[Added 10-6-1999 by Ord. No. 99-12]
In expansion of the purpose found in Article I, § 164-1 of this chapter and the statement of community development objectives found in Article II of this chapter, it is the intent of the Land Preservation Overlay District (LPOD) to:
A.
Create an open space/parkland greenbelt around the
Harleysville growth area and Lederach Village which will create a
growth boundary for the more urbanized portions of the Township.
B.
Preserve open space, sensitive natural areas and rural
community character that would be lost under conventional development.
C.
Allow the limited and controlled expansion of public
facilities from the Harleysville growth area and Lederach Village
to adjacent residential development when this expansion will improve
public safety, welfare and well-being.
D.
Preserve scenic views and elements of the Township's
rural character and to minimize perceived density by minimizing views
of new development from existing roads.
E.
Provide greater design flexibility and efficiency
in the siting of services and infrastructure, including the opportunity
to reduce length of roads, utility runs and the amount of paving required
for residential development.
F.
Implement the goals of the Township's Comprehensive
Plan and Open Space Plan.
The LPOD Land Preservation Overlay District
is an overlay of all other zoning districts that fall within the bounds
of the LPOD District as delineated on the Township Zoning Map.[1] Any lot, land or tract of ground within the bounds of
the LPOD District may be developed in accordance with the underlying
district or in accordance with the LPOD District.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Zoning Map is included
in a pocket at the end of this volume.
As a conditional use, land may be used for the
following purposes:
A.
Single-family detached dwellings with 55% open space
and clustered in accordance with standards of the LPOD District.
The Township Board of Supervisors may authorize LPOD development as a conditional use if it complies with all requirements of § 164-25 of this Code, all requirements of this article and the following specific standards:
A.
The proposed LPOD development must be served by public
water and municipally owned and operated public sewage facilities.
B.
The common open space within the LPOD development
helps create an open space/parkland greenbelt around the Harleysville
growth area or Lederach Village.
C.
The Township Board of Supervisors determines that
the design, location and layout of common open space meets Township
goals and requirements.
D.
Existing woodlands are preserved to the greatest extent
possible, and woodlands on the tract have not been significantly altered
for at least five years prior to the request for conditional use approval.
E.
Views and vistas are preserved to the greatest extent
possible.
All development and use of land under the LPOD
District shall meet the following density and dimensional standards:
A.
Density. The following two steps shall be used to
calculate density:
(1)
A yield plan, showing the maximum number of lots that could be developed in accordance with the underlying zoning district(s), shall be prepared for the tract proposed for subdivision. This yield plan shall be equivalent to a plan submitted for regular subdivision approval; shall meet all requirements of the underlying zoning district(s), the net lot area calculation and all other applicable standards of this chapter and Ch. 142, Subdivision and Land Development; and must be deemed acceptable by the Township Board of Supervisors, in consultation with the Township Engineer.
(2)
The number of residential lots permitted under
LPOD zoning shall equal the number of residential lots permitted under
the yield plan except as set forth herein. Where an applicant proposes
a single-family detached residential development on a property of
which only a portion is eligible for development under LPOD zoning,
the applicant shall submit a yield plan for the entire property. The
total number of lots permitted on the portion of the property proposed
to be developed under LPOD zoning may be increased by up to 5% of
the total number of single-family detached residential lots permitted
under the yield plan for the entire property so long as the total
number of residential lots proposed for development on the entire
property does not exceed the total number of residential lots permitted
under the yield plan for the entire property.
[Amended 7-11-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-3]
B.
Dimensional standards.
(2)
Dimensional standards for single-family detached
residential lots.
(a)
Minimum net lot size: 24,500 square feet.
[Amended 8-17-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-6; 7-11-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-3]
(b)
Minimum lot width (that width at the point of
the proposed building closest to the street and extending the full
depth of the building): 100 feet.
[Amended 8-17-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-6]
(c)
Minimum front yard setback: 30 feet.
(d)
Minimum side yard setback: 20 feet.
(e)
Minimum rear yard setback: 30 feet.
(f)
Minimum building setback from existing external
road rights-of-way, when hedgerows are not provided: 200 feet.
(g)
Minimum building setback from existing external road rights-of-way when hedgerows are provided in accordance with § 164-28.6B: 75 feet.
(h)
Minimum building setback from existing external
road rights-of-way for village LPOD homes: 30 feet.
(i)
Minimum building setback from tract boundaries:
50 feet.
(j)
Minimum building setback from floodplain and
wetlands: 25 feet.
(k)
Minimum building setback from slopes of 25%
or greater that have a vertical distance of eight feet or more: 15
feet.
(l)
Maximum building coverage (percentage of lot
area): 15%.
(m)
Maximum impervious coverage (percentage of lot
area): 25%.
The following standards apply to all LPOD development:
A.
Views of residential buildings from exterior roads
and abutting properties shall be minimized by the use of changes in
topography, existing vegetation or additional landscaping.
B.
When hedgerows are proposed, the following requirements
shall be met:
(1)
Proposed hedgerows must comply with the design and planting standards in Ch. 142, Subdivision and Land Development.
(2)
The proposed hedgerows shall be located between
the buildings with reduced setbacks and the existing, external street
right-of-way. Any proposed hedgerows must be at least 200 feet in
length and designed to minimize the view of the proposed building
from the existing road.
(3)
Hedgerows must be maintained by future owners
of buildings with reduced setbacks or by a homeowners' association
for the LPOD cluster development.
C.
All lots in a regular LPOD development shall take
driveway access from new interior roads, rather than existing roads
exterior to the tract; however, lots in a village LPOD development
may take driveway access from existing, exterior roads.
D.
Streets within LPOD developments shall be interconnected
with each other and with streets on abutting properties.
A.
General requirements for all common open space.
B.
Conservation open space requirements.
(1)
Conservation open space shall be located and
designed to meet one or more of the following criteria, listed in
order of priority, from highest priority to lowest priority. All LPOD
developments shall meet the highest level criteria for which they
qualify.
(a)
Highest priority criteria: land that is identified
in Lower Salford's Open Space Plan as Township parkland that needs
to be preserved.
(b)
Second highest priority criteria: land that
is needed for Lower Salford's community path, as identified in the
Township's Community Path Plan.
(c)
Third highest priority criteria: land that is
adjacent to or directly across the street from Lower Salford Township
parkland or state parkland.
(d)
Fourth highest priority: land that preserves
road right-of-way for a new road alignment or proposed road alignment,
as identified in the most recent version of the Lower Salford Township
Comprehensive Plan.
(e)
Fifth highest priority criteria: land that is
intended to preserve scenic views and is located between existing
public roads and the proposed homes in a LPOD development, with proposed
homes located as far from public roads as building setbacks and environmental
conditions will allow.
(2)
Conservation open space shall consist of large
area(s) of open space designed to conserve open space character, rather
than small or narrow areas used for street buffers, property line
buffers, stormwater control or other purposes. To be counted as conservation
open space, any area of proposed open space must measure at least
100 feet for its full width and length and must be part of a larger,
contiguous open space area consisting of at least three acres.
(3)
Within conservation open space, natural features
shall generally be maintained in their natural condition, but may
be modified to improve their appearance, functioning, or overall condition,
as approved by the Township Board of Supervisors and in accordance
with generally accepted best management practices. Permitted modifications
may include:
C.
Central open space requirements.
(1)
Central open space shall be provided in all
LPOD developments at a rate of at least 1,000 square feet of central
open space per lot but no more than 6,000 square feet of central open
space per lot.
(2)
The open space shall be centrally located within
the development.
(3)
The open space shall be configured as a village
green, parkway, eyebrow or cul-de-sac island, in accordance with the
following standards:
(a)
Village green. Each village green shall be at
least 20,000 square feet in size, shall be surrounded along at least
45% of its perimeter by roads and shall be configured so that a circle
with a radius of 50 feet can fit within the confines of the green.
(b)
Parkway. Each parkway shall have a minimum width
of fifteen feet, shall have a length of at least 150 feet, shall be
surrounded by streets on all sides and shall have an average width
of 35 feet.
(c)
Eyebrow. Each eyebrow shall be surrounded by
streets on all sides, shall be generally configured as a semicircle
and shall be configured so that a circle with a radius of 30 feet
can fit within the confines of the eyebrow.
(d)
Cul-de-sac island. Each cul-de-sac island shall
be located in the bulb of a cul-de-sac, shall have a radius of at
least 50 feet, and shall be surrounded by streets on all sides.
(4)
The central open space may contain stormwater
detention basins or parking areas, but, except for permanent wet ponds,
these shall not be included in the required 1,000 square feet per
lot.
D.
Access open space requirements.
(1)
Access open space shall consist of open space
providing pedestrian access from proposed streets within an LPOD development
to conservation open space.
(2)
Access open space shall be at least 25 feet
in width.
(3)
Pedestrian access through access open space
shall be provided from proposed streets within an LPOD development
to all areas of conservation open space.
All LPOD cluster developments must be served
by public water facilities and municipally owned and operated public
sewage facilities.
