In order to implement the purposes of this chapter, the City
of Lancaster is hereby divided into the following zoning districts,
with the designations and general purposes listed below. Wherever
the term "residential districts" appears in this chapter, those districts
described in Subsections A through and including F shall be included.
A. R1 District (Residential Detached Dwellings). The R1 District is
the only area of the City offering a "suburban" environment for City
residents, with relatively large residential lots permitting only
single-family detached dwellings and nonresidential uses limited to
home occupations, park and recreation facilities, and day care centers.
B. R2 District (Residential Semidetached Dwellings). The R2 District
is a restrictive single-family residential area with intermediate
lot sizes permitting only single-family detached and semidetached
dwellings and a limited variety of cultural, institutional and recreational
uses.
C. R3 District (Residential Medium Density Dwellings). The R3 District
is characterized by the predominance of attached, or row, houses,
and smaller lot sizes. A variety of small, neighborhood-oriented or
low-impact commercial retail and service uses are permitted by special
exception, as well as a limited number of institutional and cultural/recreational
uses.
D. R4 District (Residential High-Density Dwellings and Commercial Services).
The R4 District is characterized by the past conversion of many single-family
dwellings to two-family and multifamily dwellings and to small professional
offices and other commercial services. While this is a residential
district, a variety of commercial, institutional, and cultural/recreational
uses are permitted by special exception.
E. RO District (High-Density Residential, Office and Institutional Uses).
The RO District is characterized by the conversion of many structures
to professional offices, or to combination office and multifamily
structures, and by a variety of office and institutional uses.
F. MU District (Mixed Use). The MU District includes areas of the City
characterized by residential uses in close proximity to nonresidential
uses, including historic warehouses and manufacturing facilities,
many of which have been vacated by the original industries. In addition,
the MU District includes undeveloped land where new mixed-use residential
and nonresidential development with traditional neighborhood character
is recommended. A variety of residential, commercial, cultural, light
industrial and other miscellaneous uses are permitted in order to
encourage the reuse of former manufacturing structures and undeveloped
land. This is the only zoning district which permits both dwellings
and a variety of manufacturing uses to coexist. However, since the
MU District is considered primarily as a high-density residential
district, all manufacturing uses must meet certain conditions and
receive special exception approval.
G. CB District (Central Business). The CB District is the commercial
hub of the City and serves the metropolitan area as a regional center
for government, law, finance, culture, entertainment, and support
businesses. A wide range of commercial, retail, cultural, high-density
residential, and institutional uses are permitted by right and by
special exception. In order to promote high-density development, this
zoning district permits 100% building and lot coverage and waives
all off-street parking requirements.
H. CB1 District (Central Business Core). The CB1 District is the commercial
and cultural core of the Central Business District. In order to encourage
intense, positive pedestrian activity and consumer transactions, certain
uses that are not consumer- or visitor-oriented are prohibited on
the ground, or street-level, floors of buildings. A wide range of
commercial, retail, cultural, entertainment, and professional uses
are permitted by right and by special exception. In order to promote
high-density development, this zoning district permits 100% building
and lot coverage and waives all off-street parking requirements.
I. C1 District (Neighborhood Commercial). The C1 District is a neighborhood-oriented
commercial area with uses serving residents of the immediate area
and is characterized by storefront businesses in combination with
upper-level dwelling units. A variety of low-impact retail/commercial
uses oriented to pedestrian traffic are permitted by right and by
special exception.
J. C2 District (Urban Commercial). The C2 District is a retail/commercial
area located adjacent to residential districts but serving a wider
geographic area, with retail/service uses oriented more to vehicle
traffic. A variety of higher impact retail/commercial uses, e.g.,
twenty-four-hour convenience stores, are permitted by right and by
special exception.
K. C3 District (Regional Commercial). The C3 District is a highway-oriented
retail/commercial district located away from residential districts
and serving geographic areas well beyond the corporate limits of Lancaster
City. A wide range of retail, commercial, institutional, and cultural/entertainment/recreational
uses are permitted by right.
L. CM District (Central Manufacturing). The CM District includes historical
manufacturing/industrial areas of the City, many of which are located
in close proximity to residential districts as well as industrial
sites annexed to the City between 1947 and 1952. A variety of manufacturing
uses are permitted, with special exception approval required for those
uses with potential negative impacts on nearby residential districts.
In addition, certain commercial uses considered to be compatible with
manufacturing/industrial uses are permitted. In order to encourage
reuse of vacant or underutilized manufacturing/warehousing facilities,
other nonresidential uses are also permitted, subject to certain conditions.
M. SM District (Suburban Manufacturing). The SM District is intended
to accommodate the most intense industrial uses, which have greater
land area requirements and need for close proximity to regional transportation
networks, including railways and limited-access highways. In addition,
to encourage reuse of vacant or underutilized manufacturing/warehousing
sites located away from the City's urban core and close to regional
transportation networks, a limited number of retail and other commercial
uses are permitted by right and by special exception, with conditional
use approval required for larger retail uses.
N. HC District (Hospital Complex). The HC District is designed to provide
locations for facilities that are licensed in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania as hospitals and accessory uses. Accessory uses located
within the HC District may be located on a lot that is independent
of the hospital. Parking garages as accessory uses shall be permitted
in the HC District.
O. DF District (Criminal Detention Facilities). The DF District is designed
to provide a location for criminal and juvenile detention facilities.
Uses which support the detention/incarceration facilities shall be
permitted as accessory uses.
P. PO District (Park and Open Space). The PO District is designed to
protect and preserve public parklands, greenways, riparian areas,
and natural environments which consist primarily of grass, landscaping
and/or natural conservation areas and habitats for vegetation and
wildlife, and which may or may not include recreational facilities
and accessory uses/facilities. Privately owned land with public greenway
or conservation easements or with environmentally significant qualities
may be included in this district.