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Upper Merion Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE X

G Residential Districts

[Added 12-18-1961 by Ord. No. 110]

§ 165-38 Regulations to apply.

In the G Residential Districts, the following regulations shall apply.

§ 165-39 Use regulations.

A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no other:
A. 
Any use permitted in R-2 Residential Districts, except cluster development overlay.
[Amended 8-17-1987 by Ord. No. 87-525]
B. 
Multifamily dwelling; multifamily dwelling group.
C. 
Professional offices on the same lot with and when incorporated as an integral part of a building used as a multifamily dwelling or being one of a multifamily dwelling group; provided, however, that the total floor space for all such professional offices shall not exceed 5% of the total usable floor space devoted to multifamily use exclusive of garages and basements.
D. 
Signs, subject to the regulations of Article XXVII.
E. 
Personal care facility as a conditional use in accordance with § 165-219.1.
[Added 2-25-1991 by Ord. No. 91-587]

§ 165-40 Height regulations.

[Amended 9-11-1972 by Ord. No. 72-296; 9-9-1999 by Ord. No. 99-691]
The maximum height of buildings or other structures erected or enlarged in this district shall be 35 feet, except that for uses permitted in the R-2 Residential District, the height regulations of Article IV, § 165-11A and B, shall apply.

§ 165-41 Area, width and yard regulations.

A. 
For a use permitted in R-2 Residential Districts, the regulations of Article IX, § 165-37, shall apply.
B. 
For a multifamily dwelling and a multifamily dwelling group:
(1) 
Density. There shall be a lot area sufficient to provide a density of not more than 10 dwelling units per developable acre.
[Amended 10-12-1964 by Ord. No. 64-151; 6-15-1987 by Ord. No. 87-516]
(2) 
Front, side and rear yards. There shall be a front yard, a rear yard and two side yards on each lot, the depths of which shall each be not less than 100 feet.
(3) 
Building arrangement. In the case of a multifamily dwelling group, all buildings shall be arranged in a harmonious grouping and:
(a) 
The distance between any two buildings, either of which faces or backs upon the other in whole or in part, shall be not less than 75 feet.
(b) 
The distance between the ends of any two buildings similarly oriented or whose front or rear facades form an angle of from 135° to 180° shall be not less than 24 feet.
(c) 
The distance between corners of any two buildings having front or rear facades forming an angle from 90° to 134° shall be not less than 12 feet.
(d) 
No two buildings shall be permitted having front or rear facades forming an angle of less than 90° unless separated by a minimum distance of 75 feet.
(e) 
Not more than three sides of a court shall be enclosed by buildings or walls.
(4) 
Building size.
(a) 
No single building shall have a total length, including angles, greater than 200 feet.
(b) 
The joining of two or more buildings by means of an extension of a roof or enclosed walkway shall not in itself be deemed to create a single building.

§ 165-42 Off-street parking and loading.

A. 
Off-street parking and loading regulations of Article XXVIII to the contrary notwithstanding, the following regulations shall apply to multifamily dwellings:
(1) 
The number of residential parking spaces to be provided shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Article XXVIII. Seventy-five percent of the area shall be paved. The remaining area shall be reserved for paving at such time as the Township Building Official shall determine that existing paved areas have become inadequate. Such reserved and unpaved areas shall be maintained as open space but shall not constitute a portion of the open space otherwise required by this chapter.
[Amended 6-14-1971 by Ord. No. 71-274; 6-15-1987 by Ord. No. 87-516]
(2) 
Nonresidential uses, where included, shall be provided with parking space in accordance with Article XXVIII herein and in addition to that provided for dwelling units.
(3) 
No parking or loading area shall be located nearer to any front lot line than 100 feet nor nearer to any side or rear lot line than 20 feet.
(4) 
Adequate loading areas shall be provided in addition to the required parking area and shall be so designed that their use will not block or otherwise interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic flow.
B. 
For multifamily dwellings, all interior parking, service- and access-ways as well as all public and peripheral streets shall be constructed in accordance with Township highway specifications and Land Subdivision Regulations.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 145, Subdivision of Land.

§ 165-43 Public utilities.

For multifamily dwellings, all utilities shall be placed underground within the lot lines.

§ 165-44 Screening.

[Amended 6-15-1987 by Ord. No. 87-516]
For multifamily dwellings, all recreational, service and parking areas shall be effectively screened from abutting lots by a buffer strip of not less than 20 feet in width. Such plantings shall be in accordance with the provisions of § 165-217.1 herein.

§ 165-45 Recreation areas.

[Amended 6-15-1987 by Ord. No. 87-516]
There shall be provided on the premises an area of common open space which shall have an area of not less than 100 square feet per dwelling unit. The common open space shall be located so as to be conveniently accessible by the residents and may be permitted to extend within the otherwise required yards or open space but shall not be permitted to extend into the front yard.

§ 165-46 Development plans to be submitted.

[Amended 6-15-1987 by Ord. No. 87-516]
In order to accomplish the spirit and purpose of this chapter, a developer of any tract of land within this district shall submit development plans in accordance with Article XXXIII herein.