[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1000]
The lot or yard requirements for any new building or use shall
not include any part of a lot that is required by any other building
or use to comply with the requirements of this chapter. No required
lot or area shall include any property, the ownership of which has
been transferred subsequent to the effective date of this chapter,
if such property was a part of the area required for compliance with
the dimensional requirements applicable to the lot which such transfer
was made.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1001]
Where a minimum lot size is specified, no primary building or use shall be erected or established on any lot of lesser size than as specified in §
27-907, except as specified in §
27-1003.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1002; as amended by Ord.
2288, 4/12/2010]
1. The provisions of this Part shall not prevent the construction of
a single-family dwelling in a residential district on any lot what
was lawful when created and which, prior to the effective date of
this chapter, was in separate ownership duly recorded by plan or deed;
and, provided that:
A. Those lots not served by public water shall meet all requirements
of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Those lots not
sewered by public sewer shall meet the requirements of DEP or the
Allegheny Board of Health.
B. The front and rear yards shall aggregate at least 50% of the total
lot depth or meet the normal requirements of the district in which
the lot is located; but, in no case shall the front yard be less than
25 feet, and the rear yard less than 20 feet.
C. The side yards shall aggregate at least 30% of the total lot width
or meet the normal requirements of the district in which the lot is
located, whichever is least, but in no case shall either side yard
be less than five feet.
D. In zoning districts designated as R-1, One-Family District and R-2, One- and Two-Family District, structures existing at the time of enactment of this chapter, as amended, having side yards less than those set forth in §
27-907 "Residential Use Dimensional Regulations," shall not be considered nonconforming and may be expanded, provided that the extension does not project beyond the side yard building line as established by the existing structure.
2. This exception shall not apply to any two or more contiguous lots
in a single ownership as of or subsequent to the effective date of
this chapter, in any case where a reparceling or replatting could
create one or more lots which would conform to the chapter.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1003]
1. Where a minimum lot width is specified, no primary building shall be erected on any part of a lot which has a width less than specified in §§
27-907 or
27-908, except as specified in §
27-1003.
2. On lots fronting the closed end of a cul-de-sac, the minimum lot
width shall be measured by the distance between side lot lines measured
perpendicularly along the front building line as the minimum lot width
measurement provided the lot has at least 40 feet frontage on the
abutting street right-of-way.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1004]
In all districts, no structure, fence, planting or other obstruction
shall be maintained between a plane 2 1/2 feet above curb level
and a plane 10 feet above curb level. This shall be maintained in
order to provide traffic visibility across the corner within that
part of the required yard which is within a clear site triangle. The
clear site triangle shall be measured from the center line of the
cartway 75 feet from the intersecting center lines of the cartway
intersections. When one or both streets, which form the intersection,
are classified as collector roads or arterial roads, the sight triangle
shall be measured 100 feet from the intersecting center lines of the
cartway intersections.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1005]
1. Where a minimum depth of front yard is specified in §§
27-907 or
27-908, an open space of at least the specified depth shall be provided between the street line or lines and the nearest point of any building or structure, except as may be permitted hereafter. As provided in §
27-202, street lines are considered to be established by future right-of-way when so designated. The purpose of this provision is to avoid interference with future road widenings and improvements.
2. Projections into Front Yards. Ground story bays and porches not over
half the length of the front wall may project five feet into any front
yard. Columns, sills, ornamental features, cornices and gutters are
permitted to project over a required front yard.
3. Accessory Buildings in Front Yards. Accessory buildings shall not
be permitted within required front yards.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1006]
1. No portion of a building or structure shall be built within the minimum depth from the side lot line specified in §§
27-907 or
27-908, except where the plan was recorded prior to the passage of this chapter, such side yards may have a minimum width of five feet and except on corner lots the side yard adjacent to the depth of front yards on said intersecting street; and, as permitted below.
2. Driveways shall be permitted in side yards.
3. Projections into Side Yards. Bays, balconies, chimney flues and fire
escapes may project into a required side yard not more than 1/3 of
the width of the projection, but no more than four feet in any case.
Ground story bays and porches not over half the length of the side
wall may project into any required side yard 3 1/2 feet. In neither
instance may the projection be within 3 1/2 feet of the property
line of side yards.
4. Fences and Terraces in Side Yards. The provisions of this section
shall not apply to fences nor hedges less than six feet above the
natural grade, nor to terraces, steps, uncovered porches, or other
similar features less than three feet above the floor of the ground
story.
5. Accessory Buildings in Side Yards. Completely detached accessory
buildings may occupy a required side yard but shall not be located
closer than five feet to any side property line.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1007]
1. No portion of a building or structure shall be built within the minimum depth from the rear lot line specified in §§
27-907 or
27-908, except as permitted below:
A. Projections into Rear Yards. Such projections into side yards as permitted by §
27-1007, Subsection
3, may also be permitted into rear yards, up to the same number of feet, but in no case within five feet of an accessory building.
B. Accessory Buildings in Rear Yards. Completely detached accessory
buildings may occupy a required rear yard but shall not be located
closer than 15 feet to any rear property line.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1008]
If the alignment of existing buildings on either side of a lot
within a distance of 50 feet of the proposed building and fronting
on the same side of the same street in the same block is nearer to
the street than the required front yard depth, the average of such
existing alignment within that distance shall be the required front
yard. This provision shall not be interpreted as requiring a greater
front setback than imposed by the underlying zoning district, and
it shall not be interpreted as allowing setbacks to be reduced to
a level that results in right-of-way widths dropping below established
minimums.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1009; as amended by Ord.
2184, 8/14/2006, § 1; and by Ord. 2288, 4/12/2010]
1. All fences shall meet the following minimum requirements:
A. Fence, Privacy.
(1)
Privacy fences may be erected only in a side yard, rear yard
or portion of the lot behind the building line.
(2)
Privacy fences shall not exceed six feet in height residential
districts or eight feet in height in commercial or industrial districts.
B. Fence, Security.
(1)
Security fences shall be erected only in side yards, rear yards
or on other portions of a lot behind the building line.
(2)
Security fences may be erected with a ratio of the open portion
to the solid portion of not less than one-to-one; provided, however,
that solid portions, exclusive of the poles or posts supporting such
fences, shall be limited to a maximum of six inches in either its
horizontal or vertical dimensions.
(3)
Security fences may be erected in side or rear yards only.
(4)
Security fences shall not exceed six feet in height in residential
districts and eight feet in height in commercial and industrial districts.
(5)
Security fences shall not have any sharp points or edges protruding
there from.
(6)
A security fence provided for schools, playgrounds and parks
in any district shall be an open fence with a ratio of the open portion
to the solid portion of not less than six to one, not more than 10
feet in height, located in a side or rear yard.
C. Fence, Ornamental.
(1)
Ornamental fences having a ratio of open area to solid area
of not less than six to one shall be permitted in required front yard
or portions of the lot in front of the building line and in the side
or rear yards. For purposes of clarity, a two-rail split-rail fence
is also permitted in the front yard portion.
(2)
The height of an ornamental fence shall not exceed four feet
in the front yard or six feet in the side or rear yards in a residential
district. The height in a commercial or industrial district shall
not exceed six feet in height. The height shall be measured from the
highest part of the ornamental fence, including the posts.
2. The "finished side" of any fencing shall face the exterior of the
lot upon which the same is erected and the "unfinished" portion of
the same shall face the interior of the lot upon which it is erected.
3. The height of any fence shall be the vertical distance measured from
the average finished grade level to the highest point of the fence
excluding any support structures. The average finished grade level
shall be the average of the horizontal distance between two adjacent
supporting structures, a minimum of six feet apart. The support structure
of the fence shall not exceed 12 inches over the average height of
the fence.
4. Hedges, shrubs and other landscape screening shall not exceed the
height requirements for fencing in the corresponding zoning district.
5. The use of barbed or razor wire is prohibited in all zoning districts.