A recreation and seasonal land development includes the improvement
and development of land for seasonal and/or leisure time activities.
Such developments are for temporary occupancy and are not intended
now or in the future for year-round dwelling purposes, and may include
travel trailers, motorhomes, campers, lots intended for tents, and
land intended for various other outdoor recreation activities such
as hunting and fishing. However, development comprised of cottages,
cabins, second homes, other permanent and fixed dwelling structures,
and any recreational and seasonal lots for sale are excluded from
this article and are viewed as residential subdivisions in relation
to this chapter.
A.
Classification. Whenever any land development is proposed, before
any contract is made for the sale or lease of any part thereof, and
before any permit for development in such proposed land development
shall be granted, the owner or his agent shall apply for and secure
approval of such proposed land development in accordance with the
following procedures for development, which includes a maximum of
two steps for a minor and three steps for a major land development
as follows:
B.
Preapplication consultation. Prior to filing an application for approval
of a land development with the Township, the owner or his authorized
agent shall meet with the Blair Township Board of Supervisors for
an official classification of his proposed land development. The Blair
Township Board of Supervisors shall determine whether the proposal
shall be classified as a minor development or a major land development.
At this time, the Blair Township Board of Supervisors shall advise
the owner or his authorized agent as to which of the procedures contained
herein must be followed.
C.
Official filing date. For the purpose of these regulations, the official
filing date shall be the date of the next regular meeting of the Blair
Township Board of Supervisors following the date the application and
plans are received at the Township Building, provided that should
said regular meeting occur more than the 30 days following the submission
of the application, the official filing date shall be the 30th day
following the day the application has been submitted. On receipt of
an application for land development approval, the Blair Township Board
of Supervisors shall affix to the application both the date of submittal
and the official filing date.
D.
Blair County Planning Commission review. All plans shall be submitted
to and reviewed by the Blair County Planning Commission in accordance
with its then prevailing rules and regulations. The Township shall
not take action on an application until the county report is received
or until the expiration of 30 days from the date the application was
forwarded to the county.
The submission and review of the official preliminary plan shall follow the procedures outlined in Article III, §§ 350-14 and 350-15. Prior to the review and approval of the preliminary plan, the applicant must make application and meet all requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulations Title 28 Pa. Code Chapter 19, regarding organized camps and campgrounds, as well as any other state government regulations which may apply.
Plan requirements for all recreation and seasonal land developments shall follow the requirements delineated in Article IV.
A.
Recreational and seasonal land developments shall be designed pursuant to the applicable standards and requirements contained in Article V and Article VI in this chapter, except for the following:
(1)
Section 350-31, Streets (with the exception of § 350-31G which remains in effect for situations as noted in § 350-59B(1) below).
B.
The following design standards apply to recreational and seasonal
land developments not covered elsewhere in this chapter:
(1)
Streets.
The land development shall be designed to provide an access and internal
traffic circulation system adequate to accommodate the type and volume
of traffic to be generated, and shall be constructed to provide a
sound, all-weather driving surface, reasonably smooth, free of mud,
dust, and/or standing water. All private streets shall be considered
to be required improvements. The following minimum standards apply
to all private streets:
(a)
Right-of-way width: 40 feet.
(b)
Cartway width: 16 feet for two-way roads; 10 feet for one-way roads.
(c)
Cartway construction: six inches of suitable, compacted and graded
stone base material to provide a permanent and all-weather surface
which will facilitate storm drainage management.
(d)
Maximum allowable grade. Then maximum allowable grade for private
roads shall be a 14% slope for distances of no more than 500 feet.
However, special drainage measures and consideration will be required
on grades exceeding a 6% slope, including special roadway cross sections,
grading, shoulder construction and stabilization, cross drainage structures,
and cut-and-fill slopes, as recommended and/or accepted by the Township
Engineer.
(e)
Cul-de-sac minimum standards. While there are no minimum or maximum
length requirements, excessively long segments are discouraged due
to emergency vehicle access considerations. A turnaround area shall
be provided at the terminus of all dead end and/or cul-de-sac segments
having an unobstructed maneuvering area equal to a 50 feet turning
radius.
(f)
The internal street and roadway system shall be privately owned and appropriately noted on the final plan, and provide safe and convenient access to all campsites and facilities. The alignment and gradients of all internal streets and roadways shall be properly adapted to the topography, to the types of anticipated traffic, and to the satisfactory control of surface water. Points of connection between the private street and roadway system and the exiting public street system shall be designed to avoid congestion and hazardous intersection in accordance with § 350-31G, Intersections.
(2)
Lots.
Individual campsites shall be comprised of a minimum area of at least
1,500 square feet, with no more than a total of 15 individual campsites
per acre. Each campsite shall be accessible from the private street/roadway
system without the necessity to cross any other campsite. In addition,
recreation vehicle campsites shall have a minimum width of 40 feet,
and a minimum depth of 50 feet or 30% longer than the maximum length
of the recreation vehicle anticipated to occupy the space.
(3)
Parking.
Parking spaces shall be provided to accommodate the number and size
of vehicles anticipated. Parking spaces for all campsite users shall
be on the campsite lot. In addition, a minimum of one parking space
for every two campsites shall be provided for visitors. Parking spaces
for visitors may be on a common parking area. The parking spaces shall
be of a compacted and graded stone base material to provide a permanent
and all-weather surface, and support the types, lengths, and weights
of vehicles anticipated to use the facility.
(4)
Campsites.
Individual campsites and accessory buildings shall be designed to
be at least 50 feet from any arterial highway, or 35 feet from any
other type of public right-of-way. Recreational vehicle campsites
for trailers, campers, and/or motor homes shall contain a stabilized
vehicular parking pad of shale, gravel, stone, paving, or other suitable
material, and shall be dimensioned that when any space is occupied,
no portion of any camping unit shall be within 10 feet of any portion
of any other camping unit or accessory building, and at least 15 feet
from any internal private roadway.
(5)
Relationship
with adjoining properties. The design of proposed land developments
governed by this section shall take into account potential effects
and impacts on adjacent properties. A landscaped buffer strip having
a minimum width of 20 feet shall be provided along the perimeter of
the land development, within which no campsites shall be located.
(6)
Minimum
acreage. The minimum size for a recreation vehicle park is five acres,
of which 10% shall be set aside and developed as common use areas
for open and unenclosed recreation facilities, which may include any
required buffer areas.
Where appropriate, the applicant of any land development shall be required to provide the following improvements, or a suitable guarantee pursuant to § 350-16, and address at least the following:
A.
Streets and access roads, including where applicable parking areas,
driveways, curb cuts, and traffic control devices.
B.
Utilities, including, where applicable, stormwater management facilities,
sanitary sewer facilities, water facilities, pumping facilities, gas
lines, electrical facilities, telephone, and other utility facilities.
C.
Any proposed amenities, including recreational facilities, meeting
facilities, and screening and landscaping.
D.
Any other improvements which may be required for approval.
E.
Procedures and mechanisms guaranteeing the perpetual private maintenance
of all improvements by the owner and/or operator of the facility.
A.
At a minimum, land developments proposed under this article shall
include certain facilities, depending upon the type of camping area
planned.
(1)
Camping areas intended to primarily serve the needs of overnight
tenting campers shall include toilet facilities.
(2)
Camping areas intended to primarily serve the need of overnight campers,
trailers and motorhome users shall include the availability of electric
service to individual campsites, central travel trailer sanitary and
water stations, and toilet facilities.
(3)
Camping areas intended to serve as longer term destinations shall
include back-in parking at campsites, individual electric and water
connections, central travel trailer sanitation stations, and central
toilet and shower facilities.
B.
The above are minimal requirements, subject to more stringent requirements imposed by the regulations of Title 28, Chapter 19 of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The applicant may provide enhanced facilities such as laundry, picnic, swimming and other facilities. The applicant shall specify the manner in which all facilities are to be privately maintained.[1]
