To recognize the need for the expansion of housing opportunities and particularly the growing housing needs of older members of the population.

To recognize that less community facilities and services impacts of elder communities and their lower average household size can justify a higher density of development.

To encourage the development of planned communities that offer a mix of housing and nonresidential commercial retail and service uses, designed to serve the planned community, in order to reduce the need to travel off-site.

To encourage innovative residential community site design that meets the demand for varying dwelling unit types and provides for the recreational and open space needs of the community's residents.

To encourage more flexible site design standards that will provide for the protection of the Township's environmental resources and the preservation of its character.

To encourage the most efficient use of Township's land and infrastructure resources.

An active adult community shall be permitted only as follows:

An active adult community development shall meet all requirements of this chapter except for those provisions specifically modified by this Article XVI.

Residents of an active adult community development shall be limited to households including at least one permanent resident age 55 years or older, and shall prohibit occupancy by any person age 18 or younger. A person age 18 or younger may, however, reside in a dwelling unit in an active adult community on a temporary basis for no more than 120 days in any calendar year. Members of a household that met the residency requirements at initial occupancy shall not be required to terminate occupancy in the event of death, divorce, placement in a nursing home or similar circumstance of the resident age 55 or older.

An active adult community shall be designed as a private community. No decision of public roads will be permitted and other services such as, but not limited to, snow removal and trash removal shall not be the responsibility of the Township. All taxes, sewer and water rates shall be levied at the same rate as all other residents.

Single-family detached dwelling units.

Single-family attached dwelling units.

Single-family semidetached dwelling units.

Multifamily semidetached dwelling units.

Residential care facilities.

Indoor and outdoor recreational facilities.

Community center.

Accessory uses, accessory only to the overall active adult community and customarily incidental to such communities, including administrative offices and maintenance and security facilities for the management of the active adult community, community swimming pools, hot tubs, decks, uncovered landings, porches, patios, off-street parking and accessory utility facilities.

Other uses may be permitted, only if approved by the Board of Supervisors, on tracts of land in excess of 200 acres.

Density. The maximum gross density of an active adult community shall not exceed three dwelling units per acre. Gross density shall be calculated on the entire tract excepting existing public rights-of-way.

Open space. A minimum of 50% of the tract, exclusive of public rights-of-way, shall be set aside as common open space. No land area less than 20 feet in width may be included in the calculation of open space.

No principal structure, accessory structure, excepting communications towers and utilities structures, or parking lot in an active adult community shall be located less than 75 feet from a tract boundary, nor shall a vehicular access drive, exclusive of ingress and egress facilities, communications towers and utilities structures be located less than 50 feet from a tract boundary. In instances of single-family detached and semidetached dwelling units in an active adult community abutting existing single-family detached developments, the setback of a principal structure may be reduced to 50 feet. When a tract boundary abuts permanently protected open space, the setback of a principal structure may be reduced to 50 feet. The seventy-five-foot setback shall, however, be maintained in all instances of a tract boundary abutting a public road right-of-way. The area created by the setbacks shall constitute the required buffer yard.

An active adult community shall contain a mix of at least three types of the permitted dwelling units: single-family detached, single-family semidetached, single-family attached and multifamily. The multifamily units shall only be used to provide for assisted-living accommodations, however, may be used for independent living units.

No group of attached dwelling units shall exceed six dwelling units and no more than two adjoining dwelling units shall have the same front and rear facade, each variation in facade being, at a minimum, four feet.

An active adult community shall have direct access to a public arterial or collector road and a minimum of 400 feet of frontage on at least one of the roads the tract may abut.

An all-weather surface pedestrian circulation system, interconnecting dwelling units, service areas, common facilities, recreational facilities, and parking areas, shall be provided and shall be a minimum of four feet in width.

The minimum paved roadway in an active adult community for streets serving less than 12 dwelling units shall be 20 feet, and 24 feet for all other roads; in instances of one-way roads, the minimum road width shall be 14 feet.

The following are the required minimum lot area and dimensional requirements in an active adult community:

The minimum required off-street parking for single-family detached, semidetached and attached dwelling units shall be two spaces that may be provided in a garage. At least one of the required spaces must be located behind the front yard setback.

The minimum required off-street parking for multifamily dwelling units shall be 1.5 spaces.

The minimum required off-street parking for all other uses in an active adult community shall be one space for each 200 square feet of floor area.

Parking areas for 20 vehicles or more shall be screened from adjacent structures and roadways by hedges, planting screens, landscaped berms, walls, solid fences or changes in grade.

No more than 15 parking spaces shall be permitted in a continuous row without being interrupted by a landscaped island.

Landscaping

Exterior lighting.

The common open space shall be designed as a predominantly contiguous area, to preserve the natural features of the tract and to be readily accessible to the residents of an active adult community.

A minimum of 25% of the open space shall be unconstrained developable land that is not wetland, floodplain nor steep slopes.

Structures in open space areas shall be limited to only those related to recreational or open space uses and, when necessary, utility and stormwater management facilities. Recreational and open space structures may include picnic pavilions, paved court game surfaces and facilities, facilities associated with golf courses, swimming pools, hot tubs and associated facilities, rest rooms and similar kinds of recreational and open space facilities.

In order to ensure the continuance and maintenance of the common open space, the developer shall provide for and establish a nonprofit homeowners' corporation, condominium or cooperative governed according to the following regulations:

The application for subdivision and land development approval covers the entire active adult community development and delineates the location and a schedule of development of each stage. The schedule shall show the proposed times for application for final approval and shall be, on the anniversary of subdivision and land development approval, updated annually.

At least 15% of the dwelling units in the plan given subdivision and land development approval are included in the first stage as well as the recreation, landscaping, roads and other essential facilities necessary to accommodate that stage. The club house facility shall be built upon attainment of 50% lot conveyance.

All subsequent stages are completed consistent with the approved subdivision and land development plan and are of a size and location to constitute economically viable development. In no event shall subsequent stages contain less than 15% of the total dwelling units on the approved plan.

The gross residential density may be varied from stage to stage, provided that final approval shall not be given to any stage if the gross density by type of dwelling unit, including stages with final approval and the stage for which final approval is sought exceeds by more than 10% the gross residential density for each type of dwelling unit allowed in the approved tentative plan for the entire active adult community.

Preliminary analysis.

Mitigation plan. The applicant shall prepare a report detailing the impacts found in the assessments required in Subsection A of this section and describing the method of mitigation of all impacts.

Calculation of allowable uses. The applicant shall quantify, based upon the assessments and the mitigation plan required in Subsection B of this section, the allowable number and types of dwelling units and the number, types and floor areas of other residential and nonresidential uses.

Concept plan. The applicant shall prepare and submit a conceptual plan in the form of a sketch plan rather than an engineered plan; however, in sufficient detail to demonstrate compliance with the development and design standards required by this article.

Architectural renderings. The architecture of the proposed development shall be designed to preserve and/or enhance the character of the surrounding community. The applicant shall prepare and submit architectural renderings as part of the conditional use permit and, upon approval, shall agree to conditions necessary to ensure compliance.

Draft proposed homeowners' documents. The applicant shall prepare and submit draft documents pertaining to the required homeowners' corporation, condominium or cooperative as well as any restrictive covenants related to ensuring compliance with the provisions of this Article XVI.