For the purposes of this chapter, certain terms or words used
herein are defined as follows:
A.Â
The word "person" or the word "developer" includes a firm, association,
organization, partnership, trust, company or corporation as well as
an individual.
B.Â
The present tense includes the future tense.
C.Â
The singular number includes the plural, and the plural number includes
the singular.
D.Â
The word "shall" is mandatory.
E.Â
The word "may" is permissive.
F.Â
The words "used" or "occupied" include the words, "intended, designed
or arranged to be used or occupied."
G.Â
Words generally found in legal terminology shall be considered to
have meanings in this chapter similar to their generally held definitions
in a court of law.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
The drive within a parking lot directly abutting parking
spaces and designed to provide a connection between the spaces and
the public street.
An activity carried on within a property that is not the
principal activity permitted there but is generally found in connection
with or incidental to the principal use.
A public right-of-way less than 25 feet in right-of-way width
providing a secondary means of access to a property or properties.
A change in this chapter, including addition of new requirements,
revision of existing requirements or deletion of obsolete requirements,
necessitating public hearings and other public approvals before becoming
effective.
A dwelling unit in a building containing at least one other
dwelling unit, with its own cooking, bathing and toilet facilities
and access directly or via a common hall to the outside.
A plea to a higher body on the part of a person who contends
he has been aggrieved as the result of a decision of a lower board,
commission or individual charged with making the decision he is contending.
A space within a building, the ceiling of which is wholly
or partly above the level of the ground surrounding the building.
A retail establishment with on-premises consumption of malt
and brewed beverages produced on the premises or on real property
immediately adjacent to the premises or at a remote location where
the brew pub owner also has an ownership interest in the brewery that
produces the malt and brewed beverages being consumed at the brew
pub. A brew pub may also sell and cross-market the products of other
Pennsylvania-licensed breweries, licensed limited wineries, licensed
distilleries and licensed limited distilleries. Brew pubs must be
licensed by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and any successor
agency of the commonwealth.
[Added 1-8-2019 by Ord.
No. 01-2019]
A facility where less than 15,000 barrels of malt or brewed
beverages are produced on premises on an annual basis and then sold
or distributed for on- or off-premises consumption. A brewery may
also include a brew pub. A brewery must be licensed by the Pennsylvania
Liquor Control Board or any successor agency of the commonwealth.
[Added 1-8-2019 by Ord.
No. 01-2019]
A line, usually a property or street right-of-way line or
the center line of a recognizable physical feature such as a highway,
stream or railroad, that demarcates the edge of a district or area.
Roofed structure covering an area on the ground. A building
shall be considered an "enclosed" building if all exterior walls are
solid except for fixed closed or operable windows and doors.
A line describing the extent of the area in a building lot
within which construction can occur. The setback distance from front,
side and rear property lines determines the location of the building
line in each zone district.
A contiguous area of land in one ownership abutting a public
street upon which construction can take place in accordance with the
requirements of this chapter.
Documentation attesting that a proposal for construction
meets all requirements of this chapter and other applicable requirements
of the municipality and the commonwealth relative to development and
allowing such proposed construction to commence.
The removal of a property or properties from one zoning classification
and the assignment of said property or properties to a second classification.
A use of a property that may be granted by the governing
body after receiving recommendations of the Planning Commission based
on an evaluation of the impact of the particular use on the property
proposed to receive it in relation to the surrounding community.
A dwelling unit established from a portion of a larger dwelling
unit, containing all the facilities normally found in a dwelling unit,
including adequate heat, light, ventilation, means of egress, and
off-street parking.
A lot which abuts two streets that intersect adjacent to
the lot.
A dwelling unit in a structure designed for two units, whether
side by side or one above the other, with each unit having separate
access to the outside.
A building designed exclusively for residential purposes
on a permanent basis. A one-family detached dwelling is a building
for occupancy by one family only and not attached to another dwelling
or structure.
A group of connected rooms, whether in a separate structure,
duplex, townhouse or an apartment building, including in each unit
sleeping rooms, bathing, toilet and cooking and food storage facilities
for the exclusive use of the residents of the dwelling unit only.
A right-of-way granted across private property generally
for public utility lines or for access to other properties beyond,
passage over which is guaranteed by the grantor to the grantee.
The removal of earth material left undisturbed for at least
two years prior to removal, creating a cut.
An individual or two or more persons related by blood, marriage
or adoption, or a group of not more than five persons who are not
related living together in a dwelling unit.
Earth material excavated from elsewhere and deposited upon
undisturbed earth in the process of grading.
A line describing the limits of a property along the street
to which the property has its principal access.
An accessory building or a part of the principal permitted
use for the temporary storage or parking of automobiles operated by
the occupants of the premises. In a residential zone district, any
garage building may accommodate not more than one commercial vehicle,
but no commercial repair or rebuilding of vehicles shall occur in
such a garage.
A residential building of no more than three stories in height
containing at least three dwelling units.
The vertical distance along the wall of a building measured
between the average of the highest and lowest elevations at ground
level on the front or rear facade, whichever has the lower ground
elevations, and the top of the parapet on a flat roof building or
halfway between the eave and highest ridgeline on a sloped roof building,
except that chimneys, stacks, steeples, roof-mounted air-handling
equipment, etc., shall not be considered in measuring height.
An occupation carried on within a structure otherwise used
for residential purposes, requiring some floor area of the structure,
employing a resident of the dwelling full- or part-time, and meeting
the requirements of this chapter.
An area of a property on which activities are of such a nature
as to require continuous receiving and/or shipping of goods, such
area to be used exclusively for loading.
A property in a plan of similarly sized properties all abutting
public streets.
The distance between side property lines of any property
measured along the right-of-way line of the street to which the property
has access.
The boundary line describing the limits of a property and
separating it from adjacent properties or public streets or ways.
A portion of a loading area set aside so that trucks may
enter and leave said area moving in a forward direction.
A single-family dwelling designed to be transported in one
piece over the public roads on its own wheels to a building lot and
there placed on a foundation.
Any activity of the Borough of Verona or other public authority
necessary for the provision of Borough services.
A property that is too small in area and/or dimension to
satisfy the minimum bulk and dimensional requirements of this chapter
or subsequent amendments to it for the zoning district where such
lot is located.
A structure existing prior to adoption of this chapter that
is so located on a property that it is in violation of the bulk and
dimensional requirements contained in this chapter or subsequent amendments
to it for the zoning district where such structure is located.
The use predating adoption of this chapter of land and/or
structures for activities that are not permitted by this chapter or
subsequent amendments to it on the property where such land and/or
structures are located.
A certificate issued by the Zoning Officer attesting to the
fact that all requirements of this chapter and other applicable regulations
have been met and that the structure for which the permit applies
may be occupied by its owners.
An area to accommodate one motor vehicle, normally paved
and of a size specified by this chapter,[1] wholly outside any public street but with direct access
via a driveway or access aisle to a public street.
A low wall projecting above the roof of a flat-roofed building,
usually as an extension of the side walls.
An activity which is expressly allowed by this chapter or
subsequent amendments to occur on a lot or property because of the
property's location in a particular zoning district.
A building or part thereof housing persons on a twenty-four-hour
basis who, because of age, mental disability or other reason, live
in a supervised residential environment that provides personal care
services. Personal care facilities shall include, but are not limited
to, the following: alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation, assisted
living, congregate care, convalescent care, developmentally disabled
group homes, halfway house, residence for elderly.
[Added 8-10-2010 by Ord. No. 4-2010]
A one-story attachment to a building covered by a permanent
roof but without permanent side walls.
A single primary or predominant use to which a property may
be devoted under the terms of this chapter or subsequent amendments
and to which all other uses on the property are accessory.
Contiguous area of land in one ownership surrounded by a
boundary that closes on itself.
An official meeting called by the Borough Council, Planning
Commission or Zoning Hearing Board, duly announced in local newspapers,
for the purpose of taking testimony or information from all parties
having an interest in a challenge to the ordinance, a variance from
its strict interpretation, or a special exception for development
as a basis for the body calling the hearing to make a decision.
A corporation, public authority or municipality that provides
a public service and is under the control of the Pennsylvania Public
Utility Commission.
The number of necessary off-street parking spaces specified
by this chapter needed to serve a specific use, generally on the same
property as the use.[2]
A distance prescribed for each zoning district established
by this chapter, measured from any property line to a parallel line
within the property, describing the limit of construction on the property
and defining the required front, side and rear yards.
The property lines at each side of a property, each intersecting
the front and rear property lines.
A device for visually communicating a message to the public
and further defined as follows:
ANIMATED SIGNRelies on flashing lights or movement of some element or all of the sign to reinforce its message.
FREESTANDING SIGNHas its own structure for support of its entire weight and any other stresses on it.
SIGN IN THE PUBLIC INTERESTCommunicates a message of a nonprofit organization that has public appeal and is not in support of a product or service.
TEMPORARY SIGNIs intended to remain in place for a specific period of time, at the conclusion of which it shall be removed by the person erecting it.
A dwelling designed for the exclusive use of one family only.
Space within a building having a floor-to-ceiling height
of at least seven feet and normally extending to at least three exterior
walls of the building.
A public or recorded private thoroughfare which affords primary
vehicular access to properties that abut it.
A recorded strip of land containing a street and bounded
by right-of-way lines.
Any permanent man-made construction in, on or over the land
surface regardless of construction materials.
A lot that extends through a block to abut streets along
its front and rear yards.
A dwelling unit, within a group of at least three similar
units fronting on a public street, attached to adjacent units at a
common party wall, having direct access to the outside at ground level
and arranged to be no more than two rooms in depth front to back.
A grant of the Zoning Hearing Board permitting a developer
to use a property in a manner not wholly in accordance with this chapter
because strict conformance would be an unusual hardship depriving
the developer of reasonable use of the property, but specifying what
modifications to strict conformance are permitted.
The area of a property between property lines and setback
lines of dimensions as noted in the bulk and dimensional requirements
of this chapter for each zoning district, within which enclosed buildings,
or any enclosed portion thereof, shall not be constructed.
The area of any property between the front lot line and front
building line across the full width of the property.
The area of any property between the rear line of the property
and the rear setback line parallel to it across the full width of
the property.
The area of any property bounded by the required front and
rear yards and the side property line and parallel side setback line.
The combination of controls and requirements that defines
the activities that may occur in a zoning district.
A contiguous area of land on all parts of which the same
uniform controls and requirements for development apply.
The perimeter line completely enclosing a zoning district.
A board appointed by the Borough Council to examine and decide
appeals for relief from strict conformance with application of this
chapter and to hear testimony regarding the validity of any regulations
upon development in the municipality or regarding challenges of the
decisions of the Zoning Officer.
The official plan of zoning districts in the municipality
and a part of this chapter, showing precisely the boundaries and title
of each zoning district.
A person appointed by Verona Borough to enforce the regulations
of this chapter, with power to halt illegal construction and issue
building and occupancy permits.
