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Pennsbury Township City Zoning Code

ARTICLE IV

Residential District R-1

§ 162-401 Purpose.

The purpose of this district is to encourage and promote continued agricultural, open space, and conservation uses, while also permitting low-density residential development which will be consistent with the existing residential development and perpetuate the rural character of the area; and also, by providing the option of utilizing the provisions in Article XVIII, Open Space Design Option and Lot Averaging, to enable landowners within the R-1 District to elect to develop in a manner other than conventional lot by lot which will provide a greater variety of design and layout of dwellings, and conservation of open space ancillary to such development, in concert with the Pennsbury Township Comprehensive Plan of 2006, as amended.

§ 162-402 Use regulations.

A building may be erected or used, and a lot or premises may be used, for only one of the following principal uses and no other:
A. 
Uses by right.
(1) 
Single-family detached dwelling on a lot of record as of the date of adoption of this article.
(2) 
Single-family detached dwelling under conventional development on a tract of 15 acres, net area, or greater.
(3) 
Woodlands, wildlife sanctuary, game preserves or other conservation purposes.
(4) 
Agricultural/farming uses, nonintensive, in conformance with § 162-2006.
(5) 
Municipal uses, including park and related accessory uses.
(6) 
Forestry/timber harvesting in conformance with Article XV.
B. 
Uses by special exception when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board, subject to the standards of Article XXIV of this chapter:
(1) 
Place of worship, including a rectory or parish house or other use accessory to the place of worship activity conducted on the lot in conformance with § 162-2019.
(2) 
Educational use in conformance with § 162-2019.
(3) 
Outdoor passive recreation use in conformance with § 162-2034.
(4) 
Outdoor active recreation use, including, golf course, country club, riding stable, or other similar outdoor recreational use or facility in conformance with §§ 162-2013 and 162-2034, provided that:
(a) 
Each structure shall be clearly incidental to the outdoor recreation use;
(b) 
Any club or lodge building and its services shall be for the use of members and their guests only;
(c) 
No activity or use such as campground, amusement park, mini golf course amphitheater, shooting range and similar uses shall be permitted; and
(d) 
The use and design are compatible with the natural character of the area.
(5) 
Public utility facility.
C. 
Uses by conditional use when authorized as a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors, subject to the conditions of Article XXIII of this chapter.
(1) 
Single-family detached dwelling under conventional development on a tract of less than 15 acres, net area.
(2) 
Single-family detached dwelling under lot averaging on a tract of less than 15 acres, net area, in conformance with § 162-1809.
(3) 
Single-family detached dwelling under the open space design option on a tract of 15 acres, net area, or greater, in conformance with Article XVIII.
(4) 
Single-family attached, two-family, multifamily, and accessory residential dwellings only through adaptive reuse of historic resources, as defined in this chapter and where part of a development under the open space design option in Article XVIII and in conformance with § 162-1808.
(5) 
Agricultural/farming uses, Intensive with a conservation plan in conformance with § 162-2006.
(6) 
Club or lodge in conformance with § 162-2013.
D. 
Accessory uses. In addition to one principal use, accessory uses listed below shall be permitted by right unless otherwise indicated as a special exception or conditional use in this chapter and shall be in conformance with § 162-2002 unless otherwise noted:
(1) 
Agricultural/farming accessory uses; however, in this district, accessory uses to an intensive agricultural use may also include veterinary clinic but shall not include kennels.
(2) 
Residential accessory uses, with the exception of § 162-2002C(9) and (15).
(3) 
Minor home occupations in conformance with the applicable standards of § 162-2024.
(4) 
Major home occupations by special exception in conformance with the criteria of Article XXIV and in conformance with the applicable standards of § 162-2024.
(5) 
Institutional accessory uses, including a cemetery in conjunction with a place of worship, by special exception in conformance with the criteria of Article XXIV and with § 162-2011.
(6) 
Accessory apartments by special exception in conformance with the criteria of Article XXIV and the applicable standards of § 162-2002.
(7) 
Accessory existing detached dwellings by conditional use in conformance with the criteria of Article XXIII and the applicable standards of § 162-2002.

§ 162-403 Area and bulk regulations.

Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, uses permitted in this district shall meet the following regulations:
A. 
Minimum lot area:
(1) 
Agricultural use, nonintensive: five acres.
(2) 
Agricultural use, intensive: 20 acres.
(3) 
Single-family detached dwelling on an existing lot of record not capable of subdivision: three acres.
(4) 
Single-family detached dwelling under conventional development on tract of 15 acres, net area, or greater: five acres.
(5) 
Single-family detached dwelling under conventional development on tract of less than 15 acres, net area: three acres.
(6) 
Single-family detached dwelling under open space design option in conformance with Article XVIII, as required in Article XVIII.
(7) 
Single-family detached dwelling under lot averaging in conformance with Article XVIII, as required in Article XVIII.
(8) 
Club or lodge: 10 acres.
B. 
Minimum lot width at the building line:
(1) 
Minimum lot area of less than three acres: 150 feet;
(2) 
Minimum lot area of three acres or greater: 250 feet.
C. 
Maximum lot coverage:
(1) 
Minimum lot area of less than three acres: 15%;
(2) 
Minimum lot area of three acres or greater: 12%.
D. 
Minimum front yard:
(1) 
Minimum lot area of less than three acres: 60 feet;
(2) 
Minimum lot area of three acres or greater or where the lot fronts on an arterial or collector road: 75 feet;
(3) 
Flag lots and corner lots shall comply with § 162-1902.
E. 
Minimum side yard:
(1) 
Minimum lot area of less than three acres: 60 feet, aggregate of two side yards; 25 feet, minimum individual side yard;
(2) 
Minimum lot area of three acres or greater: 50 feet each.
F. 
Minimum rear yard: 50 feet, unless the lot is a reverse-frontage lot, in which event, the requirements of § 162-1902 shall apply.
G. 
Maximum building height: three stories or 35 feet whichever is less, except those buildings or structures exempted in § 162-1902.

§ 162-404 Additional standards.

For additional standards applicable to permitted uses in this district, refer to:
A. 
Article XV, Natural Resources Protection, including the Groundwater Protection Overlay.
B. 
Article XVI, Flood Hazard Overlay District.
C. 
Article XIX, General Regulations, including lighting, screening and buffering, access, and parking.
D. 
Article XX, Supplemental Uses.
E. 
Article XXI, Signs.
F. 
Article XXII, Nonconforming Uses, Buildings and Structures, Lots, and Signs.
G. 
Article XVII, Historic Resources Overlay District.
H. 
Article XII-a, Route 1 Corridor and Brandywine Battlefield Overlay District.