(a) General provisions.
(1) Required front yards must be open and unobstructed except for fences and light poles 20 feet or less in height. Except as otherwise provided in this section, ordinary projections of window sills, belt courses, cornices, and other architectural features may not project more than 12 inches into the required front yard. A fireplace chimney may project up to two feet into the required front yard if its area of projection does not exceed 12 square feet. Cantilevered roof eaves and balconies may project up to five feet into the required front yard.
(2) The front yard setback is measured from the front lot line of the building site or the required right-of-way as determined by the thoroughfare plan for all thoroughfares, whichever creates the greater setback. On minor streets, the front yard setback is measured from the front lot line of the building site or the existing right-of-way, whichever creates the greater setback. When the city council by ordinance establishes a specific right-of-way line for a street, the front yard setback is measured from that right-of-way line.
(3) If a building line that is established by ordinance requires a greater or lesser front yard than prescribed by this section, the building line established by ordinance determines the minimum required front yard.
(4) The building official may approve a ramp that projects into the required front yard to allow a handicapped person access to an existing single family, duplex, or handicapped group dwelling unit use. The ramp must be constructed with minimal encroachment and must be constructed to the applicable accessibility standard as determined by the building official. Initial review of a complete permit application for a ramp must be completed in 10 days.
(5) If a lot runs from one street to another and has double frontage, a required front yard must be provided on both streets. If access is prohibited on one frontage by plat or by the city, the following structures or portions of structures in the yard along that frontage are governed by the rear yard regulations in Section 51A-4.403:
(A) Swimming pools.
(B) Game courts.
(C) Fences.
(D) Garages.
(E) Accessory storage buildings.
(6) Except as provided in this paragraph, if a blockface is divided by two or more zoning districts, the front yard for the entire blockface must comply with the requirements of the district with the greatest front yard requirement.
(A) If the greatest front yard is in a district with only one or more of the following uses being conducted as a main use and having a minimum of 80 feet of frontage, the blockface terminates at the boundary of that use:
(i) Utility and public service uses listed in Section 51A-4.212.
(ii) A railroad right-of-way.
(iii) A cemetery or mausoleum.
(iv) Recreation uses listed in Section 51A-4.208.
(B) In this section BLOCKFACE means:
(i) the distance along one side of a street between the two nearest intersecting streets;
(ii) where a street deadends, the distance along one side of a street between the nearest intersecting street and the end of the deadend street; or
(iii) where a street centerline contains a change of direction greater than 45 degrees, the distance along one side of a street between either the nearest intersecting street or the deadend and the point determining the angle of the change of direction.
(7) Reserved.
(8) The minimum front yard requirements in a planned development district are controlled by the planned development district regulations.
(9) In an A(A), multifamily, MH(A), office, retail, CS, LI, IR, IM, central area, mixed use, or multiple commercial district, the board of adjustment may allow a special exception from the front yard requirements of this section to permit the erection of a permanently constructed porte-cochere, covered walkway, or canopy if the structure is rectilinear in shape and does not exceed 25 feet in width at the building line, and if the board finds that the structure will not adversely affect neighboring property.
(b) Front yard provisions for residential districts.
(1) If a corner lot in a single family, duplex, or agricultural district has two street frontages of equal distance, one frontage is governed by the front yard regulations of this section, and the other frontage is governed by the side yard regulations in Section 51A-4.402. If the corner lot has two street frontages of unequal distance, the shorter frontage is governed by this section, and the longer frontage is governed by side yard regulations in Section 51A-4.402. Notwithstanding this provision, the continuity of the established setback along street frontage must be maintained.
(2) Reserved.
(3) If a TH or TH(A) district abuts another residential district in the same blockface and fronts on the same side of the street, the residential district with the greater front yard requirement determines the minimum front yard. The minimum front yard for the residential district with the greater front yard requirement must extend at least 150 feet into the TH or TH(A) district.
(4) through (7) Reserved.
(c) Special exception for carports.
(1) The board may grant a special exception to the minimum front yard requirements in this section for a carport for a single family or duplex use when, in the opinion of the board:
(A) there is no adequate vehicular access to an area behind the required front building line that would accommodate a parking space; and
(B) the carport will not have a detrimental impact on surrounding properties.
(2) In determining whether to grant this special exception, the board shall consider the following factors:
(A) Whether the requested special exception is compatible with the character of the neighborhood.
(B) Whether the value of surrounding properties will be adversely affected.
(C) The suitability of the size and location of the carport.
(D) The materials to be used in construction of the carport.
(3) Storage of items other than motor vehicles is prohibited in a carport for which a special exception has been granted under this subsection.
(d) Special exception for tree preservation.
(1) The board may grant a special exception to the minimum front yard requirements in this section to preserve an existing tree.
(2) In determining whether to grant this special exception, the board shall consider the following factors:
(A) Whether the requested special exception is compatible with the character of the neighborhood.
(B) Whether the value of surrounding properties will be adversely affected.
(C) Whether the tree is worthy of preservation.
(e) Schedule of minimum front yards.
(1) Except as provided in this section, a person shall not erect, alter, convert, or maintain a structure or part of a structure in violation of the minimum front yard requirements in the district regulations (Divisions 51A-4.100 et seq.). A schedule of minimum front yards is provided in Section 51A-4.410. (Ord. Nos. 19455; 19786; 20236; 21186; 21290; 22053; 26531; 30895; 30932)