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The Manheim Township Department of Planning and Zoning handles all functions related to community development. Responsibilities include: Comprehensive Planning, Development Review, Zoning Administration, Township Planning Commission and Township Zoning Hearing Board.
Department Contact Information Staff:
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The Manheim Township Comprehensive Plan is a planning document which provides the primary framework for the management of future growth and development in the Township. Adopted by the Township Board of Commissioners in March 2010, it contains six (6) chapters, Natural & Cultural Resources, Housing, Land Use, Mobility, Infrastructure and Implementation chapters with a primary goal defined in each chapter followed by numerous objectives and strategies to accomplish that goal.
Although the Plan itself is not a regulatory document, it defines the parameters for the Township's growth management tools: the zoning ordinance, and subdivision and land development regulations. Likewise, it provides a basis for other functions such as the capital improvements program. In establishing an overall planning framework, the Plan provides a forum for fostering creative ideas and innovative techniques which will enhance Manheim Township.
This Comprehensive Plan builds on previous relevant planning efforts, some of which the community completed recently. The 1995 Manheim Township Comprehensive Plan; Growing Together, A Comprehensive Plan for Central Lancaster County; the 2006 Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan, Envision; the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan; the Manheim Township School District 2006 District Wide Facility Assessment Study; the Manheim Township Roadway Sufficiency Analysis of 1997; and the Lancaster Transportation Authority Traffic Signal and Coordination Study of 2007 are just some of the planning documents that helped set the course for the next ten to twenty years in Manheim Township. This Comprehensive Plan incorporates recommendations from these plans.
This Comprehensive Plan was prepared in line and consistent with the Pennsylvania Municpalities Planning Code’s requirements for municipal comprehensive plans. That consistency further extends to the various components of the Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan, Envision. Future land use and housing policies, especially those related to development styles, coordination with services, and intensity were closely aligned with those found in the County’s Growth Management Element, Balance and Housing Element, Choices. Natural, cultural, and historical resource protection strategies identified in the Township’s Plan incorporated principles and implementation tools from the County’s Green Infrastructure Element, Greenscapes, and the Cultural Heritage Element, Heritage.
A collaborative process involving Manheim Township officials, staff, Steering Committee, residents and planning consultant was the foundation for the preparation of this Comprehensive Plan. Residents indentified issues and priorities early in the planning process through a response to a twenty-five (25) question survey and participation in four (4) public listening sessions. The Plan includes goals and objectives of the Plan to address the identified issues and priorities while attempting to maintain needed flexibility to meet new challenges that arise over time.
As noted in Manheim Township’s 1995 Comprehensive Plan, “the fulfillment of this vision for the Township’s future will depend upon the commitment of Manheim Township’s Board of Commissioners, present and future, and the public”. This plan contains catalytic, priority Pilot Projects in each chapter that are priorities for fulfilling Manheim Township’s 2010 Vision. By carrying out Pilot Projects and other implementing strategies contained in each of the Plan chapters, Manheim Township intends to address the issues inherent existing conditions. By doing so, Manheim Township will mature yet continue to be a vibrant community, pursuing its Vision for the future.
View/Download the 2010 Manheim Township Comprehensive Plan (large pdf file) To view or download the Comprehensive Plan requires Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader, please click here.
Development Review Manheim Township is one of the municipalities in Lancaster County that has adopted its own regulations governing the approval of subdivision and land development plans. The Township Department of Planning and Zoning is charged with the processing and reviewing all subdivisions and land development plans to ensure compliance with this ordinance, as well as the Township Stormwater Management and Floodplain Management Ordinances. Copies of these ordinances are available for sale at the Township Office.
Zoning Administration The Manheim Township Department of Planning and Zoning administers the Township Zoning Ordinance. The purpose of zoning is simply land use control (the use of buildings and land). The intent of zoning regulations is to allow property owners the reasonable use of their property insofar as the use is not detrimental to abutting properties or to the neighborhood. Every property in the Township has a zoning classification that determines how the property can be used.
To ensure that the Manheim Township Zoning Ordinance you purchase is kept up-to-date, the Department offers an Ordinance Update Subscription Service. This service will provide subscribers with copies of all ordinances adopted by the Manheim Township Board of Commissioners that amend the Township Zoning Ordinance or Township Zoning Map. The annual cost for this service is $15.00. If you would like to take advantage of this service, please contact the Department to receive a Subscription Request Form. The primary purpose of the Manheim Township Zoning Hearing Board is to help assure fair and equitable application and administration of the zoning ordinance by hearing appeals on the zoning officer's determinations and by granting relief from the literal enforcement of the ordinance in certain hardship situations. Since the Board has no legislative power, it can neither make nor modify zoning policy. Neither does the Board have enforcement powers. It is a quasi-judicial body; that is, its powers are to some extent judicial in nature. The Board schedules hearings on applications and appeals that come before it, takes evidence, and issues written decisions with findings of fact and conclusions of law. It must limit its scope of activities to those permitted by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. The Township Zoning Hearing Board meets the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. The meetings are held at the Township Offices, 1840 Municipal Drive.
Zoning Hearing Board Meeting Dates and Submission Deadlines
The Zoning Hearing Board Agenda and Minutes below require Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader, please click here.
The Planning Commission Agenda and Minutes below require Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader, please click here.
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There
are three types of approval:
