Lower Gwynedd Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1259
A-2 Residential District
§ 1259.01 Application of chapter.
[Ord. 417. Passed 1-20-2004]
(a)
In an A-2 Residential District, the regulations set forth in this chapter shall apply.
(b)
It is the intent of this chapter to allow for a combination of dwelling types, as an alternative to standard A-1 development, on parcels of land in excess of 60 contiguous acres abutting arterial roadways on two or more sides.
§ 1259.02 Permitted uses.
§ 1259.03 Overall lot area, density and width.
[Ord. 417. Passed 1-20-2004]
A-2 residential development in accordance with the development standards contained in this chapter shall incorporate the following design criteria:
(a)
The lot area of the contiguous tract to be developed shall be a minimum of 60 gross acres and shall be in single and separate ownership or, if separate parcels, shall be developed as a combined tract subject to an application filed jointly by the owners of all parcels to be included, which parcels are to be contiguous, said application stipulating that all parcels would be developed as a singular tract in accordance with the approved plan.
(b)
Density. In an A-2 Residential District, the number of units per gross acre shall not exceed 1.95, of which single-family detached dwelling units shall comprise a minimum of 15% of the total dwelling units.
(c)
Minimum lot width. A lot width of not less than 200 feet shall be provided along any public street for every access to the development.
(d)
Twenty percent of the total developable acreage of the tract and all of the nondevelopable acreage shall be preserved as common open space in accordance with the following provisions:
(1)
Common open space shall be so designated on the plans, and the plans shall contain a notation stating "Common open space shall not be separately sold and shall not be further developed or subdivided."
(2)
Common open space areas shall be designed as a continuous system of accessible open space and shall be interconnected with open space areas on abutting parcels whenever possible. Significant buffering areas may be included as part of the common open space so as to provide either protection from abutting arterial roadways or appropriate buffering between townhouse development within the tract and adjoining residential tracts.
(3)
Common open space shall be provided with safe and convenient access to the residentially developed area of the tract by adjoining frontage on streets or easements capable of accommodating pedestrian, bicycle and maintenance vehicle traffic. Common open space shall contain appropriate access improvements with parking.
(4)
Common open space shall consist predominantly of natural environmental features or planted and maintained vegetation which may contain walking, hiking or equestrian trails whenever possible.
(5)
Common open space shall be designed, wherever possible, to complement and preserve the tract's natural resources, including but not limited to trees, wetlands, floodplains, riparian buffers, steep slopes, wildlife habitat, scenic views and interconnected greenways.
(6)
Common open space shall not be provided in narrow strips of land less than 50 feet in width unless such strips contain perimeter trails or trail connections or unless such strips have frontage on public roads and provide access to larger contiguous areas of common open space.
(e)
Provision for ownership and maintenance of common open space shall be made in a manner so as to ensure its preservation. This shall be accomplished in accordance with those provisions set forth at Section 1258.11(b).
(f)
Detention basins shall not be permitted in the calculation of minimum required common open space. In addition, no detention basin shall be located within 25 feet of any dwelling unit within the A-2 residential development. No detention basin shall be located within 100 feet of any building or dwelling unit located beyond the A2 residential development. No portion of any detention basin shall be situate within the property lines of any residential lot within an A2 residential development.
§ 1259.04 Design criteria for single-family detached units.
[Ord. 417. Passed 1-20-2004]
Single-family detached units in an A-2 residential development shall be designed in accordance with the following development standards:
(a)
Lot area. A lot area of not less than 20,000 square feet shall be provided for every dwelling. Undevelopable land shall not be counted when calculating the minimum lot area, although such undevelopable land may be included within individual lots if permitted by the Board of Supervisors during the conditional use process, provided appropriate restrictions providing for the protection of such areas is incorporated either in the deed of conveyance or recorded declaration.
(b)
Minimum lot width. A lot width of not less than 105 feet at the actual building setback line shall be provided for every dwelling.
(c)
Yard regulations.
(1)
Front yards. There shall be a front yard on each lot, which yard shall not be less than 45 feet in depth.
(2)
Side yards. There shall be two side yards on each lot, neither of which shall be less than 15 feet in width. The aggregate side yard shall equal a minimum of 40 feet in width.
(3)
Rear yards. There shall be a rear yard on each lot, which yard shall not be less than 50 feet in depth.
(4)
Yards adjacent to single-family residential districts. Any yard abutting lots in other single-family residential districts shall be a minimum of 65 feet in width/depth.
(e)
Building height.
(1)
The maximum height for dwellings erected or enlarged in an A-2 Residential District shall be 45 feet, not exceeding 2 1/2 stories.
(f)
Off-street parking.
(1)
For each dwelling unit in an A-2 Residential District, two all-weather off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 1294.
(2)
Setbacks. No driveway shall be located closer than five feet to any property line, except that the turnaround portion in the vicinity of side entry garages may be reduced to two feet offset to any property line.
§ 1259.04.1 Design criteria for single-family detached village units.
[Added 6-24-2008 by Ord. No. 459]
Single-family detached village units in an A-2 residential development shall be designed in accordance with the following development standards:
(a)
Lot area. A lot area of not less than 9,500 square feet shall be provided for every dwelling. Undevelopable land shall not be counted when calculating the minimum lot area, although such undevelopable land may be included within individual lots if appropriate restrictions providing for the protection of such areas are incorporated either in the deed of conveyance or recorded declaration.
(b)
Minimum lot width. A lot width of not less than 85 feet at the building setback line shall be provided for every dwelling.
(c)
Yard regulations.
(1)
Front yards. There shall be a front yard on each lot, which yard shall not be less than 30 feet in depth.
(2)
Side yards. There shall be two side yards on each lot, neither of which shall be less than 10 feet in width. The aggregate side yard shall equal a minimum of 25 feet in width.
(3)
Rear yards. There shall be a rear yard on each lot, which yard shall not be less than 20 feet in depth.
§ 1259.05 Design criteria for townhouse dwelling units.
[Ord. 417. Passed 1-20-2004]
(a)
Building coverage shall not exceed 60%.
(b)
Impervious coverage shall not exceed 70%.
(c)
Building setback:
(1)
Front yard. There shall be a minimum setback of 25 feet from the ultimate right-of-way line of any dedicated road and a minimum setback of 35 feet from the rear of curb on undedicated private roads.
(2)
Rear yard. There shall be a minimum rear yard of 20 feet for each townhouse dwelling unit. Uncovered decks may extend into the minimum rear yard up to 10 feet.
(3)
Building spacing. No portion of any townhouse building shall be situate closer than 30 feet side-to-side from another townhouse dwelling unit, and there shall be a minimum of 50 feet building spacing between any other orientation of townhouse buildings/dwelling units.
(e)
Off-street parking and loading.
§ 1259.06 Special design standards for A-2 residential developments.
[Ord. 417. Passed 1-20-2004]
(a)
Building plan. All buildings shall be in accordance with an overall plan and shall be designed as a single architectural scheme.
(b)
Preservation of natural features. The development plan shall, where possible, preserve and incorporate natural features such as woods, streams and open space areas which add to the overall cohesive development of such District and to the overall Township development.
(c)
Lighting and utility lines. Spaces between buildings, parking areas, loading areas, access areas and service areas shall be adequately illuminated at night. Lighting, including sign lighting, shall be arranged to protect the highway and adjoining property from direct glare or hazardous interference. Utility lines servicing the area shall be placed underground.
(d)
Landscaping. All development in an A-2 Residential District shall be designed and maintained in accordance with the landscape provisions of the Subdivision Regulations, Title Four of this Planning and Zoning Code.
§ 1259.07 Riparian buffer averaging.
[Ord. 417. Passed 1-20-2004]
Notwithstanding the language of Section 1298.17, in an A-2 Residential District, the minimum riparian or wetlands buffer of 25 feet may, by conditional use, be reduced to no less than 10 feet, provided the buffer is increased elsewhere on the tract so that the total area of buffer on the tract is no less than the total area which would be produced by a uniform twenty-five-foot buffer throughout the tract. Such conditional use shall be granted only in locations where necessary to accommodate an otherwise well designed lot layout plan acceptable to the Board of Supervisors, and further provided that the maximum amount of area affected by reducing the buffer to less than 25 feet shall not exceed 15% of the area anywhere on the tract which would lie within a uniform twenty-five-foot buffer under Section 1298.17.