§ 14-908. Queen Village Neighborhood Conservation District. 384

   (1)   Legislative Findings. The Council finds that the requirements of Code Section 14-903(1) - (6) for submission of a proposed Neighborhood Conservation District have been met for the proposed Queen Village Neighborhood Conservation District.

   (2)   District Boundaries. For the purposes of this Chapter, The Queen Village Neighborhood Conservation District shall be bounded by: the north side of Washington Avenue, the properties on the north side of Bainbridge Street (inclusive), the east side of 6th Street and the west side of Front Street, except for any property subject to Section 14-1612, "South Street/HeadHouse Square Special Services District Controls."

   (3)   Area Regulations – Residential Structures. These regulations shall apply to properties residentially zoned, regardless of use, and to properties that are permitted by the Department for exclusive residential use.

      (a)   Building Set-back Line. Buildings with legal street frontage shall have no front set-back except that buildings with a street frontage of 20 feet or more on a single street and corner lots may have front set-backs from all street frontages only if a fence wall is constructed upon the property line where the set-back is used, and the space between the fence wall and the building contains at least one tree as approved in the official Philadelphia City Planning Commission plantings list.

      (b)   Height Regulations. On streets with a width of 21 feet or less, including the cartway and legal sidewalks, new construction shall not exceed 22 feet in height to a cornice line, before either:

         (.1)   Recessing on a plane, a minimum of 45 degrees, to the maximum height allowable in the underlying zoning district or any applicable zoning overlay; or

         (.2)   Stepping back from the front property line 8 feet to a vertical wall that may extend to the maximum height allowable in the underlying zoning district or any applicable zoning overlay.

   (4)   Design Guidelines – Residential Structures. These regulations shall apply to properties residentially zoned, regardless of use, and to properties that are permitted by the Department for exclusive residential use.

      (a)   Requirements for Both New Construction and Alterations.

         (.1)   Where street frontage of a new building exceeds 20 feet on a single street or where an existing building is extended to exceed 20 feet on a single street, the facade facing that street shall be broken up by offset planes, roofline variations or other architectural features including, but not limited to, bay windows or set-backs.

         (.2)   Residential buildings must have a habitable room on the front of the first floor. A habitable room shall be as defined in the Property Maintenance Code, section PM-202.0.

         (.3)   New doors shall be placed at least one foot above the sidewalk.

         (.4)   New utility meters shall be hidden from view from the street frontage.

         (.5)   Fences and fence walls. New fences and fence walls must be in compliance with Section 14-231(4) of the Code.

         (.6)   Fenestration. Windows along the street front of first floor habitable rooms shall:

            (.a)   Have a maximum height of 4 feet 6 inches from the bottom windowsill to the sidewalk;

            (.b)   The overall window height shall be at least 4 feet from sill to head; and

            (.c)   The minimum aggregate width of the window(s), in lineal feet, shall be at least 33% of the total lineal frontage of the first floor.

         (.7)   Parking.

            (.a)   Front garages will only be permitted where there is a habitable room on the first floor and the fenestration requirements for that habitable room are met.

            (.b)   Open-air parking spaces shall not be visible from the street frontage.

            (.c)   New curb cuts shall not exceed 10 feet in width for a single space, 20 feet for a double space.

            (.d)   For new construction of two or more units within a row, parking spaces or garages shall be placed directly adjacent to one another, except where the Planning Commission determines it impracticable.

            (.e)   Parking lots visible from the street shall have a requirement of 10 percent of their total area to be landscaped with plants to come from the approved Planning Commission list.

         (.8)   Roof Decks. Roof decks must be set-back at least 8 feet from the front property line, or a parapet to enclose the front of the deck must be used and be at least 42 inches high.

         (.9)   Materials.

            (.a)   No vinyl, stucco or cement board siding can be used on the front facade of a building, not including garage doors, main doors and fenestration.

            (.b)   Projecting bay windows that face a street shall not be constructed of stucco.

            (.c)   Parking lots visible from the street shall not be constructed of asphalt or slab concrete paving materials.

            (.d)   Rear walls of buildings shall be faced with masonry materials, which may include stucco; provided, however, that if the rear of a structure is visible from a street, a material consistent with the front facade of the building shall be used.

            (.e)   Railings for roof decks shall be a maximum of 50 percent opaque and may not be constructed of unfinished wood.

            (.f)   Fences may not be constructed of unfinished wood or chain link fencing materials.

            (.g)   For all newly constructed front facades, a light illuminating the sidewalk shall be installed adjacent to the front door and the illumination shall be controlled via a timer.

   (5)   Area Regulations – Commercial and Industrial Structures. These regulations shall apply to properties zoned commercial or industrial, other than properties permitted by the Department for exclusive residential use.

      (a)   Building Set-back Line. Buildings with legal street frontage shall have no front set-back.

   (6)   Design Guidelines – Commercially Zoned and Industrially Zoned Structures. These regulations shall apply to properties zoned commercial or industrial, other than properties permitted by the Department for exclusive residential use.

      (a)   Requirements for Both New Construction and Alterations.

         (.1)   Parking and Loading. New off street parking and loading areas shall be hidden from the main street frontage.

         (.2)   Materials. The materials used in the construction of a new structure or facade shall be of similar material to that used on the nearest residential structures fronting on the same street as the property under review.

 

Notes

384

Added, Bill No. 080080-A (approved July 15, 2008); subsection (7) deleted, Bill No. 100199 (approved July 29, 2010). Section 2 of Bill No. 100199 provides: "This Ordinance shall be effective immediately, notwithstanding any contrary provisions of Section 14-903 of The Philadelphia Code, relating to the creation and amendment of Neighborhood Conservation Districts."