Agenda - Planning Commission - 03/07/1995

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THE ZONING REPORT Page Two Conventional zoning controls that regulate siting/orientation Zone yard~ and setbacks are, of course, the basic determinants of building location on lots in all zoning codes. But there are special cases in almost all zoning codes that require some direct regulation of building siting and orienta- tion. Regulation of corner lots in zoning codes commonly requires that the orientation of the main building-on the lot be specified. Unless required by the subdivision plat, the owner determines building orientation. Once it is cho- sen, the zone yards on the lot are established for the specific orientation, and special rules for the siting of accessory buiIdings on the lot are imposed. Or codes might require a specific orientation of the main building, to avoid re- versed frontages. Conventional orientation matches the front, rear and interior side yards of the corner lot with the same yards on adjoining lots, a more d6sirable planning situation. Reverse orienta- tion mismatches all three yards of the corner lot with the two adjoining lots, often a less desirable planning situation: the front yard of the corner lot abuts the rear yard of the side- yard lot at the street; the side yard of the corner lot abuts the remainder' of the rear yard of the side-yard lot~ and the rear yard of the corner lot abuts the side yard of the adjoining lot to the rear. Many zoning codes impose special rules for the siting of garages on corner lots. For exam- ple, in many codes, garages can be located no closer to the front-yard street than the mini- mum front yard depth allowed the main build- ing, no closer to the side-yard street than whichever special street side yard is establish- ed for corner lots, and, for reversed corner lots, no closer to the rear tot line of the cor- ner lot at a substantial distance if allowed a setback from the street less than the front- yard setback of the adjoining lot. Some codes allow the garage' on any corner lot to be locat- ed no closer to either street than any part of the main building closest to the street. Garages on all conventional residential lots are, sometimes specially sited~ required to be locat- ed in the front half to two-thirds of the Codes might require the garage and other ac- cessory structures to take the side yard requir- ed of the main building, which is greater than the side yard allowed for accessory structures, if located within the front third to half of the lot. In all codes~ accessory buildings cannot be sited anywhere in front zone yards~ in front of the main building or at least no closer to the front lot line than the front wail of the main building on the lot. Codes might allow garages to be sited in front of the dwelling, to the minimum front yard setback if attached to and architecturally a part of the dwelling. .Spacing between buildings regulates principal and accessory buildings, and if more than one principal building is allowed on a lot, their si- ting and orientation from one another. Accessory buildings must be either spaced from main buildings on the same lot a distance of at least 8-10 ft or be attached to the main building. When attached, or, in some codes, al- lowed to be located less than the 8-10 ft spa- cing distance, to 3-5 ft, the walls of accessory structures nearest the main building must meet fire wall rating standards required for walls of the main structure. There are eight types of spacing standards imposed by zoning codes to regulate the spa- cing of more than one main building on a lot. These are: (1), a single minimum distance be- tween buildings; (2), a single minimum distance assigned to each of the six possible combina- tions of zone yards that can abut each wall of main buildings--the front wall of one building facing the front wall of the adjacent building, the front wall of one building facing the rear wall of the adjacent building~ rear wall to rear wall, side wall to side wall, and the front or rear wall to a side wall of the adjacent build- ing; (3), the sum of the minimum width of zone yards between any two buildings where the front zone yard is defined as the yard abutting any wall of a building having a main entrance and a building can have as many front zone February 24, 1995 issue