East Bradford Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IV
R-1 Residential District
§ 115-9 Purpose; applicability.
A.
It is the intent of the R-1 District, as outlined by the East Bradford Township Comprehensive Plan, to support the preservation of critical natural resources, such as streams, floodplains, wet soils, variable groundwater yield areas and conditionally suitable soil for on-lot sewage disposal systems; to encourage continued agricultural, open space and conservation uses; and to provide for continued low-density residential development that is compatible with established land use patterns. The R-1 District establishes maximum density standards which:
(1)
Provide for low-density residential uses on a lot-by-lot basis, as well as an open space development option that encourages the preservation of open space ancillary to such development; and
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(2)
Promote the conservation of surface water and groundwater supplies, soils for on-lot sewage disposal systems and the control of soil erosion and flooding.
B.
In the R-1 Residential District, the following regulations shall apply.
§ 115-10 Use regulations.
[Amended 6-9-1992 by Ord. No. 135-1992; 4-9-1996 by Ord. No. 2-96; 11-25-1998 by Ord. No. 3A-1998[1]]
A.
Land and buildings in this district may be used for the purposes listed below, when developed in accordance with one of the following development options:
B.
Applicants under either development option are strongly encouraged to submit a sketch plan to the East Bradford Township Planning Commission and to discuss community development objectives, arrangement of the development with respect to views of the project from adjacent roads and properties, open space and resource conservation objectives, sewage facilities planning and other matters relevant to the purpose of this article.
C.
No tract may be used for more than one of the permitted residential development options. Under any development option, a building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used for any one of the following purposes as provided below:
[Amended 4-9-2002 by Ord. No. 4-2002]
(1)
Single-family detached dwelling.
[Amended 9-13-2011 by Ord. No. 3-2011]
(3)
Municipal park and/or municipal recreational facilities.
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(4)
Any of the following accessory uses shall be permitted:
(a)
Customary residential and agricultural accessory uses.
(b)
A swimming pool, provided that it is located in the rear yard or side yard of the dwelling to which it is accessory and located at least 15 feet from any lot line and enclosed with a barrier that is constructed in accordance with the East Bradford Building Code, Chapter 45 of the East Bradford Code.
[Amended 8-10-2004 by Ord. No. 4-2004]
(c)
No-impact home-based businesses.
[Amended 10-8-2002 by Ord. No. 7-2002]
(e)
Noncommercial greenhouses.
(5)
The following uses may be permitted as conditional uses when authorized by the Board of Supervisors, subject to the provisions of this chapter and, in particular, and § 115-77:
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(a)
Agricultural utilization or other land application of sludge subject to the provisions of § 115-76..
[Amended 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(e)
Adaptive reuse of Class I or Class II historic resource pursuant to the provisions of §§115-131.2 and 115-131.3.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection C(5)(f), regarding telecommunication antennas, added 8-10-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 7-14-2015 by Ord. No. 10-2015.
[1]
Editor's Note: Ordinance No. 3A-1998 readopted the text of Ord. No. 3-1998 because of concern that Ord. No. 3-1998 was not properly advertised before it was adopted on 10-13-1998.
§ 115-11 Area and bulk regulations.
A.
Density of development.
(1)
Under the conventional development option, the maximum permissible number of lots or dwelling units on any tract shall be determined by compliance with the area and bulk criteria herein.
(2)
Under the open space development option, the maximum permissible number of lots or dwelling units on any tract shall be determined by multiplying the net tract area by a factor of 0.40 and rounding the product down to the next lower whole number (i.e., 21.6 would be rounded to 21).
B.
Area and bulk regulations for the open space development option. Under the open space development option, no minimum lot area is prescribed; rather, specific lot and yard area standards shall apply per § 115-49C(3).
C.
Area and bulk regulations for the conventional development option. Under the conventional development option, the following shall apply for all uses, except agricultural:
(1)
Gross lot size: three acres, minimum.
(3)
Lot width at building line: 200 feet minimum.
(4)
Lot width at street line: 50 feet minimum.
(5)
Lot coverage: 15% maximum.
(6)
Building coverage: 10% maximum.
(7)
Building setback line: 75 feet minimum.
(8)
Side yards: 30 feet minimum, with not less than 70 feet total for both yards.
(9)
Rear yard: 50 feet minimum.
(10)
Building and accessory building or structure height: three stories above grade plane or 35 feet maximum.
[Amended 9-13-2011 by Ord. No. 3-2011]
D.
Agricultural use.
(1)
To qualify as an agricultural use, the minimum lot size shall be 10 acres.
(2)
No barn, lot or manure storage shall be established any closer than 100 feet to any property line.
(3)
The number of dwelling units permitted on a farm shall not be limited, provided that density does not exceed one single-family dwelling per 10 acres and that dwelling units shall be separated by a minimum of 100 feet.
(4)
Silos and bulk feed bins shall be exempt from area and bulk regulations when attached to an existing building.
(5)
Farm buildings shall not be constructed closer than 85 feet to a front property line nor closer than 50 feet to a side or rear property line.
E.
F.
Residential accessory structures may be erected by right as follows:
[Amended 8-10-2004 by Ord. No. 4-2004; 4-14-2009 by Ord. No. 2-2009]
(1)
Front yard. Accessory structures may be located in front yard areas on lots of one acre or greater in area, provided:
(a)
The accessory structure complies with the applicable minimum building setback requirements;
(b)
The accessory structure shall not be located in the area bounded by the outside walls of the principal building and a perpendicular (or radial in cases of roadway curvature) boundary line originating on each side of the principal building from the edge of the outermost face of the wall to the road right-of-way line. In the case of interior lots, the lot line at the frontage of the lot, absent of the access strip, that is most perpendicular or radial to the road right-of-way line shall be utilized to make the determination;
(c)
If the footprint area of the accessory structure is less than 30% of the footprint area of the primary structure, the accessory structure shall be located no closer to the front lot line than 75% of the total distance from the primary structure to the front lot line. If the footprint area of the accessory structure is equal to or greater than 30% of the footprint area of the primary structure, the accessory structures shall be located no closer to the front lot line than 90% of the total distance from the primary structure to the front lot line; and
(d)
No accessory structure in a front yard shall have a building height, mass or floor area greater than that of the principal building.
(2)
Side and rear yards. Accessory structures shall be set no closer to a side or rear lot line in any yard area than the greatest dimension (length, width or height) of the structure itself unless the accessory structure complies with the appropriate area and bulk regulations of the underlying district.
G.
In addition to area and bulk regulations enumerated herein, the following shall apply for all principal buildings and uses within the vicinity of a Class I or Class II historic resource:
[Added 11-8-2005 by Ord. No. 9-2005]
(1)
Historic setback line: 150 feet minimum from any Class I or Class II historic resource, regardless of whether such resource is located upon a tract or lot itself.
[1]
Editor's Note: Ordinance No. 3A-1998 readopted the text of Ord. No. 3-1998 because of concern that Ord. No. 3-1998 was not properly advertised before it was adopted on 10-13-1998.