It is the intent of the Public Facilities and
Open Space Overlay District to provide appropriate areas for public
and private parks, open space and recreational, municipal and educational
uses. Specifically, it is the intent of the district to provide:
A.
Suitable areas within the Township to accommodate
publicly owned and operated buildings and facilities.
B.
Suitable areas within the Township to accommodate
public and private educational facilities.
C.
Suitable areas within the Township to accommodate
public parks, recreation areas and open space in order to meet the
open space and recreation needs of the Township.
D.
Regulatory standards which will ensure the compatibility
of adjacent uses and which will preserve and protect environmentally
sensitive open space and recreation areas from incompatible development.
E.
Design and regulatory standards for educational facilities
which will ensure the compatibility of adjacent uses.
The Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay
District shall be an overlay to the existing or hereafter created
underlying districts as shown on the Zoning Map.[1] The following provisions shall also apply to the overlay
district:
A.
The provisions of the Public Facilities and Open Space
Overlay District shall serve as a supplement to the underlying district
provisions.
B.
In the case of a conflict between the provisions or
requirements of the Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay District
and those of any underlying district, the provisions of the Public
Facilities and Open Space Overlay District shall apply.
[Amended 4-18-2013 by Ord. No. 612]
C.
A change in the underlying zoning shall not affect
the classification of any land zoned as the Public Facilities and
Open Space Overlay District.
D.
Whenever the Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay
District is declared inapplicable to any land by administrative or
judicial action or whenever the Township deletes land from the district,
the underlying zoning classification for the subject land shall apply.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Zoning Map is on file in
the Township offices.
The following uses shall be permitted in the
Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay District:
A.
Township buildings and facilities, municipal authority
buildings and facilities, library, emergency services station, community
center for senior citizens, government office or office of an elected
official.
[Amended 4-18-2013 by Ord. No. 612]
B.
Public lands held for conservation and open space
preservation, including open space dedicated to Lower Providence Township
or Montgomery County subject to the following additional requirements:
Open space activities are limited to uses of a primarily passive or
nonintensive nature, including hiking, bicycling, forest preserve,
watershed protection area, bridle trails, fishing, picnicking and
similar uses.
C.
Municipal, county, state and federal parks, including,
but not limited to, Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Evansburg State Park
and Valley Forge National Historical Park, subject to the following
additional requirements: Parks are limited to uses of a nonintensive
nature, including picnic areas, playing fields, hiking, bicycling,
fishing, ice skating, overnight camping, wildlife sanctuary, boating,
playgrounds and tennis.
D.
Elementary schools subject to the following additional
requirements:
(1)
The proposed use shall be served by public water and
sewer facilities.
(2)
No outdoor play areas shall be located closer than
75 feet to any property or street line, and outdoor play areas shall
be fenced and sufficiently screened to protect the neighborhood from
excessive noise and other disturbances. Outdoor play areas include
playgrounds and ball fields for group activity.
The following conditional uses are permitted in the Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay District when authorized by the Board of Supervisors pursuant to the procedural requirements set forth in § 143-201 below:
A.
Concessions on public lands, including refreshment
stands, boat rentals, stables for boarding or renting horses and similar
activities whenever Township regulations are not preempted by another
jurisdiction. Concessions shall be subject to the following additional
requirements:
B.
All other educational institutions and adjunct dormitories
and other uses customarily incidental to an educational institution
shall be subject to the following requirements. Correctional or penal
institutions, and/or licensed day-care centers shall not be considered
as institutions for purposes of this section.
(1)
The proposed use shall be served by public water and
sewer facilities.
(2)
The proposed use shall have direct access to a feeder
or higher classification street according to the adopted ultimate
right-of-way map.
(3)
The proposed site shall not be subject to any hazard
or nuisance such as toxic matter, flooding, excessive noise or odor,
as determined by the Board of Supervisors.
(4)
The proposed site shall not require extensive cut
or fill on the building site.
(5)
No outdoor play areas shall be located closer than
75 feet to any property or street line, and outdoor play areas shall
be fenced and sufficiently screened to protect the neighborhood from
excessive noise and other disturbances. Outdoor play areas include
playgrounds and ball fields for group activity.
The dimensional standards for permitted uses
and conditional uses shall be in compliance with the following table
unless a specific standard is specified elsewhere in this article
for the use:
A.
Minimum lot size: one acre.
[Amended 4-18-2013 by Ord. No. 612]
B.
Minimum lot width at building setback line: 150 feet.
[Amended 4-18-2013 by Ord. No. 612]
C.
Minimum street frontage: 100 feet.
E.
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
F.
Maximum building coverage: 30%.
G.
Maximum impervious coverage: 50%.
H.
Minimum vegetation, trees or landscaping: 30%.
I.
Minimum distance between buildings: 25 feet.
The Board of Supervisors shall determine that the following standards are met, in addition to any requirements listed in § 143-200, prior to granting approval of a conditional use application:
A.
A community impact analysis shall be submitted to
the Township containing the following information for review by the
Township Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors:
(1)
The compatibility of the proposed development with
land uses that are adjacent to the site and consistency with the Lower
Providence Township Comprehensive Plan.
(2)
The impact of the proposed development on sensitive
natural areas, including floodplains, steep slopes, woodlands, waterways,
recreational areas and conservation areas.
(3)
The impact of the development on public utilities,
including sewage disposal, water supply, solid waste disposal, storm
drainage and electrical utilities and the provision of police and
fire protection.
(5)
Documentation of on-site or off-site improvements
proposed to alleviate any projected negative impacts of the development.
B.
The use shall not generate noise, noxious odors, air
pollution or glare or result in pedestrian-vehicular conflict or other
safety hazards to people or property. Outdoor recreation facilities
shall only be permitted where the noise generated by the use will
have a minimal impact on nearby residential uses and where hazards,
such as golf balls in flight, are contained on the site to the maximum
extent possible.
C.
Outdoor storage, waste disposal and loading areas
shall be screened from streets and adjacent uses to preserve the character
of the surrounding area. Such activities shall be located to the rear
of structures. The location and design of parking areas shall be in
harmony with preserving the general appearance and character of the
area.
D.
Applications for conditional uses shall include, as
a minimum, a tentative sketch plan with sufficient data to document
compliance with the standards and criteria of this section. The Board
of Supervisors may request that the applicant submit additional information
to permit the Board to evaluate the impacts of the conditional use.
E.
The applicant shall demonstrate that appropriate measures
can be designed, imposed and enforced which will alleviate any negative
impacts projected as a result of the development.
Any use in the Public Facilities and Open Space
District shall comply with the development standards below:
A.
Traffic and access. The applicant shall demonstrate
to the Township Engineer and the Board of Supervisors that satisfactory
provisions are made to prevent traffic congestion and hazards to the
surrounding area. Provisions shall be made for safe and efficient
ingress and egress to and from the development. The Board of Supervisors
may require a traffic impact study for any use in this district when
they determine, after consulting with the Township Engineer, that
such a study is necessary to demonstrate the adequacy of the access
points and streets for accommodating the traffic generated by the
proposed use. Existing residential areas shall not be infringed upon
by the significant volumes of traffic from the proposed use.
B.
Sewer and water. On-lot sanitary systems shall only
be permitted for uses under 5,000 square feet of gross floor area
if approved by the Board of Supervisors. If the Board of Supervisors
approves an on-site system, the sanitary system must also be approved
by the Township Sewer Enforcement Office (SEO), the Montgomery County
Health Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection (PADEP). If public water is not available and if the demand
is in excess of 500 gallons per day, the applicant shall demonstrate
to the Board of Supervisors that a well on the site will not adversely
affect existing water supply systems in the area.
C.
Neighborhood impact. The impact of the proposed use
on the surrounding properties and neighborhood shall be considered.
The use shall not adversely affect the general welfare or orderly
development of the general neighborhood in which it is proposed. The
scale, form, and appearance of structures and open space should be
compatible with the general character of the residential area. The
applicant is encouraged to present evidence on the need for the proposed
use, including data on the location of other similar uses in the Township
and surrounding areas.
A.
A traffic impact study shall be required for any conditional
use and shall be submitted simultaneously with an application for
any conditional use.
B.
A traffic impact study may be required by the Board
of Supervisors for other uses in the district when the proposed site
is determined to be a congested area by the Board of Supervisors and/or
when a traffic impact study is deemed necessary by the Board of Supervisors
to evaluate the community impact of any proposed development.
C.
Whenever a traffic impact study is required, the preliminary
plan shall be considered incomplete until the required traffic impact
study has been prepared by a professional traffic engineer and submitted
to the Township.
D.
A traffic impact study shall contain the following:
(1)
A study impact area agreed to by the Township Engineer.
(2)
An inventory of site conditions which shall include:
(a)
A sketch plan of the proposed development.
(b)
Existing average daily traffic (ADT) on roads
within the study area. This shall include traffic volumes at peak
highway hours and at peak development generated hours.
(c)
Existing levels of service (A through F) as
defined in the Highway Capacity Manual of the Institute of Transportation
Engineers on roads and intersections within the study area. The level
of service for signalized intersections refers to the average stopped
delay per vehicle during a fifteen-minute analysis period.
(d)
List of pending or proposed development within
a reasonable distance of the development and impacted intersections.
The Township Engineer shall prepare this list.
(e)
Other information requested by the Township
Engineer.
(3)
The impact of the proposed development on the area's
transportation system, which shall include:
(a)
The number of trips generated by the proposed
development (in and out at peak hours).
(b)
This distribution of trips for all area roads
immediately postdevelopment and the future distribution of traffic
five years after development. Note the annual growth rate assumed.
(c)
The estimated average daily traffic on roads
within the study area with the proposed development.
(d)
The levels of service (A through F) as defined
in the Highway Capacity Manual of the Institute of Transportation
Engineers after the anticipated development.
(e)
Documentation of the source(s) of generated
traffic estimates (such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers,
Trip Generation Report).
(f)
Evaluation of the adequacy of the development's
ingress and egress points.
(4)
Documentation of improvements proposed to mitigate
any projected adverse transportation impacts of the proposed development.
This shall include, when warranted, such improvements as road widening,
intersection improvements, acceleration/deceleration lanes, traffic
control devices, signs or other improvements deemed necessary by the
Township Engineer.
All uses within the Public Facilities and Open
Space Overlay District shall be landscaped in accordance with the
following standards:
