[Added 1-16-2006 by Ord. No. 335]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Art. XXIX, Office Campus
Overlay District, added 12-12-1994 by Ord. No. 214, was repealed 11-21-2005
by Ord. No. 336.
[Amended 6-17-2008 by Ord. No. 347]
A.
This article is enacted for the purpose of promoting
health, safety and welfare of the Township in accordance with the
goals and objectives of the Joint Municipal Comprehensive Plan. It
is designed to preserve the rural atmosphere of the Township, to lessen
congestion on the roads and highways, to prevent overcrowding of the
land, to provide adequate light and air, and to encourage the most
appropriate use of the land in the Township.
B.
The intent of this district is to provide the opportunity
for low-density single-family development while at the same time preserving
as open space an amount of land approximately equal to the amount
of land being developed. The density is one single-family residence
per two developable acres and the lot size is 35,000 square feet to
40,000 square feet; the difference between the two, approximately
one acre per new single-family residence goes into open space. The
intent is to have a minimum open space ratio of 40%, excluding any
lots for existing uses based on the tract area.
[Amended 1-20-2020 by Ord. No. 409]
C.
A large parcel may be completely developed under the
smaller lot regulations in the conditional use process, or it may
be partially developed with the smaller lots leaving the balance developed
(or governed) by the by-right provisions. There are also regulations
for dividing off up to two individual lots from a parcel in excess
of 10 acres.
D.
The standards of the RR District will allow future
residential development to occur in a manner that protects the existing
agricultural lands, woodlands and open space, as well as other important
rural environmental resources by maintaining a consistently low level
of intensity of development in the area.
E.
The open space may be considered a separate public or private permanent
open space parcel deed restricted from further subdivision or from
being separately sold, or it may be accomplished via a conservation
easement over a parcel in a form approved by the Township Solicitor.
[Added 1-20-2020 by Ord.
No. 409]
F.
The intent of the open space requirement is to provide contiguous,
usable open space and to avoid noncontiguous, unusable open space
areas. Narrow strips of open space should be avoided where possible
and efforts shall be taken to provide open space areas adjacent to
other open space areas. For areas where open space can be provided,
but logistically the areas do not provide a public or community benefit,
the open space areas may be preserved via a conservation easement.
[Added 1-20-2020 by Ord.
No. 409]
[Amended 7-8-2015 by Ord.
No. 383; 11-19-2018 by Ord. No. 400]
In the RR Rural Resource Residential District, the following regulations shall apply. For those properties in the RR Rural Resource Residential District that became nonconforming as to lot size by the creation of the RR Rural Resource Residential District on January 16, 2006, the dimensional requirements of the R-175 Residential District as stated in § 145-31 shall apply.
[Amended 7-8-2015 by Ord.
No. 383]
A building may be erected, altered and used, and a lot may be
used and occupied, for any of the following purposes and no other:
A building may be erected, altered and used,
and a lot may be used and occupied for any of the following purposes
and no other:
A.
One single-family detached dwelling.
[Added 6-17-2008 by Ord. No. 347]
Special exception uses are as follows:
A.
Lot area. A lot area of not less than four acres shall
be provided for every use or building erected thereon.
B.
Lot width. A lot width of not less than 200 feet shall
be provided at the building setback line for every use or building
erected thereon.
C.
Front yard. There shall be a front yard on every lot
which shall be not less than 100 feet in depth.
D.
Side yards. There shall be two side yards on every
lot, each of which shall be not less than 75 feet in width.
E.
Rear yards. There shall be a rear yard on every lot
which shall not be less than 100 feet in depth.
F.
Corner lots. There shall be a front yard on every
street frontage and all remaining yards shall be treated as rear yards.
G.
Accessory buildings or structures shall be subject to the dimensional restrictions cited in § 145-18.
[Amended 7-8-2015 by Ord.
No. 383]
H.
Building coverage. The maximum building coverage on
a lot shall be 5%.
I.
Impervious coverage. The maximum impervious coverage
on a lot shall be 10%.
J.
Height restrictions. The maximum height for buildings
or structures erected or enlarged in the RR District shall be 65 feet,
not exceeding three stories.
A.
Lot area. A lot area of not less than 35,000 square feet, nor more than 40,000 square feet, shall be provided for every principal building erected or used, unless the intent for the lot is to meet the minimum lot area requirement of a flag lot per § 145-28.6 of this chapter.
[Amended 1-20-2020 by Ord. No. 409]
B.
Lot width. A lot width of not less than 150 feet shall
be provided at the building line for every principal building erected
or used.
C.
Front yard. There shall be a front yard on every lot
which shall not be less than 50 feet in depth.
D.
Side yards. There shall be two side yards on every
lot, each of which shall not be less than 35 feet in width.
E.
Rear yard. There shall be a rear yard on every lot
which shall not be less than 40 feet in depth.
F.
Corner lots. There shall be a front yard on every
street frontage and all remaining yards shall be treated as rear yards
with respect to the required setback distance.
G.
Accessory structures. A structure accessory to a single-family
detached dwelling may be located 10 feet from the side and rear property
lines, provided it is 10 feet behind the rear-most portion of the
principal building.
H.
Density regulation. There shall be a maximum density
of one dwelling unit per two developable acres.
I.
Building coverage. The maximum building coverage shall
be 15%.
J.
Impervious coverage. The maximum impervious coverage
shall be 35%.
K.
Height regulations. The maximum height for buildings
and structures erected or enlarged in the RR District shall be 40
feet not exceeding three stories for all dwellings and for all building
accessory to a single-family detached dwelling outside the base building
envelope: 14 feet, not exceeding 1 1/2 stories.
A.
Common open space in the RR District shall be designed
in accordance with the following standards and shall consist of all
of the undevelopable land and the developable land not lotted out,
used to provide interior road network, or used for stormwater detention.
(1)
Common open space shall preserve and enhance the natural
environmental features of the sites.
(2)
Common open space shall incorporate planted and maintained
vegetation, which shall contain a pedestrian trail system that includes
provision for school bus pickup and dropoff.
(3)
Common open space areas shall be designed as a continuous
system of open space and shall be interconnected with open space areas
on abutting parcels whenever possible.
(4)
Common open space shall not be narrow strips of land
except when used specifically as a connector element.
(5)
Common open space shall be provided with safe and
convenient access to the residentially developed area of the tract.
Common open space shall contain all appropriate access improvements
and shall be provided with perimeter parking areas as appropriate.
(6)
Detention basins and on-lot sewage treatment facilities
shall not be located in the common open space.
(7)
Common open space shall be so designated on the plans,
and the record plan shall contain a notation stating "Common open
space shall not be separately sold and shall not be further developed
or subdivided."
B.
Provision for ownership and maintenance of the common
open space shall be made in a manner so as to ensure its preservation.
To that end, the Township may accept dedication of the common open
space or any interest therein for public use and maintenance, but
the Township need not require that the common open space be dedicated
nor accept a dedication of the common open space if offered. The developer
shall provide for and establish an organization for the ownership
and maintenance of the common open space consistent with the requirements
for such organizations and maintenance found in the Pennsylvania Uniform
Condominium Act, 68 Pa. C.S.A. § 3101 et seq. If such an
organization is created, the deed for the common open space and for
all individual lots within the tract shall contain the following requirements
in language acceptable to the Township Solicitor.
(1)
Such organization shall not dispose of the common
open space by sale or otherwise except to the Township or other governmental
body unless the Township has given prior approval. Such transfer shall
be made only to another organization, which shall maintain the common
open space in accordance with the provision of this chapter.
(2)
The organization and all lot owners within the development
shall agree to be bound by the provisions of Section 705(d)(2) and
(3) of the Municipalities Planning Code, Act of July 31, 1968, P.L.
805, No. 247, as amended, 53 P.S. § l0705(d)(2) and (3),
relating to township maintenance of deteriorating open space and providing
for the ability of the township to assess and lien the properties
within the development.
(3)
All lot owners shall be required to become members
of the organization and pay assessments for the maintenance of the
common open space.
(4)
The Township may require the formation of a reserve
fund to cover capital improvements to the common space.
A.
Additional standards for conditional uses. In granting
or denying a conditional use or establishing conditions with respect
to such grants, the following standards shall be applied unless deemed
unnecessary by the Board of Supervisors. The burden of establishing
compliance with all of the hereinafter enumerated standards shall
be upon the applicant.
[Amended 1-20-2020 by Ord. No. 409]
(1)
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence
that the proposed use shall not be contrary to the public health,
safety and welfare of the community.
(2)
The applicant shall establish by a traffic study prepared
by a traffic engineer that the capacity of the road network providing
access to the premises in question, when the incremental increase
in traffic attributable to the proposed use is superimposed upon the
existing use of the road network, shall not result in a level of service
of the roads or any portions thereof below level of service "C". (Highway
Capacity Manual, Highway Research Board, 1965, as revised.)
(3)
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence
that the interior traffic circulation for the proposed use at the
proposed location, including but not limited to acceleration and deceleration
lanes where required at the proposed entrances to the location, shall
be adequate to provide safe convenient circulation for users of the
facility, visitors to the facility, employees of the facility and
all emergency vehicles that may require entrance thereon.
(4)
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence
that the facility provides safe and convenient pedestrian access and
internal circulation within the grounds of the facility and particularly
for points of access from the facility to the parking areas.
(5)
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence
the adequacy of sanitary sewer facilities for the proposed uses.
(6)
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence
the adequacy of potable water facilities for the proposed uses.
(7)
The applicant shall establish by credible evidence
conformance, to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors, with
the open space criteria and regulations contained herein.
[Added 6-17-2008 by Ord. No. 347]
These regulations shall apply to any property
in single and separate ownership at the time of passage of this ordinance,[1] 2007, provided the lot area of the parcel is in excess
of 10 acres.
A.
The creation of a single-family building lot shall be permitted by right in accordance with the dimensional regulations of § 145-204 with the exception of lot area; the minimum lot area shall be 70,000 square feet and the maximum lot area shall be two acres.
B.
The original parcel shall be used for agricultural
or single-family residential purposes only.
C.
The creation of a new separate parcel shall occur
a maximum of two times for each original qualifying property.
[1]
Editor's Note: "This ordinance" refers to
Ord. No. 347.
