Pittsburgh Zoning Districts - R3 Overview
By Carolyn Ristau
Introduction
Zoning districts are a fundamental building block of zoning regulations and set the base use, height, and density standards. The R3 or Three-Unit Residential is one of five R or residential zoning districts in Pittsburgh. A tiny 0.26 square miles or 0.53% of the city falls into an R3 zoning district. In this post, we provide an overview of the challenges when working on a site in the R3 zone. Additional posts will dive into the uses and density regulations for the R3.
Note: There are additional “special” zoning districts that are also predominantly residential, but they are grouped separately from the “R” residential districts.
Refer to our Introduction to Pittsburgh’s Zoning Districts for the complete list of base zoning districts in the city. Pittsburgh’s interactive zoning map can be used to verify the project site’s zoning district and density subdistrict.
Challenges
The R3 is a very small zoning district and is mostly indistinguishable from the R2 in its regulations. The only difference in uses is that a three-unit dwelling can be built (provided it meets the minimum lot size per unit) and Housing for the Elderly (General) is permitted through a Special Exception.
As described in our overview of the R2, there is a standard for minimum lot size per unit when a multi-unit structure is proposed. The challenges mentioned in the R2 continue in the R3. In the R3-L (low density), the minimum lot size per unit standard requires lots of at least 9,000 sq ft to build or convert to a three-unit. Only six of the parcels in a three-and-one-half block area in the R3-L zoning district appear to meet this requirement. Another four-block area in the R3-L appears to have even fewer parcels large enough to comply. While the R3-M (moderate density) minimum lot size per unit threshold is lower, only 5,400 sq ft for three units, most parcels in this zoning district similarly appear too small to meet this requirement. This means that most lots would require a dimensional variance from the zoning board for a use that is “permitted-by-right.”
Even when a location receives zoning approval for a three-unit dwelling, there may be challenges from the building code that send the applicant back to zoning to revise the application. Returning applicants often opt to reduce the unit count to two. The reason for this is that the building code considers a three-unit dwelling to be a commercial building and applies commercial fire suppression standards.
Conclusion
The zoning district sets the base use, height, and density standards for any project. The R3 continues the challenge of minimum lot size requirements that may not match the existing conditions, which also comes up in the R1D, R1A, and R2. While the zoning district sets the base standards, there may be “bandages” that allow for variations, or a project may request variances to these requirements.
Also, keep in mind that meeting these base standards does not guarantee zoning approval as there may be additional zoning regulations that apply - the most common are parking and environmental requirements.
