Zoneomics Logo
search icon

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.

A. 
Off-street parking. See Article XVII.
B. 
Signs. See Article XVIII.
C. 
Site plan review. See § 275-178A, which requires site plan review by the Planning Commission for most principal nonresidential uses.

§ 275-52 Incentives for improvements to accident-prone intersections.

The provisions of § 275-36 shall also apply within the MDR District.