[Added 3-31-1978 by Ord. No. 4-54]
In expansion of the purposes contained in Article I, § 160-2, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article with respect to the R-4 Village Preservation Residential District to encourage the preservation of the existing character and residential lifestyles of the West Ambler neighborhood of Whitpain Township, which exhibits a mixture of single-family detached dwellings, two-family dwellings and row houses on smaller lot sizes than those found elsewhere in the Township. It is also the intent of this district to guide the future development or redevelopment of this neighborhood in the Township by providing strict control of conversions to multiple-family dwellings and nonresidential uses or activities within the R-4 Village Preservation Residential District in order to ensure that they contribute to the general welfare of the residents of West Ambler. Furthermore, it is the intent of the Township to participate with Montgomery County in the revitalization and redevelopment of West Ambler by creating this district and thereby qualifying West Ambler for certain United States government redevelopment programs and funds.
In R-4 Districts, the following regulations shall apply.
[Amended 11-2-1979 by Ord. No. 4-56; 9-4-1985 by Ord. No. 4-83]
A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot or premises may be used or occupied for any one of the following purposes and no other:
A. 
Single-family detached dwelling.
B. 
Two-family dwellings, twins and duplexes.
C. 
Row houses, not to exceed seven dwellings per building.
D. 
Municipal parks or buildings.
E. 
Any of the following uses when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception:
(1) 
Retail grocery store or drugstore with a maximum floor area of 1,200 square feet, provided that said grocery store is in conjunction with a residence and the owner-operator lives on the premises.
(2) 
Home occupations, subject to the standards set forth in § 160-212.
(3) 
Churches.
(4) 
Public libraries.
(5) 
Recreational or community center building operated by a nonprofit agency.
(6) 
Conversion of residential structures. The conversion of a single-family dwelling or other building into a dwelling for two or more families, subject to the following requirements:
(a) 
The lot area per family may not be reduced to an amount less than 33% of that required by this article.
(b) 
Fire escape and outside stairways shall, when practicable, be located to the rear of the building. A metal fire escape shall be provided for each floor above the second, leading to the ground. Each unit shall have two means of exit.
(c) 
The Zoning Hearing Board shall specify the maximum number of families permitted to occupy such buildings and may prescribe such further conditions and restrictions as the Zoning Hearing Board may consider appropriate.
(d) 
The off-street parking requirements of this article shall be met.
(e) 
The building shall be served by public sewer and water facilities.
F. 
Accessory buildings or structures.
[Amended 4-18-2000 by Ord. No. 4-172; 8-18-2015 by Ord. No. 4-240]
(1) 
Where individual lots have been created, accessory buildings, structures or uses having a maximum height of 10 feet, but not exceeding 15 feet measured from grade to the highest point of such building or structure may be located within the rear yard only, but no closer to the side or rear line of the lot than five feet, except as provided for in § 160-56C. The height of the accessory building or structure and the maximum dimension from grade to the highest point may be increased an additional one foot for each additional two feet of required setback from the rear line of the lot, to a maximum accessory building or structure height of 16 feet, but not to exceed 25 feet measured from grade to the highest point of the building or structure. All measurement from grade to the highest point of the building or structure shall include any chimneys, spires, towers, elevator penthouses, tanks and similar projections.
G. 
The following accessory uses:
[Added 11-19-2002 by Ord. No. 4-183]
(1) 
No-impact home-based businesses in accordance with the standards set forth in § 160-213.
The following shall apply in the R-4 District:
A. 
Area, width, yard and coverage regulations. The following area, width, coverage and yard regulations shall apply in the R-4 District:
[Amended 5-1-2018 by Ord. No. 4-249]
Development Requirements
Single-Family Detached
Two-Family Twin
Duplex
Row House
Lot area (square feet = a)
4,000
3,000
4,000
2,100
Lot width (feet = b)
40
20
40
14
Front yard (feet = c)
15
10
15
10
Side yard (minimum) (feet = d)
5
5
5
5 (end unit only)
Side yard aggregate (feet = e)
15
—
15
—
Rear yard (feet = f)
25
35
25
35
Building coverage (% = g)
45
40
45
50
NOTES:
a
A lot area of not less than "a" square feet per dwelling unit.
b
A lot width at the building setback line of not less than "b" feet measured along the building line.
c
A front yard depth of not less than "c" feet measured from the street line.
d
A side yard of not less than "d" feet measured from the property line.
e
Two side yards, except for attached dwellings, when added together shall be at least "e" feet.
f
A rear yard of not less than "f" feet.
g
Total building coverage of not more than "g" percent of the total lot area.
B. 
Height. No building hereafter erected in the R-4 District shall exceed a height of 40 feet.
C. 
Garages. Two private garages, detached from the dwelling, having a common wall may be erected and maintained on adjacent lots, provided that the wall in common is located on the common side lot line and each garage is an accessory use to a dwelling on the same lot.
D. 
Access easement. For a group of row houses, access to the rear yard area shall be provided by an access easement over a portion of the side yard of each end unit. In cases where no alley or driveway exists adjacent to the rear yards, the easement shall extend along the rear property lines of each row house. Said access easement shall be a minimum of three feet wide and shall be for the exclusive use of the residents of the group of row houses.
All parking spaces and all signs erected in the R-4 Residential District shall be in accordance with the requirements of Articles XXVI and XXVII.
The provisions of this article are severable, and if any of its provisions shall be held invalid or unconstitutional, the decision of the court shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions of this article. It is hereby declared to be the legislative intent that this article would have been adopted had such invalid or unconstitutional provisions not been included herein.