Solebury Township City Zoning Code
PART 9
VR-C, CARVERSVILLE VILLAGE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
§ 27-901 Purpose.
[Ord. 94, 6/8/1988; as added by Ord. 2011-7, 6/21/2011, Art. II]
The VR-C, Carversville Village Residential District is designed to conserve the character of Carversville. To ensure that new uses are compatible with existing uses, the VR-C District provides area and bulk regulations and use regulations consistent with the historic setting and character of the villages.
§ 27-902 Use Regulations. [1]
[Ord. 94, 6/8/1988; Ord. 2011-7, 6/21/2011, Art. II; Ord. 2014-5, 5/22/2014, Arts. XI, XII; Ord. 2018-004, 3/6/2018; Ord. 2018-005, 6/19/2018; Ord. No. 2022-004, 7/19/2022; Ord. No. 2024-002, 5/7/2024; Ord. No. 2025-006, 5/6/2025]
1.
A building may be erected, altered or used, and land may be used or occupied, subject to the provisions of Parts 25, 26, and 31 for any one of the following principal or conditional uses and no other:
A.
Principal Uses Allowed by Right.
(1)
Single-family detached dwellings.
(2)
Two-family dwellings and conversion into two-family dwellings, in accordance with §§ 27-904, Subsection 1B(2), and 27-2604.
(3)
Municipal use.
(4)
Forestry/timber harvesting.
(5)
Agriculture.
(6)
Cemetery, in accordance with Part 26.
(7)
Wireless telecommunications facilities (possibly permitted by right or as a conditional use pursuant to the conditions and requirements contained in § 27-2611).
B.
Permitted Accessory Uses.
(1)
Accessory uses on the same lot and customarily incidental to the principal residential uses permitted in Subsection 1A.
(2)
Parking in accordance with Part 23.
(3)
Signs in accordance with Part 24.
(4)
Dwelling in combination with a business (live/work unit), in accordance with Part 26.
(5)
No-impact home-based business.
(6)
Individual backyard composting facility.
(7)
Permitted agricultural accessory uses shall be those uses described in Part 26, § 27-2603, Subsection 1A, of this chapter.
C.
Conditional Uses. (Refer to Part 26 for special provisions governing conditional uses and Part 29 for standards and criteria):
(1)
Cultural use.
(2)
Religious use.
(3)
Bed-and-breakfast inn/small short-term lodging facility (accessory to only single-family detached or two-family dwellings used as a primary residence; accessory uses must still comply with the principal use standards in § 27-2602, Subsection 1OO).
(4)
Library.
(5)
Wireless telecommunications facilities (possibly permitted by right or as a conditional use pursuant to the conditions and requirements contained in § 27-2611).
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Table of Use Regulations included as an attachment to this chapter. In the event of a conflict, the text of the chapter shall control.
§ 27-903 Height Regulations.
[Ord. 94, 6/8/1988; as added by Ord. 2011-7, 6/21/2011, Art. II]
The maximum height of dwellings and other structures erected, enlarged, altered, or used shall be 35 feet, except as provided in Part 25.
§ 27-904 Area and Bulk Regulations.
[Ord. 94, 6/8/1988; as added by Ord. 2011-7, 6/21/2011, Art. II; and amended by Ord. 2012-2, 5/15/2012, Arts. II–IV]
1.
Except as specified in Part 26 the following shall apply:
A.
Front Yard Setbacks for All Uses. These requirements are designed to retain the existing historic village character and streetscape by taking a site specific approach to front yard setbacks with the following objectives: to establish the front yard setbacks for new buildings based on the minimum front yard setbacks of existing nearby buildings; to prohibit building additions to the front of existing buildings and encourage side and rear building additions; and, to require that any new building or new additions to an existing buildings shall continue to be subject to a HARB review as required by this chapter.
(1)
Front Yard Setback for New Buildings. The distance of a new principal or accessory building from the public right-of-way line shall be one of the following three options as chosen by the applicant (if applicable):
(a)
Equal to the average distance between the public right-of-way and the closest point of at least 50% of the buildings fronting on the same side of the street as the new building within a distance of 250 feet from the proposed new building parcel as measured along the public right-of-way line from both sides of the parcel boundary line. This calculation includes the distance between the public right-of-way and the closest point of an existing building on the same lot (if applicable).
(b)
If the calculation in Subsection 1A(1)(a) above results in a front yard setback of 50 feet or greater then a default minimum front yard setback of 50 feet shall be established.
(c)
A minimum of 25 feet if no other buildings exist within a distance of 250 feet from the proposed new building parcel as measured along the public right-of-way line from both sides of the parcel boundary line.
(2)
Setbacks for Additions to Existing Buildings.
(a)
No new addition is permitted to be built onto or extend from the front facade of an existing building, except as permitted under Subsection 1A(2)(c) and (d) below.
(b)
Building additions are permitted to be built onto or extend from the side or rear facades of an existing building. Any such new addition can encroach five feet into the existing front yard setback as measured from the front facade of the existing building to allow for architectural articulation, provided that the new addition does not encroach into the public right-of-way, and does not block vehicle sight lines.
(c)
If the closest point of the front facade of the existing building is located 50 feet or more from the public right-of-way then an addition to the front facade is permitted to extend to the front yard setback as established under Subsection 1A(1) above or 50 feet from the public right-of-way, whichever is less, provided that area and bulk requirements and HARB requirements are met.
(d)
When two or more existing buildings are located on a single lot, front facade additions are permitted on existing buildings which are located to the rear or behind the building located closest to the public right-of-way. In these cases, front facade building additions of the rear building may extend up to the line of the front facade of the existing building located closest to the public right-of-way, provided that area and bulk requirements and HARB requirements are met.
(3)
Default Setback.
(a)
In cases not covered by Subsection 1A(1) and (2), the default front yard setback is 25 feet.
B.
Dimensional Requirements for Uses Allowed by Right (Other than Cemeteries).
(1)
Minimum lot area: 21, 780 square feet (1/2 acre) per dwelling unit.
(2)
In the case of a two-family dwelling, the minimum lot area: 21, 780 square feet for each dwelling unit.
(3)
Minimum lot width at building line: 50 feet.
(4)
Minimum lot width at street line: 50 feet.
(5)
Maximum impervious surface coverage: 25%.
(6)
Maximum building coverage: 20%.
(7)
Minimum depth of rear yard: 20 feet.
(8)
Minimum width of each individual side yard: 15 feet.
(9)
Minimum separation between buildings on adjacent parcels: 20 feet.
C.
Dimensional Requirements for Cemeteries.
(1)
Minimum lot area: 304,920 square feet (seven acres).
(2)
Minimum lot width at building line: 200 feet.
(3)
Minimum lot width at street line: 75 feet.
(4)
Maximum impervious surface coverage: 25%.
(5)
Maximum building coverage: 20%.
(6)
Minimum depth of rear yard: 55 feet.
(7)
Minimum width of each individual side yard: 40 feet.
(8)
Minimum separation between buildings on adjacent parcels: 40 feet.
D.
Dimensional Requirements for Conditional Uses. (All other uses permitted under § 27-902, Subsection 1C).
(1)
Minimum lot area: 43, 560 square feet (one acre).
(2)
Minimum lot width at building line: 200 feet.
(3)
Minimum lot width at street line: 75 feet.
(4)
Maximum impervious surface coverage: 30%.
(5)
Maximum building coverage: 20%.
(6)
Minimum depth of rear yard: 35 feet.
(7)
Minimum width of each individual side yard: 15 feet.
(8)
Minimum separation between buildings on adjacent parcels: 20 feet.
§ 27-905 Special Regulations.
[Ord. 94, 6/8/1988; as added by Ord. 2012-2, 5/15/2012, Art. V]
1.
Parking. In addition to the requirements and provisions of § 27-2303 of this chapter, the following special provisions shall apply:
A.
Where the Board of Supervisors determines, in its sole discretion, that the required number of parking spaces is not necessary to satisfy the parking needs of the proposed use, the Board can permit up to a 40% reduction in the required number of parking spaces. Where such a reduction is permitted, the following must be complied with:
(1)
The design of the parking lot, as indicated on the plan submitted to the Township, must designate sufficient space to provide for the total requirement of parking spaces as set forth in Part 23. The layout for the total number of parking spaces shall be illustrated on the plan.
(2)
The spaces initially proposed to be constructed shall be clearly indicated on the plan. The balance of the parking area conditionally reserved shall not include areas for required yards, setbacks, or areas which would otherwise be unsuitable for parking spaces due to the physical characteristics of the land or other requirements of this chapter. The applicant shall submit a plan for the landscaping of the reserved parking area that is subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors.
(3)
The applicant shall enter into a written agreement with the Board of Supervisors that any additional parking spaces shall be provided at the applicant's or owner's expense should it be determined by the Township, in its sole discretion, that the full parking space requirement, or portion thereof, is necessary to satisfy the parking needs of the use.
B.
Parking Layout. Parking shall be located to the side and rear or buildings to the greatest extent possible.
2.
Separation Buffers and Parking Area Landscaping. Parking lots with five or more spaces are required to supply a continuous visual screen around the perimeter of the parking lot where the parking lot abuts a roadway or a different use. This screen shall consist of a four-foot high hedge, fence, or decorative wall. Such a fence or wall shall be solid. A hedge shall consist of evergreen plants chosen from the list of approved native shrubs found under § 22-520 of the Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance [Chapter 22]. Hedge plants shall be spaced at four feet on-center and shall be at least three feet high at the time of installation.
