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Reading, PA Code of Ordinances
READING, PA CODE OF ORDINANCES
PREFACE
Chapter C HOME RULE CHARTER
Chapter 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 5 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Chapter 14 AUTHORITIES
Chapter 23 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS
Chapter 36 FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
Chapter 51 INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Chapter 62 PENSIONS
Chapter 70 PERSONNEL
Chapter 77 POLICE DEPARTMENT
Chapter 91 SALARIES AND COMPENSATION
Chapter 120 ALARM SYSTEMS
Chapter 127 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Chapter 141 ANIMALS
Chapter 166 CABLE TELEVISION
Chapter 173 COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY CODE
Chapter 180 CONSTRUCTION CODES
Chapter 185 CONVERSION THERAPY
Chapter 188 CURFEW
Chapter 201 ELECTRIC SERVICE
Chapter 212 FEES
Chapter 219 FIREARMS
Chapter 225 FIREWORKS
Chapter 231 FIRE INSURANCE PROCEEDS
Chapter 237 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
Chapter 251 FOOD CODE
Chapter 272 GRAFFITI
Chapter 288 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 295 HISTORICAL AND CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
Chapter 302 HOUSE NUMBERING
Chapter 308 HOUSING
Chapter 317 INVASIVE PLANTS AND NOXIOUS WEEDS
Chapter 325 LAW ENFORCEMENT
Chapter 328 LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
Chapter 332 LIBRARY
Chapter 339 LICENSES AND PERMITS
Chapter 346 LITTER AND ADVERTISING MATERIAL
Chapter 353 LOITERING AND PANHANDLING
Chapter 364 MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Chapter 378 MUNICIPAL CLAIMS AND LIENS
Chapter 387 NOISE
Chapter 396 PARKS AND RECREATION
Chapter 403 PAWNBROKERS
Chapter 410 PEDDLING AND SOLICITING
Chapter 424 POLES
Chapter 431 PROPERTY SALES
Chapter 433 PUBLIC ART
Chapter 438 RAIN BARRELS
Chapter 442 RECORDS, PUBLIC ACCESS
Chapter 453 SALES
Chapter 460 SCRAP METAL DEALERS
Chapter 467 SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
Chapter 473 SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES
Chapter 479 SIDEWALK CAFES
Chapter 485 SIGNS
Chapter 496 SOLID WASTE
Chapter 502 STORAGE FACILITIES
Chapter 505 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Chapter 508 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter 515 SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 521 SUSTAINABILITY
Chapter 536 TAMPERING WITH PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter 540 TATTOO AND PIERCING ESTABLISHMENTS
Chapter 543 TAX ABATEMENTS
Chapter 546 TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM
Chapter 549 TAXATION
Chapter 555 TREES
Chapter 564 VEHICLE NUISANCES, STORAGE OF
Chapter 570 VEHICLE REPAIR SHOPS
Chapter 576 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Chapter 583 VENDING MACHINES
Chapter 600 ZONING
Chapter A610 ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY
Chapter A611 BOND ISSUES AND LOANS
Chapter A612 FRANCHISE AND SERVICES
Chapter A613 GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Chapter A614 PLAN APPROVAL
Chapter A615 PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter A616 SEWERS
Chapter A617 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter A618 WATER
Chapter A619 ZONING; PRIOR ORDINANCES
Chapter DT DERIVATION TABLE
Chapter DL DISPOSITION LIST
§ 600-808. C-R Commercial Residential District.
   A.   Dimensional requirements.
 
Uses
Minimum Lot Size
(square feet)
Maximum Building Coverage
Maximum Impervious Coverage
Maximum Height
Minimum Lot Width
Minimum Front Yard Setback 1
Minimum Rear Yard Setback
Minimum Side Yard Setback (each)
Allowed residential uses
   Allowed under the provisions of the R-3 District regulations
High-rise apartments
25,000
70%
80%
100
72
10
25
15
Life-care retirement facility, personal care home, or nursing home
2,500
75%
85%
40
40
10
20
8
All other allowed uses
2,500
75%
90%
50
25
0
102
0*
 
NOTES:
1   See § 600-909, which may require a certain front yard setback.
2   Except twenty-foot rear setback and five-foot side yard setback shall apply for any use adjacent to an existing principally residential use, unless: (a) a new building is replacing a building that was previously attached along that lot line; or (b) unless the buildings are built as part of the same subdivision or land development. See requirements of Chapter 180, Construction Codes, including separation from windows and doors. New dwelling units that are allowed to be attached to each other do not need a side yard setback between the new dwellings.
   B.   Allowed uses.
      (1)   Permitted-by-right uses.
         (a)   The same residential uses shall be allowed as are allowed in the R-3 District.
         (b)   High-rise apartments, provided at least one principal business establishment required to be located on the street level.
         (c)   Bakeries (limited to 2,000 square feet production floor area) and retail sale of baked goods.
         (d)   Drive-through services shall only be permitted as accessory to a financial institution or a pharmacy.
         (e)   College or university, provided that any residential uses shall meet the requirements for that type of residential use.
         (f)   Conversion of existing building space into one or more dwelling units, which shall meet the requirements listed for "conversions" in § 600-1203D, even though the use is not a conditional use. Such conversion shall only be allowed if the lot includes at least one street-level principal business establishment.
         (g)   Exercise clubs and fitness centers.
         (h)   Fire and ambulance station.
         (i)   Funeral homes.
         (j)   Gardens, crop farming and forestry.
         (k)   Movie theaters/performing arts facilities.
         (l)   Municipal buildings.
         (m)   Nursing homes or personal-care centers.
         (n)   Offices, clinics and laboratories.
         (o)   Parking garages and lots. See also § 600-1008 for off-premises parking.
         (p)   Personal services, such as barber or beauty shop (see § 600-1103), tailors, nail salons (see § 600-1103) and certified massage therapy (see § 600-1103), and not including a massage parlor.
         (q)   Radio and television stations.
         (r)   Recreational facilities, public parks and nonmotorized recreation trails.
         (s)   Restaurants (eat-in or takeout) without entertainment and without drive-through service. This use shall not allow outdoor sale of ready-to-eat heated food on a regular basis on a lot that is not operated from a building on the lot.
         (t)   Retail stores, with drive-through facilities limited to a pharmacy, and with vehicle fuel sales and vehicle sales being prohibited.
         (u)   Small appliance sales, repair and service shops.
         (v)   Small Wireless Communications Facilities, pursuant to Part 21 of this Chapter. [Added 4-24-2023 by Ord. No. 41-2023]
         (w)   Social clubs and associations (non-PLCB licensed), provided such use shall not be open between 12:00 midnight and 11:00 a.m. For any use that also meets the definition of a BYOB, Chapter 127, Part 3 (§§ 127-301 to 127-308), and § 127-202 shall also be met, and provided there is a 5,000 square feet minimum lot area. [Amended 2-14-2011 by Ord. No. 8-2011]
         (x)   Trade, vocational and hobby schools, not including residential uses, and provided there is not exterior use of heavy equipment or heavy machinery in connection therewith.
      (2)   Accessory uses. See Part 10, unless otherwise noted.
         (a)   Amusement devices pursuant to § 600-1010 of this chapter.
         (b)   Entertainment pursuant to § 600-1005 of this chapter.
         (c)   Home occupations, major or minor, see § 600-1006.
         (d)   Geothermal heat pumps. [Added 10-26-2015 by Ord. No. 58-2015]
         (e)   Solar energy systems. [Added 10-26-2015 by Ord. No. 58-2015]
         (f)   Water-powered energy systems. [Added 10-26-2015 by Ord. No. 58-2015]
         (g)   Non-Tower WCFs, pursuant to Part 21 of this Chapter. [Added 3-27- 2017 by Ord. No. 21-2017; amended 4-24-2023 by Ord. No. 41-2023]
      (3)   Conditional uses. All uses listed below shall be pursuant to § 600-1203 of this chapter.
         (a)   Banquet hall.
         (b)   Boarding houses.
         (c)   Group-care facility.
         (d)   Public utilities.
         (e)   Taverns and nightclubs.
         (f)   Temporary shelter.
         (g)   Group-care facility.
      (4)   Special exception uses. All uses listed below shall be pursuant to § 600-1202 of this chapter.
         (a)   Adaptive reuse.
         (b)   Amusement arcade.
         (c)   Day-care facilities.
         (d)   Primary or secondary school, public or private.
         (e)   Hospital.
         (f)   Places of worship.
         (g)   Tower-based WCF, including poles that are located within 500 feet of a residential property or within a setback area, subject to Part 21 of this chapter. [Added 3-27-2017 by Ord. No. 21-2017]
   C.   Additional requirement in the C-R District.
      (1)   A drive-through facility shall not have an entrance or exit onto Penn Street.