Washington Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXVIIA
EZ Estate Zoning District
§ 285-173.1 Purpose and intent.
The purpose of this article is to designate land within Washington Township for primarily large lot single-family residences. The existence of large-lot single-family residences within the Township will allow the municipality to provide housing for residents who desire a more rural or forested environment for their residence.
§ 285-173.2 Permitted uses.
[Amended 10-27-2010 by Ord. No. 23-2010]
In any (EZ) Estate Zoning District, land, buildings or premises shall be used by-right only for only one of the uses permitted in the A Residence District as noted in § 285-23A single-family detached house.
§ 285-173.3 Conditional uses.
§ 285-173.4 Accessory uses.
All accessory uses permitted in the A Residence District shall be permitted.
§ 285-173.5 Area and bulk regulations.
The following area and bulk regulations shall apply:
A.
Minimum density per gross acre: one unit per three acres with minimum lot size of 2.01 or above.
B.
Minimum lot size: greater than 2.01 acres (87,555 square feet).
C.
Minimum lot width: 250 feet.
D.
Minimum lot depth: 250 feet.
E.
Maximum building coverage: 10%.
F.
Maximum impervious coverage: 20%.
H.
Minimum building setback from all other lot lines: 30 feet.
I.
Maximum building height: 35 feet (three stories).
§ 285-173.6 Other regulations.
All other applicable regulations of this chapter shall be followed as required.
§ 285-173.7 Site design and landscape requirements.
All development within the (EZ) Estate Zoning District shall:
A.
Maintain the existing site characteristics (i.e., wooded lots, natural topography, etc.). All existing trees and vegetation more than 20 feet from the proposed structure shall be preserved.
B.
The neighborhoods should have a variety of lot sizes (to avoid appearance of large-lot tract housing).
C.
Extensive landscaping and/or natural buffering shall be incorporated into the design of the site so that no residential structure is visible from any other residential structure within the (EZ) Estate Zoning District or any adjacent district.
D.
Houses should be set back from the roadways, and parking should be located behind or adjacent to the primary structure, where possible.
E.
No additional street lights shall be installed within this district in order to maintain the rural character. However, this may be permitted if it is determined on a case-by-case basis that there could be harm to the public health, safety, and welfare.
F.
Extensive measures shall be taken to shield all residential lots from any noise or visual pollution caused by the area's proximity to county and state highways. This may be achieved by:
G.
Tree preservation.
(1)
It is the intent of this subsection to encourage the preservation of existing trees and, in doing so, safeguard the ecological and aesthetic environment of the community. They are intended to serve and dissuade the unnecessary clearing and disturbing of land so as to preserve, insofar as practical, the existing natural vegetation with plant material indigenous to the region.
(2)
Protection of existing trees and plant communities.
(a)
Tree survey. A tree survey shall be submitted at the time of site plan review indicating the location, size and species (both scientific and common) of all trees located on the parcel with a trunk size of four inches or greater. Trees shall be measured in accord with the American Association of Nurserymen's Industry Standard (AANIS). Caliper of the trunk shall be taken six inches above the ground up to and including four-inch caliper size and 12 inches above the ground for larger sizes.
(b)
Conservation. Any undeveloped land or portion of undeveloped land that has been left relatively undisturbed for 50 years or more shall require a plant survey and recommended action plan.
(c)
Integration of existing trees into landscape plan. Reasonable efforts shall be made to retain existing plant material on the aforementioned survey, considered desirable species and healthy plant material, through the integration of those trees into the landscape plan for the proposed development. Said plan shall indicate the trees to be preserved and the trees to be removed as a result of development.
(d)
Basins must be extensively landscaped to provide appropriate buffering from adjacent uses. Basins must be designed in a manner that allows them to go generally unrecognized by the general public as anything other than natural wetlands. The use of natural grasses, trees, shrubs, etc., must be planted in natural clusters and plantings spaced as follows: