Thornbury Township Chester County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
R-2 - Residential District
§ 155-500 Purpose.
It is the purpose of this district to preserve the residential character of appropriate areas of the Township, provide housing opportunities for residential development at medium densities consistent with such character, and provide for clustering of housing as an option to preserve and enhance the natural, scenic, and historic character of the landscape. In addition, it is the intent of this district to achieve the applicable purposes and community development objectives of Article I.
§ 155-501 Uses permitted by right.
§ 155-502 Uses permitted by special exception.
§ 155-503 Conditional uses.
The following uses shall be permitted by conditional use, when authorized by the Board of Supervisors, subject to the provisions of § 155-2105 and the specific sections listed below:
§ 155-504 Accessory uses and structures.
Except as otherwise indicated in this chapter, accessory uses customarily incidental to any of the principal uses in this district shall be permitted by right on the same lot as the principal use and subject to the applicable provisions for accessory uses of Article XVI. The following specific accessory uses shall also be permitted by right subject to the applicable provisions of Article XVI:
§ 155-505 Area and bulk regulations.
Unless specifically stated otherwise or differing for a specific use as authorized by this chapter, the following shall be the minimum area and bulk regulations for the district. [NOTE: See Article II for the definition of "building coverage" for a diagrammatic lot layout illustrating setbacks and building coverages.]
C.
Accessory structure(s). See § 155-1500 for lot and bulk standards for various types of accessory structures.
D.
Optional subdivision configuration.
(1)
At the applicant's option, minimum lot sizes within subdivisions in the R-2 District may be reduced in exchange for configuring of protected areas as defined in Article XIV into conservation tracts designated separately from building lots.
(2)
In order to exercise this option, the following provisions must be met:
(a)
All protected areas with a contiguous area of 10,000 square feet or greater shall be held in tracts designated separately from developable lots. These tracts:
[1]
Shall not count against the allowed number of developable lots within the subdivision;
[2]
Shall not be subject to otherwise applicable minimum lot size requirements;
[3]
Shall be restricted from further subdivision or land development by deed restriction, conservation easement or other agreement in a form acceptable to the Township and duly recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Chester County and shall be noted on the face of the record plan. Any such restrictive mechanism shall be structured in a manner that would require the agreement of both the Township and a homeowners' association or like organization in order to abolish it in the future;
[4]
Shall be clearly identified on the face of the record plan; and
(b)
Minimum lot sizes of developable lots may be reduced as follows:
[1]
The average lot size within a development shall be no less than 70,000 square feet.
[2]
No lot shall have an area of less than one acre.
[3]
No more than 50% of the lots in a development shall have an area of less than 70,000 square feet.
[4]
No more than 10% of the lots in a development shall have an area of less than 60,000 square feet.
§ 155-506 Design standards.
The following design standards as applicable for permitted uses in this district shall include: