The purpose of the RC - Retirement Community Overlay District
is to provide for the development of retirement communities in Norristown
that would provide for the development of a building or group of buildings
designed for and intended for occupancy by persons who are the age
55 and older as permitted under the Federal Fair Housing Act, which
development may include commercial/retail uses subject to the provisions
of this article, all of which will generate tax ratables for the Municipality
and which are in the best interests of the health, safety and welfare
of the residents of Norristown.
The RC - Retirement Community Overlay District shall apply only
to those areas designated by Norristown Municipal Council as being
appropriate for the establishment of a retirement community use, as
defined by this chapter. Furthermore, properties shall be declared
to be subject to the RC - Retirement Community Overlay District by
ordinance at the discretion of the Norristown Municipal Council.
A.
Permitted uses. A building may be erected, altered or used, and a
lot may be used or occupied for the following uses and no other.
(1)
Single-family detached dwellings.
(2)
Single-family semidetached dwellings.
(3)
Single-family attached dwellings.
(4)
Multifamily residential dwellings.
(6)
The following commercial/retail uses available for use by the
public; provided, however, that such use stands alone and is not located
in a building containing residential units, and no more than 5% of
the tract shall be used for such use:
(a)
Retail store for sale of dry goods, variety merchandise, clothing,
food, beverages, flowers and plants, drugs, furnishings or other household
supplies, hardware and/or other similar goods.
(b)
Personal service shop, including barbershops, hairdresser, nail
salon, shoe repair, tailor, dry cleaner, self-service laundry and/or
similar uses.
(c)
Professional offices, medical offices, business offices or government
offices.
(d)
Restaurants (not including drive-throughs), tearooms, delicatessens,
luncheonettes, coffee shops, retail bakers and confectionery or ice
cream shops.
(e)
Banks, savings-and-loan associations and financial institutions,
provided that no drive-in window service shall be permitted.
(f)
Dance, exercise, music or art studio/gallery.
(g)
Mini market.
A.
Area and building setback regulations for a retirement community.
(1)
Minimum tract area (net acres): 12 acres.
(For purposes of this section, the tract area may include one
or more abutting parcels, or parcels separated by an existing public
road(s), owned under single ownership and submitted together for a
unified development, but shall not include the area of an existing
public road, if any.)
(2)
Maximum building coverage: 25% of the net tract area.
(3)
Maximum impervious surface: 60% of net tract area.
(4)
Minimum common open space: 20% of net tract area.
(5)
Side and rear yard setback from the property line (feet): 30
with the following exception:
(a)
In the event a multifamily building is located adjacent to the
R-1 District and the height of the multifamily building is greater
than 40 feet, then the side yard setback shall be increased by an
additional 10 feet.
D.
Maximum building row. No more than six units shall be attached for
semidetached dwellings and single-family attached dwellings.
E.
Maximum density: 15 dwelling units per acre of gross tract area.
B.
Parking in setbacks. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to
the contrary, parking shall be permitted within the front yard setback.
C.
Common open space.
D.
Common areas and facilities.
(1)
A retirement community may include common areas and facilities
wholly contained within and accessory to a multifamily structure,
to be used solely by the residents and invited guests, and not by
the general public, for a community room, fitness center, hair salon,
gift shop, flower shop, dining hall, medical exam office, physical/occupational
therapy office, multimedia room, administrative office, building maintenance,
or uses of a similar nature as determined by Council. Common areas
and facilities located within a multifamily building (i.e., not exterior
common areas such as walking trails and gazebos) shall not exceed
15% of the total gross floor area of all of the multifamily buildings
located in the retirement community.
E.
Ownership and occupancy.
(1)
The property comprising the retirement community shall be under
single ownership for the maintenance, service and operation of the
community. This includes all land, buildings, infrastructure and public
or community utilities contained within the tract of land.
(2)
The residential portion of the retirement community shall be
operated under a resident agreement or similar document without deeded
fee simple ownership of a dwelling.
(3)
One hundred percent of the dwelling units in a retirement community
shall be age restricted to age 55 or older with the exception of a
certified caregiver to a qualified resident or disabled dependent.
The aforementioned age restriction shall be recorded as a deed restriction
on all parcels to be developed of the Retirement Community. Notwithstanding
anything contrary to the foregoing, one residential dwelling in the
retirement community shall be permitted to be occupied by resident
staff personnel, and his/her spouse and children, whom may be under
the age of 55.
(4)
No property developed as a retirement community shall be subdivided
in the future and the owner of the retirement community shall record
a deed restriction prohibiting the property from being subdivided
in the future.
(5)
All buildings and infrastructure shall be designed to support
handicapped adaptability and accessibility.
F.
Design. A retirement community shall provide the following:
(1)
Internal sidewalks or pathway system, at grade (i.e., no curbing).
(2)
Sidewalks installed along tract frontage adjacent to public
streets.
(3)
Trash dumpster areas shall be screened with fencing and landscaping,
as approved by Municipal Council.
(4)
Single-family dwellings with garages shall have a minimum twenty-foot
driveway depth to ensure that no parked vehicles impede the pedestrian
use of the sidewalk.
(5)
The rear facade of single-family dwellings facing a public right-of-way
shall include architectural features to create more of a "front yard"
appearance. Building elevations shall be submitted to the Design Review
Board for comment during the land development approval process. If
the applicant proceeds by submitting preliminary plans and final plans
separately, building elevations may be submitted to the Design Review
Board for comment during final plan review and the applicant waives
its right to claim that final plan approval must be given in accordance
with preliminary plan approval on the issue of building elevations.
Where an applicant proceeds by submitting preliminary plans as final
plans, building elevations must be submitted to the Design Review
Board for comment prior to "preliminary as final" approval.
(6)
Amenities to promote public outdoor gathering areas, including
but not limited to, a gazebo or park benches.
(7)
Pedestrian walkways shall be provided across all public roads
between adjacent parcels developed as a retirement community.
(8)
Connectivity shall be provided from internal sidewalks/walkways
to the public sidewalk system.
