Putnam Valley City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IX
Supplemental Lot and Bulk Regulations
§ 165-29 Lot standards.
A.
Designation of lot lines. The owner of a plot abutting two or more streets does not have the privilege of specifying which street lot line should be deemed the front line for the purposes of this article.
B.
Required setbacks for lot fronting on two or more roads.
C.
Measurement of lot width. The width of any lot shall be measured along its street frontage, and the minimum required width shall not be decreased more than 20% when measured across the lot on the front setback line of the main building.
§ 165-30 Yard and setback regulations.
Minimum yard and setback regulations are established to ensure safety, light, air, privacy, building separation and open areas appropriate to each use and district and to minimize impacts of uses and structures of one site upon adjoining sites.
A.
Front yards.
(1)
The front yard shall be measured from the property line to the front face of the building, porch, deck or terrace or attached accessory building. Eaves and roof extensions may project into the required front yard not more than four feet.
(2)
Attached accessory buildings shall have a front yard not less than the main building.
B.
Side yards. Every part of a required side yard shall be open and unobstructed, except for the ordinary projections of window sills, cornices and other architectural features projecting not more than 12 inches into the required side yard and roof eaves projecting not more than four feet.
C.
Rear yards. Every part of a required rear yard shall be open and unobstructed to the sky, except for accessory uses and structures as permitted in Article VII of this chapter and the ordinary projections of window sills, cornices and other architectural features projecting not more than 12 inches and roof eaves projecting not more than four feet into the required rear yard.
§ 165-31 Height regulations.
Height regulations are established to ensure that buildings and structures shall not exceed heights generally compatible with purposes of the district and other uses therein and shall not unnecessarily impact upon the privacy, views or desirability of development of adjoining sites.
A.
Measurement of height.
(1)
Building. The height of a building shall be measured from the average of the highest and lowest grade adjacent to the building to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof, deck line of a mansard roof or to the mean height between the eaves and ridge for gable, hipped or gambrel roof.
(2)
Linear structures and features. The height of linear features, such as fences, walls, hedges or line features, shall be the average height measured from grade to the highest portion of such feature at all points along the feature.
B.
Permitted exceptions to height limits.
(1)
The following uses may exceed the maximum height for the zoning district in which they are located, subject to the limits specified herein.
(a)
Churches, schools, hospitals, water towers, electric power transmission standards and towers and other public and semipublic buildings may be allowed to exceed the height limitations of this chapter, provided that the required front, rear and side yards are each increased by two feet for each one foot said height limitations are exceeded.
(b)
The maximum building height in any zone may be varied by the permitting authority, provided that each required setback is increased by three feet for each one foot such building exceeds the permitted height requirement of the base zoning district. However, in no case shall any building exceed a total height of 60 feet.
(2)
The following features and structures may exceed the maximum height for the base zoning district in which they are located, subject to the limits specified herein:
(a)
Parapet walls, chimneys, vents and mechanical or safety features, such as fire towers, stairways, heating and cooling equipment and protective covers. Such features, however, shall be erected only to such height as is necessary to accomplish their intended purposes.
(b)
Ornamental towers, cupolas, domes and spires not designed for occupancy may not exceed the height limit of any zoning district by more than 15%, or such height as may be necessary to comply with generally accepted engineering practices or any applicable federal or state law, regulation, guidelines or order.
(c)
Amateur/ham radio antennae and supports may exceed the height limit of any zoning district as may be necessary to comply with generally accepted engineering practices and designs for usage in the amateur radio service, or any applicable federal law, regulation or guideline.
§ 165-32 Lot coverage.
Lot coverage limitations are established to ensure that building coverage and site development coverage (impervious coverage) of each lot are compatible with the nature of uses allowable in each base zoning district, with environmental objectives of the Master Plan and to avoid overcrowding of sites with buildings and paved or impermeable surface materials.
A.
Building coverage. Building coverage of a lot shall be the total horizontal area of all buildings, porches or other covered space on the lot, decks or terraces, expressed as a percent to total lot area. Eaves and overhangs extending not more than four feet from the supporting walls or members of a building shall not be counted as building coverage.
B.
Site development or impervious coverage. Site development or impervious coverage requirements of a lot shall include the total horizontal area of all buildings, roofed or covered spaces, paved surface areas, walkways and driveways and other site improvements or structures contributing to runoff greater than would occur on the site in its natural state.