[Added 5-14-1990 by Ord. No. 90-20[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also deleted former Art. III, A-1 Agricultural District, as amended and former Art. IV, A-2 Agricultural-Residence District, as amended.
The AC Agricultural-Conservation District is intended to provide primarily for the protection of stream valleys and other environmental corridors, to preserve natural vegetation and the semirural character of the Township and to preserve ample and appropriate areas for agriculture, recreation, conservation and other open space purposes. Accordingly, the district incorporates a density standard which, among other things:
A. 
Provides for farm and low-density residential uses and certain compatible accessory uses that support the preservation of open space.
B. 
Provides for golf courses and recreational uses.
C. 
Enables the creation and maintenance of open space within the Township by permitting a varied arrangement of dwelling units and open space on tracts undergoing development.
D. 
Facilitates the conservation of agricultural and woodland areas and surface and underground water supplies and the control of soil erosion and surface water flooding.
A building may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes:
A. 
Single-family detached dwelling.
B. 
Forest, game preserve, wildlife preserve, arboretum or other conservation purpose.
C. 
Agricultural use, that is, the planting, growing, storing and sale of plants and crops therefrom and the breeding, raising, keeping and/or sale of animals and products thereof, provided that such uses shall be conducted on a lot not less than five acres in size and shall not include a commercial piggery, poultry hatchery or establishment for slaughtering or processing poultry or livestock. Any building for the sheltering of animals or the sale of farm products shall be located not less than 100 feet from any street right-of-way line and not less than 150 feet from any other property line. Buildings utilized for sales shall conform to the accessory use standards for the sale of farm products; see Subsection H(5) below.
D. 
Park, day camp, riding academy, golf course or other outdoor recreational use customarily located in natural woodland and rural areas and for public and private use, including a country club, swimming club, hunt club or similar club or lodge in conjunction with any permitted outdoor use, provided that:
(1) 
The minimum lot area of the property on which the use is conducted shall not be less than 10 acres.
(2) 
The use and its design are compatible with the natural character of the area.
(3) 
Each structure shall be clearly incidental to the outdoor use.
(4) 
Any club or lodge building and its services shall be for the use of members and their guests only. Any associated public facilities shall be used by those participating in club-approved activities only.
(5) 
No commercial activity shall be permitted except for the charging of admission, the sale of refreshments or other purposes clearly incidental to the permitted outdoor use.
(6) 
Each permitted use or activity shall be required to screen and separate itself from an adjoining property by providing a buffer planting strip not less than 25 feet in depth. This provision shall not apply to a proposed golf course or where:
(a) 
The proposed use constitutes a similarly natural or open outdoor use; and/or
(b) 
Where the existing abutting use is a predominantly natural or open outdoor use.
(7) 
Each incidental commercial use permitted above shall be located or screened so that it shall not be visible from a public street.
E. 
Office use for administrative and/or service purposes, to be utilized solely by nonprofit organizations providing advice and services to agricultural practitioners who could but need not be located within the district, i.e., those engaged in the planting, growing, storing and/or selling of plants and crops or horticultural plants and the breeding, raising, keeping and/or selling of animals and products thereof.
(1) 
The number of persons regularly engaged in such activities at any location shall not exceed one person for each two acres of land owned at such location, including parcels adjacent thereto, by such organization or its lessor or the provider of the site and facility, and in no case shall exceed 20 individuals at any one time.
(2) 
No subdivision of the existing tract shall be required to accommodate such use; however, any proposed construction of new buildings for office use shall be considered a land development and shall be subject to the applicable requirements of Chapter 255, Subdivision of Land. Alterations to, including expansion of, existing buildings shall be minimized so as to retain the current character and integrity of the building.
(3) 
Parking for such use shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of § 280-103B of this chapter.
F. 
The following uses, only when authorized as a conditional use by the Board of Commissioners pursuant to the requirements of Article XXIII, Conditional Uses:
(1) 
Density modification development, in accordance with the requirements of Article XIX, Density Modification Development.
G. 
The following uses, only when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board, subject to the general standards prescribed in § 280-145.
(1) 
A stable for horses or a kennel for the keeping of dogs and cats, provided that any building and yard for the keeping of animals shall not be less than 200 feet from any street right-of-way line or property line, and subject to such additional requirements as the Zoning Hearing Board shall deem necessary to ensure that the conduct of the use will not detract from the character of the surrounding area.
(a) 
The minimum site area for such uses shall not be less than five acres.
(b) 
For horses or ponies, a maximum of three animals may be kept on a five-acre parcel. One additional such animal may be kept for each acre of lot size or portion thereof in excess of five acres.
(c) 
With regard to kennels for the keeping of dogs and cats, the following shall also apply:
[1] 
There shall be sufficient facilities to enable the dogs or cats to be sheltered indoors as necessary; such facility shall be the preferred location during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
[2] 
Sound baffle devices or other appropriate noise control measures shall be installed where necessary to protect adjacent properties from noise problems.
[3] 
Fencing shall be installed in a manner that prevents dogs from leaving the property.
(2) 
A bed-and-breakfast use in accordance with the requirements set forth in § 280-115.3.
[Added 2-27-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-01]
H. 
Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any of the foregoing permitted uses. Each permitted use shall comply with the provisions of § 280-103 relating to off-street parking. The term "accessory use" shall not include a business, but may include:
(1) 
Private parking or garage space.
(2) 
Home occupations, subject to the provisions of Article XX, Section 115.1.
[Amended 10-26-1998 by Ord. No. 98-09]
(3) 
Tenant house, provided that the lot is not less than four acres. Such lot shall be restricted against further subdivision in a manner satisfactory to the Township, unless the tenant house is located on the lot such that it could comply with Chapter 255, Subdivision of Land.
(4) 
Farm buildings.
(5) 
The sale or display of farm products, in accordance with the following:
(a) 
At least 75% of such products shall have been grown or produced on the property on which they are offered for sale.
(b) 
Parking space for at least three cars shall be provided on the lot. Where building area exceeds 600 square feet, one additional parking space shall be provided for each additional 200 square feet of building area.
(c) 
Sale of farm products shall be conducted either from a temporary stand, dismantled at the end of the growing season, or from a permanent building, the location of which complies with all Township setback standards for that zoning district. Any temporary structure shall be set back at least 25 feet from the right-of-way line of the road.
(6) 
Signs, as permitted in Article XXI, Signs.
(7) 
Private swimming pools, tennis courts and similar uses, when illuminated by lighting fixtures attached to or mounted on freestanding poles or standards, subject to the following standards:
[Amended 12-13-1991 by Ord. No. 91-52]
(a) 
The pool or tennis court is not located within the front yard setback or closer than 25 feet to any side or rear property line.
(b) 
Lighting fixtures are not located within the front yard setback and are a minimum distance of 25 feet from any side or rear property line.
(c) 
The lighting fixture, including standards for mounting, do not exceed a height of 16 feet above grade.
(d) 
Prior to installation, a lighting plan is prepared and submitted to the Township Engineer for approval. Such plan shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted engineering standards and shall not provide for lighting intensity at any property line in excess of 0.10 footcandles.
(e) 
The lighting fixtures are approved by the Township Engineer and are designed, mounted and shielded in such a manner as to prevent the light source from being visible off the property. Such lighting shall also be located and positioned in such a manner as to not illuminate adjacent properties.
(f) 
Lights shall be turned off by 11:00 p.m.
A. 
Where the density modification option, as provided for in Article XIX, Density Modification Development, of this chapter, is to be utilized in the AC District, the area, density and dimensional requirements of that article applicable to the AC District shall be complied with.
B. 
Where conventional single-family residential development is proposed on individual lots and for all other uses permitted under the terms of § 280-9 above, the following area and dimensional requirements shall be complied with:
(1) 
Lot area. Except as otherwise provided in § 280-9 above, the lot area of each lot shall be not less than two acres and no lot shall be less than 180 feet in width at the building line.
(2) 
Building area. Not more than 15% of the area of each lot may be occupied by buildings.
(3) 
Front yard. There shall be a front yard on each street which a lot abuts, which shall be not less than 60 feet in depth.
(4) 
Side yards.
(a) 
For every standard single-family detached dwelling, there shall be two side yards, each of which shall be not less than 50 feet in width.
(b) 
For every building other than a dwelling and its accessory buildings, there shall be two side yards, neither of which shall be less than 40 feet in width.
(5) 
Rear yard. For every principal building, there shall be a rear yard on each lot which shall be not less than 60 feet in depth.
(6) 
Riparian buffer setback: 35 feet.
[Added 12-8-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-22]
No building or structure shall exceed three stories or 38 feet in height, except that no accessory building, other than a farm building, shall exceed 20 feet in height.
Structures accessory to a residential use permitted herein shall be located as designated hereunder:
A. 
Attached to a principal building, in which case they shall be part of the principal building.
B. 
On the buildable area of a lot but not attached to the principal building, in which case they shall be separated from the principal building by at least 10 feet.
C. 
In the rear yard and/or side yard of a lot, in which case they shall be located not closer than 20 feet from a side or rear property line and not closer than 10 feet from the principal building.