(a) Lot Area and Yards.
(1) Reduction of side and rear yards for lots of record.
A. On lots less than fifty feet wide, existing and of record at the time of the adoption of this section (February 27, 1973), the required side yard may be reduced one and one-half inches for each foot such lot is less than fifty feet in width; provided that in no case shall the width of the side yard be reduced to less than three feet.
B. On lots less than 120 feet deep, existing and of record at the time of the adoption of this section (February 27, 1973), the depth of a required rear yard may be reduced two inches for every foot such lot is less than 120 feet deep; provided that in no case shall the depth of the required rear yard be reduced to less than ten feet.
(2) Public sanitary facilities not available. In any R District where a public sanitary sewer is not accessible, the otherwise specified lot area and frontage requirements shall be: minimum lot area, 20,000 square feet; lot frontage at building line, 100 feet; if public water is available, 10,000 square feet.
(3) Average depth of front yards. In any R District, no front yard for a principal building of three stories or less shall be required to exceed:
A. The average depth of existing front yards on lots abutting on each side; or
B. The average depth of existing front yards on all lots on the same side of the street within the same block and within 200 feet when fifty-one percent or more of the lots are improved with residence buildings, whichever is greater;
provided that in no case shall a front yard for a principal building of three stories or less be less than ten feet.
(4) Double frontage lots. Where a lot extends through the block from street to street, the required front yards shall be provided along each street.
(5) Computation of rear yards. In computing the dimension of a required rear yard adjoining a public alley, one-half of such alley may be assumed to be a portion of the yard, except that in no case shall any building or structure be erected closer than five feet to any such alley.
(6) Side yard, corner lot. A side yard along the side street line of a corner lot, which lot abuts in the rear, either directly or across an alley, the side lot line of another lot in an R District, shall have a width of not less than one- half the depth of the required minimum front yard.
(7) Side yard where lines are not parallel. Where a side wall of a building is not parallel with the side lot line, or where a side yard is irregular, the average side yard width may be considered the required minimum width; provided the side yard shall not be narrower than five feet nor less than one-half the required minimum width at any point, and the side yard width along any unbroken section of side wall shall not be less than that required for a side wall of equivalent length and story height.
(8) Required rear yard where lot is irregular shape. In the case of an irregular, triangular or gore-shaped lot, the required minimum depth of a rear yard may be deemed to be the average depth; provided that no rear yard so averaged shall be less than ten feet or one-half the required minimum depth at any point.
(9) Front and side yard increase for length of building. The front yard shall be increased above the minimum by one foot for each ten feet by which the length of the building wall abutting such front yard exceeds sixty feet. The side yard shall be increased above the minimum by one foot for each ten feet by which the length of the building wall abutting such side yard exceeds sixty feet. For the purpose of this article, the length of the building wall abutting a front or side yard shall be deemed the longest side of the rectangle of least area within which such building could be enclosed.
(b) Projections into Yards.
(1) Front, rear and side street yards. Into any required front, rear or side yard adjoining a side street lot line, the following projections may be permitted.
A. Cornices, sills, belt courses, eaves and other ornamental features to a distance of not more than four feet.
B. Fire escapes to a distance of not more than four feet six inches.
C. Uncovered stairways and necessary landings to a distance of not more than four feet six inches, provided such stair and landing shall not extend above the entrance floor of the building, except for a railing not to exceed three feet in height.
D. Bay windows and chimneys to a distance of not more than three feet, provided that such features do not occupy, in the aggregate, more than one-third the length of the building wall on which they are located.
E. Terraces and uncovered porches, when constructed more than six inches above the ground level at the nearest lot line, to a distance of not more than two feet six inches, provided such terraces and porches do not extend more than three feet above the floor level of the ground story.
F. Porte-cocheres or canopies to a distance of not more than two feet six inches.
G. Balconies, in R Districts, to a distance of not more than three feet into yards of less than twenty feet and to a distance of not more than six feet into yards of more than twenty feet; provided that such balconies do not occupy, in the aggregate, more than one- third the length of the building wall on which they are located.
(2) Interior side yards. Subject to the limitations for features projecting into front yards and side yards adjoining side street lot lines, such features may also project into required yards adjoining interior side lot lines, provided that the distance shall not exceed one-fifth of the required least width of such side yard and not more than three feet in any case.
(c) Height Modification. The height limitations stipulated elsewhere in this Zoning Ordinance shall not apply to:
(1) Places of public assembly in churches, schools and other permitted public and semipublic buildings in the R Districts provided that these shall be located only on the first floor of such buildings and further provided that for each three feet by which the height of such building exceeds the maximum height otherwise permitted in the district, its side and rear yards shall be increased in width or depth by an additional foot over the side and rear yards required for the highest building otherwise permitted in the district.
(2) Barns, silos or other farm buildings and structures; architectural features such as spires, belfries, cupolas, domes, false mansards, monuments; water towers, fire and hose towers, transmission towers; windmills, chimneys, smoke stacks; flag poles, radio and television towers, masts and aerials; parapet walls extending not more than four feet above the limiting height of the building.
(3) Bulkheads, penthouses covering fixed mechanical equipment, water storage tanks, cooling towers and scenery lofts, provided no linear dimension exceeds fifty percent of the corresponding street lot line frontage. All such structures above the heights otherwise permitted in the district shall not occupy more than twenty-five percent of the area of the lot, and unless modified by the Board of Zoning Appeals, shall be not less than fifty feet distant in all parts from every lot line not a street lot line.
(4) Within the R-1 and R-2 districts, the zoning height restriction may be waived by the Zoning Administrator, but in no case shall the height of the new dwelling exceed forty feet or three stories.
(Ord. 0-1035. Passed 8-27-02.)
(d) Other Modifications. Within the limits of a required yard in an R District no structure other than an accessory building shall exceed six feet in height except as otherwise specified.
(Ord. A-2530. Passed 2-27-73.)