Myerstown City Zoning Code
PART 5
DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN EACH DISTRICT
§ 27-501 Dimensional Requirements.
[Ord. 841, 5/22/2017]
The following dimensional requirements shall apply for the specified Zoning District, unless a more restrictive requirement for a specific use is required by Part 6 or another provision of this Ordinance. All measurements shall be in feet unless otherwise stated. See definitions of terms (such as lot width) in Part 15. Each dwelling unit and each principal building shall be served by both public water and public sewer service.
§ 27-501.1 Dimensional Requirements for Primarily Residential Districts.
Zoning District: Type of Use | Minimum Lot Area (sq. ft.) | Minimum Lot Width Measured at Minimum Building Setback Line (ft.) [Note L] | Minimum Front Yard Setback (ft.) [Note D] | Minimum Rear Yard Setback (ft.) [Note F] | Minimum Side Yard Setback (each) (ft.) [Note F] [Note H] | Maximum Percent Building Coverage [Note E] | Maximum Percent Impervious Coverage [Note E] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. LDR Low Density Residential District: | ||||||||
a) Single family detached dwelling | a) 6,000 | a) 50 | All uses: 40 feet or 3 stories, whichever is more restrictive | All uses: 20. On a corner lot, 15 along the second street. | All uses: 25 | a) 8 | All uses: 40% | All uses: 50% |
b) Single family semi-detached dwelling | b) 4,500 | b) 40 per dwelling unit | b) 8 | |||||
c) Townhouse, provided that no more than 4 townhouses shall be connected together in any manner, and that a minimum tract size of 20,000 square feet shall be required. | c) Minimum average of 4,500 (Note C) (Note K). | c) 24 per dwelling unit | c) 10 | |||||
d) Other allowed principal use | d) 10,000 | d) 60 | d) 12 | |||||
2. OT Old Town Residential District: [Note B] | ||||||||
a) Allowed dwelling, provided that a multi-family dwelling development shall need a minimum total lot area of 15,000 square feet prior to any subdivision | a) Minimum average lot area of 2,500 per dwelling unit [Note C]. [Note K]. | a) 25 per single family detached dwelling unit, 30 for a multi-family dwelling building, and 20 feet per each other dwelling unit | All uses: 40 feet or 3 stories, whichever is more restrictive , except 55 feet or 4 stories on a lot of more than one acre. | All uses: 15. On a corner lot, 10 along the second street. | All uses: 20 | a) 5, except 10 for a multi-family building from other housing types | All uses: 50% | All uses: 70% |
If housing meets the Age-Qualified Housing Standards of Section 27-406, the maximum allowed density shall be increased by 50%. | ||||||||
b) Other allowed principal use | b) 8,000 | b) 60 | b) 10 | |||||
3. TMN Traditional Mixed Neighborhood District: [Note B] | ||||||||
a) Allowed dwellings, provided that multi-family dwellings shall need a minimum total lot area of 10,000 square feet | a) 1,500 [Note C] [Note F] [Note A] | a) 20 per dwelling unit, except 30 for a multi-family dwelling building | All uses: 40 feet or 3 stories, whichever is more restricted, except 60 feet or 5 stories if portions of the building that are taller than 3 stories are setback a minimum of 50 feet from the lot line of any existing dwelling on an adjacent lot. | All uses: 5, unless Section 27-504 applies regarding a required front setback. | All uses: 20 | a) 5, except 10 for a multi-family building from the lot line of other housing types | All uses: 60% | All uses: 80% |
b) Other allowed principal use See maximum building setback in Section 27-504. | b) 3,000 | b) 30 | b) 10 |
§ 27-501.2 Dimensional Requirements for Primarily Non-Residential Districts.
[Ord. 841, 5/22/2017]
Zoning District: Type of Use | Minimum Lot Area (sq. ft.) | Minimum Lot Width Measured at Minimum Building Setback Line (ft.) [Note L] | Maximum Building Height (ft.) [Note A] | Minimum Front Yard Setback (ft.) [Note D] | Minimum Rear Yard Setback (ft.) [Note F] | Minimum Side Yard Setback (each) (ft.) [Note F] [Note H] | Maximum Percent Building Coverage [Note E] | Maximum Percent Impervious Coverage [Note E] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4. CF Community Facility District: These standards apply to non-residential principal uses. Residential uses shall meet the standards of the OTR District, including the provisions allowing a higher density for age-qualified housing. | 5,000 | 30 | 5 stories or 55 feet, whichever is more restrictive | 10, except 0 where the Zoning Officer determine s that a predomi nate existing setback on the same side of the block is less than 10 feet | 10 [Note A] | 5 [Note A] | 70% | 90% |
5. GB General Business District: Allowed non-residential uses. Any allowed residential uses shall meet the requirements of the OTR District. | a) 8,000 | a) 50 | a) 5 stories or 70 feet, whichever is more restrictive | a) 25 | a) 20 [Note A] | a) 10 [Note A] | a) 80% | a) 90% |
6. TC Town Center District: See maximum building setback in Section 27-504. | 1,500 for the lot. Minimum average of 400 sq. ft. per dwelling unit [Note C] | 15 | 5 stories or 70 feet, whichever is more restrictive | 0. See Section 27-504 | 0 [Note J] | 0 [Note J] | 95% | 95% |
7. LI Light Industrial or GI General Industrial Districts: a) Manufactured home park in the GI District | a) Minimum average of 8,000 per dwelling unit [Note C] | a) 100 | a) 3 stories or 35 feet, whichever is more restrictive | a) 10 | a) 25 from the exterior lot line, with 14 feet separation between dwellings with the park | a) 25 from the exterior lot line, with 14 feet separation between dwellings within the park | a) 50% | a) 70% |
b) Other Allowed Use | b) 12,000 | b) 80 | b) 5 stories or 65 feet, whichever is more restrictive | b) 10 | b) 15 [Note A] | b) 15 [Note A] | b) 70% | b) 90% |
8. CN Conservation District: Allowed Use | 20,000 | 80 | 40 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10% | 20% |
Zoning District: Type of Use | Minimum Lot Area (sq. ft.) | Minimum Lot Width Measured at Minimum Building Setback Line (ft.) [Note L] | Maximum Building Height (ft.) [Note A] | Minimum Front Yard Setback (ft.) [Note D] | Minimum Rear Yard Setback (ft.) [Note F] | Minimum Side Yard Setback (each) (ft.) [Note F] [Note H] | Maximum Percent Building Coverage [Note E] | Maximum Percent Impervious Coverage [Note E] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4. CF Community Facility District: These standards apply to non-residential principal uses. Residential uses shall meet the standards of the OTR District, including the provisions allowing a higher density for age-qualified housing. | 5,000 | 30 | 5 stories or 55 feet, whichever is more restrictive | 10, except 0 where the Zoning Officer determine s that a predomi nate existing setback on the same side of the block is less than 10 feet | 10 [Note A] | 5 [Note A] | 70% | 90% |
5. GB General Business District: Allowed non-residential uses. Any allowed residential uses shall meet the requirements of the OTR District. | a) 8,000 | a) 50 | a) 5 stories or 70 feet, whichever is more restrictive | a) 25 | a) 20 [Note A] | a) 10 [Note A] | a) 80% | a) 90% |
6. TC Town Center District: See maximum building setback in Section 27-504. | 1,500 for the lot. Minimum average of 400 sq. ft. per dwelling unit [Note C] | 15 | 5 stories or 70 feet, whichever is more restrictive | 0. See Section 27-504 | 0 [Note J] | 0 [Note J] | 95% | 95% |
7. LI Light Industrial or GI General Industrial Districts: a) Manufactured home park in the GI District | a) Minimum average of 8,000 per dwelling unit [Note C] | a) 100 | a) 3 stories or 35 feet, whichever is more restrictive | a) 10 | a) 25 from the exterior lot line, with 14 feet separation between dwellings with the park | a) 25 from the exterior lot line, with 14 feet separation between dwellings within the park | a) 50% | a) 70% |
b) Other Allowed Use | b) 12,000 | b) 80 | b) 5 stories or 65 feet, whichever is more restrictive | b) 10 | b) 15 [Note A] | b) 15 [Note A] | b) 70% | b) 90% |
8. CN Conservation District: Allowed Use | 20,000 | 80 | 40 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10% | 20% |
§ 27-502 Height Exceptions.
[Ord. 841, 5/22/2017]
Section 27-501 establishes maximum building heights for each District. The following provisions shall also apply:
1.
Any accessory structure or building shall have a maximum height of one habitable story or 20 feet, unless it meets the minimum setbacks for a principal building, in which case the maximum height for a principal building shall apply.
2.
The maximum height requirements shall not apply to cranes or similar mechanical devices.
3.
A minimum building height of 20 feet shall apply for any new principal building in the TC District.
4.
The maximum structure height specified for each District shall not apply to: antenna and communications towers that meet the requirements of this Ordinance, water towers, clock or bell towers, steeples and religious symbols attached to places of worship, utility lines and poles and towers, elevator shafts, rooftop stairways, wind turbines that comply with this Ordinance, skylights, chimneys, heating/ventilation/air conditioning equipment, industrial mechanical equipment areas that are not occupied by humans, or other appurtenances usually required to be and customarily placed above the roof level and not intended for human occupancy. See also definition of "Height" in Section 27-1502.
5.
Solar energy collection devices may exceed the maximum building height by six feet, provided the devices do not extend above the top of the peak of a pitched residential roof.
§ 27-503 Accessory Structures and Uses.
[Ord. 841, 5/22/2017]
1.
Accessory structures and uses shall meet the minimum yard setbacks provided for in Section 27-501, unless otherwise provided for in this Ordinance, including the following subsections.
2.
The minimum side and rear yard setback for a permitted detached structure that is accessory to a dwelling shall be five feet, except in the following cases:
A.
The minimum side setback shall be reduced to three feet on each side and the rear for a residential accessory building that does not include a dwelling and that has a total floor area of 144 square feet or less, and a maximum height of 15 feet.
B.
A side yard setback is not required for a structure that is accessory to a dwelling from a lot line along which two dwellings are attached (such as a lot line shared by semi-detached dwellings). However, such structure shall still meet the minimum side yard on a lot line where the dwellings are not attached.
C.
A residential porch or deck that is unenclosed may extend a maximum of 15 feet into the required rear setback. Such porch or deck may be covered by a roof or awning. Space under an unenclosed porch may be used for household storage. See Note D above considering front yard setbacks.
E.
A vehicle garage that is accessory to a dwelling shall in no case be setback less than 10 feet from the centerline of any alley which provides access to the garage, unless a larger setback is established by another section of this Ordinance.
F.
No accessory building and no swimming pool shall be allowed between the principal building and the front lot line.
§ 27-504 Maximum Building Setback; Reduction in Front Setbacks.
[Ord. 841, 5/22/2017]
1.
In the OT, TMN or TC Districts, where a clear majority of the existing principal buildings on the same side of a block are already developed with buildings, and where the Zoning Officer determines that more than 60% of such buildings have a front yard setback of 30 feet or less along such side of the block, then if a new principal building is proposed, then at least a portion of the front building wall of such new building shall have a front yard building setback that is not more than five feet larger and not less than five feet smaller than such predominant front yard setback. The maximum front yard setback may be met with an attached front porch or a building wall. A maximum building setback shall not apply where the area between the building and the curb is occupied by an outdoor café or pedestrian plaza.
2.
In the OT, TMN and TC District, any new principal building shall have a maximum front building setback along a street of 25 feet. This maximum building setback shall not apply in areas occupied by an outdoor café or pedestrian plaza. The intent is to have new parking to the side and rear of the building. This provision shall not prevent the construction of an access driveway in the front. On a corner lot, this provision shall only apply to one of the two abutting public streets.
3.
Where a subject lot has two abutting lots on the same side of the street along the same block, and both of these lots have an existing front yard building setback that is smaller than the setback that would be required on the subject lot, then the subject lot may have a minimum front yard setback that is equal to the average of those two abutting lots.
§ 27-505 Dimensional Provisions for Solar Energy Collection Devices.
[Ord. 841, 5/22/2017]
1.
Parts 3 and 4 list where solar energy collection devices are allowed, and the maximum percentage of lot area that can be covered.
2.
See Section 27-502, which allows solar energy collection devices to exceed the maximum height. Solar screens, awnings, or solar panels that extend over building windows and that do not include any signage may intrude into a building setback area by up to 10 feet.
The photo to the right shows an example of a solar shading extension of a building roof that is intended to provide adjustable screening of the sun, to cool a building on hot days and warm a building on cold days.
 |
3.
Ground mounted and other solar energy collection devices that are not located above a building roof shall not: (1) be located in a minimum front yard and (2) have a total height above the ground of more than 15 feet, unless they meet minimum setbacks for a principal building.
4.
When an applicant owns two or more adjacent lots, and at least one of those lots is proposed to utilize solar energy collection devices, the applicant is requested to consider establishing a solar access easement or a similar legal mechanism to make sure that structures or vegetation on one lot does not unreasonably obstruct solar access for the solar energy collection devices on the adjacent lot.
5.
Where solar energy collection devices are being placed on a building roof, it is requested that they be setback a minimum of three feet from the side and bottom edges of the roof to allow for safer access by and less risk of electrical shock to emergency responders.