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Horsham Township City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VIII

R-2A Low-Density Residential District

§ 230-56 Declaration of legislative intent.

In expansion of the legislative intent contained in Article I, § 230-2, of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article with respect to the R-2A Low-Density Residential development to provide regulations for agricultural, residential uses and mobile home parks.
A. 
To minimize land use conflict between agricultural and residential uses.
B. 
To protect the environmentally sensitive areas of the Park Creek Watershed.
C. 
To permit special uses with appropriate regulations to protect the residential character of the district.

§ 230-57 Use regulations.

A building or group of buildings may be erected, altered or used, or a lot may be used or occupied for one principal use for any of the following purposes:
A. 
Woodland, or other conservation purposes.
B. 
Agricultural use, including tilling of the soil, plant nursery, or greenhouse, and the keeping of livestock and poultry, provided that any building used for keeping of livestock and poultry shall be located not less than 100 feet from any property line. Kennels, piggeries and poultry farms are not a permitted use.
C. 
Municipal park or recreation area owned and operated by a governmental or quasi-governmental agency.
D. 
Single-family detached dwelling.
E. 
Mobile home park at a density not to exceed five dwelling units per developable acre and subject to standards and regulations provided in Article XIV.
F. 
Utility line, or any necessary governmental or public utility use.
G. 
Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to the above uses.
H. 
The following uses may be permitted when authorized by the Township Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception:
(1) 
Privately owned low-density outdoor recreational area or use, such as park, riding academy, eighteen-hole golf course having a minimum of 75 acres, provided that:
(a) 
No commercial activity shall be permitted except for charging admission, the sale of refreshments, or such other purposes as clearly incidental to the permitted use.
(b) 
Each incidental commercial activity shall be located or screened so that it shall not be visible from a street or adjoining property.
(c) 
Illumination, except for security lighting, shall not be permitted.
(2) 
Stable for horses on lots not less than four acres.
(3) 
Public or private day schools, provided that:
(a) 
The minimum lot size shall be 10 acres.
(b) 
Public sewer and water utilities shall be provided.
(c) 
Total building and paving coverage shall not exceed 40% of the total lot.
(d) 
All buildings and parking shall be setback not less than 100 feet from property line.
(4) 
Churches, chapels or other places of worship and their adjunct residential dwellings provided that:
(a) 
The minimum lot size shall be four acres.
(b) 
Total building and paving coverage shall not exceed 40% of the total lot.
(c) 
All buildings and parking shall be setback not less than 100 feet from property lines.
(5) 
Cemetery use provided only where use is accessory to a church structure and shall be no larger than five acres in area and a minimum of 100 feet from all property lines.
I. 
Municipal building.
[Added 12-23-2002 by Ord. No. 1153]
J. 
No-impact home-based businesses in accordance with the standards set forth in § 230-23.
[Added 3-12-2003 by Ord. No. 1154]

§ 230-58 Development regulations.

[Amended 9-16-1998 by Ord. No. 1147; 10-27-1998 by Ord. No. 1148]
For all permitted buildings and uses, and special exception uses allowed, the following regulations shall apply:
A. 
Lot area. A lot area of not less than 43,560 square feet shall be provided for every principal building hereafter erected or used in this district.
B. 
Lot width. A lot width of not less than 125 feet shall be provided at the building line. The minimum lot width at the ultimate right-of-way shall be in accordance with the provisions of the minimum lot frontage and flag lot requirements of Article IV.
C. 
Building coverage. Not more than 15% of the lot area may be occupied by buildings.
[Amended 6-14-2000 by Ord. No. 1150]
D. 
Lot coverage. Not more than 20% of the lot area may be covered by buildings, parking lots, vehicular accessways or other impervious material.
[Amended 6-14-2000 by Ord. No. 1150]
E. 
Yard requirements.
(1) 
Front yard. There shall be a front yard on each street on which the lot abuts, measured from the ultimate right-of-way to the building, the depth of which shall be at least 60 feet.
(2) 
Side yards. There shall be two side yards for any building or use of not less than 40 feet in aggregate width and neither less than 20 feet in width.
(3) 
Rear yard. There shall be a rear yard, the depth of which shall be at least 80 feet.
F. 
Height requirements. The height of any building shall not exceed 35 feet.
[Amended 2-13-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-3]
G. 
Density. The maximum achievable number of lots on a parcel shall be calculated through the environmental resource protection density determination contained in § 230-49B.
H. 
Contiguous building envelope area. The minimum contiguous building envelope area shall consist of not less than 4,500 square feet.