23-45 Minimum Required Front Yards

Basic Regulations - Front Yards


R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

1. In the districts indicated, #front yards# shall be provided as set forth in the following table, except that for a #corner lot# in an R1-2 District, one #front yard# may have a depth of 15 feet and, for a #corner lot# in an R3 District, one #front yard# may have a depth of 10 feet.
   
   

   Front Yard	District
   20 feet 20 feet* 15 feet 15 feet* 10 feet* 10 feet** 5 feet*	R1 R1-2A R2 R2X R3-1 R3-2 R2A R3A R3X R4-1 R4A R5A R4 R5 R4B R5B R5D

   
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   *       Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section
   
   **     If the depth of a #front yard# exceeds 10 feet, the depth of the #front yard# shall be at least 18 feet. Furthermore, #developments# or #enlargements# pursuant to the optional regulations applicable in a #predominantly built-up area# shall provide a #front yard# with a depth of at least 18 feet. However, on a #corner lot#, if one #front yard# has a depth of at least 18 feet, the other #front yard# shall have a depth of at least 10 feet
   
   
Furthermore, if an opening to an #accessory# off-street parking space is located within the #street wall# of a #building# containing #residences#, there shall be an open area between the opening and the #street line# which is at least 8 and 1/2 feet in width by 18 feet in depth, except this provision shall not apply in R5D Districts.

R1-2A R2A R3A R3X R4-1 R4A R4B R5A R5B R5D

2. For the purpose of paragraphs (b) and (c) the area between the #street line# and the front #building# wall of adjacent #buildings# on the same or adjoining #zoning lots# shall be considered adjacent #front yards#.
   
   Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this Section, in the districts indicated, if adjacent #buildings# containing #residences# on the same or on adjoining #zoning lots# fronting on the same #street# have #front yards# greater than the minimum set forth in paragraph (a) of this Section, then a #front yard# shall be provided which:
   
   
   1. in R1-2A, R2A, R3A, R3X, R4A, R4-1 or R5A Districts is at least as deep as an adjacent #front yard#; and
   
   
   2. in R4B, R5B or R5D Districts is no deeper than the deepest adjacent #front yard# and no shallower than the shallowest adjacent #front yard#.
   
   
   However, a #front yard# need not exceed 20 feet in depth, except that in R1-2A Districts, a #front yard# need not exceed 25 feet in depth.
   
   In determining the depth of the adjacent #front yards#, balconies and projections from the front #building# wall that do not exceed 33 percent of the width of the #building# shall be disregarded.
   
   For #developments# or #enlargements#, projections into the required #front yard# are permitted provided that the width of all projections at the level of any #story# does not exceed 33 percent of the width of the #building#. The depth of such projections shall not exceed three feet into the #front yard#. However, balconies shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 23-13 (Balconies) and 23-44 (Permitted Obstructions in Required Yards or Rear Yard Equivalents).
   
   
3. The provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section determining the depth of a #front yard# by the location of a #front yard# on an adjacent #zoning lot#, are modified as follows:
   
   
   1. on #corner lots#, these provisions shall apply on only one #street# frontage; and
   
   
   2. these provisions shall not apply to:
      
      
      1. any #street# frontage of a #zoning lot# where such frontage has a length of at least 150 feet along such #street#;
      
      
      2. any #zoning lot# located in historic districts designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission; or
      
      
      3. a frontage of any #zoning lot# where the depths of 50 percent of the #front yards# within 150 feet of the #side lot lines# of such #zoning lot# are shallower by more than two feet than the shallowest of the adjacent #front yards#.

R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

4. For any #zoning lot# located in a Historic District designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section are modified as follows:
   
   
   The depth of the #front# yard may vary between the requirements of paragraph (a) of this Section, or as modified in any applicable Special District, and the depth of the #front yard# of any adjacent #zoning lot#.

R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

In the districts indicated, a minimum percentage of the area of the #front yard# shall be planted, which shall vary by #street# frontage of the #zoning lot# as set forth in the following table. For the purposes of this Section, the #front yard# shall include the entire area between all #street walls# of the #building# and their prolongations and the #street line#. Planted areas shall be comprised of any combination of grass, groundcover, shrubs, trees or other living plant material, and shall have a minimum dimension of one foot, exclusive of any bounding walls. Any planted area within a driveway or parking space shall not qualify towards meeting the minimum planting requirements of this Section. For #through lots# or #corner lots#, the planting requirement of this Section shall be applied separately to each #street# frontage. For #corner lots#, planted areas of overlapping portions of #front yards# shall only be counted towards the planting requirement of one #front yard#. For #zoning lots# with multiple #building segments#, the planting requirement of this Section shall be applied separately to the entire area between the #street wall# of each #building segment# and the #street line#.

Where multiple #buildings# on a single #zoning lot# front upon the same #street#, the planting requirements of this Section shall be determined by the #street# frontage allocated to the area occupied by each such #building# and applied separately to the entire area between the #street line# and the #street wall# of each #building# and its prolongation. The allocation of planting requirements to open areas between #buildings# shall be determined by dividing such open area evenly, with an equal portion attributed to each #building# on both sides of such open area.

Any #zoning lot# occupied by a #building# constructed after April 30, 2008, shall provide planted areas in accordance with the provisions of this Section. Any #zoning lot# occupied by a #building# constructed prior to such date shall not be altered in any way that will either create new #non-compliance# or increase the degree of #non-compliance# with the provisions of this Section.

#Street# frontage of #zoning lot#, #street wall# width of #building segment#, or #street# frontage allocated to each of multiple #buildings# on a single #zoning lot#, as applicable.	Percentage of #front yard# to be planted (minimum)
Less than 20 feet 20 to 34 feet 35 to 59 feet 60 feet or greater	20 25 30 50