The A Residence District is designed primarily to provide opportunities
for low- to medium-density residential development to complement existing
residences and neighborhoods. The A Residence District is also designed
to permit various uses related to residential development; to establish
regulations to maintain and/or improve the character of the district;
and to create opportunities to conserve environmentally sensitive
lands through an open space option for residential development.
A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot or premises may be used or occupied, subject to the provisions of Article XIII, for any one of the following uses and no other:
A.
Permitted principal uses.
(1)
Single-family detached dwelling.
(2)
Municipal building and municipal use.
(3)
Public transit station, exclusive of any transit vehicle storage,
garage or service areas.
(4)
Open space for recreation and conservation purposes, subject to the provisions of Article XVIII.
(5)
Public
school bus operations facility on tracts of at least two acres gross
with access to an arterial roadway, provided the tract has a history
of prior nonresidential use.
[Added 3-10-2020 by Ord. No. 1607]
B.
Permitted accessory uses.
(1)
Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incident to any
of the above-permitted uses and not detrimental to the residential
character of the neighborhood.
(2)
Parking, in accordance with Article XV and the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, provided that:
(a)
No private driveway or off-street parking area shall be used
for the storage or parking of any commercial vehicle, except that
a single commercial vehicle which does not have more than four wheels
and which does not exceed a gross vehicle weight of 9,500 pounds or
is greater than 84 inches in height may be stored or parked, per residential
lot, in the following instances:
[1]
When construction or other work is being done on the premises
and the parking or storage is of a temporary nature. (For the purpose
of this section, "storage or parking" shall be defined as the leaving
of such vehicle or truck unattended for a period in excess of two
hours);
[2]
The commercial vehicle is parked completely within a garage;
[3]
The commercial vehicle is parked behind the front building line
of the residence of the premises; or
[4]
All lettering and commercial advertising of any nature (other
than lettering contained on the front doors within an area of two
square feet) is covered by any opaque neutral covering of vinyl or
other similar material.
(b)
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no private driveway or off-street parking area shall be used for the storage or parking of any commercial vehicle on which ladders, racks or other equipment or materials are stored which exceed eight inches from the roof of the vehicle or protrude from the front, rear or sides of the vehicle; nor shall ladders be stacked upon one another on the roof or roof rack of said vehicle. In addition thereto, notwithstanding the exceptions noted herein above in Subsection B(2)(a)[1] through [4], no more than one commercial vehicle shall be permitted to be stored or parked on any residential lot.
(4)
Public transit station parking area for commuters and employees,
provided that such parking area shall not exceed 50,000 square feet
nor be created, maintained or otherwise established by any transit
company unless in conjunction with an existing or planned station,
and provided further that such parking area is entirely within 500
feet of said station and such parking area and its approaches are
surfaced in a manner satisfactory to the Code Enforcement Officer.
It shall be the duty of any transit company desiring to create, establish
or alter any such parking area to present to the Code Enforcement
Officer detailed specifications of the surfacing materials to be used
and plans showing the size of the proposed parking area, its distance
from the station and the location of the proposed means of ingress
and/or egress, and no permit shall be issued until the Code Enforcement
Officer has determined that the proposed parking area is in complete
conformity with the terms of this ordinance, the Subdivision and Land
Development Ordinance and the Stormwater Management Ordinance.[1]
(5)
No-impact home-based business, as detailed in § 143-9, Terms defined, provided the following eight requirements are satisfied.
(a)
The business activity shall be compatible with the residential
use of the property.
(b)
The business shall employ no employees other than family members
residing in the dwelling.
(c)
There shall be no display or sale of retail goods and no stockpiling
of inventory.
(d)
There shall be no outside appearance of a business.
(e)
The business or activity may not use any equipment or process
which creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electronic
interference, including interference with radio or television reception.
(f)
The business activity may not generate any solid waste or sewage
discharge which is not normally associated with residential use.
(g)
The business activity conducted may not occupy more than 25%
of the floor area.
(h)
The business activity may not involve any illegal activity.
(6)
Communications antennas, when mounted on one of the following existing
locations: public utility transmission tower; public or municipal
structure; public or municipal building; other building or structure.
Proposed locations shall be considered in the order listed. After
all viable options for that alternative have been exhausted, the next
location may be considered. The applicant shall not propose one of
the latter locations if a preceding alternative is available within
a 1/2 mile radius of the proposed location. Equipment buildings associated
with communications antennas shall be permitted as a Conditional Use
and shall be a maximum of 250 square feet in area.
C.
Uses by special exception.
(1)
Educational use which is not for profit and when licensed as such
by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the location applied for,
specifically excluding a trade or business school or any building
or use akin thereto.
(2)
Family day-care home use, as defined in this ordinance and subject
to the following requirements:
(a)
The caregiver shall be registered or licensed by the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania to provide child-care services in the dwelling.
(b)
There shall be a minimum of 100 square feet of outdoor play
space per child available on the same lot. Said play area shall be
enclosed by a fence with a minimum height of four feet, substantially
constructed and closely maintained.
(c)
The hours of operation shall not be earlier than 7:00 a.m. nor
later than 7:00 p.m., prevailing time.
(d)
No home day-care use shall be permitted within a radius of 1,000
feet of any other home day-care use. The radius shall be measured
from the center of the home structure to the center of the nearest
home used as a family day-care home use.
(e)
The premises used for any home day-care use shall be subject
to inspection during normal business hours by the Township Health
Officer and/or Fire Marshal or their agent to ensure compliance with
all applicable Health and/or Fire Safety Codes.
(f)
All provisions of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Regulations governing family day care and contained in 55 Pennsylvania
Code, Chapter 3290 et seq., are incorporated herein by reference.
Where this ordinance contains more stringent provisions from said
Department of Public Welfare Regulations, the provisions of this ordinance
shall control.
(3)
Place of worship, including education, child care and similar activities,
provided all related uses are undertaken by the religious organization
and not managed by an outside agency, company or any other entity.
A.
Permitted principal uses.
(1)
Lot area. A lot area of not less than 8,500 square feet shall be
provided for every single-family detached dwelling or other structure
erected or used for any other permitted use. The minimum lot area,
whenever on-site sewage disposal is proposed and approved, shall be
1/2 acre. The Board of Commissioners shall determine when a lot cannot
be served by public sewer and may require the installation of capped
sewers if on-site sewerage is used temporarily.
(2)
Lot width at building line. A lot width of not less than 70 feet
at the building line shall be provided.
(3)
Lot width at street line. A lot width or lot frontage of not less
than 70 feet at the street line shall be provided.
(4)
Building coverage and impervious surface. Not more than 30% of any
lot area shall be occupied by buildings, and not more than 40% of
any lot area shall be covered by impervious surfaces.
(5)
Front yard setback. The front yard setback shall be at least 40 feet,
except that in the case of a lot extending through from one street
to another, the street lines of which are not more than 150 feet apart,
the setback from the rear street line may be decreased when authorized
as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board, provided that
no building shall be constructed so that it projects nearer the front
property line than the average setback of other buildings in the same
block facing the same street.
(6)
Rear yard. The rear yard shall have a depth of at least 25 feet.
(7)
Corner lot setback. In case of a corner lot, a setback of 40 feet
shall be provided from the front lot line, and a setback of 20 feet
shall be provided from the side lot line.
(8)
Side yards. There shall be two side yards. The aggregate width of
the side yards shall not be less than 30 feet, and neither side yard
shall be less than 10 feet in width, except in the case of a corner
lot, where the side yard adjacent to the longer street line shall
be a minimum of 20 feet in width.
B.
Uses by special exception. The area and bulk regulations for uses
by special exception shall be established after analyzing the particular
use which is proposed. In determining such regulations, the following
shall be considered:
(1)
The nature of the use and related activities conducted therewith,
in particular, the space needs or requirements of such uses and activities.
(2)
The area and bulk regulations set forth in this ordinance for uses
which are similar to those proposed, but in no case less than those
set forth above.
(3)
Recognized space standards published in the professional planning
and design literature for architects, engineers and allied professions
for educational or religious structures and uses.
(4)
The area required for off-street parking.
A.
As a conditional use, a landowner or developer may be allowed to
exercise an open space option for clustered residential development,
provided that the following criteria are met:
(1)
The tract shall be not less than 15 acres and shall be in single
and separate ownership.
(2)
A minimum of 35% of the tract shall be designated as and devoted to open space, subject to the provisions of Article XVIII.
(3)
Designated open space shall be owned and maintained in accordance with the provisions of Article XVIII.
(4)
The gross density shall not exceed four dwelling units per acre.
(5)
Public water and public sewer shall be provided and shall be in operation
at the time of occupancy of the dwelling units.
(6)
The design and layout of buildings and other structures shall reflect
a sensitivity toward the topographic, hydrologic and vegetative resources
of the tract.
(7)
The topography and natural features of the site and the direction
of prevailing winds and solar orientation shall be considered in planning,
designing and constructing all buildings and other structures to improve
the design and energy efficiency of the development.
(8)
The physical design of the development plan shall provide for adequate
control of vehicular traffic; make adequate provisions for public
water, public sewer, erosion and sedimentation control, stormwater
management and other public services; and further the amenities of
light and air, recreation and visual enjoyment.
(9)
All utilities shall be placed and/or installed underground.
(10)
A buffer area of 50 feet from perimeter property lines and the edges of perimeter public road rights-of-way shall be provided, within which a buffer planting strip of at least 25 feet shall be created along such boundaries for the purpose of screening the development, in accordance with a landscaping plan approved by the Board of Commissioners. The buffer area may be part of the required open space, but shall not be art of any lot for residential dwellings. The buffer area and all landscaping therein shall be in conformance with Article XVII, §§ 143-115 and 143-116.
(11)
The proposed development must conform to all standards and criteria for conditional uses in Article XIX, § 143-136, and all other regulations referred to therein. If, in the opinion of the Board of Commissioners, the proposed development does not conform to such standards and criteria or to all other requirements of this ordinance, the application for the approval of the conditional use may be denied.
B.
When the open space option is exercised, the area and bulk regulations
for single-family detached dwellings may be reduced as follows:
(1)
Lot area. A lot area of not less than 5,500 square feet shall be
provided.
(2)
Lot width at building line. A lot width of not less than 50 feet
at the building line shall be provided.
(3)
Lot width at street line. A lot width or lot frontage of not less
than 50 feet at the street line shall be provided. In such cases where
the street line is curved, the width at the street line may be reduced
by an amount equal to the ratio between the street line radius and
the front yard building setback line radius.
(4)
Building coverage and impervious surface. Not more than 35% of any
lot area shall be occupied by buildings; and not more than 45% of
any lot area shall be covered by impervious surfaces.
(5)
Front yard setback. The front yard setback shall be at least 25 feet.
(6)
Rear yard. The rear yard shall have a depth of at least 20 feet.
(7)
Corner lot setback. In the case of a corner lot, a setback of 25
feet shall be provided from the street line on the short side of the
lot and a setback of 15 feet shall be provided from the street line
on the long side of the lot.
(8)
Side yards. There shall be two side yards. The aggregate width of
the side yards shall not be less than 25 feet, and neither side yard
shall be less than eight feet in width, except that in the case of
a corner lot, the side yard adjacent to the longer street line shall
be a minimum of 15 feet in width.
C.
The design and dimensional requirements for single-family attached
dwellings shall be as follows:
(1)
The length of any building shall not exceed four dwelling units in
any single direction, and no more than five dwelling units shall be
joined together to form a principal building group.
(2)
All buildings shall be sited to enhance privacy.
(3)
All buildings closest to existing, adjoining residential neighborhoods
shall be arranged perpendicular to such development to minimize their
visibility, if such arrangement is feasible from a topographic standpoint.
(4)
Single-family attached dwellings shall be designed and constructed
in staggered groups and not in rows parallel to street or property
lines. Units shall be arranged to create a physical and visual distinction
in the lines of the facades and the roofs. Such distinction shall
be achieved through the use of varied floor plans for adjoining units,
alternating the projections and angles of exterior walls and roofs,
exterior fencing and other diversified space articulating techniques.
(5)
No single-family attached dwellings shall be closer than 100 feet
to the perimeter property lines, and no other structure shall be less
than 50 feet from such line, except for signs, structures associated
with ingress and egress, lighting standards, benches and landscaping.
(6)
No principal building group shall be erected closer than 100 feet
to another principal building group.
(7)
Landscaping, in accordance with a landscaping plan approved by the Board of Commissioners shall be provided: around all principal building groups, between any two principal building groups; in and around parking areas; and in various locations to create visual interest or achieve screening as needed. All landscaping shall conform to the requirements of Article XVII, § 143-116.
(8)
Refuse stations shall be designed with suitable screening and be
located to be convenient for trash removal and not offensive to nearby
residential areas.
(9)
No common parking area shall be closer than 25 feet to any residential
building and shall be screened from the building to prevent direct
glare from headlights and the like.
(10)
The farthest parking space in any common parking area assigned
to a particular dwelling unit shall not be more than 200 feet away
from such unit.
