West Conshohocken City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
R-2 Residential District
§ 113-37 Legislative intent.
[Amended 2-8-2005 by Ord. No. 05-03, approved 2-8-2005]
In expansion of the declaration of legislative intent contained in Article I, § 113-3, of this chapter and the statement of community development objectives contained in Article I, § 113-5, of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article with respect to the R-2 Residential District to establish reasonable standards of performance for single- and two-family residences, while preserving them from detrimental encroachments by other uses. The protective standards contained in this article are intended to preserve property values and to provide for safe and efficient use of the structures located within this district.
§ 113-38 Use regulations.
In an R-2 Residential District, a building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following uses, and no other:
A.
Single-family detached dwellings.
B.
Two-family dwellings (twins and duplexes).
E.
F.
Any of the following uses, when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception:
(2)
Playgrounds, parks, tot lots and open spaces not operated commercially for profit.
(3)
Municipal buildings and municipal uses.
(4)
Recreational and community center buildings operated by a nonprofit agency.
(5)
Religious or philanthropic uses, but excluding sanatoriums, convalescent homes and correctional or penal institutions.
(6)
Public, parochial or private educational institutions.
(7)
Retail grocery store with a maximum floor area of 1,200 square feet as a special exception, provided that said retail grocery store is in conjunction with a residence and the owner operator lives on the premises.
[Added 3-8-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3, approved 3-8-2000]
G.
Accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any permitted use.
I.
Any of the following uses when authorized by the Borough Council by conditional use:
[Added 2-8-2005 by Ord. No. 05-03, approved 2-8-2005]
§ 113-39 Development regulations.
The following regulations shall apply in the R-2 District.
A.
Area, width, yard and coverage regulations.
(1)
Minimum lot area and width.
[Amended 8-11-1987 by Ord. No. 384, approved 8-11-1987]
(a)
Regulations.
[Amended 5-9-2000 by Ord. No. 99-15, approved 5-9-2000; 6-12-2000 by Ord. No. 01-9(a), approved 6-12-2000; 2-8-2005 by Ord. No. 05-03, approved 2-8-2005; 12-13-2005 by Ord. No. 05-10, approved 12-13-2005]
Development Requirements | Single-Family Detached | Twins (Two-Family Dwelling) | Duplex | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lot area (minimum) | 7,500 square feet | 3,750* square feet | 3,750* square feet | |
Lot width (minimum) | 60 feet | 40* feet | 60 feet | |
Front yard setback | 25 feet | 25 feet | 25 feet | |
Side yard setback | 15 feet | 15* feet | 15 feet | |
Rear yard setback | 25 feet | 25 feet | 25 feet | |
Building coverage | 40% | 45% | 40% | |
Impervious coverage | 60% | 65% | 60% |
* | NOTE: Indicates per-unit requirements. |
(b)
For every building erected, altered or used and for any nonresidential use permitted in this district, there shall be a lot area of not less than 7,500 square feet and a lot width of not less than 50 feet at the building line.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsections A(2), Front yards, A(3), Side yards, A(4), Rear yard, and A(5), Building coverage and impervious surface coverage, all as amended, which immediately followed this subsection, were repealed 12-13-2005 by Ord. No. 05-10, approved 12-13-2005.
B.
Height. No building hereinafter erected in the R-2 Residential District shall exceed a height of 35 feet except accessory building structures which shall not exceed a height of 14 feet.
[Amended 4-8-2003 by Ord. No. 03-03, approved 4-8-2003]
D.
Lot area. Notwithstanding the provision of § 113-36D, in the case of a lot held in single and separate ownership as of August 12, 1987, having an area of at least 5,000 square feet and a minimum lot width at the building setback line of 50 feet, a dwelling may be built thereon when authorized as a special exception.
[Added 8-11-1987 by Ord. No. 384, approved 8-11-1987]
E.
The maximum density of exclusively single-family attached dwelling developments shall be 10 units per gross acre, excluding existing road rights-of-way. All other developments shall have a maximum density of eight units per gross acre, excluding existing road rights-of-way.
[Added 5-9-2000 by Ord. No. 99-4, approved 5-9-2000]
F.
The maximum density for all townhouse developments shall be eight units per developable acre, excluding existing road rights-of-way. All other developments, excluding single-family detached dwellings, shall have a maximum density of six units per developable acre.
[Added 5-9-2000 by Ord. No. 99-10, approved 5-9-2000; amended 9-13-2005 by Ord. No. 05-08, approved 9-13-2005; 12-13-2005 by Ord. No. 05-10, approved 12-13-2005]
G.
Townhouse structures development regulations. The following minimum tract size and maximum density shall apply in the Townhouse District:
[Added 12-13-2005 by Ord. No. 05-10, approved 12-13-2005]
(1)
Minimum tract size. A proposal for a townhouse development shall have a minimum tract size of one acre, excluding existing rights-of-way of all public roads, before a development plan can be submitted to the Borough for consideration.
(2)
Maximum density. In the Townhouse District, the maximum permitted density shall be eight dwelling units per developable acre.
(3)
Ownership. The tract of land to be developed shall be in one ownership, or shall be the subject of an application filed jointly by the owners of the entire tract; and it shall be agreed that the tract will be developed under single direction in accordance with an approved plan.
(4)
Development stages and permits. The development of a tract carried out in either a single phase or in stages shall be executed in accordance with a development agreement. The owner, developer and Borough shall enter into said agreement embodying all details regarding compliance with this article to ensure the binding nature thereof on the overall tract and its development, which agreement shall be recorded with the final development plan.
(5)
Sewer and water facilities. The tract of land shall be served by public water facilities and public sewer facilities.
(6)
Utilities. All utility lines (electric, telephone, etc.) shall be placed underground.
(7)
Parking regulations. Two off-street automobile parking spaces shall be required for each dwelling unit, excluding the garage. Parking shall not be stacked in such a manner that one car will need to be moved in order to allow the other car to move into the space. One additional overflow parking space shall be provided for each unit.
(8)
Lighting. Lighting facilities shall be provided as needed and arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties from unreasonable direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind. Lighting facilities shall be required where deemed necessary for the safety and convenience of the residents of the development and shall be installed by the developer at his expense.
(9)
Open space. A minimum of 10% of the total tract area shall be provided as common open space for use by the residents of the development for active or passive recreation. Said calculation shall not include areas containing steep slopes of 25% or greater, and shall not include rights-of-way for public or private streets. The open space must be greater than 10 feet at its narrowest part.
(10)
Building size. There shall be no more than four townhouse units in a continuous attached row, and no more than two contiguous units shall have a uniform setback from a right-of-way line or parking area.
(11)
Distance between buildings. In the case of two or more buildings, the horizontal distance between them shall be not less than 30 feet for interior buildings.
(12)
The following regulations shall apply in this district:
(a)
There shall be a twenty-five-foot minimum perimeter setback for buildings and a fifteen-foot minimum perimeter setback for parking areas from the tract boundary.
(b)
The minimum width for any townhouse unit shall be 20 feet.
(c)
A high-intensity buffer as defined in SALDO of 10 feet along the perimeter of the tract boundary shall be required. The buffer area shall not be included as part of the ten-percent open space requirement.
(d)
The maximum impervious coverage is 65%.
(13)
Development plan. The application for development shall be accompanied by a plan or plans showing the detailed use of the entire tract, which plan or plans also shall comply with all requirements of other applicable ordinances of the Borough. The plan shall clearly designate the proposed use(s) of each area of the tract. Development plans required in this district shall include the following:
(a)
The location and size of the site, with evidence supporting the general adequacy of the development.
(b)
The overall density of the development, the location of buildings and lots, as well as the percentage of building coverage.
(c)
The location, size, accessibility and proposed use of the required open space.
(d)
The feasibility of proposed utility and drainage systems.
(e)
The text of covenants, easements and existing restrictions or those to be imposed upon the land or structure, including provisions for public utilities.
(f)
In the case of plans involving staged development over a period exceeding one year, a schedule showing the time and manner of completion of all phases of construction.
(g)
Total number and location of all off-street parking spaces.
(14)
In conjunction with a conditional use application for a townhouse development, the following uses are also permitted as a conditional use:
[Added 10-11-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-05, approved 10-11-2016]