| Board of Supervisors | |
|
•Robert R. Hart, Chair •Sara J. Erlbaum, Vice-Chair |
•Amy P. Grossman •Cathy Peduzzi •Melissa S. Sterling |
| Board of Supervisors | |
|
•Robert R. Hart, Chair •Sara J. Erlbaum, Vice-Chair |
•Amy P. Grossman •Cathy Peduzzi •Melissa S. Sterling |
The Township Zoning Ordinance divides the Township into Zoning Districts to accommodate various types of development and uses of land. Each zoning district has a list of permitted uses such as residential, apartments or commercial. If a use is not on the list for a specific zoning district, then that use is not allowed in that district.
There are some uses however that are not deemed acceptable for the entire district but may be appropriate under the right circumstances by special exception or conditional use. There are also some uses that are not listed in certain districts but have been in use before the adoption of the latest provisions of the Zoning Ordinance which may be grandfathered as a "nonconforming use" and therefore permitted to remain. However, any special exceptions, variances and certain extensions for existing nonconforming uses must submit a Zoning Hearing Board Application to receive approval from the Zoning Hearing Board; conditional uses must receive approval from the Board of Supervisors. Those who need conditional use approval must submit a Conditional Use Application to the Township.
Most new construction, additions and accessory structures, as well as fences, require Zoning Permits in addition to Building Permits. All commercial uses of a property and new construction of dwellings require a Use and Occupancy certificate which affirms that the use complies with the Zoning Ordinance and fire prevention regulations; the certificate must be obtained BEFORE the use is occupied.
Each zoning district also has bulk and height regulations that determine the buildable area of each lot. These regulations include minimum lot sizes, minimum size of required yards in which buildings cannot be located, maximum amount of property that can have buildings or impervious surfaces, and maximum height for buildings. The dimensions and locations of new buildings or additions must comply with the district's bulk and height regulations. Existing lots or buildings that do not comply with regulations adopted after the lots or buildings were created or constructed may be grandfathered as nonconforming and therefore permitted to remain. However, new construction or additions to such lots or buildings may require approval from the Zoning Hearing Board.
Zoning regulations also govern topics including but not limited to: parking, signs, accessory structures such as sheds and pools, building in a floodplain, rules about communication towers, etc.
Whitemarsh Township
616 Germantown Pike
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444
Phone: (610) 825-3535
Fax: (610) 825-9416
Hours:
Monday - Friday
9 AM to 5 PM
powered by Google™