Douglass Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
R-3 Residential District
§ 265-52 Declaration of legislative intent.
The following is an expansion of the Statement of Community Development Objectives contained in Article I of this chapter. It is the intent of this article to establish reasonable controls in appropriate locations for single-family detached, two-family and single-family attached dwellings, as well as mixes of the above dwelling types. Furthermore, it is the intent of this article to:
A.
Encourage an appropriate mix of dwelling types and densities in Douglass Township.
B.
Promote a variety of income levels, age groups and lifestyles within the Township.
C.
Protect the Township from challenges to the Zoning Ordinance and map by providing for a diversity of housing types.
D.
Encourage compact development thereby reducing the cost of provision of public services.
E.
Encourage innovative residential development and use of a variety of building configurations.
F.
Create visual interest and relate development more sensitively to environmental features.
G.
Provide for more recreational facilities than would otherwise be provided.
§ 265-53 Permitted uses.
A building or other structure may be erected, altered or used, and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes:
A.
By-right uses.
D.
Accessory uses.
(1)
Use A-1: Residential Accessory Structure.
(2)
Use A-4: Commercial Vehicle Parking.
(a)
Special exception approval by the Zoning Hearing Board is needed to park more than one commercial vehicle.
(3)
Use A-5: Fences and Walls.
(4)
Use A-6: Home Occupations.
(5)
Use A-7: Family Day-Care Home.
(6)
Use A-10: Accessory Roof-Mounted Solar Energy System.
(7)
Use A-15: Swimming Pool.
§ 265-54 Minimum tract size.
The minimum tract size for R-3 development proposals shall be five acres.
§ 265-55 Mix and density requirements.
All residential developments shall meet the following mixing requirements:
A.
On tracts of less than 10 acres, the development shall include at least two of the following housing types: single-family detached, single-family semi-detached, single-family attached, two-family detached. To qualify as one of the two required housing types, a housing type must comprise at least 25% of the total housing units in a mixed residential development.
B.
On tracts of 10 acres or more, the development shall include at least three of the following housing types: single-family detached, single-family semi-detached, single-family attached, two-family detached. To qualify as one of the three required housing types, a housing type must comprise at least 15% of the total housing units in a mixed residential development.
C.
To create variety along the streetscape, housing types shall be mixed along a street.
D.
The maximum permitted density is four dwelling units per acre. In addition to the maximum permitted densities set forth above, the development in all respects must conform to all other requirements of this chapter including, but not limited to, dimensional standards set forth in § 265-56, other standards set forth in §§ 265-30, 265-31, and 265-32, general regulations set forth in § 265-57, parking regulations set forth in Article XXV and open space requirements set forth in § 265-58 so that the choice of dwelling types, mixing percentages or other factors may require a lower density than the maximum indicated in the table below.
§ 265-56 Dimensional requirements.
The following dimensional requirements shall apply to all uses in the R-3 district. It is emphasized that these standards are intended to permit maximum flexibility in the design of the development plan.
A.
Area, width, yard and building coverage regulations.
Use C-2: Single-Family Detached Dwelling | Use C-4: Single-Family Semi-Detached Dwelling | Use C-5: Two-Family Detached Dwelling (Duplex) | Use C-3: Single-Family Attached Dwelling (Townhouse), when lotted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum lot area | 7,500 sq. ft. per Du | 4,500 sq. ft. per Du | 4,500 sq. ft. per Du | 2,000 sq. ft. per Du |
Minimum lot width at building line | 60 ft. | 30 ft. | 70 ft. | 20 ft. for interior units 45 ft. for end units |
Minimum front yard^ | 25 ft. | 25 ft. | 25 ft. | 25 ft. |
Minimum side yard | 25 ft. agg. 10 ft. min. | 15 ft. (one side) | 25 ft. agg. 10 ft. min. | 15 ft.^^ |
Minimum rear yard | 25 ft. | 25 ft. | 25 ft. | 25 ft. |
Maximum building coverage* | 25% | 30% | 30% | 40% |
Maximum impervious coverage** | 35% | 40% | 40% | 60% |
Maximum building height | 35 ft. | 35 ft. | 35 ft. | 35 ft. |
Minimum setback from semi-controlled access street | 75 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 75 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 75 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 75 ft. from ultimate right-of-way |
Minimum setback from collector street | 50 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 50 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 50 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 50 ft. from ultimate right-of-way |
Minimum setback from feeder street | 30 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 30 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 30 ft. from ultimate right-of-way | 30 ft. from ultimate right-of-way |
Notes: | |
|---|---|
^ | Front yard setback shall be measured from the ultimate right-of-way of residential streets, equivalent right-of-way of private streets, or edge of paving of parking access driveways and parking areas. |
^^ | For single-family attached dwelling units, any yard which is not clearly a front or rear yard shall be considered a side yard. |
* | Building coverage is the percentage of the total lot area covered by the principal building. |
** | Impervious coverage is the percentage of the total lot area covered by buildings and paved surfaces which do not permit water to penetrate into the soil. This includes buildings (both principal and accessory), parking, driveways, walks, courts, pools (swimming and ornamental) and patios, unless constructed of pervious or porous materials, as determined by the Township. |
B.
The minimum distance between buildings when lotting is not used in the R-3 shall be:
(1)
For buildings with less than 3% window or other transparent surface on facing walls (see definition in Article III) the minimum distance between buildings shall be 40 feet.
(2)
For buildings with more than 3% window area or other transparent surface on facing walls the minimum distance between buildings shall be 50 feet.
§ 265-57 General regulations.
Sewer and water facilities. All development in the R-3 District shall be served by central water facilities and central sewer facilities acceptable to the Board of Supervisors, subject to approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, appropriate sewer authority, and water authority. Central water facilities shall conform with § 265-74 of this chapter. When central water and/or sewer are not available, development of single-family detached dwelling units may be done on lots conforming to the standards of § 265-50 of this chapter.
§ 265-58 Open space requirements.
A minimum of 15% of the gross area of any tract proposed for R-3 District Development must be permanently preserved as open space via deed restriction from further subdivision or uses not prescribed by this chapter with a conservation easement, unless a predetermined use can be identified during the planning phase for future public improvement or benefit.
A.
Central open space location requirements.
(1)
At least 25% of the required open space shall be located in one, contiguous primary park that meets the following standards:
(a)
The primary park shall be located near the middle of the development and shall be easily and conveniently accessible by sidewalk or paved trail from all dwelling units in the development.
(b)
The primary park shall be improved with either a gazebo, pavilion, pond, or paved patio area with a fountain, along with appropriate seating, to help identify the park as the central gathering place for the development. These improvements shall be a minimum of 300 square feet in size.
(c)
The primary park shall be at least 15,000 square feet in size.
(d)
When streets abut a primary park, the opposite side of the street from the primary park shall have building front facades facing the park rather than parking lots or detention basins.
(2)
At least 40% of all lots (rounded up to the nearest whole number) in the development must border or be directly across the street from central open space with the front facades of homes facing the central open space.
B.
Central open space design requirements.
(2)
All portions of central open space areas, except for those areas under sidewalks, water, furnishings, and recreational structures, shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs, ground cover, or grass.
(3)
Detention basins and other stormwater impounding areas, except for permanent wet ponds, may not be located in central open space areas used to meet the minimum amount of required central open space.
§ 265-59 Buffer requirements.
Buffers shall be provided in compliance with § 230-47 of the Township's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.