Springfield Township Montgomery County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IV
AA Residence District
§ 114-40 General.
In an AA Residence District the regulations contained in this article shall apply.
§ 114-41 Permitted uses.
[Amended 4-9-1980 by Ord. No. 694; 9-9-1987 by Ord. No. 750; 7-12-1989 by Ord. No. 770; 7-8-1992 by Ord. No. 787; 11-10-1993 by Ord. No. 795; 11-10-1993 by Ord. No. 796; 11-10-1993 by Ord. No. 798]
A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot or premises may be used for any one of the following purposes and for no other:
A.
Single-family detached dwelling.
B.
Churches or chapels, including residence for immediate staff, when authorized as a special exception.
C.
Elementary and nursery schools or a family day-care home when authorized by special exception.
D.
Farming and playgrounds.
E.
The keeping, raising or management of livestock as an accessory use, provided that livestock shall be kept under safe conditions, with a potable water source and with adequate vehicle access. All livestock shall be kept in clean sanitary stables and pens, free from accumulations of manure or other debris, and in such condition as will not cause a nuisance to any resident of the Township.
F.
Accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses, including a private garage or greenhouse.
(2)
[2]Portable on-demand storage structures as defined in § 114-21 shall be permitted in all residential zoning districts in accordance with the following regulations:
[Added 2-14-2007 by Ord. No. 887]
(a)
Permit required; application; insurance; fee. It shall be unlawful for any owner or occupant of residential property to keep, place, store, or maintain, or allow to be kept, keep, place, store, or maintain, any PODS without first obtaining a permit from the Zoning Officer. An insurance certificate providing liability insurance in the amount of $100,000 provided by the company supplying the PODS must accompany the application. There is a fee of $125 for a thirty-day permit.
(b)
Duration. A permit will be granted for a period of 30 days. At the expiration of the thirty-day period, applicants may seek to extend their permits for an additional 30 days by seeking an extension for cause from the Zoning Officer. A fee of $250 shall be charged for the extension. Only one extension shall be granted.
(c)
Location. PODS are prohibited from being placed within the right-of-way or on the front lawn of a property. PODS must be kept in the driveway of the property at the furthest accessible point from the street. If the property does not have a driveway or other paved off-street surface, or in the instance of a corner property that does not have a clearly defined rear yard, PODS may be located only with the permission of the Zoning Officer.
(d)
Number of units. Only one PODS may be placed at any residential property at one time. PODS may not be located on a specific property more than two times in a twelve-month calendar period.
(e)
Storage of toxic or hazardous materials. No PODS located within the Township shall contain toxic or hazardous materials as defined hereinabove.
(f)
Violations, penalties, enforcement. Any PODS located within the Township without approval pursuant to this article shall be subject to the penalties as set forth below:
[1]
Any person, the partners of any copartnership and/or the officers of any association or corporation violating any of the provisions of this subsection shall, upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $1,000, plus the cost of enforcement. Each day that such violation shall continue shall constitute a separate offense and be punishable as herein provided.
[2]
The Township Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer, and the Township Police Department shall have jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this subsection.
[2]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection F(2), dealing with uses permitted by special exception, was repealed 12-13-1995 by Ord. No. 814.
(4)
The term "accessory use" shall not include the following:
(a)
The keeping or storage of utility trailer more than eight feet in length or a travel trailer or boat more than 22 feet in length unless the vehicle is parked or stored at all times in a fully enclosed garage. Permitted trailers and boats shall be kept or stored in the rear yard only.
(b)
The keeping or storage of any truck more than 18 feet in length or 80 inches in width or more than 8,200 pounds' gross weight or gross vehicle weight rating, as those terms are defined in the Motor Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or any vehicle equipped with any exterior equipment, such as hoists, ladders or towing mechanisms, unless the vehicle is parked or stored at all times in a fully enclosed garage. Said vehicles shall be limited to one per property and shall be used for the transportation of the occupant of the property to and from their place of business. All other commercial vehicles as mentioned above are prohibited.
(c)
The storage of building supplies or trash, or any other storage which is determined to be a nuisance or a health, safety or fire hazard or which detracts in any way from the character of surrounding properties or neighborhood.
(5)
Off-street parking requirements for accessory office uses in residential districts. The off-street parking and loading provisions of this section as it applies to the accessory use of a dwelling as permitted by special exception pursuant to § 114-41F(2) shall be in addition to the off-street parking requirements for dwellings and shall meet the following additional requirements: No such parking area shall be within the required front yard of any dwelling and shall be set back at least 25 feet from all side and rear property lines. The off-street parking area shall be provided with a perimeter area 20 feet wide, which shall be landscaped in accordance with the Springfield Township Subdivision and Land Development Code § 95-11I and which shall be of sufficient height and density to provide immediate screening between the off-street parking area and contiguous residential properties. An exception to this requirement may be allowed in the case of use permitted by § 114-41F(2), where the use occupies no more than 400 square feet, or where the applicant can affirmatively demonstrate that the use will generate on-street parking of no more than two vehicles at any one time.
§ 114-42 Lot and building area.
§ 114-43 Lot width.
[Added 3-11-1970 by Ord. No. 592]
Each lot shall have a minimum lot width of not less than 100 feet extending in depth from the street line to the building line. When a lot borders on more than one public highway or street, the owner may elect one of the streets to establish the minimum lot width for purposes of this section.
§ 114-44 Yards.
A.
Front yards.
(1)
General requirement. There shall be a front yard, the depth of which shall be at least 50 feet, provided that in the case of a lot extending through from one street to another, the street lines of which are not more than 150 feet apart, the depth of the front yard on the rear street line of such lot may be decreased when authorized as a special exception.
[Amended 3-11-1970 by Ord. No. 591]
(2)
Corner lots. In the case of a corner lot, a front yard, as provided for in Subsection A(1) above, shall be required on each street on which the lot abuts, provided that, if at the time this chapter becomes effective any corner lot is held in single and separate ownership with a width of less than 125 feet, the depth of the front yard on the long side of such lot may be decreased when authorized as a special exception.
B.
Side yards.
(1)
Single-family dwellings. In the case of a single-family dwelling, there shall be two side yards, one on each side of the main building, together having an aggregate width of at least 50 feet, but neither side yard shall be less than 15 feet wide, provided that in the case of a lot held in single and separate ownership at the time this chapter becomes effective, of a width less than 100 feet, a single-family dwelling may be built thereon with side yards of less width when authorized as a special exception, and provided further that in the case of a single-family dwelling constructed with its greater dimension parallel with the front street, a one-story open or enclosed porch may project into one of the side yards, provided that the width of such side yard is not thereby reduced to less than the required minimum of 15 feet.
(2)
Other buildings. In the case of any building other than a single-family dwelling or a building accessory thereto, there shall be two side yards, one on each side of the main building. If such building is not over 40 feet high, the width of each of the two side yards shall be at least 25 feet; and if such building is over 40 feet high, this width shall be increased five feet for each 12 feet, or portion thereof, by which the building exceeds 40 feet in height.
C.
Rear yards. There shall be a rear yard, the depth of which shall be at least 25 feet, provided that in the case of any lot which, at the time this chapter becomes effective, is held in single and separate ownership and which has a depth of less than 100 feet, the depth of the rear yard shall be at least 15 feet. In the case of a building over 40 feet high, the depth shall be increased five feet for each 12 feet, or portion thereof, by which the building exceeds 40 feet in height.
§ 114-45 Design alternative.
[Added 6-14-1978 by Ord. No. 675]
Tracts of 10 acres or more may be developed with minimum size lots and a common open space rather than the normal grid pattern, particularly where the preservation of natural features or the avoidance of building on steep slopes or floodplains makes such a development desirable, subject to the following area and design requirements:
A.
Single overall plan. The proposed development shall be the subject of an initial application filed by the owners of the entire tract, and it shall be agreed that the tract shall be developed in a unified manner, under a single direction and in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
C.
Density. Density shall not exceed the maximum density for the total tract derived by submitting a standard subdivision plan showing the number of building lots permitted on a net-square-footage basis under the existing requirements of the applicable zoning classification(s) as modified by the provisions of Article XIIB, Regulations for Areas of Steep Slopes. When the maximum density for the entire tract has been determined in accordance with the foregoing procedure, the tract may then be developed with minimum size lots specified herein and a common open space in order to preserve natural features and provide for play or recreational areas, ponds and drainage facilities, provided that the maximum density for the tract is not exceeded.
[Amended 8-10-1988 by Ord. No. 759]
D.
Building area. The building area shall not exceed that permitted under the existing requirements of the applicable zoning classification(s).
E.
Steep slopes. No buildings, roads, other impervious surfaces or pervious paving may be installed on steep slopes, which are those areas having slopes of 15% or more as delineated by the Soil Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, in the Soil Survey of Montgomery County, 1967, unless the Township Engineer certifies that such construction will not result in drainage problems or safety hazards.
G.
Lot size. Each lot must have a minimum of 8,000 square feet.
H.
Building separation. Each yard within the design alternative development shall have a front yard of not less than 25 feet, a rear yard of not less than 25 feet, and two side yards of not less than 10 feet each.
I.
Setbacks. Homes shall be set back a distance of not less than 50 feet from property lines bordering the design alternative development district.
K.
Off-street parking. Indoor garages or parking areas for at least two vehicles for each housing unit shall be provided. Driveways of individual units may be considered as parking areas.
L.
Preservation of natural features. The finished topography of the site shall be such as to facilitate the proposed development without excessive earth moving, tree clearance and destruction of natural amenities. Natural features such as lakes, streams, topsoil, trees and shrubs shall be preserved and incorporated into the final landscaping of the development.
M.
Common open space. In the interest of providing for stormwater management facilities, ponds and required drainage facilities and preserving natural features and providing play or recreational areas, a development with the design alternative described herein may be planned with minimum size lots and common open space. The maintenance of land for common open space or recreational use shall be guaranteed by deed restriction, trust indenture, conveyance of the land to or for the benefit of all individual lot owners within the tract by compliance with the Pennsylvania Unit Property Act, or by other procedures for the management and maintenance of the common elements as may be approved by the Township Commissioners. Any or all such plans, agreements or instruments shall be filed with the Recorder of Deeds of Montgomery County simultaneously with the recording of the final plan of the subdivision. In the event of a material default as determined by the Township Engineer in the preservation or maintenance of land used for open space, ponds, drainage facilities or recreational use, the Township shall have the right to enter, preserve and maintain such lands and facilities and assess the cost thereof on the trustee(s) or, at the option of the Township, on the owners of the building lots and homes in the development, such charges to be proportional to the assessed values of the individual lots.
N.
Utilities.
(1)
A development designed under the provisions of this section must be served by public water and sanitary sewer.
(2)
Where adequate surface drainage is not possible by grading alone, a supplementary drainage system, including but not limited to retention and/or detention facilities, approved by the Township Engineer, must be provided.
(3)
Underground utility lines, including telephone and electric systems, are required within the limits of a design alternative development. Appurtenances to these systems which can be effectively screened may, at the discretion of the Township Commissioners, be exempted from this requirement.
(4)
Requirements of the subdivision regulations pertaining to sidewalks may be waived by the Board of Commissioners if it can be demonstrated that adequate pedestrian walkways have been provided.