This Ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the London Britain Township Zoning Ordinance of 1980 as amended. This Ordinance shall become effective immediately after its adoption. [Amended 6/10/91]

A. To promote, protect and facilitate public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community;

B. To promote coordinated and practical community development, and proper facilities, services and improvements;

C. To prevent the overcrowding of land, hazards to transportation and the loss of health, life, or property from fire, flood, panic or other dangers;

D. To preserve prime agricultural land and open spaces, considering topography, soil type and classification and present use.

A. This Ordinance is adopted to promote an orderly plan of development in accordance with the following community development objectives: [Amended 5/22/00]

1. To protect the health, safety and welfare of our citizens;

2. To preserve environmentally sensitive areas;

3. To protect our groundwater resources;

4. To encourage a harmonious blend of future development with existing community;

5. To encourage agriculture as a viable alternative land use;

6. To preserve public views along selected scenic roads

7. To preserve historic sites;

8. To establish a permanent open space system (such as, but not limited to, connecting trails, greenways and recreational areas);

9. To develop public recreation opportunities

B. In addition, the following specific conservation and recreation objectives are affirmed and included, in conformance with the Municipalities Planning Code the purposes of this Article, among others, are as follows:

1. To conserve open land, including those areas containing unique and sensitive natural features such as woodlands, steep slopes, streams, floodplains and wetlands, by setting them aside from development;

2. To provide greater design flexibility and efficiency in the siting of services and infrastructure, including the opportunity to reduce length of roads, utility runs, and the amount of paving required for residential development,

3. To reduce erosion and sedimentation by the retention of existing vegetation, and the minimization of development on steep slopes;

4. To provide for a diversity of lot sizes, building densities, and housing choices to accommodate a variety of age and income groups, and residential preferences, so that the community's population diversity may be maintained;

5. To implement adopted local policies to conserve a variety of irreplaceable and environmentally sensitive resource lands as set forth in the Township's Open Space, Recreation, and Environmental Resources Plan, including provisions for reasonable incentives to create a greenway system for the benefit of present and future residents;

6. To implement adopted land use, transportation, and community policies, as identified in the Township's Comprehensive Plan;

7. To protect areas of the Township with productive agricultural soils for continued or future agricultural use, by conserving blocks of land large enough to allow for efficient farm operations;

8. To create neighborhoods with direct visual access to open land, with amenities in the form of neighborhood open space, and with a strong neighborhood identity;

9. To provide for the conservation and maintenance of open land within the municipality to achieve the above-mentioned goals and for active or passive recreational use by residents;

10. To provide multiple options for landowners in order to minimize impacts on environmental resources (sensitive lands such as wetlands, floodplain, and steep slopes) and disturbance of natural or cultural features (such as mature woodlands, hedgerows and tree lines, critical wildlife habitats, historic buildings, and fieldstone walls);

11. To provide standards reflecting the varying circumstances and interests of individual landowners, and the individual characteristics of their properties; and

12. To conserve scenic views and elements of the Township's rural character, and to minimize perceived density, by minimizing views of new development from existing roads.

In interpreting and applying the provisions of this Ordinance, all requirements shall be held as minimum for promoting the health, safety, and the general welfare of the residents of the township. Where the provisions of this Ordinance impose greater restrictions than those of any other ordinance or regulation, the more restrictive regulations shall. be controlling.

Should any section or provision of this Ordinance be declared by the Courts as unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such a decision shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a whole or any part thereof.