NOTICE
TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE BOROUGH OF NEW BRITAIN:
NOTICE is hereby given that the Borough Council of the Borough of New Britain, Bucks County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will hold a public hearing on and consider adoption of the following ordinances at its meeting on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM, at Burkart Hall, 56 Keeley Ave., New Britain, PA 18901. Pursuant to the requirements of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code and/or the Borough Code, the following is a summary of the ordinances under consideration:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF NEW BRITAIN, BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AMENDING THE NEW BRITAIN BOROUGH CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING THE NOTICE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 450 ZONING WITH RESPECT TO NOTICE FOR ZONING HEARING BOARD HEARINGS (UNDER ARTICLE IX ZONING HEARING BOARD) AND AMENDMENTS TO THE BOROUGH’S ZONING MAP (UNDER ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS AND APPEALS) BY PROVIDING NOTICE TO ALL OWNERS OF PROPERTY WITHIN A 400 FOOT RADIUS OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY; REPEALING ALL PRIOR INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
The ordinance amends the notice requirements under the Borough’s zoning ordinance. For zoning hearings, the ordinance requires notice pursuant to the requirements of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, written notice to the applicant, zoning officer, and persons having made timely requests pursuant to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, written mailed notice to the owners of property within a 400-foot radius of the property that is the subject of the application at least 1 week prior to the hearing, and conspicuous posting of the subject property. For zoning map amendments, in addition to the existing requirements of the zoning ordinance and Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, the ordinance requires written mailed notice to the owners of property within a 400-foot radius of the property that is the subject of the zoning map change. The ordinance contains a severability clause, repeals prior inconsistent ordinances or parts of ordinances, and contains an effective date.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF NEW BRITAIN, BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AMENDING THE NEW BRITAIN BOROUGH ZONING ORDINANCE TO UPDATE USES PERMITTED IN THE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT; REVISE THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED IMPERVIOUS SURFACE RATIO AND THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED BUILDING COVERAGE IN THE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT; AND INCLUDE A PROVISION INCREASING BUFFER REQUIREMENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL PARCELS ABUTTING RESIDENTIAL PARCELS OR USES; REPEALING ALL PRIOR INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
The ordinance amends the Borough zoning ordinance’s regulations applicable to the Light Industrial Zoning District. The ordinance adds/amends certain definitions and sets forth the purpose of the Light Industrial Zoning District. The ordinance enumerates the by-right permitted uses, uses permitted by special exception, and uses permitted by conditional use in the Light Industrial Zoning District. The ordinance sets the area and dimensional requirements for the Light Industrial Zoning District, including a 70% maximum impervious surface ratio and a 50% maximum building coverage. The ordinance requires 65-foot side and rear yards in the Light Industrial Zoning District where the lot abuts a residential zoning district or residential use, which yard area may not be used for parking areas, buildings, structures, loading areas, accesses, or driveways, but shall be used for buffer planting and landscaped space only consistent with the requirements of the zoning ordinance. The ordinance updates Attachment 1, Table of Uses and Districts, of the zoning ordinance as necessary to reflect the Light Industrial uses referenced hereinabove. The ordinance contains a severability clause, repeals prior inconsistent ordinances or parts of ordinances, and contains an effective date.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF NEW BRITAIN, BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AMENDING THE NEW BRITAIN BOROUGH ZONING ORDINANCE TO COMBINE THE MIXED-USE OVERLAY DISTRICT AND THE WEST BUTLER AVENUE MIXED USE OVERLAY DISTRICT; INCLUDE INCENTIVES THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY IN EXCHANGE FOR INCREASED BUILDING HEIGHT; UPDATE DESIGN STANDARDS TO PROMOTE A MORE AESTHETICALLY-PLEASING AND WALKABLE COMMUNITY; REPEALING ALL PRIOR INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
The ordinance provides for the purposes and objectives of the MUO Mixed-Use Overlay (MUO) District, requires a mixture of residential and nonresidential uses in each MUO development, and enumerates the uses permitted by right and the uses permitted by conditional use in the MUO District. The ordinance sets the area and dimensional requirements of the MUO District, including the minimum tract area, minimum lot area, minimum lot widths, maximum impervious surface ratio, maximum building coverage, maximum building height (with provisions for height bonuses up to 50 feet or 4 stories and step back requirements), minimum yards, minimum building setbacks, minimum spacing between buildings, minimum buffer width, minimum public open space, maximum gross residential density, and minimum non-residential use. The ordinance contains design standards, parking and access requirements, and electric vehicle parking requirements for the MUO District. The ordinance adds curtain defined terms relevant to the MUO District and deletes the provisions previously related to the West Butler Avenue Mixed-Use Overlay District (with the Borough’s MUO Districts now consolidated in one set of regulations). The ordinance contains a severability clause, repeals prior inconsistent ordinances or parts of ordinances, and contains an effective date.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF NEW BRITAIN, BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AMENDING THE NEW BRITAIN BOROUGH ZONING MAP TO INCLUDE A CERTAIN PROPERTY WITH A NORTH SHADY RETREAT ROAD ADDRESS, TAX PARCEL NO. 25-007-051, IN THE MUO MIXED-USE OVERLAY DISTRICT; FURTHER AMENDING AND RATIFYING THE AMENDMENT AS NECESSARY, OF THE ZONING MAP TO REZONE THAT PROPERTY LOCATED AT 321 WEST BUTLER AVENUE, TAX PARCEL NO. 25-001-005 FROM R-1 RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO C-2 COMMERCIAL DISTRICT; REPEALING ALL PRIOR INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
The ordinance would place tax parcel no. 25-007-051 (North Shady Retreat Road, to the rear of 471 East Butler Avenue) under the Borough’s zoning map. The ordinance would further ratify the rezoning of tax parcel no. 25-001-005 (321 West Butler Avenue) from R-1 Residential District to C-2 Commercial District under the Borough’s zoning map. Borough Council previously held a hearing on this ordinance and voted to rezone 321 West Butler Avenue as noted above, but held off voting on the rezoning of the North Shady Retreat Road Parcel. The ordinance repeals prior inconsistent ordinances or parts of ordinances, contains a severability clause, and sets an effective date.
A copy of the full text of the ordinances under consideration may be examined at the Borough’s administrative offices, 45 Keeley Avenue, New Britain, PA, 18901 by e-mailing andrea@newbritainboro.com and requesting a copy, at the Bucks County Law Library, 55 East Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18901, or may be reviewed by requesting a copy from the newspaper wherein the notice is published.
John Wolff
Borough Manager