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.

The goal 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 minimum open space ratio is 40% excluding any lots for existing uses based on the tract area.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Agriculture.

Open space.

One single-family detached dwelling.

Municipal.

Accessory use to any of the above by-right uses, subject to the regulations in § 145-18, Accessory uses, buildings and structures, and § 145-19, Height limit.

One single-family detached dwelling.

In-law suite, as defined in § 145-5 and as regulated in § 145-157.

Lot area. A lot area of not less than four acres shall be provided for every use or building erected thereon.

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.

Front yard. There shall be a front yard on every lot which shall be not less than 100 feet in depth.

Side yards. There shall be two side yards on every lot, each of which shall be not less than 75 feet in width.

Rear yards. There shall be a rear yard on every lot which shall not be less than 100 feet in depth.

Corner lots. There shall be a front yard on every street frontage and all remaining yards shall be treated as rear yards.

Accessory buildings or structures shall be subject to the dimensional restrictions cited in § 145-18.

Building coverage. The maximum building coverage on a lot shall be 5%.

Impervious coverage. The maximum impervious coverage on a lot shall be 10%.

Height restrictions. The maximum height for buildings or structures erected or enlarged in the RR District shall be 65 feet, not exceeding three stories.

Flag lots. In the RR District, flag lots shall be permitted and are exempt from the requirements of § 145-28.6 to the extent that the lot area and lot width are not required to be doubled.

Lot area. A lot area of not less than 35,000 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.

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.

Front yard. There shall be a front yard on every lot which shall not be less than 50 feet in depth.

Side yards. There shall be two side yards on every lot, each of which shall not be less than 35 feet in width.

Rear yard. There shall be a rear yard on every lot which shall not be less than 40 feet in depth.

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.

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.

Density regulation. There shall be a maximum density of one dwelling unit per two developable acres.

Building coverage. The maximum building coverage shall be 15%.

Impervious coverage. The maximum impervious coverage shall be 35%.

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.

Flag lots. Flag lots shall be subject to the requirements of § 145-28.6, and in addition, when computing density one flag lot shall be permitted per four developable acres.

Open space. A minimum of 40% of the gross tract area shall be dedicated as common open space when developed in accordance with the regulations in § 145-206.

Parking. In accordance with Article XIX.

Signs. In accordance with Article XX.

General provisions. In accordance with Article IV.

Floodplain regulations. In accordance with Article XXVIII.

Natural resource regulations: in accordance with Article XXVI.

(Reserved)

Landscape regulations. In accordance with the Land Development and Subdivision Ordinance.[1]

Detention basin regulations. In accordance with § 145-28.3.

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.

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.

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 for major subdivisions. The burden of establishing compliance with all of the hereinafter enumerated standards shall be upon the applicant.

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.

The original parcel shall be used for agricultural or single-family residential purposes only.

The creation of a new separate parcel shall occur a maximum of two times for each original qualifying property.