A.
Minimum park area. A mobile home park shall have an area
of not less than 10 contiguous acres. Additions to any existing mobile home
park shall contain an area of not less than five contiguous acres.
B.
Maximum density. There shall be no more than four homes
per gross acre.
C.
Minimum mobile home lot area. Each mobile home lot shall
have at least 9,000 square feet, exclusive of any right-of-way.
In no instance shall the exterior walls of mobile home units or additions
thereto come within 25 feet of the exterior walls of an adjacent mobile home.
No mobile home, office or service building shall be closer than 25 feet to
the cartway of any street, nor closer than 75 feet of mobile home park boundary,
regardless of whether that boundary abuts a lot or a water body. Accessory
structures shall be located to the side or rear of the principal structure
and not less than 15 feet from any structure or accessory structure on an
adjacent mobile home lot.
No mobile home shall be permitted within a mobile home park unless it
contains at least 700 square feet of internal floor area, exclusive of additions,
porches, patios, storage sheds and accessory structures.
A.
Roadways.
(1)
All roadways within mobile home parks shall conform to the minimum roadway standards specified in Chapter 320, Subdivision and Land Development. Additionally, all streets entering the park which are connected to public streets shall have a minimum width of 34 feet for a distance of no less than 100 feet into the park.
(2)
Mobile home lots may have direct access only onto minor
internal streets. Direct access from a mobile home lot shall not be permitted
onto the street(s) from which the mobile home park gains primary access.
(3)
Any road built as a private road, and later proposed
for conversion to a public road, shall be brought up to the applicable standards
for public roads prior to being ordained as a public way, unless this requirement
is waived by the governing body subsequent to determining that compliance
with the requirement would have a negative effect on the mobile home park.
B.
Off-street parking. Off-street parking facilities shall
be provided at the minimum rate of two spaces for each unit. Said spaces shall
be at least 10 feet by 20 feet and constructed of a suitable paved surface.
Additionally, one off-street parking space shall be available for each five
units for the purpose of serving guests.
C.
Common parking areas. Where common parking areas are
provided, they shall be located within 150 feet from the mobile home lots
they are intended to serve. Where common parking areas are provided, the parking
aisle giving access to the parking spaces shall be at least 22 feet in width.
Ten percent of all common parking areas on each tract shall be devoted to
green areas consisting mostly of natural vegetation which must be interspersed
within the paved parking areas to channel traffic or divide parking areas.
The green areas required by this section shall not constitute a portion of
any green area or common open spaces otherwise required by this chapter or
any other ordinance or regulation of North Coventry Township. The exact design
and location of the green areas required by this section shall be indicated
on a development or subdivision or other similar plan and shall be permanently
maintained as such.
D.
Common walkways. All mobile home parks shall provide
common walkways between the park streets and all community facilities provided
for park residents. Where common walks are provided, paved width shall be
no less than 3 1/2 feet in width, and no less than four inches in thickness
and shall have a slope of one inch across its total width. All mobile home
lots shall be connected to common walks, or to driveways, or to streets, or
to off-street parking spaces by a walkway of no less than 2 1/2 feet
wide, and no less than four inches in thickness, and sloped to provide adequate
drainage.
A.
Wherever an existing public sanitary sewer system is
geographically and economically accessible to the proposed mobile home park,
the park's sanitary sewer system shall be connected thereto. Where a
satisfactory public sanitary sewer system is not available, a mobile home
park may be served by a community sewage treatment system, provided that the
necessary permits are obtained from the Department of Environmental Protection
and any other authority having jurisdiction. Community treatment systems shall
be so designed that they can be connected to the public sanitary sewer system
when available.
B.
Any sewage treatment and disposal facility must be set back a minimum of 200 feet from any mobile home lot, and a minimum of 300 feet from any residential lot adjoining the boundaries of the mobile home park. A planting screen in compliance with requirements of Chapter 320, Subdivision and Land Development, and with Chapter 370, Zoning, shall surround all sewage treatment facilities. The requirements of § 320-52 of Chapter 320, Subdivision and Land Development, are expressly stated to apply.[1]
C.
Ownership and maintenance of sewage facilities shall
be the responsibility of park management.
A.
Liquefied petroleum gas systems.
(1)
The design, installations, and construction of containers
and pertinent equipment for the storage and handling of liquefied petroleum
gases shall conform to the Propane and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act (35 P.S.
§ 1329.1 et seq.), as it may be amended; and to the regulations
therefor promulgated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry,
or its successor.
(2)
Liquefied petroleum gas systems provided for mobile homes,
service buildings or other structures when installed shall be maintained in
conformity with the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of
Labor and Industry and shall include the following:
(a)
Systems shall be provided with safety devices to relieve
excessive pressures and shall be arranged so that the discharge terminates
at a safe location.
(b)
Systems shall have at least one accessible means for
shutting off gas. Such means shall be located outside the mobile home and
shall be maintained in effective operating condition.
(c)
All liquefied petroleum gas piping outside of the mobile
home shall be well supported and protected against mechanical injury. Undiluted
liquefied petroleum gas in liquid form shall not be conveyed through piping
equipment or systems in mobile homes.
(d)
Vessels of at least 12 U.S. gallons and less than 60
U.S. gallons gross capacity shall be maintained in a vertical position and
shall be securely, but not permanently, fastened to prevent accidental overturning.
No vessel shall be placed any closer to a mobile home exit than five feet,
and no closer to any window than three feet.
(e)
No liquefied petroleum gas vessel shall be stored or
located inside or beneath any storage cabinet, carport, mobile home or any
other structure.
(f)
All pipe connections shall be of a flare type.
B.
Fuel-oil supply systems.
(1)
All fuel oil supply systems provided for mobile homes,
service buildings and other structures shall be installed and maintained in
conformity with the rules and regulations of the authority having jurisdiction.
(2)
All piping from outside fuel storage tanks or cylinders
to mobile homes shall be securely, but not permanently, fastened in place.
(3)
All fuel oil supply systems provided for mobile homes,
service buildings and other structures shall have shutoff valves located within
five inches of storage tanks.
(4)
All fuel storage tanks or cylinders shall be securely
placed and shall not be less than five feet from any mobile home exit, and
not less than three feet from any window.
(5)
Storage tanks located in areas subject to traffic shall
be protected against physical damage.
All utilities shall be installed and maintained in accordance with utility
company specifications regulating such systems, and shall be underground.
All mobile home parks must provide at least 20% of the site area of the mobile home park for common open space. In all other respects, the provisions of Chapter 370, Zoning, and Chapter 320, Subdivision and Land Development, shall be applicable, and are incorporated herein by reference. The common open space shall be designed as a contiguous area unless the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the governing body that two or more separate areas would be preferable. The common open space shall also have easily identifiable pedestrian and visual accessibility to all residents of the mobile home park, although all units need not abut the common open space. Not less than 25% of the common open space shall be devoted to recreation, and recreation facilities shall be provided to meet the anticipated needs of the development.
A.
General requirements. Along all exterior property boundary lines except those which abut another mobile home development, there shall be a permanent buffer at least 15 feet in depth, unless this is waived pursuant to Subsection D or E below. A screen buffer (as defined herein) shall be provided wherever the mobile home development abuts existing residential uses; commercial, office, industrial and institutional uses; any existing street (as modified by Subsection C below), drive, or parking area; or open (not wooded) undeveloped land. An open buffer shall be provided wherever the mobile home development abuts wooded undeveloped land, or where more extensive buffers are deemed unnecessary by the governing body.
B.
Components. The minimum components of each type of buffer
shall be as follows:
(1)
Screen buffer. The primary components of a screen buffer
shall be a row of evergreen trees, at a height of not less than six feet when
planted, spaced not more than 10 feet apart on-center, and these trees shall
be of such species to attain a height at maturity of not less than 20 feet.
Also required as a secondary component of the buffer is one of the following:
Mounding (the use of which is encouraged), provided the slopes shall be a
maximum of 3 to 1; visually opaque fencing not greater than six feet in height;
and coniferous shrubbery. Any combination of evergreen trees, coniferous shrubs,
mounding, fencing or other natural vegetation or man-made materials is allowable
provided an effective visual screen at least 15 feet in height above the adjacent
ground elevation in the mobile home park is achieved within a reasonable time.
But whenever only vegetation is used, there shall be at least a double row
of evergreen trees, with the trees in one row offset five feet from the trees
in the other row, and the rows at least five feet apart.
(2)
Softening buffer. The primary component of a softening
buffer shall be a row of trees, spaced not more than 25 feet apart on-center,
at least 25% of which shall be evergreens. The evergreen trees shall be at
least six feet in height when planted and shall attain at least 20 feet in
height at maturity. Any deciduous trees shall be at least 1 1/2 inches
in caliber and eight feet in height when planted, and shall attain a height
of not less than 20 feet at maturity. These trees shall be interspersed with
other allowable components, including any other type of trees, shrubs, mounding,
fencing and/or similar natural or man-made elements having a visible vertical
dimension, or any combination thereof.
(3)
Open buffer. The open buffer shall as a minimum consist
of grass, ground cover, and/or similar vegetative material, and may include
trees, shrubs, or other natural or man-made landscaping materials, but it
shall be mostly vegetative with minimal paved areas, if any.
C.
Street boundaries. Rather than the extensive buffers described in Subsection B above, the use of a single row of deciduous trees at least eight feet in height when planted and at least 20 feet in height at maturity, with a spacing of not more than 40 feet on-center, may be provided along all property boundaries which abut a street, wherever necessary for adequate sight distance or where the governing body determines this to be a sufficient buffer to protect the welfare and safety of the community.
D.
Existing buffers. In cases where an edge(s) of a mobile
home park occurs along natural features which function as buffers, including
but not limited to mature vegetation, significant grade changes or stream
valleys, which are likely to be permanently preserved, buffering may be waived
along that edge(s) upon approval of the Board of Supervisors.
E.
Buffer alternative. Buffers may also be waived by the
governing body where the mobile home park abuts a single-family residential
use, if only detached modular homes or conventionally built single-family
detached dwellings — but no mobile homes — are constructed within
200 feet of that property boundary.
F.
Maintenance. All vegetation shall be maintained permanently,
and in the event of death or other destruction, shall be replaced within one
year by the persons responsible for maintenance when death or destruction
occurred.
G.
Buffer landscape plan. A landscaping plan shall be submitted
with the final plans, showing all pertinent information, including the location,
size and specie of all individual trees and shrubs to be preserved or planted,
or alternately the general characteristics of existing vegetation masses which
are to be preserved.
A.
Portable hand-operated ABC dry chemical type fire extinguishers
of at least 10 pound capacity shall be kept in each service building and shall
be required by the mobile home park owner to be placed in each mobile home
in the park. Fire extinguishers shall be inspected semiannually by the park
owner.
B.
Approved heat and/or smoke detectors shall be required
by the mobile home park owner to be placed in each mobile home in the park.
Where a service building(s) are provided, each must contain a toilet
and lavatory for each sex. In addition, the applicant may provide laundry
facilities, management office, repair shop, indoor recreational facilities
and/or commercial uses to supply essential goods and services to park residents
only. The applicant shall also provide sheltered waiting areas for transportation
and a mail box area for residents.
A.
A concrete pad at least six inches in thickness with
an integral concrete footer extending vertically below the frost line shall
be provided on every mobile home lot to accommodate the mobile home. The pad
should provide an adequate foundation and anchoring facilities to secure the
mobile home against any accidental movement. The pad should not heave, shift,
or settle unevenly under the weight of the mobile home as a result of any
frost action, poor drainage, vibration, or other such forces.
B.
The mobile home pad shall be graded to obtain adequate
surface drainage. The grade of the pad and its accessway shall also be such
as to allow easy placement of the mobile home.
C.
At least six tie-down rings shall be provided at each
pad to anchor mobile homes and secure them against overturning forces. Each
anchor shall be able to withstand a tension force of at least 5,000 pounds.
The cable or other device connecting the mobile home and anchor must also
be able to withstand a tension of at least 5,000 pounds.
Each mobile home lot shall be provided with a walkway light located
between the mobile home and off-street parking area.
All mobile homes shall be fully skirted within 90 days of placement
on a mobile home lot. Skirting material shall be that which has been specifically
manufactured for the purpose of skirting mobile homes. Skirted mobile homes
shall be adequately vented and shall allow for access to all utility connections.
In no instance shall the area beneath mobile homes be used for storage.
All grounds, buildings and structures shall be maintained free of insect
and rodent harborage and infestation. There shall be no accumulation of debris,
lumber, pipe or other materials that may provide rodent harborage. All lumber
and other building materials shall be stored at least one foot above ground.
The growth of shrubs and weeds shall be controlled to prevent harborage of
noxious insects and plants.
