KEY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GOALS, OBJECTIVES OR ELEMENTS

• Accommodation of growth; township expects slow growth, currently 73% of the township is farmed.
• Reasonable restrictions on development to address resource protection objectives need not be viewed as conflicting with the goal of providing sufficient development opportunities.
• Current approved, but unbuilt, subdivisions could easily accommodate projected growth.
• Londonderry has combined and tailored open space protection with resource protection: "Open Space issues are intricately connected to the future land use plan, indeed, they provide its very framework.
• Important resources identified and mapped include: slopes greater than 15% class I, II, & III prime agricultural soils; woodlands, greater than 15 acres in size; 100 year floodplain; wetlands; hydric soils; scenic and historic resources including individual historic sites and mapped visual accents.
• Future Land Use Plan includes a "Resource Conservation Overlay, comprised of identified resources above.
• Water Resource Protection-"The township might consider review and further development of vegetation management provisions for water resource protection areas.
• In general, development in areas designated for water resource protection should be severely restricted. \
• Groundwater recharge through stormwater infiltration should be pursued wherever appropriate.

FLOODPLAINS

Qualifications
All areas identified within the 100-year floodplain as established by FIA/FEMA and delineated on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), as well as all alluvial soils and areas within known high water marks, are protected by floodplain ordinances.

Regulations
No new construction is permitted within the areas identified by the above criteria, unless approved by the Zoning Hearing Board and the DEP engineers. Any new construction granted must be elevated one-and-one-half feet above the 100-year flood elevation and must be anchored.

Permitted uses include: agriculture and recreation. For determining lot area; only one-quarter of minimum lot area can be flood hazard district. No building, structure, or septic field can be located within 50 feet of the flood hazard district.

STEEP SLOPES

The following regulations apply to land areas with these slopes:

15%-PERMITTED USES-
conservation; agriculture including forestry, reforestation, grazing, crops, nurseries and orchards, single family residential provided no construction takes place in any portion of the lot that exceeds 25% slope (minimum lot 3 acre), residential use is a conditional use.

VEGETATIONAL BUFFERS

WOODLANDS

One of the largest woodlands is located at the headwaters of the White Clay Creek in this municipality.

SLDO: Section 627 Natural Features Conservation

• C. Conservation of Woodlands and Other Vegetation
  
  • 1. During site preparation and development disturbance to the following shall be minimized:
    
    • a. Healthy, well stocked woodlands.
    • b. Vegetation providing wildlife food or cover.

     

  • 3. Disturbance or removal of vegetation occupying environmentally sensitive area shall be undertaken only when necessary and on a limited, selective basis.

   

• E. Conservation Practices During Site Preparation
  
  • 1. Protection of vegetation from mechanical injury.
    2. Protection of vegetation from grading change.
    3. Protection of vegetation from excavations.
  • 4. Protection of topsoil.

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Currently there is no participation in a regional watershed management plan and there are no stormwater quality management standards.

SLDO: Section 626 Stormwater Management

• C. Design Standards
  
  • 1. There shall be no increase in discharge of sediment or other soil materials from the site as a result of stormwater runoff.
• D.
  
  • 1. ...peak discharges from the site shall not exceed the before construction peak discharge rate from a 2 year up to a 10 year storm...

WETLANDS

HISTORIC DISTRICTS/STRUCTURES

RECREATIONAL AND PARK USES

SLDO: Section 624 General requirement-1 acre of open space per 30 dwelling units; less than 30 units the Board of Supervisors can accept a fee in lieu of land. Board of Supervisors has flexibility in open space set-asides.

Criteria for designing open space set asides include: 1) Suitable for active recreation; can be designated by the Board of Supervisors for passive recreation; 2) Comprising no more than 10% environmentally sensitive lands.

CLUSTERING OR PLANNED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

SITE PLAN REVIEW

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL USES

RESIDENTIAL ZONING

PERMITTED USES