Within any A-1 Residence District, as indicated on the building zone map, no lot, building or structure shall be used for the storage, parking, placement, temporary or otherwise, of any trailer, mobile home, mobile quarters or similar structure or device used for dwelling and designated or intended to be transported from place to place, and no building or structure shall be erected which is intended or designed to be used, in whole or in part, for any industrial, manufacturing, trade or commercial purpose, or for any other than the following specified purposes:

(1)

Single detached residence for not more than one family or one housekeeping unit, unless the owner or lessee occupies a portion thereof as a residence for his or her personal use, and in no case more than three housekeeping units.

(2)

The keeping of boarders or lodgers by a resident family.

(3)

The office of a resident member of a recognized profession.

(4)

Customary home occupations, such as: dressmaking, millinery, hairdressing and manicuring, laundering, preserving, and home-cooking; provided that such occupation shall be carried on solely by resident occupants in the main building, and provided that not more than the equivalent of the area of one floor shall be used for such occupation and no display of products made shall be visible from the street.

(5)

Public and semi-public uses such as schools, churches, playgrounds, parks, streets, walks, and other public ways; provided, however, that:

a.

Fraternal, social, recreational, and community center organizations and rescue and ambulance organizations are not included; and

b.

Any such use is not primarily for gain; and

c.

The use of property for public and semi-public uses such as schools, churches, playgrounds and parks, streets, walks or other public ways shall be permitted only upon the granting of a Conditional Use Permit (Section 9B5) by the town council of Chatham.

(6)

Accessory uses and structures customarily incident to any use permitted by this section, such as: servant's quarters, stables, greenhouses or work shops; provided that none shall be conducted for gain and that no accessory building shall be inhabited by other than those who are employees of the owner, lessee, or tenant of the premises.

(7)

Farms, truck-gardens, non-commercial greenhouses; provided that no greenhouse heating plant be operated within 20 feet of any lot line.

(8)

Private garage on the same lot with the building, not maintained for the service of the public, or operated or conducted for commercial or industrial uses, but no such private garage shall be hereafter located or erected on any residential street block within a distance of less than 30 feet of the boundary line of that side of the street on which such private garage is to be located, unless such private garage is a part of or attached to a dwelling.

(9)

Poles, lines, transformers, pipes, meters and/or other facilities necessary for the provision and maintenance of public utilities; provided that service lines from the street property line to any residence or other permitted use shall be underground, except that the requirement that service lines be underground shall not be applicable to property served by overhead lines at the time this chapter becomes effective; provided further that insofar as practicable, poles and wire lines shall be placed in alleys, and that only one line of poles will be allowed in any street.

(10)

Any real estate coming into the corporate limits of the Town, by annexation or otherwise, shall upon inclusion be zoned A-1 Residence, subject to the vested rights of then non-conforming users (see Section 2B), and shall be subject to all provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. of 2-12-1979, § 4(4A); Ord. of 8-13-1990, § 4(4A))

(a)

Street access requirement. No lot shall contain any building used as a residence unless such lot abuts on at least one street or unless there is a perpetual unobstructed easement of access at least 30 feet wide to such a street.

(b)

Room/window requirements. Every room in which one or more persons live, sleep, work, or congregate, except storage rooms where the nature of the occupancy does not require direct light and air from the outside shall have a total window area equal to or greater than one-tenth of the floor area of the room. Such windows shall be open directly either upon a street or alley not less than ten feet in width or upon a rear yard, side yard, outer court or enclosed court located upon the same lot and conforming to the requirements prescribed for these by this chapter as to minimum area and least dimensions.

(c)

Satellite dishes. Satellite dishes for TV reception shall be restricted from the front yards.

(d)

Accessory buildings.

(1)

Accessory buildings permitted in Section 4A shall be placed in rear yards only. The aggregate ground area covered by accessory buildings, including the ground area covered by any projections or encroachments hereinbefore permitted, shall not exceed 30 percent of the rear yard area.

(2)

No accessory building in any A-1 Residence District, which is within ten feet of any party line, shall be more than one story high. No accessory building shall exceed 35 feet in height. No accessory building which is not of fire-proof construction shall be within less than three feet of any party line in any A-1 Residence District; except that this shall not prevent the erection or completion of a common garage across their joint lot line.

(3)

Within the limitations hereinbefore recited in this section any accessory building on a corner lot in an A-1 Residence District shall be distant as far as possible from all street lines, excepting that this shall not require the distance from any street line to exceed 30 feet; but when the rear of any corner lot abut any lot facing on a street which is a side street with reference to said corner lot, any accessory building on the corner lot shall not be built nearer the rear line of the corner lot than six percent of the depth of the corner lot.

(e)

Professional signs. For permitted uses other than residential, one small professional or announcement sign will be permitted on an A-1 Residence District lot provided that the sign not exceed four square feet in area, that it be applicable only to the premises upon which it is erected, that it be fixed flat against the building. A real estate sign may be displayed as long as it is not over six square feet in area, is placed behind the front property line, and is used only to advertise the sale or rent of the premises upon which it is erected. Illumination of signs shall be indirect, with the light source shielded from direct view.

(f)

Courts.

(1)

When a window in any A-1 Residence District in any room except a storage room, bathroom, or clothes closet does not open on a street, alley, side or rear yard as required in this chapter, it shall open on a court conforming with the provisions hereinafter contained in this section. The court need not extend below the lowest story it is required to serve.

(2)

In any A-1 Residence District, no accessory building shall be located within any required court.

(3)

Within the limits of any outer court, no fence nor wall more than 50 percent solid shall be more than four feet high.

(4)

In any A-1 Residence District, the minimum widths of courts at the levels of the lowest window sill of the story served by such court shall be as follows:

(5)

In no case shall an outer court be less than two inches wide for each foot of building length from the enclosed end.

(6)

The length of an enclosed court shall be at least twice the required width of the court or such court shall have an area equivalent to the product of the said required dimensions.

(7)

Except as specified in Section 4C(f) (Projections and Encroachments) courts required by this chapter shall be open, unobstructed to the sky.

(g)

Public water and sewer service. In any residential district where public water service is available, residents are required to hook up to the service. In any residential district where public sewer service is available, residents are required to hook up to the service unless at the time of the passage of this ordinance a resident has a properly maintained septic system. The exception will remain in effect for as long as the septic system continues to be properly maintained.

(Ord. of 2-12-1979, § 4(4B))

(a)

Open yards. Except as specified in Section 4C(f) (Projections and Encroachments), yards required by this chapter shall be open, unobstructed to the sky.

(b)

Setback building lines.

(1)

In any A-1 Residence District, no building shall be erected, reconstructed, or altered nearer to the street line on which it faces than the average setback observed by the buildings on the same side of the street and fronting thereon. The face of the front wall of the building is to be the determining factor for the setback measurements within the same block at the time of the passage of this chapter.

(2)

The side of a building or a corner lot shall not be a factor in establishing the setback line.

(3)

Where there are buildings on only one side of the street within the block at the time of the passage of this chapter, the setback line for the unoccupied side shall be the same as that established on the occupied side as hereinbefore provided.

(4)

Where there is no building on either side of the street within the block at the time of the passage of this chapter, the setback line shall not be less than 40 feet in A-1 Residence Districts, provided that on a hillside street if the natural slope of the ground on either side of a street and within a block is such that the average difference in elevation between the sidewalk grade and the lot grade at the setback line shall be established at a distance back where such difference in elevation is five feet, provided further that no such line shall be less than 15 feet from the street line.

(5)

Provided that no building shall be required to set back from the street a distance greater than the setback line observed by that one or two existing buildings on the immediate adjoining lots on either side, which is the further removed from the street line.

(6)

In a particular case, where a strict compliance with the terms of this chapter would occasion hardship, the Board of Zoning Appeals by use of a Variance, upon the application of the owner, may lessen the setback building line.

(7)

The setback requirements of this chapter shall not apply to any necessary retaining wall, or to any fence or wall which is less than five feet high and less than 60 percent solid.

(8)

Any public or semi-public building allowable under Section 4A(e) that is equal to more than two stories and an attic in height shall be set back from all required minimum front, side, and rear yards one foot for each two feet of such additional height.

(c)

Rear yards.

(1)

In any A-1 Residence District a rear yard not less than 15 feet deep shall be required on every lot and every such yard shall extend from the rear most portion of the building or structure to the rear line and be the full width of the lot between side lines.

(2)

The yard requirements for this chapter shall not apply to any necessary retaining wall, or to any fence or wall which is less than five feet high and less than 60 percent solid. Nothing herein shall prevent the construction of a rear line fence or wall to a height not exceeding seven feet.

(3)

Any public or semi-public building allowable under Section 4A(e) that is equal to more than two stories and an attic in height shall be set back from all minimum required front, side, and rear yards one foot for each two feet of such additional height.

(d)

Side yards.

(1)

In any A-1 Residence District, there shall be a side yard along each side of each lot, except as specified elsewhere in this section and below, and the sum of the widths of the two side yards of any lot 75 feet in width or less shall be not less than 25 percent of the width of such lot, and of any lot over 75 feet in width not less than 30 percent of the width of the lot; provided that no such side yard shall be less than five feet in width, and provided further that in any case where the required total width of the two side yards is more than 20 feet, one of such side yards need not be more than ten feet in width.

(2)

Exceptions. For lots less than 40 feet in width existing at the time of passage of this chapter, no such side yard shall be less than three feet in width.

(3)

Any public or semi-public building allowable under Section 4A(e) that is more than equal to two stories and an attic in height shall be set back from all required front, side, and rear yards one foot for each two feet of such additional height.

(4)

The yard requirements of this chapter shall not apply to any necessary retaining wall, or to any fence or wall which is less than five feet high and less than 60 percent solid.

(e)

Heights of buildings.

(1)

In any A-1 Residence District, no building or structure shall exceed the height of a building equal to two stories and an attic above the level of the curb in the center of the front of the building, except that a public or semi-public building allowable under Section 4A(e) may be erected to not more than 50 feet in height; provided that the portion of such building more than that equal to two stories and an attic in height shall be set back from all minimum required front, side, and rear yards one foot for each two feet of such additional height.

(2)

The provisions of this section shall not apply to church spires, belfries, cupolas, domes, monuments, water towers, chimneys, flues, flag poles, nor to parapet walls or roof-mounted solar panels extending not more than three feet above the limiting height of the building on which they rest.

(3)

The provisions of this section shall not prevent the erection of towers occupying not more than 25 percent of the area of the lot and distanced not less than 25 feet in all parts from any lot line not a street line.

(f)

Projections and encroachments.

(1)

Cornices, eaves, and roof-mounted solar panels may project not to exceed three feet over any minimum required yard, provided that any such projection shall not be less than two feet from any lot line.

(2)

Sills, leaders, belt courses, and similar ornamental features may project six inches over any minimum required yard or court. An open fire balcony, fire escape, or fire tower may project five feet over any minimum required yard.

(3)

A bay window, oriel, or balcony which is not more than ten feet wide may project not more than three feet into any minimum required front yard or rear yard. An open porch or porch cochere may extend into any minimum required side yard, provided that it does not come nearer the side lot line than three feet.

(4)

The setback and yard requirements of this chapter shall not apply to any necessary retaining wall, or to any fence or wall which is less than five feet high and less than 60 percent solid. Nothing herein shall prevent the construction of a rear line fence or wall to a height not exceeding seven feet. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to terraces, steps, and uncovered porches which are not in any part more than three feet above the floor level of the first story and not within five feet of any party lot line.

(5)

In A-1 Residence Districts, a ground story extension may project into a minimum required rear yard from the rear of any building not more than ten feet, provided it does not extend within less than 15 feet of a rear lot line.

(6)

Uncovered porches or covered but not enclosed porches may project not more than ten feet beyond the front wall of the building into the minimum required front yard.

(g)

Deduced areas. No lot or plot shall hereafter be so deduced in area as to cause any open space required by this chapter to be less in any dimension than is herein required for the district and lot in question.

(Ord. of 2-12-1979, § 4(4C); Ord. of 8-13-1990, § 4(4C); Ord. No. 2023.03.14, 3-13-2023)

Off-street parking requirements.

(1)

For each residence in any A-1 Residence District, there shall be provided not less than two off-street parking spaces for standard sized automobiles which shall not interfere with each other's ingress and egress. These spaces may be garages, carports, driveways, front or side or rear yards; but in any event, they and their approaches shall be gravelled or otherwise improved to afford all-weather usage. They shall be on the same lot as the residence.

(2)

For any main building or structure other than a residence which involves assembling of persons, there shall be provided on the same lot or adjoining lots, together with means of ingress and egress thereto, and improved to all-weather standards, one parking space for each five seats provided in the structure.

(3)

Boarding houses or guest houses: One space per room to rent in addition to that provided for dwelling unit.

(4)

Home occupations: One space in addition to that required for dwelling unit.

(5)

Office of a resident member of a recognized profession: One space in addition to that provided for the dwelling unit.

(Ord. of 2-12-1979, § 4(4D))