Greensburg City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XII
Area Requirements and Exceptions
§ 265-45 Compliance required.
Except as hereinafter provided in § 265-48, Area exceptions, and Article XVI, Nonconformance and Noncompliance, after the effective date of this chapter, no structure shall be erected, reconstructed, enlarged, used or moved to another location, unless such structure or enlarged portion conforms to the area regulations established by the following schedule. Area conformance for R3 Districts shall be as prescribed in the ordinance pertaining to planned residential development.
§ 265-46 General area requirements.
A.
Any portion of a lot once used as a yard or as lot area in compliance with the area requirements of the district regulations of this chapter shall not be counted again as required yard or lot area for another structure.
B.
No yards or other open spaces shall be diminished below what is prescribed by this chapter.
C.
For yards abutting streets, the required side yard width and rear yard depth shall be the same as the required front yard depth.
D.
Public service lines for the transportation and distribution and control of water, electricity, gas, oil, steam, telegraph and telephone communications or railroad trackage and supporting members other than buildings shall not be required to be located on an individual zoning lot nor be held to reduce the required yard dimensions for other structures on a zoning lot.
E.
In a C or M District, when a side or rear yard abuts property in an R District:
(1)
It shall be screened from such R District by a masonry wall or solid fence six and one-half (6 1/2) feet high, extending along the property line adjoining the abutting R District, but not closer to a street than the buildable area of the lot; or
(2)
Said abutting side or rear yard shall be planted and maintained with shrubbery so as to provide a visual screen approximately six and one-half (6 1/2) feet high between the concerned C or M District and the abutting property.
F.
Vision clearance on a corner lot. On a corner lot, no fence, building wall, shrubbery or other vision obstruction (including automobile parking) shall be placed or maintained, and no structure other than a necessary retaining wall shall be constructed after the effective date of this chapter if such obstruction impedes the view at any point between a height of three feet and a height of 10 feet above the upper face of the nearest curb and within a triangular area bounded on two sides by the two street lines or by projection of such lines to their point of intersection and on the third side by a straight line connecting points on such street lines (or their projection), each of which points is 25 feet distant from the point of intersection of the two street lines. Poles, posts and guys, for streetlights or other utility service, or tree trunks, exclusive of leaves and branches, shall not be considered obstructions to vision within the meaning of this provision.
§ 265-47 Schedule of area requirements.
[Amended 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 2120; 12-13-2021 by Ord. No. 2132]
The minimum depths of front yards, minimum widths of side yards, minimum depths of rear yards, minimum lot areas, minimum lot widths, maximum land coverages and maximum floor area ratios permitted in each district shall be as specified in the following schedule:
Requirement Per District | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Requirements | Type of Use | R1 | R2 | C1 | C2 | M | S | |
Front yard depth (feet)a,b | Any use | 20 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Side yard width, each of 2 (feet)c,d,f | One-family dwelling Two-family dwelling Row dwelling, entrance not facing street: | 10 - | 5 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | |
Adjoining entrance | - | 5 | - | 5 | - | - | ||
Not adjoining entrance | - | 5 | - | 5 | - | - | ||
Other than above | 10 | 5 | - | - | - | 5 | ||
Rear yard depth (feet)b,d,e,f | Row dwelling, entrance not facing street | - | 15 | - | 15 | - | - | |
Other than above | 30 | 20 | 2 | - | - | 0 | ||
Lot area (square feet) | Dwellings | |||||||
One-family (per dwelling unit) | 7200g | 7200g | - | - | - | - | ||
Two-family (per dwelling unit) | 3600 | - | 3600 | - | - | |||
Row (per dwelling unit) | - | 2500 | - | 2500 | - | - | ||
Multiple-family (other than a row) (per dwelling unit except in C2) | - | 2500 | - | 2500 | - | - | ||
Hotel or club with dwelling quarters, dormitory or similar group housing | - | - | - | 6000 | - | 8000 | ||
Additional for each sleeping room over 4 | - | - | - | 300 | - | 300 | ||
Lot width (feet) | Row dwelling | |||||||
Interior lot | - | 60 | 30 | 30 | - | - | ||
Corner lot | - | 60 | 30 | 30 | - | - | ||
Other than above | ||||||||
Interior lot | 60g | 60g | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | ||
Corner lot | 80g | 80g | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Land coverage (percent) | Any use | 40 | 40 | 60 | 100 | 100 | 40 | |
Floor area ratio | Any use | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | - | |
NOTES: a. Front yard adjacent to existing building: See § 265-48A of this chapter. b. Unenclosed porch in front or rear yard: See § 265-48B of this chapter. c. Porte cochere in side yard: See § 265-48C of this chapter. |
d. Minor or community parking area or minor garage in side or rear yard: See § 265-48D of this chapter. Side or rear yard abutting street shall be the same as front yard: See § 265-46C of this chapter. e. Loading space occupying rear yard: See § 265-48E of this chapter. Accessory travel trailer, camp trailer, boat, etc., in rear yard: See § 265-48F of this chapter. f. Open fire escapes in any yard: See § 265-48G of this chapter. Fences, walls or plantings in any yard: See § 265-48H of this chapter. Minor utility fixtures in any yard: See § 265-48H of this chapter. Cornices, eaves, belt courses, etc., in any yard: See § 265-48J of this chapter. g. One-family dwelling on substandard lot of record: See § 265-48I of this chapter. |
§ 265-48 Area exceptions.
[Amended 6-1-1976 by Ord. No. 1005; 3-8-1993 by Ord. No. 1575; 10-14-1996 by Ord. No. 1698; 6-8-2020 by Ord. No. 2109; 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 2120; 4-14-2025 by Ord. No. 2175]
A.
Where the existing average block setback is less than the minimum front yard prescribed in § 265-47, the minimum front yard shall be reduced to equal the average block setback, defined as the average distance from the front lot line to the principal structures (not including features exempted in this section) for all lots on the same side of the street between two intersecting streets or within a distance of no greater than 400 feet from the lot.
B.
An unenclosed porch no more than one story or 15 feet in height and 12 feet in depth may be erected in the front, side or rear yard, provided that no portion of said porch shall be closer than three feet to a lot line.
C.
A porte cochere may be permitted over a driveway in a required side yard, not closer than two feet to a side lot line, provided that such structure is not more than one story in height and 20 feet in length and is entirely open on at least three sides except for the necessary supporting columns and customary architectural features.
D.
A minor parking area, community parking area, carport or minor garage may be located partially or entirely in required side or rear yards, provided that the garage is not closer than five feet to a property line or opened and maintained right-of-way; further provided that any parking area is improved and maintained, as provided in § 265-64, and that any structure erected hereunder does not interfere with any applicable lines of sight for motorists on a right-of-way.
E.
A loading space may occupy a rear yard, provided that it is located not closer than 10 feet to an opened right-of-way line, the use of the loading space does not obstruct the general public's use of any adjacent right-of-way, and it does not unduly interfere with any lines of site for motorists on the right-of-way.
F.
An accessory travel trailer, recreational vehicle, camper trailer, utility trailer, boat trailer or boat may be stored in an R District and may be entirely or partly in a required rear yard, provided that it is stored only behind the main structure, is no closer to a minimum side yard, and the item is otherwise compliant with the Property Maintenance Code and is otherwise appropriately licensed and/or registered; this exception shall not be construed as including mobile homes.
G.
Open fire escapes may extend or project into any required yard not more than four feet, unless required by any applicable building, construction, fire or related code.
H.
Fences, walls, plantings and other accessory structures.
(1)
Fences, walls, hedges, shrubbery and other plantings, minor utility fixtures and articles of decoration around a main building and surface paving may be permitted in any required yard as follows: when closer to a street than the buildable area of the lot, not exceeding 3 1/2 feet in height; when not closer to a street than the buildable area of the lot, not exceeding 6 1/2 feet in height, except that open-type fencing of heights suited to the activities enclosed may be erected for playgrounds, parks or security purposes for a public building. Privacy fences or any decorative fencing must be erected with all support sides facing the interior of the property being secured. Fences shall not otherwise be placed so as to interfere with lines of sight on adjacent rights-of-way, nor the line of sight of motorists exiting or entering driveways, garages or parking structures on adjacent properties.
I.
Lot area or lot width requirements shall not be held to prohibit the erection of a one-family dwelling or duplex on a substandard lot of record, in which instance one of the following shall be applicable, at the property owner's election:
(1)
If a dwelling was previously located on the parcel, a one-family or duplex structure may be constructed within the footprint of the prior structure;
(2)
All setbacks may be proportionally reduced to provide 1,500 square feet of buildable area; or
(3)
All setbacks may be reduced to the average of the location of the principal structure on all properties on the same side of the same block of the subject structure. The area within said setbacks shall be the maximum buildable area of the property, irrespective of the minimum lot area requirements. As a result, the setbacks for the subject principal structure may be reduced to the averages of the distances from the property lines to the principal structures of all lots on the same side of the same block of the subject property.
J.
Cornices, eaves, belt courses, sills, canopies or similar architectural features (not including bay windows or vertical projections) may extend into a required side yard not more than 20% of the width of such side yard and may extend into a required front or rear yard not more than 30 inches.
K.
For multifamily structures, the minimum size of a dwelling unit shall be 450 square feet.
L.
Satellite dish antenna. Notwithstanding any other restrictions within this chapter, all satellite dish antennas within single-family detached and attached and multifamily residential districts shall be limited to one per lot, shall be ground-mounted and shall be permitted within rear yards only, provided that such antennas do not exceed 10 feet in diameter nor 15 feet in height. Satellite dish antennas in nonresidential districts shall be ground-mounted and shall be located within the rear yard unless it is found that a usable signal cannot be obtained from a rear yard location. All satellite dish antennas shall be screened from view at ground level from any public street or residential use. No nonresidential satellite dish antenna shall exceed the height limitations of the zoning district. It is also permissible to locate said devices on the sides or rear of a residential structure, provided said dish is not larger than 18 inches in diameter.
M.
Air conditioners and similar equipment. Air-conditioning equipment, heat pumps and similar mechanical equipment may not project more than three feet into any required side or rear yard and no closer than five feet to any lot line. Notwithstanding, window air-conditioning units may not project more than 18 inches into a required yard.