Where a minimum depth of front yard is specified in this code, so much of every lot within the district specified, and devoted to the use specified, as lies between the street line (or, in the case of a rear lot, the rear line of the lot to the rear of which such rear lot is located) and a line inside the lot parallel to, and such minimum depth (or, in the case of lots to which Section 18-2 applies, the distance described therein) from, the street line (or, in the case of a rear lot, such rear line) is hereby required as a front yard within which no planting other than shade trees shall be maintained more than five feet above the average natural grade in such front yard and within which no structure shall be erected except fences and walls not over five feet in height above said average natural grade in such front yard and except also steps, terraces, open porches without roofs, and the like if not extending more than three feet above the floor of the first story, and except also signs that conform with Article 11. In a required front yard in an L or B district, no plaza, terrace or public access to a basement (other than required by the State Building Code) shall be below the grade of the nearest sidewalk unless, after public notice and hearing and subject to the provisions of Article 6, the Board of Appeal grants a permit therefor. See also Section 22-2A.

(As amended on February 20, 1970, February 17, 1971, by two amendments July 9, 1973, September 27, 1973, October 22, 1974, February 14 and April 11, 1979, and April 27, 1990)

If at any time in the same block as a lot required by this code to have a front yard there exist two or more buildings fronting on the same side of the same street as such lot, instead of the minimum depth specified in this code, the minimum depth of the front yard shall be the modal front yard depth, i.e., the distance between the street line and the face of the building which, as measured by lot widths along said street line, occurs most frequently. The method for making this calculation shall be as follows:

1.

For each developed lot on the same side of the same street the distance between the street line and the nearest building is measured. The measurement is rounded off to the nearest half foot if the said buildings are attached and to the nearest foot if the said buildings are detached. The width of each lot is then measured. These measurements may be scaled off from a reliable plan or map.

2.

The widths of all lots with the same front yard depth are added up.

3.

The front yard depth with the largest total lot width is the minimum front yard depth for the block. If two or more front yard depths have equal lot widths, the one closest to the required front yard shall be the minimum front yard depth.

In a block in which there is a uniform or dominant building line at the upper story level which differs from the modal front yard depth because of ground floor projections, no structure in excess of one story shall be built between the minimum front yard depth and the faces of abutting buildings at the upper story levels. Section 18-2 and its provisions do not apply to Squares + Streets Districts.

(Illustrated in Appendix 2)

(As amended on April 14, 1967, February 20, 1970, October 22, 1974, and April 27, 1990; Text Amd. No. 471, § 8a., 4-23-2024)

Whenever a front yard is required by Section 18-1 and the lot is a corner lot, no structure or planting interfering with traffic visibility across the corner or higher, in any event, than two and one-half feet above the curb of the abutting street shall be maintained within that part of the required front yard which is within the triangular area formed by the abutting side lines of the intersecting streets and a line joining points on such lines thirty feet distant from their point of intersection. Section 18-3 and its provisions do not apply to Squares + Streets Districts.

(Illustrated in Appendix 2)

(Text Amd. No. 471, § 8b., 4-23-2024)

If a lot abuts on more than one street, the provisions of this Article shall apply along every street line except as otherwise provided in Section 19-6.

If the front wall of a building is not parallel to the front lot line, but the average distance between such wall and such lot line is no less than the minimum front yard depth otherwise required by this Article, and the distance between such wall and such lot line is at no point less than three fourths of the minimum front yard depth so otherwise required, the requirements of this Article shall be deemed to be met.