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East Norriton Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE XA

RO Residential Office District

§ 205-54.1 Intent.

[Amended 10-27-2015 by Ord. No. 566]
In expansion of the statement of community development objectives contained in Article I, § 205-3, of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article with respect to the RO Residential Office District to allow for small-scale professional and business offices adjacent to and within residential areas which would be compatible with such residential uses. Specifically, it is the intent of this article to:
A. 
Encourage small-scale professional or business offices in existing residential structures that are located on major roadways.
B. 
Encourage the use of existing structures, now or lately used as residences, and discourage the demolition of such structures.
C. 
Discourage significant exterior alterations for existing structures.
D. 
Encourage the preservation of the residential character of the district.
E. 
Provide for services generally useful to and in harmony with residential neighborhoods.
F. 
Encourage the use of shared or common driveways and parking.

§ 205-54.2 Permitted uses.

[Amended 10-27-2015 by Ord. No. 566]
The following uses are permitted in the RO Residential Office District and no other:
A. 
Single-family detached dwellings and accessory uses in accordance with § 205-16B.
B. 
Two-family detached dwellings.
C. 
General office uses: offices for lawyers, architects, engineers, insurance agents, brokers, real estate, financial services or other professional, educational or business offices which do not involve the actual storage, exchange or delivery of equipment, goods or merchandise on the premises.
(1) 
The use shall be carried on wholly indoors and within the principal building.
(2) 
There shall be no use of show windows or displays visible outside the premises to attract customers or clients.
D. 
Medical office for medical or dental examination or treatment of persons as outpatients.
E. 
Veterinary office for the treatment of domestic animals, provided that boarding is prohibited.
F. 
Studios for instruction and the production of music and the arts.
G. 
Barbershops, hair salons and massage therapist businesses.
H. 
No-impact home-based businesses, as defined in Article II herein.

§ 205-54.3 Conditional uses.

A. 
The following uses are permitted in the RO Residential Office District when authorized as conditional uses by the Board of Supervisors: uses which are similar to those in § 205-54.2 above.
[Amended 10-27-2015 by Ord. No. 566]
B. 
In addition to all regulations pertaining to permitted uses, conditional uses shall meet the following provisions:
(1) 
The proposed use will not attract larger volumes of traffic than the permitted uses would.
(2) 
Anticipated noise and congestion created by the use will be comparable to the levels created by the permitted uses.
(3) 
Proposed uses shall comply with § 205-22 of this chapter.

§ 205-54.4 General regulations.

For all authorized buildings and uses, the following regulations shall apply:
A. 
Minimum lot area. All lots in an RO Residential Office Zoning District shall have a minimum of 20,000 square feet.
B. 
Minimum lot width at the building line: 100 feet.
C. 
Front yard: 50 feet.
D. 
Side yard: 20 feet minimum per side, except where an RO Zoning District abuts a residential district, then the side yard shall be increased to 30 feet, including a ten-foot landscaped buffer.
E. 
Rear yard: 100 feet.
F. 
Maximum height: 35 feet for a principal building; 20 feet for an accessory building. Only one accessory building is permitted per lot.

§ 205-54.5 Development requirements.

A. 
A use must utilize an existing building for its purposes unless a conditional use approval has been granted by the East Norriton Township Board of Supervisors.
B. 
The maximum building coverage shall be 15% of the total lot area.
C. 
The maximum total impervious coverage, including the building coverage, shall be 30%.
D. 
Where a use, other than a residential use, in this district abuts a single-family residential use or district, the applicant shall install a landscaped planting strip a minimum of 10 feet in width in accordance with § 205-54.9 of this article.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection E, pertaining to fencing requirements, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 12-23-2008 by Ord. No. 512. See now § 205-22.3.

§ 205-54.6 Lighting standards.

Lighting facilities shall be of a residential nature and be arranged in such a manner so as to protect the highway and neighboring properties, whether contiguous or not, from casting glare, direct light or hazardous interference of any kind.

§ 205-54.7 Signs.

Signs in the RO Residential Office District shall comply with the provisions of Article XIX. Where the RO District is not specifically mentioned, the provisions regulating residential districts shall apply.

§ 205-54.8 Parking and access driveways.

Parking and access driveways will meet the following minimum standards:
A. 
Parking setback. Parking spaces, areas and driveways serving the spaces shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from the rear property line and 10 feet from the side property line, except in the case of shared access driveways or common parking shared by one or more abutting lots, in which case parking may abut or cross the property lines shared by the common users. No parking, either paved or unpaved, shall be permitted in the front yard of an RO District.
B. 
When an access driveway is shared by two or more lots, the following standards shall apply:
(1) 
The driveway may be located along or straddling the common boundary of the lots.
(2) 
The driveway shall be a minimum width of 16 feet and shall have a minimum five-foot planting strip along both sides.
(3) 
When a shared driveway is used:
(a) 
Access easements and maintenance agreements or other suitable legal mechanisms shall be provided which are acceptable to the Township Solicitor.
(b) 
Parking will be provided in accordance with Article XVIII of this Chapter 205, Zoning.
(c) 
Each lot will be permitted no more than one curb cut for vehicular access, with the balance of the frontage to a depth of five feet from the ultimate right-of-way being maintained as a green buffer strip. However, such green buffer strip shall not interfere with vehicular sight distance.

§ 205-54.9 Planting strips.

Landscaping, including conservation of existing trees and woodlands, street trees, stormwater basin landscaping and site element screens, shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 175, Subdivision and Land Development.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 205-54.10, Ingress and egress, which immediately followed this section, was repealed 12-23-2008 by Ord. No. 512.