This chapter is enacted for the purpose of assuring sites are suitable for building purposes and human habitation and to provide for the harmonious development of Shippensburg Township; for the coordination of existing streets with proposed streets; for adequate open space for traffic, recreation, light and air, and for proper distribution of population, thereby creating conditions favorable to the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the citizens of Shippensburg Township.
The provisions of this chapter shall be held to be minimum requirements to meet the above-stated purposes. Where the provisions of this chapter impose greater restrictions than those of any statute, other ordinance, or regulations, the provisions of this chapter shall prevail. Where the provisions of any statute, other ordinance, or regulations impose greater restrictions than those of this chapter, the provisions of such statute, other ordinance, or regulation shall prevail.
This chapter may be cited as "The Shippensburg Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance of 2008."
In addition to the foregoing, this chapter is adopted in the interest of protecting and promoting the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare, and shall be deemed to include the following related and general community development goals, among others, as may be stated in the 2005 Shippensburg Borough/Shippensburg Township Joint Comprehensive Plan, the contents of which are hereby ratified, approved, readopted, and incorporated herein by reference as fully as those set forth at length herein by the Shippensburg Township Board of Supervisors.
A. 
Recognize and respect the assets and limitations of the natural and built environment, protect those assets, and facilitate their incorporation into the daily lives of the Township's residents.
B. 
Provide open space within the Township through the preservation and acquisition of stream corridors, wellhead protection areas, and woodlands, and encourage development and maintenance of recreation areas and parks.
C. 
Manage, control and guide development to appropriate areas in order to preserve natural, agricultural, and man-made resources with the intent to provide a suitable balance of residential and nonresidential uses.
D. 
Provide opportunities for a broad range of housing types to consider the needs of all economic and demographic groups in the Township.
E. 
Provide a safe and efficient transportation circulation system which will enhance pedestrian and bicycle movement, ease vehicular travel, minimize impacts on residential development, and enhance the safety of the region's road corridors.
F. 
Provide necessary community facilities and services to the Township's residents in an efficient, cost-effective, and quality manner consistent with financial resources.
G. 
Maintain and enhance the economic vitality of the Township. Encourage appropriate economic development in the form of light industrial and commercial development within proposed growth areas, while preserving and enhancing the quality of the living environment.
H. 
Recognize that a Comprehensive Plan is just the beginning of a process to achieve the Township's vision and goals, to guarantee that the plan will be an essential part of the decisionmaking process of Township officials.
I. 
Assure that the Comprehensive Plan will be implemented by the Township.
This chapter has been drafted and enacted after consideration and incorporation of the guidelines set forth in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended, as well as the procedural safeguards required by the common law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. [See, e.g., Board of Supervisors of Franklin Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania vs. Meals, 57 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 129, 426 A.2d 1200 (1981); Board of Supervisors of Upper Frederick Township vs. Moland Development Company, 19 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 207, 339 A.2d 141 (1975).]