Township of Patterson, PA R-1 Single-Family Residential District

The following conditional uses may be permitted, subject to the issuing of a conditional use permit in accordance with the provisions of Article XIV of this chapter and the standards and criteria listed herewith:

Limited home occupation, pursuant to the following standards and criteria:

(1)

Activities shall be limited to professional, technical or business pursuits which involve only office and office-related functions and practices.

(2)

Off-street parking shall be provided at the rate specified in Article XVII of this chapter.

(3)

Signs shall be limited to the provisions specified in Article XVI of this chapter.

(4)

All activities shall be conducted inside the principal dwelling structure and be free of any procedure, motion or action which could be construed as adversely influencing surrounding uses and site occupants or creating any nuisance factor in the immediate proximity.

(5)

No person other than members of the family residing on the premises shall be engaged in the occupation and involved in business activities in conjunction therewith at the site of the limited home occupation.

Private recreation pursuant to the following standards and criteria:

(1)

Activities shall be limited to those specifically included in the definition of "private recreation."

(2)

When private recreation is included as part of a planned residential community or cluster development (as permitted elsewhere in this chapter), it shall be part of the approved plan.

Keeping of horses and stables as an accessory use pursuant to the following standards and conditions:

(1)

Any horses to be kept on the property shall be owned by the residents of the property.

(2)

The horses shall be kept as pets or for personal enjoyment by residents.

(3)

The residents shall not engage in the business of buying or selling horses and shall not use the horses for any commercial purpose, but this shall not prevent the entering of the horses in shows or competitions off the premises.

(4)

The premises on which the horses are to be kept shall contain not more than one residence and shall be at least five acres in size. When determining the size of the lot for the purpose of this conditional use, all improved land (e.g., land with a residence or shed on it) and land scheduled to be improved is excluded from the calculation; however, land used or scheduled to be used for stables may be included with determining lot size. Should additional improvements be made after this calculation, the size of the lot shall be recalculated and the number of horses reduced (if required) to the new maximum. If more than one lot is combined for the purpose of meeting the minimum lot size requirements, the minimum/maximum requirements shall be recalculated if it is desired to remove the additional lot(s) from the calculation.

(5)

The number of horses permitted to be kept as an accessory use shall be limited to one horse for each full acre, over and above the five-acre minimum described in Subsection C(4) above.

(6)

A stable shall be provided that has an adequately sized stall for each horse to be kept. The stable shall be located a minimum of 100 feet from any property line. Requests for a waiver of the one-hundred-foot minimum distance may be presented along with supporting justification for this request.

(7)

All fence lines shall be a minimum of 20 feet from any property line (except for property lines of lots combined to meet the requirements of this conditional use).

(8)

The residents shall meet the following performance standards:

(a)

The stable shall be kept safe, clean and neat and in good repair.

(b)

The residents shall control odor, bugs, insects, vermin and rodents.

(c)

The residents shall keep unattended horses within the fenced enclosure(s), in the stable or attached to restraining devices and shall keep the fences and equipment in good repair. Fences constructed for the exterior fence line shall be constructed of wooden materials, woven wire, pipe or PVC materials and be at least 48 inches high with posts not more than 10 feet apart. Electric fence may be used for partition fences, where applicable, but shall not be used for an exterior fence. (Electric fencing may be attached to, but inside, the exterior fence.)

(d)

The fenced lot shall be so located and managed so that it does not become and remain muddy due to weather conditions, from surface drainage or from activity of the confined horses, and drainage should prevent any standing water from accumulating. The fenced area should not be extended to reach streams running through the property.

(e)

The residents shall not permit or allow manure piles or other wastes to accumulate which cause offensive odors or sights. Manure generally produces odors when it is allowed to accumulate. By eliminating these conditions, odor, fly and rodent problems can be minimized. The manure disposal area must be in a low-profile position, cause no nuisance and be at least 100 feet from a property line. Requests for a waiver of the one-hundred-foot minimum distance may be presented along with supporting justification for this request.

(f)

The installation of artificial lighting shall be such that it does not create a nuisance surrounding property owners.

(9)

All minimum lot, area and dimensional requirements are still applicable where they are not modified by the above requirements.

(10)

Any requirements for fencing or limitations on the fencing, as discussed in this conditional use, only apply to fences installed to meet the requirements of this conditional use.