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Township of Middletown, PA
Bucks County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
Zoning Map New Laws (3) Index Notes (19)
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05]
It is the purpose and intent of this district to provide for multi-residential development to meet the goals and objectives of the Middletown Township Comprehensive Plan and this chapter. It provides for medium-intensity multi-residential development in areas of the Township that in the past have been moderately or extensively developed. The standards and criteria for this district are set up to provide a method for encouraging efficient and attractive residential design and at the same time providing for the protection of natural resources, open space for recreational and aesthetic purposes, a mix and intensity of residential development which is compatible with existing uses and will also help to meet the housing needs within the Township.
[Amended 10-2-2001 by Ord. No. 01-13]
The following uses shall be permitted in the MR District:
A. 
Single-family detached dwelling, subject to the area and dimensional requirements of the R-1 Residence District (§§ 500-803 and 500-804). Section 500-1203 shall not be applicable to this use.
B. 
Performance standard subdivision.
C. 
Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any permitted use in the district.
D. 
Forestry/timber harvesting, pursuant to the regulations set forth in § 500-402M of this chapter.
The following housing types are permitted in a performance standard subdivision, subject to the area and dimensional requirements indicated below.
A. 
Single-family detached dwelling. A single detached dwelling unit on an individual lot with private yards on all sides of the house.
(1) 
Area and dimensional requirements.
(a) 
Minimum lot area: 7,000 square feet.
(b) 
Average lot area: 8,000 square feet.
(c) 
Minimum lot width: 70 feet.
(d) 
Maximum building coverage: 30%.
(e) 
Maximum floor area ratio: 60%.
(f) 
Minimum yards.
[1] 
Front: 30 feet.
[2] 
Side: 10 feet.
[3] 
Rear: 40 feet.
(g) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
(h) 
Maximum impervious surface ratio: 40%.
[Added 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05]
B. 
Twin. Semidetached dwelling unit having only one dwelling unit from ground to roof and only one wall in common with another dwelling unit.
Area and Dimensional Requirements
Minimum Lot Area
(square feet)
Average Lot Area
(square feet)
Minimum Lot Width
(feet)
1 bedroom
3,200
3,600
36
2 bedrooms
3,600
4,000
40
3 bedrooms
4,000
4,500
40
4 bedrooms
4,200
4,700
45
(1) 
Maximum floor ratio: 70%.
(2) 
Maximum impervious surface ratio (on lot): 40%.
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05]
(3) 
Minimum yards.
(a) 
Front: 30 feet.
(b) 
Side: 10 feet.
(c) 
Rear: 20 feet.
(4) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
C. 
Patio house. A detached or semidetached dwelling unit, with one dwelling unit from ground to roof, having individual outside access. Except for the street setback, the lot shall be fully enclosed by a wall four to six feet in height. All living spaces, i.e., living room, den and bedrooms, shall open onto a private open area or patio.
Area and Dimensional Requirements
Minimum Lot Area
(square feet)
Average Lot Area
(square feet)
Minimum Lot Width
(feet)
1 bedroom
2,800
3,000
40
2 bedrooms
3,400
3,600
40
3 bedrooms
3,800
4,000
40
4 bedrooms
4,000
4,200
45
(1) 
Maximum floor ratio: 60%.
(2) 
Maximum impervious surface ratio (on lot): 35%.
(3) 
Minimum patio area: 65% (ratio to lot area).
(4) 
Minimum patio dimension: 20 feet.
(5) 
Minimum yards.
(a) 
Front: 15 feet.
(b) 
Side: 10 feet.
(c) 
Rear: 20 feet.
(6) 
Minimum building spacing: 20 feet.
(7) 
Maximum building height: 24 feet.
D. 
Multiplex. An attached dwelling unit which may be arranged in a variety of configurations: side by side, back to back, or vertically. The essential feature is the small number of units attached. No more than five units shall be attached in any structure, and structures shall average four units each.
Area and Dimensional Requirements
Minimum Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit
(square feet)
Average Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit
(square feet)
Efficiency
800
1,000
1 bedroom
1,500
1,700
2 bedrooms
2,200
2,400
3 bedrooms
2,500
2,800
4 bedrooms
2,700
3,000
(1) 
Maximum impervious surface ratio (on lot): 30%.
(2) 
Minimum lot area (per building): 8,000 square feet.
(3) 
Minimum lot width (per building) at setback line: 80 feet.
(4) 
Minimum building spacing: 24 feet.
(5) 
Minimum building setbacks.
(a) 
Street lines: 30 feet.
(b) 
Other property lines: 20 feet.
(c) 
Parking areas: 20 feet.
(6) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
E. 
Atrium house. An attached dwelling unit, one story in height, with individual outside access. The lot shall be fully enclosed by a wall four to six feet in height. A private yard, herein called an "atrium," shall be included on each lot. All living spaces, i.e., living room, den and bedrooms, shall open onto the atrium.
Area and Dimensional Requirements
Minimum Lot Area
(square feet)
Average Lot Area
(square feet)
Minimum Lot Width
(feet)
1 bedroom
1,200
1,375
35
2 bedrooms
1,700
1,850
35
3 bedrooms
1,950
2,100
40
4 bedrooms
2,150
2,300
40
(1) 
Maximum floor area ratio: 60%.
(2) 
Maximum impervious surface ratio (on lot): 60%.
(3) 
Minimum atrium area: 35% (ratio to lot area).
(4) 
Minimum atrium dimension: 16 feet.
(5) 
Minimum yards.
(a) 
Front: 10 feet.
(b) 
Rear: 16 feet.
(6) 
Minimum building spacing: 25 feet.
(7) 
Maximum building height: 12 feet.
F. 
Townhouse. An attached dwelling unit, with one dwelling unit from ground to roof, having individual outside access. No more than eight townhouses shall be attached in any group.
Area and Dimensional Requirements
Minimum Lot Area
(square feet)
Average Lot Area
(square feet)
Minimum Lot Width
(feet)
1 bedroom
1,500
1,600
18
2 bedrooms
1,700
1,800
20
3 bedrooms
1,900
2,000
22
4 bedrooms
2,000
2,200
24
(1) 
Maximum floor area ratio: 75%.
(2) 
Maximum impervious surface ratio (on lot): 45%.
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05]
(3) 
Minimum building spacing: 30 feet.
(4) 
Minimum building setbacks.
(a) 
Street lines: 30 feet.
(b) 
Other property lines: 20 feet.
(c) 
Paving areas: 20 feet.
(d) 
Pedestrian walks: 15 feet.
(e) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
G. 
Garden apartments. A grouping of dwelling units sharing common elements which may include common outside access. The dwelling units share a common lot area, which is the sum of the required lot areas of all dwelling units within the building. Garden apartments shall contain three or more dwellings in a single structure.
Area and Dimensional Requirements
Average Apartment Size
(square feet)
Minimum Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit
(square feet)
Efficiency
500
1,300
1 bedroom
655
1,750
2 bedrooms
950
2,000
3 bedrooms
1,125
2,250
4 bedrooms
1,330
2,550
(1) 
Maximum floor area ratio (on lot): 45%.
(2) 
Maximum impervious surface ratio (on lot): 50%.
(3) 
Minimum lot area: one acre.
(4) 
Minimum street frontage: 100 feet.
(5) 
Maximum number of units per building: 16 dwelling units.
(6) 
Minimum building spacing: 50 feet.
(7) 
Minimum building setbacks.
(a) 
Street lines: 50 feet.
(b) 
Other property lines: 50 feet.
(c) 
Parking areas: 30 feet.
(8) 
Maximum building height: 40 feet.
The following requirements apply to performance standard subdivisions:
A. 
Area; density; open space; impervious surface.
Minimum Site Area
(acres)
Maximum Density
(dwelling units per acre)
Minimum Open Space
Maximum Impervious Surface
5
8
35%
40%
B. 
Buffer yard.
(1) 
A twenty-five-foot-wide buffer yard shall be provided along all property lines of the site. The buffer yard shall meet the requirements of § 500-2605.
(2) 
The buffer yard shall not be part of the lot area assigned to a dwelling unit. In addition, no more than 40% of the buffer yard may be counted towards meeting the minimum required open space.
C. 
Dwelling unit mix. A mix of housing types is necessary to create a balanced community. Therefore, a mix is required, based on the number of dwelling units as set forth in the accompanying table.
Number of Dwellings in Development
Minimum Required Number of Housing Types
Maximum Percent Any Housing Types
Minimum Percent Any Housing Type
1 to 100
1
100%
20%
101 to 200
2
60%
15%
201 to 400
3
50%
10%
401 or more
4
50%
5%
D. 
Parking requirements.
(1) 
Minimum number of spaces.
(a) 
One (efficiency).
(b) 
Two (one bedroom, two bedrooms).
(c) 
Three (three bedrooms or more).
(2) 
An additional 1/4 parking space per dwelling unit shall be provided for visitor parking.