It is the specific intent of this article to:
A.
Encourage an appropriate mix of dwelling types and densities in Perkiomen
Township.
B.
Promote a variety of income levels, age groups and lifestyles within
the Township.
C.
Protect the Township from challenges to the Zoning Ordinance and
Map by providing for a diversity of housing types.
D.
Encourage innovative residential development and use of a variety
of building configurations.
E.
Establish standards of performance and promote the desirable benefits
which planned mobile home parks and garden apartments may have upon
the community.
A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be
used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no other:
A.
B.
Maximum permitted height for buildings: 35 feet.
A.
Minimum gross lot area: 10 acres.
B.
Minimum lot width at building line: 16 feet. (Minimum width of a
townhouse dwelling unit is 16 feet per unit.)
C.
Maximum building coverage of gross land use: 15%.
D.
Minimum side yard: 30 feet. (Applies to end building only.)
E.
Minimum rear yard: 30 feet.
F.
Minimum front yard: 50 feet.
H.
Parking area setback from lot line or street ultimate right-of-way:
50 feet. (Applies only to parking lots and joint parking areas, not
to separate parking areas for individual townhouses.)
I.
Maximum dwelling units per gross acre: eight.
J.
Minimum usable open space (not including parking or driveway areas)
devoted solely to recreational use activities: 10% of the tract. (Usable
open space shall not include front and/or rear yards of an individual
townhouse.)
K.
Maximum height: three stories or 35 feet.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the above requirements, the
following shall also apply:
A.
There shall be no group of townhouses consisting of more than six
dwelling units.
B.
The developer should vary architectural treatments between dwelling
units in a townhouse development. Variations may include those of
exterior elevation, building setbacks, provision of balconies, architectural
details, pitch of roof, exterior materials, or use of color. Variety
and flexibility in design layout and arrangement of buildings, parking
areas, services, recreation areas, common open space and planting
that fully considers the particular physical characteristics of the
site and natural amenities is highly desired.
C.
The horizontal distance between groups of townhouses shall be:
(1)
Two times the average height of the two groups of townhouses
and garden apartments for front or rear walls facing front or rear
walls;
(2)
One and one-half times the average height for front or rear
walls facing side walls; and
(3)
Equal to the height of the highest building for side walls facing
side walls.
D.
The minimum width of any side yard abutting the driveway or parking
area should not be less than 20 feet.
E.
Access and service shall be provided in front of each townhouse.
Parking may be provided on the lot, as carports, as an integral part
of the townhouse, or a joint parking facility for a group of townhouses
with such deed restrictions as are necessary to determine ownership
and maintenance of common parking facilities and methods of assigning
charges for maintaining snow removal and repairs.
F.
Usable open space devoted to recreational use as herein required
shall be designed for use by tenants of the development and shall
be improved and equipped by the developer in accordance with plans
submitted to and approved by the Board of Supervisors.
G.
All townhouse developments shall be served by public sewer and public
water.
A.
Residential uses. A mobile home park may include single- or double-width
mobile homes, single-family detached modular homes, conventional single-family
detached dwellings, or a combination of these, but shall not include
travel trailers or motor homes.
(1)
No more than 40% of the total number of dwelling units in a
mixed mobile home park may consist of conventional single-family detached
dwellings. All conventional single-family detached dwellings within
a mobile home park shall meet the standards of the R-4 District of
this chapter, including standards set forth for lot area, setbacks,
building coverage and height.
(2)
Customary accessory structures shall be permitted on individual
lots according to the standards of this section.
(3)
Nothing in this section shall be considered to prohibit the
rental, sale or resale of a mobile home located on a mobile home stand
and connected to all utilities. Similarly, a model or display area
is permissible on a temporary basis, provided that models are developed
in accordance with all applicable regulations of this article and
that use of the models for sales or rental promotion ceases when the
project is fully developed.
(4)
All mobile home parks shall have a minimum tract size of 20
acres.
(5)
All mobile home lots shall have a minimum of 5,000 square feet
when on-lot parking is provided. Where common parking is provided,
this may be reduced to 4,500 square feet.
(6)
All mobile home lots shall be at least 55 feet wide at the building
setback line. All mobile home lots shall have at least 25 feet of
frontage to a public street or equivalent right-of-way line or edges
of pavement, as applicable.
(7)
No mobile home or accessory building shall be located closer
than four feet to the side or rear lot line of an individual mobile
home lot. Accessory buildings may be located on the lot line if physically
joined to each other with a common wall located on the property line.
(8)
Mobile homes are encouraged to use the minimum setback and to
be placed off-center on the lots so as to provide a large, usable
open yard space in one section of the lot.
(9)
Mobile homes and roofed structures or areas attached thereto
shall be separated from each other and from other buildings and structures,
other than accessory structures, at their closest points by a minimum
of 20 feet; provided, however, that whenever two mobile homes have
their longest sides parallel or essentially parallel to each other
for more than 25% of the length of either the minimum distance between
the mobile homes shall be 30 feet. The sides shall be considered to
be essentially parallel if they form an angle of less than 45°
when extended to intersect.
(10)
The maximum coverage of any individual mobile home lot by primary
and accessory buildings and structures, such as decks or patios, shall
be 25%.
(11)
The maximum density of any mobile home park shall be five units
to the acre, regardless of housing type.
(12)
No mobile home shall exceed a height of one story or a maximum
of 25 feet.
(13)
In order to allow clustering of lots designed to encourage flexibility
in site design, preservation of natural features, and to maximize
creation of accessibility of recreation areas, distance between structures,
minimum lot width and minimum lot size may be reduced up to a maximum
of 10% upon approval of the Board of Supervisors, provided that at
least 50% of all lots so reduced shall directly abut part of the common
open space for a distance of at least 20 feet. An area equal to that
by which each lot is reduced shall be added to the minimum common
open space specified in this section.
(14)
All access drives or roads shall be set back 20 feet from any
property line.
B.
Common open space. At least 15% of the site area of the mobile home
development shall be held as common open space, as defined in this
section. No more than 1/3 of the common open space may be the required
buffer area. The permanent open space shall comply with the following
standards:
(1)
Ownership. The open space shall be conveyed in accordance with
one or more of the following methods, as approved by the Board of
Supervisors:
(a)
Offered for dedication in fee-simple ownership to Perkiomen Township. If the Board of Supervisors refuses the offer for dedication, then any one of the following listed in Subsection B(1)(b) below shall apply.
(b)
Conveyance of title (including beneficial ownership) to an association,
condominium, conservancy, corporation, funded community trust, individual
or other legal entity for maintenance purposes.
(c)
Fee-simple ownership with conveyance of restrictive covenants,
conservation easements or other suitable legal device to an association,
condominium, conservancy, corporation, funded community trust, individual
or other legal entity for maintenance purposes. The terms of such
instrument of conveyance shall include provisions to the Township
for guaranteeing the continued use of such land for open space and
recreation.
(2)
Design. The open space shall not include stormwater basins,
shall have adequate pedestrian and vehicular access, and shall be
designed in one or more of the following ways, as approved by the
Board of Supervisors:
(a)
Buffer area, to buffer the impact of new development from existing
adjacent development.
(b)
Preservation of natural features, such as woodlands, stream
valleys, wetlands or steep slopes.
(c)
Central green or parkway, which shall be located in a central
position in the neighborhood, surrounded by streets and/or building
lots on at least three sides, and designed and landscaped as a space
for common neighborhood use.
(d)
Recreation area provided to meet the anticipated needs of the
residents of the development. Recreation areas should be of a size,
shape and relief that is conducive to active and passive recreation.
C.
Buffers.
(1)
Buffers. A landscaped buffer at least 20 feet in width shall be provided along all property boundary lines, except those that abut another mobile home park. This buffer shall be designed pursuant to the landscaping and buffering standards of Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development.
(2)
Street boundaries shall be buffered with a single row of deciduous shade trees pursuant to Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development.
(3)
All common refuse facilities shall be screened pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development.
(4)
Any outdoor lighting proposed for common areas or parking lots
shall not cast glare onto adjacent properties or cause a traffic hazard.
D.
Additional requirements.
(1)
Roadways. All Township standards for the construction of streets contained in Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development, shall be adhered to for all public streets in and abutting mobile home parks.
(2)
Access limitations. Mobile home lots may have direct access
only onto streets internal to the development. Direct access from
a mobile home lot shall not be permitted onto the streets from which
the mobile home park gains primary access.
(3)
Open space and recreation. The common open space shall be designed
as a contiguous area unless the applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction
of the Township that two or more separate areas would be preferable.
The open space shall also have easily identifiable pedestrian and
visual accessibility to all residents of the mobile home park, although
all units do not have to abut the open space.
(4)
Mobile home stands. A concrete pad, properly graded, placed
and compacted so as to be durable and adequate for the support of
the maximum anticipated loads during all seasons, shall be used for
all mobile homes.
(5)
Public water and sewer. All mobile home parks shall be served
by public sewer and water systems.
(6)
Anchoring. Every mobile home placed within a mobile home development
shall be anchored to the mobile home stand where it is located prior
to the unit being occupied or used in any other way. The anchoring
system shall be designed to resist a minimum wind velocity of 90 miles
per hour.
(7)
Skirts. All mobile homes placed within a mobile home development
shall, prior to the occupancy or other use, have skirts installed
to protect the utility connection and to complement the appearance
of the mobile home.
(8)
Preservation of natural features. No multifamily development
shall be located in any of the following areas:
E.
Registration and administration.
(1)
Registration. It shall be unlawful to operate a mobile home
park within the Township unless it has been registered with the Code
Enforcement Officer, who may inspect the premises with reasonable
notice.
(2)
Transfer of registration. Registration is not transferable.
The Board of Supervisors shall be notified, in writing, within 10
days after the sale, transfer, lease or other change in the controlling
interest of a mobile home park, and the registration shall be renewed
following inspection.
All garden apartments shall comply with the following requirements:
A.
Maximum density: eight units per acre.
B.
Minimum tract size: each multifamily development shall have a minimum
gross area of 10 acres.
C.
Minimum lot size: 2,500 square feet per dwelling unit.
D.
Minimum setback from any property line: 50 feet.
E.
Minimum distance between any two principal buildings: 40 feet.
F.
Maximum building coverage: 30% of lot area.
G.
Maximum impervious surface coverage: 50% of lot area.
H.
Zoning district boundary setback: a minimum setback of 75 feet is required between any principal multifamily building in this district and any Township boundary or boundary of a residential zoning district. This setback may be part of a required yard area and shall include landscaping and/or berming according to the provisions of Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development.
I.
Maximum height: 35 feet for a principal building, 15 feet for any
accessory buildings.
J.
Parking area setback: a minimum thirty-foot setback shall be required
between any parking area of six or more spaces and any side or rear
lot line or tract boundary. This parking area setback may be part
of a zoning district boundary. If the parking area is shared by two
or more lots, the setback shall not be required from the common lot
line(s).
K.
Maximum building length: 200 feet.
A.
Preservation of natural features. No multifamily development shall
be located in any of the following areas:
B.
All garden apartment developments shall be served by public sewer
and water systems.
C.
Common open space. At least 20% of the site area of the multifamily
development shall be held in permanent common open space. No more
than 1/3 of the common open space may be part of the required tract
boundary setback. The permanent common open space shall comply with
the following standards:
(1)
Ownership. The open space shall be conveyed in accordance with
one or more of the following methods, as approved by the Board of
Supervisors:
(a)
Offered for dedication in fee-simple ownership to Perkiomen Township. If the Board of Supervisors refuses the offer for dedication, then any one of the following listed in Subsection C(1)(b) below shall apply.
(b)
Conveyance of title (including beneficial ownership) to an association,
condominium, conservancy, corporation, funded community trust, individual
or other legal entity for maintenance purposes.
(c)
Fee-simple ownership with conveyance of restrictive covenants,
conservation easements or other suitable legal device to Perkiomen
Township; an association, condominium, conservancy, corporation, funded
community trust, individual or other legal entity for maintenance
purposes. The terms of such instrument of conveyance shall include
provisions to the Township for guaranteeing the continued use of such
land for open space and recreation.
(2)
Design. The open space shall not include stormwater basins,
shall have adequate pedestrian and vehicular access, and shall be
designed in one or more of the following ways, as approved by the
Board of Supervisors:
(a)
Buffer area, to buffer the impact of new development from existing,
adjacent development.
(b)
Preservation of natural features, such as woodlands, stream
valleys, wetlands or steep slopes.
(c)
Central green or parkway, which shall be located in a central
position in the neighborhood, surrounded by streets and/or building
lots on at least three sides, and designed and landscaped as a space
for common neighborhood use.
(d)
Recreation area provided to meet the anticipated needs of the
residents of the development. Recreation areas should be of a size,
shape and relief that is conducive to active and passive recreation.
D.
All development shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development.
F.
Parking shall not interfere with driveways, accessways, sidewalks
or pedestrian walkways.
G.
The use of natural building materials, such as brick, stone, stucco
or wood, is strongly encouraged.
H.
All refuse facilities shall be screened pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development.
I.
Any accessory building shall be set back 20 feet from any property
line or street frontage.
J.
Any outdoor lighting proposed for common areas or parking lots shall
not throw glare onto adjacent properties or cause a traffic hazard.
K.
All access drives or roads shall be set back 20 feet from any property
line.
