All regulations and requirements in Articles I through XI of this chapter including, but not limited to, the identification of districts, use regulations and dimensional requirements, and all amendments, shall be found to be in conformance with the following community development objectives, based upon and found in the Morrisville Borough Comprehensive Plan.
A. 
Residential areas.
(1) 
To recognize the regional position of Morrisville as it relates to housing types and densities, yet preserve the values that make for a strong and healthy environment.
(2) 
To preserve the sense of community and residential stability by maintaining sound areas for home ownership and to protect these areas from detrimental factors which tend to reduce owner occupancy, increase absentee ownership, and speculation.
(3) 
To provide choices in the types of housing to meet the varied requirements of Morrisville residents and future residents.
(4) 
To create levels of public services and improvement programs that will benefit all residential neighborhoods in the Borough.
B. 
Commercial areas.
(1) 
To encourage the continued vitality of Morrisville's older centers and the revitalization of the Bridge Street Shopping District.
(2) 
To encourage the concentration of shopping areas with compact patterns of development.
(3) 
To encourage shopping areas which are convenient to use and to provide adequate parking and pedestrian circulation areas.
(4) 
To provide for compatible uses in concentrated shopping areas.
(5) 
To encourage a physically pleasing environment in the Borough's shopping areas.
(6) 
To create walkable, mixed-use downtown commercial areas which will ensure the provision of public amenities and usable public space.
[Added 11-18-2019 by Ord. No. 1026]
C. 
Industrial areas.
(1) 
To support efforts to make the region more sound for economic growth.
(2) 
To encourage future industrial development within the Borough.
(3) 
To promote the concentration of industrial development.
(4) 
To maintain high standards with regard to performance and aesthetics.
(5) 
To provide convenient and adequate transportation, trucking, rail access, and off-street parking for industries.
D. 
Community facilities.
(1) 
To expand existing school facilities for future school needs.
(2) 
To maintain and encourage increased cooperation in the use of school and Borough facilities.
(3) 
To maintain and improve upon the level of standards for school facilities.
(4) 
To preserve and maintain open space including natural lands within the Borough of Morrisville.
[Added 6-17-2002 by Ord. No. 920]
E. 
Streets and highways.
(1) 
To provide adequate vehicular and pedestrian access to all parcels.
(2) 
To minimize through traffic movements in residential areas.
(3) 
To interconnect, as directly as possible, every part of residential areas with every other part of such areas.
(4) 
To insure that minor traffic carrying streets and land development patterns do not detract from the efficiency of intersecting or bordering major traffic carrying streets and highways.
(5) 
To insure that the planning, construction and regulation of streets in residential neighborhoods should clearly reflect their basic function of serving abutting property.
(6) 
To reduce pedestrian-vehicular conflict points in the Borough.
[Amended 3-14-1984 by Ord. No. 788; 6-11-1985 by Ord. No. 801; 4-14-1987 by Ord. No. 823; 6-17-2002 by Ord. No. 920; 11-18-2002 by Ord. No. 924; 10-17-2005 by Ord. No. 947; 11-21-2005 by Ord. No. 948; 11-20-2006 by Ord. No. 954]
Morrisville Borough is hereby divided into 16 districts of different types, each type being of such number, shape, kind and area, and of such common unity of purpose and adaptability of use that are deemed most suitable to carry out the objectives of this chapter. Every parcel of land and every building or other structure in the Borough, except as otherwise provided by law or by this chapter, shall be subject to the regulations, restrictions and requirements specified for the district in which it is located.
[Amended 3-14-1984 by Ord. No. 788; 6-11-1985 by Ord. No. 801; 8-18-1986 by Ord. No. 816; 4-14-1987 by Ord. No. 823]
For the purpose of this chapter, the purpose and intent of each of Morrisville's districts is:
A. 
FD — Flood District. The purpose of this district is to prevent the loss of property and life, to prevent the creation of health and safety hazards, to prevent the disruption of commerce and governmental services and to render unnecessary the expenditure of public funds for flood relief and to prevent the impairment of the tax base by regulating land uses in the one-hundred-year floodplain. The Flood District is a special district which overlies and supersedes the rights granted to property owners in the other zoning districts established by this section. The Flood District is further divided into two zones: the Floodway Zone and the Flood Fringe Zone.
(1) 
FW — Floodway Zone. The Floodway Zone is that area of the Flood District required to carry and discharge the waters of a one-hundred-year flood without increasing the water surface elevation at any one point more than one foot above existing conditions.
(2) 
FF — Flood Fringe Zone. The Flood Fringe Zone is an area on the fringe of the Flood District where minor grade changes, minor disturbance of the land, and construction can be tolerated without significant effect on the ability of the floodway to carry the water of a one-hundred-year flood.
B. 
R-1 Residential District. The purpose and intent of this district is to retain the character of existing single-family residential areas and to maintain the existing low residential density by providing appropriate standards. Additional purposes for the establishment of this district are to exclude activities incompatible with residential development and to create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
C. 
R-2 Residential District. The purpose and intent of this district is to retain the character and to maintain the existing medium residential density areas where single-family homes are permitted. Excluding activities incompatible with residential development and creating conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter are additional reasons for the establishment of this district.
D. 
R-2A Residential District. The purpose and intent of this district is to retain the character of existing medium residential density areas where a variety of housing types exist, where the conversion of many single-family detached homes into apartments or nonresidential land uses has taken place, and where little developable land exists. To promote standards which will permit the continuation of existing, new and other compatible land uses and to create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
E. 
R-3 Residential District. The purpose and intent of this district is to retain and maintain the character and density of residential areas where a variety of housing types are permitted. Additional purposes for the establishment of this district are to establish development standards which permit nonresidential development to become a harmonious and appropriate part of intensive residential areas and to create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
F. 
R-4 Residential District. The purpose and intent of this district is to provide appropriate areas for multifamily development in order to broaden the Borough's housing base and, therefore, serve a greater variety of housing needs. Reasonable standards are provided to prevent overcrowding of land, to regulate the density of population, to avoid undue congestion in the streets and to allow for the harmonious development of apartments, townhouses and other uses which are compatible with higher density residential development. Creating conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter is an additional reason for the establishment of this district.
G. 
C-1 Central Commercial District. The purpose and intent of this district is to provide attractive, compact areas for retail, office, service and professional service activities, to prevent uses which would detract from or be incompatible with retail and service uses, to provide for a walkable and livable central commercial area through incorporation and regulation of certain mixed residential and commercial use properties, to protect the character of adjacent residential areas through buffer requirements, to prevent the overcrowding of the land through the application of minimum area and yard requirements, and to otherwise create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
[Amended 11-18-2019 by Ord. No. 1026]
H. 
C-2 Shopping Center District. The purpose and intent of this district is to provide areas for modern shopping centers, to protect adjacent residential areas through the application of buffer yards and screening requirements and to otherwise create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
I. 
C-3 Neighborhood Commercial District. The purpose and intent of this district is to provide areas for freestanding commercial activities, to promote standards which allow the orderly conversion of land uses, to protect adjacent residential areas through the application of buffer yards and to otherwise create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
J. 
C-4 Downtown District. The purpose of this district is to permit and encourage the redevelopment of this area to allow for small-scale office and retail uses, with off-street parking and pedestrian connections to nearby retail and residential areas.
[Amended 11-20-2006 by Ord. No. 954]
K. 
CS-1 Community Service District. The purpose of this district is to provide for the orderly growth of community services within the Borough, to provide reasonable standards for development and to otherwise create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
[Amended 6-17-2002 by Ord. No. 920]
L. 
CS-2 Community Service Natural Lands Preservation District. The purpose of this district is to provide for the protection and preservation of natural lands for the benefit of all Borough residents.
[Added 6-17-2002 by Ord. No. 920]
M. 
L-I Light Industrial District. The purpose and intent of this district is to permit and encourage light industrial development that will be so located as to constitute an appropriate part of the physical development of the Borough, to provide minimum standards for the development and operation of light industry, to prohibit uses which would be incompatible with the uses permitted in the district and to otherwise create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
N. 
I-1 Industrial District. The purpose and intent of this district is to permit and encourage industrial development that will be so located as to constitute an appropriate part of the physical development of the Borough, to provide minimum standards for the development and operation of industries, to prohibit uses which would be incompatible with the uses permitted in the district and to otherwise create conditions conducive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter.
[Amended 11-20-2006 by Ord. No. 954]
O. 
I-2 Industrial/Technology District. The purpose of this district is to accommodate a mix of offices, flex space, parking, transit access and fabricating/assembly space for technology and biotechnology businesses and related offices. Size and use limits preclude large warehouse or storage facilities. No retail uses or warehousing uses are permitted.
[Added 11-20-2006 by Ord. No. 954]
P. 
NPEH — Non-Profit Elderly Housing District. The purpose and intent of this district is to encourage and enable the construction of multifamily dwellings for elderly and handicapped persons pursuant to § 202 of the National Housing Act, as amended, to be sponsored, owned and operated by charitable nonprofit corporations. NPEH districts shall be classified as residential districts for purposes of this chapter.
Q. 
P-1 Professional District. The purpose and intent of this use district is to provide areas for commercial activities limited to business offices, medical offices, medical centers, and accessory professional/business activities while protecting adjacent residential use districts and areas from the more permissive uses of other commercial districts, and otherwise to create conditions conductive to carrying out the broad purposes of this chapter. Where not otherwise specified, P-1 Districts shall be subject to all of the terms and conditions otherwise provided for C-3 Commercial Districts under this chapter.
R. 
RN Riverview Neighborhood District. This district is established to foster the redevelopment of underutilized lands along the Delaware River into comprehensively planned, pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods. This is to be accomplished by promoting a variety of land uses, housing types and density, and by requiring skillful architectural and landscape design in creating buildings and green spaces. This district is also created to avoid the negative impacts of suburban sprawl by minimizing infrastructure costs, traffic congestion and environmental degradation.
[Added 10-17-2005 by Ord. No. 947]
[Amended 8-18-1986 by Ord. No. 816; 4-14-1987 by Ord. No. 823]
Districts are bounded and defined as shown on the accompanying maps entitled "Zoning Map of Morrisville Borough" and "Flood Boundary and Floodway Map of Morrisville Borough," which, with all explanatory matters thereon, are hereby made a part of this chapter.[1] In the absence of a map accompanying this text, the tables and profiles prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Insurance Administration, together with the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map are hereby incorporated into this chapter. Any changes in the delineation of the Flood District shall be subject to the review and comment of the Federal Insurance Administration.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Zoning Map is on file in the Borough offices.
Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries between districts 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 street or railroad rights-of-way, such center lines shall be construed to be such boundaries.
B. 
Where district boundaries are so indicated that they approximately coincide with lot lines, such lot lines shall be construed to be said boundaries.
C. 
Where district boundaries are so indicated that they are approximately parallel to street or railroad rights-of-way, 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.
E. 
Because flood waters follow the precise topography of the land and because of the impracticality of showing precise topography on a small-scale map, the Flood Profiles which accompany the most recent Flood Insurance Study (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Insurance Administration) are hereby incorporated in this chapter and shall be considered controlling for the purpose of determining the extent of the Flood District on a particular parcel of land. Where interpretation is needed concerning the exact location of any boundary of the Flood District, the Zoning Hearing Board shall make the necessary determination after consulting with the Planning Commission and Borough Engineer.