Royersford City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
R-3 Residence District
§ 475-42 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 VII with respect to the R-3 Residence District to establish reasonable standards of performance for high-density residential development, including single-family and two-family dwellings, townhouses, and apartments, in those areas of the Borough where such uses are consistent with the existing character of development.
§ 475-43 Permitted uses.
[Amended 9-9-2003 by Ord. No. 781]
In an R-3 Residence District, a building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following uses and no other:
A.
Single-family detached dwellings.
B.
Two-family dwellings (i.e., twins and duplexes).
C.
No-impact home-based business.
D.
Any of the following when authorized as a conditional use by the Borough Council, subject to the standards and criteria set forth in § 475-45 herein:
E.
Accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any permitted use.
F.
Forestry.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
§ 475-44 Development regulations.
[Amended 7-8-1986 by Ord. No. 664; 10-30-1990 by Ord. No. 715]
The following regulations shall apply in the R-3 Residence District:
A.
Lot area, lot width, yards and building coverage.
[Amended 1-10-2023 by Ord. No. 924]
Development Requirements | Single-Family Detached Dwelling | Two-Family Dwelling | Single-Family Attached Dwelling | Multifamily Dwelling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum lot area (per dwelling unit) | 6,000 square feet | 4,200 square feet | 3,000 square feet | 3,000 square feet |
Minimum lot width at the building line | 50 feet | 35 feet (per unit) | 25 feet | 125 feet |
Minimum front yard measured from the ultimate right-of-way line | 25 feet | 25 feet | 25 feet | 25 feet |
Minimum front yard on the long side of a corner lot | 20 feet | 20 feet | 20 feet | 20 feet |
Minimum side yard dimensions | 25 feet (aggregate); 10 feet (minimum) | 15 feet (twin) 25 feet (aggregate); 10 feet minimum (duplex) | 15 feet (end unit) | 15 feet |
Minimum rear yard | 20 feet | 20 feet | 20 feet | 30 feet |
Maximum building coverage (percent of total area) | 35% | 35% | 40% | 25% |
Maximum impervious coverage (percent of total area) | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% |
B.
Height. No building hereinafter erected in the R-3 Residence District shall exceed 35 feet in height. For any building accessory to a dwelling, the maximum height shall be 20 feet.
§ 475-45 Conditional use standards and criteria.
[Amended 9-26-1989 by Ord. No. 704; 7-28-1992 by Ord. No. 728]
Prior to granting approval of a conditional use in the R-3 Residence District, as provided for in § 475-43C 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 below:
A.
Single-family attached dwellings. In addition to the development regulations contained in § 475-44 herein, a proposal for single-family attached dwellings (i.e., townhouses) shall satisfy the following requirements:
(1)
Building size. For townhouse units, whether owner- or renter-occupied, there shall be no more than six dwelling units in a continuous row.
(2)
Distance between buildings. The horizontal distance between any two buildings within a townhouse development shall be not less than 24 feet.
(3)
Parking. Parking areas shall be placed so as not to interfere with any recreation or service area and shall be located not less than 10 feet from any property line, street ultimate right-of-way line, or townhouse structure.
(4)
Access. Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets and highways serving the townhouse development without causing undue congestion or interference.
(5)
Common areas and facilities. The developer shall give consideration to the provision of community areas, laundry facilities, playgrounds, tot lots, and other amenities necessary for the comfort and convenience of townhouse residents. Provisions satisfactory to Borough Council must be made for the care and maintenance of common facilities. Use of these facilities may be restricted to residents of the development and may be maintained by the developer, a homeowners' association, or similar instrument. Any common area shall first be offered for dedication to the Borough.
(6)
Lighting facilities. Lighting facilities shall be provided as needed and arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties from unreasonable direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind. Lighting facilities shall be required where deemed necessary for the safety and convenience of the townhouse residents as determined by the Borough Engineer and shall be installed by the developer at his expense.
(7)
Buffer area. A multifamily development shall have a permanent landscaped planting area of at least eight feet in depth designed to soften the visual impact of the proposed development on abutting properties. 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. The Planning Commission shall review any request for a reduction or waiver of the buffer requirement and submit its recommendation to the Borough Council.
(8)
Service. Areas for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and for the servicing of refuse collection, fuel and other service shall be provided and shall be adequate in size. Such areas shall be so arranged that they may be used without blockage or interference with the use of accessways or automobile parking areas. Common refuse collection areas shall be shielded from the direct view of any adjacent property by walls which measure a minimum of six feet in height.
B.
Multifamily dwellings. In addition to the development regulations contained in § 475-44 herein, a proposal for multifamily dwellings (i.e., structures with three or more dwelling units) shall satisfy the following requirements:
(1)
Building setback. The minimum side yard and rear yard of a multifamily development shall be 15 feet and 30 feet, respectively. However, in no instance shall an apartment building be located less than 50 feet from an existing building on an abutting property. Garages, sheds, and other accessory structures are excluded from this requirement. A minimum side yard of 25 feet shall be provided when such side yard provides access to a parking area.
(2)
Parking. Common parking areas shall be placed so as not to interfere with any recreation or service area, and shall not be less than 10 feet from any property line, street ultimate right-of-way line, or multifamily building.
(3)
Access. Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets and highways serving the multifamily development without causing undue congestion or interference with the normal traffic flow. The Planning Commission shall review the adequacy of the streets intended to carry the additional traffic generated by the development as well as the planned access points intended to serve the proposed development.
(4)
Common areas and facilities. The developer shall give consideration to the provision of community areas, laundry facilities, playgrounds, tot lots, and other amenities necessary for the comfort and convenience of the development residents. Provisions satisfactory to Borough Council must be made for the care and maintenance of common facilities. Use of these facilities may be restricted to residents of the development and may be maintained by the developer, a homeowners' association, or similar instrument. Any common area shall first be offered for dedication to the Borough.
(5)
Lighting facilities. Lighting facilities shall be provided as needed and arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties from unreasonable direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind. Lighting facilities shall be required where deemed necessary for the safety and convenience of apartment residents as determined by the Borough Engineer and shall be installed by the developer at his expense.
(6)
Buffer area. A multifamily development shall have a permanent landscaped planting area of at least eight feet in depth designed to soften the visual impact of the proposed development on abutting properties. 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. The Planning Commission shall review any request for a reduction or waiver of the buffer requirement and submit its recommendation to the Borough Council.
(7)
Service. Areas for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and for the servicing of refuse collection, fuel and other service shall be provided and shall be adequate in size. Such areas shall be so arranged that they may be used without blockage or interference with the use of accessways or automobile parking areas. Refuse collection areas shall be shielded from the direct view of any adjacent property by walls which measure a minimum of six feet in height.