From the Desk of:
Richard A Hetzel
Architect (NY) & Home
Designer (PA)
Zoning is simply the
regulation of what can be done with land. It regulates land uses in categories such as Residential, Commercial,
and Industrial, separating a town or municipality into various zones for those
purposes.
Residential zones may be
subdivided into areas with varying minimum lot sizes, and areas where uses are
limited to single-family homes, and others to development such as condominiums
and townhouses.
Commercial zones may be
subdivided into local or regional shopping uses, and zones where office
buildings are permitted. 
Industrial zones may
permit factories and warehouses and the like.
A typical zoning map of a
municipality accompanies this article. On it, each individual lot in the town can be seen, as well as the
various zones and their boundaries.
Within each zone is a set
of regulations that might govern:
§ Minimum lot
area
§ Minimum street
frontage
§ Front, side
and rear setbacks
§ Minimum and/or
maximum floor area
§ Building
height
Why are these things
regulated? Primarily to protect each
owner’s property values, but also to mitigate against property disputes, and
often to control growth or for environmental reasons. For example, a lot with a well and a septic
system requires much more than a 50 foot by 100 foot area, and may require an
acre or more. Areas having steep slopes
are often zoned with large lot area requirements. Areas in town with sewers and city water can
easily accommodate small lots.
What happens if you want
to put an addition on your house, and the addition would extend into a required
side or rear yard? You may have to seek
a zoning variance, and to get one, you may be asked to demonstrate that you
have no other way to achieve what you’d lie to do. Zoning variances are granted by Zoning
Boards, which hear your arguments, hear objections or messages of approval from
neighbors, and consider the impact of what you propose on surrounding
properties and the neighborhood in general. There are some guidelines that these boards must follow, and they won’t
grant you a variance just because they like you.
How does zoning affect
your property? It can regulate how close
to the front, side and rear property lines you can build, and it can regulate
the minimum and/or maximum floor area of your home, and its maximum
height. Often the size of your home is
limited by Floor Area Ratio, which is the total gross floor area of your home
divided by the lot area. If you have a
3,000 square foot home on one acre (43,560 square feet), the Floor Area Ratio
would be 3,000 / 43,560 or a ratio of 0.068. The limit might be something like 0.150.
As lot sizes get bigger,
the required setback distances also become greater, and the Floor Area Ratio
maximum tends to get smaller.
You can find the zoning
requirements for your property by asking the local building department, or you
can purchase a Zoning Ordinance, which will give you all the requirements for
the entire municipality. Zoning Ordinances
can cost anywhere from $5 to $50, and I’ve seen one that was $200! Usually for a residential property, asking
the building department will get you sufficient information.
Of course, you need a
property survey map in order to determine your setback dimensions and lot area,
and the size of your house.
Zoning is a two-edged
sword. On one hand, it protects you
against uncontrolled development on adjacent properties, and on the other hand,
it limits to a small degree how you can use your own property.
Here is a handy list of links to the Townships and Boroughs in Monroe County, PA. Many of them have zoning regulations and information posted on their websites.
