West Rockhill Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
Residential Agriculture District
§ 450-500 Purpose.
A.
Residential Agriculture (RA). The purpose of the RA District is to recognize and protect those areas of the Township where farming predominates. Within the district, areas with Class I, II, and III agricultural soils, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agricultural Soils Survey, shall be protected in accordance with the standards established herein. This district recognizes that farmland is being used to produce a product and has a positive purpose in utilizing the prime agricultural soils for the benefit of the entire community. Residents of the RA District are advised that there may be noise, odors, dust, fumes or other disturbances associated with agricultural practices which are considered to be acceptable effects of farming and shall not be regulated by Township nuisance laws. Requirements for the RA District are designed to protect and stabilize the intrinsic rural character of the land, to encourage the continued use of land for agricultural and rural residential purposes and to promote, and encourage a suitable and safe environment for family life.
B.
Within the RA District, a building may be erected, altered or used, and a lot or premises may be used when in conformance with the conditions of this article and the specific use, area and design regulations of this district.
§ 450-501 Permitted uses.
A.
Uses permitted by right.
[Amended 10-19-2011 by Ord. No. 207]
(1)
A1 Farming/Agriculture.
(2)
A2 Nursery.
(3)
A3 Intensive Agriculture.
(4)
A5 Riding Academy.
(5)
A6 Accessory Agricultural Retail.
(6)
A7 Forestry.
(7)
A8 Accessory Farm Dwelling.
(8)
A9 Accessory Farm Business.
(9)
A10 Farm Support Facility.
(10)
A11 Residential Accessory Livestock.
(11)
B1 Single-Family Detached Dwelling.
(12)
C6 Public Recreation Area.
(13)
C12 Cemetery.
(14)
C13 Municipal Building.
D.
Permitted accessory uses.
(1)
H1 Home Occupation.
(2)
H2 Residential Accessory Structure.
(3)
H4 Temporary Structure and Vehicle.
(4)
H5 Swimming Pool.
(5)
H6 Recreational Vehicle.
(6)
H7 Spa/Hot Tub.
(7)
H8 Accessory Apartment for Family Member.
(8)
H9 Garage or Yard Sale.
(9)
H12 Wind Energy Conversion System.
(10)
H13 Radio, Television, and Paging Tower, Flagpoles, Dish and Microwave Antenna.
(11)
H15 Private Airfield.
(12)
H16 Family Day Care.
(13)
H17 No-Impact Home-Based Business.
(14)
H18 Nonresidential Accessory Building.
(15)
H20 Solar Energy System.
(16)
H21 Chicken Keeping.
[Added 7-15-2015 by Ord. No. 231]
§ 450-502 Area and dimensional requirements.
[Amended 10-19-2011 by Ord. No. 207]
All uses shall comply with the area and dimensional requirements listed in this section, unless a greater area or dimensional requirement is stated in § 450-1604, Use regulations, for the specific use, in which case the requirements of § 450-1604 shall apply. The development of any site in this district shall be consistent with the spirit and intent of the standards for farmland preservation in § 450-502D of this section. In calculating density under Subsection A and B hereunder, fractional numbers shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number.
A.
Sites containing less than 10 acres of farmland soils.
(1)
B1 Single-Family Detached Dwelling.
Standard Subdivision | Conservation | |
|---|---|---|
Minimum site area | — | 10 acres |
Minimum lot area | 1 acre | 10,890 square feet |
Maximum net density | 1 du/64,000 square feet | 1 du/32,000 square feet |
Minimum lot width | 150 | 70 feet |
Maximum impervious surface ratio | 15% | 30% |
Maximum building height | 35 feet | 35 feet |
Minimum front yard | 50 feet | 20 feet |
Minimum side yard | 35 feet | 10 feet |
Minimum rear yard | 50 feet | 25 feet |
Minimum open space ratio | — | 50% |
B.
Sites containing 10 acres or more of farmland soils.
(1)
B1 Single-Family Detached Dwelling.
Standard Subdivision | Agricultural Conservation | Estate Lots* | |
|---|---|---|---|
Minimum lot area | 1 acre | 10,890 square feet | 2 acres |
Maximum net density | 1 du/64,000 square feet | 1 du/36,000 square feet | 1 du/6 acres |
Minimum lot width | 150 feet | 70 feet | 200 feet |
Maximum impervious surface ratio | 15% | 30% | 10% |
Maximum building height | 35 feet | 35 feet | 35 feet |
Minimum front yard | 50 feet | 20 feet | 100 feet |
Minimum side yard | 35 feet | 10 feet | 100 feet |
Minimum rear yard | 50 feet | 25 feet | 100 feet |
Minimum farmland soil protection ratio | — | 50% | 50% |
* | Estate lot farmland preservation tracts may be placed on individual building lots in accordance with § 450-502C(4) below. |
(2)
B1 Single-Family Detached Dwelling.
Farm Subdivision* | |
|---|---|
Minimum original site area | 50 acres |
Minimum lot area | 25 acres |
Minimum lot width | 300 feet |
Maximum building height | 35 feet |
Maximum impervious surface ratio | 9% |
Minimum front yard | 75 feet |
Minimum side yard | 50 feet |
Minimum rear yard | 100 feet |
Minimum farmland soil protection ratio | 80% |
* | One dwelling may be constructed on any lot created under this option not already containing a residence. This dwelling and any appurtenant residential and agricultural structures shall be located to maximize the farmability of the lot and the protection of farmland soils on the lot. |
(3)
Other permitted uses.
C.
A parcel or tract of land which has 10 acres or greater of farmland soils shall comply with the following provisions:
(1)
All proposals for subdivisions and land developments shall complete a site capacity calculation as specified by Article XVII.
(2)
All proposed lots and development must be located on the portion of the tract designated as the buildable area.
(3)
Preserved farmland soils are protected by including them within one or more farmland preservation tracts. Proposed farmland preservation tracts must meet all of the standards of this chapter. Only those farmland soils included within farmland preservation tracts meeting the standards of this chapter shall be considered preserved and counted toward the requirement for the preservation of farmland soils.
(4)
Proposals submitted using the estate lots development option may propose farmland preservation tracts on one or more of the building lots or consolidate the farmland preservation tract into a separate parcel. Farmland preservation tracts located upon a building lot must be at least three acres in size, while a farmland preservation tract located upon a separate parcel must be at least five acres in size. Estate lots development option shall be deed restricted from further subdivision and a note against subdivision shall be placed on the subdivision plan recorded with the Recorder of Deeds.
(5)
In addition to the farmland preservation tract, the remainder of the nonbuildable site area may be located on one or more of the building lots or consolidated with the farmland preservation tract on a separate parcel. Any portion of the nonbuildable site area, including the farmland preservation tract, located on a building lot shall be protected by a conservation easement and deed restriction.
(6)
No preserved farmland soils protected under the requirement for the preservation of farmland soils may be altered or developed except for agricultural uses or as other otherwise permitted under this section.
(7)
Proposed property lines shall follow existing hedgerows or other natural features, where possible, to avoid dividing a farm or natural resource.
(8)
Building envelope. The building envelope may include woodlands, steep slopes and agricultural soils areas that are not part of the farmland preservation tract. The building envelope may not contain any of the following resources:
(9)
Exceptions.
(a)
Lot line changes. Lot line changes which do not result in the creation of an additional building lot shall be exempt from the above provisions if the property is immediately conveyed to the adjacent parcel. However, in the case of a lot line change, each resulting lot shall comply with the area and dimensional requirements specified above.
(b)
Act 319 subdivisions.[1] Subdivisions of parcels covenanted under Act 319 for the creation of one or two additional lots in compliance with the mandates of Act 319 necessary to keep the original parcel covenanted under Act 319 shall not be required to preserve any farmland soils. The additional one or two lots created in such a subdivision shall comply with the following dimensional requirements: All lots created under an Act 319 subdivision shall be deed restricted from further subdivision and a note against subdivision shall be placed on the subdivision plan recorded with the Recorder of Deeds.
B1 Single-Family Detached Dwelling | |
|---|---|
Act 319 Subdivision | |
Minimum lot area | 1 acre |
Maximum lot area | 2 acres |
Minimum lot width | 150 feet |
Maximum building height | 35 feet |
Maximum impervious surface ratio | 15% |
Minimum front yard | 50 feet |
Minimum side yard | 30 feet |
Minimum rear yard | 80 feet |
[1]
Editor's Note: See 72 P.S. § 5490.1 et seq., the Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act, as amended.
D.
Standards for farmland preservation. All farmland set aside areas as required by the natural resource protection standards in Article XVII shall comply with the following standards:
(1)
The farmland preservation tract shall consist of a contiguous area which includes all protected farmland soils and shall not be less than 300 feet in length, width or any other dimension at any point except as permitted in Subsection D(3) below.
(2)
The farmland preservation tract shall be of such shape so as to be suitable for the convenient use of modern farm equipment and machinery.
(3)
The farmland preservation tract shall have suitable access, including frontage on a public street, of not less than 150 linear feet. In the case where the farmland tract does not have road frontage due to the location of preserved farmland soils, the tract shall be provided with direct access to a public street. Such accessway shall not be less than 25 feet in width or greater than 45 feet in width.
(4)
A Type 3 buffer shall be provided between the farmland tract and residential lots in accordance with the requirements of § 450-1704 and shall be located on the residential lots and not on the farmland tract.
(5)
The preserved farmland tract may include the existing farmhouse and accessory farm buildings for the continued use of the individual(s) and their family members engaged in the agricultural operation on the property, provided the farmland tract consists of a minimum of 10 acres. One single-family detached dwelling, and accessory farm buildings may be constructed on a vacant farmland tract for the use of the property owner, and/or their family members engaged in the agricultural operation on the property, provided the farmland tract consists of at least 25 acres. The proposed structure must comply with the setback requirements of the farm subdivision development option.
(6)
To the greatest extent possible, farmland resulting from subdivision shall be situated adjacent to one another to form large contiguous farm tracts.