Overview
Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
letter-code
30-class Euclidean code adopted 1942 with 80+ years of accretion: 15 residential codes (R-A, R-1A, R-1, R-2A, R-2, G, HR, R-3, R-3A, R-3B, U-R, R-55A, R-55B, GR, AG), 2 office/research (AR, AR-1), 7 commercial (C-O, NC, LC, GC, SC, SM, SM-1), 2 industrial (LI, HI), and 2 mixed-use (KPMU 2014, NMU). Form-based-leaning sub-overlay applies in KPMU via mandatory design manual + LEED-tied height bonus.
Worth knowing
- 30 zoning-district classes across 14 residential codes (AG, R-A, R-1A, R-1, R-2A, R-2, G, HR, R-3, R-3A, R-3B, U-R, R-55A, R-55B, GR), 2 office/research (AR, AR-1), 7 commercial (C-O, NC, LC, GC, SC, SM, SM-1), 2 industrial (LI, HI), and 2 mixed-use (KPMU 2014, NMU). Among the most fragmented residential typologies in the corpus — the result of 80+ years of incremental amendment since the 1942 base ordinance. [severity: high; citation: §165 Establishment of Districts (ecode360.com/11658599)]
- KPMU height bonus tied to LEED certification — uncommon mechanism that ties land-use entitlement to sustainability certification rather than to fee-in-lieu / affordability / public benefit. Worth flagging for underwriting: pro forma must value LEED capex as a height-bonus enabler, not just an operating-cost premium. [severity: medium; citation: §165 KPMU Design Standards (ecode360.com/29439667)]
- C-O Commercial Office FAR is expressed as inverse lot:gross-floor ratio (4:1, 3:1, 5:1) rather than a direct FAR cap — equates to FAR 0.25 / 0.333 / 0.20 respectively. Tier varies by use type and stories. Common in legacy mid-20th-century PA codes; adapt pro forma carefully (a quoted '4:1' here means 0.25 FAR, the inverse of how 4:1 is read in most modern codes). [severity: high; citation: §165 C-O — lot-area-to-gross-floor ratio (ecode360.com/11659233)]
+ 5 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_mf 10off 5com 4res_sf 3ind 2mu 2ag 1spec 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AG | Agricultural District | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-A | Recreational Area District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-1A | Single-Family Residential R-1A | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-1 | Single-Family Residential R-1 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / 10[1] / 10[2] |
| R-2A | Single-Family Residential R-2A | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-2 | Single-Family Residential R-2 | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| G | Garden Apartment G District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| HR | High-Rise Residential District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-3 | R-3 Residential District | res_mf | 5,000 sf[3] | [{'variant': 'base', 'value': 35, 'citation': '§165-11 Art IV'}, {'variant': 'multifamily_with_yard_expansion', 'value': 50, 'citation': '§165 R-3 — multifamily may exceed 35 ft up to 50 ft, provided each yard widened/deepened 1 ft per ft of height above 35 ft (ecode360.com/11658806)'}] ft[4] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-3A | R-3A Residential District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-3B | R-3B Residential District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| U-R | U-R Residential District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-55A | R-55A Residential District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-55B | R-55B Residential District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| GR | Garden Apartment GR District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| AR | Administrative and Research District | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| AR-1 | AR-1 Administrative and Research District | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C-O | Commercial Office District | off | — | [{'variant': 'base', 'value': 35, 'citation': '§165 C-O — base max 35 ft / 3 stories (ecode360.com/11659233)'}, {'variant': 'with_yard_expansion', 'value': 65, 'citation': '§165 C-O — may rise to 65 ft if each yard widened/deepened 1 ft per ft above 35'}] ft | — | [{'variant': 'default_uses', 'value': 0.25, 'citation': '§165 C-O — 4 sf lot per 1 sf gross floor for permitted uses (ecode360.com/11659233)'}, {'variant': 'buildings_3_or_more_stories', 'value': 0.333, 'citation': '§165 C-O — 3:1 ratio for buildings 3+ stories'}, {'variant': 'certain_other_uses', 'value': 0.2, 'citation': '§165 C-O — 5:1 ratio for certain other uses'}][5] | — | — | — / — / — |
| NC | Neighborhood Commercial District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| LC | Limited Commercial District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| GC | General Commercial District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SC | Shopping Center District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SM | Suburban Metropolitan District | off | [{'variant': 'multi-building_lot', 'value': 261360, 'citation': '§165 SM — minimum lot area for multi-building lot is 6 acres (6 × 43,560 sf) (ecode360.com/11659379)'}] sf | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SM-1 | Suburban Metropolitan-1 District | off | — | 75 ft[7] | — | — | — | — | —[6] / — / — |
| LI | Limited Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| HI | Heavy Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| KPMU | King of Prussia Mixed-Use District | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| NMU | Neighborhood Mixed-Use District | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
FP
Floodplain Conservation District
FPFEMA-mapped 100-year floodplain along Schuylkill River and tributaries traversing Upper Merion Township; supplementary Floodplain Ordinance (2016 amendment, umtownship.org Doc 706) controls
| items | Elevation requirements per FEMA / NFIP standards; Restrictions on fill, excavation, and dangerous materials in floodway; Floodproofing requirements for all new construction or substantial improvement |
|---|
SS
Steep Slope District
HSAreas with slopes ≥15% (limited development) and ≥25% (severely restricted); plan submissions must delineate both thresholds
| items | Plan submission must show all areas with slopes ≥15% and ≥25%; Prevents inappropriate development; preserves existing vegetation and stable soil cover; Limits grading and earthwork on qualifying slopes |
|---|
CDO
Cluster Development Overlay
PDEligible underlying districts at applicant election; specific eligibility map not retrieved
| items | Open-space-preservation alternative to conventional subdivision; Allows reduced lot sizes in exchange for permanently preserved open space |
|---|
KPMU-DS
KPMU Design Standards Sub-overlay
PDAll development in KPMU base district
| items | Mandatory design-manual submission with land development plan; Demonstrates compliance with architectural articulation, building materials, integrated streetscape standards; Height bonus available for LEED-certified development (specific bonus value not retrieved); Promotes ground-floor retail / dining / personal service along main roads |
|---|
State preemptions
PA Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. §10101 et seq.)applies
Qualifying condition
Upper Merion is a 2nd-class township under PA state statutes; not 1st-class city (Philadelphia), not 2nd-class city (Pittsburgh), not 2nd-class A city (Scranton). Therefore MPC procedural framework applies in full per §10101 enabling-statute coverage.
Effect
MPC procedural framework binds zoning amendments, hearing-board procedure, curative-amendment / validity-challenge rights (Pa. analog to builder's remedy per Surrick v. Zoning Hearing Board of Upper Providence Twp., 382 A.2d 105 (Pa. 1977))
PA MPC §503(1.1) — manufactured housing parityapplies
Qualifying condition
Upper Merion is MPC-governed (see above); has residential districts permitting site-built single-family (R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A, etc.). §503(1.1) therefore binds: zoning ordinance shall not prohibit manufactured / mobile housing in residential districts where site-built single-family is permitted, nor impose more-restrictive standards.
Effect
Manufactured / mobile housing must be permitted in any district that permits site-built SFR; cannot impose more-restrictive standards than site-built SFR (subject to aesthetic / foundation standards of general applicability).
PA Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act (SMCRA, 52 P.S. §1396.4e)applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide express preemption per §1396.4e binds all PA municipalities. Montgomery County has no active surface-mining operations of record (suburban / built-out), so practical applicability is latent rather than active. Township may regulate location of any future mining via MPC authority; operational/environmental standards preempted to PA DEP.
Effect
Local ordinances regulating surface mining are preempted as to operational / reclamation / environmental standards; municipality may enact MPC-authorized ordinances regulating location consistent with the Act (per Hydropress Environmental Services v. Twp. of Upper Mount Bethel, 836 A.2d 912 (Pa. 2003)).
Non-applicable laws (1)
PA Act 13 of 2012 §3303 — oil & gas operational preemptiondoes_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Montgomery County is outside the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale formations (PA's unconventional gas footprint is concentrated in SW + NE PA tier counties). No unconventional gas wells of record in Upper Merion. The §3303 technical/operational preemption is statutorily statewide but has no practical bite where no oil/gas operations exist. Original §3304 (uniform-zoning mandate) was struck down in Robinson Township v. Commonwealth, 83 A.3d 901 (Pa. 2013) — Township retains zoning authority over location/setbacks even were Marcellus to extend here.
Effect
Not applicable in practice — no unconventional gas operations in Upper Merion. Recorded for completeness.
Adopted building codes
Most jurisdictions opt in
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Amendment history
| Date | Kind | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-26 | retrieved at | research run |
| 2025-03-13 | last amended | ecode360.com/UP0975 'current through' header observed 2026-04-26 |
| 2014-09-22 | amendment effective | KPMU King of Prussia Mixed-Use District adopted (Ord. 2014; PlanPhilly coverage 2014-09-22) |
| 1974-11-18 | amendment effective | Article XXXII Floodplain Conservation District added |
| 1942-03-04 | adoption | Chapter 165 Zoning — original adoption by Board of Supervisors |
Quirks & notes
- 30 zoning-district classes across 14 residential codes (AG, R-A, R-1A, R-1, R-2A, R-2, G, HR, R-3, R-3A, R-3B, U-R, R-55A, R-55B, GR), 2 office/research (AR, AR-1), 7 commercial (C-O, NC, LC, GC, SC, SM, SM-1), 2 industrial (LI, HI), and 2 mixed-use (KPMU 2014, NMU). Among the most fragmented residential typologies in the corpus — the result of 80+ years of incremental amendment since the 1942 base ordinance. [severity: high; citation: §165 Establishment of Districts (ecode360.com/11658599)]
- KPMU height bonus tied to LEED certification — uncommon mechanism that ties land-use entitlement to sustainability certification rather than to fee-in-lieu / affordability / public benefit. Worth flagging for underwriting: pro forma must value LEED capex as a height-bonus enabler, not just an operating-cost premium. [severity: medium; citation: §165 KPMU Design Standards (ecode360.com/29439667)]
- C-O Commercial Office FAR is expressed as inverse lot:gross-floor ratio (4:1, 3:1, 5:1) rather than a direct FAR cap — equates to FAR 0.25 / 0.333 / 0.20 respectively. Tier varies by use type and stories. Common in legacy mid-20th-century PA codes; adapt pro forma carefully (a quoted '4:1' here means 0.25 FAR, the inverse of how 4:1 is read in most modern codes). [severity: high; citation: §165 C-O — lot-area-to-gross-floor ratio (ecode360.com/11659233)]
- SM-1 height-conditional residential-buffer setback: 10 ft additional setback per ft of building height above 65 ft from existing residential dwellings. A 75-ft (max) building 30 ft from a residential parcel is non-compliant — buffer would require 100 ft. Functions as a contextual height taper rather than a flat front-setback. [severity: medium; citation: §165 SM-1 (ecode360.com/11659413)]
- 2nd-class township governance — 5-member elected Board of Supervisors with staggered 6-year terms; professional township manager. MPC-governed (53 P.S. §10101 et seq.), not home-rule. First township in the PA corpus (other PA records: Pittsburgh / Philadelphia cities, Indiana borough, Connellsville city). [severity: medium; citation: PA Code 2nd-class township statute; Wikipedia Upper Merion Township; township About page]
- King of Prussia Mall + I-76 / I-276 (PA Turnpike) / US-202 corridor drives near-continuous ordinance amendment activity — the 2014 KPMU rezoning, 2015 commercial-districts rezoning (NC/LC/GC replacing C-1/C-2/C-3), and 2024 spectator-sport-facilities ordinance are all corridor-driven. Treat the eCode360 'current through' date as load-bearing for any underwriting use; freshness_tier=standard (90-day TTL). [severity: high; citation: ecode360.com/UP0975 'current through 2025-03-13' header observed 2026-04-26]
- Schuylkill River + Valley Forge National Historical Park (NPS, ~1,300 acres) form the township's northern and western boundaries. NPS land use is sui generis (not subject to township zoning); the federal park footprint substantially constrains the township's developable land in the Valley Forge / Gulph Mills sector. Federal-overlay refs are global, not city-attached. [severity: low; citation: Valley Forge NHP boundary; Wikipedia Upper Merion Township]
- FIPS uses the 10-digit Census GeoID (4209179136 = state 42 + county 091 + sub-county 79136) because Upper Merion is a township minor civil division, not a Census Place. Pittsburgh's record uses a 7-digit Place FIPS (4261000); the two should not be compared as if the same code class. [severity: low; citation: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts page for Upper Merion township]
Massing explorer
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Citations
- [1] §165
- [2] §165
- [3] §165
- [4] §165-11
- [5] i
- [6] z
- [7] §165
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | |
| confidence tags full form | passed | |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | |
| preempt section city specific | passed |
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