Intent. The purpose of the Single-Family Residential District is to permit residential development within the City of Somers Point with sufficient controls to protect natural resources.

Regulations in district. The use, height and area regulations of §§ 114-10 through 114-17, inclusive, and those regulations set forth elsewhere in this chapter, where applicable to these sections, and the general regulations of Article XX are the regulations in the R-1 Residential District.

Principal uses and buildings.

Conditional uses. The following conditional uses may be authorized by the Planning Board, provided that applications conform to the following specifications and standards:

Accessory uses and buildings. Accessory uses and buildings shall be uses and buildings customarily incident to the principal uses listed as permitted. They shall be understood to include:

No more than one principal structure shall be erected on any lot in this district.

Lot size: 7,500 square feet minimum.

Lot width: 70 feet, minimum of roadway frontage.

Lot coverage: 60% maximum.

Front yard setback: 20 feet minimum for principal and accessory buildings. In the case of corner lots, all yards fronting on a street will be considered front yards and one side yard will be considered a rear yard. In all subdivisions of over three lots, front yard setbacks shall be varied from two to five feet so that no two contiguous lots shall have the same setback.

Side yard setback: 10 feet minimum each for principal and accessory buildings. The City Building/Code Official shall have discretion to administratively approve side yard setback(s) which are less than the required 10 feet, but no less than five feet, when such setbacks are for patios/sidewalks which are less than eight inches above grade level. If the proposal is not within the above requirements, the applicant shall request a variance(s) before the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Rear yards: 35 feet minimum for principal buildings and five feet for accessory buildings.

Height.

Building coverage: 30%.

The height of public buildings or churches may be increased upon Planning Board review to 50 feet from grade and to not more than 3 1/2 stories, provided that all yards shall be increased one foot for each additional foot of building height in excess of 35 feet.

The height limits in this article shall not apply to church spires, belfries, cupolas, water towers, chimneys and flues, provided that:

Lot areas shall not be less than 7,500 square feet with the minimum setbacks prescribed, except that if a lot of record prior to adoption of this chapter has less area, frontage, depth or width than herein required, such lot may be used for a detached single-family residence and for such accessory uses permitted in the R-1 District, provided that:

All projections, including windowsills, cornices and cantilevered roofs, into any yard shall be limited to 36 inches.

Projections into front yards by single-story open porches shall be limited to 12 feet. Balconies, roof overhangs, stairs and canopies shall be not more than four feet.

Projections into rear yards by fire escapes and balconies shall be limited to four feet.

Bay windows into front and rear yards shall be limited to three feet and in side yards shall be limited to two feet. The length of such window(s) shall not exceed in total 30% of the exterior wall width of which they are a part.

All construction within this district shall retain natural vegetation to the extent possible. The front lawn area shall not be stone covered. The types of stone permitted for off-street parking spaces shall not include industrial construction debris. The types of stone appropriate as ground cover for parking spaces shall be supplied by the Construction Official upon request.

For all new construction within this district, a minimum of two trees shall be planted. Tree species selected shall be compatible with site soil conditions and shall be a minimum of eight feet in height. All new trees shall be set back a minimum of 24 inches from the sidewalk on the house side and shall be no closer than 10 feet from street corners.

Buffer strips as required for public utility and church construction within this article shall consist of evergreen trees of four feet minimum height at planting, placed in double alternating rows, eight feet on center in each row with smaller evergreens or deciduous plant material in between.

Fences or walls shall be permitted, provided that:

For all single-family dwelling units: a minimum of two off-street on-site parking spaces.

For churches: one off-street on-site parking space for each three seats or one for each 72 inches of seating space when benches are utilized.

For public utilities: one off-street on-site parking space for each employee.

For professional offices: one off-street parking space for each professional and employee and such client parking as site plan review determines necessary.

Official highway route number signs; street name signs; official directional signs.

Signs advertising the sale or rental of premises, provided that:

Signs for public utility substations, churches and professional offices shall be subject to individual review and approval as part of the site plan review process. Such signs shall be freestanding, shall contain no more than six square feet of sign area per side, shall be no more than three feet six inches in height above the finished grade, including supports, shall be set back clear of all road rights-of-way, shall not interfere with any line of sight triangles and shall be placed so that their long axis is parallel to the adjoining street providing lot frontage.