Limerick Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXVI
Institutional Regulations
§ 184-182 Intent.
It is the specific intent of this article to:
A.
Ensure that institutions are suitably designed and sited so as to protect the character of adjacent neighborhoods.
B.
Ensure that institutional development will be adequately served by public facilities and services.
C.
Govern the expansion of existing institutional uses in the Township.
D.
Promote the development of safe and affordable housing for elderly persons and to ensure that such housing provides accessibility to essential community facilities and services.
E.
Provide the elderly individual with a variety of structural housing options within a single development, including the opportunity to transfer from an independent living situation to a semidependent or dependent care environment, should the need arise.
§ 184-183 Where permitted.
[Amended 6-19-2012 by Ord. No. 330]
The institutional uses listed under § 184-184 below will be permitted as conditional uses in all residential districts, all commercial districts, and the Office/Limited Industrial District in compliance with the requirements listed below:
A.
The tract shall be at least 10 acres in size and have direct access to an arterial or collector street.
B.
The proposed use shall be served by public sewer and water service.
C.
A traffic study shall be performed in compliance with § 184-84 herein. Mitigation of traffic impacts on surrounding roads may be required by the Board of Supervisors.
D.
For uses listed under § 184-184C below, the applicant shall guarantee occupancy only by persons 55 years or older, if the housing meets the criteria of federal and state law:
[Amended 6-16-2015 by Ord. No. 360]
(1)
The guaranty shall be in a form acceptable to the Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation by the Township Solicitor.
(2)
The guaranty shall be a covenant running with the land, applicable to the applicant and his heirs, successors and assigns.
(3)
If, at any time, elderly residents cannot he guaranteed, the property may be converted to another permitted institutional use or a use permitted in the underlying district.
E.
The development shall be designed with unified standards for building design, landscaping, lighting and access to interior roads. These standards shall be submitted in the form of protective covenants which shall be binding upon developers of individual lots.
[Amended 4-6-2021 by Ord. No. 405]
§ 184-184 Conditional uses.
On any tract that meets the requirements of § 184-183 above, one or more of the following uses may be permitted:
A.
Medical and surgical hospitals or clinics, convalescent homes and other health care facilities of a similar nature.
B.
Retirement communities, nursing homes, personal or intermediate care facilities and similar uses providing elderly care.
C.
Individual dwelling units may be developed only when permitted in the underlying districts and shall be restricted to the types of dwellings permitted in the district where they are to be located.
[Amended 11-4-1998 by Ord. No. 198; 5-3-2005 by Ord. No. 249]
D.
Customary accessory uses, including cafeterias, gift shops, newsstands and other small retail operations intended primarily for the occupants, visitors and employees of the institution.
§ 184-185 Development standards.
The following standards shall apply to any permitted institutional use listed above:
A.
Minimum lot area: 10 acres.
B.
Minimum lot width: 300 feet.
C.
Minimum front yard: 100 feet.
D.
Building setback from side or rear lot lines: 100 feet.
E.
Maximum impervious coverage: 50% of net area or NBA, whichever is less.
F.
Maximum building coverage: 20% of net area.
G.
Maximum building height: 35 feet.
H.
Minimum separation between buildings: 25 feet, or the height of the taller building, whichever is greater.
I.
The maximum density of any dwelling units developed under this article shall be equal to the density that would otherwise be permitted for such dwellings in the applicable zoning district, plus a bonus of 20% for dwelling units that are permanently restricted to persons age 55 or older. This bonus is intended to recognize the fact that senior citizen households typically generate less community impacts than other types of households.
[Amended 11-4-1998 by Ord. No. 198]
(1)
Land areas occupied by uses other than dwelling units (such as hospitals) shall not count towards the land area used to calculate permitted dwelling density.
(2)
For any facilities housing persons overnight that do not involve dwelling units (such as a personal care center), each two beds shall be considered equal to one dwelling unit.