Within residential districts, no more than one
principal building may occupy or be constructed upon any lot.
Except as provided in Article
XII, §
145-39, no lot may be reduced in area below the minimum lot area as specified herein for the district within which it is located.
Accessory buildings must be as specified in Articles
X,
XI and
XII and subject to the setbacks required in Articles
X,
XI and
XII.
No building shall be constructed on a lot which
does not have the required minimum frontage on a public street.
Outdoor advertising signs, structures, shrubs
or trees shall not protrude from any property over any street or create
confusion around or otherwise interfere with traffic signals or other
traffic signs.
[Amended 3-13-2020 by Ord. No. 198-20]
Fences, plantings or other visual obstructions
above a height of three feet shall not be permitted within the sight
triangle. The sight triangle shall be established by measuring from
the edge of the pavement of intersecting streets 20 feet to the right
of a stopped vehicle and 10 feet towards the rear of a stopped vehicle.
The connection of those two lines will form the sight triangle. (Refer
to Diagram 145-9.1 below.) Protective walls erected along Ocean Drive
to block water incursion during flooding events, that predate the
approval of this section, shall be exempt from these requirements.
Diagram 145-9.1
Sight Triangle at Intersections
|
Public utilities may be located in any district
subject to approval of the Town Manager or his designee. In such cases,
the following requirements shall be complied with:
A. Such facility shall be essential for the immediate
area.
B. Open space surrounding the facility shall be suitably
landscaped and maintained.
C. When such facilities area is located within any R
Residential or C Commercial District, the storage of vehicles and
equipment surrounding the facility shall be prohibited.
D. The facility shall not constitute a nuisance.
[Amended 6-10-1995]
Subject to limitations imposed by §
145-9, no person shall erect a fence or wall or portion thereof, except as a retaining wall or a wall of a building or a fence enclosing a swimming pool, that shall exceed four feet in height. For property east of Ocean Drive, a fence meeting the requirements of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) shall be permitted, provided that it shall not extend eastward beyond the most eastward structural piling and may extend to the side lot lines, and provided that it is not permanently affixed to the pilings.
A. All applicants for a fence or wall shall acquire a
building permit. An application shall be made on a form as prescribed
by the Town. A copy of the drawing of the plans, with accompanying
specifications, must be submitted with the application.
B. All persons who construct fences on state-owned lands
contiguous to Delaware Route No. 1 shall first enter into a use and
custody agreement with the state and shall thereafter obtain approval
from the Town through the application for and issuance of a building
permit.
C. Fences constructed abutting the right-of-way of Delaware
Route No. 1 shall be constructed of wood or vinyl and shall meet Town
specifications. Such specifications will be provided at the time the
application forms are obtained from the Town.
[Amended 3-14-2014 by Ord. No. 171-13]
D. All fences shall be constructed of commercially available or equivalent materials. No light wire (except in conjunction with approved fences) or snow fence material, except where noted (see Subsection
E), may be installed along property lines. Garden fences less than two feet in height are permitted.
E. Sand/snow fences may be permitted on lots east of
Ocean Drive. Sand/snow fences for dune maintenance may be permitted
but must conform to the DNREC regulations. Residential/commercial
type fencing, including but not limited to split rail, picket rail,
lattice, salt-treated lumber, regular lumber and PVC, shall not be
permitted on lots east of Ocean Drive.
[Amended 4-17-1998 by Ord. No. 74-98]
All commercial property shall provide a privacy
fence at least six feet but not more than eight feet in height. A
fence shall be erected to conceal various storage equipment/materials,
dumpsters and any other materials normally found in commercial establishments.
This fence shall be anchored in such a manner that it cannot become
airborne during high winds and/or stormy conditions.
[Amended 2-8-2002 by Ord. No. 106-01]
Beautification mounds are acceptable in place of fences. Beautification mounds located east of Highway No. 1 shall be elevated soil or sand material placed on properties in lieu of fences for beautification purposes. Beautification mounds and any vegetation planted thereon shall not exceed four feet in height nor be located within two feet of street lot lines; however, trees will be allowed to grow to their normal height, provided they are kept trimmed in accordance with Chapter
125. Trees on corner lots with street intersections or curves along road rights-of-way must be trimmed to provide adequate vehicular visibility. Beautification mounds constructed less than 10 feet from the intersection of rights-of-way of two streets, including any vegetation or ornamentation, shall not exceed three feet in height. Beautification mounds shall be constructed so as not to divert normal drainage waters onto other private or public property.
[Added 4-17-1998 by Ord. No. 74-98;
amended 2-8-2002 by Ord. No. 106-01]
Any building or structure which is destroyed
or damaged by fire, explosion, natural catastrophe or act of God to
an extent that, in the judgment of the Code Enforcement Constable
or Town Manager, the building or structure is nonhabitable or a hazard
to public health or life or safety, shall be removed from the premises
or restoration begun within 30 days of the date of destruction or
damage.
[Added 8-13-1999 by Ord. No. 86-99]
A. All outdoor commercial lighting fixtures shall be
fully hooded or shielded so they do not produce an objectionable or
inordinate glare on neighboring property and no direct rays of light
source go beyond the commercial property lines. Such fixtures shall
also be locked in a fixed position at all times.
B. Fully hooded or shielded outdoor commercial lighting
fixtures shall not be higher than 30 feet above ground level if attached
to a pole or above the roof line if attached to a building. Lighting
under canopies or overhangs shall also not be higher than 30 feet
above ground level.
[Added 5-14-2010 by Ord. No. 153-10]
A. In the R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District (§
145-26) at least 55% of the sum of required building setback area, as defined in Chapter
145, Zoning, Article
XI, Setback Requirements, shall be covered with pervious covering materials. The building setback area is the total of the front, rear and side setbacks expressed in square footage (i.e.: 25 feet x 50 feet + 25 feet x 50 feet + 8 feet x 50 feet + 8 feet x 50 feet = 3,300 square feet. 3,300 square feet x 55% = 1,815 square feet minimum pervious coverage). Pervious covering materials, such as, but not limited to, sand, gravel, mulch, grass, shells, natural vegetation, or, when installed per current industry standards or guidelines, permeable pavers, pervious concrete, and porous asphalt.
[Amended 2-10-2012 by Ord. No. 159-11; 9-9-2016 by Ord. No. 183-16]
B. Notwithstanding the requirements of Subsection
A of this section, only pervious covering material is allowed within a five-foot-wide perimeter strip adjacent to the property boundary line on the sides and rear of any residential building lot within the town limits of South Bethany. The front of the lot is exempt from this requirement. Only pervious materials listed in Subsection
A shall be allowed as a ground covering. On residential building lots where the required setback is less than 10 feet, the required perimeter strip shall be at least 50% of the setback.
C. Only
materials, such as, but not limited to, gravel, shells, sand, and
grass shall be allowed as a ground covering in any Town right-of-way.
Pervious concrete and porous asphalt shall not be used in any Town
right-of-way. Permeable pavers may be used within the Town right-of-way
along the front of the property. If the permeable pavers are removed
for any reason, it will be the owner's responsibility and cost to
replace the pavers.
[Amended 2-10-2012 by Ord. No. 159-11; 2-11-2022 by Ord. No. 205-21]
D. Impervious paving is permitted in the construction of a boat ramp as defined in §
50-6, Ramp specifications.
E. Impervious
surfaces planned in the setback area require a building permit. The
application for a permit shall include a plot or sketch, showing the
location and dimensions of all existing and planned impervious surfaces,
including a description of the materials to be used.
F. Construction
of permeable pavers must have prior Town building or paving permit
approval and must be inspected by the Town after the gravel base has
been completed but before pavers have been installed to ensure that
current industry standards have been met.
[Amended 2-10-2012 by Ord. No. 159-11]
G. Any ground-level boardwalk or ground-level deck as defined in Chapter
145, Zoning, Article
III, Definitions, except those constructed with pressure-treated lumber, shall have spacing of at least 1/8 inch between floor boards at construction.
H. Impervious ground coverings existing at the time of enactment of this section may be used and repaired as a nonconforming structure (§
145-3) but may not be expanded, rebuilt, or replaced with such materials where 50% or more of such structure requires repair (§
145-17).