Pittston City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXXIII
Supplemental Standards
§ 480-143 Rooming houses.
A.
Applicability. The provisions established under this section shall apply to all rooming houses permitted by this chapter.
B.
Standards. The following standards shall apply to all rooming houses:
(1)
A rooming house shall contain no less than three and no more than nine rooming units.
(2)
No more than one person shall be housed in each rooming unit.
(3)
Each rooming unit shall have a minimum of 200 square feet of habitable floor area.
(4)
For every two rooming units there shall be a complete bathroom facility.
(5)
Each rooming house shall contain a communal kitchen with all facilities.
(6)
A minimum of one all-weather off-street parking space shall be provided per rooming unit.
C.
Process. The Zoning Officer shall review all applications for rooming houses to determine compliance. As part of the review process, all residents within 1,000 feet shall be notified prior to establishing a date for a public hearing. Upon approval and completion or alteration of a rooming house, the Zoning Officer shall inspect the premise prior to issuing an occupancy permit to verify compliance with this chapter. An occupancy permit shall be effective for one year, with annual renewals predicated on inspections. Owners shall be given a ten-day advance notice of the inspection date.
§ 480-144 Conversions.
A.
Conversion of existing one-family dwellings to provide two dwelling units for the use of two families is permitted by special exception in the R-3 District, provided that:
(1)
The size and arrangement of the dwelling units is complying with all the requirements of the Building Code of the City of Pittston.
(2)
One off-street parking space is provided for each unit.
(3)
Access to all dwelling units within a converted building shall be provided by a common entrance situated in the wall of the building facing the street on which the lot has frontage.
B.
An existing principal residential building may be converted to provide more than two dwelling units for use by more than two families by special exception in the R-3 District, provided that the entire building when so converted shall comply with all requirements of the Building Code of the City of Pittston and provided, further, that:
(1)
The floor area of each dwelling unit, measured from the inside of the building walls and exclusive of stairs, basements, utility rooms and porches, shall be not less than 1,000 square feet.
(2)
Fire escapes or stairways leading to the second or any higher floor shall be completely enclosed within the building walls.
(3)
Access to all dwelling units within a converted building shall be provided by a common entrance situated in the wall of the building facing the street on which the lot has frontage.
(4)
The size and arrangement of the dwelling units is complying with all the requirements of the Building Code of the City of Pittston.
(5)
All dwelling units, after conversion, shall contain within the unit a complete kitchen and bathroom with shower or tub, lavatory, water closet. A kitchen sink shall not be used as a substitute for a lavatory sink.
§ 480-145 Dumpster enclosures.
Dumpsters existing as of the effective date of this article and dumpsters constructed subsequent to the effective date of this article shall comply with the following:
A.
All dumpsters or outdoor storage areas that are visible from a public street or walkway shall be kept within opaque enclosures that meet all Building Code requirements. Dumpsters or outdoor storage areas located within the MSOD are required to follow the design standards set in Article XV, § 480-55.
B.
Dumpsters shall be maintained free of jagged or sharp edges or inside parts that could prevent the free discharge of their contents.
§ 480-146 Visibility at intersections.
A.
On a corner lot in any district, a clear sight triangle shall be provided at all street and alley intersections. Within such triangles, no vision-obstructing object other than utility poles shall be permitted which obscures vision above the height of 30 inches and below 10 feet measured from the center line grade of intersecting streets. Such triangles shall be established from a distance of:
(1)
Seventy-five feet from the point of intersection of the center lines if intersecting streets are 20 feet or more in width; or
(2)
If one or both streets are less than 20 feet in width, a clear sight triangle of 50 feet must be maintained.
§ 480-147 Junkyards.
Within the I Zone, junkyards are permitted by special exception.
A.
Standards.
(1)
Minimum lot area: 10 acres.
(2)
The outdoor area devoted to the storage of junk shall be completely enclosed by an eight-foot high sight-tight (visibly screened) fence which shall be set back at least 50 feet from all property lines and 100 feet from residentially zoned properties.
(3)
The setback area between the fence and the lot lines shall be kept free of weeds and all scrub growth.
(4)
All wholly enclosed buildings used to store junk shall be set back at least 50 feet from all property lines.
(5)
No material may be stored or stacked so that it is visible from adjoining properties and roads.
(6)
All additional federal and state laws shall be satisfied.
(7)
All junk shall be stored or arranged so as to permit access by firefighting equipment and to prevent the accumulation of water, and with no junk piled to a height greater than eight feet.
(8)
No oil, grease, tires, gasoline or other similar material shall be burned at any time.
(9)
Any junkyard shall be maintained in such a manner as to cause no public or private nuisance, nor to cause any offensive or noxious sounds or odors, nor to cause the breeding or harboring of rats, flies or other vectors.
§ 480-148 Sanitary landfills and transfer stations.
Sanitary landfills shall be permitted only as a conditional use. Plans for sanitary landfills shall be approved and controlled by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), the laws and regulations of the commonwealth and appropriate laws and regulations of the United States of America. Operators of sanitary landfills shall file, with the City of Pittston, written proof that they have met all permit requirements of the state and/or federal government as they may apply to a specific development.
A.
Local requirements which must be met prior to permit approval by the Board of Supervisors include:
(1)
A buffer yard of 250 feet from all public rights-of-way and 400 feet from all dwellings, schools, churches, hospitals and similar residential uses.
(2)
A barrier of natural forestry at a width of 100 feet and an eight-foot high cyclone-type fence with panel weaving or similar solid fencing shall parallel all public rights-of-way and adjacent properties for purposes of preventing the passing of wind-blown litter and preventing direct visibility of the working area from public rights-of-way and adjoining properties.
(3)
The landfill shall have no more than two access routes, unless the landfill property borders three or more public rights-of-way.
(4)
A bond to protect City roads utilized by landfill traffic shall be negotiated prior to approval.
(5)
The operator shall submit to the City of Pittston for approval a plan for the restoration of the landfill area which shall include anticipated future use of the restored land.
(6)
All such proposed uses shall be on a lot of no less than 25 acres. No landfill activities may exceed a height of 40 feet above existing grade, defined as average grade prior to any development activities.
B.
Transfer stations are permitted as an accessory use with a sanitary landfill.
