A.
No person, firm or corporation shall construct, maintain or operate
a mobile home park within the Township without first obtaining a mobile
home park permit from Metal Township. The procedures and standards
for acting upon mobile home park applications shall be the same as
for subdivision and land development applications and in accordance
with the provisions of this chapter, including, but not limited to,
the provisions of acceptable financial security to the Township to
secure the installation of required on-site improvements, unless otherwise
specified in this article.
B.
Mobile home park permit. Prior to the issuance of a mobile home park permit, applications shall be submitted to and approved by the Township Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors in accordance with the requirements and procedures of Article V, VI, and VII of this chapter, regarding preapplication consultation, preliminary plats and final plats, and the following conditions:
(1)
Said application shall include areas within which mobile homes may
be located, the spacing of mobile homes, open spaces and their landscaping,
off-street parking spaces and streets, driveways, utilities, watercourses
and any other physical features relevant to the proposed mobile home
park.
(2)
Board of Supervisors public hearing. Before acting on any preliminary
mobile home park plan, the Board of Supervisors shall arrange for
a public hearing. Such public hearing shall be held after reviewing
the recommendations, if any, of the Planning Commission, and within
20 days of receipt of the said recommendations. This hearing shall
be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation in the Township
at least 10 days before such hearing, and notice of said hearing shall
be posted by certified mail to the owners of property abutting the
site and directly across an adjoining street and to any other persons
that the Supervisors may feel to be particularly affected.
(3)
Board of Supervisors action. The Board of Supervisors shall take
official action on a preliminary mobile home park plan after it has
received the report of the Township Planning Commission and after
the required public hearing.
In considering and acting upon mobile home park plans, the Board
of Supervisors shall take into consideration the public health, safety
and welfare, the comfort and convenience of the public in general
and of the residents of the immediate neighborhood in particular,
and may prescribe appropriate conditions and safeguards as may be
required in order that the result of its action may, to the maximum
extent possible, further the expressed intent of this chapter and
the accomplishment of the following objectives in particular:
A.
Traffic access. That all proposed traffic access and ways are adequate
but not excessive in number; adequate in width, grade, alignment and
visibility not located too near street corners or other places of
public assembly; and other similar safety considerations.
B.
Circulation and parking. That adequate off-street parking and loading
spaces are provided to prevent parking in public streets of vehicles
of any persons connected with or visiting the park, and that the interior
circulation system is adequate to provide safe accessibility to all
required off-street parking lots.
C.
Landscaping and screening. That all playground, parking and service
areas are reasonably screened at all seasons of the year from view
of adjacent residential lots and streets and that the general landscaping
of the site is in character with that generally prevailing in the
neighborhood. Existing trees over eight inches in diameter measured
4 1/2 feet above the average level shall be retained to a maximum
extent possible.
D.
Illumination. That lighting from the installation of outdoor flood
or spotlighting and illuminated signs will be properly shielded so
that such lighting will not adversely affect any abutting property
or public street.
E.
Procedure.
(1)
Presubmission conference. Prior to the submission of site plan, the
applicant shall meet in person with the Commission. The purpose of
such conference shall be to discuss proposed uses of development in
order to determine which of the site development plan elements listed
in this article shall be submitted to the Commission in order for
said Commission to determine conformity with the provisions and intent
of this chapter.
(2)
Commission review. In reviewing the application, the commission may
secure the advice or assistance of one or more expert consultants
as qualified to advise as to whether a proposed use will conform to
the requirements of this chapter. The assistance of a consultant,
if sought, must be obtained within 10 days of the receipt of the application
by the Commission. Such consultant shall report within 20 days after
receipt of such request from the Commission whether or not the use
applied for will be operated in conformance with the performance standards,
and if not, what modification in design or operation would be necessary
for conformance. A copy of the report of such consultant(s) shall
be furnished to the Commission and applicant.
(3)
Board action. The Board of Supervisors shall act to approve, modify
and approve, or disapprove any such site plan within 30 days after
the meeting at which approval is requested. Failure to act within
30 days shall be deemed approval. Board of Supervisors disapproval
shall include written findings upon any site plan element found contrary
to the provisions.
F.
Effect of site development plan approval. No mobile home park permit
shall be issued for any structure covered by this chapter until an
approved site plan or approved amendment of any such plan has been
secured by the applicant from the Board of Supervisors.
G.
Site plan elements. The applicant shall cause a site plan map to
be prepared by a civil engineer, registered surveyor or architect.
Site plan elements shall include those listed below which are appropriate
to the proposed development:
(1)
Legal data.
(a)
Lot, block, and section number of the property taken from the
latest tax records.
(b)
Name and address of the owner of record.
(c)
Name and address of person, firm, or organization preparing
the map.
(d)
Date, north point, and written and graphic scale.
(e)
Sufficient description of information to define precisely the
boundaries of the property. All distances shall be in feet and hundredths
of a foot. All angles shall be given to the nearest 10 seconds or
closer. The error of closure shall not exceed one in 5,000.
(f)
The locations, names, and existing widths of adjacent streets
and curb lines.
(g)
The locations and owners of all adjoining lands as shown on
the latest tax records.
(h)
Location, width, and purpose of all existing and proposed easements,
set-backs, reservations, and areas dedicated to public use within
or adjoining the property.
(i)
A complete outline of existing deed restrictions or covenants
applying to the property.
(j)
Existing zoning, if any.
(2)
Natural features.
(a)
Existing contours with intervals of five feet or less, referred
to a datum satisfactory to the Board.
(b)
Approximate boundaries of any areas subject to flooding or stormwater
overflow.
(c)
Location of existing watercourses, marshes, wooded areas, rock
outcrops, isolated trees with a diameter of eight or more inches,
measured 6 1/2 feet above that average ground level, and other
significant existing features.
(d)
Soil percolation test results as required by the Board.
(e)
Detailed soil survey map as required by the Board.
(3)
Existing structures and utilities on and within 200 feet of the site.
(a)
Location of uses and outlines of structures drawn to scale.
(b)
Paved areas, sidewalks, and vehicular access.
(c)
Locations, dimensions, grades and flow direction of existing
sewers, culverts, water lines as well as other underground and above
ground utilities within and adjacent to the property.
(d)
Other existing development, including fences, landscaping and
screening.
(4)
Proposed development.
(a)
The location of proposed buildings or structural improvements.
(b)
The location and design of all uses not requiring structures,
such as off-street parking and loading areas.
(c)
The locations, direction, power and time of use for any proposed
outdoor lighting or public address systems.
(d)
The location and plans for any outdoor signs.
(e)
The location and arrangement of proposed means of ingress and
egress, including sidewalks, driveways, or other paved areas. Profiles
indicating grading and cross-sections showing width of roadway, location
and width of sidewalks, and location and side of water and sewer lines.
(f)
Any proposed grading, screening, and other landscaping including
types and locations of proposed trees.
(g)
The location of all proposed water lines, valves and hydrants
and of all sewer lines and manholes or alternate means of water supply
and distribution and sewage disposal and treatment.
(h)
An outline of any proposed restrictions or covenants.
(i)
Any contemplated public improvements on or adjoining the property.
(j)
If the site plan only indicates a first stage, a supplementary
plan shall indicate ultimate development.
(k)
Any other information deemed by the Board of Supervisors to
be necessary to determine conformity of the site plan with the intent
and regulations of this chapter.
A.
The Metal Township Board of Supervisors may grant a mobile home park
permit for a period not to exceed 12 months from the date of approval
of such permit, which shall be renewed every 12 months thereafter.
The Township Supervisors or the Township Code Enforcement officer
shall inspect each mobile home park prior to granting an annual permit
for conformance with the provisions of this chapter and any other
applicable regulations. Permits for phased development shall be issued
for each phase separately, as said phases were indicated on the approved
plan.
B.
The owner(s) or proprietors) of every mobile home park shall keep
a register, and shall file a true and correct copy of the same with
the Township on each annual anniversary date of such mobile home park's
mobile home park permit, stating: the name of the person or head of
family occupying each mobile home; the date when each such person
or head of household commenced to occupy a mobile home in the mobile
home park; the serial number, make and size of each mobile home, and
the names of all persons using or residing in said mobile home; and
the previous permanent address of the person or head of family occupying
each mobile home.
C.
Said register and mobile home park shall be subject to inspection
periodically by the Township Supervisors or the Code Enforcement Officer.
D.
It shall be incumbent upon the proprietor of the mobile home park
to have abandoned automobiles removed and unsightly conditions corrected.
The park site shall be well drained and have such grades and
soil as to make it suitable for the purpose intended. All such parks
shall be planned as a unit and shall be located on a tract of land
at least 10 acres in size. The area of said site shall be in single
ownership or under unified control.
A.
All lots in any mobile home park shall be well drained and graded
to a point where mobile homes may be parked so that the parking of
the same shall result in safety to all concerned. In all instances
as much natural vegetation as is reasonably possible shall be preserved
by any mobile home park developer.
B.
Individual mobile home lots located in a mobile home park shall contain
at least 7,500 square feet of lot area and shall not be less than
75 feet wide at the building setback line exclusive of easements.
C.
The maximum number of mobile home lots that may be approved in a
mobile home park shall be computed by subtracting from the total gross
area a fixed percentage of 10% of said area for usable open space
and dividing the remaining 90% of the area by the minimum lot requirements
set forth above. Consideration shall be given to the provision of
adequate area for streets and parking when computing tile maximum
number of lots.
D.
In computing the maximum number of mobile home lots that may be created,
any areas of the proposed mobile home park which are located within
a floodplain or wetland area, which are subject to either periodic
flooding or poor drainage, which are occupied by public utility easements,
or which have a slope in excess of 25% so as to limit or prevent their
use or development as mobile home lots, as determined by the Township
Engineer, shall not be considered part of the total gross area.
E.
All mobile home lots shall be given street numbers, and all park
streets shall be given names. Continuations of existing streets shall
be known by the same name; but names for other streets shall not duplicate
or closely resemble names for existing streets in the Township.
A.
All mobile homes shall be located at least 50 feet from any street
right-of-way, which abuts a mobile home park boundary and at least
50 feet from any other boundary of the park.
B.
There shall be a minimum distance of 25 feet between an individual
mobile home and adjoining pavement of a park street or common parking
area or other common areas.
C.
All mobile homes shall be separated from each other and from other
buildings by at least 20 feet.
A.
Park access. Access to mobile home parks shall be designed to minimize
congestion and hazards at the entrance or exit and allow free movement
of traffic on adjacent streets. Each mobile home park shall be provided
with at least two points of ingress and/or egress and a distance of
at least 100 feet shall be maintained between centerlines of access
streets.
B.
Lot access. All mobile home parks shall be provided with safe and
convenient paved access streets to and from each and every mobile
home lot. Alignment and gradient shall be properly adapted to topography.
All lots within the mobile home park shall access internal park streets.
Individual lot access to Township or State roads or other external
thoroughfares shall be prohibited.
C.
Streets. All streets within any mobile home park shall have a minimum
right-of-way width of 50 feet, a minimum cartway width of 20 feet,
and four foot shoulders, except that one-way streets shall have a
minimum pavement width of 12 feet. All streets shall be paved in accordance
with Township specifications and shall be kept in good repair. All
mobile home park streets shall be private streets owned and maintained
by the park operator. No mobile home park street shall be offered
or accepted for Township dedication.
D.
Intersections. Not more than two streets shall intersect at any point
and a distance of at least 150 feet shall be maintained between centerlines
of offset intersecting streets.
A.
Off-street parking areas shall be provided in all mobile home parks
for the use of park occupants. Such areas shall be furnished at the
rate of at least two vehicular parking spaces for each mobile home
lot.
B.
Each off-street parking space shall contain at least 200 square feet
and shall not exceed a distance of 400 feet from the mobile home lot
that it is intended to serve.
C.
Auxiliary parking areas shall be provided for the accommodation of
guests, recreation vehicles, boat trailers, and similar accessory
vehicles. These areas need not be paved, but shall be well lighted
and sufficiently surfaced to provide all-weather access.
D.
All off-street parking shall be constructed with a subbase of four
inches of 2A stone.
A.
Water distribution. All mobile home parks shall provide to each separate
mobile home lot a continuing supply of safe and potable water as approved
by the State Department of Environmental Protection.
B.
Sewage disposal. All mobile home parks shall provide to each separate
mobile home lot a connection to a centralized sanitary sewer disposal
system, which shall be approved by the State Department of Environmental
Protection.
C.
No mobile home park permit shall be issued until the sewage disposal
and water distribution system for the mobile home park has been approved
by the State Department of Environmental Protection.
A.
All mobile home parks shall provide not less than 10% of the total
land area for usable open space purposes. Usable open space shall
be so located as to be free of traffic hazards and should, where the
topography permits, be centrally located and easily accessible to
all park residents.
B.
Exposed ground surfaces in all parts of every park shall be paved,
or covered with stone screenings, and other solid material, or protected
with a vegetation growth that is capable of preventing soil erosion
and the emanation of dust during dry weather.
C.
Park grounds shall be maintained free of vegetation growth which
is poisonous or which may harbor rodents, insects, or other pests
harmful to man.
A.
A suitably screened or landscaping buffer strip at least 10 feet
wide, approved by the Board of Supervisors shall be provided by the
applicant along all of the property and street boundary lines separating
the park from adjacent uses.
B.
A required screen shall be composed of evergreen trees at least five
feet in height supplemented by forsythia. Such trees shall be planted
offset in two parallel rows, with a six-foot minimum distance between
the trunks of each of the plants, measured in one continuous direction.
All required planted materials shall be well maintained and any that
die or fail to survive shall be replaced within 12 months by the then
owner of the development with trees of original planting size. The
Board of Supervisors may require at its discretion the inclusion of
an elevated earthen berm base as part of the screened buffer strip.
A.
General requirements. All parks shall be provided with safe, convenient,
all season pedestrian walks of adequate width for intended use, durable
and convenient to maintain, between individual mobile home lots, the
park streets and all community facilities provided for park residents.
Sudden change in alignment and gradient shall be avoided.
B.
Common walk system. A common walk system shall be provided and maintained
between locations where pedestrian traffic is concentrated. Such common
walks shall have a minimum width of four feet.
C.
Individual walks. All mobile home lots shall be connected to common
walks, to paved streets, or to paved driveways or parking spaces connecting
to a paved street. Such individual walks shall have a minimum width
of two feet.
A.
Signs may be permitted subject to the approval of the Township Board
of Supervisors.
B.
All means of ingress, egress, walkways, streets, and parking lots
shall be adequately lighted.
C.
The park owner shall install an official stop sign wherever a park
road enters a public road, per PennDOT specifications.
A.
One fire alarm box and public telephone shall be provided for each
mobile home park. The mobile home park owner(s) or proprietors) shall
require that a fire extinguisher, in compliance with all Federal,
State and local codes, shall be maintained in each mobile home and
in all public service buildings under the mobile home park's
control.
B.
Provision shall be made by the park operator to have garbage and
waste collected at least once every week.
C.
Each mobile home lot shall be provided with a four-inch thick concrete
slab on a stable surface at least 10 feet by 18 feet in size for use
as a terrace and so located so as to be adjoining and parallel to
the mobile home.
D.
Individual tenants at the mobile home park may construct attached enclosures or covered patios to individual mobile homes, provided that such enclosure does not exceed the slab area noted in Subsection C and is confined to same. Board of Supervisors approval shall be required for such enclosures in each case.
E.
There shall be provided in each mobile home park such other improvements
as the Board of Supervisors may require whereby such requirements
shall at all times be in the best interest of the park residents.
F.
An enclosure of compatible design and material shall be erected around
the entire base of each mobile home. Such enclosure shall provide
sufficient ventilation to inhibit decay and deterioration of the structure.
A.
No part of any mobile home park shall be used for a non-residential
purpose, except such uses that are required for the direct servicing
and well being of park residents and for the management and maintenance
of the park.
B.
Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed as prohibiting
the sale of a mobile home located on an individual lot and connected
to the pertinent utilities.
The operators of existing mobile home parks shall have six months
from the date of enactment of this chapter to comply with the provisions
of the Chapter and to obtain a permit or to apply for an exception
where such compliance would be an undue hardship.
It is intended that the provisions of this article apply to
parcels improved for the placement of mobile homes for non-transient
or permanent use and residency. Similar land development designs for
transient use, such as labor camps and campgrounds shall be exempted
from the provisions of this article.
