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Warminster Township
City Zoning Code

PART 5

R-2 Residence Districts

§ 27-500 General provisions.

[Ord. No. 762, 5/7/2020]
A building or structure may be erected or altered, to be used either in whole or in part, and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following uses, provided that such uses, buildings or structures shall comply with such regulations as yard, lot sizes, lot width, building area, heights, impervious surfaces, easements, bufferyards, off-street parking and other requirements as specified by this chapter.

§ 27-501 Permitted uses.

[Ord. No. 762, 5/7/2020]
1. 
The following uses are permitted by right:
Use 1
Agriculture
Use 3
Single-family detached dwelling
Use 62
Emergency services
Use 67
Utility operating facility
Use 82
No-impact home-based business
Use 84
Residential accessory building or structure
Use 91
Accessory in-law dwelling
Use 93
Solar energy systems
Use 94
Accessory beekeeping
2. 
The following uses are permitted as a special exception when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with the provisions of Part 26 of this chapter:
Use 11
Place of worship
Use 16
Private club or lodge
Use 85
Family day care
3. 
The following uses are permitted as a conditional use when authorized by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with the provisions of Part 25 of this chapter:
Use 4
Single-family detached buffer
Use 9
Mixed-use development
Use 12
Public or private school
Use 20
Hospital campus
Use 22
Youth services
Use 23
Cemetery
Use 41
Mortuary or funeral home
Use 83
Accessory office

§ 27-502 Area and dimensional requirements.

[Ord. No. 762, 5/7/2020]
1. 
All uses shall comply with the area and dimensional requirements listed in this section, unless a greater area or dimensional requirement is stated in Part 17, Use Regulations, for the specific use, in which case the requirements of Part 17 shall apply. Mixed-use development shall comply with the requirements of this section and with Part 17.
A. 
Lot area and width. A lot area of not less than 12,500 square feet, with a width of not less than 80 feet at the building line and 70 feet at the front property line, shall be provided for each dwelling. Other principal uses permitted in this district shall have a lot area of not less than 20,000 square feet, with a width of not less than 100 feet at the building line and 80 feet at the front property line.
B. 
Building area. Not more than 25% of the area of any lot shall be occupied by buildings.
C. 
Front yard. There shall be a front yard along each street on which a lot abuts which shall be not less than 35 feet in depth for permitted single-family detached dwellings. All other permitted principal uses shall have front yards of not less than 50 feet in depth.
D. 
Side yards. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, there shall be two side yards on each lot, neither of which shall be less than 10 feet in width for permitted single-family detached dwellings. All other permitted uses shall have two side yards of not less than 15 feet in width each.
E. 
Rear yard. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, there shall be a rear yard on each lot, which shall be not less than 50 feet in depth.
F. 
Impervious surface ratio. No more than 35% of the total lot area shall be covered with impervious surface.
G. 
Open space. All residential uses, except for the development of fewer than 10 dwellings, shall be required to set aside open space in accordance with the requirements of Part 21, § 27-2102, Open space requirements.

§ 27-503 Mixed-use development requirements.

[Ord. No. 762, 5/7/2020]
1. 
Permitted uses.
A. 
Uses permitted within the mixed-use area by right:
Use 6
Single-family attached dwelling (townhouse)
Use 11
Place of worship
Use 13
Library or museum
Use 29
Business or professional office
Use 31
Retail shop
Use 35
Service business
Use 36
Bank, savings and loan association
Use 37
Restaurant
Use 43
Indoor commercial entertainment
2. 
Area and dimensional requirements.
A. 
Minimum lot area for mixed-use development. A lot area of not less than 18 acres shall be provided for every mixed-use development.
B. 
Minimum lot width. Not less than 500 feet of lot width along a collector or arterial street shall be provided for every mixed-use development.
C. 
Front yard. There shall be a front yard for each mixed-use development, which shall not be less than 60 feet in depth.
D. 
Side yards. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, there shall be two side yards for each mixed-use development, neither of which shall be less than 25 feet in width.
E. 
Rear yard. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, there shall be a rear yard for each mixed-use development, which shall not be less than 50 feet in depth.
F. 
Separation from existing residential use. No building, deck, or patio shall be located less than 75 feet from a side or rear property line which is not a part of the mixed-use development.
G. 
Impervious coverage. The impervious coverage of a mixed-use development shall not exceed 50% of the lot area.
H. 
Residential. The maximum height for any residential building or structure erected or enlarged in this district shall be 35 feet, not exceeding 2.5 stories.
I. 
Nonresidential. The maximum height for any nonresidential building or structure erected or enlarged in this district shall be 35 feet.
3. 
Special requirements.
A. 
Building spacing. The distance at the closest point between any buildings shall not be less than 30 feet. The distance between residential and nonresidential buildings within the mixed-use development shall not be less than 100 feet.
B. 
Density. Mixed-use developments shall have a maximum overall density of six dwelling units per acre, which shall be calculated based on the portion of the lot designated for residential use.
C. 
Number of bedrooms. No dwelling unit shall contain more than three bedrooms.
D. 
Nonresidential limitations. A maximum of 35% and a minimum of 30% of the gross building square footage may be allocated to nonresidential uses. All portions of the lot used for nonresidential purposes shall front on and be located within 350 feet of a collector or arterial street.
E. 
Bufferyards. Along any residential district boundary line, a bufferyard shall be provided which shall not be less than 25 feet in width and shall be planted in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Within a mixed-use development, a buffer not less than 25 feet in width shall be provided between residential units and nonresidential development. Such bufferyards may be coterminous with required yards and may include fences, berms, and other landscape improvements designed to soften the transition between land uses. Access drives may cross perpendicular to bufferyards. Bufferyards may not contain decks, patios, buildings, or walking trails.
F. 
Outdoor land use. There shall be no outdoor storage or display of goods or materials for marketing, storage, or any other purpose. The outdoor storage of trash shall be designed and maintained to be completely screened from view.
G. 
Special conveyancing. When the development of a lot and the uses therein are in accordance with a unified development plan, then a conveyance of a parcel within the development plan shall be permitted upon compliance with the following conditions:
(1) 
Irrevocable cross-easements in favor of and duly binding on all title owners within the area of the development plan, their successors and assigns, with respect to use, control and maintenance of the common areas, including access, green space, and parking areas, are in effect and recorded. All easements shall be submitted to the Township Solicitor for review prior to recording.
(2) 
Application of zoning regulations, including but not limited to impervious coverage, parking, loading and landscaping, as well as required area, width and yard regulations, shall apply to an overall lot approved as a unified development plan. Individual lots created pursuant to this section need not comply with these zoning requirements.
H. 
Common areas. Common areas include any real estate within the community owned by the association and not consisting of lots and limited common elements. Limited common elements include driveways, streets, stormwater detention basins, parking lots and sidewalks. A minimum of 35% of the lot area shall be common area.
I. 
Pedestrian design standards.
(1) 
Sidewalks are required along all public road frontages.
(2) 
Pedestrian connections shall be provided between residential and nonresidential portions of the development and to all front building areas, parking areas and other pedestrian destination points.
(3) 
Whenever possible, sidewalks shall connect to existing sidewalks on abutting properties and other nearby pedestrian destination points and transit stops.
J. 
Traffic study. A complete and comprehensive traffic study shall be submitted as part of any land development application for mixed-use development.
K. 
Utilities. All development in a mixed-use development shall be served by public water and sewer. All utilities shall be underground.
L. 
Site lighting. Exterior lighting provided in conjunction with any mixed-use development shall be designed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
M. 
A mixed-use development must be located on an arterial road.

§ 27-504 Single-family detached buffered development (SFBD), Use 4 requirements.

[Ord. No. 762, 5/7/2020]
1. 
Uses permitted within the single-family detached buffered development by right:
A. 
Use 3, single-family detached dwelling.
B. 
Use 82, no-impact home-based business.
C. 
Use 84, residential accessory building or structure.
D. 
Use 93, solar energy systems.
2. 
Conditional use applications for Use 4, single-family buffered development, shall include a plan showing the proposed layout for the development as well as a by-right concept plan showing the layout and density capacity for Use 3, single-family detached dwelling development.
3. 
All applications for conditional use approval for Use 4 shall demonstrate compliance with the area, dimensional, and development requirements for Use 4 are set forth in § 27-1706, Subsection 1.