[Amended 7-11-1983 by Ord. No. 1358]
The intent of the residential districts is to provide zoning
districts in which the predominant use will be residential, while
providing for those uses that are generally considered residential
in character. It is further the intent of these regulations to permit
the orderly development of the full range of residential uses and
reuses in keeping with the character of the neighborhoods within which
such uses take place.
[Amended 3-22-1982 by Ord. No. 1329; 7-11-1983 by Ord. No. 1358; 2-14-1994 by Ord. No. 1576]
The density of development in all residential districts shall
be controlled by the following area requirements:
A. Percentage of lot coverage relative to size. The total ground floor
square foot area of all buildings located on a lot shall not exceed
the given percentage of the total lot area. The maximum permitted
percentages of lot coverage are:
|
Lot Area
|
Maximum Lot Coverage
|
---|
|
4,000 to 5,999 square feet
|
50%
|
|
6,000 to 9,999 square feet
|
45%
|
|
Over 10,000 square feet
|
35%
|
B. Minimum yard requirements. Yards and distances from buildings shall
be:
(1) Front yard. Average of the setbacks of the adjoining lots within
the block.
(2) Side and rear yard. Minimum of five feet.
(3) Adjoining buildings. No building shall be constructed less than 10
feet from an adjoining building.
(4) Corner lots. All lot area facing a street shall be treated as a front
yard for purposes of yard requirements.
(5) Average setback. Shall be determined by the Zoning Officer by calculating
the average of the setbacks for existing buildings within a block.
At the option of the owner, existing buildings which deviate 25% or
more from the average shall be deleted from all calculations. Where
no average setback exists on a given block, the Zoning Officer shall
determine the setback requirement in keeping with the character of
the neighborhood.
(6) Existing buildings. Existing buildings, including accessory buildings,
not conforming to setback and yard requirements may be repaired, maintained,
replaced and/or enlarged at their existing location so long as the
existing nonconforming yard line setbacks are not reduced. This regulation
does not affect required use regulations.
(7) Accessory buildings on lots of less than 60 feet in width may have
minimum setbacks of three feet for side yards and rear yards.
(8) Accessory buildings on lots of less than 60 feet in width shall be
limited to only one story in height, not to exceed 15 feet.
(9) Multifamily dwellings. Density of land use, including percentage of lot coverage and yard requirements, for any multifamily use shall be in accordance with §
470-23C of this chapter.
C. Floor area ratio (FAR).
(1) The total square feet of floor area (building area exclusive of garages,
basements and accessory buildings) expressed as a ratio to the total
square feet of lot area. The maximum permitted floor area ratio (FAR)
for each of the residential districts shall be:
(a)
In the R-1 District: 0.3.
(b)
In the R-2 District: 0.5.
(c)
In the R-3 District: 0.8.
(2) To calculate the maximum square feet of floor area permitted in any
residential zone, multiply the FAR times the total lot area.
D. Minimum lot size and width. The minimum lot size resulting from a
boundary adjustment or subdivision for new residential development
shall be 5,000 square feet.
[Amended 6-19-2006 by Ord. No. 1739]
(1) Existing lots of record of at least 4,000 square feet may be used
for residential development.
(2) The minimum lot width on which new residential development may take
place is 40 feet.
E. Minimum dwelling size.
(1) A single-family dwelling shall contain a minimum of 800 square feet
of living space.
(2) Multifamily dwelling units shall contain, as a minimum, an average of 550 square feet of living space per dwelling unit, except that a multifamily dwelling containing only one-bedroom units shall contain a minimum of 400 square feet of living space per dwelling unit. All multifamily dwellings shall meet the requirements of Subsection
C above.
(3) Basements, garages, accessory buildings and nonexclusive areas shall
not be included in the measurement of living space.
F. Parking. Parking shall be provided in accordance with Article
X of this chapter.
G. Junk. The visible storage or placement of junk is not permitted in
any residential district.
[Amended 1-21-1984 by Ord. No. 1399; 5-8-2000 by Ord. No. 1650]
A. Intent. To provide a district to preserve principally single-family
low-density residential development.
B. Permitted uses. Within the R-1 District, the following uses of land,
buildings or premises are permitted:
(1) Single-family detached dwellings.
(2) Planned residential developments.
(3) No-impact home-based business in accordance with §
470-19 of this chapter.
[Added 1-19-2009 by Ord. No. 1775]
C. Permitted accessory uses. Only the following accessory uses are permitted:
(1) Customary residential accessory uses.
(2) Swimming pools, tennis courts and similar recreational uses if designed
primarily for the use of the occupants.
(3) Tool or storage sheds, greenhouses, garages, heat collectors, walls,
fences, lampposts and similar accessory structures if designed solely
for the use of the occupants.
(4) Parking in accordance with Article
X of this chapter.
(5) No antenna, solar collectors, sheds, swimming pools or similar accessory
uses are permitted in the front yard.
(6) Satellite discs and dishes in accordance with §
470-47 of these zoning regulations.
D. Special exceptions. The following uses shall be permitted as a special exception where authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board, subject to Article
XIII of this chapter:
(1) Elderly housing with common dining facilities.
(a)
Intent.
[1]
To provide for group elderly housing living where unrelated
persons age 55 or over occupy a building or group of buildings and
residents reside in individual rooms with central cooking and dining
facilities while maintaining the essential neighborhood character.
[2]
The principal differences between group homes and group elderly
housing with common dining facilities include the age and degree of
independent living of the residents and the method of selection of
a group of persons to reside in the home and profit or nonprofit status
of the organization supervising/managing. Persons in a group elderly
housing with common dining facilities are placed therein by a Pennsylvania
nonprofit corporation by the IRS for charitable deduction purposes.
(b)
General conditions.
[1]
All regulations regarding residential use in the R-1 District
shall be followed in the use of group elderly housing with common
dining facilities.
[2]
The corporation shall annually and on any change of ownership
certify to the City that it is in compliance with the terms of this
section, any special exception use conditions by the Zoning Hearing
Board and the entire provisions of this chapter.
[3]
Parking shall be in accordance with Article
X of this chapter.
(c)
Maximum density. The maximum number of individuals permitted to reside in a group elderly housing with common dining facilities will be two times the number of dwelling units that would otherwise be permitted in the structure. See §
470-15E.
(2) Bed-and-breakfast facilities use is subject to Article
VIII, General Controls, §
470-49, of this chapter.
[Added 3-17-2008 by Ord. No. 1762]
[Amended 1-21-1984 by Ord. No. 1399]
A. Intent. To provide a district permitting primarily single-family
residential use and multifamily residential uses. It is also the intention
to permit more dense development than the R-1 District in this zone.
B. Permitted uses. Within the R-2 District, the following uses of land,
buildings or premises are permitted:
(1) Single-family detached dwellings.
(3) Planned residential developments.
(4) No-impact home-based business in accordance with §
470-19 of this chapter.
[Added 1-19-2009 by Ord. No. 1775]
(5) Conversion of single-family dwellings to multifamily dwellings in accordance with the density requirements of §
470-15E.
(6) Bed-and-breakfast facilities use is subject to Article
VIII, General Controls, §
470-49, of this chapter.
[Added 3-17-2008 by Ord. No. 1762]
C. Permitted accessory uses. Only the following accessory uses are permitted:
(1) Customary residential accessory uses.
(2) Swimming pools, tennis courts and similar recreational uses if designed
primarily for the use of the occupants.
(3) Tool or storage sheds, greenhouses, garages, solar heat collectors,
walls, fences, lampposts and similar accessory structures if designed
solely for the use of the occupants.
(4) Parking in accordance with Article
X of this chapter.
(5) No antennas, solar collectors, sheds, swimming pools or similar accessory
uses are permitted in the front yard.
(6) Satellite discs and dishes in accordance with §
470-47 of these zoning regulations.
D. Special exceptions. The following uses shall be permitted as a special exception where authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board, subject to Article
XIII of this chapter:
[Amended 7-11-1983 by Ord. No. 1358; 1-21-1984 by Ord. No. 1399; 5-10-1993 by Ord. No. 1564]
A. Intent. To provide a district that permits an integrated mixture
of uses, including high-density residential, public/semipublic, office
and commercial.
B. Permitted uses. Within the R-3 District, the following uses of land,
buildings and premises are permitted:
(1) Single-family detached dwellings.
(3) Planned residential developments.
(4) No-impact home-based business in accordance with §
470-19 of this chapter.
[Added 1-19-2009 by Ord. No. 1775]
(5) Conversion of single-family dwellings to multifamily dwellings in accordance with the density requirements of §
470-15E.
(7) Offices in residential structures in accordance with §
470-21 of this chapter.
(9) Group homes in accordance with §
470-22 of this chapter.
(10)
Bed-and-breakfast facilities use is subject to Article
VIII, General Controls, §
470-49, of this chapter.
[Added 3-17-2008 by Ord. No. 1762]
C. Permitted accessory uses. Only the following accessory uses are permitted:
(1) Customary residential accessory uses.
(2) Swimming pools, tennis courts and similar recreational uses if designed
primarily for the use of the occupants.
(3) Tool or storage sheds, greenhouses, garages, solar heat collectors,
walls, fences, lampposts and accessory structures if designed solely
for the use of the occupants.
(4) Parking in accordance with Article
X of this chapter.
(5) No antennas, solar collectors, sheds, swimming pools or similar accessory
uses are permitted in the front yard.
(6) Satellite discs and dishes in accordance with §
470-47 of these zoning regulations.
D. Special exceptions. The following uses shall be permitted as a special exception where authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board, subject to Article
XIII of this chapter:
(4) Public recreation facilities.
(5) Group elderly housing with common dining facilities.
[Amended 7-11-1983 by Ord. No. 1358]
A. Intent. To permit the residents of single-family homes to carry on
certain occupations wholly within their residences while maintaining
the basic residential character of their property and neighborhoods.
B. No-impact home-based business. "No-impact home-based business" is
a business or commercial activity administered or conducted as an
accessory use which is clearly secondary to the use as a residential
dwelling and which does not create vehicular or pedestrian traffic
by customers, clients, patients, pickup, delivery or removal functions
to or from the premises which is in excess of that which is normally
associated with residential use. The business or commercial activity
must satisfy the following requirements:
[Added 1-19-2009 by Ord. No. 1775]
(1) The person or persons seeking a business activity must first obtain
appropriate permits from the City offices.
(2) The person or persons intending to engage in such business activity
must comply with all local, state and federal laws, regulations, statutes
and ordinances which are pertinent to the business activity.
(3) The business activity shall be compatible with the residential use
of the property and surrounding residential uses.
(4) There shall be no display or sale of goods and no stockpiling or
inventory of a substantial nature.
(5) In no way shall the appearance of the structure be altered or the
occupation within the residence be conducted in a manner which would
cause the premises to differ from its essential character, either
by the use of colors, materials, construction, lighting, signs or
the emission of sounds, noises or vibrations.
(6) The business activity may not use any equipment or process which
creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electrical interference,
including interference with radio or television reception, which is
detectable in the neighborhood.
(7) The business activity may not generate any solid waste or sewage
discharge in volume or type which is not normally associated with
residential use in the neighborhood.
(8) The business activity shall be conducted only within the dwelling
and may not occupy more than 25% of the habitable floor area.
(9) The business may not involve any illegal activity.
(10)
Signs shall be in accordance with Article
IX of this chapter.
[Added 9-17-1984 by Ord. No. 1392; amended 12-12-1988 by Ord. No.
1491; 5-18-1992 by Ord. No. 1549]
The retail sale of new items by catalog or sample may be conducted
in all residential districts, provided that items may not be purchased
and carried from the premises upon sale. Such sales may be conducted
for period of time which does not exceed a total of eight weeks per
year, provided that such sales are open only to customers who receive
invitations from the seller and who have prearranged appointments
to visit the premises at an established time, and also provided that
there be no exterior or interior signs advertising the sale event.
Any person, firm or corporation conducting retail sales in accordance
with the provisions of this section must register at the City office
in accordance with procedures established by the Zoning Administrator.
[Amended 7-11-1983 by Ord. No. 1358; 8-13-1984 by Ord. No. 1391]
A. Intent. To provide for group homes or congregate living where unrelated
persons occupy a single structure with central cooking and dining
facilities while maintaining the essential neighborhood character.
B. Clarification of terms. A group home is a facility providing living
space on a long-term basis for four or more unrelated persons. The
facility generally provides central cooking and dining facilities
as well as other forms of supervised living activities or guidance.
The facility may be operated for profit or by a nonprofit group or
organization to serve a group of persons. The principal differences
between boardinghomes and group homes include the level of supervised
services and the method of selection of a group of persons to reside
in the home. Persons in a group home are placed therein by a court
or governmental unit or agent of a governmental unit.
C. General conditions.
(1) All regulations regarding residential use in the R-3 District shall
be followed in the use of group homes.
(2) Parking shall be in accordance with Article
X of this chapter.
D. Maximum density. The maximum number of individuals permitted to reside in a group home will be two times the number of dwelling units that would otherwise be permitted in the structure. See §
470-15E.
[Amended 7-11-1983 by Ord. No. 1358; 12-12-1988 by Ord. No. 1491; 5-18-1992 by Ord. No. 1549]
A. Intent. To provide for the single development of three-acre-or-larger
tracts in a planned and coordinated manner in order to maximize the
use of the land while developing aesthetically pleasing living areas.
It is the intention of these regulations to permit maximum design
flexibility in order to encourage innovative use of the land while
maintaining a sense of community responsibility.
B. Permitted uses. Within the planned residential development all residential uses and their customary accessory uses, as outlined in §
470-18C, are permitted. No commercial, office or similar use is permitted in a planned residential development.
C. Density of land use. Within the planned residential development,
the following density and intensity controls shall apply:
(1) Percentage of land area coverage. The maximum percentage of the total
land area of the development that may be covered with buildings is
35%.
(2) Yard requirements.
(a)
All yards shall be determined as the minimum distances between
principal structures. These distances shall be related to the height
of the structure in the following manner:
[1]
Front of structure to front of structure: two times the height.
[2]
Side of structure to side: one time the height.
[3]
Rear of structure to rear: four times the height.
[4]
Front of structure to rear of structure: four times the height.
[5]
Side of structure to rear of structure: three times the height.
(b)
No other structure arrangements are permitted.
D. General standards. The planned development must meet one of the following
general standards:
(1) The planned development is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
(2) The planned development is an effective and unified treatment of
the development possibilities on the project site, and the development
plan makes appropriate provision for the preservation of streams and
stream banks, wooded coves, rough terrain and similar areas.
(3) The planned development shall be planned and developed to harmonize
with any existing or proposed development in the area surrounding
the project site.
(4) Provision for sewage treatment must be made.
(5) Provision for adequate site drainage must be made.
E. Required recreational land. Land equal to 10% of the total land area
must be reserved for and developed for active recreation use, such
as swimming pools, tennis courts, tot-lots, ball fields and similar
recreational facilities. Development of the recreational facilities
shall be the responsibility of the developer. The City shall be assured
of the reservation of this land through an agreement with the developer.
F. Parking. Parking shall be provided in accordance with Article
X of this chapter. All required parking areas shall be shown on plans submitted for approval of the development, and their location shall be subject to review and approval by the City.
G. Construction standards. All site construction, such as sewers, roads, parking areas, etc., shall be in accordance with the City's Subdivision Ordinance (Chapter
415), Building Code (Chapter
195), and other applicable City codes and ordinances.
H. Enforcement and modification. The enforcement and modification of the development plan shall be carried out in accordance with Article
VII, § 706, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10706.
I. Application for tentative approval. Application for a planned residential development shall be made to the Zoning Administrator. The application shall include the payment of required fees as established by resolution of the City Council. The application procedure shall be as required in Article
VII, § 707, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10707.
J. Public hearings. Public hearings on the application for a planned residential development shall be held in accordance with Article
VII, § 708, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10708.
K. Findings of the City. The City shall find and act in accordance with Article
VII, § 709, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10709.
L. Status of plan after tentative approval. The City shall proceed in accordance with Article
VII, § 710, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10710.
M. Application for final approval. The developer shall make application to the Zoning Administrator for final approval in accordance with Article
VII, § 711, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10711.