This chapter shall be known as and may be cited
as the "Sayre Borough Zoning Ordinance."
This chapter is enacted and ordained under the
grant of powers by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
Act 247, The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, July 31, 1968,
as amended.
This chapter is enacted for the following purposes:
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 and the provision of adequate light and air, vehicle parking
and loading space, sewerage, schools, public grounds and other requirements.
B. To prevent one or more of the following: overcrowding
of land, blight, danger and congestion in travel and transportation
and loss of health, life or property from fire, flood, panic or other
dangers. This chapter is made in accordance with an overall program,
and with consideration for the character of the Borough, its various
parts, and the suitability of the various parts for particular uses
and structures.
This chapter is adopted to implement the following
goals:
A. Protect to the fullest extent possible, the general
health, welfare and morals of the citizens of Sayre Borough.
B. Allow the citizens of Sayre Borough to achieve their
fullest individual potential in accordance with principals of land
usage identified in this chapter.
C. Ensure, to the fullest extent possible, that land
usage conforms to all the provisions set forth in this chapter and
the Zoning Map, which was prepared in view of existing land use, land
use mixture patterns and future development potential.
D. Ensure, to the limits of this chapter, to the citizens
of Sayre Borough the maximum possible decent housing, clean air and
water, good community services and protection from noncompatible land
uses.
E. Foster, through the use of this chapter, a strong
and stable economy by establishing a medical campus zoning district,
maintaining the existing industrial zoning district and increasing
the commercial districts based on growth patterns throughout the Borough
on Keystone Avenue, Lehigh Avenue and Spring Street.
F. It is also a community objective of Sayre Borough
that the Sayre Borough Council through the enactment of this chapter,
guide growth and community change so that both the present and future
population will benefit. Future growth should be orderly and controlled;
necessary municipal services should be provided where needed and in
locations that would serve present densities and encourage additional
sound development. New development should be encouraged in areas compatible
with existing and proposed municipal facilities. Disorganized and
haphazard development should be discouraged.
G. A citizen should have reasonable access to the greatest
variety of goods, services and facilities. They become accessible
only if they are logically grouped in the most convenient locations.
Incompatible land uses and the mixing of certain activities may not
only deteriorate residential neighborhoods and lower property values,
but may prevent the concentration of goods and services which are
beneficial to all. Improperly located industries, businesses and residences
may obstruct each other's accessibility and operations, becoming liabilities
to the community rather than assets. Zoning of community activities
is an important goal to achieve compatibility of land uses.
H. The major goal of the revision to this chapter is
to secure four residential neighborhoods to preserve the residential
character of the residential district in the Borough by zoning areas
to remain as single-family residences, other areas for single-family
and two-family residences and to allow for the development of multifamily
residences, especially for the elderly.
I. The preservation of key areas for future park, recreation
and open-space development in order to maintain the attractive character
of the Borough and to improve leisure opportunities for its citizens
should be encouraged. In the past, open-space and recreational areas
have been sacrificed for what has been perceived as more desirable
development. Such actions should be resisted. Open-space buffer strips
between various land uses within the Borough should be encouraged.
J. The Borough should strive to cooperate with the efforts
of the Economic Development Task Force and its successor, organization,
the Valley Economic Development Association. The community should
actively support desirable expansion of existing enterprises and the
attractions of both new and diverse industries to the valley, to bolster
the economy and provide new job opportunities. A planned and protected
industrial district on the east side (formerly Lehigh Valley Shop)
is an attractive area for new industry, as well as a benefit to the
community. Paramount is the realization that the Guthrie Medical Center/Robert
Packer Hospital is a major employer within the Borough and that the
preservation of its present location as a regional medical center
is a prime ingredient to achieve economic stability within the community.
It should also be recognized that tourism is indeed an industry of
substantial potential to the Borough and should be developed to its
maximum potential. The Sayre Lingerie Light Industrial Complex should
be preserved and developed into incubator industries in order to continue
employment in the Borough.
K. Complementing the scenic and recreational opportunities
within the Borough are historically significant structures and sites.
The tangible remains of the past - landmark buildings, neighborhoods,
open spaces such as Guthrie Square, as well as the layout of streets
and roads - are not only evidence of past ways of life, but also contribute
to the character and individuality of communities by forming visually
interesting, diverse improvements and by providing a sense of identity
and a sense of place. Special attention should be given to the preservation
of such landmarks as Guthrie Park, the Railroad Stations and City
Hall and the development of the GreenWay Project as part of the river
ways parks and recreation project, as well as the development of the
RiverFront Park as an athletic and community recreational facility
area for the Borough.
L. To minimize future damage by flooding through the
regulation and control of development within the one-hundred-year
floodplain.