Royersford City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XII
O-R Office-Residence District
§ 475-74 Legislative intent.
In expansion of the declaration of legislative intent contained in Article I, § 475-2, of this chapter and the statement of community development objectives contained in Article I, § 475-4, of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this Article XII with respect to the O-R Office-Residence District to provide appropriate locations for office and limited commercial usage where the proliferation of unrestricted commercial development would be undesirable. Further, it is the intent of this Article XII to encourage the formation and maintenance of a quiet, compatible, and uncongested environment for business and professional offices intermingled harmoniously with dwellings and limited commercial uses; to discourage any encroachment by industrial establishments, large-scale commercial development, or other uses which might adversely affect the residential character of surrounding neighborhoods, to allow for conversion of existing dwellings to office or limited commercial use in order to encourage the preservation of sound residential structures; to give consideration to vehicular circulation and parking; and to encourage the orderly, well-planned development of offices within the district.
§ 475-75 Permitted uses.
[Amended 7-28-1992 by Ord. No. 728]
In an O-R Office-Residence District, a building may be erected, altered, or used, and a lot may be occupied for any of the following uses and no other:
A.
Professional offices for doctors, dentists, chiropractors or any other practitioner of the healing arts for humans; lawyers, engineers, architects, urban planners, accountants, economic consultants, business and management consultants, or other professionals similar to those listed herein.
B.
Business offices providing credit services, security and commodity brokerage, real estate sales, employment counseling, insurance sales, advertising, mailing, telephone answering services, stenographic services, or other service similar in nature to those listed herein.
C.
Single-family, two-family, and multifamily dwellings, in accordance with the requirements of the R-3 Residence District with respect to area regulations and with the requirements of the O-R Office-Residence District with respect to all other requirements.
D.
Mixed-use structures containing any combination of permitted uses as set forth in Subsections A through C herein, provided that at least 4,000 square feet of lot area is provided for each dwelling unit in a mixed-use structure.
E.
The following when authorized as a conditional use by the Borough Council:
(1)
Bank or other financial institution.
(2)
Photography studio.
(3)
Florist.
(4)
Funeral home.
(5)
Nursery school or day-care center.
(6)
Dance, art, or music studio.
(7)
Any use of the same general character as those listed in Subsection E(1) through (6), above.
(8)
Mixed-use structures containing a conditional use in combination with any permitted use or another conditional use, provided that at least 4,000 square feet of lot area is provided for each dwelling unit in a mixed-use structure.
F.
Home occupations.
G.
Accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any permitted use.
H.
Forestry.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
§ 475-76 Conditional use standards and criteria.
[Amended 9-26-1989 by Ord. No. 704]
Prior to granting approval of conditional use in the O-R Office-Residence District, as provided for in Subsection E herein, the Borough Council shall be assured that the proposed use meets the standards of § 475-30 of this chapter as well as the requirements listed below.
A.
The use shall not generate high intensities of vehicular traffic, noise, noxious odors, air pollution or glare, nor result in pedestrian-vehicular conflict or other safety hazards.
B.
Any necessary loading and unloading operations shall be carried on within or contiguous to the facade of any building used for the purposes of any conditional use.
C.
There shall be a screen buffer at least 10 feet in depth along all boundaries of a development constructed pursuant to this Article XII which abut a residential or institutional use or district, which buffer shall be planted in accordance with a plan approved by the Borough Council following a review by the Borough Planning Commission. This requirement may be reduced or waived by the Borough Council when the proposed development abuts a publicly owned park or when existing vegetation on abutting properties achieves the same effect. Any request for reduction or waiver of the buffer requirement shall be submitted in writing to the Borough Council and shall be accompanied by a site plan indicating the placement of buildings within the proposed development and the location of contiguous public open space and/or existing vegetation on adjacent properties. The Planning Commission shall review any such request and shall submit its recommendations to the Borough Council.
D.
In the case of a bank or savings-and-loan association with drive-in facilities, the circulation plan for the drive-in window shall be integrated safely and efficiently into the overall circulation pattern of the Borough in a manner that minimizes internal traffic congestion, which plan shall be presented to Borough Council prior to consideration of the conditional use application.
§ 475-77 Development requirements.
The following standards shall apply in the O-R Office-Residence District:
A.
Lot area. A minimum area of 5,000 square feet, excluding the existing rights-of-way of all public roads, shall be provided for each lot devoted to office use. One dwelling unit for the use of the proprietor of said office may be included in the same building with no increase in lot size. A limit of two additional dwelling units may be permitted in a building used for offices, provided that for each said dwelling unit, an additional 3,000 square feet of lot area shall be provided.
B.
Lot width. The minimum lot width at the building line shall be 50 feet.
C.
Building coverage. Not more than 25% of the lot area may be occupied by buildings.
D.
Impervious coverage. Not more than 75% of the total lot area may be occupied by buildings, parking areas, vehicular accessways and all other impervious surfaces.
E.
Yards.
(1)
Front yard.
(a)
In blocks where 70% or more of the existing buildings have established a uniform, standard front yard, the required front yard shall be not less than that uniform standard.
(b)
In blocks where less than 70% of the existing buildings have established a uniform, standard front yard, the required front yard shall be not less than the front yard established by the two immediately adjacent existing buildings. Where the two adjacent front yards vary, the required front yard may be not less than the smaller of the two front yards, subject, however, to the provisions of Subsection E(1)(d), below.
(c)
For corner lots, the required front yard shall be the same as the front yard of the adjacent building.
(d)
The minimum permitted front yard shall be no less than 25 feet, and in no case shall the above requirements be applied to create a front yard less than 25 feet.
(2)
Side yard. Each structure containing only residential uses shall have two side yards, each not less than 15 feet in width. Other structures may be built on the lot line in accordance with § 475-78 herein.
(3)
Rear yard. A rear yard of not less than 25 feet in depth shall be provided.
F.
Height. The maximum height of buildings or structures hereinafter erected or enlarged in an O-R Office-Residence District shall be 35 feet, not to exceed three stories, exclusive of basements. For any building or structure accessory to a building used for office and/or residential purposes, the maximum height shall be 20 feet.
G.
Maximum building dimension. The greatest dimension of a structure measured parallel to exterior building walls shall be 125 feet. For circular or partially circular buildings, the diameter or assumed diameter shall not exceed 150 feet.
§ 475-78 Lot line development regulations.
On those lots on which buildings may be constructed on the lot line wherein only one side yard is required pursuant to the minimum side yard provision contained in § 475-77E herein, the following regulations shall apply; provided, however, that no building built solely for residential purposes may be built on a lot line, and further provided that no building may be built on a lot line which abuts a structure used solely for residential purposes whether in the O-R District or another district:
A.
No building wall situated on a lot line shall contain windows, doors, or other openings and shall be designed and constructed in a manner which shall minimize fire hazard and the need for maintenance.
B.
The roof shall not be drained toward a wall situated on a lot line.
C.
No building wall shall be placed on a side lot line unless access is provided onto the abutting property to allow for inspection, maintenance, and repair of the building wall and foundation. Provision for access shall be guaranteed by irrevocable easement or other legal mechanism approved by the Borough Solicitor.
D.
Structures on abutting lots may be built along their common lot line creating a party wall between the abutting uses, provided that for purposes of measuring maximum building length as defined in § 475-77G, the two buildings connected by the party wall shall be considered as one structure.
§ 475-79 Parking.
Off-street parking facilities shall be provided and maintained in the O-R Office-Residence District in accordance with the provisions of Article XVII herein.
§ 475-80 Signs.
Signs shall be permitted in the O-R Office-Residence District subject to the provisions of Article XVIII herein.
§ 475-81 Plan submission requirements.
An application for development in an O-R Office-Residence District shall be accompanied by a plan, or plans, showing the detailed use of the entire tract, which plan or plans shall comply with all requirements of other applicable ordinances of the Borough and which shall clearly designate the proposed use(s) of each area of the tract. Development plans required in this district shall include the following:
A.
The location and size of the site with evidence supporting the general adequacy of the site to accommodate the magnitude of the proposed development.
B.
The proposed residential density and the area planned for any nonresidential uses.
C.
The location of proposed utility and drainage systems.
D.
Total number and location of all off-street parking spaces.
E.
Plans and renderings indicating the design and placement of buildings and landscaping within the proposed development.
§ 475-82 Conversions.
[Amended 1-10-2023 by Ord. No. 924]
All conversions must meet all requirements of this Article XII as if the property being converted were new construction and also the requirements of § 475-29.
