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Abington to advertise zoning amendments letting some nonconforming buildings rebuild after catastrophic loss
Summary
The Abington Township Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 9 to authorize advertisement of zoning amendments that would allow partial reconstruction of nonconforming structures after catastrophic events and to add a waiver process intended to streamline certain rebuilds.
The Abington Township Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 9 to authorize advertisement of two related zoning ordinance changes that would allow partial reconstruction of nonconforming buildings after a catastrophic event and add a waiver process for partial nonconforming-structure restorations.
Township solicitor Mr. Clark told the board the amendments were prompted by a recent catastrophic loss at SPS and a review of the township—s code. "In a catastrophic event," Clark said, "the amendment would provide an opportunity to rebuild up to 75% of the previous gross floor area. No nonconformities are permitted to be expanded. The nonconforming rebuild must also be initiated within 18 months of the catastrophic event." The changes would preserve prohibitions on reestablishing nonconforming uses while easing dimensional rebuilding limits where a conforming use is housed in a nonconforming structure.
The proposed amendments take two forms: (1) a change under Article 5 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code to permit a waiver from land-development plan approval for certain partial restorations of nonconforming structures, and (2) a complementary amendment to the township—s zoning ordinance (2017) to allow partial reconstruction for a permitted (conforming) use. Clark said the waiver process would remain subject to all applicable zoning, building and code standards and would be limited to projects that would not increase impacts on the surrounding community.
Vice President Vahy emphasized the timetable: the board authorized advertisement Oct. 9, plans a working session in November for detailed review, and hopes for final passage in December so the overall process complies with statutory advertising timelines. A commissioner asked whether the change would apply to residential nonconforming buildings; Clark said it applies to any nonconforming structure destroyed more than 50% of its value, residential or commercial.
No formal final enactment took place Oct. 9; the motions were to authorize advertisement. Final votes would follow the required public-notice and committee-review steps, the board said.
The measures were presented as a targeted fix intended to avoid an outcome Clark described as an "absurd redevelopment" in which large previously developed footprints would be broken into many smaller structures due to current code limitations after a destructive event.
What happens next: The township will advertise the ordinances, hold a working session in November for public and committee review, and consider final passage at a later meeting, likely in December.
