Borough of Fox Chapel - Zoning Districts

All (5) Institutional (1) Residential (4)

A Residence District (3 acre minimum)

B Residence District (2 acre minimum)

C Residence District (1 acre minimum)

D Residence District (as recorded)

I-O Institutional - Open Space

It is the purpose of the I-O District to recognize and provide for the special needs of institutional uses, including educational and outdoor recreational uses. Among other things, this district is intended:

(1) To preserve the open character of large areas of the Borough which now are dominated by or are peculiarly suited to institutional, recreational and open space uses;
(2) To encourage a harmonious pattern of institutional development which can mutually benefit the Borough and the institutions themselves; and
(3) To address the possible need to consider alternative future uses of institutional or open space properties, or portions thereof.

For more information on the I-O District, see § 400-11: Institutional/Open Space District (I-O).

Floodplain management district - Flood Hazard Area

These districts are established as those areas subject to the one-hundred-year flood as shown in the federal flood insurance studies. Copies of the studies and maps are available in the Borough office.

A Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) is defined as the area that will be inundated by the flood event having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 1-percent annual chance flood is also referred to as the base flood or 100-year flood. SFHAs are labeled as Zone A, Zone AO, Zone AH, Zones A1-A30, Zone AE, Zone A99, Zone AR, Zone AR/AE, Zone AR/AO, Zone AR/A1-A30, Zone AR/A, Zone V, Zone VE, and Zones V1-V30.

For more information see the FEMA Glossary.

Floodplain management district - Floodway

A "Regulatory Floodway" means the channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height. Communities must regulate development in these floodways to ensure that there are no increases in upstream flood elevations. For streams and other watercourses where FEMA has provided Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), but no floodway has been designated, the community must review floodplain development on a case-by-case basis to ensure that increases in water surface elevations do not occur, or identify the need to adopt a floodway if adequate information is available.

For more information see the FEMA Glossary.

Floodplain management district - Moderate Flood Hazard Areas

Moderate flood hazard areas, labeled Zone B or Zone X (shaded), are also shown on the FIRM, and are the areas between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood. (Includes: Areas of 0.2% annual chance flood; areas of 1% annual chance flood with average depths of less than 1 foot or with drainage areas less than 1 square mile; and areas protected by levees from 1% annual chance flood.)

For more information see the FEMA Glossary.

Guyasuta Run Watershed

Stormwater management districts. These districts are established according to the boundaries of the watersheds designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in accordance with the Pennsylvania Storm Water Management Act (Act 167 of 1978, as amended) and the watershed stormwater management plans prepared pursuant thereto.

Guys Run Watershed

Pine Creek Watershed

Sycamore Run Watershed

Stormwater management districts. These districts are established according to the boundaries of the watersheds designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in accordance with the Pennsylvania Storm Water Management Act (Act 167 of 1978, as amended) and the watershed stormwater management plans prepared pursuant thereto.

Zoning Map.

A. The boundaries of districts shall be as described by metes and bounds in previous ordinances of Fox Chapel Borough and as shown on the map dated April 2004 and made a part of this Part 1, which map shall be known as the "Zoning Map of Fox Chapel Borough." Said map and all notations, references and data shown thereon are hereby incorporated by reference into this Part 1 and shall be as much a part of the ordinance as if all were fully described herein.
B. The Zoning Map of Fox Chapel Borough shall be identified by the signature of the President of Council, attested by the Borough Secretary, and bear the Seal of the Borough under the following words: "This is to certify that this is the Zoning Map referred to in Section 302 of Ordinance Number 319 of the Borough of Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania," together with the date of the adoption of this Part 1.
C. The Borough Manager shall be custodian of said Map and shall enter changes to district boundaries or other matter shown on the Map when, and only when, such changes have been properly adopted by Borough Council, according to law. Each such change shall be identified on said Map with an entry stating the number of the authorizing ordinance, the date of said ordinance, the date when such change is actually entered upon the Map, and a brief description of the change. Said entry shall be signed by the President of Council and attested by the Borough Secretary. No amendment to this Part 1 which involves matter portrayed on the Zoning Map shall become official until after such change and entry have been made on said Map.

District boundaries.
Where any conflict exists between the metes and bounds description of district boundaries and the boundary lines as depicted on the Zoning Map of Fox Chapel Borough, the metes and bounds description shall be controlling. Where there are any omissions or ambiguities in the metes and bounds description, the Zoning Map of Fox Chapel Borough shall be controlling. In so interpreting the Zoning Map of Fox Chapel Borough, the following rules shall apply:

A. Boundaries indicated as approximately following the center lines of streets or highways shall be construed to follow such center lines;
B. Boundaries indicated as approximately following platted lot lines shall be construed as following such lot lines;
C. Boundaries indicated as approximately following Borough limits shall be construed as following such Borough limits;
D. Boundaries indicated as parallel to or extensions of features indicated in Subsections A through C above shall be so construed. Distances not specifically indicated on the Zoning Map shall be determined by the scale of the Map.

Boundary tolerance.
Where a district boundary line divides a lot held in single and separate ownership at the effective date of this Part 1, the Zoning Hearing Board may permit, as a variance, the extension of the regulations for either portion of the lot not to exceed 50 feet beyond the district line into the remaining portion of the lot.

District regulations.
District regulations shall be as set forth in the Schedule of District Regulations, which is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be part of this Part 1, and as set forth in § 400-11 of this Part 1. The regulations set forth for each district shall be minimum regulations and shall apply uniformly to each class or kind of structure or land. Except where otherwise provided in this part, the following rules shall apply:

A. No building, structure or land shall hereafter be used or occupied, and no building or structure or part thereof shall hereafter be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered, except in conformity with all of the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located.
B. No building or other structure shall hereafter be erected or altered:

(1) To exceed the height;
(2) To accommodate or house a greater number of families;
(3) To be closer to a lot line or street line than herein required; or
(4) To be in any other manner contrary to the provisions of this Part 1.

C. No lot existing at the time of passage of Ordinance No. 319 shall be reduced in dimension, area or setback below the minimum requirements set forth herein; providing, however, that lots reconfigured pursuant to a simple lot-line change, including those reconfigured after July 20, 1992, shall be governed by the dimensions and setbacks in effect when the lots were first created.
D. All territory which may hereafter be annexed to the Borough of Fox Chapel shall be considered to be in the A Residence District unless otherwise classified.
E. All uses or lots in all districts shall comply with the requirements and standards for managing stormwater runoff in the stormwater management district in which the use or lot is located, as contained in Chapter 380: Subdivision and Land Development; and applicable provisions of the Borough Building Code, Ordinance 422, as amended, Chapter 160: Construction Codes, Uniform; and the Natural Resources Assessment and Protection Ordinance of 1983, Ordinance No. 433, as amended, Part 2: Natural Resources Assessment and Protection.

Borough of Fox Chapel, PA

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