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Township of Vernon, PA
Crawford County
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[Ord. 1994-1, 7/--/1994, § 701; as amended by Ord. 1997-2, 3/6/1997]
1. 
A manufactured home park may be considered for conditional use approval in the Rural Residential Zone District as defined in the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27, Part 6]; provided, the following stipulations are met:
2. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, operate or extend any manufactured home park within Vernon Township unless he/she holds a valid permit issued by the Township and also valid permits issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Crawford County Assessment Officer in the name of the owner of the manufactured home park.
3. 
All application procedures for preliminary and final development plan approval shall be in accordance with Part 4 of this chapter, whether for construction of a new park or enlargement or rearrangement of an existing park.
4. 
Before the administrator may issue a permit the owner shall show the administrator that he/she has in his possession valid permits issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approving the park's sanitary sewage disposal, refuse storage and removal and potable water supply or proof in writing that such permits will be issued without question once the Township permit is approved.
5. 
Permits shall be valid for a period of one year and shall be renewed annually in January of each year upon application of the owner contingent upon compliance with this chapter and those of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
6. 
Manufactured home parks in existence upon the effective date of the adoption of this chapter shall be required to have only a current permit of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as a prerequisite to the issuing of a Township permit. However, any additions to the park or rearrangement after adoption of this chapter shall comply with this chapter.
7. 
The administrator shall not be denied access to any manufactured home park at reasonable hours in order to determine compliance with this chapter.
8. 
No manufactured home lacking its own toilet, bathing, cooking and food storage facilities, all in working condition, shall be permitted in a manufactured home park.
9. 
No manufactured home shall be placed in a manufactured home park until street and utilities have been completed to serve at least 10 of the lots in the approved plan.
[Ord. 1994-1, 7/--/1994, § 702]
1. 
Bulk and Dimensional Requirements.
A. 
Minimum size of park: five contiguous acres.
B. 
Minimum size of lot: 5,000 square feet excluding street, recreation areas, laundry and administrative facilities, group parking areas or public utility sites.
C. 
Minimum leased lot width: 50 feet by 100 feet.
D. 
Minimum setbacks to side or rear of closest manufactured home:
(1) 
Minimum setback from park property line not adjacent to a public street: 50 feet.
(2) 
Minimum setback from right-of-way line of adjacent public road: 50 feet.
(3) 
Minimum setback of manufactured home from park street pavement: 20 feet.
E. 
Minimum Distances between Manufactured Homes.
(1) 
Minimum distance between ends of adjacent manufactured homes: 20 feet.
(2) 
Minimum distance between parallel sides of adjacent manufactured homes: 30 feet.
(3) 
Minimum distance between the end of one manufactured home and the parallel side of an adjacent manufactured home: 25 feet.
(4) 
Minimum distance between parallel sides of adjacent manufactured homes when they overlap by no more than 15 feet if extended towards one another along a plane at right angles to their parallel sides: 25 feet.
(5) 
Sides or ends of adjacent manufactured homes shall be considered parallel if they form an angle when the adjacent sides or ends are extended to intersect, of not less than 45° nor more than 135°.
2. 
Circulation within the Park.
A. 
All streets for vehicular traffic within the park shall be designed and constructed in accordance with § 22-503 of this chapter.
B. 
Streets within the park shall be constructed by the developer to meet these standards and shall be maintained in perpetuity by him/her and his successors and assigns with no obligation to the Township.
C. 
The main entrance to a manufactured home park from the public road shall be located to maximize sight distances for those exiting or entering the park and through traffic. Except in rare circumstances only one entry into a park from a public road shall be permitted.
D. 
Each manufactured home leased lot in a park shall abut a private access street which shall lead directly to the public road serving the property. No lot in a park shall have direct access to a public road.
E. 
Parking, if provided in group areas serving several manufactured homes, shall be no further distant than 100 feet from the farthest manufactured home thus served. Otherwise, each manufactured home lot shall be provided with two off-street parking spaces with dust-free stabilized surfaces, each at least nine feet by 20 feet in size. No parking shall occur on any park street.
3. 
Development of Manufactured Home Leased Lots.
A. 
Manufactured homes shall be supported on masonry or concrete foundation piers extending at least three feet below finished grade, such foundations capable of bearing the mobile home weight without settlement.
B. 
Manufactured homes shall be securely fastened to their foundation by tie-downs at each corner and at the midpoint of each side, each tie-down capable of withstanding a pull of 4,800 pounds. The area below the mobile home extending to the ground shall be enclosed with a continuous metal or vinyl skirting, ventilated to inhibit structural deterioration.
C. 
Manufactured homes shall be placed on their required foundations within 30 days of arrival in the park.
D. 
No enclosed permanent addition to a manufactured home shall be permitted. Concrete slabs on grade covered by canopies or awnings attached to a manufactured home to provide an open sided patio are allowed; provided, such structures are securely fastened to the manufactured home and the ground.
E. 
No manufactured home shall be occupied until it has been attached to the park sewage disposal and water supply system.
F. 
No area of a manufactured home park to be developed for lots or permanent structures shall be subjected to periodic flooding or high water table.
4. 
Other Uses within the Park. No part of any park shall be used for any other uses except manufactured home leased lots, traffic and pedestrian circulation, park office, residence of the manager, central laundry facility, recreation facilities (both outdoor and enclosed) and maintained open space.
5. 
Sale of Portions of the Manufactured Home Park. No portion of an approved manufactured home park shall be severed for a separate sale unless the portion to be sold abuts a public street, unless requirements for setbacks from property lines in a manufactured home park are maintained in the original and severed sections and unless access and utilities are separated in each property and neither property is dependent upon the other for any services or access. Any subdivision of the original park or rearrangement of lots to accommodate this section shall be considered as for any other subdivision of land under this chapter.
6. 
Recreation.
A. 
When a manufactured home park has at least eight lots, a recreation area or areas totaling at least 2,500 square feet in area or at least 200 square feet in area for each mobile home served, whichever is greater, shall be provided. The floor area of recreation building may be included in determining the total space.
B. 
The recreation area or areas shall be centrally located and so placed that all portions are on land that does not slope in excess of 10% in any direction. No part of an approved manufactured home lot shall be considered as recreation area.
7. 
Landscaping Screening. The periphery of every new manufactured home park or expansion of an existing park shall be landscaped including frontage on a public street. A landscaping plan shall be part of the plan submitted to the Planning Commission for final approval. When the manufactured home park or expansion will abut an existing or planned subdivision of a single-family home lot the landscaping along the mutual property line shall be made up of a dense staggered arrangement of evergreen trees, separated by not more than 20 feet and not less than six feet high from ground level when planted. Other pericanopy trees, evergreens and shrubs to visually separate and protect the manufactured home park from neighboring users. The Planning Commission may recommend approval of existing vegetation already in place and/or significant changes in grade along the property line in lieu of a planted landscape screen.
[Ord. 1994-1, 7/--/1994, § 703; as amended by Ord. 1997-2, 3/6/1997]
1. 
Water Supply.
A. 
Each manufactured home lot and every other structure in the park with water supply connections shall and must be supplied with potable water from a public system when available or from a central water system provided by the park owner on the park premises and approved by the Department of Environmental Protection.
B. 
The water supply shall be capable of providing at least 150 gallons per day per manufactured home at a pressure of at least 20 pounds per square inch.
C. 
Individual water riser pipes at each manufactured home lot shall be located and protected to insure against freezing, shall be protected from groundwater drainage contamination, shall have a shut-off valve located below the frost line and shall be capable of being capped when not in use.
2. 
Sewage Disposal.
A. 
Each manufactured home lot in a park and every other structure connected to a water supply shall and must be served by a public disposal system when available or by a central sanitary sewage system provided by the park owner on the park premises and approved by the Department of Environmental Protection.
B. 
Each manufactured home lot shall be provided with a vertical three-inch inside diameter sewer riser pipe capable of being plugged when the lot is in use.
C. 
Each riser pipe shall extend at least 1/2 inch above the ground surface which shall slope away from it in all directions.
D. 
Sewer pipe shall have a smooth inside surface, watertight joints, a slope of not less than 1/4 inch per foot and be made of semi-rigid, corrosion resistant, durable, nonabsorbent material. Pipe shall be placed at least two feet six inches below finished grade and encased in concrete where passing below a vehicular way.
3. 
Electrical Distribution.
A. 
Each individual manufactured home shall be connected to an underground electrical distribution system installed by a registered electrician and meeting P.U.C. regulations.
B. 
All electrical, telephone and cable TV systems within a manufactured home park shall be placed underground except pad-mounted transformers and similar equipment.
C. 
Each manufactured home lot shall be provided with an approved disconnect device and overcurrent protective equipment. The minimum service per manufactured home outlet shall be 12/240 Volts AC, 100 amperes. No manufactured home may be occupied after placement or movement in a manufactured home park until the electrical connection to the home and interior electrical system has been inspected and approved by the company supplying power to the park.
D. 
All exposed noncurrent carrying metal parts of manufactured homes and all other equipment shall be grounded by a grounding conductor run with branch circuit conductors. The neutral conductor shall not be used as an equipment ground.
E. 
Street lighting shall be installed at intersections, at the ends of culs-de-sac and at entrances to a manufactured home park but such lighting shall be equipped with shields to prevent light from illuminating adjacent properties and to prevent direct view of the light source from outside the manufactured home park. The owner of the park shall provide and install the street lights and pay for the electricity and maintenance.
4. 
Solid Waste Disposal and Insect and Rodent Control.
A. 
Solid waste and refuse shall be bagged and stored in permanent covered containers surrounded on three sides by evergreen plantings. Solid waste shall be removed by contract hauler not less frequently than every week.
B. 
No waste disposal by burying or burning shall occur in any manufactured home park. Disposal shall be in accordance with Township or DEP regulations.
C. 
Grounds, buildings and structures shall be maintained free of insect and/or rodent harborage or infestation.
D. 
Manufactured home parks shall be kept free of litter or inflammable material accumulations.
5. 
Fuel Supply and Storage.
A. 
All piping from outside fuel storage tanks to manufactured homes shall be securely but not permanently fastened in place, shall have secured shut-off valves and shall be capable of being capped when the lot is not in use.
B. 
Natural gas piping systems shall be buried under at least 18 inches of cover and shall not run under any manufactured home.
C. 
Liquefied petroleum gas systems shall be provided with safety devices to relieve excess pressures and shall have an accessible shut-off valve outside each manufactured home.
D. 
Gas cylinders of at least 12 but not more than 60 U.S. gallons gross capacity may be installed on a manufactured home lot and securely but not permanently mounted.
E. 
Cylinders or other fuel storage vessels shall not be located inside or beneath any manufactured home or other structure in the park and shall be placed at least five feet from any exit from a manufactured home or other structure.
6. 
Fire Protection when Public Water Supply is Available.
A. 
The water supply system in a manufactured home park shall be capable of permitting operation of at least two 1 1/2 inch hose streams simultaneously for one hour.
B. 
Fire hydrants shall be provided by the developer and shall be located within 600 feet of any manufactured home or service building or other structure in the park. The cost of maintenance and rental of hydrants shall be borne by the park management. Fire hydrant selection and locations shall be approved by the local volunteer fire company nearest the park.
[Ord. 1994-1, 7/--/1994, § 704; as amended by Ord. 1997-2, 3/6/1997]
1. 
The person to whom a permit for a manufactured home park is issued shall operate the park in compliance with this chapter and regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and shall maintain the park, its facilities and equipment in good repair in a clean and sanitary condition.
2. 
The park management shall supervise and be responsible for the placement of each manufactured home on its lot including all utility connections. No manufactured home shall be placed except upon an approved leased lot.
3. 
The management shall maintain a register containing the names of all park occupants, such register being available to the administrator at any reasonable hour.
4. 
No manufactured home may be moved, either to another location in the Township or from the Township, without the park owner first obtaining a permit from the Township Tax Collector. Such permit will be issued upon notice of the Tax Collector to the administrator verifying that payment of all outstanding taxes owed any local taxing jurisdiction by anyone occupying the manufactured home to be moved has been made. The park operator shall be responsible for payment of all outstanding taxes if a mobile home is moved without a permit having been issued.
[Ord. 1994-1, 7/--/1994, § 705]
1. 
Whenever the administrator determines by personal inspection that a violation exists in any manufactured home park he/she shall immediately, by certified mail, inform the person to whom the permit to operate has been issued of the nature of the violation, citing specific sections of these regulations, what corrective action is required, the time limit within which repair shall be made and the penalty for failure to correct. A copy shall be sent to the Board of Supervisors.
2. 
The operator may request within 30 days of notice a hearing before the Board of Supervisors. Such hearing shall occur within 30 days of petition at a regular monthly meeting of the Board and may result in a modification of the time limit or extent of the alleged violation or dismissal of the charges at the discretion of the Board.
3. 
The Board shall communicate its decision to the operator within 10 days of the hearing, after which the operator shall have a specified time, contained in the decision, to comply with the requirements of the decision.
4. 
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity who or which violates any provision of this chapter after expiration of the time period in which he/she has been ordered to correct a violation shall be subject to penalty as contained in § 22-804 of this chapter.
5. 
While action is pending following the administrator's notification or before the administrator is satisfied that a violation has been corrected no permits shall be issued for any new manufactured homes to be located in the manufactured home park containing the violation and the park's Township permit shall be suspended.