For the purpose of this chapter, the City of Royal Oak is hereby divided into the following zones:
One-Family Residential |
One-Family Large Lot Residential |
Two-Family Residential |
Multiple-Family Residential |
Office Service |
Neighborhood Business |
Neighborhood Business II |
Central Business District |
Regional Business |
General Business |
General Industrial |
Mixed Use 1 |
Mixed Use 2 |
Planned Unit Development |
Special Redevelopment |
The regulations herein established within each zoning district shall be the minimum regulations for promoting and protecting the public health, safety, and general welfare and shall be uniform for each class of land, buildings, structures, or uses throughout each district. Except as hereinafter provided, district regulations shall be applied in the following manner:
A. Uses in zoning districts.
(1) Permitted uses. Permitted uses shall be permitted by right only if specifically listed in the various zones or as determined in compliance with Subsection
A(4).
(2) Accessory uses. Accessory uses are permitted only if such uses are clearly incidental to the permitted principal uses and specifically permitted in the zone district.
(3) Special land uses. Special land uses are permitted at the discretion of the Plan Commission, or as otherwise specified herein, according to the terms of §
770-11, Special land uses; permit procedures, and only if specifically listed in the various zones.
(4) Determination of similar use.
(a) In recognition that every potential land use cannot be specifically addressed in this chapter, land uses may also be permitted in a given zone if the Zoning Administrator determines that the use is similar to a permitted or special land use within the respective zone; the use is not specifically listed as either a permitted or special land use in any other zone; and, the use is not specifically prohibited by this chapter.
(b) The Zoning Administrator shall select the use listed in that zone which most closely resembles the proposed use and the proposed use shall comply with all requirements and standards applicable to that similar use. The determination as to whether a proposed use is similar in nature and class to another permitted or special land use within a zone shall be considered an expansion of the use regulations. Any use determined by the Zoning Administrator to be a similar use shall thereafter be included in the enumerations of permitted or special land uses in that zone.
(5) Outdoor uses and activities. All permitted uses, special land uses, and accessory uses shall be conducted entirely and completely within an enclosed building, except as expressly permitted by this chapter.
[Added 4-21-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-04]
B. Application of area, width and frontage regulations.
(1) The area and width of a lot shall not be reduced below the minimum requirements herein established
for the zone in which such lot is located, except as set forth in Subsection
B(2).
For purposes of this chapter, two or more contiguous lots held under common ownership shall be considered one lot.
(2) In One-Family Residential and One-Family Large Lot Residential Zoning Districts, a single lot of record or two or more contiguous lots under the same ownership shall not be further divided for the purpose of erecting a single-family dwelling unless the following conditions are met:
(a) The Zoning Administrator shall determine that the proposed lot(s) are the same size or larger than the majority (50% or more) of the developed lots in the area. The Zoning Administrator shall evaluate the width, depth and area of the lot(s) when determining compatibility with the developed lots in the area. The proposed lot shall be equal to or greater in width, depth and area than the developed lots in the area to be considered under this provision. For purposes of this subsection, "area" shall mean the following:
[1] Lots with the same zoning; and
[2] The "area" shall be determined as follows:
[a] Interior lots, within a defined block: analysis shall include interior lots on both sides of a street upon which the subject property is located; or
[b] Interior lots, when no defined block exists: analysis shall include interior lots on both sides of the street within 300 linear feet upon which the subject property is located; or
[c] Corner lots: analysis shall include the corner lots located at the same intersection upon which the property is located.
(b) All other ordinance requirements shall apply.
(c) If all the criteria are not met, such lot(s) shall not be developed, divided, utilized or sold in a matter which diminishes compliance with lot and/or area requirements of this chapter.
(3) Every lot shall have direct access to and required frontage upon a public or private street which has been approved by the City and constructed to City standards.
C. Application of setback regulations.
(1) No part of a required setback for any building or use shall be included as a part of a required setback for another building or use.
(2) All required front yard setback lines shall be the minimum perpendicular distance measured from the right-of-way of the road upon which a lot or parcel fronts to the nearest point of the principal structure.
(3) All required side and rear yard setback lines shall be the minimum perpendicular distance between the nearest point on the side or rear of the structure and the side or rear lot line parallel thereto.
(4) On all corner lots, the required front setbacks shall be provided along both street frontages, unless otherwise noted herein.
(5) Exceptions.
(a) Terraces, patios, decks and similar structures that are unroofed, without walls or other continuous enclosure and located at grade: no setback shall be required. Terraces, patios, decks and similar structures that are unroofed, without walls or other continuous enclosure and located six inches or more above grade shall be located a minimum of three feet from the rear lot line and a minimum of three feet from the side lot line if located entirely within the rear yard. If located in the side yard, all required setbacks for the principal structure shall apply.
(b) Unenclosed porches and steps may extend from the face of the building into a required front yard setback a distance not more than seven feet, and shall not exceed one story in height. Enclosed porches and other enclosed appurtenances shall be considered an integral part of the building to which they are attached and shall be subject to all yard requirements thereof.
(c) Chimneys, flues, belt courses, leaders, sills, pilasters, cornices, eaves, gutters, bay windows, buttresses and similar features may project into any required yard setback a maximum of 24 inches. Cantilevers, bays and other similar projections containing floor area shall meet the minimum setbacks for the building.
D. Application of height regulations.
(1) No building shall be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed, or structurally altered to exceed the height limit hereinafter established for the zone in which the building is located.
(2) Measuring height. The height of a building is the distance between the average of the finished grade at the base of the front of the building to the mid-point of the roof surface
for pitched roofs and to the roofline
for flat roofs. (See §
770-8, definition of "building height,"
Figure 2.)
(3) Exceptions. Roof structures
for the housing of elevators, stairways, tanks, ventilating fans, or similar equipment required to operate and maintain the building, and fire or parapet walls, skylights, towers, steeples, screens, chimneys, smokestacks, water tanks, television, radio and satellite antennae, belfries, stage towers or scenery lofts, ornamental spires, flagpoles, wind or solar energy systems, or similar structures may be erected above the height limits herein prescribed, but shall remain proportional to the principal building. To reduce the impact on adjacent properties and public rights-of-way, all roof structures shall be effectively screened and setback from the building edge a distance equal to its height or a distance as determined necessary by the Zoning Administrator. No such structure shall exceed by more than 15 feet above the height limit of the district in which it is located.
[Amended 6-15-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-06]
E. Location and number of buildings on a lot of record.
(1) Every building erected, altered, or moved shall be located on a lot of record as defined herein.
(2) There shall be only one single-family dwelling permitted per lot, unless otherwise permitted elsewhere in this chapter. Where there is more than one single-family dwelling located on a lot of record at the time of adoption of this chapter, said lot shall not be divided except in conformity with the requirements of this chapter.
F. The location and number of buildings within a site condominium shall be subject to the standards set forth in §
770-14, Site condominium project regulations.
No site built, mobile homes, modular housing, or prefabricated housing located outside a mobile home park shall be permitted unless said dwelling unit conforms to the following standards:
A. Square footage. A dwelling unit shall comply with the minimum floor area requirements of this chapter.
B. Dimensions. A dwelling unit shall have a minimum width across any front, side, or rear elevation of 20 feet.
C. Foundation. A dwelling unit shall be firmly attached to a permanent foundation constructed on the site in accordance with the Building Code and shall be securely anchored to the foundation in order to prevent displacement during windstorms. Dwelling units shall not be installed with attached wheels. Additionally, no dwelling shall have any exposed towing mechanism, undercarriage, or chassis.
All home occupations shall be subject to the following requirements:
A. A home occupation must be clearly incidental to the principal use of the dwelling unit for dwelling purposes. No more than 10% of the floor area of the dwelling shall be devoted to a home occupation. All activities shall be carried on within an enclosed structure. There shall be no outside display of any kind, or other external or visible evidence of the conduct of a home occupation.
B. A home occupation shall not change the residential character of the premises or surrounding residential area, both in terms of use and appearance.
C. A home occupation use shall not create a nuisance or endanger the health, safety, welfare, or enjoyment of any other person in the area, by reason of noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odor, unsanitary or unsightly conditions, fire hazards, or the like, involved in or resulting from such home occupation.
D. Only a resident of the dwelling shall be engaged or employed in the home occupation.
E. There shall be no vehicular traffic permitted for the home occupation, other than domestic trips and routine deliveries normally expected for a single dwelling in a residential area.
F. The home occupation shall be carried on wholly within the dwelling, and no such occupation may be conducted in any accessory building whether detached or attached. There shall be no exterior operations, storage or display of materials, products, inventory or equipment of any kind, and no exterior signage, except one commercial vehicle may be parked on the premises pursuant to the requirements of §
770-28, Restrictions on parking of commercial vehicles.
G. The home occupation shall not require, or result in, any interior or exterior alterations to the dwelling or property upon which the dwelling is located.
H. No material or mechanical or electrical equipment may be utilized except that which is necessarily, customarily and ordinarily used for household or leisure purposes.
I. Direct sales of products to individuals on the premises of a home occupation shall not be permitted.
J. No storage or display of goods within the dwelling unit shall be visible from outside the dwelling unit.
K. The home occupation shall not require additional off-street parking spaces or loading/unloading areas.
Essential services shall be permitted as authorized and regulated by law and other ordinances of the City. The construction of buildings associated with essential services shall be subject to the provisions of §
770-12, Site plan review. Otherwise, the construction, maintenance, and alteration of essential services shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.
In districts zoned One-Family, Two-Family or Multiple-Family Residential, for each dwelling unit on a lot not more than one commercial vehicle, owned by an occupant, and having a weight fully equipped of not more than 6,000 pounds may be parked on the premises.
No structure, wall, fence, or landscaping shall be erected, maintained or planted on any lot which will obstruct the view of the driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection of a street, highway, alley or a driveway. A ten-foot triangular area measured along the public right-of-way line and driveway line shall be provided from the intersection of any street, highway, alley and driveway. Landscaping under 30 inches and deciduous trees where all branches are not less than 12 feet above the street level may be permitted within the triangular area. (See
Figure 9, Visibility at Intersections.) All landscaping shall comply with City of Royal Oak Chapter
710, Trees, Art.
I, Tree, Shrub and Plant Protection, Planting in Public Areas. The Plan Commission, at its discretion and as part of site plan review, may approve an alternate setback if deemed necessary based on the site conditions.