Ross Township City Zoning Code
PART 10
ZONING DISTRICT DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS
§ 27-1001 Lot Area or Yard Required.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1000]
The lot or yard requirements for any new building or use shall not include any part of a lot that is required by any other building or use to comply with the requirements of this chapter. No required lot or area shall include any property, the ownership of which has been transferred subsequent to the effective date of this chapter, if such property was a part of the area required for compliance with the dimensional requirements applicable to the lot which such transfer was made.
§ 27-1002 Minimum Lot Size.
§ 27-1003 Exceptions to Minimum Lot Sizes.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1002; as amended by Ord. 2288, 4/12/2010]
1.
The provisions of this Part shall not prevent the construction of a single-family dwelling in a residential district on any lot what was lawful when created and which, prior to the effective date of this chapter, was in separate ownership duly recorded by plan or deed; and, provided that:
A.
Those lots not served by public water shall meet all requirements of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Those lots not sewered by public sewer shall meet the requirements of DEP or the Allegheny Board of Health.
B.
The front and rear yards shall aggregate at least 50% of the total lot depth or meet the normal requirements of the district in which the lot is located; but, in no case shall the front yard be less than 25 feet, and the rear yard less than 20 feet.
C.
The side yards shall aggregate at least 30% of the total lot width or meet the normal requirements of the district in which the lot is located, whichever is least, but in no case shall either side yard be less than five feet.
D.
In zoning districts designated as R-1, One-Family District and R-2, One- and Two-Family District, structures existing at the time of enactment of this chapter, as amended, having side yards less than those set forth in § 27-907 "Residential Use Dimensional Regulations," shall not be considered nonconforming and may be expanded, provided that the extension does not project beyond the side yard building line as established by the existing structure.
2.
This exception shall not apply to any two or more contiguous lots in a single ownership as of or subsequent to the effective date of this chapter, in any case where a reparceling or replatting could create one or more lots which would conform to the chapter.
§ 27-1004 Minimum Lot Width.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1003]
2.
On lots fronting the closed end of a cul-de-sac, the minimum lot width shall be measured by the distance between side lot lines measured perpendicularly along the front building line as the minimum lot width measurement provided the lot has at least 40 feet frontage on the abutting street right-of-way.
§ 27-1005 Traffic Visibility Across Corners.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1004]
In all districts, no structure, fence, planting or other obstruction shall be maintained between a plane 2 1/2 feet above curb level and a plane 10 feet above curb level. This shall be maintained in order to provide traffic visibility across the corner within that part of the required yard which is within a clear site triangle. The clear site triangle shall be measured from the center line of the cartway 75 feet from the intersecting center lines of the cartway intersections. When one or both streets, which form the intersection, are classified as collector roads or arterial roads, the sight triangle shall be measured 100 feet from the intersecting center lines of the cartway intersections.
§ 27-1006 Front Yard Requirements.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1005]
1.
Where a minimum depth of front yard is specified in §§ 27-907 or 27-908, an open space of at least the specified depth shall be provided between the street line or lines and the nearest point of any building or structure, except as may be permitted hereafter. As provided in § 27-202, street lines are considered to be established by future right-of-way when so designated. The purpose of this provision is to avoid interference with future road widenings and improvements.
2.
Projections into Front Yards. Ground story bays and porches not over half the length of the front wall may project five feet into any front yard. Columns, sills, ornamental features, cornices and gutters are permitted to project over a required front yard.
3.
Accessory Buildings in Front Yards. Accessory buildings shall not be permitted within required front yards.
§ 27-1007 Side Yard Requirements.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1006]
1.
No portion of a building or structure shall be built within the minimum depth from the side lot line specified in §§ 27-907 or 27-908, except where the plan was recorded prior to the passage of this chapter, such side yards may have a minimum width of five feet and except on corner lots the side yard adjacent to the depth of front yards on said intersecting street; and, as permitted below.
2.
Driveways shall be permitted in side yards.
3.
Projections into Side Yards. Bays, balconies, chimney flues and fire escapes may project into a required side yard not more than 1/3 of the width of the projection, but no more than four feet in any case. Ground story bays and porches not over half the length of the side wall may project into any required side yard 3 1/2 feet. In neither instance may the projection be within 3 1/2 feet of the property line of side yards.
4.
Fences and Terraces in Side Yards. The provisions of this section shall not apply to fences nor hedges less than six feet above the natural grade, nor to terraces, steps, uncovered porches, or other similar features less than three feet above the floor of the ground story.
5.
Accessory Buildings in Side Yards. Completely detached accessory buildings may occupy a required side yard but shall not be located closer than five feet to any side property line.
§ 27-1008 Rear Yard Requirements.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1007]
1.
No portion of a building or structure shall be built within the minimum depth from the rear lot line specified in §§ 27-907 or 27-908, except as permitted below:
§ 27-1009 Exceptions for Existing Alignment.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1008]
If the alignment of existing buildings on either side of a lot within a distance of 50 feet of the proposed building and fronting on the same side of the same street in the same block is nearer to the street than the required front yard depth, the average of such existing alignment within that distance shall be the required front yard. This provision shall not be interpreted as requiring a greater front setback than imposed by the underlying zoning district, and it shall not be interpreted as allowing setbacks to be reduced to a level that results in right-of-way widths dropping below established minimums.
§ 27-1010 Fence, Privacy; Fence, Security; or Fence, Ornamental.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1009; as amended by Ord. 2184, 8/14/2006, § 1; and by Ord. 2288, 4/12/2010]
1.
All fences shall meet the following minimum requirements:
B.
Fence, Security.
(1)
Security fences shall be erected only in side yards, rear yards or on other portions of a lot behind the building line.
(2)
Security fences may be erected with a ratio of the open portion to the solid portion of not less than one-to-one; provided, however, that solid portions, exclusive of the poles or posts supporting such fences, shall be limited to a maximum of six inches in either its horizontal or vertical dimensions.
(3)
Security fences may be erected in side or rear yards only.
(4)
Security fences shall not exceed six feet in height in residential districts and eight feet in height in commercial and industrial districts.
(5)
Security fences shall not have any sharp points or edges protruding there from.
(6)
A security fence provided for schools, playgrounds and parks in any district shall be an open fence with a ratio of the open portion to the solid portion of not less than six to one, not more than 10 feet in height, located in a side or rear yard.
C.
Fence, Ornamental.
(1)
Ornamental fences having a ratio of open area to solid area of not less than six to one shall be permitted in required front yard or portions of the lot in front of the building line and in the side or rear yards. For purposes of clarity, a two-rail split-rail fence is also permitted in the front yard portion.
(2)
The height of an ornamental fence shall not exceed four feet in the front yard or six feet in the side or rear yards in a residential district. The height in a commercial or industrial district shall not exceed six feet in height. The height shall be measured from the highest part of the ornamental fence, including the posts.
2.
The "finished side" of any fencing shall face the exterior of the lot upon which the same is erected and the "unfinished" portion of the same shall face the interior of the lot upon which it is erected.
3.
The height of any fence shall be the vertical distance measured from the average finished grade level to the highest point of the fence excluding any support structures. The average finished grade level shall be the average of the horizontal distance between two adjacent supporting structures, a minimum of six feet apart. The support structure of the fence shall not exceed 12 inches over the average height of the fence.
4.
Hedges, shrubs and other landscape screening shall not exceed the height requirements for fencing in the corresponding zoning district.
5.
The use of barbed or razor wire is prohibited in all zoning districts.