[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
To provide adequate open spaces, recreational lands and recreational facilities to serve new inhabitants of new developments, for both active and passive recreation, and to recognize and implement the Smithfield Township Comprehensive Plan.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
1. 
This Section shall apply to any subdivision for which a preliminary plan or a combined preliminary/final plan and any land development for which a plan is submitted after the enactment date of this amendment.
A. 
In conformance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, this Section requires the public dedication of land suitable for park land, noncommercial recreational uses, preserved open space, and the construction of recreational facilities. Upon agreement of the Board of Supervisors, any of the following alternatives may be approved by the Board of Supervisors in lieu of public dedication of land, as specified in this Section:
(1) 
Payment of recreation fees.
(2) 
Construction of recreation facilities.
(3) 
Dedication of recreation land or preserved open space to the Township or its designee.
(4) 
A combination of these alternatives.
B. 
This Section shall not apply to plans that the Board of Supervisors determines only involve adjustments or corrections to an approved preliminary plan or a preliminary plan that was before the Township for consideration as of the date of the adoption of this Section, provided the adjustments do not increase the number of proposed dwelling units.
C. 
The applicant/developer shall submit the following with the subdivision or land development plan:
(1) 
A description of the anticipated population characteristics of the future occupants of the development, such as likely age groups.
(2) 
The method by which the applicant/developer wishes to comply with the requirements of this Section.
D. 
The preliminary and final plans shall contain a sheet depicting the land proposed for use in meeting common open space requirements, or a note stating that the applicant/developer proposes to pay fees in-lieu of land. The plan shall also describe any improvements or facilities that the applicant/developer proposes to make to the land.
E. 
The proposal for common open space, installation of recreation facilities and/or fees shall be offered for review by the Planning Commission and the Smithfield Township Park and Recreation Committee or regional equivalent. The Board of Supervisors may require changes to the proposal for common open space and/or fees in compliance with this Section. If an applicant/developer does not prove compliance with this Section, or refuses to dedicate common open space where the Board of Supervisors does not agree to fees-in-lieu of land dedication, the Board of Supervisors shall have grounds to deny approval of the submission.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
1. 
Any fees collected under this Section shall be placed within an interest-bearing account and shall be accounted for separately from other Township funds. Such account shall be controlled by the Township, and its interest shall become funds in that account.
2. 
To ensure that the lands and facilities are accessible to the inhabitants of the developments that paid fees towards their cost, such fees shall only be used within a five mile radius of the boundaries of the subdivision or land development that paid the fees, unless the Board of Supervisors determines that a proposed improvement is regional in nature and would clearly serve the entire population of the Township. In addition, the Township may commit fees to public recreation areas in adjacent Townships or Boroughs that would be intended to serve the inhabitants of the development where the fees originated.
3. 
Such fees shall only be used for the following: acquisition of public open space, development of public recreational facilities, landscaping of public open spaces and closely related engineering and design work.
4. 
Unless the Township identifies fees for a different set of facilities or recreation area, priority shall be given to the further development of the existing Township recreation facilities.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
1. 
Any subdivision or land development regulated under this Section shall be required to dedicate the specified amount of common open space, unless the payment of recreation fees in lieu of land is approved by the Board of Supervisors.
A. 
Development of five or fewer dwelling units, that do not include land that is adjacent to existing publicly owned land, shall be required to pay a recreation and open space fee in lieu of dedicating land and/or constructing recreation improvements.
B. 
The land and fee requirements of this Section shall be based upon the number of new dwelling units that would be permitted on the lots of a subdivision or land development after approval.
C. 
Prime Open Space. For the purposes of this Section, the term “prime open space” shall mean land proposed to be dedicated as common open space that would meet all of the following standards:
(1) 
Less than 6% slope.
(2) 
Not a “wetland” under Federal and/or State regulations.
(3) 
Be part of a contiguous tract of at least two acres (which may include existing adjacent common open space).
(4) 
Not be within the 100-year floodplain as defined by official floodplain maps of the Township, as prepared by FEMA.
D. 
Residential - Amount of Common Open Space. If a residential subdivision or land development is required to dedicate common open space, the following amounts for each permitted new dwelling unit shall be required, unless revised by resolution of the Board of Supervisors:
Percentage of Total Required Common Open Space That Would Meet the Definition of “Prime Open Space.”
Minimum Required Common Open Space Per Permitted Dwelling Unit
0% to 25.0%
5,200 square feet
25.1% to 75.0%
2,600 square feet
75.1% to 100%
1,300 square feet
E. 
Nonresidential - Amount of Common Open Space. If a nonresidential subdivision or land development is required to dedicate common open space, the following amounts of common open space shall be required, unless revised by resolution of the Board of Supervisors:
Percentage of Total Required Common Open Space That Would Meet the Definition of “Prime Open Space.”
Minimum Required of Development Tract Required to Be Dedicated as Common Open Space
0% to 25.0%
6%
25.1% to 75.0%
4%
75.1% to 100%
3%
F. 
Other Ordinances. Any required land dedication or fees under this Section shall be in addition to any land dedication or improvement requirements of any other Township ordinance.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
If it is determined that a proposed subdivision or land development is required to pay fees-in-lieu of dedicating open space, this fee shall be as established by the Township Fee Schedule, which may be updated by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. The fee is based upon the fair market value of comparable undeveloped land, as reflected in the Township Fee Schedule.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
1. 
Decision on Land vs. Fees. The Township reserves the right to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether dedication of land or the payment of an in-lieu fee is preferable. If the applicant/developer does not propose dedicating common open space that meets the Township requirements or if the Board of Supervisors and applicant/developer agree to the payment of fees, then the payment of recreation fees shall be required instead of land dedication. It is desirable to reach a tentative agreement on whether land or fees shall be required at the sketch plan stage, although the formal decision shall be made during the review of the first official plan submittal. The Township should, at a minimum, consider the following in this decision:
A. 
Whether the land in that location would serve a valid public purpose.
B. 
Whether there is potential to make a desirable addition to an existing public or School District recreation area.
C. 
Whether the proposed land would meet the objectives and requirements of this Section and any relevant policies of the Township Comprehensive Plan or the Smithfield Area Regional Open Space and Recreation Plan or equivalent plan.
D. 
Whether the area surrounding the proposed development has sufficient existing recreation and open space land, and whether it is possible for pedestrians and bicyclists to reach those lands.
E. 
Any recommendations that may be received from the Planning Commission, the Township Engineer, any regional Open Space Committee, the Smithfield Township Environmental Advisory Council, the local School Board or School District staff, and the Township Parks and Recreation Committee, if any.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
1. 
Suitability. Land required to be dedicated shall be suitable for its intended purpose, in the determination of the Board of Supervisors. The applicant/developer shall state what improvements, if any, are intended to be made to the land to make it suitable for its intended purpose, such as grading, landscaping or development of trails.
A. 
Such land shall be free of construction debris at the time of dedication.
B. 
Lands intended for active recreation shall be well drained, less than 6% slope, and free of wetlands.
C. 
To the maximum extent feasible, common open space shall be linked with existing or future open space in the vicinity.
D. 
To the maximum extent feasible, common open space shall be linked with homes within the development by paths, trails or easements.
E. 
Recreation facilities shall be designed to meet applicable regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
F. 
On areas that are not intended for active recreation, where existing attractive natural vegetation does not exist and/or will not be retained, the applicant/developer shall plant trees and shrubs on the common open space according to a landscaping plan submitted with the final plan.
G. 
Common open space shall meet the definition of “open space, common” hereunder.
H. 
An applicant/developer shall not be permitted to dedicate an amount of common open space that is too small to be useful for recreation, even in combination with recreation fees.
2. 
Ownership. Required common open space shall be dedicated to the Township, unless the Board of Supervisors agrees to accept a dedication to any of the following: the School District, Monroe County, the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, a single property owner in the case of agricultural land, or an environmental organization acceptable to the Board of Supervisors. In the case of a rental development, the Township may permit the common open space to be retained by the owner of the adjacent buildings.
A. 
If required common open space is to be owned by a homeowner’s association, the applicant/developer shall be required to establish such association in a form that requires all property owners within the development to annually contribute to the maintenance of the common open space.
B. 
Any homeowner’s association agreements regarding required common open space shall be subject to acceptance by the Board of Supervisors, based upon review by the Township Solicitor. The provisions of Section 705(f) of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code should serve as a model for such agreement.
C. 
Where another form of ownership is not practical, the Board of Supervisors may permit the required open space to be added onto a privately owned lot, provided a permanent conservation easement protects the open space from development.
D. 
The Board of Supervisors may require that the required common open space be dedicated to the Township, as opposed to a private entity. The Board of Supervisors shall not be required to accept dedication of any open space.
3. 
Deed Restrictions/Conservation Easement. Common open space shall be protected from future development and subdivision by a permanent conservation easement or deed restriction enforceable by the Board of Supervisors. Such restriction may also be enforceable by other parties. Such restrictions shall prohibit the construction of any buildings, except buildings for noncommercial recreation or that are necessary to support maintenance of the open space.
4. 
Priority shall be given to dedication of land that would be suitable for:
A. 
Additions to existing public schools and public parks, or,
B. 
The preservation of woods, steep slopes or other important natural features or land along a creek or river, or,
C. 
That would be suitable for centralized active recreation, or,
D. 
Connect to open space areas through common open space (Greenway land), or,
E. 
Serve as passive recreation for hiking and related activities.
5. 
Land that is not suitable for active or passive recreation shall not meet the requirements of this Section, including areas within a stormwater detention basin that are not suitable for recreation. Portions intended for active recreation shall be well drained, of less than 4% average finished slope, and not require filling in of a wetland for use.
6. 
Access and Contiguousness. Common open space within a subdivision or land development shall be contiguous, except as may be specifically exempted by the Board of Supervisors, and shall have adequate access for maintenance and for use by pedestrians. If open space is limited to residents of a development, the Township may still require that a defined trail easement be open to all pedestrians.
7. 
Lands Close to Buildings. For the purpose of this Section, no land shall be used to meet the minimum common open space requirements of this Section if such land is within:
A. 
Twenty feet of any building (other than a noncommercial recreation building).
B. 
Includes vehicle parking areas (other than parking areas specifically developed to only serve the common open space for noncommercial recreation).
8. 
Sewage Facilities in Common Open Space. Areas used for sewage treatment and disposal, including wetlands and spray irrigation fields, shall not count toward required open space, unless specifically approved otherwise by the Board of Supervisors.
9. 
Wells. Wells may be located in common open space. Adequate easements shall be established to clarify rights and responsibilities.
10. 
Residual Lands. If only a portion of a larger tract of land is currently proposed to be subdivided, or the applicant/developer owns one or more adjacent tracts that are not currently proposed to be subdivided, the applicant/developer shall provide a sketch of a possible future land dedication on these adjacent lands in case they would be developed in the future.
11. 
Coordination with Future Adjacent Dedication. The Board of Supervisors may require that a required land dedication within a property currently being subdivided be placed along an edge of the property so that it may, in the future, be combined with an open space dedication on the edge of an adjoining property when that adjoining property is subdivided or developed.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
Upon mutual agreement of the Board of Supervisors and the applicant/developer, the Township may accept a combination of common open space and fees-in-lieu of land to meet the requirements of this Section for a subdivision or land development. For a residential development, this combination shall be based upon the common open space requirement applying for a certain number of dwelling units and the fees-in-lieu of land requirement applying for the remaining number of dwelling units. An applicant/developer shall not be permitted to dedicate an amount of common open space that is too small to be useful for recreation, even in combination with recreation fees.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
1. 
Fees required by this Section for all of the dwelling units shall be paid prior to the recording of the final plan, except as follows:
A. 
If the required fee would be greater than $2,000, and the applicant/developer and the Township mutually agree to provisions in a binding development agreement to require the payment of all applicable recreation fees prior to the issuance of any building permits within each clearly defined phase or sub-phase of the development, then fees are not required to be paid prior to recording of the final plan but may instead be paid within the requirements of that development agreement. For example, the development agreement may state that the fees from lots one through five must be paid before any building permits may be issued for lots one through five.
B. 
If the applicant/developer agrees to pay such fees in installments, then all such fees shall not be considered to be “paid” for the purposes of any applicable time limitations for utilization under the Municipalities Planning Code until all such fees are paid in full, including all installments and phases.
[Ord. 208, 9/25/2012]
An applicant/developer may seek a modification of the requirements of this Section under the procedures of § 22-1601 by offering to construct substantial permanent recreation facilities within the proposed subdivision or land development or on nearby public open space, if the applicant/developer clearly proves to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors that those facilities will be approximately equal in market value to the land or fees that would otherwise be required.