Clairton City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IV
General Regulations
§ 337-24 Purpose.
This article contains general regulations which apply to all districts, unless otherwise stated.
§ 337-25 District dimensional requirements.
A.
The dimensional requirements for each zoning district pertaining to minimum lot area, minimum lot width, minimum yards, maximum height and maximum building coverage are specified in Table 337-21,[1] subject to the further applicable provisions of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: The table is included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 337-26 Coverage.
§ 337-27 Height restrictions.
No structure shall exceed the maximum height above basic grade specified in Table 337-21,[1] provided that:
A.
No residential use, except townhouses or an apartment structure, where permitted, may exceed a height of 35 feet or three stories.
B.
A structure for any permitted, special exception or conditional use in any district may exceed the maximum permitted height, provided that every required yard is increased by one foot for each additional foot of height.
C.
The height regulations of this chapter shall not apply to television and radio towers, church spires, belfries, monuments, tanks, water or fire towers, ornamental towers, spires, chimneys, elevator bulkheads and smokestacks.
[1]
Editor's Note: The table is included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 337-28 Lot and yard requirements.
A.
Lots which abut on more than one street shall provide the required front yard along every street.
B.
One and only one principal structure, together with permitted accessory structures, may be located on any lot, except that two or more principal structures may be permitted as a planned residential development after approval and recording of the development plan as required by this chapter.
C.
Minimum lot width. Where a minimum lot width is specified, no principal building shall be erected on any part of a lot which has a width of less than is required, except that a lawful existing lot with a nonconforming lot width may be developed with one principal use and its allowed accessory uses.
§ 337-29 Projections into yards.
No structure, whether attached to the principal structure or not and whether open or enclosed, including porches, carports, balconies and platforms above basic grade level, shall project into any required front, side or rear yard, except as provided below:
A.
Minor utility fixtures, unenclosed patios and articles of decoration around a main building may be located in any required yard.
B.
A buttress, chimney, cornice, pier or pilaster extending no more than two feet from the wall of the principal structure may be located in any required yard.
C.
Accessory structures and uses. Structures accessory to single-family residences may extend into required rear and side yards, but not closer than five feet to rear and side yard lot lines.
D.
Front yards.
(1)
Up to 1/3 of the required front yard may be occupied by an unenclosed ground floor "open porch." Such porch may be screened and include a roof, but shall not include a second floor.
(2)
The Zoning Officer may authorize the projection of a principal structure into a required front yard on a lot located between two structures which may be nonconforming with respect to the front yard, provided that the resulting front yard shall not be less than the median front yard of the two adjacent structures.
E.
Side yards.
(1)
Bays, balconies, unenclosed porches, unenclosed decks, chimneys, flues, and fire escapes may project into a required side yard not more than four feet.
F.
Rear yards.
(1)
Up to 1/3 of the required minimum rear yard may be occupied by an unenclosed ground floor rear porch or wood deck, with or without a roof.
(3)
If a fence is placed within an easement, the City may require the construction of a gate to allow access for the easement purposes. A fence shall not obstruct drainage in a drainage easement. Where a fence may be allowed in an easement, the owner shall assume responsibility and cost to remove the fence if needed to accomplish work authorized by the easement.
G.
Off-street parking and driveways.
(1)
No required yard in any district shall be used for parking vehicles except on a driveway.
(2)
In single-family developments, not more than 25% of the front yard may be devoted to driveway access.
(3)
In single-family attached developments, not more than 50% of the front yard may be devoted to driveway access.
(4)
In multiple-family developments, not more than 50% of the front yard may be devoted to driveway access.
(5)
In nonresidential districts, driveway access shall be as permitted by site plan approval.
H.
Fences.
(1)
Residential uses.
(2)
Nonresidential uses.
(a)
A chain-link-type fence not more than 10 feet in height may be erected in any required yard for schools, playgrounds or parks.
(b)
A chain-link-type fence not more than 10 feet in height may be erected in any required yard for industrial uses or commercial uses. A solid fence no more than 10 feet high may be erected in any required commercial or industrial yard with the approval of the Zoning Officer.
§ 337-30 Vision obstructions at intersections.
A.
At all street intersections in all districts, no obstructions to vision exceeding 30 inches in height above curb level shall be erected or maintained on any lot within the triangle formed by the street lines of such lot and a line drawn between points along such street lines 30 feet distant from their point of intersection.
B.
At all intersections of driveways and public rights-of-way, no planting, fences or similar materials exceeding 30 inches in height shall be permitted in the first 20 feet from said right-of-way.
§ 337-31 Buffer yards.
A.
The purpose of a buffer yard is to provide a space or distance between two incompatible uses. The purpose of screening is to provide an effective visual barrier between an unsightly or distracting activity and adjacent properties or public ways to preserve property values and assure compatibility of uses. It is also the purpose of these provisions to prescribe standards for development and maintenance of planting, fences, and walls, for conservation and protection of property through provision of barriers against traffic, trespass, noise, heat, glare, and dust, and through improvement of the appearance of individual properties, neighborhoods, and the City. These standards shall apply to all landscaping and screening required by other provisions of the zoning regulations.
B.
Buffer yards shall be required to separate uses as shown in Table 337-31:
Table 337-31, Buffer Yard Requirements | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
District | Proposed Use | Adjacent Use | Minimum Width (feet) | |
SC, R-1, R-2, MU-R, MU-V | Nonresidential | Residential | 20 | |
MU-T | Nonresidential | Residential | 15 | |
Nonresidential | Nonresidential | 5 | ||
CBD | Nonresidential | Residential | 10 | |
Nonresidential | Nonresidential | 0 | ||
C/I, I | Commercial | Residential | 30 | |
Commercial | Nonresidential | 10 | ||
Industrial | Residential | 40 | ||
Industrial | Nonresidential | 20 | ||
C.
Buffer yards shall comply with the following standards:
(1)
The buffer yard shall be measured from the property line or from the street right-of-way line where a buffer yard is required along a street right-of-way. Where a buffer yard is required abutting a street or alley right-of-way, the width of the buffer yard shall be measured from such right-of-way.
(a)
Where the applicant proves to the Zoning Officer that the provision of a buffer yard with plant screening is not possible, the City may approve the use of a mostly solid decorative fence or architectural masonry wall, with a three-foot-wide buffer yard.
(2)
The buffer yard requirements shall also apply abutting primarily residential district boundary lines in an adjoining municipality.
(3)
The buffer yard may be coterminous with required front, side, and rear yards, and, in case of conflict, the larger yard requirements shall apply.
(4)
All buffer yards shall be well maintained and kept clean of all debris, rubbish, weeds and tall grass in conformance with existing regulations.
(5)
No structure, manufacturing or processing activity, or storage of materials shall be permitted in the buffer yard. No vehicle parking, storage or display shall be allowed in the buffer yard. Only necessary, approximately perpendicular, crossings of the buffer yard by a driveway shall be allowed.
(6)
Buffer yards shall include a dense screen planting of primarily evergreen trees and shrubs, also including vegetative ground cover to the full length of the lot line. Deciduous canopy trees may also be utilized as buffer yard plantings. The buffer yard shall be designed to serve as a barrier to visibility, airborne particles, glare and noise. The buffer yard shall be planted with the following plants for every 100 linear feet of lot line to be buffered, unless the applicant provides an alternative plan that provides the desired screening, subject to the approval of the Zoning Officer:
(7)
Such screen planting shall be located within the buffer yard, and shall be in accordance with the following requirements:
(a)
All evergreen trees required by this article shall be a minimum of five feet in planted height, measured from the finished grade.
(b)
Evergreen shrubs used in the screen planting shall be at least three feet in height when planted and be of such species and spacing that can be expected to produce, within three years, a continuous visual screen of at least five feet in height.
(c)
All deciduous trees required by this article shall be a minimum of two-inch caliper in size (measured at five feet from finished grade).
(d)
The screen planting shall be maintained permanently, and any dead or dying plants shall be replaced no later than the subsequent growing season.
(e)
Native species of plantings are strongly encouraged to help reestablish native species of birds, bees and other insects.
(f)
In accordance with the provisions of § 337-30, a clear sight triangle shall be maintained at all street intersections and at all points where private accessways intersect public streets.
(g)
The screen planting shall be broken only at points of approved vehicular or pedestrian access.
(h)
Any fencing or wall shall be on the inside of the buffer yard.
(8)
No screen planting shall be required along streets which form district boundary lines if only an improved facade of any proposed building shall be visible from the adjacent residential district and there are no outdoor storage areas, outdoor processing or manufacturing activities, and there is no overnight parking of tractor-trailer trucks along said street.
(9)
Prior to the issuance of any building permit, complete plans showing the arrangement of all buffer yards and the placement, species and size of all plant materials and the placement, size, materials, and type of all fences or walls to be placed in such buffer yard shall be subject to approval by the Zoning Officer. Any wall shall be of architectural-quality masonry.
(10)
An applicant may utilize a landscaped earth berm in the buffer yard, provided it is a minimum of four feet in height. A maximum slope ratio of 3:1 is required on both sides of the berm. The interior/business side of a berm may include a retaining wall in lieu of the slope. A minimum of one deciduous canopy tree and one evergreen tree per 25 linear feet of earth berm or two evergreen trees per 20 linear feet of earth berm is required.
(11)
A buffer yard shall also be required in the following situations:
(12)
In addition, an eight-foot minimum width buffer strip along a public street shall be required where new parking spaces for 10 or more vehicles are proposed to be adjacent to and visible from a public street. Such buffer strip shall include plants with an anticipated mature height of at least four feet and deciduous shade trees. The City may require such buffer to be designed so that it is possible to have views at eye level into the parking area for security reasons.
§ 337-32 Outdoor storage and screening.
A.
Outside storage areas in commercial and industrial districts shall be permitted, provided that such storage areas shall be buffered by fencing, planting or topography so as to obviate adverse effect on neighboring property.
(1)
The required screen shall have a height adequate to prevent direct views of the outdoor storage area.
(2)
Plant materials used for screening shall consist of a continuous row of evergreen shrubs.
(3)
Evergreen shrub species shall be chosen for their ability to provide a continuous opaque screen within 24 months after commencement of operations in the area to be screened.
(4)
The City shall require that either new planting or alternative screening be provided if, after 24 months, the plant materials do not provide an opaque screen.
B.
Garbage dumpsters shall be stored within a building or be surrounded by a continuous row of evergreen shrubs, a decorative masonry wall or a vinyl fence and gate.
§ 337-33 Lighting.
This section shall only regulate exterior lighting that spills across lot lines or onto public streets.
B.
Height of lights. No luminaire, spotlight or other light source that is within 200 feet of a lot line of an existing dwelling or approved residential lot shall be placed at a height exceeding 35 feet above the average surrounding ground level. This limitation shall not apply to lights needed for air safety nor lights intended solely to illuminate an architectural feature of a building, nor lighting of outdoor public recreation facilities or a ski resort.
C.
Diffused. All light sources, including signs, shall be properly diffused as needed with a translucent or similar cover to prevent exposed bulbs from being directly visible from streets, public sidewalks, dwellings or adjacent lots.
D.
Shielding. All light sources, including signs, shall be shielded around the light source and carefully directed and placed to prevent the lighting from creating a nuisance to reasonable persons in adjacent dwellings, and to prevent the lighting from shining into the eyes of passing motorists.
E.
Flickering. Flashing, flickering or strobe lighting are prohibited, except for nonadvertising seasonal lights between October 25 and January 10.
F.
Spillover. Exterior lighting on an institutional, commercial or industrial property shall not cause a spillover of light onto a residential lot that exceeds 1.0 horizontal footcandle at a distance 10 feet inside the residential lot line.
G.
Gasoline sales canopies. Any canopy over gasoline pumps shall have light fixtures recessed into the canopy or screened by an extension around the bottom of the canopy so that lighting elements are not visible from another lot or street.
H.
Lighting of horizontal surfaces. For the lighting of predominantly horizontal surfaces such as parking areas and vehicle sales areas, lighting fixtures shall be aimed downward and shall include full cutoff measures as needed to properly direct the light and to meet the maximum spillover requirements of Subsection F and to prevent glare onto streets. The municipality may require that light fixtures for nonresidential uses be placed along the street and be aimed away from the street in a manner that also minimizes light shining onto residential lots.
I.
Lighting of nonhorizontal surfaces. For lighting of predominantly nonhorizontal surfaces such as building walls and wall signs, lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded and shall be aimed so as to not project light towards neighboring residences or past the object being illuminated or skyward. Any lighting of a flag shall use a beam no wider than necessary to illuminate the flag. Lighting of a billboard should be attached to the top of the billboard and project downward. However, lighting shall be allowed of the United States flag from dusk to dawn, provided the light source shall have a beam spread no greater than necessary to illuminate the flag.
§ 337-34 Temporary structures.
Temporary structures and trailers used in conjunction with construction work may be permitted only during the period that the construction work is in progress. Permits for other temporary structures may be issued for six-month periods, but such permits shall not be renewed except as a special exception when approved by the Board.
§ 337-35 General performance standards.
All uses shall comply with the requirements of this section. In order to determine whether a proposed use will conform to the requirements of this chapter, the Council may obtain a qualified consultant to testify, whose cost for services shall be borne by the applicant.
A.
Fire protection. Fire prevention and firefighting equipment acceptable to the City Fire Official shall be readily available when any activity involving the handling or storage of flammable or explosive materials is carried on.
B.
Electrical disturbances. No activity shall cause electrical disturbance adversely affecting radio or other equipment in the vicinity.
C.
Noise. Noise which is determined to be objectionable because of volume, frequency or beat shall be muffled or otherwise controlled. Fire sirens and related apparatus used solely for public purposes shall be exempt from this requirement.
D.
Vibrations. Vibrations detectable without instruments on neighboring property in any district shall be prohibited.
E.
Odors. No malodorous gas or matter shall be permitted which is discernible on any adjoining lot or property.
F.
Air pollution. No pollution of air by fly ash, dust, smoke, vapors or other substance shall be permitted which is harmful to health, animals, vegetation or other property.
G.
Glare. Lighting devices which produce objectionable direct or reflected glare on adjoining properties or thoroughfares shall not be permitted.
H.
Erosion. No erosion by wind or water shall be permitted which will carry objectionable substances onto neighboring properties.
I.
Water pollution. No water pollution as defined by the standards established by the state and federal governments shall be permitted.
J.
Hazardous materials. Any person, partnership or corporation proposing to dump wastes or hazardous materials on any land within Clairton must first obtain certificates from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and appropriate Pennsylvania and Allegheny County agencies to certify that such wastes and materials are not hazardous to the health, safety and general welfare of the residents of Clairton and the surrounding region.