Royersford City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IX
R-5 Special Residence District
[Added 6-12-2012 by Ord. No. 852]
§ 475-54 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 IX with respect to the R-5 Special Residence District to establish reasonable standards of performance and to promote the benefits of the low-density single-family residential development in appropriate areas of the Borough, as well as to provide appropriate locations for certain professional offices where the proliferation of unrestricted commercial development would be undesirable. Further, it is the intent of this Article IX to encourage the formation and maintenance of a quiet, compatible, and uncongested environment for business and professional offices intermingled harmoniously with dwellings; 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 certain professional offices 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.
§ 475-55 Permitted uses.
In an R-5 Special Residence District, a building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following by-right uses and no other:
A.
Single-family detached dwellings.
B.
Home occupations, as defined in § 475-7 of this chapter and subject to the provisions of § 475-31 of this chapter.
C.
Accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any permitted use.
D.
Forestry.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
§ 475-56 Conditional uses.
A lot may be used for one of the following uses, provided a conditional use is received in accordance with the requirements of §§ 475-30 and 475-57 of this chapter and all standards of the R-5 Special Residence District are met:
A.
Professional or business offices, as defined in this chapter, when authorized as a conditional use by the Borough Council, subject to the standards and criteria set forth in §§ 475-57 and 457-58 hereof.
B.
Mixed-use structures containing any combination of uses as set forth in §§ 475-55A and 475-56A herein, provided that at least 5,000 square feet of lot area is provided for each use in a mixed-use structure and when authorized as a conditional use by the Borough Council, subject to the standards and criteria set forth in §§ 475-57 and 475-58 hereof.
§ 475-57 Development regulations.
The following regulations shall apply in the R-5 Special Residence District:
A.
Lot area, lot width, yards, and building coverage (per dwelling unit).
(1)
Minimum lot area: 10,000 square feet.
(2)
Minimum lot width at the building line: 50 feet.
(3)
Minimum front yard measured from the ultimate right-of-way line: 30 feet.
(4)
Minimum front yard on the long side of a corner lot: 25 feet.
(5)
Minimum side yard: 10 feet; aggregate of 25 feet.
(6)
Minimum rear yard: 25 feet.
(7)
Maximum building coverage (percent of total lot area): 25%.
(8)
Maximum impervious coverage (percent of total lot area): 50%.
(9)
Maximum building footprint: 2,000 square feet.
B.
Height. No building hereinafter erected as a dwelling in the R-5 Special Residence District shall exceed 35 feet in height. For any building accessory to a dwelling, the maximum height shall be 20 feet.
C.
Parking and signs.
(1)
All parking spaces and all signs erected in the R-5 Special Residence District shall be in accordance with Article XVII, Off-Street Parking and Loading, and Article XVIII, Signs, of this chapter.
(2)
Parking setback. A minimum setback of five feet from any adjacent or abutting property line for any parking lot constructed shall be required pursuant to this article.
(3)
Buffering and screening. Where a new parking lot is constructed for a proposed use under this article, a landscape buffer with a minimum five-foot-wide treatment shall be required to surround the perimeter of the lot.
§ 475-58 Conditional use standards and criteria.
Prior to granting approval of a conditional use in the R-5 Special Residence District, as provided for in § 475-56, 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.
Buildings, driveways, parking areas, loading areas, outdoor activity areas, light sources and other potential nuisances shall be located and designed to minimize adverse impacts on abutting and adjacent residential properties. To limit the adverse impact of a proposed conditional use, the Borough Council may require alternative site layouts, including increased setbacks from residential property lines, different locations of buildings, parking areas, and driveways, and increased screening or buffering for light sources and activity areas.
B.
For any proposed use under § 475-56A, the use must preserve, utilize and maintain any existing principal building, provided that this building was originally built for residential purposes.
C.
For any proposed uses under § 475-56A or B, the front door and entry of the structure shall front and face Main Street. Access for persons with disabilities shall be provided to the extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
D.
All new conditional use buildings or additions must have a residential character, as demonstrated through elevations and other architectural drawings.
E.
Parking is not permitted in front yards or between buildings and streets.
F.
All signs must meet the requirements of Article XVIII, Signs.
G.
Lighting shall not shine on abutting residential properties, and lighting poles shall not exceed 12 feet in height. Nonresidential light fixtures shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet from residential property lines, and the light source shall not be visible from abutting residential properties.
H.
Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets and highways serving the proposed use without causing undue congestion or interference.
I.
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.
J.
No outdoor storage is permitted, and trash must be kept inside a principal building until collection.
