[Amended 11-10-2008 by Ord. No. 279]
This Article
XIII shall be known as "The Harris Township Mobile/Manufactured Home Park Ordinance."
This article shall be and become effective the 26th day of June
1974.
For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section:
CARTWAY
The portion of the roadway, paved or unpaved, intended for
vehicular use.
CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION
The written approval as issued by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection authorizing an owner to operate and maintain
a mobile home park.
MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOME
A single-family dwelling intended for permanent occupancy,
office, or place of assembly contained in one unit, or in two or more
units, designed to be joined into one integral unit that can be transported
on its own chassis and is capable of again being separated for repeated
towing, which arrives at a site complete and ready for occupancy except
for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operations and constructed
so that it may be used without permanent foundation.
[Amended 11-10-2008 by Ord. No. 279]
MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOME PARK
A parcel of land under single ownership or which has been
declared to be of condominium ownership, which has been planned and
improved for placement of mobile/manufactured homes for nontransient
use, consisting of two or more mobile/manufactured home lots.
[Amended 11-10-2008 by Ord. No. 279]
MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOME LOT
A parcel of land or a condominium unit in a mobile/manufactured
home park, improved with the necessary utility connections and other
appurtenances necessary for the erection thereon of a single mobile/manufactured
home, which is either leased or conveyed by the park owner to the
owner of the mobile/manufactured home erected on the lot.
[Amended 11-10-2008 by Ord. No. 279]
OWNER
Any individual, firm, trust, partnership, corporation, company,
association, or other entity owning or operating a proposed or existing
mobile home park.
PERMIT
The written mobile home park permit or renewal permit authorizing a (person) owner to operate and maintain a mobile home or mobile home park under the provisions of this Article
XIII.
SERVICE BUILDING
A permanent structure which contains operational, office,
recreational, sanitary, maintenance, or other facilities built for
the use of the mobile home park residents or owner.
SEWER CONNECTION
Consists of all pipes, fittings, and appurtenances from the
drain outlet of the mobile home to the inlet of the corresponding
sewer riser pipe.
SEWER RISER PIPE
That portion of the sewer lateral which extends vertically
to the ground elevation and terminates at a designated point at each
mobile home lot.
WATER CONNECTION
Consists of all pipes, fittings, and appurtenances from the
water riser pipe to the water inlet pipe of the distribution system
within the mobile home.
WATER RISER PIPE
That portion of the water service pipe which extends vertically
to the ground elevation and terminates at a designated point at each
mobile home lot.
WATER SERVICE PIPE
Consists of all pipes, fittings, valves, and appurtenances
from the water main of the park distribution system to the water outlet
of the distribution system within the mobile home.
[Amended 10-9-1995 by Ord. No. 170]
A. Mobile home lots.
(1)
Mobile home lots within the park shall have a minimum gross
area of 5,000 square feet.
(2)
The area of the mobile home lot shall be improved with an adequate
and stable pad or foundation for the placement of the mobile home.
The mobile home foundation or pad shall be designed so as not to heave,
shift or settle unevenly under the weight of the mobile home because
of frost action, inadequate drainage, vibration, or other forces acting
on the superstructure.
B. Required setbacks, buffer strips and screening.
(1)
All mobile homes shall be located at least 50 feet from a major
road, 40 feet from a collector road and 30 feet from a minor road
right-of-way exterior to the park boundary line and at least 25 feet
from all other park boundary lines.
(2)
There shall be a minimum distance of 20 feet between individual
mobile homes (including accessory structures attached thereto).
(3)
All mobile homes and structures shall be at least 20 feet from
any street, clustered off-street parking lot, or pavement located
within the mobile home park.
(4)
All mobile home parks shall be required to provide an attractive
visual screen along the boundary of the mobile home park where it
abuts other zones, public streets or highways. Said screens shall
be designed and maintained with trees, shrubbery and ground cover
where possible to provide a buffer between zones and use areas and
to minimize noise, dust, dirt and other deleterious effects that may
result from adjacent uses, streets and highways upon the residents
of said mobile home park.
C. Erection and placement of mobile homes.
(1)
Mobile/manufactured homes shall be constructed in accordance
with the Pennsylvania Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (Act 158
of 2004, as amended).
[Amended 11-10-2008 by Ord. No. 279]
(2)
An accessory structure which has a horizontal area exceeding
25 square feet that is attached to a mobile home or is located within
10 feet of its window and has an opaque or translucent top or roof
that is higher than such window shall, for the purposes of this separation
requirement, be considered to be part of the mobile home.
(3)
An enclosure of design and materials compatible with the mobile
home shall be erected around the entire base of each mobile home.
Such enclosure shall be constructed to provide sufficient ventilation
to inhibit decay and deterioration of the structure, and shall be
maintained in good condition.
(4)
Each mobile home shall be tied down to a ground anchor system
that meets the following requirements:
(a)
Each ground anchor shall be capable of resisting an allowable
working load equal to or exceeding 3,150 pounds applied in the direction
of the tie-down. In addition, each ground anchor shall be capable
of withstanding a 50% overload without failure.
(b)
Ground anchors shall be resistant to weathering deterioration
at least equivalent to that provided by a coating of zinc on steel
strapping of not less than 0.30 ounces per square foot of surface
coated.
(c)
Unless the entire tie-down system, including ground anchors,
is designed by a registered professional engineer or architect, ground
anchors shall be placed not more than 24 feet on centers beginning
from a line congruent with the front wall of the mobile home.
(d)
Ground anchors for diagonal ties shall be provided in conjunction
with each vertical tie-down.
D. Street system. All park streets shall conform to the following minimum
standards:
(1)
General requirements. A safe and convenient vehicular access
shall be provided from abutting public streets or roads.
(2)
Access. The entrance road connecting the park streets with a
public street or road shall have a minimum cartway width of 32 feet.
Whenever a street intersects a public street, a stop sign in conformity
with Township regulations shall be installed and maintained. Vehicle
access to mobile home parks shall be from either a collector or an
arterial public street.
(3)
Internal streets. Roadways shall be of adequate width to accommodate
intensified traffic and, in any case, shall meet the following minimum
requirements:
(a)
Internal roadways shall be provided and all mobile home spaces
shall face or abut upon a roadway having at least 22 feet of unencumbered
cartway. No mobile home space shall be allowed direct access to a
public highway, street, alley, or way.
(b)
A minimum radius to property line of 60 feet and a minimum fifty-foot
radius of cartway turnaround shall be provided.
(c)
Where one-way streets are used, the cartway may be reduced by
10 feet.
(d)
Required illumination of park and street systems. Both roadways
and sidewalks shall be adequately lighted. Roadways shall be lighted
with a minimum of one streetlight at each roadway intersection and
one streetlight at the end of each cul-de-sac which is 300 feet or
more from a roadway intersection.
(e)
Street construction.
[1]
All streets shall be provided with a smooth, hard and dust-free
surface which shall be durable and well-drained under normal use and
weather conditions.
[2]
Grades. Grades of all streets shall be sufficient to insure
adequate surface drainage, but shall be not more than 10%. Short runs,
not exceeding 500 feet, with a maximum grade of 14%, may be permitted,
provided traffic safety is assured by appropriate surfacing, adequate
leveling areas, and avoidance of lateral curves.
[3]
Intersections. Intersecting streets and common ways shall be
at angles approximating 90° (right angles) and shall be straight
lines for a distance of 100 feet from the corner of such intersections;
offset intersecting streets shall not be located nearer than 150 feet
as measured from the center lines of such offset intersecting streets;
and no more than two streets or ways shall intersect at one point.
(f)
A transportation impact report complying with Chapter
11, Subdivision and Land Development, Article
VII, Land Development Transportation Impact Report, shall accompany each application for a mobile home park permit.
E. Parking areas.
(1)
A minimum of at least two off-street parking spaces shall be
provided for and be located on each mobile home lot or be located
no farther than 200 feet distant from the mobile home that such off-street
parking is intended to serve in order that convenient and safe access
is provided for all mobile home park lots to their off-street parking
spaces.
(2)
There shall be provided visitor off-street parking spaces clustered
at various locations within the mobile home park. It shall be required
that 0.5 off-street parking spaces for visitors be provided for each
mobile home lot within the mobile home park.
(3)
Each mobile home park shall provide screened areas for the storage
of boats and trailers (travel, horse, or utility) with an aggregate
size of at least 100 square feet per mobile home lot.
F. Walks.
(1)
General requirements. Between individual mobile homes, park
streets and community facilities, all walks shall provide safe, convenient
all-season pedestrian access and be of adequate width for intended
use. Sudden changes in alignment and gradient shall be avoided.
(2)
Common walk system. Where a common walk system is provided and
maintained between locations, and where pedestrian traffic is concentrated,
such walks shall have a minimum width of four feet.
(3)
Individual walks. All mobile home lots shall be connected to
common walks, streets, driveways or parking spaces connecting to a
street with individual walks having a minimum width of three feet.
G. Open space requirements. Suitable spaces for recreation and open space use shall comply with §
12-2.5C(2)(h).
(1)
The open space shall be landscaped with a water-absorbent surface
except for recreational facilities, garden space, and walkways utilizing
hard surfaces, and be equipped with suitable play equipment and other
recreational facilities to serve the residents of the mobile home
park.
(2)
The open space and recreation area must be maintained by the
mobile home park operator.
(3)
All open spaces including public right-of-way up to a curb or
a public street shall be planted with a mixture of grass, trees, and
shrubs and/or remain in a natural condition to provide a "park-like"
appearance.
The park management shall operate the park in compliance with
this article and shall provide adequate supervision to maintain the
park, its facilities and equipment in good repair and in a clean,
safe, and sanitary condition; supervise the placement and anchoring
of each mobile home on its mobile home pad, which includes securing
its stability against winds up to 60 mph and installing all utility
connections; shall give the Board of Supervisors or their representative
free access to inspect all mobile home lots, service buildings, and
other community service facilities; shall maintain a register containing
the names and addresses of all park occupants and make such register
available to any authorized person inspecting the park.