[Added 3-30-1970 by Ord. No. 4-30]
The purpose of establishing planned multifamily
districts shall be to encourage the logical and timely development
of land for multifamily purposes in accordance with the objectives,
policies and proposals of the Comprehensive Plan for the community;
to permit a variety of housing to the landscape which conforms to
the interest of the Comprehensive Plan and this chapter; to assure
the suitable design of the development in order to protect the surrounding
environment of adjacent and nearby neighborhoods; and to ensure that
the proposed development will constitute a residential environment
of sustained desirability and stability and not produce a volume of
traffic in excess of the capacity for which access streets are designed.
The protective standards contained in this article are intended to
minimize any adverse effect of the development on nearby property
value.
[Amended 7-13-1976 by Ord. No. 4-49; 12-5-1983 by Ord. No. 4-74; 12-19-1983 by Ord. No.
4-73; 9-4-1984 by Ord. No. 4-78; 9-4-1985 by Ord. No. 4-83]
A building may be erected, altered or used and
a lot or premises may be used or occupied for any one of the following
purposes and no other:
B.
Area regulations.
(1)
Area of tract. Not less than 10 acres shall be provided
for every area to be used in whole or in part as a multifamily district.
(2)
Building area. No more than 15% of the tract area
of each multifamily district may be occupied by buildings. However,
in multifamily developments including accessory nonresidential buildings
(such as clubhouses, fitness centers, detached garages and carports),
the maximum area occupied by buildings permitted by this section may
be increased an additional 5% when the additional building coverage
can be attributed to said accessory nonresidential buildings; so long
as the total area occupied by buildings on the tract does not exceed
20%.
[Amended 3-16-2004 by Ord. No. 4-196]
(3)
Setback from streets. There shall be a setback from
the ultimate right-of-way of each street on which the Multifamily
District abuts, which shall not be less than 100 feet in depth. The
setback may be reduced to 75 feet for townhouse, multiplex and two-family
dwellings when reverse frontage is utilized.
(4)
Setback from property lines. There shall be a building setback from any property line (not a street right-of-way line) on which the district abuts of not less than 100 feet. This setback may be reduced to 50 feet along a property line that abuts an industrial zoning district or industrial use, provided the area within all setbacks, including the required setback from streets [Subsection B(3) above], shall remain as natural landscaped areas in conformance with "softening buffer" requirements as set forth in § 160-7B, with the exception of access drives and utilities required to service the Multifamily District.
[Amended 2-3-2004 by Ord. No. 4-192]
(5)
Distance between buildings. The horizontal distance,
measured in feet, at the closest point between any two buildings shall
not be less than 35 feet. The horizontal distance, measured in feet,
between parallel elements of buildings forming courts and courtyards
shall not be less than twice the height of the taller building, measured
in feet.
[Amended 11-18-1991 by Ord. No. 4-127]
(6)
Density. The maximum permitted number of dwelling
units per developable acre shall be as follows:
(8)
Height regulations. No building shall exceed 35 feet
in height or two stories above the ground elevation. No basement shall
be occupied as a separate dwelling unit. A "basement" is defined as
a story having more than 25% of its clear height below grade.
(9)
Building configuration.
(a)
For multifamily apartment buildings, no building
shall be longer than 10 attached units.
[Amended 11-18-1991 by Ord. No. 4-127]
(b)
For multifamily townhouse buildings, there shall
be not fewer than three nor more than seven dwellings attached in
a group.
(c)
For multifamily multiplex buildings, there shall
be not fewer than three nor more than 16 dwellings attached in a group.
(d)
For two-family dwellings, there shall be a lot
planned, whether or not intended for sale, which shall have a minimum
width of 50 feet and a minimum area of 5,000 square feet.
(10)
Parking, traveling lane, and pedestrian lane
requirements and regulations.
(a)
Each lot shall be provided with off-street parking
and off-street delivery-collection areas. Such parking and delivery-collection
areas shall be in addition to the areas required for recreation, service
areas and traveling lanes on the lot and shall not be leased but shall
be for the sole use of the occupants of such building or buildings
and visitors thereto.
(b)
Not less than two off-street parking spaces shall be required for each dwelling unit in accordance with all applicable provisions of Article XXVII.
(c)
No parking shall be permitted within 50 feet
of a property line or right-of-way line.
The general plan for multifamily dwelling districts
shall include evidence and facts showing that it has considered and
made provisions for, and the development shall be executed in accordance
with, the following essential conditions:
A.
The proposed development shall be constructed in accordance
with an overall plan and shall be designed as a unified architectural
unit with appropriate landscaping.
(1)
If the development of the Multifamily District is
to be carried out in stages, each stage shall be so planned that the
foregoing requirements and the intent of this article shall be fully
complied with at the completion of any stage. The initial stage of
development shall comprise a total floor area of not less than 25%
of the total area intended to be developed.
(2)
All access roads to public streets or highways shall
be located not less than 200 feet from the intersection of any street
lines and shall be designed in a manner conducive to safe ingress
and egress.
B.
Each development shall contain a minimum approved
outdoor recreation area of 10% of the total development area.
C.
All buildings shall be served by a public sanitary
sewage disposal system and public water supply.
D.
Lighting facilities shall be arranged designed in accordance with § 160-220 of the Code of the Township of Whitpain.
E.
Screening.
[Amended 12-5-1983 by Ord. No. 4-74; 9-4-1984 by Ord. No. 4-78]
(1)
For multifamily dwellings, all recreational, service
and parking areas shall be effectively screened from abutting lots
or rights-of-way by a screen buffer not less than 20 feet in width,
such planting to consist of not less than 50% of evergreen material
scattered throughout the planting strip.
(2)
Screening materials. In evaluating the design of buffering, the landscape material, size and spacing along existing perimeter streets shall be of such quantity and selection as to satisfy the requirements of "softening buffer" as defined in § 160-7B, and the landscape material, size and spacing along existing perimeter property lines abutting a residential district shall be of such quantity and selection as to satisfy the requirements of "screen buffer" as defined in § 160-7B.
F.
All roof, parking, delivery-collection areas and traveling
lanes shall be provided with drainage facilities to collect, transport
and deliver, via underground conduits, stormwater or surface waters
to the nearest storm sewers or streams as approved by the Township
Engineer.
G.
The developer shall be required to plant street trees
abutting each street or road and trees for shade and beautification
within a lot.
H.
Accessory buildings or structures.
[Added 4-18-2000 by Ord. No. 4-172; amended 8-18-2015 by Ord. No.
4-240]
(1)
Where individual lots have been created, accessory buildings, structures
or uses having a maximum height of 10 feet, but not exceeding 15 feet
measured from grade to the highest point of such building or structure
may be located within the rear yard only, but no closer to the side
or rear line of the lot than five feet. The height of the accessory
building or structure and the maximum dimension from grade to the
highest point may be increased an additional one foot for each additional
two feet of required setback from both the side and rear lines of
the lot, to a maximum building or structure height of 16 feet, but
not to exceed 25 feet measured from grade to the highest point of
the building or structure. All measurements from grade to the highest
point of the building or structure shall include any chimneys, spires,
towers, elevator penthouses, tanks and similar projections. The provisions
of this section shall not apply to community cable television antennas.
(2)
Where individual lots have not been created, only those accessory
buildings, structures or uses as specifically shown on the land development
plans for the development may be constructed or installed, and an
accessory building, structure or use not specifically shown on the
land development plans for the development shall not thereafter be
permitted.
(a)
Notwithstanding the above, an attached open or enclosed porch, deck or patio and/or fence, not greater than 14 feet in height from the top of the floor elevation or paved patio, may be constructed to project no further than 20 feet into the setback from property lines required by § 160-41B(4), provided the property owner evidences express written permission of any applicable homeowners' association to permit such structure.
[Added 8-17-2021 by Ord. No. 4-258]
Signs shall be permitted only pursuant to the provisions of Article XXVI, as amended, for residential districts.
