[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]
The purpose of this part is to ensure that environmentally sensitive
features are protected and that adequate open space to serve the residents
of Lower Southampton Township is provided.
[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]
The amount of land to be provided for open space purposes shall be supplied by residential land developers for all single-family residential developments in excess of the 10 homes and multifamily residential developments of twins, apartments, townhouses, etc., as follows. Any uses listed in Part 14 that are required to provide open space shall set aside open space in accordance with that part. If more than one requirement exists for open space, the standard requiring the higher level of open space protection shall be followed. In addition, these ratios are minimums. If in order to meet the environmental protection standards of § 27-1804 a larger area of land is required for open space, then the larger area shall be set aside as open space.
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Dwelling Units Per Gross Acre
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% of Total Gross Area to Be Set Aside as Open Space
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Less than 1
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0%
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1 to 1.99
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10%
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2 to 2.99
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20%
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3 to 4.99
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30%
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5 or more
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40%
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However, in no event shall the open space provided be less than
one acre.
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[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]
1.
Open space land means land that will be used for any of the following
purposes. All plans shall designate the use of open space, the type
of maintenance to be provided, and a planting plan.
A.
To conserve natural or scenic resources, including but not limited
to streams, wetlands, floodplains, forests. Areas designated as open
space to preserve natural resources as required by this chapter shall
remain undisturbed and in a natural state.
B.
To augment recreation or public open space opportunities. An area
designated for open field play or fields for active recreation may
be designated where the land does not contain natural resource restrictions
and where such use is recommended by the Township Park and Recreation
Board and approved by the Board of Supervisors and where the size,
shape, topography and soils make it suitable and usable for recreational
use; lands established as a common green shall be accessible to the
public and central to the proposed development.
(1)
Site or sites should be easily and safely accessible for all
areas of the development to be served, have good ingress and egress,
and have access to a public road; however, no public road shall traverse
the site or sites.
(2)
Site or sites should have suitable topography and soil conditions
for use and development as a recreation and open space area.
(3)
Size, shape and location of the site or sites should be suitable
for development as a particular type of park.
(4)
Site or sites should be free of fuel, power and other transmission
lines, whether underground or overhead.
(5)
Site or sites should, to the greatest extent practical, be easily
accessible to essential utilities — water, sewerage
and power.
(6)
Site or sites shall have usable a maximum slope of 8%.
(7)
Site or sites should be compatible with the objectives, guidelines
and recommendations as set forth in the Lower Southampton Comprehensive
Recreation and Parks Study, and the developer shall design and develop
these areas in accordance with the standards and criteria established
by the Comprehensive Recreation and Parks Study.
C.
To preserve sites of historic, geologic or botanic interest;
D.
To enhance the value of existing parks, forests, wildlife preserves,
nature preserves or other public open spaces by preserving land abutting
such existing parks or open space serving the purposes listed in this
subsection.
2.
Minimum width buffer yards do not count as open space.
3.
Required open space shall not include any area required by this chapter
for minimum yards, setbacks, special setbacks or building separations.
4.
Open space whose purpose or resulting effect is to enhance the private
yards of individual lots shall not be considered to meet the requirements
for open space set forth in this chapter and shall not be counted
in the calculation of minimum required open space. Narrow or irregular
pieces of land which serve no public open space function or which
are remnants leftover after the lots, streets and parking areas have
been laid out shall not be considered to meet the requirements for
open space set forth in this chapter and shall not be counted in the
calculation of minimum required open space.
5.
Open space shall include the areas required for environmental protection, as required by § 27-1804.
6.
Administration.
A.
The developer may offer for dedication the land to be retained as
open space to Lower Southampton Township upon the completion of the
necessary and agreed upon changes, modifications or improvements to
the land needed to make it usable for park and recreation purposes.
When the Board of Supervisors deems it to be in the public interest
to accept dedicated land, such acceptance shall be by means of a signed
resolution to which a property description of the dedicated recreation
area shall be attached. All changes and agreements should eventually
be listed directly on the signed drawing linens.
B.
In the event that the land is not dedicated to the Township, a plan
for the administration and maintenance of all such open space shall
be presented to the Township Supervisors as part of the overall development
plan. Such plan shall take one or more of the following forms:
(1)
The owner or developer of the development containing the open
space shall post an escrow bond or cash escrow with the Township to
insure the administration and maintenance of the open space. The interest
which accrues to the bond shall be used by the Township for the maintenance
of the open space.
(2)
The owner or developer of the development containing the open
space shall provide the Township with a conservation easement in a
form deemed satisfactory to the Township Solicitor.
(3)
A homeowners' association may maintain and administer common
open space but is required to post an escrow bond or cash escrow with
the Township to insure such maintenance. The association may not dissolve
itself or dispose of the common open space without first offering
to dedicate the same to the Township or to an organization specifically
conceived and established to own and maintain the open space per the
original organization's commitment.
C.
If the homeowners' association desires to dissolve and offers the
land and equipment to Lower Southampton Township, the Parks and Recreation
Board shall review the land condition and maintenance costs and provide
budgetary inputs to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors
shall then determine whether it wishes the land to be dedicated to
the Township or whether the homeowners' association is free to dispose
of the land. The Board of Supervisors shall require that the land
be used for open space or recreational purposes, and such land shall
not become a further extension of the original building development
or any subsequent development.
[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]
The developer shall determine what environmental or natural features are present on the lot and shall meet the following standards of environmental protection. For any lot proposed for development to which the provisions of Chapter 22, Subdivision and Land Development, do not apply, the environmental standards of this section shall apply. Site alterations, including regrading the existing topography, filling lakes, ponds, marshes or floodplains, clearing vegetation or altering watercourses prior to the submission of plans for development, shall be a violation of this chapter. Where alterations occur, restoration of the lot to its original condition shall be required. The provisions of this section shall apply to all zoning districts, including nonresidential districts. For any lot proposed for development subject to Chapter 22, Subdivision and Land Development, such lot shall not be subject to the provisions of this section but rather shall meet the environmental standards set forth in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.
A.
Floodplains. Areas identified as within the floodplain of the one-hundred-year recurrence interval flood shall not be altered, graded, filled or built upon except in conformance with Part 15, Floodplain Conservation District, of this chapter. The floodplain area shall be those areas that are subject to the one-hundred-year flood and the five-hundred-year flood as identified in the Flood Insurance Study, dated May 18, 1999, and the accompanying maps prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or the most recent revisions thereof. For areas along streams and watercourses where the one-hundred-year floodplain and five-hundred-year floodplain have not been delineated, the requirements of floodplain soils shall be met.
B.
Steep slopes. In areas of steep slopes, i.e., those above eight-percent
slope, the following standards shall apply:
(1)
Eight to 15%. No more than 40% of such areas shall be developed
and/or regraded or stripped of vegetation.
(2)
Fifteen to 25%. No more than 30% of such areas shall be developed
and/or regraded or stripped of vegetation.
(3)
Twenty-five percent or greater. No more than 15% of such areas
shall be developed and/or regraded or stripped of vegetation.
C.
Forest. No more than 30% of such forests may be cleared or developed.
The remaining 70% shall be maintained as permanent open space.
D.
Lakes, ponds, wet lands or watercourses. These areas shall be left
as permanent open space. No development, filling, piping or diverting
shall be permitted except for required roads.
E.
Riparian buffer. No land disturbance shall be permitted within any
riparian buffer except as permitted below. The measurement of the
riparian buffer shall extend a minimum of 100 feet from each defined
edge of an identified watercourse or surface water body at bankfull
flow or level or shall equal the extent of the one-hundred-year floodplain,
whichever is greater. The buffer area will consist of two distinct
protection zones.
(1)
Zone 1. This buffer area will begin at the edge of the identified
waterway (which includes wetlands and intermittent watercourses) and
occupy a margin of land with a minimum width of 50 feet measured horizontally
on a line perpendicular to the edge of water at bankfull flow.
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Open space uses that are primarily passive in nature may be
permitted in Zone 1, including:
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(a)
Open space uses such as wildlife sanctuaries, nature preserves,
forest preserves, fishing areas, passive areas for public or private
parklands, and reforestation.
(b)
Customary agricultural practices in accordance with a soil conservation
plan approved by the Bucks County Conservation District and a nutrient
management plan in accordance with state requirements, if applicable.
(c)
Regulated activities permitted by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection and the Township for stream or wetland
crossing or other encroachment (i.e., farm vehicle and livestock,
recreational trails, roads, sewer or water lines, and utility transmission
lines), provided that any disturbance is offset by riparian corridor
improvements as approved by the Township.
(d)
Vegetation management in accordance with stream-bank stabilization
plan, an approved landscape or open space management plan.
(e)
Runoff or wastewater to be buffered or filtered by Zone 1 will
be limited to sheet flow or subsurface flow only. Concentrated flows
must be converted to sheet flow or subsurface flows prior to entering
Zone 1.
(2)
Zone 2. This buffer zone will begin at the outer edge of Zone
1 and occupy a minimum width of 50 feet in addition to Zone 1. However,
where the width of the one-hundred-year floodplain extends greater
than 100 feet from the waterway, Zone 1 shall remain a minimum of
50 feet and Zone 2 shall extend from the outer edge of Zone 1 to the
outer edge of the one-hundred-year floodplain.
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Uses permitted in this buffer area include open space uses that
are primarily passive in nature, including:
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(a)
Open space uses such as wildlife sanctuaries, nature preserves,
forest preserves, passive areas for public or private parklands, recreational
trails and reforestation.
(b)
Customary agricultural practices in accordance with a soil conservation
plan approved by the Bucks County Conservation District.
(c)
Regulated activities permitted by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection and the Township for stream or wetland
crossing or other encroachment (i.e., farm vehicle and livestock,
recreational trails, roads, sewer or water lines, and utility transmission
lines), provided that any disturbance is offset by riparian corridor
improvements as approved by the Township.
(d)
Recreational activities or uses not involving impervious surfaces
such as ball fields or golf courses.
(e)
Naturalized stormwater management facilities, provided the entire
facility is located a minimum of 50 feet from the defined edge of
the identified watercourse and situated outside the one-hundred-year
floodplain.
(3)
Prohibited uses. Any use or activity not authorized within Subsection
E(1) or (2) above shall be prohibited within the riparian buffer.
The following activities and facilities are specifically prohibited:
(a)
Clear-cutting of trees and other vegetation.
(b)
Selective cutting of trees and/or the clearing of other vegetation,
except where such clearing is necessary to prepare land for a use
permitted under Subsection E(1) or (2) above or where removal is necessary
as a means to eliminate dead, diseased or hazardous trees. Removal
is subject to revegetation by native plants that are most suited to
the riparian corridor.
(c)
Storage of any hazardous or noxious materials.
(d)
Roads or driveways, except as permitted as corridor crossings
by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the
Township.
(e)
Parking lots.
(f)
Subsurface sewage disposal areas.
(4)
Revegetation of riparian area. In cases where a major subdivision
or land development is proposed, replanting of the riparian corridor
shall be required where there is little or no existing stream-side
vegetation. Native vegetation approved by the Township must be used
in replanting efforts. Three layers of vegetation are required when
replanting the riparian corridor. These layers include herbaceous
plants that serve as ground cover, understory shrubs, and trees that
form an overhead canopy. The revegetation plan shall be prepared by
a qualified professional, such as a landscape architect or engineer,
and shall comply with the following minimum requirements, unless modified
by the Board of Supervisors upon recommendation of the Planning Commission:
(a)
Ground cover. Ground cover consisting of a native seed mix extending
a minimum of 25 feet in width from the edge of the stream bank must
be provided along the portion(s) of the stream corridor where little
or no riparian vegetation exists. Appropriate ground cover includes
native herbs and forbs, exclusive of noxious weeds as defined by the
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. This twenty-five-foot-wide
planted area shall be designated on the plan as a "no-mow zone" and
shall be left as natural cover except in accordance with the maintenance
instructions stated on the plan.
(b)
Trees and shrubs. These planting layers include trees that form
an overhead canopy and understory shrubs. Overstory trees are deciduous
or evergreen trees that include oak, hickory, maple gum, beech, sycamore,
hemlock, pine and fir. Evergreen and deciduous shrubs should consist
of elderberry, viburnum, azalea, rhododendron, holly, laurel and alders.
These plants shall be planted in an informal manner clustered within
Zone 1 of the riparian buffer as indicated in Subsection E(1) above.
These plants shall be provided at a rate of at least one overstory
tree and three shrubs for every 20 linear feet of waterway.
(c)
Exceptions. These planting requirements shall not apply to existing
farm fields located within the riparian buffer if farming operations
are to be continued and the required nutrient management plan is met.
1.
Areas with environmental restrictions due to slopes, woodlands, wetlands,
floodplains, streams, watercourses and riparian buffer areas shall
be left undisturbed to the extent specified herein and not occupied
by structures, driveways, parking areas or other improvements. No
portion of the building envelope or yard areas in which parking or
accessory structures are permitted shall be occupied by environmental
resources as defined above.
2.
Areas outside of the building envelope of the lot for single-family
detached dwellings only (the area of the lot excluding all required
yard areas, setbacks and easements) may contain environmental resources
as defined herein, provided that those areas so affected must be identified
on the recorded plans for the subdivision or land development or on
the building permit application and shall be subject to a deed restriction
to prevent any disturbance or development of these areas.
[Ord. 558, 9/4/2012]
1.
Where the Board of Supervisors agrees with the developer that because
of the size, shape, location, access, topography or other physical
features of the land it is impractical to set aside land for recreational
and/or open space area as required by this chapter, the Supervisors
shall require a payment of a fee in lieu of the provision of such
land, which shall be payable to the Township prior to approval of
each final section of the overall plan by the Board of Supervisors.
2.
The amount of the fee shall be substantially equal to the value of
the land that would have been set aside and shall be paid to the Township
prior to the approval of the final plot. The land shall be valued
in its unimproved state. In the event that Township and the developer
are unable to agree on the value, the value will be determined by
arbitration before three disinterested persons, one thereof to be
appointed by the Township, one by the developer, and the third by
the two appointed as aforesaid, and the award of such three persons,
or any two of them, shall be final and conclusive.
3.
All monies paid to the Township pursuant to this chapter shall be
kept in a capital reserve fund. Monies in such fund shall be used
only for the acquisition of recreation and open space land or capital
improvements for open space and park and recreation purposes within
the Township.
