It is the specific intent of this article:
A. 
To encourage innovation in residential development and meet the growing demand for housing by permitting, through a unified development plan, a variety of housing types, layouts and designs.
B. 
To encourage more flexible land development which preserves natural features and resources such as stream corridors, steep slopes, floodplains and woodlands.
C. 
To require a designated amount of open space throughout the development to ensure that the recreational needs of residents are met and to provide buffer areas between groupings of dwellings.
This type of development is permitted in the R-5 District only when the following have been met:
A. 
The development is in conformance with Article VII of the Municipalities Planning Code, as last amended.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10701 et seq.
B. 
The site for a planned residential development shall consist of a contiguous area of at least 100 acres.
A building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no others:
A. 
Single-family detached dwelling.
B. 
Single-family semidetached dwelling (twin).
C. 
Quadruplexes.
D. 
Townhouses; a maximum of six units shall be permitted in each townhouse row.
E. 
Garden apartments.
F. 
Apartment houses.
Provided all commercial uses front on a collector street or a street of a greater classification, a building may be erected, altered or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no others:
A. 
Retail stores, shops or service establishments for the conducting of any retail business or service serving primarily the residential development.
B. 
Professional or business offices.
C. 
Schools, nursery schools and day-care centers, churches, community activity centers, nursing homes and retirement homes.
D. 
Banks, savings and loan associations.
A. 
The following is a chart of the type of dwelling and the maximum permitted design density:
Dwelling Type
Maximum Permitted Design Density
(dwelling units per acre)
Single-family or semidetached (twin)
5
Quadruplex or townhouse
8
Garden apartment
12
B. 
Any mix of dwelling types shall be allowed upon the approval of the Township Board of Supervisors.
A. 
Area and bulk regulations.
Apartment House or Garden Apartment(s)
Commercial Townhouse or Quadruplex
Single-Family Detached or Semidetached
Zero Lot Line Detached
Minimum lot area per dwelling unit
8,000 square feet
5,000 square feet
Minimum lot width at building line
20 feet per unit
75 feet
50 feet
Minimum lot width at right-of-way line
35 feet
Minimum side yard
50 feet
30 feet (end unit only)
20 feet
15 feet aggregate with 1 side at least 10 feet
Minimum rear yard
75 feet
30 feet
30 feet
30 feet(3)
Minimum front yard
75 feet
50 feet
50 feet
25 feet
Distance between buildings
See (1) below
See (1) below
See (1) below
N/A
Parking area set back from lot line or street ultimate right-of-way
25 feet
20 feet(2)
20 feet(2)
20 feet(2)
Maximum height
3 stories or 35 feet
3 stories or 35 feet
3 stories or 35 feet
3 stories or 35 feet
Maximum impervious coverage
50%
50%
50%
50%
NOTES:
(1)
The horizontal distance between groups of townhouses, quadruplexes, apartment houses or garden apartments shall be:
a.
Two times the average height of the two groups of townhouses or garden apartments for front or rear walls facing front or rear walls;
b.
One and one-half times the average height for front or rear walls facing side walls; and
c.
Equal to the height of the highest building for side walls facing side walls.
(2)
Applies to parking lots and joint parking areas encompassing six or more spaces, not to on-lot parking areas.
(3)
A privately owned rear yard setback may be reduced to a minimum of 15 feet, provided that it abuts an area of common open space that is at least 30 feet in depth.
B. 
Corner lot restriction. Notwithstanding other requirements of this chapter, corner lots shall be provided, on each side thereof adjacent to a street, a yard equal in depth to the required front yard.
C. 
Party walls and end walls on all townhouses shall be continued past the rear wall of the building in the form of a privacy fence at a height not to exceed six feet, or a sufficient distance to provide for a private patio area for each dwelling unit. No more than three continuous townhouses shall have the same front setback, and the variation on front setbacks will be at least four feet.
D. 
No intensive recreational use (e.g., baseball, basketball, tennis, etc.) shall be permitted in the common space within 150 feet of any adjacent residential district.
Required parking shall be permitted within the required front or side yard. However at least 50% of these yards for a residential use must be maintained as a green space.
Lighting for buildings, accessways, parking areas and recreational areas shall be so arranged as not to reflect toward public streets or cause any annoyance to building occupants or surrounding property owners or residents.
The following standards must be met as a condition of approval for an R-5 planned Residential District:
A. 
The planned residential development shall consist of a contiguous area of at least 100 acres. The area shall not include any portion of the tract located within existing rights-of-way nor any areas previously developed. Point intersection along the perimeter of the tract shall not constitute the assemblage of a contiguous tract. The contiguous area of tract shall be defined as not having less than 600 feet of area that adjoins the other.
B. 
The development shall be served by municipal sanitary sewer systems and public water systems. The applicant shall be required to construct the sanitary systems at his expense and to Perkiomen Township's or Perkiomen Township Municipal Authority's standards and specifications. The public water system shall be constructed at the applicant's expense and according to the standards and specifications of the water company having jurisdiction. Upon completion of said construction, all sanitary sewer systems shall be offered for dedication to the Perkiomen Township Municipal Authority and the water system to the water company having jurisdiction.
C. 
At least 30% of the gross area of the planned residential development shall be open space and recreation. No less than 1/2 of the open space shall be adequate for the development of active recreation facilities. These facilities may include, but are not limited to, playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts, ball diamonds, recreation centers and basketball courts. The number and dimensions of such facilities will be in accordance with the standards published by the American Recreation Association and approved by the governing body. Those areas not suitable for active recreational activities shall contain a walkway system of a minimum length of 1/2 mile.
D. 
The proposed planned residential development shall have a minimum of 600 feet of frontage along Class I (major arterials), Class II (collector roads) or Class III (secondary roads). In addition, all access shall be required for a planned residential development site through all existing arterial, collector or feeder roads.
E. 
Areas designated for specific uses/dwelling types, as permitted in this chapter, shall not overlap and shall be distinctly separate geographic areas. Such areas shall not include required common or public open space or recreational uses. The areas designated for specific uses/dwelling types shall be explicitly separated by boundary lines on all plans, and the net residential density for each specific use/dwelling types shall be noted on all plans.
F. 
For multifamily uses/dwelling types, common parking and open space area directly serving the multifamily units, as well as yard area for all types of multifamily structures, including unlotted multifamily structures, shall be allowed to be included in defining the area used in calculating the net residential density for such uses/dwelling types. Where an unlotted multifamily structure, common courtyard and other open space directly service adjacent multifamily units and yard areas, they shall not be considered common open space.
G. 
Site design. The Board of Supervisors shall determine if these have been met:
(1) 
All buildings and structures shall be designed with due regard to the topography and natural features of the site. The effects of prevailing winds, seasonal temperatures and hours of sunlight on the physical layout and form of the proposed buildings shall be taken into account.
(2) 
All buildings and structures shall be sited so as to enhance privacy and ensure natural light for all principal rooms.
(3) 
Variations in setbacks shall be allowed when necessary to create a more pleasing layout.
(4) 
Buildings, structures and other facilities near the periphery of the planned residential development shall be designed so as to be harmonious with neighboring areas.
(5) 
Planting strips shall be provided along all property lines at the periphery of the development where necessary to protect the privacy of neighboring residents.
(6) 
The natural features of the planned residential development site shall be a major factor in determining the siting of all buildings and structures, and the results of the natural features and open space analysis shall be considered.
(7) 
Conventional siting practices such as building setbacks from streets and minimum distances between buildings should be varied in order to produce attractive and interesting arrangement of buildings.
(8) 
Buildings and structures shall be located and sited so as to promote pedestrian and visual access to common open space wherever possible.
(9) 
Buildings and structures shall be located and arranged so as to promote privacy for residents within the planned residential development and maintain privacy for residents adjacent to the planned residential development. Higher buildings shall be so located within the development so as to have no adverse impact (e.g., excluding natural light or invasion of privacy) on adjacent lower buildings.