LAND USE CLASSIFICATION MATRIX
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REQUIREMENTS |
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Goal: To protect or conserve natural resources or prime farmland as defined by the PA MPC | ||||
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Designation of areas for the protection and/or conservation of floodplains, large wetland areas, forested mountain land on ridges and steep slopes (25% and greater), aquifer recharge areas, and designated greenways to prevent loss of habitats. Permitted land uses are generally low-density residential, passive recreation, and nature preserves. In order to maximize conservation measures innovative styles of design may be appropriate in these settings. | Public and private rural roadways, limited or few collector roadways, on-lot water and wastewater systems. |
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Rural resource areas. Due to the linear quality of these features small pockets may exist in growth areas - special protection measures would be required. | |
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Designation of areas for the protection of prime agriculture areas (defined by the PA MPC). All types of agriculture activities are allowed. Limited amount of residential activity is permitted in addition to farm-support businesses. The non-farming activities should be restricted to the least productive areas of the farm parcel. Clustering of these uses would be encouraged. Effective agriculture zoning would be recommended for these areas. | Public and private rural roadways. Generally, a rural collector roadway is present and supports the movement of goods from the farm parcel to markets. On-lot water and wastewater systems or community systems for cluster development. |
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Rural resource areas with a concentration of farming activities. The concentration is necessary to retain the viability of the farming community. This classification would not be applied to isolated farm parcels which are within the path of growth and development. These areas should not be located in growth areas or interchange areas. Adequate buffering would be required for areas adjacent to the growth areas to mitigate nuisances and isolate farm fields from urban development. The buffer requirement would be extended on the parcel in the growth or interchange area to avoid loss of productive farmland. | |
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Goal: To recognize existing large lot residential subdivisions and medium-density residential neighborhoods. The Land Use and Sustainability Plan recommends minimal use of this single purpose classification in vacant growth and interchange areas. |
LAND USE CLASSIFICATION MATRIX
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REQUIREMENTS |
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Designation of areas where low-density residential development is permitted on one to two acre lots. The pattern of development consumes more land than other residential types. Alternative patterns of development would be encouraged in rural residential areas (see the Design Type and Standards Assessment). Home occupations and limited home businesses would be permitted. | Public local roads and rural minor and major collectors. On-lot water and wastewater systems or community systems for open space developments |
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Rural resource areas, particularly at the edge of growth areas. | |
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Designation of areas reserved strictly for residential purposes. This pattern of development is typical of existing suburban style development. The average density would be two to four units per acre on lots of ½ to ¼ acre in size and/or duplex & townhouse communities. Alternative patterns of development would be encouraged in residential neighborhoods. These alternatives may include the residential expansion of villages and boroughs in the same style and configuration of development. In these neighborhoods the density of development would be consistent with the density in the village or borough. Home occupations would be permitted. | A roadway network including neighborhood streets, local roads, rural and urban minor and major collectors. Public water, sewer, and stormwater management and pedestrian access ways between neighborhoods. |
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Growth areas and interchange areas – assumes these are areas of existing development or locations within the growth and interchange areas where a mixture of residential and non-residential services exist (potential residential infill sites). In particular, areas surrounding existing villages and boroughs that would continue the existing development patterns and benefit from proximity to the existing mixed-use area. | |
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Goal: To provide areas in the region for the mixture of uses that will combine many activities in the same area, thus reversing the use of single purpose neighborhoods and land use categories. The advantage is bringing people closer to schools, shopping, or work, thus reducing the dependence on the automobile and the time to drive to these activities. Meeting this goal will take education in many sectors: development community, investors/ lenders, public, and governing officials. | ||||
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Designation of areas for the location of housing of various types, densities, and cost with a mix of low intensity non-residential uses (neighborhood office, commercial, institutional, recreation) to meet the needs of the community and surrounding single-purpose residential communities. | Highest level public infrastructure required, including a complete roadway network; public water, sewer, and stormwater management; public transit service; pedestrian access ways inside and outside the center. (Note: if infrastructure is not currently in place the Plan must develop strategies that will accommodate these needs within the planning period.) |
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Growth areas and interchange areas depending on the local objectives for interchange development. Residential centers may not be the first choice for the interchange areas. This designation would be applied to all downtown areas of existing villages and boroughs. The residential component is a key element for sustaining the health of a downtown. The local entity may wish to distinguish scale of development in village or borough centers from other types of residential centers. |
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REQUIREMENTS |
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Designation of areas within close proximity to existing residential neighborhoods. These "retrofit" centers would target neighborhoods that do not have quick access to low intensity non-residential services and uses (neighborhood office, commercial, institutional, recreation). One objective is to reduce the number of vehicle trips to regional centers by placing "everyday" services closer to the neighborhoods and providing a pedestrian orientation. | Highest level of public infrastructure – see description for residential centers. A planned internal roadway network with connections to the external system is assumed. A key consideration will be the retrofitting of transportation infrastructure to insure easy access from the residential neighborhoods to the neighborhood business centers. |
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Growth areas and interchange areas adjacent to or with ¼ mile of residential neighborhoods. | |
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Designation of areas for the location of uses that will attract people from inside and outside the region. The majority of the land uses would be business-related corporate centers, office complexes, research centers, light-industrial activities, and regional retail complexes. These centers accommodate the highest intensity business uses. The areas would also accommodate high-density residential complexes; however, the residential use would be ancillary to the business uses. | Highest level of infrastructure required – see above. Planned internal amenities and services will be essential. Sizing of these areas will be critical to ensure infrastructure will able to meet demands. |
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Interchange areas and growth areas with direct access to major and minor arterials or other forms of regional transportation. | |
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Goal: To provide areas in the region for special purposes. It is assumed the majority of the non-residential uses will be located in mixed use centers; however, in special cases the mixture of uses may not be desirable or fails to recognize existing single purpose areas. | ||||
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Designation of areas for heavy industrial uses that are incompatible with other uses. These areas will support uses that generate heavy truck traffic and impacts that are difficult to remediate on-site (e.g., noise and air impacts). Typical uses include smoke stack industry, mineral recovery, truck terminals, power generators, and manufacturing. | Depending on the type and scale of the industry, these centers will require the full range of public infrastructure and complete roadway network. Areas reserved for mineral recovery, where applicable (see the PA MPC to understand the new rulemaking regarding the location of these activities) may not require public water and public wastewater. |
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Interchange areas for those industrial activities dependent on heavy truck access and traffic. Growth areas with access to major and minor arterials. These areas should be located away from centers of residential population and sensitive environmental features (e.g., aquifers, natural heritage sites). Isolation distances and buffers should be observed. All uses must comply with applicable state and federal environmental standards. |
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REQUIREMENTS |
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Designation of areas for both passive and active recreation. These areas would be occupied by large publicly-owned recreation facilities and venues that serve the entire region and beyond. State, county, and regional parks, gamelands, and forests would be included in this category. | On-lot and community systems would be required. Primary access from a major collector roadway. Connections to greenways, trails and conservation areas would be desired. |
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These areas would be desirable throughout the region as part of a growth, interchange or rural resource area. | |
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Designation of existing and planned areas for public elementary, secondary, and higher education. | A full range of public infrastructure would be required. |
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These areas would locate in growth areas of villages and small boroughs. Campus facilities of the region’s three school districts plus Penn State University would be included. |