Suitable areas within the Township to accommodate publicly owned and operated buildings and facilities.

Suitable areas within the Township to accommodate public and private educational facilities.

Suitable areas within the Township to accommodate public parks, recreation areas and open space in order to meet the open space and recreation needs of the Township.

Regulatory standards which will ensure the compatibility of adjacent uses and which will preserve and protect environmentally sensitive open space and recreation areas from incompatible development.

Design and regulatory standards for educational facilities which will ensure the compatibility of adjacent uses.

The provisions of the Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay District shall serve as a supplement to the underlying district provisions.

In the case of a conflict between the provisions or requirements of the Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay District and those of any underlying district, the provisions of the Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay District shall apply.

A change in the underlying zoning shall not affect the classification of any land zoned as the Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay District.

Whenever the Public Facilities and Open Space Overlay District is declared inapplicable to any land by administrative or judicial action or whenever the Township deletes land from the district, the underlying zoning classification for the subject land shall apply.

Township buildings and facilities, municipal authority buildings and facilities, library, emergency services station, community center for senior citizens, government office or office of an elected official.

Public lands held for conservation and open space preservation, including open space dedicated to Lower Providence Township or Montgomery County subject to the following additional requirements: Open space activities are limited to uses of a primarily passive or nonintensive nature, including hiking, bicycling, forest preserve, watershed protection area, bridle trails, fishing, picnicking and similar uses.

Municipal, county, state and federal parks, including, but not limited to, Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Evansburg State Park and Valley Forge National Historical Park, subject to the following additional requirements: Parks are limited to uses of a nonintensive nature, including picnic areas, playing fields, hiking, bicycling, fishing, ice skating, overnight camping, wildlife sanctuary, boating, playgrounds and tennis.

Elementary schools subject to the following additional requirements:

Concessions on public lands, including refreshment stands, boat rentals, stables for boarding or renting horses and similar activities whenever Township regulations are not preempted by another jurisdiction. Concessions shall be subject to the following additional requirements:

All other educational institutions and adjunct dormitories and other uses customarily incidental to an educational institution shall be subject to the following requirements. Correctional or penal institutions, and/or licensed day-care centers shall not be considered as institutions for purposes of this section.

Minimum lot size: one acre.

Minimum lot width at building setback line: 150 feet.

Minimum street frontage: 100 feet.

Minimum building setback:

Maximum building height: 35 feet.

Maximum building coverage: 30%.

Maximum impervious coverage: 50%.

Minimum vegetation, trees or landscaping: 30%.

Minimum distance between buildings: 25 feet.

Minimum parking area setback:

A community impact analysis shall be submitted to the Township containing the following information for review by the Township Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors:

The use shall not generate noise, noxious odors, air pollution or glare or result in pedestrian-vehicular conflict or other safety hazards to people or property. Outdoor recreation facilities shall only be permitted where the noise generated by the use will have a minimal impact on nearby residential uses and where hazards, such as golf balls in flight, are contained on the site to the maximum extent possible.

Outdoor storage, waste disposal and loading areas shall be screened from streets and adjacent uses to preserve the character of the surrounding area. Such activities shall be located to the rear of structures. The location and design of parking areas shall be in harmony with preserving the general appearance and character of the area.

Applications for conditional uses shall include, as a minimum, a tentative sketch plan with sufficient data to document compliance with the standards and criteria of this section. The Board of Supervisors may request that the applicant submit additional information to permit the Board to evaluate the impacts of the conditional use.

The applicant shall demonstrate that appropriate measures can be designed, imposed and enforced which will alleviate any negative impacts projected as a result of the development.

Traffic and access. The applicant shall demonstrate to the Township Engineer and the Board of Supervisors that satisfactory provisions are made to prevent traffic congestion and hazards to the surrounding area. Provisions shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from the development. The Board of Supervisors may require a traffic impact study for any use in this district when they determine, after consulting with the Township Engineer, that such a study is necessary to demonstrate the adequacy of the access points and streets for accommodating the traffic generated by the proposed use. Existing residential areas shall not be infringed upon by the significant volumes of traffic from the proposed use.

Sewer and water. On-lot sanitary systems shall only be permitted for uses under 5,000 square feet of gross floor area if approved by the Board of Supervisors. If the Board of Supervisors approves an on-site system, the sanitary system must also be approved by the Township Sewer Enforcement Office (SEO), the Montgomery County Health Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). If public water is not available and if the demand is in excess of 500 gallons per day, the applicant shall demonstrate to the Board of Supervisors that a well on the site will not adversely affect existing water supply systems in the area.

Neighborhood impact. The impact of the proposed use on the surrounding properties and neighborhood shall be considered. The use shall not adversely affect the general welfare or orderly development of the general neighborhood in which it is proposed. The scale, form, and appearance of structures and open space should be compatible with the general character of the residential area. The applicant is encouraged to present evidence on the need for the proposed use, including data on the location of other similar uses in the Township and surrounding areas.

A traffic impact study shall be required for any conditional use and shall be submitted simultaneously with an application for any conditional use.

A traffic impact study may be required by the Board of Supervisors for other uses in the district when the proposed site is determined to be a congested area by the Board of Supervisors and/or when a traffic impact study is deemed necessary by the Board of Supervisors to evaluate the community impact of any proposed development.

Whenever a traffic impact study is required, the preliminary plan shall be considered incomplete until the required traffic impact study has been prepared by a professional traffic engineer and submitted to the Township.

A traffic impact study shall contain the following:

Internal landscaping of all parking areas shall be provided in compliance with the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.[1]

Perimeter landscaping shall be provided along all road rights-of-way and property boundaries, in compliance with the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. Existing landscape material may be used to meet these requirements when possible.