23-441

General permitted obstruction allowances

In all Residence Districts, the following obstructions shall be permitted within any required yard or rear yard equivalent. These allowances are generally common to Residence, Commercial and Manufacturing Districts.

  1. In any yard or rear yard equivalent:
    1. Accessory mechanical equipment, limited in depth to 18 inches from an exterior wall;
    2. Arbors or trellises;
    3. Awnings and other sun control devices, provided that when located at a level higher than the first story, excluding a basement, all such awnings and other sun control devices:
      1. shall be limited to a maximum projection from a building wall of 2 feet, 6 inches; and
      2. shall have solid surfaces that, in aggregate, cover an area no more than 30 percent of the area of the building wall (as viewed in elevation) from which they project;
    4. Bicycles or micromobility parking, including necessary ancillary structures;
    5. Canopies;
    6. Chimneys, projecting not more than three feet into, and not exceeding two percent of the area of, the required yard or rear yard equivalent;
    7. Eaves, gutters, downspouts, or other similar projections, extending into such yard or rear yard equivalent not more than 16 inches or 20 percent of the width of such yard or rear yard equivalent, whichever is the lesser distance;
    8. Electric vehicle charging equipment;
    9. Flagpoles;
    10. Qualifying exterior wall thickness;
    11. Ramps or lifts for people with physical disabilities;
    12. Solar energy systems, accessory or as part of an energy infrastructure equipment:
      1. on walls existing on April 30, 2012, projecting no more than 10 inches and occupying no more than 20 percent of the surface area of the building wall (as viewed in elevation) from which it projects; or
      2. above other permitted obstructions, as applicable, provided that the additional height shall be limited to 18 inches;
    13. Terraces or porches, open;
    14. Window sills, or similar projections extending into such yard or rear yard equivalent not more than four inches;
  2. In any rear yard or rear yard equivalent:
    1. Breezeways;
    2. Fire escapes;
    3. Greenhouses, non-commercial, accessory, limited to one story or 15 feet in height above adjoining grade, whichever is less, and limited to an area not exceeding 25 percent of a required rear yard;
    4. Recreational or drying yard equipment;
    5. Sheds, tool rooms or other similar accessory buildings or other structures for domestic or agricultural storage, with a height not exceeding 10 feet above the level of the rear yard or rear yard equivalent;
    6. Solar energy systems, accessory or as part of an energy infrastructure equipment:
      1. on the roof of a building permitted as an obstruction to such yard, up to four feet in height as measured perpendicular to the roof surface; however, limited to 18 inches in height as measured perpendicular to the roof surface when located above a detached accessory building or other structure, or on any roof with a slope greater than 20 degrees; or
      2. affixed to solar canopies and located over any accessory off-street parking space, provided that the height shall not exceed 15 feet above the level of the adjoining grade;
    7. Water-conserving devices required in connection with air conditioning or refrigeration systems in buildings existing prior to May 20, 1966, if located not less than eight feet from any lot line.

However, no portion of a rear yard equivalent which is also a required front yard or required side yard may contain any obstructions not permitted in such front yard or side yard.

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