East Fallowfield Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 4
RA RURAL AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT
§ 27-401 Authority and Purpose.
[Ord. 2002-06, 11/11/2002, § 401]
1.
Authority. The Rural Agricultural District is established in accordance with:
A.
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, §§ 603(b)(5), 603(c)(7), 603(g)(1), 603(h), 604(3), and 605(2)(vii), 53 P.S. §§ 10603(b)(5), 10603(c)(7), 10603(g)(1), 10603(h), 604(3), and 10605(2)(vii).
B.
The goals and objectives of the East Fallowfield Township Comprehensive Plan (1999) and the East Fallowfield Township Open Space, Recreation, and Environmental Resources Plan (1993).
2.
Purpose. In promoting the policies of the East Fallowfield Township Comprehensive Plan and the East Fallowfield Township Open Space, Recreation, and Environmental Resources Plan, the purpose of this Part is to:
A.
Accommodate and encourage continued agricultural use on soils classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture within agricultural capability, Class I, Class II, and Class III, and listed in Appendix 27-1401-2 of this chapter.
B.
Accommodate the residential needs of those employed in agriculture at a density compatible with agricultural use.
C.
Accommodate commercial activities which are carried out on farm properties and involve principally the sale of farm products.
D.
Preserve open space and the rural character of the Township for the welfare of current and future residents.
E.
Protect prime agricultural soils and existing farmland and reduce development pressure that may negatively impact the agricultural industry.
F.
Provide development options for farmers to subdivide their properties for development with a configuration that protects the viability of the remaining land for agricultural production.
G.
Limit the type and amount of nonagricultural uses within the district in order to avoid conflicts between agricultural and nonagricultural uses.
§ 27-402 Use Regulations.
[Ord. 2002-06, 11/11/2002, § 402; as amended by Ord. 2003-01, 2/27/2003, § 1]
1.
2.
Accessory Uses. Accessory uses must be clearly incidental to and customarily associated with the principal use and located on the same lot as the principal use listed in Subsection 1, above, including:
§ 27-403 Area and Bulk Regulations.
[Ord. 2002-06, 11/11/2002, § 403]
1.
Agricultural Uses.
A.
Unless otherwise stated, all lot sizes specified herein are exclusive of public rights-of-way.
C.
Silos and bulk bins shall be exempt from area and bulk regulations when attached to an existing structure.
D.
Barns, silos, and bulk bins shall be exempt from the maximum building height limit when attached to an existing structure or located such that the distance from the base of the barn, silo, or bulk bin to both the nearest property line and the nearest street right-of-way line is no less than the height of said barn, silo, or bulk bin.
E.
Parcels to accommodate agricultural uses shall be designed according to the following standards:
Minimum lot area: | 20 acres |
Minimum lot width at street line: | 200 feet |
Minimum setback from street right-of-way: | 100 feet |
Minimum side yard: | 50 feet each |
Minimum rear yard: | 100 feet |
Maximum building coverage: | 8% |
Maximum lot coverage: | 10% |
Maximum building height: | 35 feet |
F.
Residential uses, where adjacent to an intensive agricultural use, shall be located a minimum of 100 feet from any adjacent intensive agricultural use.
G.
Notwithstanding the provisions in this section, any nonconforming lot within the RA Rural Agricultural District shall comply with the setback requirements in the R-1 Low Density Residential District.
2.
Residential Uses. In order to protect, preserve, and promote agricultural uses within the RA Rural Agricultural District, it is the intent of this section that the creation of residential uses shall be specified in order to retain tracts of sufficient size to be efficiently used for agricultural purposes. As such, proposed subdivision for the development of single-family detached dwellings on parcels as recorded on or before the effective date of this chapter shall be designed as follows:
A.
The maximum number of residential units permitted for subdivision from the parent tract shall be determined according to the formula:
N = A/10 |
Where "A" is the total area of the parcel to be subdivided, excluding public and private rights-of-way, as it existed on the effective date of this chapter, and "N" is the maximum number of dwelling units to be permitted. Fractional values of "N" shall be rounded down to the next lowest whole number. "N" shall include all existing dwelling units upon the parcel. |
B.
Each new lot for a single-family detached dwelling shall be as follows:
Minimum net lot area: | 1 acre |
Maximum lot area: | 2 acres |
Minimum lot width at building line: | 150 feet |
Minimum lot width at street line: | 100 feet |
Minimum setback from street right-of-way: | 50 feet |
Minimum side yard: | 30 feet each |
Minimum rear yard: | 50 feet |
Maximum lot coverage: | 15% |
Maximum building coverage: | 10% |
Maximum building height: | 35 feet |
In the case of lots entirely fronting the turnaround of a cul-de-sac street, the lot width at the street line may be reduced to 75 feet. | |
C.
Residential lots adjacent to an agricultural use shall have a minimum setback of 50 feet from the property line abutting the tract containing that agricultural use.
D.
No single residential lot created according to the standards of this section shall occupy more than 1 1/2 acres of Class I and Class II soils, as defined in § 27-1402, Subsection 8A. Residential lots may occupy more than 1 1/2 acres, provided that acreage above that amount is covered by Class III or less productive soils. Proposed subdivisions shall be consistent with the prime agricultural soils protection standards in § 27-1402, Subsection 8, of this chapter.
E.
Residential lots shall be so situated to create the least disruption to agricultural operations on the tract.
F.
Prior to subdivision, the applicant shall identify upon a survey the location of all Class I, Class and Class III soils, as defined in § 27-1402, Subsection 8A, upon the parcel to be subdivided. This map shall demonstrate adherence of the plan to Subsection 2D, above, or, alternately, shall demonstrate that strict application of this requirement would result in inefficient, unsafe, or otherwise inappropriate design. The applicant shall use the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Survey of Chester County as basis for information, with field survey subject to determination of the Township.
G.
When less than the maximum number of residential lots is proposed for subdivision from an agricultural lot, according to the formula in Subsection 2A, above, the applicant for subdivision shall demonstrate via a preliminary plan or other means satisfactory to the Township that the remaining permitted parcels may be efficiently created in a manner compatible with continued agricultural use. The Township may require deed restriction of the remaining lands stating the number of remaining residential lots which may be created.
3.
Remaining lands shall have frontage on a public street equal to or greater than 40% of the frontage of the tract prior to subdivision.
§ 27-404 Nonagricultural Dwelling or Use Notice.
[Ord. 2002-06, 11/11/2002, § 404]
1.
The primary purpose of this district is to accommodate commercial agricultural production. Owners, residents, and other uses of property in this district shall be subject to common characteristics of agricultural activities which are sometimes regarded as objectionable including, but not limited to, the creation of noise, odors, dust, the operation of machinery of any kind during any time, the storage and application of manure, fertilizers, herbicides, etc., and the heavy or slow vehicle use of roads. Owners, residents, and users of this property should regard these activities as normal, ordinary, routine, and as unavoidable characteristics of an agricultural area and are furthermore assumed to have accepted these characteristics by willingly choosing to reside in the Agricultural Preservation District. Owners, residents, and users of this property should be familiar with and aware of § 4 of Pennsylvania Act 133 of 1992, "The Right to Farm Law," 3 P.S. § 951 et seq., which may bar them from obtaining a legal judgment against such normal agricultural operations.
2.
All new subdivided lots within this district shall include a notice attached to the newly created deed specifying the notice provided in this section.