[Ord. No. 4238 §2(401.0), 10-3-1988; Ord. No. 4274 §4, 6-5-1989; Ord.
No. 4313 §1, 3-5-1990; Ord. No. 4363 §1, 9-17-1990; Ord. No. 4521 §§1 —
2, 11-15-1993; Ord. No.
4822 §2, 6-17-2002; Ord. No. 4890 §1, 3-1-2004; Ord. No. 5018 §1, 4-16-2007; Ord.
No. 5533, 4-1-2024]
A. Access.
Every structure hereafter erected or moved shall be on a lot adjacent
to a public street, or with access to an approved private street,
and all structures shall be so located as to provide safe and convenient
access for servicing, fire protection and required off-street parking
and loading.
1. Access To Business Districts. No land which is located in a residential
district shall be used for a major access route to any land which
is located in any business or industrial district; provided, however,
that this Section shall not prohibit pedestrian walks and driveway
connections between residential districts and neighborhood shops when
incorporated as part of a planned district development.
2. Through Lots. A through lot having one (1) end abutting a limited
access highway, with no access permitted to that lot from said highway,
shall be deemed to front upon the street which gives access to that
lot.
B. Bulk
And Area Exceptions.
1. Structural Projections. Chimneys, cooling towers, elevator headhouses,
church steeples, radio, television and microwave transmission towers,
or necessary mechanical appurtenances usually required to be placed
above the roof level and not intended for human occupancy, are not
subject to the height limitations contained in the district regulations,
except that such structural projections shall not exceed the height
regulations of the district in which the structure is situated by
more than fifteen percent (15%), except as indicated below.
a. Structural projections exceeding the above height limitations shall be considered as conditional uses and shall be processed and reviewed in accordance with Article
X of this Chapter, except in no event shall a radio aerial or television antenna support extend more than twenty-five (25) feet above the ridge of a roof in any residential district.
b. Radio, television and microwave transmission towers shall only be
permitted upon sites located within the "C" and "PD" zoning districts.
c. Mechanical equipment or other utility hardware on the roof of or
ground surrounding buildings shall be screened from public view with
materials complementary to the building, or it shall be located so
as not to be visible from any public way.
2. Accessory Buildings. See Section
405.280 of this Chapter.
3. Every part of the required yard shall be open to the sky and unobstructed
except for accessory buildings in the rear yard, terraces, lawn sculpture,
cornices and ornamental features, and fences. However, no fence may
be erected in any required front yard, as herein defined, except that
the Building Commissioner may grant a permit for the erection of a
front yard fence on a corner lot subject to all the following provisions:
a. Fences located within any required front yard shall not exceed forty-eight
(48) inches in height, as measured from the topmost point thereof
to the ground adjacent to the fence.
b. At least forty percent (40%) of the area of said fence shall be open
as viewed on any line perpendicular to the vertical plane of the fence.
c. No front yard fence shall be erected within ten (10) feet of the
front property line.
Exception: A front yard fence with at least seventy percent
(70%) of said fence open as viewed on any line perpendicular to the
vertical plane of the fence shall not be erected within five (5) feet
of a front property line.
d. No wire or steel mesh wire fencing or chain link fencing may be used
in any manner as part of the fence in the required front yard.
e. No fence exceeding forty-eight (48) inches in height shall be erected
on any part of a lot in front of the front line of the main building
or in either front yard of lots having a double frontage.
f. Within thirty (30) feet of an intersection of two (2) or more streets,
fences, hedges or other vegetation which do not exceed two (2) feet
in height may be built or planted, provided they do not, in the opinion
of the Traffic Committee, obstruct vision of the operators of vehicles
or pedestrians.
g. All fences shall be erected and continuously maintained in accordance
with the provisions of the Building Code and this Code.
h. In residential areas having through lots facing streets to both front and rear and where seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the existing dwellings have observed a uniform building orientation, fences may be erected on their rear property lines in accordance with Section
505.150 of this Code, provided that no such fence shall be allowed to obstruct clear vision of vehicular traffic at intersections regardless of boundary line location and may not exceed six (6) feet in height in any case.
i. In commercial areas having through lots facing streets to both front and rear and where seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the existing buildings have observed a uniform building orientation, fences may be erected on their rear property lines in accordance with Section
505.150 of this Code, provide that no such fence shall be allowed to obstruct clear vision of vehicular traffic at intersections regardless of boundary line location and may not exceed eight (8) feet in height in any case.
4. Open or lattice-enclosed fire escapes, fireproof outside stairways,
unenclosed porches, marquees, and balconies opening upon fire towers
projecting into a yard not more than five (5) feet, and the ordinary
projections of chimneys and flues may be permitted by the Building
Commissioner when placed so as not to obstruct light and ventilation.
5. An open unenclosed porch may project from the main building into
a front yard for a distance not exceeding ten (10) feet.
6. A mechanical air condensing unit may be placed in a required side
yard provided the unit size is of six (6) tons or less and the unit
discharges the air to the top. The unit shall be screened from the
view of the public right-of-way.
7. Any exterior mounted satellite dish-type antenna used to receive
or transmit television, radio or other electronic signals shall be
subject to the following requirements and shall be permitted only
upon compliance with them:
a. Definition. As used herein, the term "satellite dish-type
antenna" shall mean any device incorporating a reflective
surface that is solid, open mesh, or bar configured and is in the
shape of a shallow dish, cone, horn, cornucopia or flat plate, which
is used or may be used to receive or transmit television signals,
radio or electromagnetic waves between terrestrially and/or orbitally
based units. This definition, is meant to include, but not be limited
to, what are commonly referred to as satellite earth stations, satellite
receivers, satellite discs, satellite dishes, direct broadcast systems
(DBSs), television reception only systems (TVROs), and satellite microwave
antennas.
b. Building Permit Requirements. A building permit shall be required
for any satellite dish-type antenna, and such permit shall conform
to the following standards and criteria:
(1)
No such antenna may be erected or maintained which is larger
than six (6) feet in any linear dimension or which has any part more
than eight (8) feet in height above ground level.
(2)
No more than one (1) such antenna may be located upon any building
lot, except for commercial and industrial lots in the "C," "PD-MxD"
and "PD-C" Districts.
(3)
In any residential zones, the antenna installation shall be
ground mounted and shall be located only in the buildable area of
a rear yard of a lot and not in the required setback areas of the
lot, and in no case closer than eight (8) feet from any property line.
In the case of the "R-4" High Density Multi-Family District, one (1)
master receiving antenna may be permitted to service the entire development
at any location subject to the approval of the City Council. Roof-mounting
of antennas shall be permitted upon commercial and industrial buildings
within the "C" Commercial District and the "PD" Planned Development
District, provided that such antennas are placed in such a fashion
as not to be visible from surrounding properties or the street, and
that they are not to be mounted upon appurtenances such as chimneys,
towers, trees, poles or spires.
(4)
No solid surface shall be allowed for an antenna located in
a residential zone; all satellite dish-type antennas in such zones
shall be made of open-mesh material.
(5)
All satellite dish-type antennas shall be a neutral color. For
purposes of this Subsection, black and gray shall be considered neutral
colors; and other colors may be considered neutral colors if they
blend with surrounding dominant colors so as to help camouflage the
antenna and are neither bright nor metallic.
(6)
All satellite dish-type antennas shall be screened from view
from the public and private streets or otherwise located on the building
lot area in such a manner as to eliminate their visibility from the
public and private streets. Screening materials may consist of such
items as walls, fences, buildings, mature plant materials or earth
berms, if and to the extent such items are otherwise permitted under
this Chapter. Screening shall not be required to the extent it would
block incoming reception or outgoing transmission signals from the
antenna in question.
(7)
No advertising in any form shall be permitted on any part of
the satellite dish-type antenna, except for a six (6) inch square
displaying the manufacturer's or distributor's company name; such
square are may not be on the concave side nor on the upper fifty percent
(50%) of the convex side of the antenna.
c. Construction Requirements. All satellite dish-type antennas shall
be constructed in accordance with the following requirements:
(1)
All structural supports shall be of galvanized metal.
(2)
Wiring between the antenna and a receiver shall be placed at
least four (4) inches beneath the surface of the ground within rigid
conduit.
(3)
All antennas shall be designed to withstand a wind force of
eighty-five (85) miles per hour without the use of any supporting
guy wires.
(4)
Any driving motor shall be limited to one hundred ten (110)
volts maximum power design and shall be encased in protective guards.
(5)
All antennas shall be bonded to a ground rod.
d. Application Requirements. The application for a building permit and
satellite dish approval pursuant hereto shall include a dimensioned
site plan depicting the proposed location, adjacent properties, screening
provisions, and the manufacturer's and installer's installation requirements
and product specifications; a drawing or picture of the proposed antenna
with all its pertinent dimensions; and a drawing of the proposed method
of installation, including footings and base supports. The building
permit official for the City may require any additional information
from the applicant which would assist in determining visual intrusion,
signal reception or transmission requirements and structural safety.
e. Additional Requirements. In addition to the aforementioned construction
performance standards, the construction and installation of each satellite
dish-type antenna shall conform to all requirements of the City of
Richmond Heights's adopted Building and Electrical Codes.
f. Variances For Signal Requirements. Applicants may request variances
from the requirements of this Chapter where and to the extent necessary
to obtain reasonable satellite signal transmission or reception. Said
request for variances shall be heard by an administrative review board
consisting of the Building Commissioner, Zoning Administrator and
City Manager. Applicants shall submit any information required by
the administrative review board to substantiate the need for a variance.
C. Visibility
At Intersections. On a corner lot in any district, development shall
conform to the requirements of the sight triangle in which nothing
shall be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow in such a manner
as to materially impede vision between a height of two (2) feet and
eight (8) feet above the grades at the back of the curb of the intersecting
streets, within the triangular area formed by the right-of-way lines
and a line connecting them at points thirty (30) feet from their point
of intersection or at equivalent points on private streets, except
that the sight triangle shall be increased for certain uses when deemed
necessary for traffic safety by the City Council.
D. General
Bulk Regulations.
1. Continued Conformity. No legally required yards, courts, other open
space or minimum lot area allocated to any structure shall, by virtue
of change of ownership or for any other reason, be used to satisfy
yards, courts, legally required parking areas, other open spaces or
minimum lot area requirements for any other structure, and there shall
be no permitted obstructions in required yards except as otherwise
set forth herein.
2. Division Of Real Property.
a. No lot unimproved or improved with a structure or structures shall
hereafter be subdivided into two (2) or more lots and no portion of
any lot which is unimproved or improved with a structure or structures
shall be sold unless all lots resulting from each such subdivision
meet one (1) of the two (2) following criteria:
(1)
Improved lots containing a structure or structures shall conform
to all regulations of the zoning district in which the lots are located.
(2)
Unimproved lots shall be of such configuration as to allow for
the development of permitted uses within the prevailing zoning district.
b. All subdivided lots shall be appropriately recorded plats as required
by St. Louis County.
c. Subdivisions shall occur in accordance with Chapter
410 of this Title.
3. Required Yards For Existing Structures. No yards now or hereafter
provided for a structure existing on the effective date of this Chapter
(October 3, 1988) shall subsequently be reduced below the minimum
yard requirements of this Chapter for equivalent new construction.
If already less than such yard requirements, it shall not be further
reduced.
4. Commercial/Industrial Rear Yards. No rear yard shall be required
in "C-1" Zoning District or any lot used for business or industrial
purposes, the rear line of which adjoins a railway right-of-way or
which has a rear railway track connection.
E. Fire
Protection Requirements. Each permitted use shall have a hydrant located
within three hundred (300) feet of the lot line sufficient to deliver
water for fire protection.
[Ord. No. 4238 §2(402.0), 10-3-1988; Ord. No. 4274 §5, 6-5-1989; Ord.
No. 4335 §1, 6-4-1990; Ord. No. 4363 §2, 9-17-1990; Ord. No. 4458 §§1 —
2, 9-21-1992; Ord. No.
5297 §1, 8-3-2015; Ord. No. 5533, 4-1-2024]
A. Authorization.
Accessory uses are permitted in any zoning district in connection
with a principal permitted use.
B. Permitted Accessory Uses. A permitted accessory use is any use or structure which complies with the definition in Article
II, including but not limited to the following typical uses:
1. Private garages or carport.
2. Off-street parking and loading spaces as required by Article
VI and any additional off-street parking or loading spaces which are devoted exclusively to the principal use or activity, unless specifically prohibited under Subsection
(C) of this Section, except that no residentially zoned property without a residence shall be used for parking.
a.
Parking in residential zones will be allowed only on non-permeable
pavement.
b. As parking is an accessory use, subordinate to the principal structure
on the property, the total area allotted to parking shall be less
in area than the area provided for the principal structure.
3. A structure for storage incidental to a permitted use (limited to
a floor area equivalent to ten percent (10%) of the floor area of
the use to which it is necessary).
C. Specifically
Prohibited Uses.
1. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to occupy
or use any land, building or part thereof for any accessory use which
is specifically prohibited herein.
2. The following are specifically prohibited accessory uses:
a. Repair or service of any motor vehicle in any residential zoning
district unless the activities are confined within a completely enclosed
building or unless the repairs are limited to those defined herein
as motor vehicle maintenance and are fully completed within a period
of twenty-four (24) hours or less; provided, that all such repairs
shall be limited to the vehicles of the resident or residents living
within the principal building.
b. Open storage of major recreational equipment, which must be stored
behind the building line, shall be limited to no more than a total
of two (2) such pieces of equipment, provided neither shall be longer
than twenty (20) feet, as reflected on the State registration of such
equipment. If one (1) such piece of equipment is longer than twenty
(20) feet, open storage of only one (1) such piece of equipment shall
be allowed, but in no event shall any such piece of equipment exceed
thirty-two (32) feet in length.
c. An accessory use shall not be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping
purposes.
D. Bulk
Regulations.
1. Accessory structures and uses shall be set back at least five (5)
feet from the rear lot line and at least five (5) feet from the main
building.
2. Accessory structures and uses shall maintain the same side yard as
is required for the principal structure located on the zoning lot,
except that off-street parking, fences and walls may be located in
required side yards.
3. On lots having a width of fifty (50) or less, a detached garage and/or
storage building may encroach into the legal side yard, provided the
point of said garage and/or storage building nearest to the closest
dwelling unit on an adjacent lot maintains the distance required in
the following table and provided that no part of the proposed garage
and/or storage building shall encroach on an existing utility easement:
All "R-1" Districts
|
24 feet
|
All "R-2" Districts
|
16 feet
|
All "R-3" Districts
|
12 feet
|
4. Accessory structures and uses shall otherwise comply with the bulk
regulations applicable to the district in which they are located.
5. Except for garages and swimming pools, no accessory building or structure
shall be larger in total area than ten percent (10%) of the total
rear yard area.
6. In no event shall the total square footage of accessory structures,
including detached garages, but excluding swimming pools, exceed twenty-five
percent (25%) of the total rear yard area.
7. Accessory buildings or structures may not exceed one and one-half
(1 ½) stories or sixteen (16) feet in height in all dwelling
districts, but shall not exceed the height of the main structure(s).
The height shall be determined by measuring from the grade level to
the bottom of a flat roof or to the bottom of the rafters of a pitched
roof.
8. Swimming pools may be of any size but shall not encroach into any
side yard.
9.
At least fifty-five percent (55%) of the required front yard
area and twenty-five percent (25%) of the required rear yard shall
be permeable and landscaped, which landscaping shall consist of living
trees, shrubbery, grass, flowers and/or ground cover. Property with
a front entry garage and paved driveway leading to it may have additional
non-permeable surface, provided that at least forty percent (40%)
of the required front yard is permeable and landscaped.
E. Use
Limitations. All accessory structures and uses shall comply with the
use limitations applicable to the zoning district in which they are
located and with the following additional use limitations:
1. No accessory structure shall be occupied prior to the time of the
completion of the construction of the principal structure to which
it is accessory except as a temporary construction facility during
construction of the principal building.
2. No accessory structure shall be permitted in a front yard in any
residential district. In residential areas having through lots facing
streets to both front and rear and where seventy-five percent (75%)
or more of the existing dwellings have observed a uniform building
orientation, accessory structures may be erected in the secondary
front yard, that which is being used as the rear yard. All other regulations
for accessory uses shall be observed.
[Ord. No. 4238 §2(403.0), 10-3-1988]
A. Authorization. Any home occupation which is customarily
incidental to the principal use of a building as a dwelling shall
be permitted in any dwelling unit; provided that any necessary permit
has been issued.
B. Use Limitations. In addition to all use limitations applicable
to the district in which it is located, no home occupation shall be
permitted unless it complies with all the following provisions:
1. The business shall not employ persons other than members of the family
residing on the premises.
2. No more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the total enclosed floor
area, excluding accessory uses, may be used for such business including
basement, garage or attic spaces of a dwelling unit.
3. No alteration of a principal residential structure shall be made
to accommodate a home occupation which changes the character thereof
as a dwelling.
4. No mechanical equipment or process shall be used which creates noise,
vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electrical interference detectable
to the normal senses outside the residential structure.
5. There shall be no warehousing or exterior storage of equipment.
6. No signs shall be allowed for permitted home occupations.
7. Home occupations shall be permitted for the individual occupying
a dwelling as his/her residence.
C. Permitted Home Occupations. Customary home occupations include, but are not limited to, the following list of occupations, provided however, that each listed occupation shall be subject to the limitations of Section
405.370.
1. Dressmakers, seamstresses, tailors.
2. Teachers, provided that instructions shall be limited to one (1)
pupil at a time.
3. Artists, sculptors, authors or composers.
4. Office facilities for architects, engineers, lawyers, realtors, insurance
agents, brokers and members of similar professions.
5. Office or study of ministers, rabbis or priests.
6. Office facilities for salesmen, sales representatives, manufacturers'
representatives, when no retail or wholesale sales are made or transacted
on the premises.
7. Home crafts, such as model making, rug weaving, lapidary work, cabinet
making, etc., provided that no machinery or equipment be used or employed
other than that which would customarily be found in a home. Machinery
or equipment which would customarily be found in the home shall include
machinery or equipment which would customarily be employed in connection
with a hobby or a vocation not conducted for gain or profit.
8. Nursery schools and day care centers with four (4) children or less.
9. Office facilities for independent contractors subject to no outside
storage of supplies or equipment.
D. Prohibited Home Occupations. Permitted home occupations
shall not in any event be deemed to include:
1. Barber shops and beauty parlors.