Lot coverage in Reading is regulated by Chapter 600 (Zoning) of the Codified Ordinances and is set district-by-district in the bulk schedule of each zoning district. Reading's traditional rowhouse fabric in R-3 and the central districts allows much higher building coverage than the lower-density R-1A and R-1 districts. Impervious-surface and stormwater impacts on larger projects are also reviewed under the City's stormwater ordinance and the Pennsylvania DEP NPDES Phase II MS4 program.
Chapter 600 of the Reading Codified Ordinances sets maximum building coverage and (where applicable) impervious coverage as part of the bulk schedule for each district. The R-1A and R-1 districts (§§600-801, 600-802) - Reading's lower-density single-family detached zones - have stricter coverage limits, while the R-3 Residential District (§600-804) and the C-C Commercial Core District (§600-807) allow much higher building coverage consistent with the City's traditional rowhouse and downtown street wall. §600-1001 (General Requirements) and the front-yard exception in §600-909 work with the bulk schedule to determine actual buildable area on a given lot. Stormwater controls for projects that disturb 5,000 square feet or more of earth are reviewed by the City under its locally adopted stormwater management ordinance and the PA DEP NPDES Phase II MS4 program (25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 Erosion and Sediment Control). Larger projects (over one acre of earth disturbance) require a separate PA DEP / Berks County Conservation District NPDES permit. Lot-coverage compliance is verified at building-permit application via plot plan and again at field inspection by the City Codes / Building Inspections office.
Exceeding the lot-coverage maximum in Chapter 600 is a zoning violation; the Building Code Official will not issue a Certificate of Occupancy until the parcel is brought into compliance. The Reading Zoning Office can issue notices of violation and refer cases to the District Justice for fines (typically up to $1,000 per violation plus costs in PA third-class cities) under the MPC enforcement framework. Failure to comply with the City's stormwater ordinance or the underlying 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 erosion-control requirements is separately enforceable by Berks County Conservation District and PA DEP.
Reading, PA
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See how Reading's lot coverage limits rules stack up against other locations.
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