Hope Township City Zoning Code
§ 20-6.6
Design Standards for the Low Density Agricultural Residential Zone and Low Density Agricultural Residential-Historic Zones.
[Ord. #97-13, § 3; Ord. #07-03, §§ III—VII]
a.
Lot Frontage. Where a lot abuts an off-site public street, the minimum road frontage shall be two hundred fifty (250') feet. Lots legally in existence prior to the adoption of this provision with at least fifty (50') feet of frontage may continue to be developed without the need for variance relief provided that all other standards of this chapter are met.
b.
Lots utilizing common driveway for access shall not be required to have frontage on a public street.
c.
Locating Building Envelopes. These standards aim to ensure that the disturbed areas of any parcel are to be hidden, not visible, from public roads, to the maximum extent practical. They are to be situated so as to minimize the impact of construction on the sensitive environment and to protect the rural character of the area. The standards are as follows:
1.
Building envelope shall avoid open fields.
2.
Building envelope shall be located at the edges of fields and in wooded areas to minimize the visual impact of development.
3.
Building envelopes shall not include critical areas or minimum yard requirements. Building envelopes shall not include areas with steep slopes in excess of 20%. With the exception of driveway improvements, no structure shall be located within seventy-five (75') feet of a 25% slope.
4.
Building envelope shall not include areas with slopes in excess of 30%.
5.
Wooded lots shall retain a minimum treed buffer of thirty (30') feet between the building envelope and any street line.
6.
No lot disturbance shall be permitted within one hundred (100') feet of the top of the bank of any watercourse.
7.
All potable wells and septic systems shall be located within the building envelope.
d.
Design Standards for Public Roads:
1.
Right-of-way widths: fifty (50') feet.
2.
Cartway width: twenty-four (24') feet.
3.
Maximum number of units per dead-end street: twenty-five (25') feet.
4.
Minimum distance between access points on off-site public roadways: two hundred (200') feet.
5.
Access point shall include individual and common driveways and on-site public roadways.
e.
Driveways. It is the intent of this section to utilize private drives for access to residential lots providing the following standards are satisfied:
1.
The number of driveways accessing off-site public streets shall be kept to a minimum.
2.
The appropriate use of common driveway is encouraged. Where lots will access an off-site public street, common driveways may be used, where appropriate, to minimize the number of curb cuts required.
3.
The maximum number of units served by a common driveway shall be four.
4.
Minimum common driveway width: twelve (12') feet paved with two (2') foot graded and stoned shoulders.
5.
Paving shall be required on individual driveways where driveway grades are in excess of 6%.
6.
Maximum length of common driveway: one thousand (1,000') feet. This distance shall be measured as the length of the common portion of any driveway. Additional individual driveway lengths are not included.
7.
Maximum driveway grade for common or individual driveways shall be 12%.
8.
All driveways in excess of five hundred (500') feet shall provide a 10-30 turnout.
9.
All lots using common driveways shall provide a driveway maintenance agreement to be reviewed and approved by the Board's professionals. The maintenance agreement shall include an escrow fund to ensure that the driveway will be maintained. It shall be created by the developer who will determine the amount.
f.
Deed Restrictions.
1.
Conservation easement/deed restrictions. Conservation easements shall be required for all wetlands areas and required transition areas.
2.
Sensitive areas located outside of building envelopes shall contain conservation easements. These include slopes in excess of 25%, flood plains, wetlands, wetlands transition areas, and open water bodies.
3.
The maximum tract density of the original tract shall not be exceeded. If lots are created which are 10 or more acres in size, and tract density has been fully utilized, these lots shall include a deed restriction against further subdivision.