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Township of Lower Makefield, PA
Bucks County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (6) Index
A building or structure may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following uses and no other. All uses permitted by right or by special exception are subject to the specific regulations in Article XV for individual uses, in addition to the requirements contained in this and other sections.
A. 
Uses by right. Uses by right shall be as follows:
(1) 
Agriculture.
(2) 
Dwelling, single-family detached.
(3) 
Nursery/horticulture/greenhouse.
(4) 
Public recreational facility.
(5) 
Uses and structures accessory to permitted uses, limited to the following:
(a) 
Auctions.
(b) 
Garage sales.
(c) 
Home occupation, Class I: home office.
(d) 
Home occupation, Class II: traditional home occupation.
(e) 
Livestock in residential areas.
(f) 
Pools of restrictive size/hot tubs.
(g) 
Private aboveground swimming pool.
(h) 
Private swimming pool.
(i) 
Residential accessory buildings and structures.
(j) 
Temporary structure.
(6) 
Forestry/timber harvesting, pursuant to the regulations set forth in Article XV, § 200-68.
[Added 12-3-2001 by Ord. No. 329]
B. 
Uses by special exceptions. The following uses may be authorized only as special exceptions by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with the standards set forth in § 200-98 of this chapter:
(1) 
Cemetery.
(2) 
Library or museum.
(3) 
Nursing home.
(4) 
Place of worship.
(5) 
Public or private school.
(6) 
Utility.
[Amended 8-7-1995 by Ord. No. 297]
(7) 
Bed-and-breakfast.
(8) 
Boarding.
(9) 
Home occupation, Class III: Family day care.
C. 
Conditional uses. The following uses may be authorized as conditional uses by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with the standards and procedures of this chapter:
(1) 
Accessory farm business.
(2) 
Emergency services.
[Amended 8-2-2023 by Ord. No. 440]
A. 
Open space applicable to tracts of land consisting of 10 acres or more land.
(1) 
Not less than 25% of the total land area shall be designated as open space.
(2) 
No area designated as open space shall be smaller than 20,000 square feet.
(3) 
The open space shall be contiguous to lots within the cluster-designed development in conformity with § 200-75 of this chapter.
(4) 
Consideration shall be given to the arrangement, location and landscaping of the open space so as to address its aesthetic and spatial relationship with the development clusters, the individual lots and the adjacent land uses.
(5) 
Open space should be arranged in such a manner so as to be within easy access and view of the dwelling units while preserving and enhancing the natural features and renewable resource potential of the site.
(6) 
Ownership of open space as required by this chapter shall be held in such form in conformance with § 200-74B of this chapter.
(7) 
All open space designated under this chapter shall be identified by the installation of a freestanding sign in accordance with § 200-83E(12) of this chapter.
B. 
Table of performance standards. Lot area and density requirements. All development shall be in accordance with the site capacity calculation, § 200-52, and the following requirements. These standards may be less strict than other standards in § 200-52; the strictest standards shall apply.
Maximum Density on Net Buildable Site Area without Cluster (units/acre)
Maximum Density on Net Buildable Site Area with Cluster (units/acre)
Minimum Net Lot Area
Residential (R-3M)
Single-family detached1
2.1
2.625
13,500 square feet
Other uses2
1 acre
NOTES:
1
If the lot is served by on-lot sewage disposal or on-lot water facilities, the minimum lot area permitted shall be 34,000 square feet with a minimum lot width of 110 feet.
2
These area and dimensional requirements shall apply unless otherwise specified in Article XV for the specific use, in which case the provisions of Article XV shall apply.
[Amended 12-20-2006 by Ord. No. 364]
Lot area and yard requirements shall be as follows:
Minimum Net Lot Area
Minimum Lot Width at Front Building Line
(feet)
Maximum Building Height
(feet)
Front
(feet)
Minimum Yards1
Side (each)
(feet)
Rear2
(feet)
Dwellings
  34,000 sq. ft.
110
35
40
15
60
  13,500 sq. ft.
90
35
35
15
50
Other uses3
  1 acre
160
35
50
25
75
NOTES:
1 Where a yard abuts a major collector or arterial road listed in § 200-63, the building setback shall be increased to 80 feet for collector roads and 100 feet for arterial roads.
2 Rear yard open porches may extend into the rear yard setback.
3 These area and dimensional requirements shall apply unless otherwise specified in Article XV for the specific use, in which case the provisions of Article XV shall apply.
A. 
The following impervious surface ratios shall apply to all tracts or lots which were subject to final subdivision or land development approval granted after December 14, 1987:1
Maximum Impervious Surface Ratio
Lot Size
Permitted by Developer
Total Permitted by Property Owner Inclusive of that Permitted by Developer
More than 5 acres
.17
.17
40,001 to 5 acres
.15
.18
34,001 to 40,000 sq. ft.
.16
.19
25,001 to 34,000 sq. ft.
.18
.21
20,001 to 25,000 sq. ft.
.21
.24
16,501 to 20,000 sq. ft.
.25
.28
15,001 to 16,500 sq. ft.
.27
.30
13,501 to 15,000 sq. ft.
.30
.33
12,501 to 13,500 sq. ft.
.32
.35
10,001 to 12,500 sq. ft.
.35
.38
6,001 to 10,000 sq. ft.
.45
.48
2,000 to 6,000 sq. ft. (R-3)
.55
.58
2,000 to 6,000 sq. ft.(R-4)
.58
.61
NOTES:
1 Unless the subdivision or land development plan approval specifies a more restrictive impervious surface ratio, in which case the more restrictive ratio shall apply.
B. 
The following impervious surface ratios shall apply to all tracts or lots to which the regulations in Subsection A above do not apply:
Lot Size
Maximum Impervious Surface Ratio
15,001 or up
.18
13,501 to 15,000
.24
12,501 to 13,500
.26
10,000 to 12,500
.29
Under 10,000
Apply ratios in Subsection A above