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Fairfield City Zoning Code

ARTICLE V

MODERATE DENSITY RESIDENTIAL MR DISTRICT

§ 14-500 Statement of Legislative Intent.

[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
In expansion of the Community Development Objectives contained in Article I of this Ordinance, it is hereby declared to be the intent of the MR District to:
A. 
Establish reasonable standards to provide for future residential development in the Borough.
B. 
Preserve the quiet and uncongested environment that currently exists in those Fairfield neighborhoods devoted to single-family detached and semi-detached residential uses.
C. 
Exclude incompatible commercial and industrial uses from locating in the moderate density residential neighborhoods.
D. 
Provide for moderate density residential neighborhoods within walking distance of amenities such as schools, churches, social clubs, and shopping opportunities found in the core of Fairfield.
E. 
Allow for the development of higher density residential uses, such as townhouses and apartments, in appropriate areas of the MR District and in accordance with specified development standards.
F. 
Allow for the adaptive re-use of older manufacturing or other buildings that may exist within the MR District.

§ 14-501 Use Regulations.

[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
A. 
Permitted Uses: The following uses are permitted in the MR District.
1. 
Conversion Apartments, in accordance with § 14-1201.K.
2. 
Emergency Services.
3. 
Federal and State Governmental Uses.
4. 
Municipal Uses.
5. 
No-Impact Home-Based Businesses, in accordance with § 14-1201.W.
6. 
Single-Family Detached Dwellings.
7. 
Single-Family Semi-Detached Dwellings.
8. 
Small Wireless Facility—Tower-Based—Inside Public Right-of-Way, in accordance with § 14-1201.DD.
9. 
Two-Family Dwellings.
B. 
Accessory Uses: The following uses are permitted as accessory uses to any permitted principal use in the MR District.
1. 
Car Port.
2. 
Child Care Facility (accessory to nonresidential use) in accordance with § 14-1201.G.
3. 
Family Child Care, in accordance with § 14-1201.L.
4. 
Gazebo.
5. 
Group Child Care, in accordance with § 14-1201.G.
6. 
Pet House.
7. 
Private Garage.
8. 
Private Swimming Pool, in accordance with § 14-1101.H.
9. 
Small Wireless Facility—Co-Location—Inside Public Right-of-Way, in accordance with § 14-1201.CC.
10. 
Utility/Storage Building.
11. 
Wireless Communication Facility—Co-Location—Outside Public Right-of-way, in accordance with § 14-1201.KK.
C. 
Special Exception Uses: The following uses are permitted by Special Exception in the MR District in accordance with the following standards and criteria, as well as any reasonable conditions that the Zoning Hearing Board may deem necessary, including conditions to protect the historic and architectural integrity of Fairfield Borough as described in the National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet — Fairfield Historic District, as published by the United States Department of the Interior, and in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 14-1607.
1. 
Apartment Building(s), in accordance with § 14-1201.D.
2. 
Mobilehome Parks, in accordance with § 14-1201.V.
3. 
Townhouse and Townhouse Community, in accordance with § 14-1201.FF.
4. 
Uses Not Expressly Permitted Elsewhere in this Ordinance, in accordance with § 14-1201.GG.
D. 
Conditional Uses: The following uses are permitted by Conditional Use in the MR District in accordance with the following standards and criteria, as well as any reasonable conditions that the Borough Council may deem necessary, including conditions to protect the historic and architectural integrity of Fairfield Borough as described in the National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet — Fairfield Historic District, as published by the United States Department of the Interior, and in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 14-1608.
1. 
Adaptive Re-Use of Industrial Structures, in accordance with § 14-1201.B.
2. 
Home Occupations, in accordance with § 14-1201.O.

§ 14-502 Site Development Standards.

[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
A. 
Front Yards: Front yards shall comply with the following standards.
1. 
The entire front yard shall be maintained as landscaped area, except for walkways connecting the entrance of the principal building with the public sidewalk, and for one (1) access driveway.
2. 
Existing trees in the front yard shall not be cut down unless they interfere with an existing or proposed driveway or become diseased or damaged by natural causes.
3. 
Parking shall be permitted in front yards only on existing access driveways.

§ 14-503 Dimensional Requirements.

[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
A. 
Minimum Lot Area.
1. 
Single-Family Detached Lot: Seven Thousand Five Hundred (7,500) square feet.
2. 
Single-Family Semi-Detached Lot: Five Thousand (5,000) square feet per dwelling unit.
3. 
Two-Family Lot: Seven Thousand Five Hundred (7,500) square feet.
4. 
Townhouse Lot: Two Thousand Five Hundred (2,500) square feet.
5. 
Mobilehome Park: One (1) acre.
6. 
Apartment Building(s): One (1) acre.
7. 
All Other Uses: Twenty Thousand (20,000) square feet.
B. 
Minimum Lot Width.
1. 
Single-Family Detached Lot: Fifty (50) feet.
2. 
Single-Family Semi-Detached Lot: Thirty-five (35) feet per dwelling unit.
3. 
Two-Family Lot: Fifty (50) feet.
4. 
Townhouse Lot: Twenty-five (25) feet.
5. 
Mobilehome Park: Two Hundred (200) feet.
6. 
Apartment Building(s): Two Hundred (200) feet.
7. 
All Other Uses: One Hundred (100) feet.
C. 
Maximum Lot Coverage.
1. 
Single-Family Detached Lot: Forty percent (40%).
2. 
Single-Family Semi-Detached Lot: Fifty percent (50%).
3. 
Two-Family Lot: Fifty percent (50%).
4. 
Townhouse Lot: Sixty-five percent (65%).
5. 
Mobilehome Park: Fifty percent (50%).
6. 
Apartment Building(s): Sixty-five percent (65%).
7. 
All Other Uses: Fifty percent (50%).
D. 
Minimum Vegetative Coverage.
1. 
Single-Family Detached Lot: Sixty percent (60%).
2. 
Single-Family Semi-Detached Lot: Fifty percent (50%).
3. 
Two-Family Lot: Fifty percent (50%).
4. 
Townhouse Lot: Thirty-five percent (35%).
5. 
Mobilehome Park: Fifty percent (50%).
6. 
Apartment Building(s): Thirty-five percent (35%).
7. 
All Other Uses: Fifty percent (50%).
E. 
Minimum Front Setback.
1. 
All Uses except Mobilehome Park: Fifteen (15) feet.
2. 
Mobilehome Park: As established in § 13-509 of the Fairfield Borough Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.
F. 
Minimum Side Setback.
1. 
Single-Family Detached Lot: Fifteen (15) feet.
2. 
Single-Family Semi-Detached Lot: Ten (10) feet, except for interior side property lines where no side setback line is required.
3. 
Two-Family Lot: Fifteen (15) feet.
4. 
Townhouse Lot: Ten (10) feet, except for interior side property lines where no side setback line is required.
5. 
Mobilehome Park: As established in § 13-509 of the Fairfield Borough Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.
6. 
Apartment Building(s): Fifteen (15) feet.
7. 
All Other Uses: Fifteen (15) feet.
8. 
Accessory Structures.
a. 
Accessory structures exceeding two hundred (200) square feet in area: The minimum side setback requirement established for the principal use to which the structure is accessory.
b. 
Accessory structures less than or equal to two hundred (200) square feet in area: In accordance with § 14-1101.A.
G. 
Minimum Rear Setback.
1. 
All Uses Except Mobilehome Park: Fifteen (15) feet.
2. 
Mobilehome Park: As established in § 13-509 of the Fairfield Borough Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.
3. 
Accessory Structures.
a. 
Accessory structures exceeding two hundred (200) square feet in area: The minimum rear setback requirement established for the principal use to which the structure is accessory.
b. 
Accessory structures less than or equal to two hundred (200) square feet in area: In accordance with § 14-1101.A.
H. 
Maximum Building Height: Thirty-five (35) feet, unless otherwise defined in § 14-1101.D or elsewhere in this Ordinance.