Lancaster planning commission tables proposed revision to waterfront residential overlay after mixed public comment

The Lancaster County Planning Commission on Monday held a public hearing on a staff proposal to revise Article 18 (the Waterfront Residential Overlay, W‑1) and related changes to Article 1 definitions, then voted to table the item and directed staff to explore concerns raised by residents.

Planning staff presented the draft amendment as a map‑based narrowing of W‑1 that would leave all land within 800 feet of tidal shoreline subject to the overlay but would remove many inland stretches now included because of the current definition tying the overlay to tributary streams on USGS 7.5‑minute quadrangle (solid blue line) maps. "The only thing that's changing is that the areas outside of 800 feet of tidal waters would no longer be under the W‑1 waterfront residential overlay," planning staff said during the presentation.

The nut graf: The revision would not alter the overlay rules that apply within 800 feet of tidal shoreline — setbacks, the 2‑acre minimum for lots created after the 1988/1990 ordinances, or water‑front lot‑width requirements would remain in place for tidally affected parcels — but it would allow many inland parcels to be governed by underlying zoning (R‑1 or A‑2), which staff said would permit smaller, less expensive lots (roughly 0.69 acre in R‑1 or about 0.75 acre in A‑2) where the overlay was removed.

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