[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977]
1.
In accordance with the goals and objectives of the Township Comprehensive
Plan, it is both necessary and imperative that the use of land and
property for public and quasi-public purposes be compatible with and
in harmony with other uses. A substantial portion of Northampton Township
is owned, leased or occupied by numerous levels of government, including
the Township, the Municipal Authority, the Council Rock School District,
several agencies of the County of Bucks, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
and, to some extent, the United States government.
2.
All too frequently, public land or land which is to become public
land is utilized to fit the instant need and not according to any
plan. Higher levels of government tend to purchase and occupy municipal
property with immune responsibility for conformance to local standards.
3.
Institutions are frequently large landholders and are frequently
subject to minimal controls related to zoning. It is the specific
intent of Northampton Township to regulate and to provide controls
for the use of public, quasi-public and institutional properties in
accordance with sound planning principles.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as amended by Ord. 411, 2/25/1996; and by Ord. 535, 12/17/2008, § 4]
1.
The following uses shall be recognized as being subject to the regulations
and provisions of the Institutional/Public District:
A.
Uses by Right. Existing uses by right and future uses which may occur
by right shall include:
(1)
Municipal or Township governmental offices, including libraries,
civic centers, police administration facilities, police and/or fire
training facilities and recreation facility administrative offices.
(2)
Municipal Authority administrative offices.
(3)
Council Rock School District administrative facilities and offices
and satellite facilities related to administration.
(4)
Dedicated public open space (exclusive of land controlled by
the FP Floodplain and Flood Hazard District) controlled by fee simple
ownership or similar land use controlled by open space easement or
covenant within the legal jurisdiction of Northampton Township.
(5)
Public open space controlled by any agency of Bucks County,
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Federal government or nonprofit
organizations, provided such land or use is permanently committed
to such public use.
B.
Conditional Uses. The following uses are permitted as conditional
uses, subject to approval and issuance of a conditional use permit
in accordance with Part 9:
(1)
Federal postal service facilities and distribution centers.
(2)
Federal military installations (operating facilities) and storage
of Federal vehicles.
(3)
State military facilities (National Guard) and storage of vehicles.
(4)
Federal or State medical facilities, hospitals, clinics, out-patient
care facilities, sanatoriums or similar facilities.
(5)
Exterior and interior storage of cinders, salt, calcium chloride
and similar road surface treatment materials related to Township or
State agencies.
(6)
Nonprofit public or private hospitals, clinics, health care
facilities, sanatoriums, convalescent homes and extended care facilities.
(7)
Public schools, parochial schools, nonprofit schools and special
large-scale facilities (a stadium, major meeting room facility, etc.)
operated by a public or nonprofit school but not on property related
to such schools.
(8)
Special structures or uses related to the provision of public
water supply (such as filter treatment plant, major pumping facility,
storage tank, reservoir) and public sewer facilities.
(9)
Any use which is public, quasi-public or institutional in nature,
which is controlled by an institution, philanthropic organization,
nonprofit corporation or religious organization and which requires
structures or related facilities.
(10)
Public or quasi-public cemeteries not in existence at the time
of passage of this chapter.
(11)
Any structure, facility or use related to military or municipal
airfields, airports, runways, hangars or related facilities.
(12)
Any use proposed to be conducted by an applicant which is regulated
by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission which requires a new
structure (other than administrative offices) including, but not limited
to, major electrical transformer stations; high-pressure pump stations
for oil and gas transmission; and similar but related uses.
C.
Uses by Special Exception. None.
D.
Accessory Uses. Any use which is entirely incidental and subordinate
to the above permitted uses and is located on the same lot, parcel,
tract or reservation.
E.
Village Overlay District.
(1)
Uses permitted by right within the underlying IP District shall
be permitted by right within the Village Overly District.
(2)
Uses permitted by conditional use or by special exception within
the underlying IP District shall be permitted by conditional use within
the Village Overly District.
(3)
Uses not permitted by right, conditional use or special exception
within the underlying IP District, but are permitted as a use by right,
conditional use or special exception within the C-2, C-3 or PO Districts,
shall be permitted by conditional use within the Village Overlay District.
(4)
Where conflicts between the provisions of the IP Zoning District
and Village Overlay District exist, the provisions of the Village
Overlay District shall apply.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977]
1.
General. It is not intended that each separate use covered in § 27-802 have prescribed lot areas, lot widths, building bulk controls and similar regulatory controls. It is intended, however, that when a permitted use by right or conditional use requires a structure within the IP Institutional/Public District, restrictive controls on such structure conform to the most restrictive controls for such use as required for the nearest adjacent and abutting zoning district. For example, a building or structure proposed to house a National Guard armory on a parcel abutting the I-1 Planned Industrial/Office District would be required to conform to the area and development controls of the abutting district. As another example, a satellite volunteer fire company station located adjacent to an R-2 Single-Family District would provide lot, yard and coverage requirements not less restrictive than the equivalent controls for all other permitted uses as prescribed in § 27-406, Subsection 2B.
2.
Area and Development Regulations for Conditional Uses. If an unusual
use is proposed which is not specifically mentioned by this Part but
which falls in the category of conditional uses, and if there is discretion
as to area and development regulations, such regulations shall be
specified with the conditional use permit by the Board of Township
Supervisors, if approved.
3.
Minimum Conditions for Certain Conditional Uses. As minimums, the
following controls shall apply to certain conditional uses:
A.
Large-scale storage areas for vehicles by any public, quasi-public
or institutional agency shall be located at least 100 feet from any
property line.
B.
Cemeteries must provide a complete peripheral landscaped buffer as
specified in Part 11.
C.
The external or outside storage of road treatment materials or chemicals
and related equipment must provide a complete peripheral landscaped
buffer as specified in Part 11.
D.
Elevated water tanks and towers for communication equipment must
be located 100 feet from a property line or 200 feet from any residence
district.
E.
Special recreational facilities such as a stadium or assembly building
for large meetings, etc., must be located at least 200 feet from any
residence district.
F.
Pump facilities for medium- to high-pressure gas and oil transmission
facilities must be located 150 feet from any potential residence.
4.
Off-Street Parking and Loading. The required off-street parking and
loading facilities, if not governed by requirements of the abutting
district, shall be as specified in Part 11.
5.
Unconstitutionality. To the extent that the final decision of any
court should hold that this Part is unconstitutional, invalid or illegal
as applied to any property or portion thereof in restricting its use
or development, then such property shall thereupon be included in
the R-1 District and its development shall conform to the requirements
of that district.
[Ord. 160, 4/6/1977; as added by Ord. 343, 12/11/1991; as amended by Ord.
409, 8/14/1996; by Ord. 415, 1/22/1997; and by Ord. 487, 12/11/2002]
1.
Purpose and Intent; Interpretation. It is the general purpose and
intent of this district to provide for suitable areas within the Township
to accommodate spacious recreational uses and compatible residential
development in addition to providing appropriate design standards
for the same. In doing so, it is hereby recognized that active and
passive recreation are equal in importance. Both forms of recreation
serve legitimate municipal, health, safety and public welfare purposes
and should be incorporated with appropriate residential uses where
appropriate.
[Amended by Ord. No. 599, 10/24/2018]
2.
Use regulations in the REC District shall be as follows:
A.
Uses by Right.
(1)
Dedicated public open space (exclusive of land controlled by
the FP Floodplain and Flood Hazard District) controlled by open space
easement or covenant within the legal jurisdiction of Northampton
Township.
(2)
Public open space controlled by any agency of Bucks County,
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Federal government or nonprofit
organizations, provided that such land or use is permanently committed
to such public use.
B.
Conditional Uses. The following uses are permitted as conditional
uses, subject to approval and issuance of a conditional use permit
in accordance with Part 9:
(1)
Country clubs including, but not limited to, a golf course,
swimming pool, clubhouse, restaurant and other accessory uses, provided
that these are clearly accessory to the country club, subject to the
following provisions:
(2)
Any use permitted in R-1 Single-Family Districts, provided that
no more than one single-family detached dwelling shall be permitted
on a lot. Any application for more than one single-family detached
dwelling shall require the filing, by the property owner or a group
of property owners, of:
(b)
A petition to amend the Zoning Map, for all or any portion of the subject property, to R-1 Single-Family District pursuant to § 27-1501 herein. Should the subdivision plan be otherwise approvable by the Board of Supervisors, the approval of the accompanying petition to amend the Zoning Map shall not be unduly withheld by the Board of Supervisors.
3.
Area and development regulations in the REC District shall be as
follows:
A.
Minimum lot area: 10 acres.
B.
Minimum lot width at building line: 250 feet.
E.
For properties containing a minimum of 175 contiguous acres in the
REC - Recreation District, the following regulations shall apply:
[Added by Ord. No. 599, 10/24/2018]
(2)
Minimum existing site area: 175 contiguous acres.
(3)
Townhouse developments to be designed with zero lot line transfer
of land comprised of unit footprint only shall not be subject to lot
area and bulk requirements on an individual unit basis but shall be
subject to area and bulk requirements as they apply to the development
as a whole. Requirements are as follows as applied to the development
as a whole:
(5)
Maximum Density. The total number of dwelling units shall not
exceed a maximum density of one dwelling unit per acre of the development
as a whole.
(6)
Minimum Open Space Ratio. At least 70% of the site area of the
development as a whole shall be open space.
(7)
Buffering. A fifteen-foot buffer shall be maintained along all site boundaries in the area of any proposed development, with the preservation of existing trees and vegetation where practical. Upon review by Township consultants, additional plantings shall be supplemented where feasible, and the buffer may be reduced if warranted by topography and site design. The buffer requirements of § 27-1103 are not applicable.
