Minimum yard and setback regulations are established
to ensure safety, light, air, privacy, building separation and open
areas appropriate to each use and district and to minimize impacts
of uses and structures of one site upon adjoining sites.
A. Front yards.
(1) The front yard shall be measured from the property
line to the front face of the building, porch, deck or terrace or
attached accessory building. Eaves and roof extensions may project
into the required front yard not more than four feet.
(2) Attached accessory buildings shall have a front yard
not less than the main building.
B. Side yards. Every part of a required side yard shall
be open and unobstructed, except for the ordinary projections of window
sills, cornices and other architectural features projecting not more
than 12 inches into the required side yard and roof eaves projecting
not more than four feet.
C. Rear yards. Every part of a required rear yard shall be open and unobstructed to the sky, except for accessory uses and structures as permitted in Article
VII of this chapter and the ordinary projections of window sills, cornices and other architectural features projecting not more than 12 inches and roof eaves projecting not more than four feet into the required rear yard.
Height regulations are established to ensure
that buildings and structures shall not exceed heights generally compatible
with purposes of the district and other uses therein and shall not
unnecessarily impact upon the privacy, views or desirability of development
of adjoining sites.
A. Measurement of height.
(1) Building. The height of a building shall be measured
from the average of the highest and lowest grade adjacent to the building
to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof, deck line of a
mansard roof or to the mean height between the eaves and ridge for
gable, hipped or gambrel roof.
(2) Linear structures and features. The height of linear
features, such as fences, walls, hedges or line features, shall be
the average height measured from grade to the highest portion of such
feature at all points along the feature.
B. Permitted exceptions to height limits.
(1) The following uses may exceed the maximum height for
the zoning district in which they are located, subject to the limits
specified herein.
(a)
Churches, schools, hospitals, water towers,
electric power transmission standards and towers and other public
and semipublic buildings may be allowed to exceed the height limitations
of this chapter, provided that the required front, rear and side yards
are each increased by two feet for each one foot said height limitations
are exceeded.
(b)
The maximum building height in any zone may
be varied by the permitting authority, provided that each required
setback is increased by three feet for each one foot such building
exceeds the permitted height requirement of the base zoning district.
However, in no case shall any building exceed a total height of 60
feet.
(2) The following features and structures may exceed the
maximum height for the base zoning district in which they are located,
subject to the limits specified herein:
(a)
Parapet walls, chimneys, vents and mechanical
or safety features, such as fire towers, stairways, heating and cooling
equipment and protective covers. Such features, however, shall be
erected only to such height as is necessary to accomplish their intended
purposes.
(b)
Ornamental towers, cupolas, domes and spires
not designed for occupancy may not exceed the height limit of any
zoning district by more than 15%, or such height as may be necessary
to comply with generally accepted engineering practices or any applicable
federal or state law, regulation, guidelines or order.
(c)
Amateur/ham radio antennae and supports may
exceed the height limit of any zoning district as may be necessary
to comply with generally accepted engineering practices and designs
for usage in the amateur radio service, or any applicable federal
law, regulation or guideline.
Lot coverage limitations are established to
ensure that building coverage and site development coverage (impervious
coverage) of each lot are compatible with the nature of uses allowable
in each base zoning district, with environmental objectives of the
Master Plan and to avoid overcrowding of sites with buildings and
paved or impermeable surface materials.
A. Building coverage. Building coverage of a lot shall
be the total horizontal area of all buildings, porches or other covered
space on the lot, decks or terraces, expressed as a percent to total
lot area. Eaves and overhangs extending not more than four feet from
the supporting walls or members of a building shall not be counted
as building coverage.
B. Site development or impervious coverage. Site development
or impervious coverage requirements of a lot shall include the total
horizontal area of all buildings, roofed or covered spaces, paved
surface areas, walkways and driveways and other site improvements
or structures contributing to runoff greater than would occur on the
site in its natural state.