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Lower Makefield Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE III

Residential-Resource Protection R-RP

§ 200-11 Permitted uses.

A building or structure may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following uses and no other. All uses permitted by right or by special exception are subject to the specific regulations in Article XV for individual uses, in addition to the requirements contained in this and other sections.
A. 
Uses by right. The following uses are permitted by right:
(1) 
Agriculture.
(2) 
Dwelling, single-family detached.
(3) 
Nursery/horticulture/greenhouse.
(4) 
Public recreational facility.
(5) 
Uses and structures accessory to permitted uses, limited to the following:
(a) 
Auctions.
(b) 
Garage sales.
(c) 
Home occupation, Class I: home office.
(d) 
Home occupation, Class II: traditional home occupation.
(e) 
Livestock in residential areas.
(f) 
Pools of restrictive size/hot tubs.
(g) 
Private aboveground swimming pool.
(h) 
Private swimming pool.
(i) 
Residential accessory buildings and structures.
(j) 
Temporary structure.
(6) 
Forestry/timber harvesting, pursuant to the regulations set forth in Article XV, § 200-68.
[Added 12-3-2001 by Ord. No. 329]
(7) 
Open space cluster development.
[Added 12-20-2006 by Ord. No. 364]
B. 
Uses by special exception. The following uses may be authorized as special exceptions by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with the standards set forth in § 200-98 of this chapter:
(1) 
Cemetery.
(2) 
Golf course.
(3) 
Library or museum.
(4) 
Nursing home.
(5) 
Place of worship.
(6) 
Public or private school.
(7) 
Utility.
[Amended 8-7-1995 by Ord. No. 297]
(8) 
Riding stable.
(9) 
Bed-and-breakfast.
(10) 
Boarding.
(11) 
Home occupation, Class III: family day care.
C. 
Conditional uses. The following uses may be authorized as conditional uses by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with the standards and procedures of this chapter:
(1) 
Accessory farm business.
(2) 
Emergency services.

§ 200-12 Table of performance standards.

[Amended 8-2-2023 by Ord. No. 440]
A. 
Open space applicable to tracts of land consisting of 10 acres or more of land.
(1) 
Not less than 25% of the total land area shall be designated as open space.
(2) 
No area designated as open space shall be smaller than 20,000 square feet.
(3) 
The open space shall be contiguous to lots within the cluster-designed development in conformity with § 200-75 of this chapter.
(4) 
Consideration shall be given to the arrangement, location and landscaping of the open space so as to address its aesthetic and spatial relationship with the development clusters, the individual lots and the adjacent land uses.
(5) 
Open space should be arranged in such a manner so as to be within easy access and view of the dwelling units while preserving and enhancing the natural features and renewable resource potential of the site.
(6) 
Ownership of open space as required by this chapter shall be held in such form in conformance with § 200-74B of this chapter.
(7) 
All open space designated under this chapter shall be identified by the installation of a freestanding sign in accordance with § 200-83E(12) of this chapter.
B. 
Lot area and density regulations shall be as follows:
Type
Maximum Density on Net Buildable Site Area without Cluster
(units/acre)
Maximum Density on Net Buildable Site Area for Cluster
(units/acre)
Minimum Net Lot Area1
Single-family detached dwelling
0.33
0.45
2.25 acres
Other uses
3 acres2
NOTES:
1
See definition of "net lot area."
2
These requirements shall apply unless otherwise specified in Article XV for the specific use, in which case the provisions of Article XV shall apply.

§ 200-13 Lot area and yard requirements.

[Amended 12-20-2006 by Ord. No. 364]
The lot area and yard requirements are as follows:
Minimum Net Lot Area
Minimum Lot Width at Front Building Line
(feet)
Maximum Building Height
(feet)
Front
(feet)
Minimum Yards1
Side (each)
(feet)
Rear2
(feet)
Dwelling:
3 acres
250
35
50
25
125
All other uses:3
3 acres
250
35
50
50
125
NOTES:
1 Where a yard abuts a collector or arterial road listed in § 200-63 of this chapter, the building setback shall be increased to 80 feet for collector roads and 100 feet for arterial roads.
2 Rear yard open porches may extend into the rear yard setback.
3 These area and yard requirements shall apply unless otherwise specified in Article XV for the specific use, in which case the provisions of Article XV shall apply.

§ 200-13.1 Requirements for open space cluster development.

[Added 12-20-2006 by Ord. No. 364]
A. 
Table of performance standards: Lot area and density for open space cluster development.
Type
Minimum Percent of Base Site Area Classified as Resource Protection Land1
Maximum Density on Net Buildable Site Area2
(units/acre)
Minimum Net Lot Area3
(acres)
Minimum Average Net Lot Area
(acres)
Residential R-RP
51%
.66
1
1.5
NOTES:
1 For purposes of determining the percent of base site area classified as resource protection land in § 200-52, open space as defined in § 200-7 and which is offered to the Township shall be considered to be natural resource protection land.
2 Notwithstanding the maximum density on net buildable site area, the maximum number of dwelling units permitted on a particular tract shall in no circumstance be greater than the maximum number of dwelling units that actually could be constructed on the site without open space clustering given the development constraints of the physical site and the otherwise applicable Township ordinance requirements. A plan showing sufficient detail to demonstrate the maximum number of dwelling units that could be constructed on the site shall be provided to the Township.
3 The minimum net lot size and minimum average lot size is permitted only where the resource protection land, including open space as defined in § 200-7, exceeds 51% of the base site.

§ 200-14 Impervious surface requirements.

A. 
The maximum impervious surface ratio permitted by developer shall be .10.
B. 
The maximum impervious surface ratio permitted by property owner, inclusive of that permitted by developer shall be .13.