Skip to code content (skip section selection)
Compare to:
Reading Overview
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
Loading...
Part 11
Additional Requirements For Specific Uses Or Zoning Districts
§ 600-1101. Mid-rise or low-rise apartments.
[Amended 12-16-2013 by Ord. No. 83-2013]
When permitted, low-rise and mid-rise apartments shall conform to the following:
   A.   Any dwelling unit constructed by or subsidized by an agency of the government of the United States or of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and which has restrictions on occupancy by reason of age, income or other unique condition shall meet the minimum habitable floor area standards established by that agency, or, in the absence of such standard, shall meet the standards set forth in Subsection D hereof. Any dwelling unit which, pursuant to this section, is constructed with less habitable floor area than that required by Subsection D shall not thereafter be occupied by persons not having the unique condition upon which the special permit was based unless it is conclusively demonstrated to the Board that the intended change in occupancy will not result in overcrowding or cause an increase in density or traffic congestion.
   B.   Part 16 allows reduced parking for housing limited to older persons. In addition, the Zoning Hearing Board may authorize a reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces required, as follows:
 
Publicly or Privately Subsidized Housing Number of Dwelling
Units per space
Low-income elderly
15
Moderate-income elderly
9
Low-income non-elderly
1
 
Units other than those described, whether located within the same building or within a separate building, shall conform to the off-street parking requirements relevant to their use and size, as specified in this Part.
   C.   No dwelling units shall be constructed, erected or established that are 50% below the adjacent grade.
   D.   Each dwelling unit shall:
      (1)   Contain complete kitchen, toilet, bathing and sleeping facilities;
      (2)   Contain at least one separate bathroom;
      (3)   Contain at least one separate bedroom, except that in buildings containing at least four dwelling units, the Zoning Hearing Board may, by special exception, approve up to one-fourth (25%) of the dwelling units to be studio/efficiency apartments upon a finding that the number of units proposed will not adversely affect any adjacent residential neighborhood;
      (4)   Comply with all relevant building and occupancy codes; and
      (5)   Contain a minimum habitable area of:
 
Apartment
Square Feet
Efficiency/studio
400
One bedroom
550
Two bedrooms
700
Three or more bedrooms
850
 
[Amended 1-27-2020 by Ord. No. 5-2020]
   E.   Sufficient laundry, drying, garbage pickup and other utility areas shall be provided and screened from view according to § 600-1401 .
   F.   The facade of any building or structure shall not exceed 70 feet in length unless making an angle turn or having an offset of at least five feet within each 70 feet of length.
   G.   A strip of land at least five feet in width surrounding each building shall be kept completely open except for foundation plantings and sidewalk and driveway crossings, except within the C-C and C-R Districts. Open space adjacent to, around or between buildings not surfaced as walkways, driveways, parking area or utility areas, shall be graded and landscaped.
   H.   Courtyards bounded on three or more sides by the wings of a single building or by the walls of separate buildings shall have a minimum court width of two feet for each one foot in height of the tallest adjacent on-site building, except within the C-C and C-R Districts.
   I.   Detached vehicle garages that are not part of a dwelling structure, but intended for the use of the residents in addition to all other accessory buildings, shall be located at least 25 feet from the nearest dwelling structure, except within the C-C and C-R Districts.
   J.   Every building shall have a minimum setback of 10 feet from any and all interior roads, driveways and parking areas and 25 feet from any other building, except such setbacks shall not apply within the C-C and C-R Districts.
   K.   A ten-foot wide buffer strip with screening shall be provided along all abutting property lines of non-apartment dwellings.
   L.   Minimum of 10% of the total tract area, exclusive of the required yards, buffer strips and parking areas, shall be designated for active or passive recreational purposes. No recreational area shall be less than 4,000 square feet in area and less than 40 feet in width, except within the C-C or C-R Districts.
   M.   Driveways, parking areas, dwelling entrance ways and pedestrian walks shall be provided with sufficient illumination to minimize hazards to pedestrians and motor vehicles utilizing the same. Light sources shall be shielded to avoid glare disturbing to occupants of apartments and of adjacent properties.
   N.   All new on-site electric utility lines shall be installed below ground level.
§ 600-1102. High-rise apartments.
When permitted, high-rise apartments shall conform to the following:
   A.   Section 600-1101 shall also apply to high-rise apartments, except for § 600-1101F and J.
   B.   The Zoning Hearing Board may permit an increase in the number of stories of a high-rise apartment after review of the proposal by the Planning Commission if it is determined that the overall density of the area, the character of the area, traffic flow and congestion, and the welfare of the community at large will not be adversely impacted.
   C.   (Reserved) 21
   D.   A high-rise apartment shall not be located within 30 feet of any accessory structure or 50 feet of any building on another lot which contains dwelling units, except within the C-C or C-R Districts.
   E.   No high-rise apartment shall be located less than 20 feet from any interior road, driveway or parking area, except within the C-C or C-R Districts.
   F.   Accessways shall be limited to two per development, plus one additional accessway for each 150 feet of street frontage.

 

Notes

21
 Editor’s Note: Former Subsection (C), regarding additional storage space, was repealed 1-27-2020 by Ord. No. 6-2020.
§ 600-1103. Barber and beauty shops; massage therapy; and nail salons.
   A.   A state-licensed barber or cosmetologist shall be on the premises during all hours that the use is open, and proof of such license is required to be shown to any state or City employee immediately upon request.
   B.   A massage therapy business shall have a person on the premises during all hours that the use is open who meets the requirements to conduct such work as provided in Chapter 364, Massage Therapists. Proof of such certification is required to be shown to any state or City employee immediately upon request.
   C.   A nail salon business shall have a person on the premises during all hours that the use is open who is a state-licensed nail technician, or who holds such successor or equivalent license. Proof of such certification is required to be shown to any state or city employee immediately upon request.
§ 600-1104. Manufactured home parks.
Manufactured (mobile) home parks shall only be allowed as provided in Part 8 and shall conform to the following:
   A.   All manufactured home parks shall contain a minimum of two acres.
   B.   Each dwelling space in an approved manufactured home park shall contain a minimum of 5,000 square feet.
   C.   The maximum density in each manufactured home park shall not exceed five manufactured homes per acre.
   D.   All manufactured home parks shall provide safe and convenient vehicular access from abutting public streets to each manufactured home space.
   E.   All interior streets in the manufactured home park shall be paved with a paving material in accordance with City regulations, shall be of adequate width to accommodate anticipated traffic, and shall meet the following minimum requirements:
      (1)   All internal streets shall have a cartway width of not less than 20 feet.
      (2)   All cul-de-sac streets shall conform to the criteria set forth in Chapter 515, Subdivision and Land Development.
   F.   All water supplied to a manufactured home park shall be obtained from the City water system.
   G.   The sanitary sewage system serving any manufactured home park shall be connected to the City sewage disposal system in a manner approved by the Department of Public Works. All dwellings shall be connected to this system.
   H.   The installation of electrical, telephone and television cable service lines shall be approved underground methods.
   I.   Each manufactured home park shall provide fire hydrants within 400 feet of each building. These hydrants shall be at a capacity and pressure approved by the Department of Public Works and the Reading Area Water Authority.
   J.   All manufactured home parks shall provide screening along all sides abutting public streets or other properties. At least one shade tree (as approved by the Shade Tree Commission) must be planted on each manufactured home lot. Ten percent of all manufactured home parks, exclusive of rights-of-way, shall be provided for recreational use by the residents and open space buffer areas.
   K.   Each manufactured home lot shall be provided with a minimum of two off-street parking spaces.
§ 600-1105. Auto service stations, auto repair and car washes.
Where allowed in Part 8, the following standards shall be met:
   A.   The site plan must indicate the number and location of fuel tanks to be installed, the dimensions and capacity of each storage tank, the depth the tanks will be placed below ground, the number and location of pumps to be installed, the type of structure and accessory buildings to be constructed, and the number of autos to be garaged.
   B.   Any repair and servicing of motor vehicles shall be performed in a fully enclosed building and no motor vehicle parts or partially dismantled motor vehicles shall be stored overnight outside of an enclosed building.
   C.   Where such uses abut a residential property in a zone, there shall be a screened buffer strip not less than 10 feet in width. Buffer strips and screening shall be in accordance with § 600-1401 of this chapter.
   D.   The entire area of the site traveled by motor vehicles shall be paved.
   E.   Off-street parking areas shall be provided exclusive of pump areas or travel lanes. For auto service stations and auto repair, two parking spaces shall be provided for each service bay.
   F.   Accessory goods for sale may be displayed on the pump island and the building island only. The outdoor display of oil cans and/or antifreeze and similar products may be displayed on the respective island if provided for in a suitable metal stand or rack.
   G.   No auto service station or auto repair garage shall be located nearer than 300 feet from any school, library or hospital. This is to maintain a safety zone in order to reduce the adverse effects of such activities on the above-mentioned institutions.
§ 600-1106. (Reserved)
Loading...