Coolbaugh Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Residential Standards: Conservation Design Development Standards for Option 5, Hamlets and Villages
§ 400-31 General.
A.
Purpose. The primary purpose of the Hamlet and Village Option is to provide for a diversity of housing types, age groups and income levels in a manner consistent with the variety of existing homes in the municipality and with traditional village building and site development patterns. Additionally, it is the purpose of this chapter to:
(1)
Encourage creation of a functionally diverse, but visually unified, community focused on a central square.
(2)
Promote use of common greens, landscaped streets, boulevards, parkways, and "single-loaded" streets woven into street and block patterns that provide neighborhood identity and space for social activity, recreation, and visual enjoyment.
(3)
Provide buildings for common or institutional purposes, such as civic or religious assembly, that act as visual landmarks and symbols of identity.
(4)
Promote pedestrian movement by locating new village housing, services, jobs and public places within convenient walking distance of each other, wherever practicable.
(5)
Reduce traffic congestion and dependence on the automobile by creating a hierarchy of streets and ways that effectively serve pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
(6)
Provide for a hierarchy of conservation open space from public greens or parks to farmland and woodland conserved as greenbelt areas protected under permanent conservation easements.
B.
Applicability and location criteria. Hamlet and village development is a conditional use in all WC, R-1 and R-2 Districts.
(1)
Hamlets and villages should be sited and designed to avoid or minimize negative impacts on existing woodlands and hedgerows, wetlands, stream valleys, cultural landscapes and scenic views from municipal roads.
(2)
The use of special site design techniques is encouraged as a way of conserving the municipality's rural character in situations where topography, hedgerows or other vegetation would not provide naturalistic screening opportunities.
(3)
Villages proposed to contain more than 50 dwelling units shall be located with direct access to at least one primary arterial or collector road identified in the Coolbaugh Township, Borough of Mount Pocono, Tobyhanna Township, Tunkhannock Township Regional Comprehensive Plan.
(4)
Hamlets and villages shall be served by community sewage disposal and community water supply.
D.
Village areas. All villages shall contain both a village residential area and village conservation open space. Villages may also contain a village commercial area. These areas are intended to provide for the diversity necessary for traditional village life while maximizing the interactions among related uses and minimizing the adverse impacts of different uses upon each other.
(1)
The village residential area is intended to contain dwelling units and related accessory uses.
(2)
The village commercial area is intended primarily to provide uses that meet the retail and service needs of a traditional village center and its vicinity, and may contain other compatible uses such as civic and institutional uses of community-wide importance and second-floor residential uses. The village commercial area may be located either at the approximate center of the village, or at the edge, near an existing municipal collector or arterial street.
(3)
The village conservation open space is intended to provide a greenbelt surrounding the village residential area and common greens within the village residential and village commercial area.
§ 400-32 Permitted uses.
A.
Hamlets. Uses permitted in hamlets are:
(1)
Residential uses.
(a)
Single-family detached dwellings.
(b)
Two-family dwellings.
(c)
Townhouses with three or four dwelling units per building designed to resemble traditional multifamily homes built in the boroughs and villages of the county prior to 1930, and sited so they front directly onto streets, not parking areas.
B.
Villages. Village uses may be located within village residential, village commercial and village conservation open space.
(1)
Village residential area. The village residential area shall be located outside the village commercial area and shall contain primarily single-family detached dwelling units, but may include some two-family and townhouse units. Permitted uses are:
(2)
Village commercial area. Permitted uses are:
(b)
Retail uses, professional offices and personal or professional services occupying 6,000 square feet or less in 1 1/2 story buildings, and up to 8,000 square feet in buildings of two or more stories. Uses with drive-in windows are prohibited.
(c)
Civic and institutional uses such as schools, libraries, and places of worship.
(d)
Governmental or public uses, excluding storage of materials, trucking or repair facilities, private or municipal sanitary landfills, recycling facilities, Township garages and sand/salt storage facilities.
(e)
Bed-and-breakfast establishments.
(f)
Day-care centers.
(g)
Elderly congregate housing, senior citizen/disabled housing, and nursing homes.
(h)
Second-story dwelling units are specifically encouraged and shall be permitted in addition to the maximum number of units otherwise permitted, provided the total number of dwelling units in a development shall not be increased by more than 10 dwelling units or 10% whichever is greater. Shared parking arrangements shall be permitted.
(i)
Live/work units for artisans, professionals and service providers.
(j)
Gasoline stations only along major arterial roads.
(k)
Active recreation.
§ 400-33 Density, intensity and minimum conservation open space.
A.
Number of dwelling units. The maximum number of dwelling units shall be determined as set forth in § 400-25.
B.
Density bonus. The discretionary density bonuses in § 400-27 shall apply to village and hamlet development.
C.
Commercial intensity. Village commercial development, including associated parking areas, may occupy up to 5% of the adjusted tract area of the entire village. This maximum may be increased:
(1)
Up to 10% if the new buildings include second-story non-retail commercial uses above at least 10% of the new commercial building coverage.
(2)
Up to 15% if they include second-story residential uses and at least 1/2 the new building coverage shall be of two-story construction and at least 25% of the second-story shall be designed for residential use.
D.
Conservation open space.
(1)
The minimum required conservation open space shall be as set forth in the Density and Conservation Open Space Table in § 400-25.
(3)
At least 20% of the required conservation open space shall be in a form accessible to the residents, such as a central green, neighborhood squares or commons, recreational playing fields, walking trails, other kinds of footpaths, a community park, or any combination thereof. In addition, no more than 50% of the required conservation open space may be comprised of active recreation facilities such as playing fields, golf courses, tennis courts, etc. Conservation open space shall not be used for residential lots.
§ 400-34 Area and dimensional standards.
A.
Residential uses.
(1)
Residential uses shall meet the lot area and width standards in the Dimensional Standards for Two-Family Dwellings and Townhouses Table.
(2)
Dimensional Standards for Two-Family Dwellings and Townhouses Table.
Dimensional Standards for Two-Family Dwellings and Townhouses | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Minimum Lot Area (square feet) | Minimum Lot Width at Required Setback (feet) | ||
Single-family detached dwelling | 5,500 | 40 | |
Two-family dwellings | 2,750 | 30 | |
Townhouses | 1,950 | 18 | |
(3)
Residential uses shall meet the setback requirements in the Setback Requirements Table. Side setbacks may be modified in accordance with § 400-38.
Setback Requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum Front Yard (from street line unless otherwise indicated) (feet) | Minimum Rear Yard (feet) | Minimum Side Yard (feet) | |||
Principal dwelling: | |||||
Single-family detached | 12 | 30 | Note 1 | ||
Two-family | 12 | 20 | Note 1 | ||
Townhouses | 12 | 20 | Note 1 | ||
Front porch, open, with steps | 6 | NA | Note 1 | ||
Front porch, enclosed by windows or screens | 10 | NA | Note 1 | ||
Garage, detached front-loading | 40 | 7 | 5 | ||
Garage, attached side-loading | 10 | 10 | Note 1 | ||
Garage, attached front-loading | 10 behind the plane of the front facade of the principal dwelling | 10 | Note 1 | ||
Garage, rear-loading | NA | 10 from rear service lane or alley | 52 | ||
NOTES: | ||
|---|---|---|
1 | Minimum twenty-foot separation between principal dwellings on adjacent lots. | |
2 | May be reduced to zero feet for twins and townhouses, i.e., they may be attached. | |
(4)
Front facades of dwellings on opposite sides of the street shall be located a minimum of 70 feet and a maximum of 90 feet apart, excluding porches. This requirement shall not apply to dwellings which front on boulevards, common greens or other conservation open space.
B.
Setbacks.
(1)
The applicant is encouraged to consider variations in the principal building position and orientation, but shall meet the minimum standards in the Setback Requirements Table.
(2)
Residential side yards may be reduced to zero ("zero lot line") in the village residential area, when a dwelling has either no side windows, or when the side windowsills are located at least 64 inches above the finished grade.
C.
Nonresidential uses. Nonresidential uses in the village commercial area shall be contained on a lot for which the minimum lot area is determined by adding 20% to the land area needed for the building, on-site parking, ingress/egress, and any on-site infrastructure that is required, including septic systems and stormwater management facilities. The additional 20% shall serve as setback areas and landscaped buffers. Each lot shall meet the following standards:
(1)
Minimum street frontage: 50 feet.
(2)
Maximum building coverage: 50%.
(3)
Maximum impervious surface coverage: 75%.
(4)
Minimum front yard setback: zero feet.
(5)
Maximum front yard setback ("build-to" line): 15 feet; at least 60% of the buildings shall be located at the "build-to" line.
(6)
Minimum side yard setback: five feet.
(7)
Minimum rear yard: 20 feet.
(8)
Maximum building height: 35 feet; except for schools, libraries, and churches: none.
D.
Maximum impervious cover.
E.
Street frontage. Lots must have frontage either on a street or on a rear service lane or shared driveway, except that dwellings served by rear lanes may front directly onto parks or greens, which shall be designed with perimeter sidewalks.
F.
Building height.
(1)
Hamlets. The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.
(2)
Villages. Building height shall be between 1.5 and 2.5 stories above grade at the front elevation, with a maximum height of 35 feet.
(3)
Exceptions. The height limitations of this chapter shall not apply to chimneys, spires, steeples, gables, cupolas, standpipes, flagpoles, monuments, transmission towers, radio or television antennas, cables, water tanks and similar structures and necessary mechanical appurtenances, provided that no such exception shall cover, at any level, more than 10% of the area of the building's roof or the ground on which it is located. Such architectural features on institutional or civic buildings may equal the height of the building.
§ 400-35 Additional standards for hamlets and villages.
A.
Lot area. Area contained within a lot shall be exclusive of one-hundred-year floodplains, wetlands and slopes exceeding 25%.
B.
Flag lots. Flag lots are permitted in limited applications in conservation subdivisions to locate dwellings at the ends of culs-de-sac and between "fingers" of conservation open space in order to avoid extending streets further than necessary. The following standards shall apply:
(1)
No more than two contiguous flag lots shall be created. Shared driveways are encouraged between adjacent flag lots.
(2)
Flag lots shall comprise no more than 10% of all lots in the development.
(3)
The access strip of a flag lot shall be owned by the owner of the main portion of the flag lot and shall extend to an existing public or private street. The access strip shall serve as the primary access for the lot.
(4)
The access strip shall have a minimum width of 20 feet. The width shall be increased as necessary to contain all grading for the driveway within the access strip.
(5)
The access strip shall have a maximum length of 200 feet.
(6)
The minimum lot width of the lot at the building line shall be the minimum lot width required at the street line. Minimum lot width shall be measured parallel to the street at the point of the proposed building closest to the street and shall extend the full depth of the building, plus an additional 20 feet.
(7)
The minimum lot area of the flag lot shall be calculated exclusive of the access strip.
C.
Open space. At least 50% of the lots in hamlets and villages shall directly abut conservation open space or face conservation open space across a street.
D.
Integrating mixed dwelling types. When two-family dwellings or townhouses are proposed, such dwellings shall be designed to reflect the county's vernacular building tradition for such building types. When attached dwelling types are proposed, they shall be integrated architecturally and in scale so that they are physically incorporated within the same streetscape as single-family dwellings and nonresidential buildings, and not isolated in separate areas.
E.
Parking.
(1)
Minimum off-street parking requirements. The minimum number of parking spaces required in Article V shall be provided unless different standards are stated below:
(2)
Other provisions.
(a)
On-street parking spaces along the front property line of a lot shall be counted toward the minimum number of parking spaces required for the use on that lot.
(b)
Nonresidential off-street parking shall be to the side or rear of buildings, or located within internal parking areas not visible from the street.
(c)
On-street parking spaces shall always be parallel to the curb.
(d)
Off-street parking may be located on a lot within 600 feet (measured along a publicly accessible route) from the use to which the parking is accessory. Said lot containing the parking shall be owned or leased to the owner of the principal use, or the lot containing the parking shall be dedicated to parking for as long as the use to which it is accessory continues and it is owned by an entity capable of assuring its maintenance as accessory parking.
§ 400-36 Conservation open space design standards.
A.
Delineation. Conservation open space shall be delineated in accord with the standards in Chapter 355, Subdivision and Land Development.
B.
Location and design. Conservation open space shall be located and designed to add to the visual amenities of villages and hamlets and to the surrounding area, by maximizing the visibility of conservation open space as terminal vistas at the ends of streets or along the outside edges of street curves, and as perimeter greenbelts. Greenbelts shall be designed to provide buffers and to protect scenic views as seen from existing roadways and from public parks.
C.
Type. Conservation open space shall consist of two types: natural and formal.
(1)
Natural. Natural conservation open space shall consist of, but not be limited to: meadows, woodlands, specimen trees, hedgerows, wetlands, floodplain and steep slopes.
(2)
Formal. Formal conservation open space shall consist of: greens, commons, squares and parks that are defined by building walls, streets and street trees.
D.
Greens, commons, squares and parks.
(1)
Leisure and assembly. Greens, commons, squares, and parks shall serve a variety of outdoor leisure and assembly needs of village residents and enhance the form and appearance of the village.
(2)
Distribution. Greens, commons, squares and parks shall be distributed throughout hamlets and, in villages, the village residential area and, when included, the village commercial area.
(3)
Common greens in village commercial areas. When a village commercial area is proposed, a central village green shall be required. The central green shall be designed as an attractive gathering place for village residents in both day and evening and:
(a)
Shall be located within 200 feet of the outer perimeter of the village commercial area. These location requirements may be adjusted by reason of topography or natural resources to be preserved, at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors;
(b)
Shall border on the principal street running through the village commercial area, or be located so as to constitute the "terminal vista" of that street;
(c)
Should be surrounded by buildings on all sides, and shall be surrounded by streets on at least three sides;
(d)
Shall be located within 1500 feet of 80% of all dwelling units in the village. Alternatively, two smaller common greens at least 6,000 square feet in area may be substituted for the central green, in order to meet this proximity standard;
(e)
Shall be of pedestrian scale, between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet in area, and shall be no longer or wider than 300 feet;
(f)
Should ideally be surrounded by two-story development that may include residential, civic and institutional uses in addition to commercial uses;
(g)
Shall be landscaped using elements of formal gardens including walkways, monuments, statues, gazebos, fountains, park benches and pedestrian-scale lampposts.
(4)
Locations for civic or institutional uses. Lots with front lot lines along at least 20% of the circumference of a central green (either facing the green across a street or directly fronting on to a green) shall be reserved for civic or institutional uses and be so designated on the final plan. However, after two years subsequent to approval of a final plan for a village commercial area, other uses may be permitted in these locations by majority vote of the Board of Supervisors as an amendment to the conditional use approval.
(5)
Smaller greens, commons and squares. Smaller greens, commons and squares, at least 5,000 square feet and no larger than 30,000 square feet, shall be dispersed throughout the hamlet or village in such a way that no lot is more than 1,250 feet from a green, common or square.
(6)
Shade trees. All greens, commons and squares shall be planted with shade trees along their edges, at intervals not greater than 40 feet.
(7)
Visibility. The visibility of greens, commons, and squares shall be maximized by locating conservation open space in "terminal vista" locations as often as possible, such as the ends of streets at three-way intersections or occupying a corner of a four-way intersection.
(8)
Impervious coverage. Greens, commons and squares shall contain no more than 10% impervious coverage.
E.
Protection, ownership and management of conservation open space. The required conservation open space shall be subject to permanent conservation easements prohibiting future development, prohibiting its use to meet open space requirements for any other development, and defining the range of permitted activities. The conservation open space shall be owned and maintained in accord with Chapter 355, Subdivision and Land Development.
§ 400-37 Design standards for villages.
A.
Overall form.
(1)
Well-defined edge. New village development shall be compact with a well-defined edge between new developed areas of the village and adjacent rural, undeveloped lands. This shall not apply in the case of infill parcels within an existing village.
(2)
Continuation of streets. New streets shall connect with existing streets when possible and shall continue the settlement pattern of existing villages and boroughs.
B.
Block design.
(1)
Rectilinear pattern. Villages shall be designed in a generally rectilinear pattern of blocks and interconnecting streets and rear lanes, defined by buildings, landscaping, pedestrianways, sidewalks and street furniture. To avoid the monotony of a rigid grid layout and to better conform to the natural terrain, streets may include frequent gentle curves.
(2)
Block length. The maximum block length shall be 800 feet, with midblock footpaths connecting to sidewalks or other paths when block length exceeds 500 feet.
(3)
Modification. Rectilinear blocks of the dimensions required above may be reshaped at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors when topography, existing vegetation, or hydrology considerations influence block shape and size.
(4)
Pedestrian pathways. In the village commercial area, at least one pedestrian pathway, a minimum of eight feet wide, shall be provided for every 250 feet of street frontage, connecting with rear parking lots.
(5)
Rear alleys. Each block that includes storefronts and/or residential lots less than 40 feet wide shall be designed to include a rear alley serving parking areas or garages in the rear.
(6)
Design speed. Local access streets shall be configured using a design speed of 25 mph.
(7)
Traffic calming. Traffic calming techniques shall include "T" intersections, traffic islands, circles, loops or crescents, and roundabouts. Speed bumps, humps and tables shall be avoided. At least 25% of local access streets shall terminate in "T" intersections. The distance between "T" intersections shall not exceed three blocks or 1,500 linear feet, whichever is less. "T" intersections shall meet the offset requirements from other intersections set forth in Chapter 355, Subdivision and Land Development.
C.
Location considerations for village uses.
(1)
Residential uses. Residential uses, excluding upper-story dwelling units in the village commercial area, shall not be located within 500 feet of an arterial highway having four or more lanes, nor within 300 feet of a two-lane arterial road, unless effectively screened from public view by topography, dense vegetation or other physical or visual barriers.
(2)
Village commercial areas.
(a)
Village commercial areas may be located either at the approximate center of the village, or at the edge, near an existing major or minor collector (including all state highways). If the village commercial area is located along a collector road, parking areas shall be screened from view, preferably by locating them behind the commercial buildings, as seen from the collector.
(b)
Village commercial areas shall be located within 1/4 mile (about a five-minute walk) from as much of the residential areas as possible. Nonresidential uses that are intended to serve an area beyond the village shall be located to permit vehicular access from outside the village without passing through village residential streets. Village commercial areas may be located close to state highways.
(4)
Commercial access. At least 80% of dwelling units shall be within 1,500 feet of the village commercial area.
(5)
High-traffic uses. Nonresidential uses projected to generate 150 or more trip-ends per project peak hour or 750 trip-ends or more per day based on the latest edition of Trip Generation published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers shall be located to permit vehicular access from outside the village without passing through residential streets. This part of the village shall be located close to streets having a functional class designation of collector or higher.
D.
Design standards for village commercial area.
(1)
Design considerations along an existing major arterial street. When the village commercial area is located along an existing major arterial street, the following provisions shall apply:
(a)
The buildings shall be designed with display windows and signage facing the major arterial street.
(b)
Canopy trees shall be planted at intervals not greater than 40 feet along the major arterial street.
(c)
The village commercial area shall not parallel the major arterial street for a distance greater than 600 feet, unless the storefronts are located behind a landscaped buffer area providing visual screening in all seasons of the year, or on the opposite side of a village green extending the full length of the village commercial Area as it parallels the major arterial street. If berms are used within the buffer, they shall be no taller than two feet and shall taper gradually into the landscape with slopes not exceeding 1:5.
(2)
Landscaping of commercial buildings. In addition to the requirements of Chapter 355, Subdivision and Land Development, the following regulations shall apply:
(a)
To reduce maintenance, ensure longevity, and reinforce the indigenous plant materials of the area, landscaping around commercial buildings and their parking lots shall emphasize native plant species. Species shall be selected to provide visual interest at different times of the year, with low-maintenance needs.
(b)
The facades of commercial buildings may be separated from the sidewalk by a landscaped strip no greater in depth than three feet, except as necessary to accommodate outdoor eating establishments, or in courtyard designs.
(3)
Street furniture.
(a)
At least one public trash receptacle of a design and color approved by the Board of Supervisors shall be provided in each block on each side of the street.
(b)
Public benches of a design and color approved by the Board of Supervisors shall be provided at bus stops and at intervals no greater than 100 feet on each block, and in greens, commons, squares and parks at a rate of one bench per 5,000 square feet.
(c)
At least one bicycle rack adjacent to the sidewalk shall be provided on each block, with a paved pad.
(4)
Signs. In addition to the requirements in Article XIII, signs shall conform to the following regulations:
(a)
Signs shall not be freestanding pole signs and shall be affixed to a building facade, canopy, or arcade.
(b)
The top of signs (except window signs) shall be located no higher than the sills of second-story windows.
(c)
Signs shall be constructed of wood, metal or synthetic material, provided that the typeface and logos have a dimensional rather than flat quality.
(d)
Sign colors shall preferably be dark background colors with light-colored lettering.
(e)
Signs may be illuminated from external light sources only; lighting shall conform to the regulations contained in Article IX. Flashing and moving lighting, or signs with color changes are prohibited.
(f)
Animated signs that use actual motion or the illusion of motion or change of lighting are prohibited.
(g)
External neon signs are prohibited. Nonflashing neon signs may be displayed inside windows provided they occupy no more than 15% of the glass area of the window in which they are displayed.
E.
Architecture for village residential areas. Housing styles, shapes and materials shall be varied within the overall theme of traditional village dwellings as shown in Monroe County's Historic Legacy: A Survey of Historic Sites and Structures in Monroe County, April 1980, prepared by the Monroe County Planning Commission. Buildings may be either traditional in their architectural character or a contemporary expression of historically traditional styles and forms. Regardless of which architectural style is utilized, it shall be applied consistently to residential, commercial and institutional uses throughout the village, in order to create an architecturally cohesive community.
(2)
Two-family dwellings and townhouses shall be designed to emulate traditional buildings of this nature in Monroe County's historic settlements or to resemble large single-family residences as shown in Monroe County's Historic Legacy: A Survey of Historic Sites and Structures in Monroe County, April 1980, prepared by the Monroe County Planning Commission.
(3)
Pitched roofs with slopes between 8:12 and 12:12 shall be encouraged.
§ 400-38 Modifications.
A.
Modifications permitted. With the exception of dwelling unit density, the Board of Supervisors may, at its sole discretion, as part of the conditional use process, permit the modification of the provisions of this article, including, but not limited to, provisions relating to the percentages of dwelling types and the amount of nonresidential development, in order to encourage a well-planned traditional Township center.
B.
Criteria. Any such modification shall be subject to the following criteria:
(1)
The design and modifications shall be in harmony with the purposes and the land use standards contained in this article.
(2)
The design and modifications shall generally enhance the development plan, the central core area, the streetscapes, and the neighborhoods, or at least not be any less desirable than the plan that could be created in conformance with this article.
(3)
The design and modifications shall not produce lots or street systems that would be impractical or detract from the appearance of the district, and shall not adversely affect emergency vehicle access or deprive adjoining noncommercial properties of adequate light and air.
(4)
Intensification of nonresidential uses shall be offset by corresponding special efforts by the applicant to improve the appearance of the development through enhanced architectural and landscaping efforts.
(5)
The applicant shall demonstrate that the proposed modifications will produce equal or better results, from the Township's perspective, and represent the minimum modification necessary.
C.
Burden. If the Board of Supervisors determines that the applicant has met his/her burden, it may grant a modification of the requirements of this article.
D.
Conditions. In granting modifications, the Board of Supervisors may impose such conditions as will, in its judgment, secure the objectives and purposes of this article.