In addition to the other provisions of this Part 4, the following standards shall apply to all developments proposed under the Open Space Residential Overlay District of the Township Zoning Ordinance.[1]
The maximum or minimum number of lots may be increased
or decreased, with the approval of the governing body. However, the
applicant must demonstrate that such an alternative plan is more appropriate
for the tract in question and will meet both the general intent and
design standards of this article rather than being intended solely
for economic savings.
Housing units shall abut common open space to the
greatest extent possible or provide direct access to open space for
lots and privacy to individual yard areas.
A meandering, circuitous eight-foot wide paved macadam
walking trail shall be designed and installed within the fifty-foot
open space tract boundary buffer. The paved walking trail shall surround
the entire development in order to provide an active recreation feature
solely for the residents of the development. This walking trail is
not intended for use by other residents throughout the Township.
All properties shall abut the walking trail along
the property line or abut a secondary walking trail that leads to
the primary meandering, circuitous paved walking trail that surrounds
the entire development.
Views of neighborhoods from exterior roads shall be
minimized by the use of changes in topography, existing vegetation
that is preserved and/or additional landscaping, including reforestation.
No building envelope shall contain wetlands, floodplains
or slopes over 25% and all building envelopes shall be set back at
least 20 feet from these sensitive areas unless a greater distance
is required elsewhere in the Township’s Zoning Code.
Active recreation areas, including, but not limited
to, golf courses, playing fields, playgrounds and courts. Such active
recreation areas shall be set back from the tract boundary a minimum
of 100 feet. At a minimum, 15%, or one acre, whichever is greater,
of the required common open space must be usable for active recreation.
Any areas designed for active recreation must be generally level (finished
grade not to exceed 3%), safely accessible to all of the residential
lots in the OSR development and shall be designed in conformance with
the regulations of § 123-140G of the Township’s Subdivision
and Land Development Ordinance. Active recreation areas must have
frontage or direct access from a road within the proposed development.
This requirement for active recreation land may be used to satisfy
the prime recreation land requirements of § 123-140 of the Subdivision
and Land Development Ordinance, provided that the applicant can demonstrate
to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors that the active recreation
land requirements contained above superseded the regulations of §
123-140.
Views of housing units from exterior roads shall be minimized by the use of changes in topography, existing vegetation that is preserved and/or additional landscaping in accordance with the landscape design standards of Article IV, Design Standards, contained within the Township’s SALDO.
No lot in the residential development shall take access
from an exterior road or feeder classification or higher, nor from
any internal road except for a residential street or cul-de-sac as
defined herein.
Off-street parking, signs and landscaping shall comply with the applicable standards of Chapter 143, Zoning, and Chapter 123, Subdivision and Land Development.