§ 20. R-TH Townhouse District Regulations.

PURPOSE: The R-TH townhouse district is established to accommodate the variable dwelling concepts which currently exist in the residential marketplace. This district includes medium density residential development that is single-family, on separately platted lots with frontage onto publicly dedicated streets, and typically owner-occupied.

USES GENERALLY: In an R-TH district, no land shall be used and no building shall be erected or converted to any use other than as hereinafter provided.

A.

Permitted uses: The following uses shall be permitted as principal uses:

1.

Single-family attached dwellings.

2.

Churches, convents, and other places of worship.

3.

Parks, playgrounds, and nature preserves, publicly owned.

4.

Temporary buildings when they are to be used only for construction purposes or as a field office within a subdivision approved by the city for the sale of the real estate of that subdivision only. Such temporary construction buildings shall be removed immediately upon completion or abandonment of construction and such field office shall be removed immediately upon occupancy of 95 percent of the lots in the subdivision.

5.

Model homes and model home parking lots are permitted as a temporary use in new subdivisions, provided a notice is continually posted in a prominent place in a livable area in the home and the owner signs an affidavit on a form approved by the director of development services affirming compliance with all the regulations of this section.

B.

Accessory uses: The following uses shall be permitted as accessory uses to dwelling units provided that none shall be a source of income to the owner or user of the principal family dwelling:

1.

Private swimming pools and tennis courts no closer than 75 feet to any adjacent residential district.

2.

Cabana, pavilion, or roofed area.

3.

Meeting, party, and/or social rooms in common areas only.

4.

Off-street parking and private garages in connection with any use permitted in this district.

5.

One storage building per dwelling unit 100 square feet or less, and having no plumbing.

6.

Communication equipment meeting the requirements of Chapter 7, Article XII of the Grapevine Code of Ordinance.

7.

Sale of merchandise or goods, including but not limited to garage sales and yard sales, shall be limited to a maximum of once per quarter, for a period not to exceed three continuous days. For the purpose of this paragraph, the month of January shall constitute the first month of the first quarter.

No accessory uses may be located between the building line and the front property line.

Private garages on lots having a minimum width of less than 40 feet must be entered from the side or rear. Said lots shall not have driveways on or within the front building setbacks.

C.

Conditional uses: The following conditional uses may be permitted provided they meet the provisions of Section 48, and a conditional use permit is issued.

1.

Public and non-profit institutions of an educational, religious or cultural type excluding correctional institutions.

2.

Non profit community centers and swimming pools and tennis courts no closer than 75 feet to any adjacent residential district.

3.

Memorial gardens and cemeteries.

4.

Public and private noncommercial recreation areas and facilities such as country clubs and golf courses excluding miniature golf courses and driving ranges.

5.

Any off-street parking for churches, convents and other places of worship developed on property other than the platted lot of record of the principal use, provided all or a portion of the property utilized for parking is located within 300 feet of the platted lot of record.

D.

Limitation of uses:

1.

There shall be a separate platted lot of record for each townhouse dwelling unit.

2.

No more than three persons unrelated by blood or marriage may occupy residences within an R-TH Townhouse district.

3.

Storage of mechanical, maintenance or farm equipment incidental to any permitted or conditional use shall be screened in accordance with the provisions of Section 50, Alternate B or E, from any adjacent residential development or use.

4.

Private or public alleys shall not be located in the 25-foot required rear yards. Whenever rear access or parking is provided, access shall be from a platted alley or easement. All alleys shall be dedicated at a minimum of 15 feet as a mutual access easement with a minimum ten feet of pavement section. No single lot shall have more than a 7½-foot easement located upon it, except that when it is necessary to exceed 7½ feet, lot depth shall be increased to accommodate the additional width of easement necessary for the alley.

5.

No storage boxes or any other containers to be picked up or dropped off by curbside self-storage services, moving services and other similar services shall be placed within a public right-of-way. Storage containers to be picked up or dropped off by such services shall be visible from a public right-of-way or adjacent property for a period not exceeding 72 consecutive hours, and not more than two instances during any 30-day period.

6.

Townhouse developments approved prior to September 18, 2007 shall be deemed lawful and shall have the same status as subdivisions authorized pursuant to this ordinance.

E.

Plan requirements: No application for a building permit for construction of a principal building shall be approved unless:

1.

A plat, meeting all requirements of the City of Grapevine, has been approved by the city council and recorded in the official records of Tarrant County.

2.

A Site Plan, meeting the requirements of Section 47, has been approved.

3.

A Landscape Plan, meeting the requirements of Section 53, has been approved.

F.

Density requirements: The following density requirement shall apply:

1.

Maximum Density: The maximum density within the R-TH District shall not exceed nine dwelling units per gross acre.

2.

Lot size: For lots that are less than 40 feet in width the minimum lot size shall be 2,550 square feet. For lots 40 feet in width or greater the minimum lot size shall be 3,200 square feet. No R-TH district shall be created on an area of less than one acre in size.

3.

Minimum open space: All areas not devoted to buildings, structures or off-street parking area shall be devoted to grass, trees, gardens, shrubs or other suitable landscape material. In addition, all developments shall reserve open space in accordance with the provisions of Section 51.

4.

Maximum building coverage: The combined area occupied by all main and accessory buildings and structures shall not exceed 55 percent of the total lot area.

5.

Maximum impervious area: For lots less than 40 feet in width the combined area occupied by all main and accessory buildings and structures and all sidewalks, driveways and paved areas shall not exceed 80 percent of the total lot area. For lots 40 feet in width or greater the combined area occupied by all main and accessory buildings and structures and all sidewalks, driveways and paved areas shall not exceed 75 percent of the total lot area.

6.

Minimum floor area: Every townhouse dwelling unit hereafter erected, constructed, reconstructed, or altered in this dwelling district shall have at least 1,200 square feet of floor area, excluding common corridors, basements, open and screened porches, and garages.

G.

Area regulations: The following minimum standards shall be required:

1.

The minimum front yard setback shall be 15 feet measured from the back of curb or nearest edge of street pavement, with the exception that the face of a front entry garage shall be set back no less than 25 feet from the sidewalk.

2.

The minimum rear yard setback shall be 15 feet measured from the nearest edge of the mutual access easement, with the exception that the face of a rear entry garage shall be set back no less than 25 feet from the edge of the alley pavement.

3.

No side yard width is required except for the following:

a.

A minimum side yard of 15 feet shall be required for each end unit in a row of townhouses containing three or more units.

b.

A minimum side yard of six feet shall be required for each end unit in a row of townhouses containing two units.

c.

Side yards which are adjacent to a dedicated public street shall be at least 25 feet in width.

4.

The lot shall have a minimum width of 30 feet.

5.

For lots less than 40 feet in width, the minimum depth shall be 85 feet. For lots that are 40 feet in width or greater, the minimum lot depth shall be 80 feet.

6.

The minimum distance between principal and accessory uses, if detached, shall be 15 feet.

H.

Reserved.

I.

Height regulations: The following maximum height regulations shall be observed:

1.

The maximum height of the principal structures shall be two stories not to exceed 35 feet. Whenever a townhouse structure is erected contiguous to an existing single family dwelling, the number of stories and height of the townhouse structure shall not exceed the number of stories and height of the contiguous single family dwelling. In no instance shall the height of a townhouse structure exceed two stories or 35 feet.

2.

The maximum height of an accessory structure shall be one story not exceed 15 feet.

J.

Off-street parking: Provisions for the parking of automobiles shall be allowed as an accessory use to any principal permitted use provided that such shall not be located on a required front yard or side yard. Off-street parking areas shall be landscaped in accordance with Section 53. Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Sections 56 and 58 of this ordinance and other applicable ordinances of the City.

Parking of recreational vehicles, recreational trailers, motor homes, boats, towed trailers and the like, is prohibited in the required front yard, and the side yards of reverse frontage lots. Whenever such parking facilities are provided the conditions of Section 20.M.8. shall be met.

K.

Off-street loading: No off-street loading is required in the R-TH District for residential uses. Off-street loading for conditional uses may be required as determined by the planning commission.

L.

Landscaping requirements:

1.

Landscaping shall be required in accordance with Section 53 of this Ordinance.

2.

For developments in the R-TH District that contain more than ten (10) units, a landscape plan shall be required.

M.

Design requirements: The following minimum design requirements shall be provided in the R-TH Townhouse district.

1.

Buildings and structures shall conform to the masonry requirements as established in Section 54 of this Ordinance.

2.

Individual window air conditioning units are prohibited. Central air conditioning units, heat pumps and similar mechanical equipment, when located outside, shall be landscaped and screened from view in accordance with the provisions of Section 50.

3.

The maximum length of any cluster of townhouse units shall not exceed 240 linear feet.

4.

Buildings shall be designed to prevent the appearance of straight, unbroken lines in their horizontal and vertical surface. There shall be no more than two continuous attached townhouses without a break in the horizontal and vertical elevations of at least three feet.

5.

No building shall be located closer than 15 feet to the edge of an off-street parking, vehicular use, or storage area.

6.

The minimum distance between any two unattached principal buildings shall be 30 feet. Whenever two principal structures are arranged face to face or back to back, the minimum distance shall be 50 feet. The point of measurement shall be the exterior walls of the buildings and does not include balconies, railings or other architectural features.

7.

Off-street parking areas shall not be closer than ten feet to any adjacent property line. Whenever an off-street parking, vehicular use or storage area is within 60 feet of any adjacent residentially zoned district, the parking area shall be physically screened by a fence, wall, berm at least six feet high. All fencing shall be finished on both sides.

8.

Parking of recreational vehicles, trailers, motor homes, boats, towed trailers and similar vehicular equipment are permitted provided they are located in a designated vehicular use area which is screened from adjacent residential districts by a fence, wall or berm at least eight feet in height. No vehicular use or storage area shall be located in a required front yard or adjacent to a public right-of-way. Such areas shall also be located at least ten feet from any adjacent property line.

9.

Any private streets developed in conjunction with a townhouse development to provide access to and frontage for townhouses developed under this ordinance must be a minimum of 31 feet in width from curb to curb, constructed under the City's Construction Standards and inspected by city staff. A planned development overlay shall not be used to deviate from this requirement.

10.

Sidewalks shall be provided along any street, private or public, within a townhouse development upon which a townhouse has frontage. A planned development overlay shall not be used to deviate from this requirement.

(Ord. No. 84-16, § 2(A), 4-9-84; Ord. No. 85-22, § 3(B), 5-21-85; Ord. No. 87-39, § 1(F), 7-21-87; Ord. No. 91-71, § 1A, 9-17-91; Ord. No. 93-16, § 1(H), 4-20-93; Ord. No. 93-50, § 1(H), 10-19-93; Ord. No. 2002-27, § 1H, 3-19-02; Ord. No. 2002-100, § 1A, 12-17-02; Ord. No. 2006-23, § 1, 3-21-06; Ord. No. 2007-55, § 1.A(Exh. A), 9-18-07; Ord. No. 2010-37, § 1.H, 7-20-10; Ord. No. 2011-33, § 1.D, 7-19-11; Ord. No. 2014-36, § 1, 6-17-14)