[Added 12-10-1979 by Ord. No. 210]
A.
Individual mobile homes. Individual mobile homes may be erected on any lot where the use is permitted, provided that compliance is made with zoning requirements, §§ 154-50A and B, 154-52A(3), B(3) and C and 154-54 of this article and all other applicable regulations. Tracts of land may be developed and improved for the purpose of erecting two or more mobile homes, provided that zoning requirements, all requirements of this chapter including those sections referenced above, and other applicable regulations are met. The following regulations of this article apply to mobile home developments, as defined in this chapter.
B.
Mobile home developments. The provisions of this article shall be followed in the construction or alteration of all mobile home developments, as defined in this chapter, planned for tracts of land 15 acres or greater in size in accordance with Article X, Mobile Home Development District, of Chapter 182, Zoning. These regulations are in addition to those set forth in Article X of Chapter 182, Zoning, and other applicable regulations of this chapter, and compliance with all regulations of both chapters is required.
All applications for mobile home developments shall follow the procedures established in § 182-74 of Chapter 182, Zoning. No application for subdivision or land development approval for the construction of a mobile home development will be accepted until the governing body has given conditional use approval pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 182, Zoning.
All regulations of §§ 182-75 through 182-78 of Chapter 182, Zoning, shall be adhered to in mobile home developments. In addition thereto, the following regulations shall apply:
A.
Arrangement of structures and facilities. The tract,
including mobile home stands, patios, other dwellings and structures
and all tract improvements, shall be organized in relation to topography,
the shape of the plot and the shape, size and position of structures
and common facilities. Special attention shall be given to new mobile
home designs and to common appurtenances that are available.
B.
Adaption to tract assets. Each mobile home unit or
other dwelling or structure shall be fitted to the terrain with a
minimum disturbance of the land and a minimum elevation difference
between the floor level of the unit and the ground elevation under
it. Existing trees and shrubs, rock formations, streams, floodplains,
steep slopes and other natural features of the tract shall be preserved
to the maximum extent practical. Favorable views shall be emphasized
by the plan.
C.
Courts and spaces. Groups or clusters of units, so
placed as to create interior spaces and courtyards, shall be incorporated
whenever feasible.
D.
Orientation. Mobile homes are encouraged to be arranged
in a variety of orientations and are strongly encouraged to have many
units with their long sides facing the street rather than their ends,
in order to provide variety and interest. Site layout shall be designed
to ensure that mobile home units are offset to block long uninterrupted
vistas between the units.
E.
Street layout. Gridiron layouts and street patterns
unrelated to the topography of the site are to be avoided.
F.
Roadways.
(1)
Standards. All applicable standards for streets and
roads contained in this chapter, and as subsequently amended, shall
be adhered to for all public roads in and abutting mobile home developments.
In those developments wherein the roads are to be maintained as private
internal roadways owned and maintained by the mobile home park operator
or owned and maintained in common by the residents/owners of the individual
lots, the standards shall be as follows:
(a)
Right-of-way. There shall be an equivalent right-of-way,
as defined herein, reserved along those streets which are designed
to function as feeder or collector roads and which connect major exterior
roadways, form major loops, traverse the development or provide major
or important access to adjacent parcels. No equivalent right-of-way
is required on other roads. On those roads where an equivalent right-of-way
is required, parallel parking may be permitted, but perpendicular
or angle parking is discouraged.
(b)
Pavement. Pavement width of all residential
streets serving as accesses to mobile home lots shall not be less
than 26 feet, except that this may be reduced to less than 20 feet
on a street serving as an access to no more than 20 mobile home lots
where parking is prohibited along the road and off-street visitor
parking is provided in common areas within 300 feet of all dwelling
units at a rate of 0.3 space per mobile home.
(c)
Grades. Gradients on all residential streets
shall not exceed 10%.
(d)
Culs-de-sac. A paved turnaround area with a
minimum radius of 60 feet shall be provided at the closed end of any
cul-de-sac road serving as the sole access to four or more mobile
home lots. No permanently closed cul-de-sac street shall exceed 500
feet in length or serve as the sole access to more than 20 mobile
home lots.
(e)
Other requirements. All other applicable requirements
of this chapter relating to grades, vertical curves, horizontal curves,
tangents between curves, sight distance, construction specifications,
intersection alignment, intersection radius, interconnection of adjacent
parcels and similar regulations shall be adhered to in all mobile
home park developments.
(2)
Access limitations. Mobile home lots may have direct
access only onto minor internal streets. Direct access from a mobile
home lot shall not be permitted onto the street(s) from which the
mobile home development gains primary access.
(3)
Conversions. Any road built as a private road and
later proposed for conversion to a public road shall be brought up
to the applicable standards for public roads prior to being ordained
as a public way, unless this requirement is waived by the governing
body subsequent to determining that compliance with the requirement
would have a negative effect on the mobile home development.
G.
Pedestrian circulation.
(1)
General requirements. All mobile home developments
shall provide safe, convenient, all-season pedestrian walkways of
adequate width for the intended use, durable and convenient to maintain,
between individual mobile homes, mobile home development streets,
all community facilities provided for the residents and off-site pedestrian
traffic generators, such as schools, bus stops, commercial centers,
etc. These pedestrian walkways may parallel vehicular roadways, where
they shall only be required on one side, or they may form a separate
but coordinated system away from streets. Walkways must be provided
wherever pedestrian traffic is concentrated and where school children
congregate, but may be waived elsewhere if the applicant successfully
demonstrates a lack of need.
(2)
Common walk system. Where a common walk system is
provided and maintained between locations, such common walks shall
have a minimum width of four feet. Where these walks parallel roadways,
they shall be separated from the road pavement by a distance of at
least four feet.
(3)
Individual walks. All dwellings shall be connected
to common walks or to streets or to driveways or parking spaces connecting
to a paved street. Such individual walks shall have a minimum width
of two feet.
H.
Parking.
(1)
Spaces required. Two paved off-street parking spaces
shall be provided for each dwelling either on the same lot therewith
or in common parking facilities, provided that parking areas contained
therein are within 150 feet of the mobile home lots for which they
are intended. Parking for any commercial or other nonresidential use
shall follow the requirements otherwise applicable for such uses.
(2)
Common parking areas.
(b)
Required green areas. Ten percent of all common
parking areas on each tract shall be devoted to green areas consisting
mostly of natural vegetation which must be interspersed within the
paved parking areas to channel traffic or divide parking areas. The
green areas required by this section shall not constitute a portion
of any green area or common open space otherwise required by this
chapter or any other ordinance or regulation of the Township. The
exact design and location of the green areas required by this section
shall be indicated on a development or subdivision or other similar
plan and be permanently maintained as such.
I.
Common open space.
(2)
Recreation. Recreation areas and facilities shall be provided to meet the anticipated needs of the residents of the development and as specified in Article XXIII § 182-185B of Chapter 182, Zoning, with reference to single-family detached units. Not less than 25% of the required open space area, exclusive of lands within the required buffers, shall be devoted to recreation. Recreation areas should be of a size, shape and relief that is conducive to active and passive recreation.
J.
Buffers.
(1)
General requirements. Along all exterior property boundary lines except those which abut another mobile home development, there shall be a permanent buffer at least 15 feet in depth, unless this is waived pursuant to Subsection J(4) or (5) below. A screen buffer, as defined herein, shall be provided wherever the mobile home development abuts existing residential uses, with the exception of mid-rise or high-rise structures, and where abutting other types of uses when deemed necessary by the Township governing body to provide sufficient buffering and transition. A softening buffer, as defined herein, shall be provided wherever the mobile home development abuts existing mid-rise or high-rise residential uses; existing commercial, office, industrial and institutional uses; any existing street [as modified by Subsection J(3) below], drive or parking area; or open, not wooded, undeveloped land. An open buffer shall be provided wherever the mobile home development abuts wooded undeveloped land or where more extensive buffers are deemed unnecessary by the governing body.
(2)
Components. The minimum component of each type of
buffer shall be as follows:
(a)
Screen buffer. The primary component of a screen
buffer shall be a row of evergreen trees at a height of not less than
six feet when planted, spaced not more than 10 feet apart on center,
and these trees shall be of such species to attain a height at maturity
of not less than 20 feet. Also required as a secondary component of
the buffer is one of the following: mounding (the use of which is
encouraged), provided that the slopes shall be a maximum of three
to one; visually opaque fencing not greater than six feet in height;
or coniferous shrubbery. Any combination of evergreen trees, coniferous
shrubs, mounding, fencing or other natural vegetation or man-made
materials is allowable, provided that an effective visual screen at
least 15 feet in height above the adjacent ground elevation in the
mobile home development is achieved within a reasonable time. But
whenever only vegetation is used, there shall be at least a double
row of evergreen trees, with the trees in one row offset five feet
from the trees in the other row and the rows at least five feet apart.
(b)
Softening buffer. The primary component of a
softening buffer shall be a row of trees spaced not more than 25 feet
apart on-center, at least 25% of which shall be evergreens. The evergreen
trees shall be at least six feet in height when planted and shall
attain at least 20 feet in height at maturity. Any deciduous trees
shall be at least 1 1/2 inches in caliper and eight feet in height
when planted and shall attain a height of not less than 20 feet at
maturity. These trees shall be interspersed with other allowable components,
including any other type of trees, shrubs, mounding, fencing and/or
similar natural or man-made elements having a visible vertical dimension,
or any combination thereof.
(c)
Open buffers. The open buffer shall as a minimum
consist of grass, ground cover and/or similar vegetative material
and may include trees, shrubs or other natural or man-made landscaping
materials, but it shall be mostly vegetative with minimal paved areas,
if any.
(3)
Street boundaries. Rather than the extensive buffers described in Subsection J(2) above, the use of a single row of deciduous trees at least eight feet in height when planted and at least 20 feet in height at maturity, with a spacing of not more than 40 feet on center, may be provided along all property boundaries which abut a street, wherever necessary for adequate sight distance or where the governing body determines this to be a sufficient buffer to protect the welfare and safety of the community.
(4)
Existing buffers. In cases where an edge(s) of a mobile
home development occurs along natural features which function as buffers,
including but not limited to mature vegetation, significant grade
changes or stream valleys, which are likely to be permanently preserved,
buffering may be waived along that edge(s) upon approval of the governing
body.
(5)
Buffer alternative. Buffers may also be waived by
the governing body where the mobile home development abuts a single-family
residential use, if only detached modular homes or conventionally
built single-family detached dwellings, but not mobile homes, are
constructed within 200 feet of that property boundary.
(6)
Maintenance. All vegetation shall be maintained permanently
and in the event of death or other destruction shall be replaced within
one year by the persons responsible for maintenance when the death
or destruction occurred.
(7)
Buffer landscape plan. A landscaping plan shall be
submitted with the final plans, showing all pertinent information,
including the location, size and species of all individual trees and
shrubs to be preserved or planted or, alternately, the general characteristics
of existing vegetation masses which are to be preserved.
K.
Drainage considerations. The following site drainage
requirements shall apply to all mobile home developments:
(1)
Surface water. The ground surface in all parts of
the development shall be graded and equipped to drain all surface
water in a safe, efficient manner.
[Amended 6-2-2008 by Ord. No. 490]
(2)
Ponds and retention structures. Surface water collectors
and other bodies of standing water capable of breeding mosquitoes
and other insects shall be eliminated or controlled in a manner approved
by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
[Amended 6-2-2008 by Ord. No. 490]
(3)
Wastewater. Wastewater from any plumbing fixture or
sanitary sewer line shall not be deposited upon the ground surface
in any part of a mobile home development or the surrounding properties.
(4)
Erosion and sediment control. All applicable regulations
and permit requirements to prevent accelerated soil erosion and resulting
sedimentation as stipulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection shall be followed by all parties engaged in the establishment
of a mobile home development.
[Amended 6-2-2008 by Ord. No. 490]
L.
Ground cover requirement. Exposed ground surfaces
in all parts of every mobile home development shall be paved or covered
with stone screenings or other solid material or protected with a
vegetative growth that is capable of preventing soil erosion and the
emanation of dust during dry weather. Impervious pavement shall be
kept to a minimum. All ground surfaces shall be appropriately maintained.
M.
Lighting facilities. Lighting facilities shall be
provided as needed and arranged in a manner which will protect the
mobile home development residents, neighboring properties and adjacent
highways from direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind.
Lighting facilities shall be required where deemed necessary by the
governing body for the safety and convenience of the mobile home development
residents and shall be installed by the developer.
A.
Ownership. Common open space and roadways shall be offered for dedication to the Township or their public use assured through easements or other appropriate means in any mobile home development where all lots will be sold or where the Township governing body determines those facilities to be key elements in the open space and/or circulation systems of the Township, in accordance with Township comprehensive planning policies and applicable standards of Article XXIII, § 182-185C, of Chapter 182, Zoning. In all other cases, these and other common elements may be retained in private ownership, or may be owned jointly by the residents of the development in conformance with Article XXIII, § 182-185D, of Chapter 182, Zoning.
B.
Maintenance. Prior to development plan approval, provision acceptable to the Township governing body and Solicitor for the maintenance of all common elements which will not be owned and maintained by a governmental agency shall be established in conformance with Article XXIII, § 182-185D, of Chapter 182, Zoning.
C.
Service building. The structure or structures containing
the management office and other common facilities shall be conveniently
located for the use intended. Consolidation of laundry, recreation,
management and other common facilities in a single building and location
is encouraged if the single location will adequately serve all mobile
home lots.
A.
Water supply.
(2)
Water distribution system. All water piping, fixtures
and other equipment shall be constructed and maintained in accordance
with state and local regulations as well as those of the servicing
utility.
(3)
Individual water-riser pipes and connections: mobile
homes.
(a)
Individual water-riser pipes shall be located
within the confined area of the mobile home stand at a point where
the water connection will approximate a vertical position, thereby
ensuring the shortest water connection possible and decreasing susceptibility
to water pipe freezing.
(b)
The water-riser pipe shall have a minimum inside
diameter consistent with the standards of the servicing public utility
or, in lack thereof, of the Township Engineer and terminate at least
four inches above the ground surface. The water outlet shall be provided
with a cap when a mobile home does not occupy the lot.
(c)
Adequate provisions shall be made to prevent
the freezing of service lines, valves and riser pipes and to protect
risers from the heaving and thawing actions of the ground during freezing
weather. Surface drainage shall be diverted from the location of the
riser pipe.
(4)
Fire protection. All mobile home developments shall
be provided with fire hydrants to meet the specifications of the Middlestates
Department Association of Fire Underwriters. In addition, those hydrants
shall be in sufficient numbers to be within 600 feet of all existing
and proposed mobile homes and other dwellings and structures, measured
by way of accessible streets or common areas.
B.
Sewage disposal.
(2)
Sewer system. All sewer lines shall be located in
trenches of sufficient depth to be free of breakage from traffic or
other movements and shall be separated from the water supply system.
The system shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with
all state and Township regulations, as well as those of the servicing
utility.
(3)
Individual sewer connections: mobile homes.
(a)
Each mobile home stand shall be provided with
a sewer-riser pipe consistent with the standards of the servicing
utility or, in lack thereof, of the Township Engineer. The sewer-riser
pipe shall be so located on each stand that the sewer connection to
the mobile home drain outlet will approximate a vertical position.
(b)
The sewer connection shall have an inside diameter
and slope as required by the servicing utility or, in lack thereof,
by the Township Engineer. All joints shall be watertight.
(c)
All materials used for sewer connections shall
be semirigid, corrosive-resistant, nonabsorbent and durable. The inner
surface shall be smooth.
(d)
Provision shall be made for plugging the sewer-riser
pipe when a mobile home does not occupy the lot. Surface drainage
shall be diverted away from the riser. The rim of the riser pipe shall
extend at least 1/2 inch above ground elevation.
C.
Underground utilities. All electric, natural gas,
telephone and any other utility lines shall be placed underground
in all mobile home developments, and each shall have the necessary
shutoff valves and other safety requirements normally associated with
safe operation; all utility connections shall be appropriately capped
for safety purposes whenever a mobile home stand is not occupied.
A.
Permits required.
(1)
Lots for sale. In those mobile home developments wherein
some or all of the mobile home lots will be sold individually, whether
totally fee simple, fee simple with a homeowners' association, a condominium
or cooperative, no lot to be conveyed shall be developed or a mobile
home or other structure placed or constructed thereon until the subdivision
and/or land development plan has been properly approved and the proper
building and construction permits have been issued for that lot in
accordance with standard procedures for any building activity in Upper
Providence Township. No mobile home or other structure shall be occupied
until a valid occupancy permit has been issued by the Township.
(2)
Lots for lease. In those mobile home developments
wherein some or all of the mobile home lots will be leased, the following
regulations shall apply to the entire development, exclusive of the
lots being sold individually:
(a)
Initial permits. It shall be unlawful for any
person or group to construct, alter, extend or operate a mobile home
development unless and until that person or group obtains:
[1]
A valid permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Resources, in the name of the operator, for a specified
construction, alteration or extension proposed; and
[2]
A valid permit(s) authorizing construction and
initial occupancy, issued by the Upper Providence Township Zoning
Officer in the name of the operator, which shall not be issued until
a copy of the Department of Environmental Resources permit has been
furnished, all permits for water supply and sewage systems shall have
been obtained and all other requirements contained herein have been
complied with and final approval of the application has been granted
by the Board of Supervisors.
(b)
Annual licenses. In addition to the initial
permits, the operator of a mobile home development with lots for lease
shall apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources
and to the Upper Providence Township Zoning Officer on or before the
first day of each year for an annual license to continue operation
of the mobile home park. The Zoning Officer shall issue the annual
license upon satisfactory proof that the park continues to meet the
standards prescribed by state agencies having jurisdiction and the
standards of this article and other applicable Township ordinances.
The license so issued shall be valid for one year from the date of
issuance.
B.
C.
Inspection.
(1)
Upon notification to the licensee, manager or person
in charge of a mobile home development with lots for lease, the Zoning
Officer of Upper Providence Township may inspect a mobile home development
after due notice to determine compliance with this article.
(2)
Upon receipt of the application for annual license
and before issuing such annual license, the Zoning Officer or other
designated representative of Upper Providence Township shall make
an inspection of the mobile home development to determine compliance
with this article and other applicable Township ordinances. The Zoning
Officer or other representative shall thereafter notify the licensee
of any instance of noncompliance and shall not issue the annual license
until the licensee has corrected all such violations.
A.
Mobile home stand. A concrete pad properly graded,
placed and compacted so as to be durable and adequate for the support
of the maximum anticipated loads during all seasons shall be used
for all mobile homes.
B.
Footings and anchoring. Each mobile home shall be
installed and anchored according to the applicable standards of Standard
for the Installation of Mobile Homes (American National Standards
Institute/National Fire Protection Association No. 501A, 1977) and
as may be subsequently amended, prior to the unit being occupied or
used in any other way.
C.
Stability. All mobile homes placed within a mobile
home development shall, prior to occupancy or other use, be affixed
to their mobile home stands in such a way so as to prevent tilting
of the unit. No mobile home shall permanently rest on the wheels used
to transport the unit.
D.
Skirts. All mobile homes placed within a mobile home
development shall, prior to occupancy or other use, have skirts installed
which are designed to complement the appearance of the mobile home
and are coordinated throughout the park.
E.
Hitch. The hitch or tow bar attached to a mobile home
for transport purposes shall be removed and remain removed from the
mobile home when it is placed on its mobile home stand.
