LAND USE ORDINANCES AND COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING
Township Development Permit Ordinance
The Development Permit Ordinance specifies that a permit is required for any development within a municipality. It also contains regulations to limit building in floodplains and to promote safer building in floodplains.
Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance
“The subdivision and land development ordinance is the most commonly used development control mechanism in Pennsylvania. It is the most basic of land use regulations. Subdivision is the creation of new lots or property lines, while land development involves the construction of buildings and improvements. Land is a valuable natural resource, and its division and development create a major portion of the physical surroundings and greatly define the character of communities and the quality of life for citizens. The major purposes of subdivision and land development regulations are to provide adequate sites for development and public use, to maintain reasonable and acceptable design standards, and to coordinate public improvements with private development interests.”
Subdivision and Land Development in Pennsylvania, Planning Series #8, 6th Edition, February 2015
Zoning “is the means by which a municipality regulates the use of land and structures and the extent and character of development. Zoning is an ordinance designed to protect public health, safety, and welfare and to guide growth.”
Zoning, Planning Series #4, 10th Edition, April 2015
Township Comprehensive Plan (uploads pending)
Comprehensive Plan – 2000
Comprehensive Plan Part 1, Region IV – 1972 (Huntingdon Borough & Oneida, Smithfield, and Walker Townships)
Comprehensive Plan Part 2, Region IV – 1972 (Huntingdon Borough & Oneida, Smithfield, and Walker Townships)
“A comprehensive plan is more than just a document disclosing past and present land use trends with a proposed course of action. It is a process of organizing for the future. It creates a blueprint for our land use patterns of tomorrow.”
The Comprehensive Plan in Pennsylvania, Planning Series #3, 7th Edition, August 2001