ZoningVerdict

Setbacks in Rochester Hills, MI

What the Rochester Hills zoning ordinance says about setbacks, district by district. Section numbers link to the official ordinance.

RE — One-Family Residential Estate

Front: 40 feet. Sides: 15 feet each, 30 feet combined. Rear: 35 feet.

The front setback may follow the average of existing homes within 200 feet on the same side of the street, but never less than 20 feet (§ 138-5.101.B). On a corner lot, the side yard along the street must be at least 25 feet (§ 138-5.101.C).

R-1 — One-Family Residential

Front: 40 feet. Sides: 15 feet each, 30 feet combined. Rear: 35 feet.

The front setback may follow the average of existing homes within 200 feet on the same side of the street, but never less than 20 feet (§ 138-5.101.B). On a corner lot, the side yard along the street must be at least 25 feet (§ 138-5.101.C).

R-2 — One-Family Residential

Front: 40 feet. Sides: 15 feet each, 30 feet combined. Rear: 35 feet.

The front setback may follow the average of existing homes within 200 feet on the same side of the street, but never less than 20 feet (§ 138-5.101.B). On a corner lot, the side yard along the street must be at least 25 feet (§ 138-5.101.C).

R-3 — One-Family Residential

Front: 30 feet. Sides: 10 feet each, 20 feet combined. Rear: 35 feet.

The front setback may follow the average of existing homes within 200 feet on the same side of the street, but never less than 20 feet (§ 138-5.101.B). On a corner lot, the side yard along the street must be at least 15 feet (§ 138-5.101.C). On lots under 60 feet wide, one side yard may drop to 5 feet if the two sides total at least 15 feet and the neighbor's abutting side yard is at least 10 feet (§ 138-5.101.D).

R-4 — One-Family Residential

Front: 25 feet. Sides: 10 feet each, 20 feet combined. Rear: 35 feet.

The front setback may follow the average of existing homes within 200 feet on the same side of the street, but never less than 20 feet (§ 138-5.101.B). On a corner lot, the side yard along the street must be at least 15 feet (§ 138-5.101.C). On lots under 60 feet wide, one side yard may drop to 5 feet if the two sides total at least 15 feet and the neighbor's abutting side yard is at least 10 feet (§ 138-5.101.D).

R-5 — One-Family Residential

Front and street-side yards: 15 feet minimum. Interior sides: 5 feet each, 15 feet combined. Rear: 35 feet. Principal buildings must sit at least 15 feet apart.

RM-1 — Multiple-Family Residential

Perimeter setbacks: front 30 feet, rear 30 feet, sides 30 feet each. Buildings must sit 50 feet back from major thoroughfares and 35 feet from any abutting one-family district. Minimum separations between buildings on the same site are set in § 138-6.102.

NB — Neighborhood Business

Front: 50 feet. Sides: 50 feet combined. Rear: 50 feet. A side yard abutting a one-family residential district must be at least 50 feet. Lot size is set by the yards: the lot must be big enough for the use to meet them (§ 138-5.101.E).

CB — Community Business

Minimum site: 5 acres with 400 feet of width (smaller parcels possible under the § 138-5.101.E conditions). Front: 75 feet. Sides: 25 feet each, 50 feet combined. Rear: 75 feet. Side and rear yards abutting residential districts grow to 75 and 100 feet (§ 138-5.101.F, G).

HB — Highway Business

Front: 25 feet. Sides: 25 feet each, 50 feet combined. Rear: 30 feet. Lot size is set by the yards (§ 138-5.101.E).

BD — Brooklands District

BD uses a build-to line instead of a deep front setback: the front setback may be at most 10 feet, and at least 80 percent of the facade must sit on the build-to line. Side yards are not required except 20 feet abutting residential. Rear: 10 feet on an alley, otherwise 30 feet.

O — Office Business

Front: 35 feet. Sides: 50 feet combined. Rear: 35 feet. A side yard abutting a one-family residential district must be at least 30 feet.

I — Industrial

Front: 50 feet (30 feet on internal industrial subdivision streets without front-yard parking, § 138-5.101.I). Sides: 50 feet each, 100 feet combined; the interior side may drop to 15 feet where walls have no openings (§ 138-5.101.J). Rear: 50 feet.

SP — Special Purpose

Front: 50 feet. Sides: 50 feet each, 100 feet combined. Rear: 50 feet.

EC — Employment Center

Front: 25 feet. Sides: 25 feet each, 50 feet combined. Rear: 30 feet. A side yard abutting a residential district must be at least 75 feet.

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