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PHILADELPHIA HOME RULE CHARTER
THE PHILADELPHIA CODE
TITLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE 2. CITY-COUNTY CONSOLIDATION
TITLE 3. AIR MANAGEMENT CODE
TITLE 4. THE PHILADELPHIA BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND OCCUPANCY CODE
TITLE 4.1. ELECTRICAL CODE
TITLE 4.2. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE
TITLE 5. FIRE PREVENTION CODE
TITLE 6. HEALTH CODE
TITLE 7. HOUSING CODE
TITLE 8. PLUMBING CODE
TITLE 9. REGULATION OF BUSINESSES, TRADES AND PROFESSIONS
TITLE 10. REGULATION OF INDIVIDUAL CONDUCT AND ACTIVITY
TITLE 11. STREETS
TITLE 12. TRAFFIC CODE
TITLE 13. WATER AND SEWER
TITLE 14. ZONING AND PLANNING
PREFACE: BILL NO. 110845
CHAPTER 14-100. GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 14-200. DEFINITIONS
§ 14-201. Rules of Interpretation.
§ 14-202. Rules of Measurement.
§ 14-203. Definitions.
(1) Abut.
(2) Accessory Use.
(3) Active Recreation.
(4) Adjacent.
(5) Adult Cabaret.
(6) Adult Massage Shop.
(7) Adult Modeling or Photography Studio.
(8) Adult Motion Picture Theater.
(9) Adult-Oriented Merchandise, Retail Sales of.
(10) Adult-Oriented Service.
(11) Adult Spa or Health Club.
(12) Airport Imaginary Surface.
(13) Airport-Related Facilities.
(14) Alley.
(15) Alter or Alteration.
(16) Amusement Arcade.
(17) Animal Husbandry.
(18) Animal Services.
(19) Antenna, Building or Tower-Mounted.
(20) Apparel and Accessories, Retail Sales of.
(21) Arbor.
(22) Arcade.
(23) Architectural Features.
(24) Architectural Recesses.
(25) Area of a Building.
(26) Art Commission.
(27) Artist.
(28) Artist Studio and Artisan Industrial.
(29) Assembly and Entertainment.
(30) Auto-Share Parking Space.
(31) Awning.
(31.1) Balcony.
(32) Balustrade.
(33) Bank of a Surface Water Body.
(34) Basement.
(35) Bay Window.
(35.1) [Reserved.]
(36) Bicycle Parking Space.
(37) Bicycle Storage Facility.
(38) Block.
(39) Block Face.
(40) Block Frontage.
(41) Board of License and Inspection Review.
(42) Body Art Service.
(43) Building.
(44) Building, Attached.
(45) Building, Completely Enclosed.
(46) Building, Detached.
(47) Building, Semi-Detached.
(47.1) Building Line.
(48) Building Services.
(49) Building Supplies and Equipment, Retail Sales of.
(50) Business Support.
(51) Canopy.
(52) Caretaker Quarters.
(53) Carpool.
(54) Carport.
(55) Cartway.
(56) Casino.
(57) Cellar.
(58) Cell.
(59) Cellular Service.
(60) Cell Site.
(61) Cemetery.
(62) Check Cashing Establishment.
(63) Chimney.
(64) City Council.
(65) City Datum.
(66) City Plan.
(67) City Planning Commission.
(68) City-Related Agency.
(69) Civic Design Review Committee.
(70) Commercial Services.
(70.1) Commissaries and Catering Services.
(71) Commission.
(72) Community Garden.
(73) Comprehensive Plan.
(74) Connector Space.
(75) Conservators.
(76) Construct or Construction.
(77) Consumer Goods, Retail Sales of.
(78) Contributing Building, Structure, Site, or Object.
(78.1) Convenience Sales.
(79) Cornice.
(80) Council.
(80.1) Councilmember or Councilperson.
(81) Cultural Programming.
(81.1) Customary Maintenance.
(82) Child Care.
(83) Child Care Center.
(84) Child Care, Family.
(85) Child Care, Group.
(86) Deck.
(87) Deck, Roof.
(88) Demolition or Demolish.
(89) Department of Licenses and Inspections.
(90) Department of Parks and Recreation.
(91) Department of Streets.
(92) Design.
(93) Detention and Correctional Facility.
(94) Development.
(94.1) [Reserved.]
(95) Directly Connected Impervious Surface.
(96) Discharge.
(97) District.
(97.1) Dock.
(98.1) DPR.
(99) Drive-Through.
(100) Driveway.
(101) Driveway, Shared.
(102) Driveway, Parking Lot.
(103) Drug Paraphernalia Stores.
(104) Dwelling Unit.
(105) Earth Moving Activity.
(106) Easement.
(107) Eating and Drinking Establishments.
(108) Educational Facilities.
(108.1) Embellishment.
(109) Enclosed Building.
(110) Enclosed Public Space.
(111) Entranceway.
(112) Entranceway Cover.
(113) Equipment and Materials Storage Yards and Buildings.
(113.1) Event Assembly Facility.
(114) Existing Structure.
(115) Family.
(116) Farm, Market or Community-Supported.
(117) Farmer's Market.
(118) Fence or Retaining Wall.
(119) Finally Denied Application.
(120) Financial Services.
(121) Financial Services, Personal Credit Establishment.
(122) Fire Escape.
(123) Flood.
(124) Flood, Base.
(125) Flood Elevation, Regulatory.
(126) Flood, Regulatory.
(127) Floodproofing.
(128) Floodplain Area.
(129) Floodway.
(130) Floor.
(131) Floor Area Ratio.
(132) Food, Beverages, and Groceries, Retail Sales of.
(133) Fortune Telling Service.
(134) Fraternal Organization.
(135) [Reserved.]
(135.1) Front Facade.
(136) Funeral and Mortuary Services.
(137) Gable.
(138) Reserved.
(138.1) Grade Plane.
(138.2) Green Roof.
(139) Gross Floor Area.
(140) Ground Floor.
(141) Group Living.
(142) Group Medical, Dental, and Health Practitioner.
(143) Gun Shop.
(144) Height, Building or Structure.
(145) Heritage Tree.
(146) Historical Commission.
(147) Historic Building.
(148) Historic District, Object, Site, or Structure.
(148.1) Home Occupation.
(149) Hospital.
(150) Household Living.
(151) Household Living, Single-Family.
(152) Household Living, Two-Family.
(153) Household Living, Multi-Family.
(154) Impervious Ground Cover.
(155) Industrial.
(156) Industrial, Artisan and Artist Studio.
(157) Industrial, General.
(158) Industrial, Intensive.
(159) Industrial, Limited.
(160) [Reserved.]
(161) Interior Walk.
(162) Junk and Salvage Yards and Buildings.
(163) Kiosk.
(164) L&I.
(165) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
(166) Libraries and Cultural Exhibits.
(167) Light Source.
(168) Loading Space, Off-Street.
(168.1) Logo.
(169) Lot.
(170) Lot Adjustment.
(171) Lot, Corner.
(172) Lot, Intermediate.
(172.1) Lot, Through.
(173) Lot, Reverse Frontage.
(174) Lot Area.
(175) Lot Depth.
(176) Lot Frontage.
(177) Lot Width.
(178) Lot Line.
(179) Low Occupancy Facility.
(180) Maintenance and Repair of Consumer Goods.
(180.2) Manufactured Home (in a Floodplain Area).
(181) Marina.
(182) Marine-Related Industrial.
(183) Master Plan.
(183.1) Master Plan, Minor Amendment.
(184) Mean Sea Level.
(185) Medical Center.
(185.1) Medical Marijuana Dispensary.
(185.2) Medical Marijuana Growing/Processing Facility.
(186) Mezzanine.
(187) Mining/Quarrying.
(188) Moldings and Belt Courses.
(188.1) Movie Theater.
(189) Moving and Storage Facilities.
(190) Multi-Family Building.
(190.1) Multiple Buildings.
(191) Natural Resources Preservation.
(191.1) New Construction (in a Floodplain Area).
(192) Nightclubs and Public Entertainment Venues.
(193) Nonconformity.
(194) Nurseries and Greenhouses, Horticulture.
(195) Object.
(196) Occupied Area.
(197) Office.
(198) Office, Business and Professional.
(199) Office, Government.
(200) Office, Medical, Dental, and Health Practitioner.
(201) On-Site Cultural Programming.
(202) On-Site Public Art.
(203) Reserved.
(204) One Year Rule.
(205) Open Area.
(206) Open Space, Public.
(207) Openings and Entranceways.
(208) Open Storage.
(209) Parapet.
(210) Parcel.
(211) Parking, Aisle.
(212) Parking, Mechanical Access.
(213) Parking, Non-Accessory.
(214) Parking, Off-Street.
(215) Parking Garage.
(216) Parking Garage, Private Residence.
(217) Parking Garage, Private.
(218) Parking Garage, Public.
(219) Parking Lot.
(220) Parking Lot, Private.
(221) Parking Lot, Public.
(222) Parks and Open Space.
(223) Passive Recreation.
(224) Patio.
(225) Pawnshop.
(226) Payday Loans.
(227) Payday Lender.
(228) [Reserved.]
(229) Performance Space.
(230) Personal Care Home.
(231) Personal Communications System or PCS.
(232) Personal Credit Establishment.
(233) Personal Services.
(234) Pets and Pet Supplies, Retail Sales of.
(234.1) Pier.
(235) Pilaster.
(236) Planning Commission.
(237) Plat, Final.
(238) Plat, Preliminary.
(239) Plaza, Public.
(240) Plot Plan.
(241) Pool or Billiards Room.
(242) Porch.
(243) Premises.
(244) Prepared Food.
(245) Prepared Food Shop.
(245.1) Primary Frontage.
(246) Principal Building.
(247) Principal Use.
(248) Property Data Map.
(249) Protected Use.
(250) Public Access.
(251) Public, Civic, and Institutional.
(252) Public Interior Portion.
(253) Public Room.
(254) Public Space.
(255) Public Transit Concourse.
(256) Radio, Television, and Recording Services.
(257) Rear Yard.
(258) Re-Entry Facility.
(259) Registered Community Organization or RCO.
(260) Religious Assembly.
(261) Research and Development.
(262) Residential Building.
(263) Restaurant, Sit Down.
(264) Restaurant, Take-Out.
(265) Retail Sales.
(266) Retaining Wall.
(267) Right-of-Way.
(267.1) Roof Deck Access Structure.
(268) Safety Services.
(269) Setback, Front.
(270) Setback, Rear.
(271) Setback, Side.
(272) Setback, Waterfront.
(273) Setback Line, Front or Building.
(274) Sight Distance.
(275) Sight Triangle.
(276) Sign.
(277) Reserved.
(278) Sign, Accessory.
(279) Reserved.
(280) Sign, Building Identification.
(280.1) Sign, Cabinet.
(281) Sign, Commercial.
(281.1) Reserved.
(282) Sign, Directional.
(283) Sign, Freestanding.
(284) Sign, Marquee.
(284.1) Sign, Mechanical Movement.
(284.2) Sign, Menu Board.
(285) Sign, Non-Accessory.
(286) Sign, Non-Commercial.
(287) Sign, Portable.
(288) Reserved.
(289) Sign, Projecting.
(290) Reserved.
(291) Sign, Real Estate.
(292) Reserved.
(293) Sign, Roof.
(294) Sign, Temporary.
(295) Sign, Wall.
(295.1) Sign, Window.
(296) Sign Area.
(296.1) Sign Apron.
(296.2) Sign Illumination, Animated.
(296.3) Sign Illumination, Static.
(297) Single-Room Residence.
(298) Site.
(298.1) Site Clearing.
(299) Site Improvements.
(300) Slope.
(300.1) Smoking Lounge.
(301) Sole Medical, Dental, and Health Practitioner.
(302) Stables.
(303) Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
(303.1) Store Frontage.
(304) Special Flood Hazard Area, Approximate Zone A.
(304.1) Special Flood Hazard Area, Zone AE.
(305) Specified Anatomical Areas.
(306) Specified Sexual Activities.
(307) Stormwater Management System.
(308) Stormwater Runoff.
(309) Story.
(309.1) Stream.
(310) Street.
(311) Street, Cul-De-Sac.
(312) Street, Major.
(313) Street, Major Highway.
(314) Street, Primary Residential.
(314.1) Street, Rear.
(315) Street, Secondary Residential.
(316) Street, Tertiary Residential.
(317) Street, Marginal Access.
(317.1) Street Drainage.
(318) Street Frontage.
(319) Street Line.
(320) Streetscape.
(321) Streets Department.
(322) Structural Elements.
(323) Structure.
(324) Structured Parking, Non-Accessory.
(325) Student.
(326) Studio.
(327) Subdivider.
(328) Subdivision.
(329) Substantial Damage.
(330) Substantial Improvement.
(331) Sundries, Pharmaceuticals, and Convenience Sales.
(332) Surface Parking, Non-Accessory.
(332.1) Swale.
(333) Tattoo Parlor.
(334) Terrace.
(335) Through-Block Pedestrian Walkway.
(336) Top-of-Bank.
(337) Reserved.
(338) Reserved.
(339) Reserved.
(340) Reserved.
(341) Transit Station.
(342) Trash and Recycling Storage.
(343) Trucking and Transportation Terminals.
(344) Undeveloped Land.
(345) Urban Agricultural.
(345.1) Urban Experiential Display.
(346) Utilities and Services, Basic.
(347) Utilities and Services, Major.
(348) Vanpool.
(349) Variance.
(350) Vendor Stand.
(351) Vehicle Equipment and Supplies Sales and Rentals.
(351.1) Vehicle Fueling Station.
(352) Vehicle and Vehicular Equipment Sales and Services.
(353) Vehicle Paint Finishing Shop.
(354) Vehicle Repair and Maintenance, Commercial.
(355) Vehicle Repair and Maintenance, Personal.
(356) Vehicle Sales and Rentals, Commercial.
(357) Vehicle Sales and Rentals, Personal.
(358) Visitor Accommodations.
(359) Visitable Dwelling Unit.
(360) Walkway.
(361) Warehouse.
(362) Water Department.
(363) Wearing Apparel and Accessories.
(364) Wholesale, Distribution, and Storage.
(365) Wholesale Sales and Distribution.
(366) Wireless Antenna, Building or Tower-Mounted.
(367) Wireless Service Facility.
(368) Wireless Services.
(369) Wireless Tower, Freestanding.
(370) Yard.
(371) Zoning Board of Adjustment.
CHAPTER 14-300. ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURES
CHAPTER 14-400. BASE ZONING DISTRICTS
CHAPTER 14-500. OVERLAY ZONING DISTRICTS
CHAPTER 14-600. USE REGULATIONS
CHAPTER 14-700. DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
CHAPTER 14-800. PARKING AND LOADING
CHAPTER 14-900. SIGNS
CHAPTER 14-1000. HISTORIC PRESERVATION
TITLE 15. PARKS AND RECREATION
TITLE 16. PUBLIC PROPERTY
TITLE 17. CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT
TITLE 18. COMMERCE AND AVIATION
TITLE 19. FINANCE, TAXES AND COLLECTIONS
TITLE 20. OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
TITLE 21. MISCELLANEOUS
TITLE 22. PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT CODE
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(92)   Design.
As used in Chapter 14-1000 (Historic Preservation) and § 14-504(5) (Queen Village): Features including mass, height, appearance, volume, and the texture, color, nature, and composition of materials.
(93)   Detention and Correctional Facility.
See § 14-601(4)(d) (Detention and Correctional Facilities).
(94)   Development.
(a)   As used in § 14-704(4) (Flood Protection) and § 14-704(2) (Steep Slope Protection): Any construction, reconstruction, modification, extension, expansion, or substantial improvement of structures; filling; dredging; mining; grading; paving; excavation; drilling operations; or storage of equipment or materials; land excavation; land clearing; land improvement; or any construction thereof.
(b)   For all other purposes: The erection or relocation of a structure, an alteration to an existing structure that results in a change in gross floor area, or a lot adjustment.
(94.1)   [Reserved.]  64

 

Notes

64
   Added, Bill No. 120430-A (approved January 14, 2013); deleted, Bill No. 150766 (approved December 8, 2015).
(95)   Directly Connected Impervious Surface.  65
As used in § 14-704(5) (Waterfront Setbacks): An impervious or impermeable surface, which is directly connected to the City's drainage system, as defined by the Philadelphia Water Department.

 

Notes

65
   Amended, Bill No. 120654 (approved December 11, 2012).
(96)   Discharge.
To dispose, deposit, spill, pour, inject, dump, leak, or place by any means, or any material that is disposed, deposited, spilled, poured, injected, dumped, leaded, or placed by any means.
(97)   District.
(a)   As used in Chapter 14-1000 (Historic Preservation): A geographically definable area possessing a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of buildings, structures, sites, or objects united by past events, plan, or physical development. A district may comprise an individual site or individual elements separated geographically but linked by association, plan, design, or history.
(b)   For all other purposes: One of the base or overlay zoning districts identified in Chapter 14-400 (Base Zoning Districts) or Chapter 14-500 (Overlay Zoning Districts) and depicted on the Official Zoning Map.
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