Town of Jerusalem, NY Townhouses

Spaces required. A minimum of 2 1/2 off-street parking spaces shall be required for each townhouse unit. This would equate to five off-street parking spaces for every two units. For odd numbers of units, the result is rounded to the next higher whole number; e. g. three units would require eight off-street parking spaces.

Location. Parking spaces may be provided on the townhouse lot or in a commonly owned and maintained off-street facility, provided that such parking is easily accessible and a reasonable distance from the townhouse it serves (not more than 100 feet away).

Required parking spaces shall not be provided in any front or side yard, except as part of a driveway.

Landscaping and buffers.

Lot areas which are not required for buildings, structures or parking shall be landscaped with plantings designed to retain maximum amount of stormwater runoff. A plan that shows the location and species shall be provided for approval by the Planning Board. The plan should contain landscaping practices recommended by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and United States Green Building Council for Sustainable Sites.

All landscaped areas along property lines that are crossed by access drives may be planted with low shrubs no greater than three feet high and with branching habit no less than eight feet wide, but no planting shall create a hazardous condition by interfering with the normal line of sight (350 feet in either direction) needed for safe entering and exiting by motor vehicles.

Landscaped areas shall be designed to be easily maintained.

Common open space.

A minimum of 30% of the project site shall be provided as common open space. Where lot sizes will be reduced below the single-family lot area requirement of the district, compensating common open space must be established and provided within the townhouse project site.

Compensating open space also allows individual housing units and lots to be grouped in a manner which creates economics in the installation of utilities and private roads required to serve these individual properties and provides an opportunity for the subdivider to design and develop a more attractive residential neighborhood and fully utilize any natural or topographic features which may be present on the tract subdivided.

Compensating open spaces are to be considered to be only those areas not specifically designated or used as lots, building sites for dwelling units, building sites for utility or storage purposes, vehicular parking lots, carports or garages or driveways thereto or streets either public or private and their rights of way.

In order to minimize detrimental environmental effects, all exterior design and materials must be approved by the Planning Board.

The use of certified green building products and practices as outlined by the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for Homes is encouraged.

Stormwater. The Town also encourages managing the flow and dispersal of storm water so as to reduce as much as possible undesirable environmental consequences. USGBC and LEED are sources of good practices in this regard.

Exterior lighting. Maximum permitted illumination shall be consistent with the approved site plan. Exterior lighting shall be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and in character with the area. Glare shall be kept to a minimum by directional, downward lighting.

§ 160-137 Homeowners' association.

As required by Article 9-B of the New York Real Property Law, a homeowners' association must be formed. Copies of its organization documents, bylaws, rules, and regulations and all amendments and changes to them must be filed with the Town Clerk.

§ 160-138 Subdivision.

If subdivision regulations are enacted in the Town of Jerusalem, they shall apply to townhouse projects described in this article including any provision concerning the furnishing of surety to insure the completion of a townhouse project once it has been commenced.

§ 160-139 Construction completion guarantee.

In order to insure the full and faithful completion of a townhouse project as approved by the Planning Board, the Planning Board may require the applicant or developer to provide, prior to the issuance of a building permit, a performance bond, a cash escrow, or an irrevocable letter of credit from an appropriate financial institution or surety that guarantees satisfactory completion of the project and names the Town of Jerusalem as the beneficiary. The security shall be in an amount determined by the Planning Board based on final design plans and actual construction and landscaping costs. The guarantee shall remain in force until the surety is released from liability by the Planning Board. The Planning Board shall not be required to release the surety from liability until one year after the issuance of a certificate of occupancy and a satisfactory inspection thereafter shows that the project is complete and acceptable to the Planning Board in all respects.

§ 160-140 Branchport Service Park.

Provisions applicable only in the Branchport Service Park:

The front yard shall be between the townhouse and NYS Route 54A.

Buffers. A ten-foot-wide screen shall be planted along north and south and west property lines, excluding points of ingress and egress and property lines to existing commercial uses. This landscaped area shall be densely planted with a mixture of shrubs and trees. All these shall be no less than six feet high to create an opaque screen.

Septic system. If the septic system required by Chapter 150, Wastewater Management, of this Code cannot be provided on the townhouse project site in the BSP District, the septic system may be placed on an off-site, out-of-district lot meeting the following requirements:

The lot shall be owned by the townhouse association by deed duly recorded in the Yates County Clerk's office.

The lot shall be contiguous to the project site or separated from the project site only by a public or private road.