[Added 7-15-1981 by Ord. No. 4-64]
It is hereby declared to be the specific intent
of this article to provide for mobile home parks; to ensure the compatibility
of proposed mobile home parks with essential utilities and surrounding
land uses; to further the general welfare by extending greater opportunities
for better and more affordable housing to all present and prospective
residents of the Township; to provide for a diversity of housing types
and prices; and to encourage mobile home parks that are beneficial
to property values and the general welfare of Whitpain Township.
In an R-9 Residential District, a structure
may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used or occupied
for any one of the following uses and no other:
A.
Mobile home use in conjunction with a mobile home
park.
The uses which are permissible in a mobile home
development are as follows:
A.
Residential uses. A mobile home park may include mobile
homes of single width or multiple width or any combination thereof,
but shall not include truck campers, recreational vehicles or motor
homes. No mobile home may be occupied before furnishing the Township
a copy of the structural engineering bulletin indicating approval
by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development of
the dwelling or of the components of the dwelling.
B.
Areas for nonresidential uses.
(1)
No part of any mobile home park shall be used for
nonresidential purposes, except such uses as are required for the
direct servicing, recreation and well-being of the residents and for
the management and maintenance of the development and are not otherwise
prohibited by any provision of this article.
(2)
Nothing in this article shall be deemed as prohibiting
the rental, sale or resale of a mobile home stand or a mobile home
located on a mobile home stand and connected to the pertinent utilities.
Similarly, a model or display area is permissible only on a temporary
basis, provided that such models or displays are developed in accordance
with all applicable regulations of this article and other applicable
ordinances and that use of the models or displays for sale or rental
promotion ceases when the project is fully developed.
C.
Accessory uses.
(1)
Accessory uses and structures customarily incidental
to the maintenance, servicing and well-being of mobile home development
residents shall be permitted only as part of an approved development
plan for the site.
(2)
(3)
Structures specifically designed by the mobile home manufacturers for enlargement of mobile homes and other additions architecturally compatible with the mobile home may be joined onto the principal dwelling, provided that all requirements of § 160-97 and other applicable ordinances are met. The standards of Part 5, Standards for the Installation of Mobile Homes (ANSI/NFPA Publication No. 501A 1977), Manufactured Housing Institute and National Fire Protection Association, shall be adhered to.
The following development regulations shall
apply to mobile home parks in this district:
A.
Minimum tract size. Any parcel to be used as a mobile
home park must have a minimum developable area of 15 contiguous acres
of land.
B.
Maximum density. The total number of lots in a mobile
home park shall not exceed a maximum density of four per developable
acre.
C.
Setback from tract boundary. No mobile home or other
primary building may be located closer than 50 feet to any boundary
of a mobile home park regardless of whether that boundary abuts a
lot, water body, road or other right-of-way. In the event that a mobile
home park abuts another such park, industrial use, commercial use
or institutional use, this may be reduced to 35 feet.
[Amended 11-1-1993 by Ord. No. 4-140]
D.
Setback from streets. In no case shall the long side
of a mobile home or any side of another primary building be located
closer than 32 feet to the ultimate right-of-way line of any public
street or to the edge of the cartway or the equivalent right-of-way
line, if applicable, of private interior roadways, within a mobile
home park; provided, however, that the short side of a mobile home
deck, patio, carport or garage may be located no closer to these facilities
than 22 feet.
[Amended 11-1-1993 by Ord. No. 4-140; 7-20-1999 by Ord. No. 4-64-1]
E.
Setback from common parking facilities. No mobile
home or accessory use shall be located within 25 feet of any common
parking area. No mobile home or accessory use shall be located within
five feet of any parking stalls on the same mobile home lot.
[Amended 11-1-1993 by Ord. No. 4-140]
F.
Maximum building coverage. The maximum coverage of
any individual mobile home lot by all primary and accessory buildings
and structures, including covered patios or decks, shall be no greater
than 45%.
[Amended 5-2-1988 by Ord. No. 4-103; 11-1-1993 by Ord. No. 4-140; 7-20-1999 by Ord. No.
4-64-1]
G.
Height. No structure built in a Mobile Home Park District
shall exceed a height of two stories or a maximum of 32 feet, whichever
is greater.
H.
Preservation of natural features. No mobile home or other structure shall be located within an area defined as floodplain by Article XXV of this chapter, nor shall any mobile home be placed on steep-slope land having a natural grade of 15% or greater, nor shall said steep-slope land be graded to a lesser percentage slope for the purpose of accommodating a mobile home.
I.
Common deed-restricted open space. At least 10% of the tract area of the mobile home park must be in common deed-restricted open space as defined herein, no more than 1/3 of which may be required buffer area. The configuration and location of the common deed-restricted open space must be consistent with the requirements of § 129-19, Buffers and landscaping for parking areas.
[Amended 10-18-2022 by Ord. No. 4-260]
The following development requirements shall
apply to mobile home lots in this district:
A.
Lot size. All mobile home lots in a mobile home park
shall have a minimum lot size of 5,600 square feet.
[Amended 11-1-1993 by Ord. No. 4-140; 7-20-1999 by Ord. No. 4-64-1]
B.
Lot width. No individual mobile home lot shall be
less than 56 feet in width at the building setback line. No individual
mobile home lot shall be less than 25 feet in width at the right-of-way
line of a public street or the equivalent right-of-way line or the
edge of the pavement of a private street, as applicable.
[Amended 11-1-1993 by Ord. No. 4-140; 7-20-1999 by Ord. No. 4-64-1]
C.
Side and rear setbacks. No mobile home may be located
closer than 10 feet to any side lot line, except as provided below,
or 10 feet to any rear lot line of an individual mobile home lot.
No accessory building may be located closer than five feet to any
side or 10 feet to any rear lot line of an individual mobile home
lot. Long sides of mobile homes, excluding attached garages, carports,
decks and patios, shall be separated from each other by a minimum
of 28 feet. Short sides or a long and a short side of mobile homes,
excluding attached garages, carports, decks and patios, shall be separated
from each other by a minimum of 20 feet. Whether or not attached,
decks, patios, carports or garages of one mobile home shall be separated
from decks, patios or any part of another mobile home by a minimum
of 10 feet. Accessory buildings may be located on the lot line if
physically joined to each other with a common wall located on the
property line.
[Amended 11-1-1993 by Ord. No. 4-140; 7-20-1999 by Ord. No. 4-64-1; 3-7-2000 by Ord. No.
4-169; 2-15-2005 by Ord. No. 4-207]
The tract of land to be developed shall be in
one ownership or shall be the subject of an application filed jointly
by the owners of the entire tract, and it shall be agreed that the
tract will be developed under single direction in accordance with
an approved plan.
It is not intended by this article to repeal,
abrogate, annul or interfere with any existing ordinances or enactments
or with any rule, regulation or permit adopted or issued thereunder,
except insofar as the same may be inconsistent or in conflict with
any of the provisions of this article, provided that where this article
imposes greater restrictions upon the use of buildings or land or
upon the height or bulk of buildings or prescribes larger open spaces
than are required by the provisions of such ordinances, enactment,
rule, regulation or permit, then the provisions of this article shall
control.
The provisions of this article are severable,
and if any of its provisions shall be held invalid or unconstitutional,
the decision of the court shall not affect or impair any of the remaining
provisions of this article. It is hereby declared to be the legislative
intent that this article would have been adopted had such invalid
or unconstitutional provisions not been included herein.
