Lansdale City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXX
Mobile Home Parks
§ 405-3001 Legislative intent.
The legislative intent of this article shall be as follows:
A.
To provide standards for the development of land for mobile home parks.
B.
To provide better quality and greater variety in types, design and layout of mobile home parks by enforcing uniform standards, desirable design criteria and encouraging innovative site design approaches.
C.
To reflect the changes in technology of home building and land development.
§ 405-3002 Definitions.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Lots within a mobile home park shall have direct access only onto streets internal to the development.
Every mobile home shall be anchored to the mobile home stand where it is located prior to the unit being occupied or used in any way. The anchorage shall be provided by eyelets embedded in the concrete with adequate anchor plates or hooks, or other suitable means. The anchorage shall be adequate to withstand wind forces and uplift, in accordance with local and state building codes for buildings and structures, based upon the size and weight of the units. Ground anchors shall not be permitted.
That portion of a tract of land excluding the existing rights-of-way, existing public streets and floodplains as defined in Article XXVI.
A single-family detached dwelling intended for permanent occupancy, which complies with local and state building codes and appropriate federal agencies, and is certified by said agencies; contained in one unit, or in two units designed to be joined into one integral unit capable of again being separated for repeated towing, which arrives at a site complete and ready for occupancy except for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operations; and constructed so that it can be attached to a mobile home stand.
A parcel of land in a mobile home park improved with the necessary utility connections and other appurtenances necessary for the erection thereon of a single mobile home.
A parcel or contiguous parcels of land which has been so designated and improved that it contains two or more mobile home lots for the placement thereon of mobile homes.
The common open space shall be designed as a contiguous area unless the applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Borough that two or more areas would be preferable. The open space shall also have easily identifiable pedestrian and visual accessibility to all residents of the mobile home park, although all units do not have to abut the open space.
All mobile homes shall require a perimeter enclosure of a material suitable for exterior exposure and contact with the ground. The enclosure shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions and adequately secured to assure stability, to minimize vibration and susceptibility to wind damage and to compensate for possible frost heave.
§ 405-3003 Permitted uses.
A.
Mobile home parks may include single- or double-width mobile homes but shall not include travel or motor homes.
B.
A minimum of 40% of the number of dwelling units in a mobile home park shall consist of double-width mobile homes.
C.
Nothing in this article shall be considered to prohibit the rental, sale or resale of a mobile home located on a mobile home stand and connected to all utilities. Similarly, a model or display area is permissible on a temporary basis, provided that models are developed in accordance with all applicable regulations of this article and that use of the models for sales or rental promotion ceases when the project is fully developed.
§ 405-3004 General design provisions.
A.
The tract of land to be developed shall be in one ownership or shall be the subject of an application filed by the owners of the entire tract, and it shall be agreed that the tract shall be developed under single direction and in the manner approved.
B.
Minimum tract area. Each mobile home tract must have at least eight acres of developable land that does not contain floodplain, steep slopes, utility easements or wetlands.
C.
Street access. Any tract proposed for a mobile home park shall have direct access to a collector or higher classification street, as classified in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.[1] The applicant shall provide sufficient evidence that the street onto which the mobile home park accesses is capable of accommodating the transport of mobile homes to the approval of the Borough Engineer.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Borough's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance is on file and available for inspection or sale at Borough offices.
§ 405-3005 Density.
A.
Mobile home parks shall be developed at a density not exceeding 4.5 dwelling units per developable acre (land exclusive of floodplains, steep slopes, easements and street and utility rights-of-way).
B.
Road frontage. A tract of land to be used, in whole or part, for mobile homes shall have a frontage on at least one public street of a minimum of 150 feet.
§ 405-3006 Dimensional standards.
A.
A mobile home shall not be located within 40 feet of any tract boundaries.
B.
No building within a mobile home park shall be located within 40 feet of the street from which the mobile home park is accessed.
C.
No more than six homes in a row shall have the same setback; where varied setbacks are utilized, the difference shall be at least four feet.
D.
All mobile home lots shall be a minimum area of 5,000 square feet.
E.
All mobile home lots shall be minimum of 55 feet in width.
F.
No mobile home or accessory building shall be located closer than four feet to the side or rear lot line of an individual mobile home lot.
G.
All mobile home park lots shall have a minimum front yard setback of 25 feet measured from the structure to the right-of-way.
H.
Mobile homes are encouraged to use the minimum setbacks and to be placed off center on the lots so as to provide a large, usable open yard space in one section of the lot.
I.
Mobile homes and roofed structures or areas attached thereto shall be separated from each other and from other buildings and structures at their closest points by a minimum of 20 feet; provided, however, that whenever two mobile homes have their longest sides parallel or essentially parallel to each other for more than 25% of the length of either, the minimum distance between mobile homes shall be 30 feet. The sides shall be considered parallel if they form an angle of less than 45° when extended to intersect.
J.
The maximum coverage of any individual mobile home by primary and accessory buildings shall be 25%.
K.
No mobile home shall exceed a height of one story of a maximum of 20 feet.
L.
In order to allow clustering of lots designed to encourage flexibility in site design, preservation of natural features and to maximize creation of accessibility of recreation areas, minimum lot width and minimum lot size may be reduced up to a maximum of 10% upon approval of the Borough Council, provided that at least 50% of all lots so reduced shall directly abut part of the common open space for a distance of at least 20 feet. An area equal to that by which each lot is reduced shall be added to the minimum common open space specified in this section.
§ 405-3007 Development regulations.
A.
No mobile home shall have a living space of less than 400 square feet.
B.
No mobile home shall exceed a height of one story of a maximum of 20 feet.
C.
Each mobile home shall have an enclosure (skirting) of compatible design and material erected around the entire base of each mobile home. All towing hitches shall be removed from view.
D.
Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets serving the mobile home park which will minimize congestion and interference with normal traffic flow.
§ 405-3008 Buffer zone.
A.
Buffers. A landscaped buffer at least 15 feet in width shall be provided along all property boundary lines, except those that abut another mobile home park. A screen buffer shall be provided wherever the mobile home park abuts existing residential uses or undeveloped land zoned for residential uses, and a softening buffer shall be provided wherever the mobile home park abuts public streets, existing commercial, office, industrial or institutional uses or undeveloped land zoned for such uses.
B.
A screen buffer shall consist of a row of evergreen trees at a height of not less than six feet when planted, spaced not more than 10 feet on center and able to attain a height of at least 20 feet at maturity. Also required is one of the following: berms with slopes no greater than 3:1; visually opaque fencing not greater than six feet in height; and coniferous shrubbery. Any combination of evergreen trees, coniferous shrubs, mounding or fencing is permitted, provided that an effective visual screen at least 15 feet in height above the adjacent ground elevation is achieved.
C.
A softening buffer shall consist of a row of trees, spaced not more than 25 feet 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 at maturity. Any deciduous tree shall be at least 1 1/2 inches in caliper and eight feet in height when planted and shall attain a height of at least 20 feet at maturity. These trees shall be interspersed with other allowable components, including any other type of trees, shrubs, berms, fencing and/or similar elements having a vertical dimension.
D.
Street boundaries shall be buffered with 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.
E.
Existing vegetation may be substituted for part or all of the required buffer when approved by the Borough Council.
F.
No mobile home or other building or structure shall be located within the buffer zone.
G.
No parking or parking area shall be permitted within the buffer zone.
H.
The buffer zone shall be continuously under the complete control of the owner of the mobile home park and maintained by said owner.
§ 405-3009 Common open space.
At least 15% of the site area of the mobile home development must be held as common open space, as defined in this article. No more than 1/3 of the common open space may be required buffer area.