The overall intent of these general provisions
is to identify supplementary regulations and standards which are either
common to all zoning districts or pertinent to several zoning districts
as stated herein.
No activities which require the moving of earth
or the filling or excavation of an area shall occur without a building
permit issued by the Building Inspector. Finish grading or incidental
grading of a lot in minor earth moving from one place to another on
a lot for the establishment of a yard or for landscaping shall not
require a building permit. The deposit of soils, detritus or other
debris which would be unsightly or detrimental to surrounding properties,
streets, sewers and natural watercourses as a result of sight preparation,
grading and/or excavating shall be prohibited. All rainwater from
gutters on buildings must drain into the curb or street area.
The Borough Council shall determine that the
height regulations prescribed within this chapter may be exempted
for spires, steeples, belfries, cupolas or domes not used for human
occupancy or for chimneys, ventilation fans, air-conditioning equipment,
roof structures for the housing of elevators and/or stairways, fire
or parapet walls, skylights, flagpoles, water tanks, utility poles
or towers, communication towers, windmills, silos, smokestacks and
ornamental or other necessary mechanical appurtenances.
On any lot, no wall, fence or other structure
shall be erected or maintained and no hedge, tree, shrub or other
growth shall be maintained which may cause danger to traffic on a
street by obscuring the view. The clear sight triangle shall be in
accordance with the design standards and required improvements for
streets set forth in the Prospect Park Borough Subdivision and Land
Development Ordinance.
Accessory uses, buildings and structures shall
include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
A. Uses, buildings and structures accessory to dwellings.
(1) Detached private garage, covered private parking space,
carport, shelter for pets owned by the owner of the property, swimming
pool, in accordance with this section, and private greenhouses.
(2) Post, mast, tower or other structure when erected and operated by the occupier thereof, who is an amateur radio operator duly licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, when approved as a special exception as set forth in Article
IV, R-1 Residential District, §
70-11.
B. Accessory use structures in yards. In any district, unless otherwise specified or implied by the requirements for a buffer planting strip, accessory uses, structures or buildings may be located, erected or maintained in the side yard that does not abut the street or in any rear yard, provided that in no case shall such accessory use, structure or building be closer to any lot line than three feet except for fences which define property boundary lines or serve as a required continuous buffer or such fences as are approved pursuant to §
70-57 hereof.
[Amended 6-10-2003 by Ord. No. 1245, approved 6-10-2003]
D. Recreational vehicles and travel trailers. Recreational
vehicles and/or travel trailers owned and licensed to a member of
the family of the owner or tenant and who shall reside at the premises
shall be stored in the rear yard of the principal permitted use or
in a garage or roofed structure. The number of recreational vehicles
and/or travel trailers to be stored on any lot shall be limited to
two. These vehicles must be stored three feet from the owner's property.
E. Sheds, other buildings and structures. Private buildings
and structures, such as, but not limited to, bathhouses, sheds or
private, noncommercial greenhouses shall be permitted in side and
rear yards only and not in the front yard. Such structures shall be
no closer than two feet to a side or rear boundary. For purposes of
this chapter, a shed shall be defined as a building or structure not
more than 10 feet in height and not more than 144 square feet of interior
floor space, to be used as incidental to the primary use of the property
on which it is located.
[Amended 3-14-2000 by Ord. No. 1215, approved 3-14-2000]
(1) The number of sheds on a lot should be limited to
one.
(2) Sheds must be two feet from the side or rear boundary. (See §
70-60E).
(3) Installation requirements for sheds shall be as follows:
(a)
A shed may be installed or erected on any property
within the Borough without the placement of footers or foundations
beneath the shed, provided that, for the purpose of rodent and vermin
control, the shed is placed on a concrete slab not less than four
inches thick, and further provided that the shed complies with all
other requirements of the Building and Housing Code.
(b)
Four inches of crushed stone can be used in
lieu of a concrete slab in the event that the slab is of the fabricated
wooden variety with a treated wooden floor system. Such a system must
contain treated skids that elevate the floor of the building a minimum
of four inches above grade for air circulation beneath the structure.
Wire must be secured to the perimeter skids as a rodent and vermin
control.
(c)
The concrete slab or stone must be no less than
two inches larger than the maximum length and width of the shed.
(4) Sheds must be located a minimum of eight feet from
the house or primary structure.
F. Maximum height. Accessory buildings and structures.
No accessory building or structure shall exceed 20 feet in height
except for storage sheds, which may not exceed 10 feet in height,
and private garages, which may not exceed 14 feet in height. A vertical
distance measured from the lowest and highest grade at the foundation
divided by these two figures to create an average and measurement
is taken from this figure.
[Amended 6-10-2003 by Ord. No. 1245, approved 6-10-2003]
G. Temporary structure or use. No temporary structures
or uses shall be permitted.
No building shall be erected, altered or located
over a public sewer or within the limits of any right-of-way relating
thereto.
No lot or premises in any part of the Borough
shall be used to keep or raise any chickens, ducks, pigeons or other
fowl or rabbits, hares, guinea pigs, white mice, hamsters or any other
small animals, with the exception of specimens kept as household pets,
provided that the keeping of the same shall not cause a nuisance.
No lot or premises in any part of the Borough shall be used to keep
or raise any horses, cows, cattle, sheep or any other farm animals
or wild animals and reptiles, whether domesticated or not.
A dwelling existing at the time this chapter
becomes effective may be converted into no more than three dwelling
units, provided that the following requirements are met:
A. The lot area per dwelling unit shall not be less than
2,500 square feet.
B. All other district requirements shall be met.
C. No alteration of the building exterior shall be made,
except as may be necessary for health or safety purposes.
D. Fire escapes.
(1) New fire escapes for residential conversions shall
be required where exterior stairs cannot be utilized due to lot lines
limiting stair size. (See BOCA Code 1025.1.3.)
(2) Fire escapes shall not be on any wall facing the street.
(3) All required fire escapes shall be maintained in working
condition and structurally sound.
(4) All fire escapes or stairs shall be provided to each
dwelling unit on existing buildings and residential conversions.
(5) All other requirements shall be according to BOCA
Code regulations, Section 1025.0.
Residential day-care centers shall, in addition
to all standards and criteria in this chapter, be subject to the following:
A. Residential day-care centers and operators of centers
shall be licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. Center shall be contained within the residence of
the owner/operator, and the essential character of the building as
a residence shall be maintained.
C. Signage shall be limited to one sign not to exceed
144 square inches in area.
D. No more than six children shall be cared for at any
one time. The number of children must be the same as listed on the
license.
E. A responsible adult shall be in attendance at all
times when children are in attendance.
F. The owner/operator of the residential day-care center
may employ no more than two assistants, to be determined by the number
of children in the center.
G. Two additional off-street parking spaces shall be
required for employees and/or visitors, to be determined by the number
of children listed on the license.
Families of unrelated persons shall not be permitted
within 500 feet of any other family of unrelated persons.