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Downingtown City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VII

R-3 Single-Family Detached/Attached and Two-Family Residential District

§ 287-26 Intent.

The R-3 Single-Family Detached/Attached and Two-Family Residential District encompasses moderate-density, established neighborhoods comprised of a mix of housing types from single-family detached to townhouse; it is not intended to accommodate new apartment development. Nonresidential uses are limited to home occupations, professional uses and compatible institutional uses.

§ 287-27 Use regulations.

A. 
Uses by right. In the R-3 District, land, buildings and premises may be used by right for any one of the following principal purposes and no other, subject to Article IV and Article XIA:
[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
(1) 
Single-family detached dwellings.
(2) 
Two-family dwellings.
(3) 
Townhouse dwellings.
B. 
Accessory uses. Only the following accessory uses shall be permitted:
(1) 
Uses customarily accessory and incidental to residential uses.
(2) 
Home occupations, in single-family and two-family dwellings, in accordance with the terms of § 287-92B.
(3) 
Swimming pool, in-ground, when located not less than 10 feet from any principal structure or garage, complying with all other applicable Borough ordinances and observing the following distances from any side or rear lot line:
(a) 
Accessory to single-family or two-family dwelling: 10 feet.
(b) 
Accessory to multifamily dwellings: 20 feet.
(4) 
Swimming pool, aboveground, as an accessory to single-family or two-family dwellings, when located not less than 10 feet from any side or rear lot line, principal structure or garage and in full compliance with all other Borough ordinances.
C. 
Uses by special exception. The following uses shall be permitted only upon the grant of a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board, subject to the terms of this article and § 287-145, and subject to Article IV and Article XIA:
[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
(1) 
Religious use.
(2) 
Educational use.
(3) 
Library.
(4) 
Private club.
(5) 
Community center or similar nonprofit service organization.
(6) 
Conversion of a single-family detached dwelling to two dwelling units, in accordance with the terms of § 287-94.
D. 
Conditional uses. The following uses shall be permitted only upon the grant of conditional use approval by the Borough Council, subject to the terms of this article and § 287-137, and subject to Article IV and Article XIA:
[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
(1) 
Professional office for lawyer, doctor or dentist, as a home-occupation use accessory to a single-family detached dwelling, in accordance with the terms of § 287-92B and E.
(2) 
Mobile home park, subject to the terms of § 287-30 below, and Ch. 181, Mobile Home Parks.
(3) 
Quadraplex dwellings.
(4) 
High-density townhouse development in accordance with the regulations and standards set forth in § 287-30C.
[Added 10-7-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-01]

§ 287-28 Area and bulk regulations.

[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
Except for those uses permitted as conditional uses under § 287-27D above, the following regulations shall apply to uses in the R-3 District, subject to Article XIA:
A. 
Single-family detached dwelling:
(1) 
Minimum lot area: 8,400 square feet.
(2) 
Minimum lot width: 70 feet at the building setback line. (For interior lots, see definition of "lot, interior" in Article II of this chapter.)
(3) 
Maximum building coverage: 30%.
(4) 
Maximum other impervious surface coverage: 20%.
(5) 
Minimum front yard: 25 feet.
(6) 
Minimum side yards: 25 feet aggregate, with neither less than 10 feet; on a corner lot (new construction), the single side yard shall be a minimum of 15 feet. (See definition of "lot, corner" in Article II of this chapter.)
(7) 
Minimum rear yard: 35 feet.
(8) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
B. 
Two-family dwellings:
(1) 
Minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet per family.
(2) 
Minimum lot width: 40 feet per twin dwelling unit or 70 feet per duplex structure, measured at the building setback line; where a twin dwelling unit, existing as of the effective date of this chapter, is situated on a lot with a minimum width of less than 35 feet measured at the building setback line, such lot shall not be considered nonconforming as to minimum lot width for purposes of this chapter.
(3) 
Maximum building coverage: 35%.
(4) 
Maximum other impervious surface coverage: 25%.
(5) 
Minimum front yard: 25 feet.
(6) 
Minimum side yards: for a duplex structure, 25 feet aggregate, with neither less than 10 feet; for a twin dwelling unit and for any corner lot (new construction), the single side yard shall be a minimum of 15 feet. (See definition of "lot, corner" in Article II of this chapter.)
(7) 
Minimum rear yard: 35 feet.
(8) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
C. 
Townhouse dwellings:
(1) 
Minimum tract area: two acres.
(2) 
Maximum density: eight dwelling units per acre.
(3) 
Minimum open space requirement: 35%.
(4) 
Minimum width of unit: 20 feet.
(5) 
Maximum building coverage: 35%.
(6) 
Maximum other impervious surface coverage: 25%.
(7) 
Minimum front yard: 25 feet.
(8) 
Minimum side yard: 10 feet.
(9) 
Minimum rear yard: 30 feet.
(10) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
D. 
Special exception uses. Uses permitted by special exception in the R-3 District shall comply with the area and bulk requirements for single-family detached dwellings as stipulated in Subsection A above, with the following exceptions:
(1) 
Maximum building coverage: 35%.
(2) 
Maximum other impervious surface coverage: 30%.
(3) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet, except that an increase of two feet or fraction thereof may be permitted for each additional one foot of side yard provided, up to a maximum height of 50 feet.
E. 
Accessory buildings. Any accessory building shall be set back a minimum of three feet from any side or rear lot line, and shall be no closer than five feet to the edge of any alley or street at the side or rear of the property.

§ 287-29 Design standards.

A. 
The following design standards of this chapter shall, as applicable, govern all uses within the R-3 District:
(1) 
Signs: as required by Article XIX.
(2) 
Parking and loading: as required by Article XVIII.
(3) 
Access and traffic control: as required by § 287-80.
(4) 
Landscaping and site design: as required by § 287-77.
(5) 
Screening and buffering: as required by § 287-78.
(6) 
Storage: as required by § 287-79.
(7) 
Interior circulation: as required by § 287-81.
(8) 
Lighting: as required by § 287-82.
(9) 
Central Business Revitalization Overlay District design standards: as required by § 287-51.1.
[Added 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
B. 
Additional standards for townhouse dwellings.
(1) 
Townhouse structures shall not be arranged so as to form completely enclosed courts.
(2) 
The minimum distance between townhouse structures shall be:
(a) 
Twenty-five feet between the corners of two structures.
(b) 
Sixty feet between parallel or near-parallel walls or between a corner and a wall.
(3) 
The side and rear yard regulations of this district to the contrary notwithstanding, no townhouse structure shall be located closer than 50 feet to any side or rear property line common to that of an existing single-family dwelling.
(4) 
The maximum length of a townhouse structure in any single direction shall be 160 feet or six units, whichever is less.
(5) 
Parking requirements:
(a) 
Except where part of a shared parking arrangement authorized under the terms of Article XVIII, all required off-street parking shall be developed within the boundaries of the tract.
(b) 
Parking for each dwelling unit shall either be provided at the rear of the unit or shall be grouped into one or more parking areas serving a number of dwelling units. Front yard parking and individual curb cuts at the street line for access to parking are not permitted.
(c) 
Provisions for pedestrian circulation paths from the parking lot(s) to the buildings shall be provided. These paths shall be constructed of an all-weather surface.
(d) 
No parking space shall be more than 250 feet from an entrance to the multifamily dwelling(s) it serves.
(e) 
Buildings shall be set back a minimum of 30 feet from any parking area.
(6) 
Townhouse structures shall comply with the applicable requirements of Chapter 109, Building Construction.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Per the Borough's request, the former references to Ch. 119, Commercial and Industrial Facilities, have been changed to refer to Ch. 109, Building Construction, pursuant to the repeal of Ch. 119 9-4-1996 by Ord. No. 96-11.

§ 287-30 Standards and criteria for conditional uses.

A. 
Requirements for mobile home parks.
(1) 
To be eligible for use as a mobile home park, the tract must be located entirely within the R-3 Zoning District.
(2) 
The following area and bulk regulations shall apply to any mobile home park:
(a) 
Minimum tract size: five acres.
(b) 
Maximum density: five mobile homes per gross acre.
(c) 
Minimum lot size: 6,000 square feet for each mobile home.
(d) 
Minimum lot width: 50 feet.
(e) 
Maximum coverage (buildings and other impervious surfaces): 40%.
(f) 
Minimum common open space: 20% of the gross tract area.
(3) 
Applicable design standards shall be those contained in Chapter 181, Mobile Home Parks.
B. 
Requirements for quadraplex dwellings shall be as follows, subject to Article XIA:
[Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
(1) 
Minimum tract area: two acres.
(2) 
Maximum density: eight dwelling units per acre of tract area.
(3) 
Minimum lot size: 4,000 square feet per dwelling unit.
(4) 
Minimum lot width: 50 feet per dwelling unit, measured at the building setback line.
(5) 
Maximum building coverage: 35%.
(6) 
Maximum other impervious surface coverage: 25%.
(7) 
Minimum front yard: 25 feet.
(8) 
Minimum side yard: 10 feet.
(9) 
Minimum rear yard (where applicable): 30 feet.
(10) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
(11) 
In general, each dwelling unit shall have the minimum required frontage directly on a public or private street. Where one or two units lack such frontage, a means of providing direct access to such unit or units shall be demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the Borough Council, by means of individual or shared driveways, easements and/or shared parking arrangements. No application for conditional use shall be approved in which one or more proposed dwelling units is or has the potential to become landlocked without sufficient means of access.
C. 
Requirements for high-density townhouse dwellings.
[Added 10-7-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-01]
(1) 
The following area and bulk regulations shall apply to a high-density townhouse development:
(a) 
Minimum tract area: five acres.
(b) 
Maximum density: 12 dwelling units per acre.
(c) 
Minimum open space requirement: 35%.
(d) 
Minimum width of unit: 20 feet.
(e) 
Maximum building coverage: 30%.
(f) 
Maximum other impervious surface coverage: 35%.
(g) 
Build-to line: The front build-to line shall be within the range of front built-to lines of existing buildings on the same street frontage of the block. If there are no buildings on the block, the setback shall be within the range of either of the two adjacent blocks.
(h) 
Minimum building setbacks from tract perimeter: 30 feet.
(i) 
Maximum building height: 40 feet.
(j) 
Zero lot line unit development. Individual units, buildings, or parcels of land within the development tract may be subdivided, leased, purchased, sold, mortgaged and developed as individual zero lot line units without needing the tract size, tract width, impervious coverage, building coverage, and interior setbacks or separation distances from internal parking and building lines for each individual zero lot line unit; provided, however, that the tract shall comply with the applicable area and bulk requirements for the proposed high-density townhouse development. All common areas, including, but not limited to, open space, stormwater management facilities, private streets, sidewalks and other improvements within the development tract which are not the responsibility of a unit owner, shall be owned and maintained by a single entity. Final plan approval shall be conditioned upon approval by Borough Council after review by the Borough Solicitor of easements, covenants and restrictions necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the development tract as set forth on the land development plan.
(2) 
The following design standards shall apply to a high-density townhouse development:
(a) 
Townhouse structures shall not be arranged so as to form completely enclosed courts.
(b) 
Whenever feasible, the front facade of dwellings shall be oriented or face toward a Borough or PennDOT street.
(c) 
The minimum distance between townhouse structures shall be:
[1] 
Fifteen feet between the corners of two structures.
[2] 
Thirty feet between parallel or near-parallel walls or between a corner and a wall.
(d) 
Maximum number of units in a townhouse building: six.
(e) 
Maximum linear dimension of any structure: 160 feet.
(f) 
Buildings shall be designed and constructed in staggered groups and not in long rows parallel to street or property lines. The arrangement of such buildings shall create a visual and physical distinction in the lines of the facades and the roofs.
(g) 
The tract perimeter setback regulations of this district to the contrary notwithstanding, no townhouse structure shall be located closer than 50 feet to any side or rear property line common to that of an existing single-family dwelling.
(h) 
Parking requirements.
[1] 
Overflow parking on a greater than 5% slope is allowable consistent with the road profile of the development subject to Borough Council approval. All required parking for individual units must meet the standards under Article XVIII.
[2] 
Buildings shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet from any parking area.
(i) 
Townhouse structures shall comply with the applicable requirements of Chapter 109, Building Construction.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Ch. 109, Building Construction, was repealed 5-16-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-02.