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East Norriton Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE IX

HR High-Rise Residential District

§ 205-42 Permitted uses.

A building may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for the following purposes and no other, provided that the requirements of the following sections are met:
A. 
The following are the permitted uses in a High-Rise Residential District:
(1) 
Apartment houses or groups of apartment houses.
(2) 
Commercial and office uses, provided that no trade or business shall be permitted which is noxious, hazardous or detrimental to the proper use of the property for apartment purposes. The total floor area of any commercial and office uses shall not exceed 10% of the total floor area of the entire project. In the event that the project is constructed in stages, the 10% of commercial and office use shall be computed on fully completed stages.
(3) 
Playgrounds, parks, tot-lots and the other public or semipublic, noncommercial and recreational facilities, as well as open spaces.
(4) 
Accessory uses in accordance with § 205-16.
(5) 
No-impact home-based business as defined in Article II herein.
B. 
Parking. Off-street automobile parking and off-street delivery-collection facilities shall be for the sole use of the occupants of such building and the visitors thereto.

§ 205-43 Development requirements.

The general plan for a high-rise apartment shall include evidence and facts showing that it has considered and made provision for, and the development shall be executed in accordance with, the following essential conditions:
A. 
The proposed development shall be constructed in accordance with an overall plan and shall be designed as a unified architectural unit with appropriate landscaping. If the development of the high-rise apartment is to be carried out in stages, each stage shall be so planned that the foregoing requirements and the intent of this chapter shall be fully complied with at the completion of any stage. The initial stage of the development shall comprise a total floor area of not less than 30,000 square feet.

§ 205-44 General regulations.

A. 
Area of tract. Not less than 10 acres shall be provided for every area to be used in whole or in part as a High-Rise Residential District.
B. 
Building coverage. No more than 20% of the lot area shall be occupied by a building or buildings.
C. 
Setback from street. There shall be a setback from the ultimate right-of-way of each street on which the High-Rise Residential District abuts which shall not be less than 100 feet in depth, provided that buildings in excess of 60 feet in height shall provide an additional one foot of setback for each additional one foot of height.
D. 
Setback from property lines. There shall be a building setback from any property line which the High-Rise Residential District abuts, which shall not be less than:
(1) 
One foot for each foot of building height, but not less than 100 feet from any residential (except HR and HR-1) or institutional district; or
[Amended 12-23-2008 by Ord. No. 512]
(2) 
Fifty feet from any other district.
E. 
Distance between buildings.
(1) 
In the case of two or more high-rise buildings located on the same tract, the horizontal distance measured in feet between the corners of the buildings shall not be less than 45 feet if there is no direct confrontation of parallel building fronts.
(2) 
Between obliquely aligned structures with walls containing legally required windows, the minimum distance shall be 50 feet or equal to the median height of the structures confronting each other, whichever is greater.
(3) 
Between end walls of structures with walls containing no legally required windows and walls containing legally required windows, the minimum distance shall be 45 feet or 1/2 the height of the taller structure, whichever is greater.
(4) 
Between end walls of structures where said walls contain no legally required windows, the minimum distance shall be 45 feet at any point.
F. 
Parking.
(1) 
For apartment residential use, not less than two off-street automobile parking spaces shall be required for each dwelling unit. Initially, 1 1/2 spaces may be constructed, provided that the remaining required spaces shall be provided for and shall be constructed as is determined from time to time by the Zoning Officer.
(2) 
For commercial and office use, parking provision shall be off-street, located on the same lot and be in accordance with Article XVIII of this chapter.
(3) 
Any and all parking garages or decked parking structures shall not be included as part of Subsection B, Building coverage, or Subsection Q, Open space, as provided for in this section.
(4) 
Parking areas shall be placed so as not to interfere with any recreation or service area and shall not be less than:
(a) 
Five feet from any nonresidential district property line to which the High-Rise District abuts.
(b) 
Forty feet from any residential district property line to which the High-Rise Residential District abuts.
(c) 
Twenty-five feet from the ultimate right-of-way line of any contiguous public street.
(d) 
Twenty feet from any high-rise apartment building unless said parking is located within the lines of the high-rise building walls or in an attached parking garage.
G. 
Dwelling units per acre. There shall be no more than 26 dwelling units per acre of lot area.
H. 
Height of building. No building shall exceed the height of 80 feet or eight stories (exclusive of the basement), whichever is greater.
I. 
Paving. All areas provided for use by vehicles and all pedestrian walks shall be constructed in accordance with all pertinent specifications within Chapter 175, Subdivision and Land Development.
J. 
Service. Areas for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and for the servicing of refuse collection, fuel and other service shall be provided and shall be adequate in size and shall be so arranged that they may be used without blockage or interference with the use of accessways or automobile parking facilities.
K. 
Access. Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets and highways serving the apartment without undue congestion to or interference with normal traffic flow.
L. 
Utilities. All buildings within the high-rise apartment shall be served by a public sanitary sewage disposal system and public water supply. All utility lines servicing the high-rise apartment shall be placed underground.
M. 
Lighting facilities. Lighting facilities provided shall be arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties, whether contiguous or not, from unreasonable direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind. Lighting facilities shall be required where deemed necessary for the safety and convenience of high-rise apartment residents.
N. 
Fencing requirements of § 205-24 shall apply.[1] In addition to the requirements in § 205-24, a fence height up to eight feet, provided that the material is maintenance-free such as PVC material along residential property lines, allows an increase in height.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 205-24, Fences, was repealed 12-23-2008 by Ord. No. 512. See now § 205-22.3.
O. 
(Reserved)[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection O, pertaining to landscaping, was repealed 4-28-2009 by Ord. No. 515.
P. 
(Reserved)[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection P, Building performance standards, was repealed 4-28-2009 by Ord. No. 515.
Q. 
Open space. No less than 30% of the site shall be provided and maintained in nonvehicular open space. In addition, the developer shall be required where possible to preserve or incorporate natural features, such as woods, streams and open space areas, which add to the overall cohesive development of the high-rise apartment and the overall community development. However, all conditions deemed hazardous by the Planning Commission, including natural feature hazards, are to be eliminated or avoided, or all precautions deemed appropriate by the Planning Commission to reduce the hazard are to be provided by the developer.
R. 
Recreation. The developer shall give consideration to the provision of community areas, laundry facilities, playgrounds and tot-lots and other services necessary for the comfort and convenience of high-rise apartment residents.
S. 
Unit requirements. Each dwelling unit shall contain a minimum of 450 square feet.