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Bethlehem Township City Zoning Code

ARTICLE V

LDR Low-Density Residential District

§ 275-37 Purpose.

The purpose of this district is to:
A. 
Provide for the orderly expansion of areas that offer neighborhoods of single-family detached houses at a low density.
B. 
Carefully protect these areas from uses that may not be fully compatible.

§ 275-38 Permitted-by-right uses.

Only the following uses are permitted by right in the LDR District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article XX are met:
A. 
The following principal uses:
(1) 
Single-family detached dwelling.
(a) 
Mobile/manufactured home.[1]
[1]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(2) 
Crop farming.
(3) 
Golf course.[2]
[2]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(4) 
Swimming pool, public or semipublic.[3]
[3]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(5) 
Publicly owned recreation.
(6) 
Wildlife sanctuary.
(7) 
Place of worship.[4]
[4]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(8) 
Cemetery.[5]
[5]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(9) 
Township-owned use.
(10) 
Plant nursery, including retail sales only of items grown on the premises.
(11) 
Group home within a lawful dwelling unit.
(12) 
Co-located commercial communications antenna.[6]
[Added 3-19-2001 by Ord. No. 03-01]
[6]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
B. 
The following accessory uses, within the requirements of § 275-190:
(1) 
No-impact home-based business.[7]
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 10-04]
[7]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(2) 
Accessory use or structure clearly customary and incidental to a permitted by right, approved special exception or conditional use.
(3) 
Swimming pool, private.
(4) 
Recreational facilities limited to use by residents of a development and their occasional guests.
(5) 
Essential services.[8]
[8]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(6) 
Accessory use or structure permitted under § 275-190C.[9]
[9]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(7) 
Home occupation, minor.[10]
[Added 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 10-04]
[10]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
C. 
Planned residential development, within the requirements of Article XXIII.

§ 275-39 Special exception uses.

Only the following uses are permitted by special exception in the LDR District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article XX are met:
A. 
Limited office conversion within the requirements of § 275-41.
B. 
Home occupation, minor.[1]
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 10-04]
[1]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.

§ 275-40 Conditional uses.

Only the following uses are permitted conditional uses in the LDR District, provided that the requirements for specific uses in Article XX are met:
A. 
Public or private primary or secondary school.[1]
[1]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
B. 
Emergency service station.[2]
[2]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
C. 
Single-family cluster development, within Article XXII.
D. 
Use approved under § 275-36.

§ 275-41 Limited office conversions.

A. 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to:
(1) 
Recognize existing single-family houses which have declined in marketability because of increasing traffic on abutting streets and the development of commercial uses on abutting areas.
(2) 
Allow limited office uses within these houses, while making sure that the use would not be so intense as to create additional traffic hazards or conflicts with nearby residences.
B. 
Employees. A maximum of 10 employees may work within the lot at any moment in time.
C. 
Type of use. Such a use shall be limited to a professional or business office, without any retail sales or manufacturing.
D. 
Right turns. The applicant should agree prior to a special exception approval to place a covenant on the deed that restricts access from the property that is onto an arterial street to right-hand turns only. In addition, attempts should be made to discourage left-hand turns onto the property by means of curbing and signs.
E. 
Compatibility. The use shall be carefully reviewed to ensure that it will be compatible with adjacent homes, especially pertaining to light, noise and litter.
F. 
Hours. The use shall not operate between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
G. 
Continuance of dwelling. A limited office may be established while the building continues to house a dwelling unit.
H. 
Sight distance. A clear sight distance under § 275-171 and within PennDOT regulations shall be a precondition for approval.
I. 
Off-street parking setback. See § 275-144G.
J. 
Buffer yard. A thirty-foot wide buffer yard meeting the requirements of § 275-171 shall be required between off-street parking areas and any existing abutting single-family detached dwelling.
K. 
Existing residences. This use shall be limited to single-family detached houses that existed prior to the adoption of this chapter on lots that abutted an arterial street. At least a portion of the dwelling shall be within 150 feet of the existing right-of-way of an arterial street.
L. 
Proximity to a GC or PC District. This use shall only be allowed where at least a portion of the dwelling is within 1,500 feet of a GC or PC District boundary.
M. 
Signs. The only signs that shall be allowed on the site (other than signs exempted under § 275-157) shall be one on-premises business sign that is not internally illuminated, with a maximum sign area of 15 square feet and a maximum height of 10 feet.
N. 
Lighting. See § 275-135.

§ 275-42 Lot and setback regulations.

Lot and setback regulations for uses in the LDR District shall be as follows; unless a more restrictive requirement is stated in Article XX for a particular use or elsewhere in this chapter. See definitions of these terms in Article II.
A. 
Lot area.
(1) 
For a single-family detached dwelling with public water and public sewer service: 15,000 square feet minimum.
(2) 
For any use, other than a single-family detached dwelling with public water and public sewer service: 43,560 square feet minimum (one acre).
B. 
Minimum lot depth: 120 feet.
C. 
Minimum lot width: 100 feet at the minimum front yard setback line and 40 feet at the street right-of-way, except:
(1) 
One hundred fifty feet at the street right-of-way line for any use with a driveway entering directly onto an arterial or connector street.
(2) 
One hundred fifty feet at the minimum front yard setback line if a lot area of one acre or more is required.
D. 
Maximum lot coverage: 35% for buildings, 60% for total impervious surfaces.
E. 
Minimum front yard building setbacks.
(1) 
Principal and accessory structures: 35 feet.
(2) 
Variation. Up to 50% of the principal residential buildings may be located up to five feet forward of the front yard building setback line; provided that an equal or greater number of principal residential buildings in the same stage of construction will be five feet or greater behind the front yard building setback line. This variation shall only be permitted if approved at the time of approval of the subdivision plan.
F. 
Minimum side yard setback.
(1) 
Principal building: 15 feet for each of two side yards and 40 feet minimum for the two side yards combined.
(2) 
Accessory building: six feet for each of two side yards.
(3) 
Corner lots. See § 275-171B.
G. 
Minimum rear yard setback.
(1) 
Principal building: 35 feet.
(2) 
Accessory structure or use: four feet, except 10 feet for any building from any alley it has vehicular access onto.
H. 
Minimum setback from expressways. The requirements of § 275-34H shall apply.
I. 
Maximum height: 3 1/2 stories or 35 feet, whichever is less.
J. 
One use. No lot shall include more than one principal use.
K. 
Minimum setback from industrial districts. For any new principal residential building from the zoning boundary of a GI, OB, LI or LI(P) District: 80 feet.
L. 
Condominium ownership. See § 275-185.
M. 
Setback from arterial streets. For all principal buildings from the future right-of-way line of an arterial street: 40 feet minimum setback.
N. 
Minimum width of dwellings. Each building containing one or more dwelling units shall have a minimum building width and a minimum building length each of 16 feet.

§ 275-43 Additional requirements.

A. 
Off-street parking. See Article XVII.
B. 
Signs. See Article XVIII.
C. 
Site plan review. See § 275-178A. A site plan review by the Planning Commission is required for every principal nonresidential use.

§ 275-44 Incentives for improvement of accident-prone intersections.

The provisions of § 275-36 apply.