Upper Allen Township Zoning Timeline
Upper Allen Township Zoning Timeline
2015–2017 Review and Adoption of Chapter 245 and the Zoning Map
2015–2017 Review and Adoption of Chapter 245 and the Zoning Map
Embedded Files
This page provides a factual timeline of Upper Allen Township’s 2015–2017 zoning review process based on public records and Township documents. The timeline summarizes when the proposed zoning ordinance and zoning map amendments were reviewed, discussed, noticed, and adopted.
Purpose of This Page
Purpose of This Page
Zoning can be complicated, especially when public discussion focuses on portions of a larger process. This page was created to help residents understand Upper Allen Township’s 2017 zoning update using available public records, official documents, draft ordinance materials, final adopted publications, and Right-to-Know records.
The purpose of this page is not to advocate for or against any political position. Its purpose is to organize the record in a clear, factual, and accessible way so residents can review what documents exist, what the zoning update covered, and how the process fits into the Township’s broader planning history.
Timeline
Timeline
2013 — Comprehensive Plan Adopted
2013 — Comprehensive Plan Adopted
Upper Allen Township’s later zoning update was tied to the goals and policy objectives of the Township’s revised Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted in December 2013. The zoning presentation states that the 2017 Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map updates were aligned with that Comprehensive Plan.
Chapter 245-Final Adopted Document 12-20-17.pdfChapter 245 - Final Adopted Document
Chapter 245 - Final Adopted Document
Ordinance 771.pdfOrdinance 771
Ordinance 771
2013 Comprehensive Plan.pdf2013 Comprehensive Plan —
2013 Comprehensive Plan —
Village and Mixed-Use Planning Direction
Village and Mixed-Use Planning Direction
The Comprehensive Plan specifically recommended that Upper Allen Township distinguish between village areas and neighborhood commercial centers. It stated that village areas should encourage a mix of residential and commercial uses while protecting existing village character. It also noted that Bowmansdale and Grantham were identified village areas and that revisions should be made to consolidate the two village zoning districts into one district allowing a mix of residential and limited commercial uses.
December 2015 — Ad-Hoc Focus Group Identified
December 2015 — Ad-Hoc Focus Group Identified
Township materials identify December 2015 as the time when an ad-hoc focus group was assembled to review possible amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map.
Important Clarification Section
Important Clarification Section
Draft Documents Are Not the Same as Final Adopted Records
Draft Documents Are Not the Same as Final Adopted Records
Ch 245-Article 03 Zoning Districts-September 2017.pdfSeptember 2017 — Draft Zoning Ordinance Articles Prepared
September 2017 — Draft Zoning Ordinance Articles Prepared
The available draft zoning ordinance articles are dated September 2017, showing that Upper Allen Township had draft zoning language prepared before the later December 2017 adoption.
Article III divided the Township into zoning districts, including Agricultural, Residential, Commercial/Mixed Use, Industrial, and Overlay Districts. It also identified the Village District (VIL) as replacing Village Business and Village Residential.
Ch 245-Article 04 Ag District-September 2017.pdfSeptember 2017 — Agriculture District Drafted
September 2017 — Agriculture District Drafted
Article IV created zoning standards for the Agriculture District (A). The draft stated that the Agriculture District regulations applied to areas designated Agricultural District on the Zoning Map and included permitted, special exception, and conditional uses.
The same article included conservation subdivision options. Option 1 required a minimum of 60% of the tract to remain in agricultural use, while Option 2 required a minimum of 70% agricultural/conservation area.
This documentation supports that agriculture and conservation standards were included in the draft ordinance language.
Ch 245-Article 05 Residential Districts-September 2017.pdfSeptember 2017 — Residential Districts Drafted
September 2017 — Residential Districts Drafted
Article V addressed Residential Districts, including R-1 Low-Density Residential, R-2 Medium-Density Residential, and R-3 High-Density Residential. The draft included permitted uses, special exceptions, conditional uses, conservation subdivision language, open space/greenway standards, setbacks, lot coverage, and impervious surface limits.
For the R-1 district, the draft included conservation subdivision options designed to retain greenways and open space. Option 1 required a minimum of 50% open space, while Option 2 required a minimum of 60% conservation/open space.
This supports that the zoning rewrite included residential development rules as well as conservation and greenway/open-space standards.
September 2017 — Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Institutional Districts Drafted
September 2017 — Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Institutional Districts Drafted
Article VI addressed Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Institutional Districts, including Neighborhood Commercial, Highway Commercial, Village, Business Professional Office, and Institutional districts. The article included a use table showing whether uses were permitted, special exception, conditional, or not permitted in each district.
The zoning district purpose language in Article III stated that the Village District was intended to preserve village character by allowing a compatible mix of residential, commercial, and professional office uses.
This supports that commercial and mixed-use changes were organized by district and use type, rather than being a blanket approval of all uses.
Ch 245-Article 06 Comm-MU Districts-September 2017.pdfCh 245-Article 03 Zoning Districts-September 2017.pdfCh 245-Article 07 Industrial District-September 2017.pdfSeptember 2017 — Industrial District Drafted
September 2017 — Industrial District Drafted
Article VII addressed the Industrial District (IND). It listed industrial district uses and included lot requirements, minimum setbacks, street frontage, lot coverage, building height limits, landscaping, buffering, screening, and parking-area design standards. This supports that industrial zoning included dimensional and site-design controls, including buffering and landscaping requirements
December 2017 — Updated Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map Adopted
December 2017 — Updated Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map Adopted
The zoning presentation states that the latest update to the zoning ordinance took place in December 2017. It also states that the 2017 Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map updates were aligned with the goals and policy objectives of the 2013 Comprehensive Plan.
The presentation further states that certain areas of the Township underwent rezoning, some districts were merged, and regulations within the zoning ordinance were revised.
This supports the statement that the 2017 update was broad in scope and tied back to the Township’s adopted Comprehensive Plan.
2017 Update — Overlay Districts and Standards Revised
2017 Update — Overlay Districts and Standards Revised
The zoning presentation states that new overlay districts were created, including the Airport Overlay District and Scenic River District. It also states that conservation design standards were consolidated, dimensional standards and parking regulations were improved, and Article 14 standards were revised or added for certain uses.
This supports that the zoning update was not limited to one type of zoning change. It included district structure, overlay districts, parking standards, dimensional standards, and use-specific standards.
Zoning_Video Presentation 050225 (002).pdfAfter 2017 — Zoning Ordinance Continued to Be Amended
After 2017 — Zoning Ordinance Continued to Be Amended
The zoning presentation states that zoning ordinances evolve over time and that the 2017 ordinance had already undergone several amendments. It identifies two later map amendments: a February 7, 2024 rezoning for Messiah University from R-2 to INS, and a September 18, 2024 rezoning for Hertzler Road Associates from R-1 to R-2 with the PRD Overlay applied.
This supports that the 2017 ordinance remained active and continued to be updated through later public amendment processes.
What the Records Show
What the Records Show
Ordinance 771.pdfOrdinance 771 - Final
Ordinance 771 - Final
Chapter 245-Final Adopted Document 12-20-17.pdfChapter 245 - Final
Chapter 245 - Final
Zoning Map 12-20-17.pdfZoning Map - Final
Zoning Map - Final
The available records show that the 2017 zoning update was not limited to one isolated zoning change. The documents show a broader ordinance update involving multiple zoning districts and standards.
The records show:
The Township had draft zoning language prepared before final adoption.
Article III organized the Township into zoning districts, including Agricultural, Residential, Commercial/Mixed-Use, Industrial, and Overlay Districts.
Article IV included Agriculture District standards and conservation subdivision options.
Article V included Residential District standards, conservation subdivision language, and open-space/greenway requirements.
Article VI included Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Institutional District standards and a use table identifying permitted, special exception, conditional, and not-permitted uses.
Article VII included Industrial District uses, setbacks, lot coverage, buffering, landscaping, screening, and site-design standards.
The final adopted records include Ordinance 771, the final Chapter 245 ordinance, and the final zoning map.
Review the Record. Understand the Process. Decide for Yourself
Review the Record. Understand the Process. Decide for Yourself
Public discussion about Upper Allen Township’s 2017 zoning update often focuses on development pressure, neighborhood concerns, and whether the Township did enough to protect farmland, open space, and existing residential areas. Those are fair topics for public discussion.
However, the available public records show that the 2017 zoning update was broader than one property, one neighborhood, or one development issue. The September 2017 draft zoning articles included Agricultural, Residential, Commercial/Mixed-Use, Institutional, Industrial, and Overlay District language. These drafts included permitted-use tables, special exception and conditional use categories, conservation subdivision standards, open-space and greenway requirements, setbacks, impervious coverage limits, buffering, landscaping, and site-design standards.
The records also show that final adopted publications exist for the December 20, 2017 zoning update, including Ordinance 771, the final adopted Chapter 245 zoning ordinance, and the final zoning map. These final records should be reviewed separately from earlier draft documents.
Some public claims about the 2017 zoning update may be directionally based on real concerns, but they do not always present the full zoning record. A more complete review shows that the ordinance update included both development regulations and conservation-related standards. For that reason, residents should compare any zoning claim against the full set of available documents, including the draft ordinance articles, final adopted ordinance, final zoning map, meeting records, hearing materials, and Right-to-Know responses.
This page is provided as a resident-led, nonpartisan public-record review. It does not replace legal advice, official Township interpretation, or professional planning review. Residents are encouraged to read the source documents and form their own understanding.
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