Opportunities for Owners of Older Homes

The underlying zoning regulations including building area, impervious surfaces and front, side and rear yard setbacks may be modified by up to 15% for any property listed on the Township’s Historic Resource Inventory.

1. Any modification to these regulations requires that the applicant prove to the Board of Commissioners that the changes are necessary for the proposed use or development of the property.
2. The additional building area and impervious surfaces coverages permitted by this section may each not be higher than the total building area of the historic resource (s).
3. The Board of Commissioners may reduce the dimensional regulations by a greater amount than is permitted by this section to preserve a historic resource.

For more information on the bulk, area and setback requirements please see under Article XXXIV, Section 255-256 of the Zoning Code.

The historic resource impact study shall be prepared by a qualified land planner with professional expertise in historic preservation, historical architecture or related disciplines.

The study must contain the following information unless the Zoning Officer deems them to be irrelevant to the application:

1. Background information: Please see Article XXXIV, Section 255-258, Sub-section B(1)(a-e) of the Zoning Code for the required background information.
2. Proposed Change: Please see Article XXXIV, Section 255-258, Sub-section B(2)(a-c) of the Zoning Code for the required information for a proposed change.
3. Mitigation measures: Recommendations for mitigating the project’s impacts on historic resources, including design alternatives, buffering, landscaping, conservation of existing, must be detailed.

All Properties Listed on the Historic Resource Inventory

• Uses already permitted by the zoning district where the property is located.
• The following uses are permitted but require a recommendation for approval from the Historical Commission and a conditional use approval from the Board of Commissioners. A conditional use allows for the Board of Commissioners to place conditions or requirements on the proposed land use.
  • Bed and Breakfast
  • Artist Studio or Crafts Workshop
  • Historic Resource Home Occupation, requiring (1) additional off-street parking space per employee.
  • Accessory Apartment
    • Also allowed in accessory structures that already exist on the property
  • Conversion to a Multi-Family Dwelling Unit
  • Club or Fraternal Organization
    • Lot area must be twice the amount required by this chapter for a single-family dwelling unit.
    • No more than 25% of the total floor area may be used for this purpose.

For more information on the conditions or requirements pertaining to each of these uses please see under Article XXXIV, Section 255-255, Sub-sections A & B(1) of the Zoning Code. 

Properties Which Obtain Access by Arterial, Primary or Secondary Streets

In addition, the following uses are permitted for properties which obtain access by arterial, primary or secondary streets. A street classification list is available under Article II – Standards of Construction, Section A – Streets, Sub-Section 2 – Design Standards. These uses also require a recommendation for approval from the Historical Commission and a conditional use approval from the Board of Commissioners.

• Professional office, which allows (1) non-resident employee per (500) square feet of gross floor area dedicated to professional office use.
• Cultural studio – Such as Music, Theater or Dance

For more information on the conditions or requirements pertaining to each of these uses please see under Article XXXIV, Section 255-255, Sub-section A & B(1-2) of the Zoning Code.

Application Procedures

Applications seeking conditional use approval must be submitted to the Zoning Officer. In addition the applicant must provide the required information. This information can be found under Section 255-257, Sub-section A(1)(a-f) of the Zoning Code. View the Township Code.

• A Historic Resource Impact Study is required for conditional use applications where any land development or subdivision is proposed on any of the following:
  • Class I or Class II Historic Resource.
  • Properties that are involved with the proposal and are within the boundaries of any national or local historic districts.
• The Zoning Officer will send the application to the Historical Commission and the Planning Commission for review. The Historical Commission will send its recommendations to the Director of Code Enforcement to be transferred to the Board of Commissioners.

Criteria for the Grant of Conditional Use Approval

The applicant must prove that the proposed use will not jeopardize the preservation of the historic resource (s). Applicants must provide the required evidence to defend their proposed land use. The list of required evidence can be found under Section 255-257, Sub-section B(1)(a-k) of the Zoning Code.

For more information on the conditions or requirements pertaining to a grant for conditional approval under Article XXXIV, Section 255-257, Sub-section B(2-10) of the Zoning Code.