Council schedules comprehensive zoning rewrite for public hearing

Phoenixville Borough Council voted 8-0 on July 8 to schedule and advertise a repeal-and-replace amendment to Chapter 27 (zoning attachment and borough zoning map), advancing a two-year zoning task force review to the public-hearing stage. The motion to schedule and advertise the ordinance was moved by Miss Berkley and seconded by Mr. Weiss and passed by voice vote.

The action begins a public review process; because the change is to the zoning ordinance, the borough must advertise the proposal twice and hold a formal hearing when the ordinance returns for consideration. Judith Goldstein, the planner presenting the draft on behalf of Gilmore Associates, said the project was funded in part by a VPP grant from Chester County and that the “overall goal is to make your zoning ordinance generally consistent with your newly adopted comprehensive plan from 2022.”

Why it matters: The draft is intended to align the ordinance with the 2022 comprehensive plan and with the Chester County plan Landscapes 3, which identifies Phoenixville as a growth area and urban center. Council members and staff said the update is meant to clarify standards, accommodate current planning policy, and address regulatory gaps identified in an audit for compliance with the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC).

Key changes described by the planner include updates to the ordinance purpose and objectives; a wholesale review and cleanup of definitions (deleting obsolete definitions and adding needed terms); amendments to district regulations for clarity and consistency; and targeted use regulations. The draft adds specific use regulations for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and includes provisions the MPC requires for forestry and mineral extraction uses. Off-street parking rules were updated, with new language to accommodate electric-vehicle parking. The draft also removes several design standards the planner said were more appropriate for subdivision and land-development regulations than zoning, and it adds reasonable-accommodation provisions to reflect obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.

The planner said the task force held roughly 10 advertised meetings and convened a public workshop in February that about 20 residents attended. The public workshop produced comments that led to revisions in the draft; Goldstein told council that some suggestions were adopted and some were not, depending on scope and consistency with the comprehensive plan and MPC.

Map changes: The planner said no entirely new zoning districts were created or renamed, but several parcels were proposed to move into existing district categories, including town center, neighborhood center, mixed-use growth, residential infill and industrial. Council and staff said details and parcel-level map changes will be available on the borough project page and in the ordinance materials posted online.

Next steps: If advertised as scheduled, the draft will be reviewed at the borough planning commission meeting this month and later returned to council for a required public hearing and formal consideration. Staff told council they expect consideration in August but that scheduling depends on planning commission and county reviews.

Speakers quoted or referenced above spoke during the zoning item at the July 8 meeting and are recorded in the official meeting materials.