Fairfield City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
VILLAGE CORE VC DISTRICT
§ 14-600 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 VC District to:
A.
Provide for a mix of residential and limited commercial and office uses within the VC District.
B.
Encourage the full economic use of historic structures along Main Street within the historic core of the Borough of Fairfield.
C.
Encourage the preservation of landscaped spaces surrounding structures in the Borough's historic core area.
D.
Encourage residential uses customarily found in older Pennsylvania village communities, as well as limited commercial, business, and office-oriented businesses similar to those that currently exist in the area.
E.
Limit and discourage the development of strip-type, highway-oriented commercial uses that create traffic hazards and congestion because they require numerous individual curb cuts and generate higher volumes of traffic.
F.
Require new "infill" development to be consistent with predominant architectural styles, setbacks, height, and bulk of structures located on adjoining properties and within the blockface in which "infill" development occurs.
G.
Permit uses that promote conversion of existing buildings in a manner that maintains the visual character and architectural scale of existing development within the historic core of the Borough.
H.
Encourage consolidation of curb cuts for vehicular access and promote more efficient and economical parking facilities.
I.
Maintain the placement and location pattern of structures within the historic core of the Borough to protect the views to the surrounding hills and mountains from the Borough.
J.
Protect the high level of investment that many property owners within the historic core have made in terms of property maintenance and rehabilitation. Encourage other property owners to make similar investments in their properties.
§ 14-601 Use Regulations.
[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
A.
Permitted Uses: The following uses are permitted in the VC District.
1.
Business Offices.
2.
Child Care Facilities, in accordance with § 14-1201.G.
3.
Churches.
4.
Community Centers.
5.
Emergency Services.
6.
Federal and State Governmental Uses.
7.
Galleries.
8.
Home Occupations, in accordance with § 14-1201.O.
9.
Homestay, in accordance with § 14-1201.P.
10.
Living History Exhibits.
11.
Municipal Uses.
12.
Museums.
13.
No-Impact Home-Based Businesses, in accordance with § 14-1201.W.
14.
Personal Service Businesses.
15.
Professional Offices.
16.
Single-Family Detached Dwellings.
17.
Single-Family Semi-Detached Dwellings.
18.
Small Wireless Facility—Tower-Based—Inside Public Right-of-Way, in accordance with § 14-1201.DD.
19.
Specialty Retail, excluding drive-through service.
20.
Studios.
21.
Two-Family Dwellings.
22.
Vacation Rentals, in accordance with § 14-1201.HH.
B.
Accessory Uses: The following uses are permitted as accessory uses to any permitted principal use in the VC 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 VC 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.
D.
Conditional Uses: The following uses are permitted by Conditional Use in the VC 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.
§ 14-602 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.
§ 14-603 Dimensional Requirements.
[Ord. No. 08-01-2024, 8/27/2024]
A.
Minimum Lot Area: Three Thousand Five Hundred (3,500) square feet.
B.
Minimum Lot Width: Thirty (30) feet.
C.
Maximum Lot Coverage: Sixty-five percent (65%).
D.
Minimum Vegetative Coverage: Thirty-five percent (35%).
E.
Maximum Front Setback: Ten (10) feet.
F.
Minimum Side Setback.
1.
Principal Building: Six (6) feet. Where the lot is located in an area of the VC District where existing principal buildings on surrounding lots have been constructed within two (2) feet of the side property line or less, a minimum side setback of two (2) feet may be applied.
2.
Accessory Structures.
H.
Maximum Building Height: Thirty-five (35) feet, unless otherwise defined in § 14-1101.D or elsewhere in this Ordinance.
I.
Maximum Building Width or Frontage: Eighty (80) feet, measured horizontally along the front of the principal building.