My lot is under 60 feet wide in Rochester Hills. What side yard setbacks apply?
A lot under 60 feet wide may reduce one side yard to 5 feet, with conditions. The reduction is allowed only when the two side yards together total at least 15 feet and the abutting neighbor's side yard is at least 10 feet (§ 138-5.101, footnote D).
Points to check:
- The standard side yards in R-3 and R-4 are 10 feet each with 20 feet total (§ 138-5.100, Table 6). The narrow lot rule relaxes one side, not both.
- The neighbor's existing side yard matters. If the abutting yard is under 10 feet, the reduction is not available.
- Height is also affected in R-3 and R-4. On lots 60 feet wide or less, building height is capped at 24 feet (§ 138-5.101, footnote P).
If the reduced yard still does not work, a dimensional variance from the ZBA under the practical difficulty standard is the remaining path (§ 138-2.407).
Sources
Full text: Rochester Hills ordinance on Municode. Applies to districts: R-3, R-4.
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