It is the intent of this zoning district to:
A. Provide for a reasonable amount of residential development
in the form of compact neighborhoods of single-family detached homes
clustered together in an open space setting.
B. Preserve natural features such as woodland, steep
slopes, wetlands, and floodplains and provide open space for residents
of each development.
C. Provide greater design flexibility and efficiency
in the siting of services and infrastructure.
D. Implement the goals of the Township Comprehensive
Plan and Open Space Plan, specifically:
(1)
Provide for permanent preservation of remaining
open space areas.
(2)
Provide for appropriate development of undeveloped
or underdeveloped land.
(3)
Preserve natural, scenic, cultural and historic
resources.
E. The provisions of an overlay district shall serve
as a supplement to the underlying district. Where there are conflicts
between the provisions of the AAA Residential District and those of
the underlying district, the more restrictive provisions shall apply.
The initial proposal for a development shall
include an inventory and analysis of the site. The following site
elements shall be inventoried and mapped in sufficient detail to allow
evaluation of the plan by the Township relative to the intent of this
article.
A. Physical resources. Identification of resources associated
with the natural environment of the site, including topography, soils,
hydrology, and vegetation.
B. Land use. Current land use and land cover, all building
and structures, and all encumbrances (e.g., easements, covenants).
C. Visual resources. Scenic views onto the site from
surrounding roads and public areas and views of scenic features from
within the site.
D. Cultural and historic resources. Brief description
of historic character of buildings and structures and the proposed
disposition of the resource(s).
E. Context. General outlines of buildings, land use,
and natural features within 100 feet of the site.
Development may be phased in accordance with
a unified development plan for the entire tract including the following:
A. An inventory and analysis of the entire tract shall be completed in accordance with §
114-3A3.
B. The unified development plan for the tract shall be
approved as a full site plan and shall be made part of a binding development
agreement between the applicant and the Township.
C. When an historic lot is subdivided prior to neighborhood
development, the following standards shall apply:
(1)
The lot shall be configured in a manner that
is suitable for future neighborhood development.
(2)
The lot shall be counted towards the maximum
permitted density for the development.
(3)
The lot shall be restricted from further subdivision
by permanent covenants placed on the deed and duly noted on the approved
subdivision/land development plans.
(4)
Any future neighborhood development shall be
consistent with the approved site plan and development agreement.
(5)
Occupancy of the building on the historic lot
may take place after a certificate of occupancy has been issued and
emergency vehicles have clear access to the building.
[Added 12-13-2006 by Ord. No. 882]
A. Qualifying tract. Minimum tract size shall be a combination
of parcels in one ownership which total 25 acres and which has a minimum
of 1,000 linear feet of continuous street frontage.
(1)
The plan shall provide a minimum of 75% as permanent
open space of the gross tract area which shall be preserved from future
development.
(2)
The manner in which preserved open space shall
be owned and maintained, including easements and covenants which shall
ensure preservation in perpetuity, shall be disclosed at the time
plans are submitted for preliminary approval by the Board of Commissioners.
B. In addition to the permitted uses authorized at §
114-3A1, townhouse and single-family semidetached (twin dwelling) dwelling uses shall be permitted when approved as a conditional use subject to the following additional standards:
(1)
A minimum lot size of 2,400 square feet per
dwelling shall be allocated to each dwelling unit whether or not separate
deeded lots are contemplated for sale. The area allocated or deeded
for individual lots shall not be included in the area preserved for
permanent open space.
(2)
Density shall not exceed the maximum of 3.0
dwelling units per net developable acre of the tract.
(3)
Front yard setback from interior roadways shall
not be less than 25 feet from the curbline.
(4)
Where individual lots are provided, the rear
yard shall not be less than 25 feet.
(5)
Where individual lots are provided, side yards
from ends of buildings shall not be less than 12.5 feet.
(6)
Buildings shall be separated by not less than
35 feet.
(7)
The maximum number of townhouse dwelling units
attached in a single building shall not exceed six.
(8)
The minimum width of an individual townhouse
or twin dwelling unit shall not be less than 24 feet.
(9)
Townhouse building design standards.
(a)
No more than two attached townhouses shall share
the same front setback line. Offsets of not less than four feet shall
be provided for at least one full story or one-half of a front facade
of a dwelling unit in order to meet the offset requirement. Front
elevations shall be provided with architectural features such as pent
roofs, porches, dormers, bow windows, mixed materials of masonry and
wood, or similar products which, when provided in combination on the
same building, shall be acceptable as an option in lieu of required
four-foot offsets.
(b)
All roofs shall be provided with a pitched roof
having a slope of not less than five inches vertical for each 12 inches
horizontal.
(c)
End townhouse units shall be provided with either a side- or rear-facing garage or a garage located behind the rear facade, where topography permits and there is no intrusion into woodland, floodplain, wetlands or required setbacks from the perimeter of the tract. However, this requirement shall not be imposed in those instances where fewer units would result than otherwise permitted under §
114-3A7B(2).
(d)
Individual townhouse units shall be provided
with sprinkler fire suspension systems unless specifically waived
by the Board of Commissioners.
(10)
Neighborhood placement standards.
(a)
Direct driveway access to perimeter streets
shall be prohibited unless it is demonstrated that no other alternative
is feasible.
(b)
Townhouse and twin dwelling buildings shall
be clustered on buildable portions of the tract and situated to protect
existing streetscapes.
(c)
Townhouse and twin dwelling neighborhoods shall
be provided with sidewalks and trail links to adjoining residential
neighborhoods, pedestrian networks, train stations, bus stops, parks
and recreation facilities, and nearby commercial and business centers.
C. General standards.
(1)
Maximum building coverage on the net developable
acreage of the tract shall not exceed 12%. The maximum total impervious
surfaces of the net developable acreage of the tract shall not exceed
25%.
(2)
Minimum roadway width shall be provided at 30
feet.
(3)
Minimum right-of-way shall be provided at 50
feet width, setback from perimeter road rights-of-way shall not be
less than 50 feet.
(4)
Setback from perimeter property boundaries of
the tract shall not be less than 50 feet, except where such boundaries
shall be permanently preserved open space contained within the qualifying
tract, in which case the minimum setback shall be 25 feet.
(5)
The minimum setback from floodplains, wetlands,
watercourses, and water bodies shall not be less than 75 feet; provided
that for floodplains the setback may be reduced to 37.5 feet, provided
there shall be no adverse impact to water quality and/or increased
flooding potential; for each one square foot of building area permitted
within the seventy-five-foot setback there shall be provided five
square feet of compensatory restricted area in addition to the seventy-five-foot
buffer otherwise applicable elsewhere along the same natural resource.
Compensatory restricted area shall be located contiguous to the seventy-five-foot
buffer otherwise applicable and shall not extend outward more than
75 feet from the edge of the seventy-five-foot buffer otherwise required.
(6)
The minimum setback from the edge seasonal high
water mark of a nonflowing water body such as a pond or lake shall
be 50 feet; provided that for nonflowing water bodies having a surface
area of less than one acre the setback may be reduced to 25 feet,
provided there shall be no adverse impact to water quality and/or
increased flooding potential; for each one square foot of building
area permitted within the fifty-foot setback there shall be provided
five square feet of compensatory restricted area in addition to the
fifty-foot buffer otherwise applicable elsewhere along the same natural
resource. Compensatory restricted area shall be located contiguous
to the fifty-foot buffer otherwise applicable and shall not extend
outward more than 50 feet from the edge of the fifty-foot buffer otherwise
required.
(7)
The design standards at §
114-3A4, ownership and maintenance of common facilities and open space at §
114-3A5, and phasing at §
114-3A6 shall be applicable, provided that an individual neighborhood may contain more than 25 lots but not greater than 37 dwelling units and §
114-3A4A(8) shall not be applicable.
(8)
Standards and regulations of §§ 114-3AO, 114-3A1, 114-3A2 shall apply only to the extent such standards are not inconsistent or contradictory to those standards contained in §
114-3A7.