The residential districts of the Village of Pittsford are listed
in the following table. When this zoning law refers to residential
or "R" zoning districts it is referring to one of the following:
|
District Name
|
Abbreviation and Map Symbol
|
|---|---|
|
Low Density Residential
|
LDR
|
|
Medium Density Residential
|
MDR
|
|
Residential
|
R-5
|
|
Limited Office Residential
|
LOR
|
No building, structure, or lot shall hereafter be erected, altered,
or demolished within a residential district without obtaining the
following approvals, as applicable:
A.
Historic Preservation Board review. A certificate of appropriateness (Chapter 112 of the Village of Pittsford Code) shall be required for the construction or exterior alteration of any building, structure, or architectural feature in the Pittsford Village Historic (H) District that is, in any respect, visible from a public street, public or private park, the Erie Canal, or any other public or private space that is accessible to the public.
B.
Site plan review. Site plan review shall be required as provided for in Article 34 of this chapter. This shall include, but is not limited to, new construction, alteration, or demolition of structures.
A.
Low Density Residential (LDR) District. The purpose of the LDR District
is to support the vision of the Pittsford Village Comprehensive Plan
to preserve and enhance the Village's lowest-density neighborhoods.
LDR District areas generally consist of single-family detached homes
that were developed post-WWII, differentiated from the Village's pre-war
neighborhoods by larger lot sizes and a more suburban character. Located
at the edges of the Village, the LDR District serves as a comfortable
transition from the higher-density neighborhoods near to the Village
center and the lower-density neighborhoods provided in the Town of
Pittsford. Future investment in the LDR District should continue to
contribute to the Village's high-quality neighborhood environments
and further establish well-connected, walkable streetscapes lined
with sidewalks, street lights, and street trees.
B.
Medium Density Residential (MDR) District. The purpose of the MDR
District is to support the vision of the Pittsford Village Comprehensive
Plan by preserving and enhancing the Village's historic residential
settlement pattern. As Village neighborhoods organically evolved over
time, higher-density residential uses were generally located near
to the Village center in a traditional grid-like pattern. These neighborhoods
predominately consist of single-family detached homes on lots generally
under 15,000 square feet in area. The traditional settlement pattern
is further identified by unobstructed front yards, separate garage
structures located to the rear of the lot, and pedestrian-scaled streetscapes
lined with sidewalks, street lights, and street trees. Future construction
and/or reconstruction of dwellings in the MDR District should reflect
that of the Village's historic residential character and not detract
from the high quality of existing neighborhoods.
C.
Residential (R-5) District. See addendum, Article VA, R-5 Residential District. All use, building, lot, and development requirements for the R-5 District shall be applied as provided therein.
D.
Limited Office Residential (LOR) District. The LOR District is intended
to facilitate increased economic opportunity along Village corridors
that traditionally have been residential in character, architectural
detailing, and building design. The purpose of this district is not
only to permit the continuance of residential uses in these areas,
but also to allow limited office uses that may operate without otherwise
negatively impacting the residential character of the building, lot,
or district. New construction and/or the conversion of residential
dwellings is permissible, provided existing residential character
and walkability is maintained.
A.
Uses identified with a "P" are permitted as-of-right, subject to
compliance with all other applicable standards of this zoning law.
B.
Uses identified with a "SP" may be allowed if reviewed and approved in accordance with Article 35 (Special Use Permits) of this chapter.
C.
Uses not listed and those identified with a "-" are expressly prohibited.
D.
Article 24 (Additional Use Regulations) section references have been noted where applicable. Uses identified with an "NA" are not addressed in Article 24, and therefore are not subject to use specific restrictions.
|
Land Use
|
LDR
|
MDR
|
LOR
|
Additional Regulations
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Residential
| ||||
|
Single-family dwelling, detached
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
NA
|
|
Single-family dwelling, attached
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
NA
|
|
Two-family dwelling
|
—
|
—
|
P
|
NA
|
|
Multifamily dwelling, maximum 10 units
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
§ 210-24.9
|
|
Bed-and-breakfast
|
SP
|
—
|
SP
|
§ 210-24.6
|
|
Home occupation
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
§ 210-24.8
|
|
Hospice, nursing home, or assisted living
|
—
|
—
|
SP
|
NA
|
|
Commercial
| ||||
|
Day-care center, child or adult
|
—
|
—
|
SP
|
§ 210-24.7
|
|
Art or photo studio
|
—
|
—
|
SP
|
NA
|
|
Laundromat
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
NA
|
|
Office, administrative or professional
|
—
|
—
|
P
|
NA
|
|
Office or clinic, medical
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
NA
|
|
Repair or service of personal items
|
—
|
—
|
SP
|
NA
|
|
Other
| ||||
|
Municipal building or use
|
—
|
—
|
P
|
NA
|
|
Community or service club
|
—
|
—
|
SP
|
NA
|
|
Place of worship
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
NA
|
|
Public park or playground
|
P
|
P
|
P
| |
|
School, public or private
|
SP
|
SP
|
SP
|
NA
|
|
Accessory
| ||||
|
Accessory use or structure
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
§ 210-24.4
|
|
Accessory dwelling unit
|
SP
|
—
|
—
|
§ 210-24.3
|
|
Pond
|
P
|
P
|
P
| |
|
Temporary storage unit
|
P
|
P
|
P
| |
|
Requirement
|
LDR
|
MDR
|
LOR
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Minimum Lot Size
| |||
|
Single-family dwelling
|
17,000 square feet
|
9,000 square feet
|
8,000 square feet
|
|
Two-family dwelling
|
—
|
—
|
8,000 square feet
|
|
Multifamily dwelling
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
Nonresidential use
|
25,000 square feet
|
20,000 square feet
|
12,000 square feet
|
|
Minimum Lot Width
| |||
|
Residential use
|
100 feet
|
70 feet
|
60 feet
|
|
Nonresidential use
|
100 feet
|
100 feet
|
80 feet
|
|
Minimum Average Lot Depth
| |||
|
All uses
|
120 feet
|
120 feet
|
120 feet
|
|
Front Yard
| |||
|
Primary structure
|
70 feet2
|
30 feet2
|
25 feet2
|
|
Minimum Side Yard
| |||
|
Primary use or structure
|
10/15 feet3
|
10/15 feet3
|
10/15 feet3
|
|
Accessory use or structure4
|
3 feet
|
3 feet
|
3 feet
|
|
Minimum Rear Yard
| |||
|
Primary use or structure
|
35 feet
|
30/35 feet3
|
25/35 feet3
|
|
Accessory use or structure4
|
3 feet
|
3 feet
|
3 feet
|
|
NOTES:
| |
|
1
|
The notation "square feet/unit" indicates square feet per dwelling
unit.
|
|
2
|
Or the average between developed lots adjacent to the property
in question.
|
|
3
|
The larger requirement shall apply to nonresidential uses adjacent
to a residential use.
|
|
4
|
In all residential districts there shall be permitted no more
than one accessory residential storage building, exclusive of a private
garage, per residential lot, the area of which, together with any
additions thereto, shall not exceed 120 square feet. No such accessory
building shall be located in the front or side yard of the lot on
which such accessory building is located. There shall be a distance
of not less than 10 feet between such accessory building and the rear
line of the principal building on the lot.
|
|
Requirement
|
LDR
|
MDR
|
LOR
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Maximum Building Height
| |||
|
Primary structure
|
35 feet1 (2.5 stories)
|
35 feet1 (2.5 stories)
|
35 feet1 (2.5 stories)
|
|
Accessory structure
|
12 feet2
|
12 feet2
|
12 feet2
|
|
Ground Floor Area
| |||
|
Nonresidential use
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
Principal structure (2 stories)
|
1,000 square feet minimum
|
750 square feet minimum
|
—
|
|
Principal structure (1.5 stories)
|
1,400 square feet minimum
|
1,000 square feet minimum
|
—
|
|
Principal structure (1 story)
|
1,600 square feet minimum
|
1,200 square feet minimum
|
—
|
|
Maximum Lot Coverage
| |||
|
Gross impervious surface
|
25%
|
25%
|
50%
|
|
NOTES:
| |
|
1
|
Building height shall be determined in feet, while the visual
scale or appearance in height of the building shall be determined
in stories.
|
|
2
|
No accessory structure may exceed the height of the primary
structure on the lot.
|
A.
Elements of character. Village neighborhoods vary in age and character.
Understanding the elements that define neighborhood character is the
first step in preserving it and ensuring that new construction harmonizes
with the context. The historic character of neighborhoods is defined
by buildings, as well as trees, fences, sidewalks, and landscaping.
Mature street trees located between the sidewalk and the curb define
the character of most Village streets.
B.
Arterial streets. The Village's first buildings were built along
the arterial streets: North and South Main Streets, Monroe Avenue,
State Street, South Street, Washington Road, and West Jefferson Road.
New buildings, including many of the Village's grandest homes, were
constructed throughout the Village's history. Today, the Village's
main streets are lined by an eclectic mix of homes of varied age,
style and scale. Although lot size, setbacks, and house scales vary,
most houses share the following common characteristics:
(1)
They are two stories in height;
(2)
They are located parallel to the street;
(3)
They have balanced front facades incorporating a prominent front
door facing the street;
(4)
They have porches;
(5)
They have a sidewalk connecting the front door to the public
sidewalk; and
(6)
They have free-standing garages located behind the house.
C.
Side streets. Village side streets include Church Street, Locust
Street, Lincoln Avenue, Washington Avenue, Boughton Avenue, Wood Street,
Jackson Park, Austin Park, Sutherland Street, Rand Place, Elm Street,
Line Street, Grove Street, Elmbrook Drive, and Eastview Terrace. Beginning
with Church Street, side streets were developed from the beginning
of the 19th century until Eastview Terrace in the 1930s. In general,
the side streets have the same characteristics as the main streets,
but with smaller lots and more modest homes.
D.
Stonegate lane. Stonegate Lane was originally the entrance drive
to Hyllgarth, a large ca. 1900 country estate. The property was subdivided
in the 1930s, and home construction began. The large main house remains
today facing Sutherland Street opposite the high school. The carriage
house has been converted into a separate residence. Three homes built
for the estate staff are located along Jefferson Road opposite Sutherland
Street. Narrow Stonegate Lane is notable for its picturesque wooded
setting, fine stone gates, and high quality, mid-twentieth-century,
Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival homes.
E.
Postwar streets. The Village's postwar streets include Rand Place
(south of Jefferson Road), East Jefferson Road (east of Eastview Terrace)
Green Hill Lane, Heatherhurst Lane, Courtenay Circle, Village Grove,
and Durham Way. After 1945, the suburban home building boom dramatically
changed neighborhood design. Larger, wider lots, smaller homes, and
attached garages became the norm. Homes were built with the long side
of the house facing the street rather than the short side, as was
common in older neighborhoods. Postwar neighborhoods often exhibit
less variety in design, because the homes in a neighborhood were often
built by a single builder and designer. To save money, curbs, sidewalks,
and street trees were not installed.
A.
Village of Pittsford Design Standards incorporated. The Village of Pittsford Historic and Architectural Design District Building Design Standards shall hereby be incorporated into this chapter for the purposes of guiding development application review in the business districts by the Historic Preservation Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and/or Village Board. Development applications include, but are not limited to, certificates of appropriateness, site plan review, and special use permits as provided for in Part 3 of this zoning law.
B.
Historic design principles. Guidance regarding the historic design
principles of the Village may be found in Section 3 of the Village
of Pittsford Design Standards document, including:
(1)
General principles of design, including scale, proportion, rhythm,
location and orientation, balance, massing, and materials.
(2)
Design considerations for new construction, including height,
scale, width, orientation, setback, proportion and rhythm of openings,
neighborhood rhythms, roof form, massing, horizontal versus vertical
elements, materials, landscape treatment, and outbuildings.
(3)
Design consideration for additions, alterations, demolition,
and relocation.
C.
Architectural styles. Guidance regarding the historic character and
architectural styles of the Village may be found in Section 2 of the
Village of Pittsford Design Standards document. This includes the
evolution of neighborhoods and characteristics of the Federal, Greek
Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival,
Four-Square, Craftsman, and Tudor Revival architectural styles.
D.
Rehabilitation of historic structures. Standards for the rehabilitation
of historic buildings and structures may be found in Section 5 of
the Village of Pittsford Design Standards document. This includes,
but is not limited to, the regulation of windows and shutters, door,
garage doors, siding and exterior walls, architectural trim, porches
and decks, roofing, chimneys, foundations, garages and barns, modern
amenities, fencing, and paint and color.
E.
Rehabilitation of postwar homes. Standards for the rehabilitation
of postwar homes may be found in Section 5A of the Village of Pittsford
Design Standards document. These include regulations for minimal traditional
styles, ranches, Cape Cod styles, split-levels, postwar colonial revival
styles, postwar mass-produced builder houses, custom built homes,
late 20th century ranches, late modern snout houses, neotraditional
styles, individual custom homes, and small-tract homes.
F.
Applicant guidance. Guidance for development review applicants may be found in Section 4 of the Village of Pittsford Design Standards document. However, the powers and duties of the Architectural and Preservation Review Board and application procedures and requirements contained therein have been overridden by the establishment of the Historic Preservation Board and application and review procedures provided in Chapter 112 of the Village of Pittsford Code.
Off-street parking and driveways in residential districts shall conform to the following in addition to the regulations of Article 25 (Parking, Loading, and Access Management), where applicable.
A.
Off-street parking.
(1)
Parking is prohibited on grass and yard space that is not hard-surfaced
and properly designated for such use.
(2)
Parking is prohibited in the front yard and shall never be located
at the corner of any street. Off-street parking for single- and two-family
dwellings may be permitted in the front yard, provided all spaces
are located on an approved driveway.
(3)
Recreational vehicles, commercial vehicles, and other vehicles
exceeding 14 feet in length or nine feet in height may be parked on
an approved driveway, provided such vehicles are located behind the
front building line.
(4)
The expansion of existing parking areas for nonresidential uses
and buildings in the LDR, MDR, and LOR Districts shall be prohibited.
B.
Sidewalks and entrances.
(1)
All residential properties shall be required to maintain or
restore, where determined appropriate by the Historic Preservation
Board, a walkway that is separate from the driveway and connects the
property to the public sidewalk.
(2)
All dwellings should provide a front door or entrance that is
oriented to and facing the street.
C.
Garages. Newly constructed garages shall be detached and located
in the rear yard area, unless it is determined by the reviewing board
that existing neighborhood character dictates otherwise.
D.
Driveways.
(2)
Off-street parking for a single- or two-family dwelling may
be provided on a Village-approved driveway.
(3)
Driveways for a single-car garage shall not exceed 10 feet in
width.
(4)
Driveways for a multicar garage shall not exceed 18 feet in
width.
(5)
No portion of any front yard area of any lot or side yard area
of any corner lot having a driveway entrance from the side street
shall be covered with paving, gravel, crushed stone or similar non-growing
surfacing, except for not more than one walkway not exceeding five
feet in width, or two walkways (one front and one side) for a corner
lot not exceeding five feet in width.
(6)
The portion of any lot or parcel of land covered by paving, gravel, crushed stone or similar non-growing surfacing other than structures shall not exceed, in area, 12% of the total square footage of the entire lot. Any such non-growing surfacing shall be applied in accordance with the specifications and requirements of the Building Inspector, Superintendent of Public Works, or Village Engineer, and shall be subject to the requirements of Chapter 176, Streets and Sidewalks, of the Code of the Village of Pittsford.
(7)
The CEO, in reviewing driveway permits and upon advisement and
recommendation by the Planning Board, may require driveway widths
to be reduced in whole or at various points to minimize pavement,
preserve neighborhood character, and avoid directing stormwater runoff
onto adjacent properties.
(8)
Parking areas exceeding the permitted driveway width must be
located in the side or rear yard and are subject to all other provisions
of this chapter.
