(A) In general.
(1) No lot, structure or use shall be created or developed in such a way that it would result in another lot, building or use not being able to meet the requirements of this chapter. This includes, but is not limited to: setback areas; non-impervious areas; and off-street parking areas.
(2) Emergency access: all uses and structures shall have adequate provisions for access by emergency vehicles and fire ladders. Such access shall be maintained in a passable condition by the owner of the lot, or where applicable by the property owners association.
(B) Exceptions to minimum lot areas, lot widths and yards.
(1) Corner lots. For a corner lot, each yard that abuts a public street shall be considered a front yard and meet the requirements for minimum depth of a front yard. See definition of “lot, corner” in § 155.051.
(2) Projections into required yards.
(a) Cornices, footers, eaves, roof overhangs, sills or other similar architectural features, exterior stairways, unenclosed fire escapes or other required means of egress, rain leads, chimneys, “Bilco”-type doors for basement access, window awnings, chaise for heating;
(b) Pipes or other similar structures that do not include space usable by persons may extend or project into a required yard not more than three feet, except as may be required within a drainage or utility easement;
(c) Steps, stoops, fire escapes, handicapped ramps, and landings necessary to provide entrance to a building may be located within a required setback area; and
(d) For decks and porches, see § 155.069.
(3) Lot widths around curves. Around the bulb of a cul-de-sac street or on the outside of the curve of a street with a radius of less than 300 feet, the minimum lot width at the minimum building setback line may be reduced to 40% of the width that would otherwise be required.
(C) Sight clearance at intersections.
(1) At the intersection of two streets, and at the intersection of a commercial driveway and a street, a clear sight triangle shall be provided. Within this triangle, no visual obstructions shall be allowed between the height of two feet and ten feet above the ground level, except for utility posts, mailboxes, single sign posts and the trunks of canopy trees. The triangle shall be measured along the street centerlines, and a third diagonal leg connecting the two legs to form a triangle. Two legs that are each 150 feet long shall extend from the intersection of street centerlines if either street is an arterial street. Two legs that are each 100 feet long shall extend from the intersection of the street centerlines if either street is a collector street and no arterial streets are involved. The two legs shall be 75 feet from the intersection of the street centerlines if both streets are local streets.
(a) However, in place of the above sight triangle, where a local street intersects an arterial or collector street with a stop sign only at the local street, the leg of the triangle along the arterial or collector street shall be increased to 300 feet and the leg along the local street shall be decreased to 15 feet beyond the travel lane of the arterial or collector street.
(b) The clear sight triangle shall be kept free of such obstructions in perpetuity.
(2) Clear sight triangle at driveway intersections.
(a) A triangular clear sight triangle as described in division (C)(1) above shall be provided where a driveway or accessway enters onto a street.
(b) Such triangle shall be 30 feet long along the centerline of the street and along the centerline of the accessway or driveway, with a third diagonal longer leg connecting the two legs together.
(D) Buffer yards. Buffer yards including plant screening complying with the following standards shall be required under the following situations, unless a more restrictive provision is established by another section of this chapter.
(1) A minimum 20 foot wide buffer yard with plant screening shall be required along the rear and side lot lines of any lot used principally for principal nonresidential purposes that is contiguous to a lot line of a residentially zoned lot occupied by an existing principal dwelling.
(a) If a principal business use will include areas used for manufacturing or will have a loading dock that will be routinely serviced by two or more tractor-trailer trucks or refrigerated trucks, then the minimum buffer yard width along such manufacturing area and/or loading dock shall be increased to 40 feet, and the minimum initial height of plantings shall be increased to six feet.
(b) If a dwelling will be on the same lot as a principal business use, then a buffer yard shall not be required by this section.
(c) A 20-foot minimum buffer yard with landscaped screening shall be required where a subdivision or land development of new dwellings will have rear yards abutting a public street.
(d) A buffer yard is also required to be provided by the following if they are abutting and visible from a public street:
1. Along lot lines and street rights-of-way of any newly developed or expanded outdoor industrial storage or loading area; or
2. Along lot lines and street rights-of-way of any newly developed or expanded area routinely used for the overnight parking of two or more tractor-trailer trucks or trailers of tractor-trailers.
(2) A required yard may overlap a required buffer yard, provided the requirement for each is met. The buffer yard shall be measured from the district boundary line, street right-of-way line or lot line, whichever is applicable. Required plantings shall not be placed within the right-of-way, except that the township may allow deciduous canopy trees.
(3) The buffer yard shall be a landscaped area free of structures, dumpsters, commercial or industrial storage or display, signs, manufacturing or processing activity, materials, loading and unloading areas or vehicle parking or display.
(4) Fence: the township may require the installation of a mostly solid decorative fence in addition to the plantings. Any wall or fence in a buffer yard shall be placed on the inside (nonresidential side) of any required plant screening. If a fence in a buffer yard has one side that is more finished or smoother than the other side, the more finished or smoother side shall face the outside of the buffer yard.
(5) Each planting screen shall meet the following requirements.
(a) Plant materials needed to form the visual screen shall have a minimum height when planted of four feet. In addition, an average of one deciduous shade tree, with a minimum trunk diameter of two inches measured six inches above the finished ground level, shall be placed for each 50 feet of length of the buffer yard. The shade trees may be clustered or spaced unevenly.
(b) Plants needed to form the visual screen shall be of such species, spacing and size as can reasonably be expected to produce within two years a mostly solid year-round visual screen at least six feet in height.
(c) The plant screen shall be placed so that at maturity the plants will not obstruct a street or sidewalk.
(d) The plant visual screen shall extend the full length of the lot line, except for:
1. Township-approved points of approximately perpendicular vehicle or pedestrian ingress and egress to the lot;
2. Locations necessary to comply with safe sight distance requirements where the plantings cannot feasibly be moved further back; and
3. Locations needed to meet other specific state, township and utility requirements, such as stormwater swales.
(e) American Arborvitae and similar weak-stem plants shall not be used to meet the buffer yard requirements. A monotonous straight row of the same species is discouraged. A more naturalistic form of planting is encouraged with a mix of species. If more than 20 evergreen plants are proposed, no more than 50% shall be of one species.
(f) Evergreen trees should be planted at diagonal off-sets so that there is room for future growth of the trees.
(g) The plant screening shall primarily use evergreen trees.
(h) The Zoning Officer may also modify the buffer yard requirements if necessary for fire safety reasons. The Zoning Hearing Board may by special exception reduce the width of the buffer yard if the required width is not feasible.
(6) Buffer yard plans: prior to the issuance of a permit under this chapter where a buffer yard would be required, and on any required subdivision or land development plan, the applicant shall submit plans showing:
(a) The location and arrangement of each buffer yard;
(b) The placement, general selection of species and initial size of all plant materials; and
(c) The placement, size, materials and type of all fences to be placed in such buffer yard.
(Ord. 126, passed 3-18-2010)