Bridgeport council adopts comprehensive zoning rewrite after public hearing

Bridgeport Borough Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2025-2 on Nov. 11, approving a comprehensive revision of zoning text and a new zoning map for the borough.

The ordinance follows a public hearing in which planning staff and borough officials reviewed a draft use matrix, the updated zoning text and a proposed new zoning map. Assistant county planner Matt Lubitz, present to answer technical questions, told the council the draft reflects multi-year work by the planning steering committee and incorporates changes recommended by the Montgomery County Planning Commission.

Resident John Latansi asked why ‘‘group homes’’ are listed as a permitted use in the R-1 low-density district. Lubitz said he believed the change reflects existing practice and cited applicable case law, and Solicitor Bello told the council federal law, including the Fair Housing Act, can preempt local limits on group-home siting. Latansi also asked whether conditional uses, special exceptions or accessory-use applications would be required for certain conversions; legal counsel said that procedural requirements depend on how specific uses appear in the code for each zone.

Council also read into the record three exhibits offered by solicitor Bello: the ordinance and map amendment, proof of advertising, and a Montgomery County Planning Commission letter recommending approval and noting consistency with the county'040 plan; council admitted those exhibits without objection.

After brief comments thanking planning commission and steering committee members, councilmember Hiles moved to adopt Ordinance 2025-2 and councilmember Hauck seconded. The motion carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

The council chair and planning staff told residents that the planning steering committee will continue revising the borough ccount—or changes in the subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO), and they encouraged residents to raise technical issues such as visitor-parking provisions during that SALDO update rather than during the zoning adoption.

What happens next: the ordinance as adopted updates permitted uses, clarifies mapping and is now part of the borough code. Councilmembers said implementation details and any additional regulatory changes (for example, adding specific visitor-parking requirements for multifamily properties) can be considered as part of forthcoming SALDO revisions.