Township of Franklin, PA Part 9 TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT (TND) DISTRICT

§ 27-901 Purpose.

[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 801-A; as added by Ord. 2007-06, 11/14/2007, § 4]

1. Provisions for the TND District have been enacted to:

A. Comply with Article VII-A, Traditional Neighborhood Development, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10701-A et seq., in particular, those purposes and objectives listed in § 701-A of Article VII-A, such as: encouraging innovation for mixed-use pedestrian-oriented development; extending opportunities for housing; encouraging a more efficient use of land; allowing for integrated, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods; establishing public space; minimizing traffic congestion; and fostering a sense of place and community.

B. Implement the Franklin Township Comprehensive Plan, adopted February 15, 2006.

C. Emulate compact, mixed-use, walkable TNDs in such places as New Daleville in Londonderry Township and Eagleview in Uwchlan Township, with features such as parks, commons, squares, plazas, civic buildings, civic art, and outdoor recreational facilities.

§ 27-902 Conditions of Eligibility.

[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 802-A; as added by Ord. 2007-06, 11/14/2007, § 4]

1. The TND District shall be as shown on the Franklin Township Zoning Map.

2. A public sewer system and a central water supply system shall be provided at the expense of the developer and shall comply with all regulations and/or any additional requirements that may be applicable to such systems for properties in the district.

3. Any lot, tract or parcel to be developed shall be accompanied by, and comply with:

A. Exhibit 27-A, the general "Manual of Written and Graphic Design Guidelines."[1]

[1] Editor's Note: The Design Guidelines are included as an attachment to this chapter.

B. A specific and detailed "Manual of Written and Graphic Design Guidelines" per § 708-A of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10708-A, shall be prepared by the applicant and shall be subject to Township approval, pertaining to such specific proposed features as architecture, building materials, fencing, walls, landscaping, signs, streets, pedestrian circulation, parking, lighting, streetscape, open space features, civic art, civic use, greens, and the like.

§ 27-903 General Design Principles.

[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 803-A; as added by Ord. 2007-06, 11/14/2007, § 4; and as amended by Ord. 2008-04, 11/19/2008, § 1]

1. Design and development in the TND District shall comply with the following design principles:

A. Design Principles.

(1) Refer to Exhibit 27-A, a general "Manual of Written and Graphic Design Guidelines."[1]

[1] Editor's Note: The Design Guidelines are included as an attachment to this chapter.

B. Street and Alley Network. The success of the TND District will be based in part on an effective and continuous street and alley network. Through streets shall be provided to enhance connections between neighborhoods. The alley relieves the frontage street from certain service functions, preserves the streetscape without curb cuts, and allows buildings to be placed forward on the lot to provide greater curb appeal.

(1) An interconnected network of streets and alleys shall be created to effectively accommodate vehicular and pedestrian circulation and to create a block structure for the neighborhood.

(2) Development adjacent to existing streets and alleys shall include extensions thereof to serve new development or redevelopment.

(3) The street rights-of-way from the TND District shall be extended to connect to adjoining tracts.

(4) New streets within the TND District are intended to be village-like, and not like a conventional suburban road. The street widths, curb radii, center-line horizontal alignment, and on-street parking conditions shall be in accordance with Table 27-1.

Table 27-1
Minimum Design Standards for TND District Streets
Design Standards		Collector	Neighborhood Street	One Way Lane	Alley
Right-of-way width		60 feet	40 feet	30 feet	20 feet
Cartway width
	With curbs (no parking)	22 feet	18 feet	10 feet	16 feet (no curb)
	With parking (one side)	29 feet	25 feet	17 feet	N/A
	With parking (two sides)	36 feet	32 feet	24 feet	N/A
Minimum center line radii		100 feet	50 feet	25 feet	N/A
Maximum grades		7%	8%	8%	8%
On-street parking		Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
Parallel parking width		7 feet	7 feet	7 feet	N/A
Grass strip		2 feet	2 feet	2 feet	N/A
Sidewalks width		5 feet	5 feet	5 feet	N/A
Isolation distance1		100 feet	50 feet	25 feet	25 feet
Minimum curb radii at intersection2		25 feet	15 feet	10 feet	5 feet

NOTES:
1	Distance between the center line of the driveway/private access street and the nearest intersecting street center by the type of street accessed.
2	When streets of different classifications intersect, the minimum curb radius shall apply to promote the pedestrian-friendly street environment.

(5) Streets shall have minor deflections in their alignment to provide for curving vistas.

(6) Parking shall be accommodated on-street and off of alleys. No parking shall be located between the front of the building and the street right-of-way line in the front yard.

C. Alley. The alley is very important in that it allows for the preservation of the frontage of the lot, without curb cuts, so that the buildings and sidewalk system can be pedestrian-oriented.

(1) Two-way alleys shall be 16 feet in width to provide adequate lanes for two-way travel.

(2) Alleys are a type of a street providing secondary vehicular access to the rear or side of the lot. Garages shall be located on either side of the alley.

(a) An eight-foot driveway for vehicles to park parallel to the sixteen-foot alley shall be provided, or eighteen-foot deep driveway for vehicles to park perpendicular to the sixteen-foot wide alley shall be provided.

(3) Alleys shall be the predominant thoroughfare type to gain access to parking.

(4) One hundred percent of required parking for attached dwellings and multifamily dwellings shall be accessed by alleys.

(5) At least 60% of the single-family detached dwelling lots shall have vehicular access from alleys, and any garage not accessed from an alley shall be set back at least 20 feet from the front of a house.

(6) Land uses should be transitioned primarily at alleys, not at streets, so as to create like-type uses on both sides of a street.

(7) Alleys should not have sidewalks, curbs, street lights or street trees.

(8) Alleys shall be landscaped in accordance with the Exhibit 27-A.[2]

[2] Editor's Note: Exhibit 27-A is included as an attachment to this chapter.

D. Building Height/Width/Proportion.

(1) New individual commercial buildings shall be no wider than 24 feet, unless designed with bays, and offset at intervals of 24 feet, by pilasters or piers with at least a six-inch projection, or a one- to four-foot facade recess or projection.

(2) No more than five attached dwellings shall be built in a row, and attached residential units shall not exceed 180 feet along the primary frontage.

(3) No principal building shall exceed 35 feet in height.

(4) Principal buildings shall be a minimum of two stories in height.

E. Streetscape. The streetscape is the overall environment along the street which projects the character of the TND District including features such as the street wall at a "build-to" line, sidewalks, on-street parking parallel to the curbline, street trees, residential buildings with porches, and commercial buildings with porticos.

(1) Street design standards shall be in accordance with Table 27-1 in Subsection 1B(4).

(2) To create diversity and interest, there shall be variations in lot widths of adjacent lots.

F. Building Location, Build-To Line, and Street Wall. Building location is critical to the creation of the "public realm" of the TND District. The streetscape character of the place is formed by buildings located close to the sidewalk to promote a pedestrian-friendly frontage. Other structures, such as a low masonry wall, could be placed at the build-to line.

(1) The street wall of any building shall be the same as the adjoining buildings on the block, to promote a continuation of the streetscape character and space; provided, however, if any offsets to the street wall are designed in order to provide variety and diversity in building location relative to the street, such recesses or projections shall not exceed four feet.

(2) On a corner lot, the build-to line shall be on both sides of the lot on which the building has street frontage.

(3) Whenever a front porch, portico, or stoop is involved, it shall be placed on the build-to line.

(4) Front porches shall be provided for all single-family detached dwellings, and wraparound porches are strongly encouraged for such buildings.

(5) Buildings shall anchor corners where streets and/or alleys intersect. However, the Board of Supervisors may permit a pedestrian-accessible green with civic art at street corners.

(6) Adjoining single-family dwelling lots may have attached garages in the rear yard accessed off an alley, in order, for example, to allow for more usable rear yards.

G. Parking, Off-Street.

(1) Off-street parking shall be located to the rear or side of a building.

(2) Open-air off-street parking lots, (i.e., parking not located in a structure) shall not be located at a street corner.

(3) Guest parking shall be provided at a ratio of one guest parking space per four dwelling units, calculated over the entire development. Guest parking spaces shall be accommodated within 500 feet of all buildings which such parking serves.

(4) Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with § 27-1610.

H. Parking Lots.

(1) Any "open-air" surface parking lots shall be buffered by buildings, low walls, opaque fencing, hedges or other landscaping.

(2) Parking lots shall be landscaped so that their interiors have at least 15% of the area devoted to landscaping.

I. Parking, On-Street. On-street parking along streets helps to insulate pedestrian traffic from vehicular traffic.

(1) On-street parking shall be placed along curbs and streets to increase the availability of parking.

(2) On-street parking stalls shall be seven feet wide and 22 feet long, whenever such parking is parallel to the curb.

(3) Parking shall be prohibited on the cartway of an alley.

(4) On-street parking bays shall have bulb-outs to widen the sidewalk to provide opportunities for sidewalk cafes in commercial areas, for street trees, and for pedestrian plazas.

(5) On-street parking shall not be created along Route 896 unless approved by PennDOT.

J. Sidewalks, Walkways, Crosswalks, and Pedestrian Paths. Sidewalks help to create a continuous pedestrian walkway network. Sidewalks provide a critical element of the streetscape and public realm of the TND District.

(1) Sidewalks shall be placed on both sides of all streets, except alleys, to enhance pedestrian circulation.

(2) Sidewalks shall be a minimum width of five feet. Sidewalks in commercial areas shall be in the range of 12 feet to 18 feet in width. Sidewalks shall be concrete or brick.

(3) Sidewalks shall be maintained and repaired on an on-going basis by the lot owner and/or homeowners' association, and/or the property owners' association.

(4) Crosswalks shall be at least nine feet in width, and shall be physically and visually distinctive to facilitate pedestrian circulation at street corners.

K. Street Lights.

(1) Street lights shall be required along all streets, except alleys, and shall be no higher than 16 feet, and shall be placed at an average spacing of 90 feet to provide safety and convenience.

(2) Street light types and locations shall be subject to Township approval and shall be in character with the pedestrian-oriented TND District streetscape.

(3) No street light shall be unshielded or create trespass glare.

(4) Street lights shall be in accordance with Exhibit 27-A[3] and § 27-1607.

[3] Editor's Note: Exhibit 27-A is included as an attachment to this chapter.

L. Street Trees and Other Landscaping. Street trees add charm, beauty and shade to streets. Street trees also provide a landscape architectural complement to the architectural alignment of buildings.

(1) Street trees shall be maintained and replaced if they become damaged, diseased or otherwise die by the lot owner, and/or homeowners' association, and/or property owners' association.

(2) Street trees shall be placed at forty-foot intervals along both sides of all new streets, except alleys, or along streets where there are no existing street trees. Such trees shall be at least three-inch caliper at the time of planting.

(3) Species for street trees and shade trees shall be in accordance with Exhibit 27-A.[4]

[4] Editor's Note: Exhibit 27-A is included as an attachment to this chapter.

(4) Landscape design shall also include fences, walls, piers, hedges, and the like, to soften and screen the appearance of parking areas.

(5) If parking areas are visible from the street, they shall be screened. A low wall or evergreen hedge of 36 to 42 inches in height shall be placed at the street wall line to screen parking areas to help maintain streetscape character.

(6) All landscape materials should conform to the current edition of the "American Standard for Nursery Stock" of the American Association of Nurserymen.

M. Open Space.

(1) Common open space shall be in accordance with § 27-1611, Subsection 6A(1), except that the minimum separation distance between grouped dwellings shall be 20 feet.

N. Natural Resources.

(1) Natural resource protection shall be required in accordance with § 27-2501.

O. Signage.

(1) Signage shall be provided in accordance with § 27-2001.

§ 27-904 Use Regulations.

[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 804-A; as added by Ord. 2007-06, 11/14/2007, § 4; and as amended by Ord. 2008-04, 11/19/2008, § 1]

1. Permitted Principal Uses.

A. Single-family dwelling.

B. Attached dwellings.

C. Live-work units.

D. Multifamily dwelling(s) above ground-floor retail and/or office.

E. Bed-and-breakfast inn, either as a new principal building or an accessory use to an existing residential dwelling.

F. Day-care center; preschool.

G. Commercial and retail uses and personal service shops, with no more than 10,000 square feet per use (on two floors of no more than 5,000 square feet each), and no more than 40,000 square feet per multitenant building (on two floors), including:

(1) Cafe; restaurant; farmers' market.

(2) Delicatessen.

(3) Florist; jeweler.

(4) Gift shop.

(5) Clothing store.

(6) Antique shop.

(7) Art gallery; art studio.

(8) Pharmacy, with any drive-through located behind the building.

(9) Bank, with any drive-through located behind the building.

(10) Personal service shops.

H. Office.

I. Civic use.

J. Outdoor recreational facilities.

K. Agriculture.

[Added by Ord. 2016-04, 4/20/2016]

2. Accessory Uses.

A. Uses and structures which are customarily associated with the permitted uses, such as yards, gardens, garages and parking areas.

B. No-impact home-based business.

3. Conditional Uses.

A. (Reserved)[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsection 3A, permitting a granny flat; mother-in-law suite as an accessory dwelling unit, was repealed by Ord. No. 2019-01, 1/16/2019.

B. Any other use similar to those listed in Subsection 1.

§ 27-905 Density, Housing Mix, Use Composition, and Open Space Requirements.

[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 805-A; as added by Ord. 2007-06, 11/14/2007, § 4; and as amended by Ord. 2008-04, 11/19/2008, § 1]

1. The maximum gross base density shall not exceed 4.0 dwelling units per gross acre (du's/ac), including all dwelling unit types, but not including live-work units, except that the density may be increased by 1.5 du's/ac if TDR (transfer of development rights) is utilized, for a total potential of 5.5 du's/ac.

2. At least two housing types shall be provided, including:

Housing Types		Minimum
A.	Single-family detached units	60%
B.	Attached dwelling units	20%

3. Use Composition.

A. No less than 2%, but not more than 10%, of the total tract area shall be devoted to commercial, retail, office and/or civic uses.

B. A minimum of 15% of the gross tract area shall be designated and maintained as common open space as follows:

(1) A minimum of 5% of the gross tract area shall be for greens and civic use. Such areas shall not be sloping greater than 5%, and shall be bounded by dwelling units on at least two sides, but preferably three sides.

(2) A minimum of 5% of the gross tract area shall be for active recreation facilities, playfields, play courts, playgrounds and tot lots.

(3) The balance of the open space areas shall be passive open space areas and/or natural resource conservation areas.

(4) Common open space areas in excess of the minimum required open space (15%) may be used for community on-lot sewage disposal involving subsurface land application and groundwater recharge, but excluding buildings and other aboveground structures.

§ 27-906 Area and Bulk Regulations.

[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 806-A; as added by Ord. 2007-06, 11/14/2007, § 4]

1. The following lot size, lot width, yards, and lot coverage regulations shall apply and be governed by the maximum gross density set forth in § 27-905, Subsection 1:

A. Lot Size (minimum required).

(1) Single-family detached dwelling: 3,000 square feet.

(2) Attached dwelling: 1,200 square feet.

(3) Apartments: 600 square feet per unit.

(4) Commercial, retail, office and civic uses: 20,000 square feet.

B. Lot Width.

(1) Single-family detached dwelling: 30 feet minimum.

(2) Attached dwelling: 22 feet minimum.

(3) Live-work unit: 20 feet minimum.

(4) Commercial, retail, office and civic uses: 64 feet minimum.

C. Yard Requirements.

		Minimum
		Build-To Line (feet)	Either Side (feet)	Total Two Side(s) (feet)
(1)	Single-family dwelling	10	6	12
(2)	Attached dwellings, other multifamily	10	10*	10*
(3)	Commercial, retail, office and civic uses	15	10*	20*

NOTE:
*	The side yard applies to both end units in a group of attached dwellings or group of nonresidential buildings, and to both ends of other multifamily dwellings.

D. Maximum Impervious Surface Coverage.

(1) All residential uses: 80% of the lot.

(2) Commercial, retail, office and civic uses: 95% of the lot.

E. Building Height.

(1) The minimum for all principal buildings shall be 20 feet and two stories.

(2) The maximum height for principal buildings shall be 35 feet and three stories.

(3) The maximum height for accessory buildings shall be 10 feet less than the principal building.

F. Minimum Habitable Floor Area.

(1) Each dwelling unit shall have at least 600 square feet of habitable floor area.

§ 27-907 Procedures for Approval of Development.

[Ord. 95-07, 12/14/1995, § 807-A; as added by Ord. 2007-06, 11/14/2007, § 4]

1. All applicants are encouraged to submit sketch plans for all TND District proposals. As per § 707-A of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10707-A, such plans may be informally reviewed as conceptual plans in order to provide an opportunity for the Township to make suggestions and recommendations on the design of the proposed development.

2. The applicant shall comply with the preliminary and final plan application requirements of the most recent version of Chapter 22, Subdivision and Land Development, and shall also include the following information:

A. Project Narrative.

(1) A statement with graphics and exhibits indicating how the proposed application promotes the TND District regulations and integrates with Kemblesville Village.

B. Manual of Written and Graphic Design Guidelines.

(1) At the time of land development plan submission for each phase or stage of development, a specific "Manual of Written and Graphic Design Guidelines" shall be submitted by the applicant to illustrate the proposed design excellence, architectural excellence, and related construction excellence for the proposed architectural, streetscape, open space, and landscape features. Said manual shall be consistent with the several design guidelines for the TND District set forth in this Part and Exhibit 27-A, and shall be submitted for approval to the Board of Supervisors, which approval shall not be unreasonably denied provided the plans comply with the applicable design guidelines.

C. Building Plan.

(1) A separate plan sheet shall be submitted to depict the proposed building program. Said plan shall indicate the proposed principal and accessory uses, the gross square footages of all uses, and the building heights. The building plan shall also indicate the total lot area and lot coverage, existing and proposed.

(2) Such plan shall include conceptual building elevations for all proposed building types and shall indicate building materials, windows and doors, roof pitch, dormers, pilasters, piers, green building design, and the like.

(3) Such plan shall include color sketches and renderings depicting the proposed architectural character and streetscape character of the TND District.

D. Street, Alley, and Streetscape Plan.

(1) A separate plan sheet shall be submitted to depict the proposed interconnected street and alley network. Such plan shall indicate all street widths and rights-of-way widths, and alley widths.

(2) Such plan shall indicate all materials, depths of pavement courses, and gradients.

(3) Such plan shall also indicate the locations for all proposed street furniture, such as benches, planters, and waste receptacles.

E. Pedestrian Access Plan.

(1) A separate plan sheet shall be submitted to depict the proposed interconnected network for pedestrian access including sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pathways.

(2) Such plan shall indicate all sidewalk, crosswalk, and path widths, materials and gradients.

F. Open Space and Recreational Facilities Plan.

(1) A separate plan sheet shall depict all proposed open space, greens, recreational facilities, civic art, civic uses, and common areas.

G. Landscape Plan.

(1) A separate plan sheet shall be submitted to depict all proposed landscape features and landscaped areas for open space areas, recreational areas, greens, civic art, civic uses, common areas, off-street parking lots, and the like.

(2) The landscape plan shall indicate all plant types, sizes and quantities as well as the types, sizes, and materials for all paving, benches, walls, and other structures along streets, and within all common areas.

H. Parking Plan.

(1) A separate plan sheet shall be submitted to depict proposed location and materials for all surface parking. Such plan shall list the number of parking spaces proposed in relation to the proposed use(s).

(2) The parking plan shall illustrate a dispersal of parking areas to the maximum extent possible in order to minimize large expanses of parking lots.

(3) On-street parking spaces may be counted toward the overall parking requirement.

I. Utilities Plan.

(1) A separate plan sheet shall be submitted to depict all proposed utilities. Such plan shall indicate all proposed types, sizes, and materials of utilities that are proposed.

(2) All new utilities shall be underground.

(3) All cable TV boxes, utility meters, and the like shall be located to the rear of properties and shall be screened.

J. Staging/Phasing Plan.

(1) A separate plan sheet shall be submitted to depict proposed staging or phasing of the total land development.

(2) In the case of a development proposed to be developed over a period of years, flexibility of housing density, design and type may be addressed to:

(a) Permit a variation in each section from the density, or intensity of use, for the entire development.

(b) Allow for a greater concentration of density or intensity of land use, within some section or sections of development.

(c) Require that the approval of such greater concentration of density or intensity of land use be offset by a smaller concentration in any completed prior stage or by reservation of common open space on the remaining land by a grant of easement or by covenant in favor of the Township.

K. Declaration of Covenants, Easements and Restrictions.

(1) A declaration shall be submitted to the Township at the time of final plan submission, which shall be in a form deemed satisfactory to the Township Solicitor.

3. In order to promote flexibility of design in the Traditional Neighborhood Development District, modifications from specific design criteria contained in this chapter may be needed, as provided for in Article VII-A, Traditional Neighborhood Development, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, § 706-A(g)(1) and (2), 53 P.S. § 10706-A(g)(1) and (2). The Board of Supervisors shall have the authority to grant modifications of such zoning requirements if, in the Board of Supervisors' discretion, it determines that such modifications will result in a better design of a traditional neighborhood development, and will not adversely affect the health, safety, and welfare of the Township.

4. Compliance with the provisions for the Traditional Neighborhood Development District under this Part shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors in the exercise of its reasonable discretion and judgment, in consultation with the Township Planning Commission.