In addition to the declaration of legislative intent set forth in §
145-2 of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the specific intent of this article with respect to mobile home development to establish standards of performance and promote the desirable benefits which planned mobile home developments may have upon the community and the residents within them. It is further the intent of this article to ensure the interdependency and compatibility of proposed mobile home developments with essential utilities and surrounding land uses in the Township. It shall further be the intent of this article:
A. To reflect the changes in the technology of home building
and land development so that resulting economies may inure to the
benefit of those who need homes.
B. To further the general welfare by extending greater
opportunities for better and more affordable housing to all present
and prospective residents of Franconia Township.
C. To provide for better quality and greater variety
in type, design and layout of mobile home developments than has been
evident in many mobile home parks in the past by enforcing uniform
standards, desirable design criteria and encouraging innovative site
design approaches.
D. To provide for a diversity in housing types and prices.
E. To encourage mobile home developments that are beneficial
rather than detrimental to property values and the general welfare
of the area in which they are proposed.
Mobile home developments are allowed only as a conditional use in the R-50 Residential District, provided that the tract to be used as a mobile home development meets the criteria specified in §
145-48 of this article. The uses which are permissible in a mobile home development are as follows:
A. Residential uses. A mobile home development may include
mobile homes of single width or multiple width, or both, single-family
detached modular homes, conventionally built single-family detached
homes (including zero-lot-line homes) or any combination thereof,
but shall not include travel trailers or motor homes. No more than
40% of the total number of dwelling units in a mobile home development
may be conventionally built.
[Amended 10-9-1990 by Ord. No. 175]
B. Nothing in this article shall be deemed as prohibiting
the rental, sale or resale of a mobile home located on a mobile home
stand and connected to the pertinent utilities. Similarly, a model
or display area is permissible on a temporary basis, provided that
those models are developed in accordance with all applicable regulations
of this article and other applicable ordinances, and use of the models
for sales or rental promotion ceases when the project is fully developed.
C. Accessory uses.
(1) Accessory uses and structures customarily incidental
to the maintenance, servicing and well-being of mobile home development
residents shall be permitted only as part of an approved development
plan for the site.
(2) Accessory uses on individual mobile home lots, customarily incidental to mobile homes or other dwellings, such as storage sheds, shall be permitted on the individual mobile home lots, provided that the provisions of §§
145-50 and
145-51 and other applicable ordinances are complied with.
(3) Added rooms specifically designed by the mobile home manufacturers for enlargement of mobile homes and other additions architecturally compatible with the unit may be joined onto a mobile home, provided that all requirements of §
145-51 and other applicable ordinances are met.
A mobile home development may be allowed by the Board of Supervisors as a conditional use in the R-50 Residential District only pursuant to the procedure specified in §
145-47and subject to the following standards. The burden of proving
compliance with these standards shall be on the applicant.
A. The tract of land to be developed shall be in one
ownership or shall be the subject of an application filed by the owners
of the entire tract, and it shall be agreed that the tract shall be
developed under single direction and in the manner approved.
B. Any parcel to be used as a mobile home development
must have a minimum tract area of 15 contiguous acres of land.
C. At least 50% of the site must be composed of developable
land, as defined in this chapter.
D. Any site proposed for a mobile home development shall
not be subject to adverse environmental influence, such as swamps,
marshes, garbage or rubbish disposal areas or other potential breeding
places for insects or rodents.
E. Any site proposed for a mobile home development shall
not be subject to any hazard or nuisance, such as excessive noise,
vibration, smoke, toxic matter, radiation, heat, odor or glare, as
defined by the governing body and all appropriate ordinances.
F. The location of all mobile home developments shall
be protected by screening or other appropriate means against any undesirable
off-site views or any adverse influence, such as heavy commercial
or industrial use, heavy traffic or brightly lighted activities from
adjoining streets and areas.
G. Mobile home developments shall not be located directly
abutting conventionally built single-family detached housing of significantly
different value and density than the proposed mobile homes, except
where extensive natural buffering exists and will be retained or can
be created so as to functionally and visually separate the two sites
or where compatible conventionally built homes will be located in
the mobile home development adjacent to the existing residences.
[Amended 10-9-1990 by Ord. No. 175]
H. Any site proposed for a mobile home development shall,
in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors, be easily accessible to
essential community facilities and services, such as employment centers,
shopping centers, schools and police and fire protection and shall
be within one mile by road or pedestrian walkway to existing or planned
convenience commercial facilities. The site should also preferably
be within that same one-mile distance of existing or planned public
transit routes (if available).
I. Every area to be used as a mobile home development
must be served exclusively by the municipal sanitary waste disposal
system and a centralized water supply system, if those facilities
are available, and if each system is found to contain the available
capacity to serve the proposed development; or, alternately, the area
to be used as a mobile home development must, if it cannot connect
to either or both the centralized water supply and municipal sanitary
sewer systems, be served by a common single water supply system serving
all dwelling units and other structures in the development and/or
a common single sanitary sewer system doing likewise, either or both
of which, as applicable, must have the approval of the Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Furthermore, those
on-site facilities must, when constructed, meet the following criteria:
(1) The satellite system shall be designed and constructed
in a manner that will permit adequate connection to the centralized
or public system in the future.
(2) The administrative structure for the satellite system
shall be organized in a manner that will facilitate easy interconnection
of the two systems.
(3) The developer shall be required to show proof that
the satellite system extended to serve the proposed development will
not interfere with any existing sewage disposal system or any existing
water supplies, be they wells for nearby properties or sources of
water for other community systems.
(4) When the centralized or public system reaches the
development site, connection to it shall be mandatory, and the cost
of the eventual interconnection shall be borne by the developer, or
the organization that is set up to own and operate the satellite system.
(5) If, after development occurs, the satellite water
system is deemed to be the cause of interference with existing water
supplies or the satellite sewer system is deemed to be the cause of
any pollution, extension of the centralized or public systems may
be required at that time. The cost of the extension and hookup shall
be borne by the developer or organization owning and operating the
satellite system.
J. Access to public thoroughfares.
(1) Any tract intended for a mobile home development must
have direct access to a feeder-type road (or a road of a higher classification),
as defined by the Township Official Map Summary, which the Township
Board of Supervisors deems capable of accommodating the transport
of mobile home units, upon recommendation of the Township Engineer.
(2) Plans evidencing provision for safe and efficient
ingress and egress to and from the public streets and highways servicing
mobile home developments without causing undue confusion or interference
with the normal traffic flow shall be submitted to the Township Board
of Supervisors and must be approved by the Township Engineer, who
shall make the determination based on the adequacy of the thoroughfare
to carry the additional traffic generated by the mobile home development.
K. The applicant shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors, that he has complied with or will comply with all requirements of Chapter 179 of Title 25, Part 1, Subpart D, Article
II, of the Rules and Regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and with all other pertinent regulations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which are applicable to mobile home parks.
The total number of lots in a mobile home development
shall not exceed a maximum density of four per developable acre. All
area not contained in developable acreage as defined in this chapter
shall be excluded from density calculations.
[Amended 10-9-1990 by Ord. No. 175]
A. The lot size requirements under the R-50 Residential
District may be reduced a maximum of 50%, and the lot width and yard
setbacks may be reduced a maximum of 25%, for lots which will be used
for conventionally built single-family detached homes located within
the mobile home development. The following standards shall apply to
zero-lot-line homes within the mobile home development:
(1) Minimum lot size: 8,000 square feet.
(2) Minimum average lot size: 9,500 square feet.
(3) Minimum lot width: 55 feet.
(4) Minimum front yard: 30 feet.
(5) Minimum side yard: 25 feet, one only.
(6) Minimum rear yard: 20 feet.
B. All other requirements applicable to mobile homes as specified in §
145-51 remain applicable to conventionally built and zero-lot-line single-family homes.
At least 20% of the site area of the mobile
home development must be in common open space as defined herein, no
more than 1/3 of which may be required buffer area.