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West Brandywine Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE V

R-2 Rural Residential District

§ 200-18 Purpose.

[Amended 1-18-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-01]
The R-2 Rural Residential District is designed to provide for residential uses at a density which can support individual sewer and water systems or where public sewer and water is available, development at a higher density to provide for and incentivize the development or well-planned age-restricted housing, where appropriate, for the Township's aging population.

§ 200-19 Use regulations.

A. 
Uses permitted by right:
(1) 
Single-family dwelling, including single-family dwellings developed under the open space design option as provided in § 200-179A.
[Amended 7-17-2003 by Ord. No. 03-10]
(2) 
Single-family dwelling using interior lot design in accordance with § 200-113.
[Added 2-7-1985 by Ord. No. 85-01; amended 3-6-1986 by Ord. No. 86-01[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 501A.3, Lot averaging and clustering, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 5-5-1994 by Ord. No. 94-04.
(3) 
Agriculture, in accordance with § 200-15.
(4) 
Woodlots, Christmas tree farms, nurseries, arboretums or conservation purpose.
(5) 
Municipal, county, state and federal use, excluding dumps and correctional institutions.
(6) 
Accessory uses. The following accessory uses are permitted when located on the same lot and customarily incidental to any of the foregoing permitted uses, and when in accordance with the applicable provisions under Article XIV:
(a) 
Customary residential accessory uses, structures, and swimming pools.
(b) 
Minor home occupations.
[Amended 8-3-2000 by Ord. No. 00-03]
(c) 
Customary agricultural accessory uses, structures.
(d) 
Sale of farm products.
(7) 
Forestry, except that timber harvesting shall be subject to the provisions of § 200-100B(2).
[Added 11-21-2002 by Ord. No. 02-05]
B. 
Uses permitted by special exception, when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board, and when in accordance with Article XIV:
[Amended 11-5-1987 by Ord. No. 87-08; 5-5-1994 by Ord. No. 94-04]
(1) 
Residential conversion of detached building or farm building, in accordance with § 200-84.
(2) 
Firehouse or other emergency services facility.
(3) 
Educational use.
[Amended 8-3-2000 by Ord. No. 00-03]
(4) 
Religious use.
[Added 8-3-2000 by Ord. No. 00-03]
(5) 
Public library.
(6) 
Parking lots when customarily incidental and accessory to a permitted use, use by special exception, or a lawful nonconforming use when on the same lot with, or lot immediately adjacent to, the principal use.
C. 
Uses permitted by conditional use when authorized by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with Article XXI, Conditional Use Process:
[Added 5-5-1994 by Ord. No. 94-04]
(1) 
Cemeteries in accordance with Article XIV, § 200-99, Cemetery regulations.
(2) 
Development under the open space design option including single-family, two-family and multiple-family dwellings in accordance with Article XXII.
[Amended 2-15-1996 by Ord. No. 95-08]
(3) 
Public utility facility.
(4) 
Riding academy.
(5) 
Golf course and country clubs.
(6) 
Major home occupations.
[Added 8-3-2000 by Ord. No. 00-03]
(7) 
Country properties in accordance with § 200-15.
[Added 10-4-2001 by Ord. No. 01-02]
(8) 
Age-restricted community with recreational facilities/amenities.
[Added 1-18-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-01]

§ 200-20 Area and bulk regulations.

A. 
The following area and bulk regulations shall apply to all uses permitted by right within the R-2 District, with the exception of single-family dwellings developed under the open space design option as provided in § 200-179A and agricultural uses:
[Amended 2-15-1996 by Ord. No. 95-08; 7-17-2003 by Ord. No. 03-10]
(1) 
Minimum lot area: 1.0 acre.
(2) 
Minimum lot width:
(a) 
Building line: 150 feet.
(b) 
Street line: 100 feet.
(3) 
Minimum side yard (each): 20 feet.
(4) 
Minimum front yard: 50 feet.
(5) 
Minimum rear yard: 40 feet.
(6) 
Maximum building coverage: 15%.
(7) 
Maximum lot coverage (total): 20%.
(8) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
(9) 
Notwithstanding the minimum lot area of 1.0 acre, the maximum number of lots or dwelling units permitted on any tract shall be calculated by multiplying the net tract area times 0.8.
[Added 7-17-2003 by Ord. No. 03-10]
B. 
The following area and bulk requirements shall apply to uses permitted by special exception and/or conditional use under the R-2 Zoning District except for an age-restricted community, which shall be governed by Subsection D hereof.
[Amended 2-15-1996 by Ord. No. 95-08; 12-21-2000 by Ord. No. 00-04; amended 1-18-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-01]
(1) 
Minimum lot area per use/unit:
(a) 
Riding academy; golf course and country clubs: five acres.
(b) 
Residential conversion; institutional use: three acres.
(c) 
Firehouse or other emergency facility; public library; public utility facility: 1.5 acres.
(d) 
Cemetery: 10 acres.
(2) 
Minimum lot width:
(a) 
Building line: 150 feet.
(b) 
Street line: 100 feet.
(3) 
Minimum side yard (each): 50 feet.
(4) 
Minimum front yard: 50 feet.
(5) 
Minimum rear yard: 50 feet.
(6) 
Maximum building coverage: 15%.
(7) 
Maximum lot coverage (total): 20%.
(8) 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
C. 
Sewerage capability.
[Added 2-15-1996 by Ord. No. 95-08]
(1) 
Except for lots established under the open space design option, where any lot is served by an individual on-site sewage system, a contiguous net lot area of at least 33,000 square feet shall be provided which shall not be divided completely by any of the following areas:
(a) 
Any permanent right-of-way or easement for a public or private street.
(b) 
Any area within the Flood Plain District as established in Article XII.
(c) 
Any area comprising wetlands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
(d) 
Any area within the Severe Slope District as established in Article XIII.
(2) 
Any lot existing prior to the effective date of this provision which does not meet the minimum net lot area requirement may be used for any lawful use subject to demonstration of adequate sewage disposal to the Zoning Officer.
D. 
The following area and bulk requirements apply to an age-restricted community:
[Added 1-18-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-01]
(1) 
The minimum tract area shall be 45 contiguous acres.
(2) 
This subsection shall comply with the following area and bulk regulations:
(a) 
Zero lot lines: An age-restricted community may be subject to the Planned Communities Act (the Act).[1] In the event an age-restricted community is subject to the Act, then individual units in the plan may be created by designation in the declaration of restrictive covenants and easements and amendments thereto. In such case, there will be no lot lines within the age-restricted community; however, the age-restricted community will comply with the area and bulk requirements for the entire tract area of the age-restricted community.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 68 Pa.C.S.A. § 5101 et seq.
(b) 
Minimum lot area: none.
(c) 
Minimum lot width: none.
(d) 
Maximum lot coverage: No maximum lot coverage shall apply; however, the impervious coverage for the entire age-restricted community shall be governed by Subsection D(2)(j) below.
(e) 
Minimum front yard: none, provided that all dwelling units shall be located not less than 25 feet from edge of the cartway and not less than 12 feet from the road right-of-way.
(f) 
Minimum tract setback: No building or parking area shall be erected or situated within 35 feet of the tract boundary when the boundary is adjacent to a residential use; or 50 feet when the tract boundary is adjacent to a commercial or industrial use. Access roads, pathways, security, entrance features, stormwater management facilities and landscape amenities may exist within this setback requirement.
(g) 
Minimum building separation: fifteen feet shall be maintained between all dwelling units. The following may encroach upon the minimum separation area by no more than three feet: bay windows, fireplaces, air-conditioning units, roof overhangs and eves. Forty feet shall be maintained between dwelling units and a clubhouse or nonresidential building or between two nonresidential buildings. Accessory uses to a clubhouse, included within an amenity package such as pools and tennis courts, shall be permitted in the forty-foot separation.
(h) 
Maximum height: 2 1/2 stories, but not more than 35 feet.
(i) 
Density: The total number of dwelling units shall not exceed 2.0 units per gross acre of the tract for an age-restricted community.
(j) 
Maximum impervious tract coverage: 40% of gross tract area for an age-restricted community.

§ 200-21 Design standards.

The following design standards under Article XV shall apply to all uses under the R-2 Rural Residential District:
A. 
Required off-street parking regulations, § 200-101.
B. 
Visibility at intersection regulations, § 200-103.
C. 
Access and traffic control regulations, § 200-104.
D. 
Landscaping standards, § 167-66.1 of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.
[Amended 1-21-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-01]
E. 
Screening and buffering standards, § 200-108.
F. 
Storage standards, § 200-109.
G. 
Pipeline setback standards, § 200-112.

§ 200-21.1 Age-restricted community.

[Added 1-18-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-01]
The following regulations shall apply to an age-restricted community with recreational facilities/amenities:
A. 
All dwelling units shall be served by both public sewer and public water.
B. 
Dwelling units shall be primarily or entirely single-family detached dwellings, provided that not more than 35% of the dwelling units may be two-family attached dwelling units.
C. 
Open space: A minimum of 35% of the gross tract area shall be open space. The ongoing maintenance of open space features and common areas shall be the responsibility of the homeowners' association pursuant to the declaration of restrictive covenants and easements, or an open space management plan.
D. 
Required recreational facilities and amenities: Calculation of the open space area for compliance with Subsection C above shall not include the footprint of impervious improvements for the use of the community owners, invitees and permitted guests, such as a clubhouse, pool, tennis courts and other amenities. Improvements including, but not limited to, grading, pervious and impervious trails, walking paths, stormwater management facilities, emergency access roads, underground utilities, fences and retaining walls may be located within the calculable open space areas. The ongoing maintenance of recreational facilities shall be the responsibility of the homeowners' association pursuant to the declaration of restrictive covenants and easements or a recreation facilities management plan.
E. 
Sidewalks shall not be required, unless sidewalks are deemed necessary by the Board of Supervisors in areas of high pedestrian traffic or for pedestrian safety.
F. 
Public roads within the community must have a minimum right-of-way of 50 feet (measured from the center line) and a minimum road width of 24 feet where off-street parking is provided. Private roads may be approved at the same or lesser standard, provided the applicant demonstrates that a lesser standard is not detrimental to public health and safety.
G. 
Off-street parking shall be provided at the rate of four spaces per dwelling unit. Parking spaces may be located within garages and within driveways. A dwelling unit with a two-car garage and driveway a minimum of 25 feet long (from the edge of the cartway) shall be counted as four spaces.
H. 
All utility lines servicing the community shall be placed underground.
I. 
Notwithstanding the limitation set forth in § 167-44C of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, culs-de-sac in an age-restricted community shall not furnish access to more than 40 units. A cul-desac shall have a minimum radius at the right-of-way line of 40 feet.