Bethlehem Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
MDR Medium-Density Residential District
§ 275-45 Purpose.
The purpose of this district is to:
A.
Provide for the orderly expansion of areas that offer residential neighborhoods at a medium density.
B.
Carefully control the types of housing to ensure compatibility with existing houses.
C.
Carefully protect these areas from uses that may not be fully compatible.
§ 275-46 Permitted-by-right uses.
Only the following uses are permitted by right in the MDR 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.
(5)
Publicly owned recreation.
(6)
Wildlife sanctuary.
(7)
Place of worship.[3]
[3]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
(8)
Cemetery.[4]
[4]
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)
The following uses if both public water and public sewer service is provided:
(a)
Townhouse.
(b)
Single-family semidetached dwelling.
(12)
Group home within a lawful dwelling unit.
(13)
Co-located commercial communications antenna.[5]
[Added 3-19-2001 by Ord. No. 03-01]
[5]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
B.
The following accessory uses, within the requirements of § 275-190:
(1)
No-impact home-based business.[6]
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 10-04]
[6]
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.[7]
[7]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(6)
Accessory apartment within an existing single-family detached dwelling.[8]
[8]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(7)
Accessory use or structure permitted under § 275-190C.[9]
[9]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
(8)
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.
§ 275-47 Special exception uses.
Only the following uses are permitted by special exception in the MDR District, which shall meet the requirements of Article XX:
A.
Limited office conversion meeting the requirements of § 275-41.
B.
Retirement village.[1]
[1]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
C.
Home occupation, major.[2]
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 10-04]
[2]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-190.
§ 275-48 Conditional uses.
Only the following uses are permitted as conditional uses in the MDR District:
A.
Public or private primary or secondary school.[1]
[1]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
B.
Emergency services station.[2]
[2]
Note: See additional requirements in § 275-189.
C.
Single-family cluster development meeting the requirements of Article XXII.
D.
Use approved under § 275-36.
§ 275-49 Lot and setback regulations for uses other than townhouses or retirement villages.
Lot and setback regulations for uses in the MDR 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 in § 275-24.
A.
Lot area.
(1)
For a single-family detached dwelling with public water and public sewer service: 10,000 square feet minimum.
(2)
For a single-family semidetached dwelling: 7,000 square feet minimum for each dwelling unit.
(3)
For any principal use (including, but not limited to, a single-family detached dwelling) that does not meet either of the above Subsection A(1) or (2): 43,560 square feet (one acre).
B.
Minimum lot depth: 100 feet.
C.
Minimum lot width: 80 feet at the minimum front yard setback line and 40 feet at the street right-of-way line, except:
(1)
For a single-family semidetached dwelling (per dwelling unit): 60 feet at the minimum front yard and 30 feet at the street right-of-way.
(2)
One hundred eighty feet at the existing right-of-way line for any new lot with a driveway entering directly onto an arterial or connector street.
(3)
One hundred fifty feet for a lot required to have a minimum lot area of one acre or larger.
D.
Maximum lot coverage: 40% maximum building coverage, 60% maximum total impervious coverage.
E.
Minimum front yard setbacks: 25 feet for all principal and accessory structures.
F.
Minimum side yard setback.
(1)
Principal structure: 10 feet for each required side yard and 25 feet total when two side yards are required.
(2)
Accessory structure or use: six feet, except three feet for a storage shed of less than 100 square feet of floor area, and except zero feet along the shared lot line of attached dwellings, provided that no structure shall obstruct a drainage swale.
(3)
Corner lots. See § 275-171B.
G.
Minimum rear yard setback.
(1)
Principal structure: 35 feet, except see § 275-171 for exceptions for decks and other extensions.
(2)
Accessory structure or use: four feet, except 10 feet for any building from any alley that the building will have vehicle access onto.
H.
Minimum setback from expressway. The requirements of § 275-34H shall also apply to the MDR district.
I.
Maximum height: 3 1/2 stories or 35 feet, whichever is more restrictive.
J.
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.
K.
Condominium ownership. See § 275-185.
L.
Setback from arterial streets. For all principal buildings from the future right-of-way line of an arterial street: 40 feet minimum setback.
§ 275-50 Lot and setback regulations for townhouses or retirement village.
All of the requirements of §§ 275-57 and 275-59 that relate to townhouses shall also apply to townhouses in the MDR District, except the following:
A.
Density. Section 275-59D(3) is replaced by the following: An average minimum of 9,000 square feet of buildable area is required for each townhouse dwelling.
B.
Units attached. A maximum of four dwelling units may be attached in any form.
C.
A life-care center is not permitted.
§ 275-51 Additional requirements.
[Amended 6-1-2026 by Ord. No. 06-26]
A.
Off-street parking. See Article XVII.
B.
Signs. See Article XVIII.
C.
Site plan review when applicable. See § 275-178.
§ 275-52 Incentives for improvements to accident-prone intersections.
The provisions of § 275-36 shall also apply within the MDR District.
