Leet Township City Zoning Code
PART 4
SPECIAL REGULATIONS
§ 27-401 Application of Yard Regulations.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 401; as amended by Ord. 2002-04, 11/11/2002; and by Ord. 2004-03, 6/14/2004]
1.
Lots which abut on more than one street shall provide the required front yard depth along every street.
2.
All structures, whether attached to the main structure or not, and whether open or closed, including porches, garages, carports, sheds, balconies or platforms above normal grade level, shall not project into any minimum front yard or side yard requirements unless the structure is an accessory building expressly permitted in the Residence Districts. These structures may project into the rear or side yards so long as it meets that district's accessory building setbacks.
§ 27-402 Off-Street Parking.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 402; as amended by Ord. 1999-03, 11/8/1999, § 1]
1.
Off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the specifications in this section in any district whenever any new use is established or existing use is enlarged.
Use | Parking Spaces Required | |
|---|---|---|
1-family dwelling | 2 for each dwelling unit | |
2-family dwelling, town house, mobile home | 2 for each dwelling unit | |
Apartment | 1 1/2 for each dwelling unit | |
Motels | 1 per rental unit | |
Dormitory, group dwelling | 1 for every 3 beds | |
Licensed care facility | 1 per 2 beds | |
Hospitals | 1 per 2 beds | |
Church, theater, school | 1 for every 4 seats in largest meeting room | |
Stores, shops, restaurants, clubs | 1 for every 175 square feet of gross floor area |
2.
The Board of Commissioners may require or approve alternative design standards for off-street parking in response to unusual conditions such as dead car storage, attendant parking, indoor parking, interaction between differing adjacent uses, or a clearly documented difference between expected parking load and required parking spaces; provided any reduction in the number of required spaces so granted shall be offset by a reserved area for future installation of a like number of spaces to be so improved at the discretion of the Township.
3.
Every off-street parking space shall have a rectangular area of not less than nine feet by 18 feet. If parking spaces are indicated by lines other than 90 degrees, then traffic lanes shall be restricted to one-way permitting head-in parking only.
4.
Every off-street parking lot for more than five vehicles shall be graded for proper drainage and paved to provide a durable and dustless surface. Curbing shall be installed to assure safe and efficient flow of traffic, prevent encroachment onto required yards and control the flow of stormwater, and such curbing shall be installed in compliance with an approved site plan. Parking aisle separators, sidewalks and landscape plantings shall be provided as required and approved by the Board of Commissioners.
5.
Parking perpendicular to grade contours shall be permitted up to a grade of 5%; parking parallel to grade contours shall be permitted up to a grade of 8%; no parking shall be permitted on a grade in excess of 8%.
§ 27-403 Off-Street Loading Space.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 403]
Off-street loading space shall be provided for all main commercial or industrial buildings, at the rate of one space (each not less than 10 feet wide and 20 feet long) for every 3,000 square feet of lot area, but not more than two spaces shall be required. Entrance and exit to said areas must provide maximum safety for traffic.
§ 27-404 Removal of Topsoil, Gravel and Slag.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 404]
It shall be illegal for the owner of land, or for any other person, to strip, dig or otherwise remove soil, dirt, slag, sand, gravel or other ground from premises unless adequate bond is first posted to assure satisfactory backfilling and a permit obtained. The foregoing shall not prohibit the disposition and sale of excess material excavated from premises upon which a building permit has been issued and a building is being constructed pursuant to Township ordinance, or where a developer, pursuant to a plan approved by the Commissioners or Board and under a permit for grading issued by the Township, must dispose of excess material.
§ 27-405 Outdoor Storage of Equipment and Materials.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 405]
In a Commercial or Manufacturing District, all uses shall be conducted only within an enclosed building except as herein and after excepted. Outdoor storage of equipment and materials essential to the normal operation of the business may be stored in a rear yard.
§ 27-406 Sound Devices.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 406]
No person shall, in order to promote the sale or promotion of any goods, wares, merchandise or services, or in connection with any trade or business, operate from any premises, building, vehicle, or on any street, any horn, bell, chimes, loudspeaker or any other sound device.
§ 27-407 Disabled Motor Vehicles.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 407]
No vehicle which is disabled, from which the wheels or engine have been removed, which is not in operating condition or which does not have a current motor vehicle license and inspection sticker attached shall be placed, parked, stored or repaired on any street, right-of-way or in any yard in any district, nor shall any owner or occupant of property in any district permit said property to be used for the parking, storage or repair or said motor vehicles. The foregoing shall not prohibit the rental of space in a private or public garage or permitted public parking lot, or repairs in a permitted garage in a Commercial or Manufacturing District.
§ 27-408 Temporary Structures.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 408]
Temporary structures used in conjunction with construction work shall be permitted only during the period that the construction work is in progress. Permits for temporary structures shall be issued for a six-month period. Residing in basement or foundation structures or any portion of a structure before completion of the total structure and issuance of an occupancy permit shall not be permitted.
§ 27-409 Water Recreation and Storage Areas.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 409; as amended by Ord. 260, 3/11/1996, § 27-409]
1.
Any facility for water recreation such as private swimming pools, swimming clubs, private fishing ponds, or any other storage facility such as reservoirs and farm ponds shall comply with the following regulations:
A.
The facility must be enclosed by a fence no less than four feet high to prevent uncontrolled access by small children.
B.
The facility must meet the setback requirements.
C.
Before a permit shall be issued to the operator or owner of the facility, a plan shall be submitted to the Zoning Officer showing the size of the facility, proposed use, parking arrangement and use of buildings on site, surrounding properties and their usage, and any other pertinent information.
§ 27-410 Boats.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 410]
No boats shall be placed or permitted on a residential lot except where garaged or adequately screened from all public streets and adjacent properties.
§ 27-411 Animals.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 411; amended pursuant to Ord. 2015-5, 8/10/2015]
The keeping, raising and housing of farm animals on residential sites shall not be permitted, except that household pets shall not be prohibited. Ponies, horses and dog kennels, provided they are not for commercial use, shall be permitted on premises containing two acres or more providing said animals shall be housed and maintained in such manner as not to cause any disturbance or nuisance to neighboring properties.
§ 27-412 Fences and Walls.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 412]
The location, nature and height of walls and fences shall be such that they will not hinder the appropriate development and use of adjacent land and buildings or impair the value thereof. No fence or wall, except retaining walls, shall extend within five feet of any street and shall not exceed 6 1/2 feet in height along any rear yard or side yard and four feet in height along any front yard between the street and the building line. No fence, wall, hedge or shrubbery shall be placed or be allowed to grow in such a manner as to impede vision at intersecting streets, or from driveways on the owner's lot or on an adjacent lot. In the Manufacturing District, a fence may be erected up to 10 feet in height. Retaining walls and fences must comply with the Township Building Code [Chapter 5].
§ 27-413 Signs.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 413; as amended by Ord. 260, 3/11/1996, § 27-413]
1.
No sign, billboard or exterior graphic display shall be permitted in any district except as herein provided:
A.
In any district a sign not exceeding one square foot in area will be permitted which announces the name or address of the occupant of the premises on which said sign is located.
B.
A bulletin board not exceeding 15 square feet will be permitted in connection with any church, school or similar public structure; provided, such bulletin board shall not be so placed as to cause confusion or a hazard to traffic.
C.
Temporary real estate or construction signs not exceeding eight square feet will be permitted on the property being sold, leased or developed. Such signs shall be removed promptly when they have fulfilled their function.
D.
Official traffic signs.
E.
No sign shall be illuminated by a flashing or moving-type light, except traffic control devices.
F.
All signs shall be constructed of durable materials; shall be kept in good condition and repair; and shall not be permitted to become unsightly or dilapidated.
G.
One business sign in connection with any legal commercial use or structure will be permitted on the premises of the business; provided, that such sign contains no information beyond the name, symbol and nature of the business. Such signs shall also meet the following requirements:
(1)
They shall not contain information or advertising for any product not sold on the premises.
(2)
The total area on one side of such sign placed on any one premises shall not exceed 50 square feet and such sign shall be erected only on the premises on which the use to which the sign relates is conducted.
(3)
They shall not project over public rights-of-way.
(4)
They shall not be illuminated in any manner which will cause undue distraction, confusion or hazard to vehicular traffic.
(5)
They shall not be erected in such a manner as to obstruct vision at intersections or curves, or placed in such a position that will cause danger to traffic on a street, nor restrict a clear view of any highway.
(6)
A unified shopping center may be permitted to erect one sign in greater size and area as permitted above, providing such sign shall designate the name of the shopping center or the business therein and only one sign may be erected upon any premises under single ownership. A plan must first be submitted and approved by the Township Board of Commissioners as must all future signs under this section.
(7)
A zoning certification or permit shall have been issued by the Zoning Officer.
§ 27-414 Approval of Commercial and Manufacturing Buildings.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 414]
1.
All commercial and manufacturing buildings must be approved by the Township Board of Commissioners before issuance of a building permit. A drawing of all structures prepared by a registered architect or registered engineer must be presented for review and must meet the following requirements:
§ 27-415 Accessory Buildings.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 415]
1.
No permanent accessory building or structure shall be constructed on any lot prior to the time of construction of the main building to which it is necessary.
2.
No detached accessory building or buildings shall occupy more than 25% of the area of a required rear yard.
3.
No detached accessory building shall exceed 15 feet in height above the average level of the ground upon which it stands.
4.
No accessory building in a residential district shall be located in any front yard. No accessory building shall be located in any side yard nearer to the side lot line than the minimum width required for a side yard for the main building.
5.
On corner lots, in addition to the above requirements, no accessory building in a side yard shall be nearer a street than the least depth of any front yard required along such street.
6.
A building attached to the main building by a covered passageway, or by having a wall or a part of a wall in common with it, shall be considered an integral part of the main structure and not an accessory building.
7.
No accessory building in the rear of a main building and on the same non-through lot shall be used in whole or in part as a dwelling.
§ 27-416 Landscaping.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 416]
1.
Any application for a building permit shall be accompanied by a plan showing the proposed landscaping of the premises, in addition to the other items required to be submitted with the application for a building permit.
2.
The plan shall show what improvements and landscaping are to be completed on the entire premises and shall provide as a minimum requirement for ground cover of grass, plants or artificial materials on portions of the premises not occupied by any building, driveway or parking area, or any portion of the premises left in its natural wooded state and not disturbed during construction, and shall be kept free of junk, debris, dangerous, objectionable or noxious matter.
3.
The minimum requirement for landscaping, either grass or ground cover, shall be completed and growing within one year after completion of the building.
§ 27-417 Vegetation.
[Ord. 168, 7/10/1978, § 417]
1.
The owner or occupant of any land located in any area where 80% of any contiguous 10 acre tract is improved for residential, commercial or industrial uses shall not permit any vegetation, other than edible plants or those planted for some useful or ornamental purpose, to grow to or remain at a height in excess of one foot.
2.
Should such a condition exist, the owner and/or occupant shall be served either personally or by certified mail with a notice specifying the violation. The notice shall inform the owner and/or occupant that the condition must be corrected within seven days of the receipt of the notice. The notice shall also state that the owner and/or occupant may demand a hearing before the Vegetation Control Hearing Officer, but that such demand must be made in writing within seven days of service of the notice. The notice shall also state that failure to correct the condition, cut and remove the vegetation, shall empower the Township to enter the property to cut and remove the vegetation. The fee for such cutting and removing of the vegetation, plus a 10% penalty, shall be assessed against the owner and/or occupant and recorded and collected as a municipal claim, but the Township may also proceed by complaint to collect said amount.
3.
Should the owner and/or occupant demand a hearing before the Vegetation Control Hearing Officer, said hearing must be held within seven days of said demand.
4.
The Vegetation Control Hearing Officer must render his decision within three days of the hearing.
5.
Should the decision be against the owner and/or occupant, said owner and/or occupant shall have three days to correct the condition and cut and remove the vegetation. Failure to do so will result in a separate offense each day that the violation continues as indicated in this chapter. It will also enable the Township to proceed as indicated above.
6.
The Board of Commissioners shall appoint a Vegetation Control Hearing Officer whose term shall run for two years. Said officer may be reappointed.