It is the specific intent of this article to:
A. 
Permit continued operation of agricultural uses while allowing limited and compatible residential development.
B. 
Encourage the retention of woodlands, hedgerows and other vegetation to moderate the effects of storms, absorb pollutants and noise, shelter wildlife and provide a diverse natural environment.
C. 
Direct lower density residential development to those areas of the Township that are rural in character and not intended to be served by public water and sewer.
D. 
Provide minimum lot dimensions compatible with the need for on-site water and sewer.
E. 
Identify natural resources and provide standards for their protection, especially as they relate to groundwater supply and recharge.
F. 
Promote the use of land and waterways for open space purposes where appropriate because of location and/or natural characteristics.
G. 
Provide reasonable density and dimensional standards to permit use of the land for residential purposes, including traditional and flexible lotting standards.
On any lot in the R-1 District, any one of the following uses and no other is permitted:
A. 
Agricultural uses and farm buildings (with the exception of pig farms or piggeries) meeting the requirements of § 184-71A(4).
[Amended 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196]
B. 
Single-family detached dwellings.
C. 
Accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to the principal use, as specified in § 184-71 herein.
D. 
Home occupations as specified in § 184-72 herein.
E. 
Public or private noncommercial open space, parks, playgrounds, tot-lots and similar recreational facilities, if ancillary to residential development.
F. 
Uses and structures owned or operated by Limerick Township or public recreation facilities owned by Montgomery County or the state.
[Amended 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196]
On any lot in the R-1 District, any one of the following uses, and no other, may be permitted as a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors, according to the requirements of § 184-100 of this article and § 184-68 herein:
A. 
Public or private primary or secondary school.
[Amended 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196]
B. 
Place of worship, which may include one accessory dwelling unit.
[Amended 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196]
C. 
Cemeteries.
D. 
Publicly owned recreation use or noncommercial athletic fields or a swim club or a horse-riding academy or uses that the applicant proves to the Board of Supervisors are closely similar.
[Amended 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196]
E. 
A golf course of at least nine holes in length, with an area of at least 50 contiguous acres, including a clubhouse and/or restaurant facilities.
F. 
A fire station, ambulance or other emergency services.
G. 
A summer camp, day camp or camping area, provided that no year-round dwellings will be permitted except for a caretaker's or owner's residence.
H. 
Public utility facilities customarily located in a residential district to serve nearby residences, excluding cellular phone towers and related equipment, and ground base cabinet structures.
[Amended 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196; 7-5-2011 by Ord. No. 324]
I. 
Day-care facilities as permitted by § 184-73.
[Added 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196]
J. 
Golf course residential community, according to the provisions of § 184-101C of this article. A golf course residential community shall include a golf course, plus any of the following uses and no other:
[Added 2-15-2000 by Ord. No. 210]
(1) 
Single-family detached dwellings.
(2) 
Single-family semidetached dwellings.
(3) 
Single-family attached dwellings, with a maximum of three units per building.
(4) 
Golf course uses, including the following:
[Amended 8-15-2017 by Ord. No. 379]
(a) 
Retail pro shop and golf club repair facility.
(b) 
Golf teaching facility.
(c) 
Golf practice facilities, including driving ranges and putting greens.
(d) 
Club house with locker and shower facilities.
(e) 
Golf shelter facilities and comfort stations adjacent to tees of golf holes.
(f) 
Golf cart facilities and caddy shacks.
(g) 
Kitchen, restaurant, or snack bar, intended primarily for the use of the golf course patrons. These facilities may serve alcoholic beverages.
(h) 
Offices for administration, membership, or management of the golf course.
(5) 
Health club or athletic club.
(6) 
Day-care facility.
[Added 12-18-2001 by Ord. No. 236A]
A. 
For uses that generate 50 or more peak hour trips, a traffic impact analysis shall be submitted, according to the requirements of § 184-84 herein.
B. 
Evidence shall be submitted that adequate sewage disposal facilities will be provided in accordance with current standards and meeting all state, Township and County Health Department requirements.
[Amended 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196]
C. 
A minimum lot size of two acres shall be required for the following uses:
(1) 
Fire stations and emergency services.
(2) 
Religious uses.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection C(3), regarding public utilities, which immediately followed this subsection, was deleted 12-21-1999 by Ord. No. 206.
D. 
A minimum lot size of five acres shall be required for all other conditional uses except where larger minimum lot sizes are required by this chapter.
E. 
Outdoor active recreational uses shall be set back at least 50 feet from any lot line or street right-of-way line and 100 feet from any existing residential building on an adjacent property. Active recreation areas shall be sufficiently screened and insulated so as to protect the neighborhood from excessive noise or disturbances.
F. 
Dimensional standards.
(1) 
Buildings and structures shall meet the setback requirements for R-1 residential development, traditional lotting, according to § 184-101 herein.
(2) 
Parking area setback shall be at least 25 feet from any lot line or street right-of-way line.
(3) 
Maximum building coverage shall be 20% of net acreage.
(4) 
Maximum impervious coverage shall be 50% of net acreage or net buildable acreage, whichever is less.
(5) 
Maximum height shall be 35 feet.
[Amended 11-8-1995 by Ord. No. 175; 9-3-1996 by Ord. No. 177; 6-2-1998 by Ord. No. 196; 2-15-2000 by Ord. No. 210; 12-18-2001 by Ord. No. 236A; 5-3-2005 by Ord. No. 249]
A. 
General development standards for residential uses shall be as follows:
[Amended 12-20-2011 by Ord. No. 327]
Standard
Traditional
Cluster
Lot Averaging
Minimum tract size (acres)
---
10
---
Maximum density (dwelling units per net buildable acre)
0.451
0.50
0.45
Minimum lot area (square feet)
80,000
40,000
40,000
Minimum average lot area (square feet)
---
---
75,000
Minimum lot width (feet)
225
125
125
Front yard (feet)
75
50
50
Rear yard (feet)
75
50
50
Side yard (feet, each)
50
25
25
Minimum common open space (percentage of net acres)
102
35
102
Maximum building height (feet)
35
35
35
Maximum building coverage (percentage of individual lot)
10
20
10
NOTES:
1 Any lot of at least four acres that is held in single and separate ownership at the time this chapter becomes effective may be subdivided into two building lots, in compliance with all the other development standards of this article.
2 For traditional lotting or lot averaging, all or a portion of the ten-percent open space requirement may be waived by the Board of Supervisors, based on the recommendation of the Planning Commission and the Township's Open Space and Recreation Plan.
B. 
See § 184-61 of this chapter and the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance concerning flag lots.
C. 
Golf course residential development standards.
(1) 
Density and area criteria for golf course communities and accessory uses.
[Amended 8-15-2017 by Ord. No. 379]
(a) 
A minimum tract size of 200 acres shall be required for a golf course residential community. Land shown in a previously approved subdivision or land development as reserved for open space shall not be included in the minimum tract area.
(b) 
The overall permitted density shall be one dwelling unit per net buildable acre.
(c) 
All residential uses within the golf course residential community shall be served by public water and community sewage disposal facilities, in compliance with § 184-55 herein. Well water may be used for the golf course irrigation.
(2) 
Development standards for golf courses and accessory uses.
[Amended 8-15-2017 by Ord. No. 379]
(a) 
Any proposed golf course shall have a minimum of 18 holes.
(b) 
The golf course shall be a minimum length of 6,200 yards, measured from the center of the rearmost tee to the center of the green of each hole.
(c) 
The golf course and accessory uses may be held under separate ownership from the residential dwellings.
(3) 
Dimensional standards
(a) 
The dimensional standards for residential uses shall be as follows:
Standard
Single-Family Detached Dwellings
Single-Family Semidetached Dwelling
Single-Family Attached Dwelling*
Minimum lot area (square feet)
9,000
3,000
2,200
Minimum lot width (at building setback line) (feet)
70
30
26
Minimum front yard (feet)
25
25
20
Minimum side yards (feet)
10 each
10 (one only)
10 (ends only)
Minimum rear yard (feet)
30
30
25
Maximum building coverage (per lot)
35%
50%
50%
Maximum building height (feet)
35
35
35
Ninety percent of dwellings must have a rear or side lot line that abuts open space.
NOTE:
*
A maximum of 30% of the total number of dwelling units may be single-family attached or semidetached dwellings.
(b) 
The dimensional standards for all other accessory uses shall be as follows:
[Amended 8-15-2017 by Ord. No. 379]
[1] 
Minimum setback from the perimeter tract boundary: 50 feet.
[2] 
Minimum setback from an internal street: 25 feet.
[3] 
Minimum setback from a property line: 30 feet.
[4] 
Parking standards shall be in accordance with Article XI, Off-Street Parking Standards, contained herein.
[5] 
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
(c) 
The dimensional standards for a day-care facility shall be as follows:
[1] 
The day-care facility shall comply with all lot, area and dimensional standards established by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) and § 184-73 of this Zoning Ordinance.
[2] 
Minimum setback from the perimeter tract boundary: 50 feet.
[3] 
Minimum building and outdoor play area setback from an internal street: 25 feet.
[4] 
Minimum setback from a property line: 30 feet.
(4) 
Open space standards.
(a) 
A minimum of 50% of the net acreage of the site shall be preserved as open space.
(b) 
The proposed golf course and practice areas may be counted toward the minimum required open space.
(c) 
The club house and other accessory uses may be counted toward the minimum required open space, provided the area for the club house and accessory uses does not exceed 5% of the total open space. For purposes of the bonus units, the accessory uses may not be counted toward the minimum required open space.
[Amended 8-15-2017 by Ord. No. 379]
(5) 
Required buffer yards.
(a) 
Buffers may contain required yards or land adjacent to golf fairways, greens or tees, but shall not contain any buildings or parking areas.
(b) 
A minimum fifty-foot buffer is required along all tract boundaries.
(c) 
A minimum seventy-five-foot buffer is required along the rights-of-way of abutting arterial or major collector roads. A minimum fifty-foot buffer is required along the rights-of-way of all other abutting roads.
(d) 
All buffers shall be landscaped according to the standards of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 155, Subdivision and Land Development.
(6) 
A traffic study shall be required.
(7) 
The applicant shall prepare a covenant running with the land, to the satisfaction of the Township Solicitor, that requires that the property identified as a golf course in the approved golf course residential community remain as a golf course or open space in perpetuity. This covenant shall be recorded in the Montgomery County Recorder of Deeds office.