Developments consisting of the following housing types are subject to the regulations of this section:
A. 
Townhouses.
B. 
Garden apartments.
A. 
In compliance with the requirements of Chapter 600, Zoning, the size, shape, and orientation of tracts/lots shall be appropriate for the type of development and use contemplated.
B. 
The site design shall be such that there will be no foreseeable difficulties, for reasons of topography or other conditions, in locating the various types of dwelling units and providing common pedestrian and motor vehicle ways, usable open space, parking areas, and service facilities. Such site configuration and building locations shall be reviewed in accordance with Article III of this chapter.
C. 
The overall development plan shall be laid out as, or as part of, a single architectural and landscaping scheme having the following characteristics:
(1) 
An efficient and visually coherent arrangement of structures and improvements.
(2) 
A relationship appropriate to the size and shape of the tract developed and the adjacent uses.
(3) 
A relationship appropriate to the natural setting of the tract; the topography, vegetative cover, view, water bodies, sunlight, prevailing winds, and adjoining public spaces.
(4) 
An efficient layout of pedestrian and motor vehicle ways to provide for the occupants' safety and convenience in routing access and internal circulation activities and for efficient performance of such auxiliary operations as solid waste collection, snow removal, repairs and deliveries, and firefighting.
A. 
The location of buildings in general, and more specifically the distance at the closest point between two buildings or groups of buildings, shall be sufficient to guarantee adequate sunlight, outdoor functional areas, and privacy for the occupants of these buildings.
B. 
Buildings should be placed so that one window does not directly face another.
C. 
Buildings should vary in length and placement to avoid monotony.
D. 
Any building erected on the same frontage as other buildings shall be visibly offset from the adjoining buildings.
E. 
No more than two consecutive townhouse units shall have the same front yard setback.
F. 
Townhouses shall be designed in groups of four to six attached units.
G. 
Where the rear yards of a group of townhouses do not abut common open space, there shall be a pedestrian access easement of five feet along the full width of each yard.
H. 
Townhouses shall not have direct, individual driveway access to a collector or arterial street.
I. 
When possible, for energy conservation, buildings should be oriented toward the southwest.
A. 
Street sidewalks and on-site walkways shall be provided for convenient and safe access to all living units from streets, driveways, parking areas, or garages and for convenient circulation and access to all project facilities.
B. 
A circulation plan for sidewalks and walkways shall be included in the preliminary subdivision and land development plan for any newly proposed developments.
C. 
Design standards.
(1) 
Sidewalks and on-site walkways should be functionally organized and follow the natural path of circulation.
(2) 
Walking distance from car parking areas to dwelling units should not exceed 100 feet. Any exception to this standard should be reasonable justified by compensating advantages, such as desirable views and site preservation through adaption to topography.
(3) 
Walkways shall be wide enough to accommodate two-way traffic. The minimum width shall be four feet.
(4) 
Sidewalks adjacent to angle parking areas shall be set back so as to prevent car overhang from restricting pedestrian movement along the sidewalk.
(5) 
Sidewalks shall not exceed eight-percent grade. Steps or a combination of steps and ramps shall be utilized to maintain the maximum grades, where necessary. Where sidewalk grades exceed 5%, a nonslip surface texture shall be used.
(6) 
Pedestrian ramps will be required from parking areas to sidewalk ways to ensure adequate circulation in development design to accommodate the handicapped and elderly.
A. 
General. The overall circulation system should be designed to create a functional circulation pattern for safe and convenient access not only for pedestrians but for vehicles as well. The primary concern should be as follows:
(1) 
To minimize auto intrusion into the neighborhood unit.
(2) 
To separate roads carrying high volumes at higher speeds from residential units.
(3) 
To maximize convenience and auto access to each dwelling unit.
B. 
The access to townhouse and multifamily developments may be a hierarchy of roads or a single point of access. The hierarchical classification system may consist of the following types:
(1) 
Driveway: The primary purpose of the driveway is to conduct traffic to and from parking areas and local or collector streets; the driveway is usually a dead end with no through traffic.
(2) 
Local road: a short street or cul-de-sac. The primary purpose of the local street is to conduct traffic to other streets within the Township hierarchy of streets.
C. 
Street intersections and driveways.
(1) 
Driveways onto local or collector streets should be located a minimum of 50 feet and 70 feet, respectively, from the closest intersecting street.
(2) 
Driveways entering opposite sides of any street should be laid our either directly opposite one another or with a minimum offset of 150 feet between their center line.
(3) 
Driveways shall be a minimum of 24 feet in width and provide an adequate turnaround for emergency vehicles.
(4) 
Driveways shall not intersect any street opposite a through street.
(5) 
For driveway intersections, at a point 15 feet from the curbline there shall be a clear sight distance in both directions of 75 feet for local streets and 200 feet for collector streets measured from the point of intersection. No object greater than 2 1/2 feet in height and no other object that would obscure the vision of the motorist shall be permitted within this sight triangle.
(6) 
Multiple intersections involving the junction of more than two streets or driveways shall be avoided.
(7) 
Driveways and streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles.
D. 
Right-of-way and cartway widths.
(1) 
Right-of-way widths for streets serving townhouse and multifamily developments should be adequate to provide required street pavements. As needed, additional width may be provided to accommodate sidewalks, utilities, landscaping, street furniture, and grading.
(2) 
Where street rights-of-way are required, their design shall conform to the standards in § 505-35.
(3) 
All townhouse and multifamily developments with more than 30 units shall provide two points of access.
(4) 
Culs-de-sac, see § 505-35G.
E. 
Parking area.
(1) 
Parking facilities shall be provided in accordance with Article XVIII, Parking Regulations, of Chapter 600, Zoning.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
(2) 
Parking areas shall be designed with careful regard to orderly arrangement, topography, amenity of view, ease of access, and as an integral part of the overall site design.
(3) 
Parking areas shall be varied in width and direction to fit unusual spaces, to match the arrangement of clusters, and to improve their visual image.
(4) 
The parking spaces provided for the various types of residential development may be, but need not be, limited to the form of a garage, carport, or parking area.
(5) 
When parking spaces are provided in front of buildings there shall be no more than 16 spaces in a row without a landscape interruption.
(6) 
Parking areas with 20 or more spaces should be designed according to Article XVIII, Parking Regulations, of Chapter 600, Zoning.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
(7) 
The design standards listed in Table 3 below shall be required for all off-street parking facilities. The minimum dimensions of stalls and aisles shall be as follows:
Table 3
Maneuvering Aisle
Position
Stall Width
(feet)
Stall Depth
(feet)
One-Way
(feet)
Two-Way
(feet)
90°
9
18
20
24
60°
9
18
18
20
45°
9
18
16
20
30°
9
18
14
20
Parallel
8
18
12
18
(8) 
Parking areas shall be designed to permit each motor vehicle to proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicles.
(9) 
All parking spaces shall be marked so as to provide for orderly and safe parking.
(10) 
All dead-end parking areas shall be designed to provide sufficient backup area for the end stalls of the parking area.
(11) 
No less than a five-foot radius of curvature should be permitted for all curblines in parking areas.
(12) 
The maximum grade of parking areas shall not exceed 6%.
(13) 
All parking areas shall have a minimum of six-inch faced concrete curb in locations approved by the Township Engineer.
A. 
Open space and recreation areas shall be provided as required in Chapter 600, Zoning.
B. 
Open space areas should include both active recreation areas for all age groups and passive recreation areas, particularly where the site includes a watercourse, steep slopes, or wooded areas.
C. 
Areas set aside for recreational purposes shall be contiguous and accessible by the entire development from a public street or driveway.
D. 
The Board of Commissioners shall determine whether the open space or recreational areas shall be conveyed to the Township or remain privately owned. If they are to remain privately owned, provisions shall be made by the owner for their maintenance.
A. 
All refuse shall be placed in closed, rigid, verminproof containers.
B. 
All refuse collection stations shall be effectively screened for the view of the residents and from public streets and sidewalks by means of a fence, wall, or planting.
C. 
Receptacles shall be located so as to separate them adequately from habitable buildings but at the same time be convenient for both collectors and residents.