Yardley City Zoning Code
PART 9
DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS
§ 27-901 General Standards.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
The lot or yard requirements for any new building or use shall not include any part of a lot that is required by any other building or use to comply with the requirements of this Chapter. No required lot or area shall include any property, the ownership of which has been transferred subsequent to the effective date of this Chapter, if such property was a part of the area required for compliance with the dimensional requirements applicable to the lot from which such transfer was made.
§ 27-911 General Standards.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982; as amended by Ord. 373, 8/15/1995]
Where a minimum lot size is specified no primary building or use shall be erected or established on any lot of lesser size than as specified in this Chapter. Where there are requirements for minimum lot area and gross density, both requirements must be met.
§ 27-912 Exceptions.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
1.
The provisions of Parts 2 through 6 shall not prevent the construction of a single-family dwelling on any lot that was lawful when created and which, prior to the effective date of this Chapter, was in separate ownership duly recorded by plan or deed, provided that:
A.
Such lot is not less than 90% of the minimum lot area or the required area required by gross density required under Parts 2 to 6.
B.
Those lots not served by public water and sewers shall meet all requirements of the Bucks County Health Department.
C.
The percentage of lot area covered by the single-family dwelling shall not exceed 15% of the area of the lot.
D.
The front and rear yards shall aggregate at least 60% of the total lot depth or meet the normal requirements of the district in which the lot is located; but in no case shall either the front yard nor the rear yard be less than 30 feet.
E.
The side yards shall aggregate at least 40% of the total lot width or meet the normal requirements of the district in which the lot is located, but in no case shall either side yard be less than 10 feet.
2.
This exception shall not apply to any two or more contiguous lots in a single ownership as of or subsequent to the effective date of this Chapter in any case where a reparceling or replatting could create one or more lots which would conform to this Chapter.
§ 27-921 General Standards.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982; as amended by Ord. 405, 5/2/2000]
1.
Where a minimum lot width is specified, no primary building shall be erected on any part of a lot that has a width less than that specified in Parts 2 to 6, except as specified in Part 9B, ‘Minimum Lot Size,” and as permitted in Subsection 2 below.
2.
Lane lots may be permitted on a tract of land with sufficient area in the rear of the tract for a lot or two but with frontage such that the number of lots able to meet the lot width requirement would be limited.
A.
Lane lots shall be permitted only when no other practical design layout is possible.
B.
The subdivision of land primarily by the use lane lots shall be permitted only when no other practical design layout is possible.
C.
No more than two lane lots may be created from the same tract even if the lots are subdivided from the tract at different times.
D.
Lane lots are not permitted in subdivision where a street could reasonably be developed to serve the lots with each lot meeting the minimum lot width requirement.
E.
A lane lot shall only be used for single-family detached dwellings.
F.
Each lot shall have a separate lane; however, the use of common driveways shall be permitted.
G.
If the proposed lane lot is not large enough to further subdivide under the zoning requirements at the time the subdivision is proposed, then the lane shall have a minimum width of 25 feet at the street line of a public street and shall not narrow to a lesser dimension. However, if the proposed lot is large enough to further subdivide under the zoning requirements at the time the subdivision is proposed, then the minimum lane width shall be 50 feet at the street line and shall not narrow to a lesser dimension.
H.
The area of the lane shall not be included in the calculation of the minimum lot area.
I.
The front yard setback for a lane lot shall be a distance equal to the front yard requirement for the district in which the lot is located and shall be measured from the point where the lot first meets the minimum lot width requirement.
J.
No lane lot shall be placed behind another lane lot.
§ 27-931 Visibility Across Corners.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
In all districts, no fence, planting or other structure shall be maintained between a plane two feet above curb level and a plane seven feet above curb level so as to interfere with traffic visibility across the corner within that part of the required front or side yard which is within a triangle bounded by the two street lines and a straight line drawn between points on each such line 25 feet from the intersection of said lines or extension thereof.
§ 27-941 General Standards.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
Where a minimum depth of front yard is specified in Parts 2 to 6, an open space of at least the specified depth shall be provided between the street line or lines and the nearest point of any building or structure, except as may be permitted hereinafter.
§ 27-942 Exceptions for Existing Alignment.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982; as amended by Ord. 335, 9/5/1989]
If the alignment of the two existing buildings on each side of a developed or undeveloped lot within a distance of 50 feet of the proposal or existing building and fronting on the same side of the same street in the same block is nearer to the street than the required front yard depth, the average of such existing alignment within that distance shall be the required front yard.
§ 27-943 Projections.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
Ground story bays and porches not over half the length of the front wall may project five feet into any front yard. Chimneys, flues, columns, sills, ornamental features, cornices and gutters may project not more than two feet over a required front yard.
§ 27-944 Fences and Terraces.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
The provisions of Parts 2 through 6 shall not apply to front fences, hedges or walls less than five feet high above the natural grade in the required front yard nor to terraces, steps, uncovered porches or unenclosed porches nor to other similar features less than three feet above the level of the floor of the ground story.
§ 27-945 Accessory Uses.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
Accessory uses shall not be permitted within required front yards, except as specified in Part 6.
§ 27-951 General Standards.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
No portion of a building or structure shall be built within the minimum depth from the side lot line specified in Parts 2 to 6, except as permitted in Part 6. Driveways shall be permitted in side yards.
§ 27-952 Projections.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
Bays, balconies, chimney flues and fire escapes may project into a required side yard net more than one-third of the width of the projection, but not more than four feet in any case. Ground story bays and porches not over half the length of the side wall may project into any required side yard 3½ feet.
§ 27-953 Fences and Terraces.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
The provisions of §27-953 shall not apply to fences or hedges less than five feet above the natural grade nor to terraces, steps, uncovered porches or other similar features less than three feet above the floor of the ground story.
§ 27-954 Accessory Buildings.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982; as amended by Ord. 279, 10/18/1983]
Accessory buildings are not permitted in side yards except as specified in §27-601.
§ 27-961 General Standards.
§ 27-962 Projections.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982]
Such projections into side yards as permitted by §27-952 may also be permitted into rear yards.
§ 27-963 Accessory Buildings.
[Ord. 273, 2/16/1982; as amended by Ord. 279, 10/18/1983]
Accessory buildings are not permitted in rear yards except as specified in §27-601