Montco 2040:
a shared vision
Unique County-Wide Uses
– This category includes unique existing infrastructure, institutional, and utility uses that serve a
large area and are needed by the community as a whole. These uses can create noise, vibration, odor, and visual impacts, or,
alternately, can create negative perceptions of an area. Nevertheless, these uses generally meet a county-wide need.
These areas will typically include one of the following primary uses:
Airports
Quarries
Power plants and large substations
Landfills and large junkyards
Prisons
Unique County-Wide uses may change or discontinue. To address this potential situation, the future land use map shows an
underlying land use category for all Unique County-Wide uses. This underlying category should be used if a unique county-
wide use discontinues, with the understanding that there could be contamination or other continuing issues with the land that
must be accounted for during redevelopment.
The county is adequately served by its existing Unique County-Wide land uses and does not envision new locations for these
facilities, except perhaps for smaller peak load or other specialized power generating facilities. However, existing facilities
may expand at their current location but must do so in a manner that reduces potential visual and nuisance impacts.
When expansions occur, buildings and intrusive outside activity should be set back a significant distance from residential areas.
Buffers, landscaping, and existing environmental features should be used to screen the property from abutting properties.
Buildings should be sited in a manner that minimizes their potential intrusiveness on the neighborhood. Trucks routes into the
property should use major roads and avoid residential areas. All uses and expansion of uses must meet environmental laws and
local noise, vibration, light, and pollution performance standards.
Unique County-Wide Uses must be well buffered from abutting
residential properties.
Unique County-Wide land uses can change over time, such as theWillow Grove Naval
Air Station. A large portion of this property is proposed to be developed as a mixed
use community with a walkable town center.
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