 Earlier we took a look at a few different categories of regulations that can affect your building project such as zoning, stormwater and building codes. This week we will take a closer look at how zoning laws and regulations impact how and what we can build in residential construction.Zoning Ordinances create rules around dimensional allowances (setbacks, lot coverage, building height, etc.) as well as the “use” or function of the property. One of the ways this works is that throughout a municipality there will be different areas (Zones) designated as Residential, Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial or Recreational Use. This naturally keeps like or similar uses in certain areas of a specific township.In residential zoning, there will often be several classifications within a specific municipality such as (R1, R2, R3 Zones) These residential zones will typically have different setback requirements based on the lot sizes that they are designed to create. Higher density zoning is typically reserved for areas that have public water and public sewer infrastructure available. It is much more practical to create smaller building lots when a well and septic system isn’t required to serve the home as these obviously require more land to be developed. Aerial Image of Parkside at Lampeter currently under Construction Regarding planning a build on a single lot, the most impactful zoning regulations will often be the building setback requirements, lot coverage requirements, and building height. Building setbacks simply dictate the distance your home must be placed from front, rear and side property lines, this ensures property distance from neighboring homes and keeping homes situated safely back from the street.Lot coverage requirements are typically a percentage allowance that your home and another other impervious surface is allowed to take up relative to the entire lot area. Building Height limits are pretty self-explanatory and are generally around 30-35 for most residential zoning areas. If you are exploring a custom home build, let us help you navigate the zoning regulations that will impact your build. “Zoning has been the most influential innovation in American land-use regulation—and one of the most controversial.” — Jane Jacobs, paraphrased from The Death and Life of Great American Cities Post by: Jordan Metzler |
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