Conshohocken City Zoning Code
PART 12
R-O - RESIDENTIAL OFFICE DISTRICT
§ 27-1201 Declaration of Legislative Intent.
[Ord. 6-2001, 10/10/2001; as amended through 12/2005]
In the expansion of the declaration of legislative intent contained in Part 1, the intent of the Residential Office District is to encourage the retention and preservation of existing Victorian and early 20th Century residences by permitting residential uses and conditionally allowing limited office conversions. Furthermore, it is the intent of this Part to maintain the existing residential streetscape of upper Fayette Street through regulations that allow these conversions only when front facades and porches are preserved and if building additions and parking areas are not constructed in the front yards.
§ 27-1202 Permitted Uses.
[Ord. 6-2001, 10/10/2001; as amended through 12/2005]
1.
Single-family detached dwellings.
2.
Single-family semidetached dwellings.
3.
Municipal or government office.
4.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection 5, regarding uses permitted on properties last occupied or used as a nonconforming commercial use, provided that the property does not contain a Victorian or early 20th Century residential structure, added by Ord. 08-2017, 11/15/2017, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed by Ord. No. 09-2022, 4/20/2022.
§ 27-1203 Conditional Uses.
[Ord. 6-2001, 10/10/2001; as amended through 12/2005]
1.
Professional office for the practice of medicine, law, engineering, architecture or design, real estate, insurance, financial consultation.
2.
Studio for photography, music or dance.
4.
Funeral home.
7.
Parking lots, only when as a secondary use to the primary use.
8.
Other uses of similar intensity and scale.
§ 27-1204 Conditional Use Standards.
[Ord. 6-2001, 10/10/2001; as amended through 12/2005]
1.
All conditional uses must have their primary facade oriented toward Fayette Street.
2.
The conditional use must preserve, utilize and maintain an existing building in a manner that is consistent with the existing Victorian/early 20th century character of this Section of Fayette Street. If an existing building is demolished, then no conditional use will be permitted.
3.
The conditional use must preserve, repair and maintain the front facade and, if existing, the front porch in conformance with the Borough of Conshohocken Facade Improvement Guidelines. Any building addition shall be located to the rear, and shall be compatible with the existing building in size, scale and materials. Stairways, fire escapes and other structural alterations shall be located to the rear or side of the building.
4.
The conditional use must preserve the existing front yard as a landscaped open space. The only impervious coverage in the front yard will be sidewalks or pedestrian access paths. The landscaping shall be of the type traditionally found in the Upper Fayette Street area (shade trees, foundation plantings, grass, etc.).
5.
There shall be no parking lots or required off-street parking spaces permitted between the front wall of a principal structure and the curb of the street toward which that wall is oriented in the R-O District.
6.
All refuse areas shall be screened from the view of adjacent streets or residential districts by a landscape screen buffer and/or an opaque fence or wall at least six feet high and not more than eight feet high, in conjunction with landscape material.
§ 27-1205 Permitted Use Dimensional Standards.
[Ord. 6-2001, 10/10/2001; as amended through 12/2005]
The following standards shall apply to all permitted uses in the R-O District:
A.
The minimum lot size shall be 3,500 square feet for single-family detached dwellings and 2,500 square feet for single-family semidetached dwellings per individual dwelling unit.
B.
The minimum lot width shall be 35 feet for single-family detached dwellings and 25 feet for single-family semidetached dwellings.
C.
The front yard setback shall be 25 feet, to be measured from the ultimate right-of-way line; except where a building line has been established, then the building line of the majority of the buildings on that block shall be used.
D.
The minimum side yard setback shall be five feet for each side, except semidetached dwellings, which require only one side yard of five feet.
E.
The minimum rear yard setback shall be 30 feet.
F.
The maximum impervious coverage shall be 50% of the lot area.
G.
The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.
§ 27-1206 Conditional Use Dimensional Standards.
[Ord. 6-2001, 10/10/2001; as amended through 12/2005]
The following standards shall apply to all conditional uses in the R-O District.
§ 27-1207 Parking Lot Requirements.
§ 27-1208 Review Requirements.
[Ord. 6-2001, 10/10/2001; as amended through 12/2005]
Exterior renovations in the R-O District must be reviewed by the Borough Design Review Committee, which will make recommendations to Borough Council.