[Added 3-20-2006 by Ord. No. 458; amended 5-29-2024 by Ord. No. 605]
In expansion of the community development objectives contained in Article I, § 300-2 of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article with respect to an open space residential community to establish reasonable standards and criteria to permit such a community in appropriate locations within the Township, based upon a specialized set of development regulations appropriate for such a development.
A. 
To allow for the donation of residentially zoned and developable land from a larger parcel in exchange for no benefit or consideration for the sole purpose of maintaining permanent opens space for use by the Township community.
B. 
To provide for such development in areas consistent with the goals of the Township's Comprehensive Plan, which would be compatible with and protect the existing community character.
C. 
To protect the existing vistas into and rural character of large tracts of undeveloped land in the Township.
D. 
To provide for and to preserve open space, stream valleys, agricultural land heritage, tree cover, historic buildings and other natural and man-made amenities.
E. 
To allow for the preservation of extensive areas of open space and/or parkland in portions of the Township where mixed-use development is appropriate.
F. 
To permanently protect areas of open space and parkland from future development and, in so doing, implement the goals and recommendations of the Township's adopted Open Space and Recreation Plan.
An open space residential community is permitted in any zoning district except IO, IO-2, IO-3, M-1, and M-2, provided that the tract proposed for such development meets the criteria specified in § 300-310 of this article. An open space residential community shall be construed to mean a planned development consisting of single-family and mixed-density single-family attached residential use(s) combined with the preservation of extensive areas of open space and/or parkland, along with any appropriate recreational uses and uses incidental to such a development, as hereinafter provided. Uses specifically permitted in an open space residential community shall be the following:
A. 
Single-family detached dwellings.
B. 
Single-family attached dwellings.
C. 
Stacked townhouse - a residential structure contained in one building envelope, containing two dwelling units attached to each other, vertically separated by floor/ceiling assembly and/or horizontally separated by a wall assembly, with either shared or separate ingress points.
D. 
Neighborhood or community park.
E. 
Common open space available to all Township residents.
F. 
Accessory uses on the same lot or premises with and incidental to the other uses permitted in this article. In addition to accessory uses customarily incidental to a dwelling unit, appropriate accessory uses may be permitted in an active use park, including but not limited to uses such as rest rooms, parking for park users and other similar uses, subject to approval by the Township.
G. 
Communications antennas, in accordance with the provisions of § 300-25 of this chapter, mounted on an existing public utility transmission tower, existing building or other existing structure, and communications equipment buildings. Communications towers are permitted only as a conditional use pursuant to § 300-157 herein.
H. 
No-impact home-based businesses in accordance with the standards set forth in § 300-26 herein.
I. 
Home occupations, provided that all of the requirements of § 300-27 shall be met.
The following prerequisites shall be met for each open space residential community:
A. 
Any tract of ground or contiguous group of tracts (tracts may be separated by a street but not by a parcel that is not part of the application) which are the subject of an application for approval as an Open Space Residential Community-2, pursuant to this article, must in the aggregate total 50 acres or greater.
B. 
Any tract of ground or contiguous group of tracts which are the subject of an application as an open space residential community pursuant to this article shall in the aggregate provide a minimum of 250 feet of frontage, measured along the ultimate rights-of-way, on a roadway at the level of "feeder" or higher.
C. 
All proposals for development within this district shall include a fiscal impact statement which must detail the immediate post-construction financial benefit or loss to the Township, school district, and county, that can be expected from the proposed development.
D. 
All proposals shall be accompanied by a traffic impact study prepared in accordance with § 300-438E of this chapter.
Any development proposed under the OSR-2 Open Space Residential Community District-2 shall follow the district regulations under the OSR Open Space Residential Community District, § 300-293 and the specific Master Plan requirements as detailed in § 300-296.
A. 
Density. The maximum density for development pursuant to this Article shall be five units per gross acre. In computing density, the number of units shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number. The applicant's ability to develop the maximum number may be reduced as a result of the choice of dwelling types, lot sizes, physical constraints, or other factors.
B. 
Active adult. At least 25% of the number of dwelling units proposed shall be active adult units occupied by persons 55 years of age or older, and married couples with at least one person over the age of 55.
C. 
Development regulations.
(1) 
General provisions.
(a) 
Minimum gross tract area: 50 acres.
(b) 
Permitted residential uses:
[1] 
Single-family detached.
[2] 
Twins.
[3] 
Townhouses.
[4] 
Stacked townhouses.
(c) 
Minimum primary open space: 25% of tract area.
(d) 
Minimum contiguous primary open space: 30% of minimum primary open space.
(e) 
Minimum perimeter building setbacks:
[1] 
Existing perimeter roads: 60 feet.
[2] 
Other property lines: 50 feet.
(f) 
Minimum parking ratio:
[1] 
2.0 spaces per DU on-lot.
[2] 
+ 0.25 spaces common guest on-street parking.
(g) 
Maximum tract wide impervious coverage: 60%.
(h) 
Maximum tract wide building coverage: 40%.
(2) 
Area and bulk standards.
Single-Family Dwelling
Single-Family Dwelling
Townhouse
Townhouse
Stacked Townhouse
Front Access
Rear Access
Front Access
Rear Access
Min. lot size
5,000 SF
4,500 SF
1,600 SF
1,200 SF
1,800 SF
Min. lot width
50 ft
50 ft
20 ft
20 ft
22 ft
Min. front yard
20 ft
15 ft
20 ft
10 ft
10 ft
Min. front yard facing Side of Building
15 ft
15 ft
15 ft
10 ft
10 ft
Min. side yard
5 ft
5 ft
5 ft
5 ft
5 ft
Min. aggregate side yard
15 ft
15 ft
15 ft
15 ft
15 ft
Min. rear yard
20 ft
10 ft
20 ft
10 ft
10 ft
Min. building separations
15 ft
15 ft
15 ft
15 ft
15 ft
Max. building height
2.5 stories 35 ft
2.5 stories 35 ft
3.5 stories 48 ft
3.5 stories 48 ft
4.0 stories 50 ft
Max. building length
1 DU
1 DU
6 DU
6 DU
6 modules*
Max. building coverage
50%
50%
60%
60%
Note:
*
Each module equals 2 DU
D. 
Additional development regulations. The following additional regulation(s) shall be applicable to an open space residential community, in recognition of the unique type of development which it represents.
(1) 
Belgian block curb may be installed on private interior roads, in lieu of the concrete curbing required in Chapter 270 of the Township Code, Subdivision and Land Development, subject to specifications approved by the Township Engineer.
(2) 
Secured or "gated" road entrances to the development are permitted.
(3) 
Private cul-de-sac or courtyards may be permitted which exceed the maximum permitted length as stipulated in Chapter 270 of this Code as long as emergency access, as may be required by the Township, is provided.
(4) 
Sidewalks, as normally installed in conformance with the requirements of Chapter 270 of the Township Code, may be eliminated in portions of the community when they are replaced with a pedestrian walkway system, based upon approval by the Township.
(5) 
Minimum street centerline radius is 50 feet.
(6) 
Cartways shall be 34 feet wide.
(7) 
Rights-of-way shall be 50 feet wide.
(8) 
Residential rear access lanes are permitted and must have a minimum eighteen-foot-wide cartway and a minimum twenty-foot-wide right-of-way.
Landscaping throughout the community shall be planned in accordance with the following guidelines:
A. 
Shade trees shall be installed along all public and private streets, in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 270, Subdivision and Land Development, of the Code of the Township, § 270-69C. However, if it is more appropriate, based upon the site design proposed, some or all of these trees may be redistributed elsewhere throughout the community, with the approval of the Township.
B. 
Based upon review of the submitted landscape plan, the Township may require landscaping in addition to those minimal requirements herein where unusual field conditions exist or if circumstances arise which were not contemplated by this article. Further, credit shall be given for existing trees and shrubbery which will remain as part of a development.
C. 
General buffering requirements. General buffer requirements shall be followed, as stipulated in this section; specifications for the various buffer types listed herein shall be as stipulated in Chapter 270, Subdivision and Land Development, § 270-68D. In those instances in which berms are not required, they may be used as a substitute for some of the plant material in a specific buffer situation, if the Township concurs in its review of the landscape plan that the beans equal or exceed the buffering qualities necessary in that specific buffer situation. Buffers shall be installed in those situations as prescribed herein unless berms are permitted by the Township as substitutions.
(1) 
Buffers for dwelling units:
(a) 
Between a dwelling unit and an existing frontage roadway: Buffer Type 3 required.
(b) 
Between a dwelling unit and an abutting, off-site residential use or district: Buffer Type 2 required.
(c) 
Between a dwelling unit and an abutting, off-site nonresidential use or district: Buffer Type 3 required.
(d) 
Between a dwelling unit and parking areas for residential units: Buffer Type 1 required.
(e) 
Between a dwelling unit and parking area serving a nonresidential use: Buffer Type 2A required.
(f) 
Between a dwelling unit and any other permitted building within the age-restricted development: Buffer Type 2 required.
(g) 
Between a dwelling unit and an outdoor recreational facility associated with the development, but not housed in a building: Buffer Type I required.
(h) 
Between two dwelling unit groupings of single-family attached units within the OSR-2 residential community: Buffer Type I required.
(i) 
Between a grouping of single-family attached and single-family detached dwelling lots within the OSR-2 residential community: Buffer Type 2 required.