family District
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R-3
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Multi-family District
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R-5
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Mobile Home Park District
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C-2
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General Commercial/Office District
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C-3
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Planned Commercial District
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PO
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Professional Office District
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I-1
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Planned Industrial/Office District
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IP
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Institutional/Public District
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REC
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Recreation District
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FP
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Floodplain and Flood Hazard District
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[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 210, 5/9/1984; and by Ord. 441, 12/9/1998]
The boundaries of districts shall be as shown on the map attached
to and made a part of this chapter, which map shall be known as the
"Zoning District Map of Northampton Township." Said map or subsequent
revisions and all notations, references and data shown thereon are
hereby incorporated by reference into this chapter and shall be as
much a part of this chapter as if all were fully described herein.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 441, 12/9/1998]
1.
Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries of a zoning
district 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 rights-of-way
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, they shall be construed to be said boundaries;
or where district boundaries are extensions of lot lines or connect
the intersections of lot lines, such lines shall be said district
boundaries.
C.
Where district boundaries are so indicated that they are approximately
parallel to center lines of streets or highways, such district boundaries
shall be construed as being parallel thereto and at such distance
therefrom as indicated on the Zoning Map.
D.
Where district boundaries divide a lot, the location of such boundaries
shall be determined by the use of the scale shown on the Zoning Map
unless the boundaries are indicated by dimensions.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 289, 5/10/1989]
Wherever Federal-, State- or County-owned property is included
in one or more zoning districts, it shall be subject to the provisions
of this chapter only insofar as is permitted by the Constitution and
laws of the United States of America and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
