Fallowfield Township updates several zoning districts
The supervisors said some of the current zoning designations were not included when rezoning was done years ago.
The supervisors said some of the current zoning designations were not included when rezoning was done years ago.
A zoning amendment that will affect a handful of properties has taken effect in Fallowfield Township.
Supervisors unanimously agreed to approve an amendment to ordinance 120 during their regular meeting last week.
The new ordinances passed will move forward with an amendment to change a portion of the A-1 (agricultural) zoning district to B-1 (business), and a portion of the I-1 (light industrial) district to A-1.
The amendment was already approved by the Washington County Planning Commission and will go into effect immediately, Supervisor Earl Sadler said.
It will impact two parcels along Twin Bridges Road near I-70 that were not included when that area was rezoned many years ago.
The township believes that was done by mistake.
The amendment will make sure the properties fall in line with surrounding zoning districts as they appear on the township zoning map.
If the amendment passes, the westbound exit of I-70 (Lover exit) intersects with Twin Bridges Road, currently zoned A-1, will be rezoned to B-1. It will affect two parcels and ratify the township’s map that already displays those parcels as being in a B-1 district.
It will also affect 17 parcels in Van Voorhis, which is currently designated as an I-1 district. If approved, those properties will be rezoned to A-1, and will be officially changed on the township’s zoning map.
The amendment will modify definitions for “automotive repair” and “heavy equipment sales and rental.”
Under the proposed ordinance, automotive repair will be defined as “Engine maintenance, repair or reconditioning, collision repair, including straightening and repainting, replacement of parts and incidental services for vehicles that have a weight that does not exceed 14,000 pounds (lbs).”
Heavy equipment sales and rental will be modified and defined as “Any establishment engaged in selling, renting or leasing heavy machinery without operators, selling, renting, or leasing vehicles requiring a commercial driver’s license, and those engaged in retailing new and/or used manufactured homes (i.e. mobile homes), parts and equipment.”
One definition, for commercial vehicle repair (Class 6 vehicles and above) will also be added.
It will define that as “Engine maintenance, repair or reconditioning, collision repair, including straightening and repainting, replacement of parts and incidental services for vehicles that have a weight of 14,001 pounds (lbs) or greater.”
The amendment will also change uses for certain zoning districts.
Automotive repair will no longer be permitted in B-1, I-1 and I-2 zoning districts. Additionally, heavy equipment sales and rental will no longer be permitted in I-1 either.
“Passing these ordinances was critical for us so we could straighten up things that were done incorrectly a long time ago,” Sadler said.
