Pottstown, PA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Because less than five percent of Pottstown's land remains vacant, Section 302 folds the Borough's traditional neighborhoods outside its two certified Historic Districts into a Conservation District aimed at preserving architectural character as older buildings are renovated or replaced. Section 303 spells out what triggers review: any proposed demolition of a building with a footprint over 500 square feet, any addition larger than 200 square feet, and the size, height, design and lot placement of any new building. Section 305 directs Borough Council to apply the design guidelines running from Section 306 through Section 317 whenever it reviews a Conservation District application, covering demolition standards, architectural style, building placement, size, height, the base-body-cap facade structure, wall-to-opening proportions, building form and exterior material texture.

Demolition is meant as a last resort under Section 306: an applicant must show either that no viable reuse exists after a documented twelve-month marketing and feasibility effort, or that demolition is an unavoidable part of a larger project Council finds provides substantial public benefit, and no demolition proceeds until the Planning Commission and Council approve a design for what replaces it. The same guideline set extends added flexibility to the Downtown District specifically, letting new buildings there exceed the normal size and height formulas as a conditional use if Council finds the larger structure compatible with its surroundings.