RC Recreation Conservation Districts are designed to provide
primarily for the special needs of large streams, valleys, wooded
and open areas of the Township and to encourage the preservation of
appropriate areas for agriculture, recreation, conservation and other
open space purposes. In an RC Recreation Conservation District, the
following regulations shall apply:
Land may be used or occupied and buildings and structures, as
accessory adjuncts thereto, may be erected or used for any of the
following purposes, and no other:
A.
Wildlife preserve; stream, valley or forest preserve; any other conservation
purpose.
B.
Tilling of the soil; greenhouse or the keeping or raising of livestock
or poultry only when authorized as a special exception by the Zoning
Hearing Board, providing that any building used for keeping or raising
livestock or poultry shall be situated not less than 100 feet from
any street or other property line.
C.
Public park or recreation area owned and operated by a Township,
other governmental or private nonprofit agency.
D.
Park, riding academy, picnic ground, swimming area or outdoor recreational
use, other than a use permitted in the section above, customarily
located in natural woodland or rural areas, including a country club,
hunt club, lodge or other structure in conjunction with and incidental
to any permitted outdoor use, when authorized as a special exception
by the Zoning Hearing Board, and provided that:
(1)
The use and its design are compatible with the natural character
of the area and the conservation purposes of the Township;
(2)
Any club or lodge building and its services shall be for the
use of members and their guests only; and
(3)
Each use or activity shall be screened or separated from a public
street and adjoining property by a landscaped planning strip not less
than 100 feet in depth.
E.
A recreation/fitness use including day camps and pools conducted
by a nonprofit community service organization when permitted by conditional
use by the Board of Commissioners under the following circumstances:
[Added 3-6-2017 by Ord.
No. 1676]
(1)
A lot area of at least 25 acres;
(2)
Maximum 45% building area coverage;
(3)
Maximum 60% impervious surface coverage;
(4)
Maximum principal building height shall not exceed 55 feet;
accessory structures shall not exceed 25 feet;
(5)
Yards:
(a)
There shall be a front yard on each street on which a lot abuts
which shall not be less than 100 feet in depth;
(b)
For any building or parking lot there shall be a side yard of
40 feet on each side and a rear yard of 40 feet;
(c)
Provided, however, that driveways, bus parking and trails may
be located in the required yards; but driveways shall be no closer
than 20 feet to a property line.
(6)
Where grading and development occurs, slopes may not exceed
a thirty-three-percent grade when finished;
(7)
In lieu of the dedicated open space, parks and recreation required under § 350-183, at least five acres of the lot must be maintained as open space, and trails shall be made available to the general public;
(8)
In addition to any required stormwater management, stormwater management measures which offer a measurable benefit to regional stormwater flows shall be provided on the lot or within the vicinity of the lot. Such additional stormwater measures shall not be required to comply with the requirements of Article XX, Steep Slope Conservation District;
(9)
Signage for a recreation/fitness use shall not exceed 1/4 of
the area of each wall of the building to which the sign is attached,
parallel to the wall, and one freestanding sign, which shall not exceed
40 square feet per side for two sides only; and
[Amended 3-6-2017 by Ord.
No. 1676]
Except for public parks and recreation areas owned and operated by the Township, or a recreation/fitness use permitted under § 350-143, the following area, yard and height regulations shall apply to all uses in the RC Recreation Conservation Districts:
A.
A lot area of not less than five acres shall be provided for building
or use permitted in this district. Such lots shall be not less than
500 feet in width at the street line.
B.
Not more than 15% of the area of each lot may be occupied by buildings.
C.
Yards.
(1)
There shall be a front yard on each street on which a lot abuts
which shall be not less than 100 feet in depth.
(2)
For any building or use, there shall be two side yards, neither
of which shall be less than 40 feet in width.
(3)
There shall be a rear yard on each lot which shall not be less
than 40 feet in depth.
D.
No building other than a farm building shall exceed 35 feet in height.
E.
Maximum
impervious surface coverage shall not exceed 25% of the lot area.
[Added 9-12-2011 by Ord. No. 1602]
In the case of RC Recreation Conservation Districts, as permitted
herein, the following specific regulations shall apply in addition
to the other applicable regulations of this chapter.
A.
The application for permit shall be accompanied by a plan, which
shall include, among other things, the information required below:
(1)
The boundaries of the area, the nature of the recreational facility,
an outline of existing or proposed buildings, the parking area, the
means of ingress and egress, the sanitary arrangements, and the provision
for surface water drainage.
(2)
The shape and dimensions of all the buildings or structures,
together with plans and specifications thereof.
(3)
The appearance, preferably in color, of the buildings or structures
on conversion or completion and of any signs to be attached thereto
or to be located on the premises.
(4)
The landscaping of the premises.
All plans shall be approved or disapproved by the Township Commissioners.
If approved, copies thereof shall be filed among the Township records
and the Commissioners may, at their discretion, require the owner
to file for record in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Montgomery
County, Pennsylvania, additional copies or such other instruments
as the Commissioners may require. If a plan or other instrument is
required to be recorded, the recording thereof shall constitute the
final step in the approval of such plan or plans. The cost of recording
shall be paid by the owner.
All plans finally approved, and whether or not recorded, shall
be binding upon the owner, his heirs, executors, administrators, successors
and assigns; shall limit and control the issuance and validity of
all building permits and use regulation permits and limit the use
and operation of all land, buildings and structures designated in
such plans to the conditions appearing in such plans and the approval
thereof.
Approved plans may be amended from time to time pursuant to
the same procedure and subject to the same limitations and requirements
by which such plans were originally approved.
[Amended 3-6-2017 by Ord.
No. 1676]
A.
Adequate
on-site all-weather parking shall be provided for the accommodation
of all persons customarily using the facilities afforded, such determination
to be made by the Board of Commissioners. The approval of the applicant's
plan shall in no way limit the privileges of the Board of Commissioners
to demand the installation of additional parking facilities subsequent
to the recording of said plan in the event the applicant's experience
with the use of the premises indicates such additional parking facilities
to be reasonably required.
