West Norriton Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 3
R-A RURAL-RESIDENCE DISTRICT
§ 27-301 Use Regulations.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991; as amended by Ord. 583, 1/6/2003, §§ 1, 2; by Ord. 584, 1/6/2003, § 1; by Ord. 08-625, 3/11/2008; by Ord. 08-631, 12/9/2008; by Ord. 09-638, 5/12/2009; by Ord. 10-653, 7/13/2010; and by Ord. 10-657, 9/14/2010]
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:
1.
One single-family detached dwelling.
2.
Agricultural or farm use on lots not less than 10 acres, provided that any building used for keeping of livestock and poultry or farm equipment shall be located not less than 100 feet from any property line. Kennels, piggeries and poultry farms shall not be permitted.
3.
Municipal building and municipal uses, to include parks and playgrounds.
4.
The following uses when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board of West Norriton Township as a special exception (see § 27-1416):
A.
Public, private or parochial educational institution, on a lot not less than five acres, subject to the following:
B.
Religious or philanthropic use on a lot not less than two acres, excluding the following uses which shall not be permitted: hospital, sanitarium, convalescent home and correctional or penal institution.
C.
Cemetery, provided that the lot area for such use shall be not less than two acres. Crematorium and funeral parlor are not permitted.
D.
Club or lodge organized for fraternal or social purposes, provided that the chief activity shall not be one which is customarily carried on as a business, and provided that the buildings and services shall be the for the use of members and their guests only, subject to the following restrictions:
5.
(Reserved)
6.
Accessory uses to a dwelling:
A.
One private detached garage and one detached storage structure in accordance with Subsection 7A (below). Private detached garages and storage structures shall not be used or converted to be used as a dwelling.
B.
One separate living area, including cooking facilities, may be provided for no more than two persons related to the principal occupant of the single-family detached dwelling by blood, marriage or adoption, provided that said use is registered with the Zoning Officer, subject to a written agreement to be recorded, to remove said cooking facilities when no longer utilized by said persons related to the principal occupant as aforesaid.
C.
Swimming pool for the use of dwelling residents and guests only. A swimming pool, including paved surfaces and equipment, shall not be located within the required front yard or forward of the front facade of an existing dwelling and shall be located not less than 20 feet from all property lines.
7.
Accessory use on the same lot with, and customarily incidental to, any of the foregoing permitted uses. The term "accessory use" shall not include a business, but shall include:
A.
One private garage with a total area no greater than the square footage of the first floor of the dwelling to which it is accessory, which shall have a peaked roof with a minimum slope of one foot to three feet, and which shall not exceed 14 feet in height at the peak; and one storage structure with a total area of no more than 250 square feet, which shall have a peaked roof with a minimum slope of one foot to three feet, and which shall not exceed 10 feet in height at the peak and which shall not be permanently attached to the ground or attached to any other structure or improvement.
B.
[1] As an accessory use to a public educational institution use on a tract of ground of at least 75 acres, an athletic stadium, with a seating capacity of no more than 2,500 spectators.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection 7B, regarding rental rooms for roomers, was repealed by Ord. 08-631, 12/9/2008.
C.
Tenant house or dwelling quarters for tenant farmers or employees of a farm or estate, provided that if a building containing such dwelling quarters is located so that it can be easily subdivided and sold separately from the main dwelling, it shall conform to all area, height and general regulations of the district applying to main buildings.
D.
Roadside stand for the sale of farm or nursery products produced on the property where offered for sale, provided such stand shall be situated not less than 15 feet from any street line. Not more than two signs advertising the sale of farm products may be erected and maintained in conjunction with each roadside stand. The area on one side of any such sign shall not exceed six square feet. Any such stand and sign shall be removed or kept in good condition during seasons when products are not being offered for sale.
9.
When accessory to a single-family detached dwelling only, one separate living area, including cooking facilities, may be provided for no more than two persons related to the principal occupant of the single-family detached dwelling by blood, marriage or adoption, provided that said use is registered with the Building Inspector, subject to a written agreement to be recorded, to remove said cooking facilities at the time said facilities are no longer utilized by said persons relating to the principal occupant as aforesaid.
§ 27-302 Area Regulations.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
1.
Lot Area and Frontage. A lot area of not less than 40,000 square feet per family shall be provided for every building erected or used in whole or in part as a dwelling and each lot shall have a frontage on at least one street of not less than 200 feet, subject to the provisions of § 27-1402.
2.
Building Area. Not more than 20% of the area of each lot may be occupied by buildings.
3.
Front Yards. There shall be a front yard on each street on which a lot abuts which shall be not less than 40 feet in depth, provided that the front yard on the long side of a corner may be reduced to a depth of not less than 25 feet.
4.
Side Yards. There shall be two side yards on each lot, neither of which shall be less than 20 feet in width.
5.
Rear Yard. There shall be a rear yard on each lot which shall be not less than 25 feet in depth.
§ 27-303 Height Restriction.
§ 27-304 Legislative Intent of State Institution Overlay District.
[Ord. No. 2024-769, 6/11/2024]
It is the intent of the West Norriton Township State Institution Overlay District ("SI District") to serve as a mandatory overlay district by conditional use that encompasses the area of the Township historically established as a campus of public uses housing mental health hospital and social services facilities constructed and used by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for more than 100 years. The district provides for the modernization of the historic use and promotion of efficiency for the co-location of needed public uses and compatible medical, mental health, and social services and governmental infill and reuse. This district shall apply to any subdivision and land development application.
§ 27-305 State Institution Overlay District Established.
[Ord. No. 2024-769, 6/11/2024]
1.
The State Institution Overlay District ("SI District") shall be an overlay to the underlying Rural-Residence (R-A) District. It is bounded on the north by the Norristown Farm Park; on the east by the Borough of Norristown; on the south by West Sterigere Street; and on the west by the Norristown Farm Park. The following shall apply to the overlay district:
A.
The provisions and requirements of the West Norriton Township State Institution Overlay District ("SI District") shall be additional and supplemental to the underlying district provisions and uses.
B.
The West Norriton Township State Institution Overlay District ("SI District") shall apply as particularly identified on the West Norriton Township Zoning Map, as depicted in Exhibit "A", attached hereto and incorporated herein.
§ 27-306 Requirements for Conditional Use Application.
[Ord. No. 2024-769, 6/11/2024]
Any applicant desiring to improve property with a new building requiring land development approval in the State Institution Overlay District ("SI District") is required to apply for and obtain conditional use approval pursuant to § 27-1708 of this chapter, and said application shall be governed by the standards and criteria set forth in § 27-307, Conditional permitted uses, below.
§ 27-307 Conditional Permitted Uses.
[Ord. No. 2024-769, 6/11/2024]
1.
The SI District shall be considered a superseding district. More than one use per lot is permitted in the SI District in accordance with the requirements of this Part. In the SI District, a building may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for one or more of the following permitted uses:
A.
Hospital uses, including medical and psychiatric;
B.
Mental health treatment and forensic psychiatric uses by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Montgomery County and non-profit entities;
C.
Offices of licensed medical, mental health and social services practitioners;
D.
Homeless shelter and related short-term transitional residential uses;
E.
Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Administration and other emergency response uses;
F.
Other Commonwealth of Pennsylvania related offices;
G.
Other Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Montgomery County and non-profit social services uses.
§ 27-308 Conditional Use Permitted Height Regulations.
[Ord. No. 2024-769, 6/11/2024]
1.
The structures and improvements within the SI District shall be subject to the requirements of the underlying district, except as hereinafter set forth:
A.
Maximum Building Height. The height of buildings in the SI District shall not exceed 35 feet, except the height of any principal building may exceed 35 feet in the SI Overlay District by one foot for each additional four feet by which the width of each yard exceeds the minimum yard regulations of the district; however, under no circumstances shall the height exceed a maximum of 80 feet, as defined by the Zoning Code.