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Phoenixville council adopts zoning changes to allow industrial uses by right, set rules for detention centers
Summary
Council unanimously adopted amendments to Chapter 27 that clarify industrial uses are permitted by right, add a new definition and conditional‑use process and standards for detention centers, remove auto‑supply stores from the industrial district, and clarify parking‑space dimensions.
Phoenixville Borough Council on March 10 adopted a major amendment to its zoning ordinance that clarifies how industrial uses are permitted in the industrial district and creates a new regulatory framework for facilities the ordinance calls “detention centers.”
The ordinance, which the planning commission had unanimously recommended and which the council adopted in an 8–0 vote after a public hearing, removes industrial uses from a section listing special‑exception uses so that industrial operations are clearly permitted by right in the industrial zoning district.
Separately, the council added a definition of “detention center” and requires any such facility to be located in the CD corridor development district and to obtain conditional‑use approval from council. The ordinance spells out dimensional and operational standards to be proven at that hearing, including a minimum one‑acre lot size, a 100‑foot yard setback, a 500‑foot buffer from residential property, a 1,000‑foot setback from schools, fencing and on‑site parking, at least one medical professional per 10 detainees, one staff member per seven detainees, and publicly posted contact information for the operator.
Council also removed auto supply stores from the industrial district to reduce retail traffic in that zone and added clear parking‑space dimensions into the zoning code so projects that do not require full subdivision review will have consistent standards.
The ordinance had been reviewed by the Phoenixville Regional Planning Committee and Chester County Planning Commission, and notices and review letters were entered into the hearing record. With the adoption, affected projects in the industrial district will face clearer permitting paths; any future proposal for a detention center will require a conditional‑use hearing where the applicant must demonstrate compliance with the new standards.
Council members said the changes are intended to eliminate confusing overlapping permit paths and to ensure potentially sensitive uses such as detention centers are sited and staffed to protect nearby residents and schools. There were no public comments at the hearing.
