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Lower Salford Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE XIA

MHP Mobile Home Park District

[Added 3-15-1989 by Ord. No. 89-2]

§ 164-52.1 Legislative intent.

In addition to the statement of community development objectives set forth in Article II, §§ 164-3 and 164-4 of this chapter, it is hereby declared to be the specific intent of this article with respect to the MHP Mobile Home Park District to establish standards of performance and promote the desirable benefits which planned mobile home parks may have upon the community and the residents within them. It is further the intent of this article to ensure the interdependency and compatibility of proposed mobile home parks with essential utilities and surrounding land uses in the Township. It shall further be the intent of this district:
A. 
To reflect the changes in the technology of home building and land development so that resulting economies may accrue to the benefits of those who need homes.
B. 
To further the general welfare by extending greater opportunities for better and more affordable housing to present and prospective residents of Lower Salford Township.
C. 
To provide for better quality and greater variety in type, design and layout of mobile home parks than has been evident in many mobile home parks in the past by enforcing uniform standards, desirable design criteria and encouraging innovative site design approaches.
D. 
To provide for a diversity in housing types and prices.
E. 
To encourage mobile home parks that are beneficial rather than detrimental to property values and the general welfare of the area in which they are proposed.

§ 164-52.2 Use regulations.

A. 
Mobile home parks and conventional single-family detached dwellings are permitted in accordance with one of the development alternatives listed below:
(1) 
Mobile home parks consisting solely of mobile homes of single width or multiple width or both, are permitted. The mobile home park shall not include motor homes, recreational vehicles or travel trailers.
(2) 
Mobile home parks consisting of a mix of mobile homes and conventional single-family detached homes, are permitted. The mobile home park may include mobile homes of single width or multiple width or both, and conventional single-family detached homes but shall not include motor homes, recreational vehicles or travel trailers. No more than 40% of the total number of dwelling units in a mixed mobile home park may consist of conventional single-family detached dwellings. All conventional single-family detached dwellings within a mobile home park must meet the standards of the R-4 District, Article XI of this chapter, for single-family dwellings.
B. 
Accessory uses.[1]
(1) 
Accessory uses and structures customarily incidental to the maintenance, servicing and well-being of mobile home park residents shall be permitted only as part of an approved development plan for the site.
(2) 
Accessory uses on individual mobile home lots, customarily incidental to mobile homes or other dwellings, such as storage sheds, shall be permitted on the individual mobile home lots, provided that the provisions of §§ 164-52.5 and 164-52.6 and other applicable ordinances are complied with.
(3) 
Added rooms specifically designed by the mobile home manufacturers for enlargement of mobile homes may be joined onto a mobile home, provided that all requirements of § 164-52.6 and other applicable ordinances are met, and provided that the mobile home remains unobstructed and easily movable.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsections A(3), which permitted subdivisions, and B, which permitted any use in the R-3 District, were repealed 10-4-1993 by Ord. No. 93-12. This ordinance also redesignated former Subsection C, Accessory uses, as Subsection B.

§ 164-52.3 General provisions and requirements.

The following general regulations shall apply to all mobile home park developments within the Mobile Home Park District.
A. 
The tract of land proposed for subdivision or land development shall be in single ownership, or ownership will be such that the tract will be developed under a single direction in accordance with an approved plan.
B. 
Any parcel to be used for a mobile home park must have a minimum gross lot area of 15 contiguous acres of land.
C. 
Each mobile home tract must have at least 10 acres of land that does not contain floodplains, steep slopes (over 15% grade), utility easements and/or wetlands.
D. 
Any site proposed for a mobile home park shall, in the opinion of the governing body, be easily accessible to essential community facilities and services such as employment centers, shopping centers, schools and police and fire protection.
E. 
Every area to be used as a mobile home park must be served exclusively by a municipal sanitary waste disposal system and a centralized water supply system.
F. 
Any tract intended for a mobile home park must have direct access to a feeder-type road (or road of a higher classification), as defined by the Township Highway Map, which the Township governing body deems capable of accommodating the transport of mobile home units, upon recommendation of the Township Engineer.
G. 
Plans evidencing provision for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from the public streets and highways servicing the mobile home park, without causing undue confusion or interference with the normal traffic flow, shall be approved by the Township governing body, which shall make the determination based on the adequacy of the thoroughfare to carry the additional traffic generated by the mobile home park, upon recommendation of the Township Engineer.

§ 164-52.4 Density.

The maximum number of mobile homes permitted in a mobile home park is based on a density of 4.5 units per gross acre and shall be computed as follows:
A. 
To determine gross lot area:
(1) 
Subtract the area between the center line of abutting streets and legal right-of-way line of these streets from total lot area.
B. 
To determine the maximum number of mobile homes permitted:
(1) 
Subtract all area used for conventional single-family detached lots and any streets serving these lots from the gross lot area.
(2) 
Multiply the remaining acreage by 4.5 dwelling units per acre to determine the maximum number of mobile homes.

§ 164-52.5 Conventional single-family homes.

Conventional single-family detached dwellings in mobile home parks shall not comprise more than 40% of the total number of dwelling units and shall meet the lot area, setback and building coverage regulations and the height regulations of the R-4 Medium-High-Density Residence Districts.

§ 164-52.6 Mobile homes.

A. 
Setback from tract boundary. No mobile home or other primary building may be located closer than 40 feet to any boundary of a mobile home development regardless of whether that boundary abuts a lot, water body, road or other right-of-way. In the event that a mobile home park abuts another such development, this may be reduced to 25 feet.
B. 
Setback from streets. In no case shall the long side of a mobile home or any side of another primary building or accessory use be located closer than 25 feet to the ultimate right-of-way line of any public street to the edge of the cartway or the equivalent right-of-way line if applicable of private interior roadways, or to the edge of any common pedestrian walkway within a mobile home development; provided, however, that the short side of a mobile home may be located no closer to private interior roadways or common pedestrian walkways than 15 feet. 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.
C. 
Setback from common parking facilities. No mobile home or accessory use shall be located within 25 feet of any common parking area.
D. 
Net lot size. All mobile home lots in a mobile home development, regardless of tenure, shall have a minimum net lot size of 5,000 square feet, when on-lot parking is provided, except that this may be reduced to no less than 4,500 square feet when common parking is provided.
[Amended 8-21-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
E. 
Lot width. No individual mobile home lot shall be less than 55 feet in width at the building setback line, although this may be reduced to 45 feet where roofed additions are prohibited or where the applicant can demonstrate that roofed additions can be added without violating the provisions of Subsections F and H herein. No individual mobile home lot shall be less than 25 feet in width at the right-of-way line of a public street or the equivalent right-of-way line or the edge of the pavement of a private street, as applicable.
F. 
Side and rear setbacks. No mobile home or accessory building may be located closer than four feet to any side or rear lot line of an individual mobile home lot; provided, however, that all minimum requirements of Subsection H must be met, and provided further that accessory buildings may be located on the lot line if physically joined to each other with a common wall located on the property line.
G. 
Unit location of individual lots. Mobile homes placed on individual lots are encouraged to utilize the minimal setbacks specified in Subsection F and to be placed off-center on the lots so as to provide a large, usable open yard space and outdoor living area in one section of the lot.
H. 
Distance between structures. Mobile homes and roofed structures or areas attached thereto shall be separated from each other, and from other buildings and structures, other than accessory structures, at their closest points by a minimum of 20 feet; provided, however, that whenever two mobile homes have their longer sides parallel or essentially parallel to each other for more than 25% of the length of either, the minimum distance between the two mobile homes shall be 30 feet. The sides shall be considered essentially parallel if they form an angle of less than 45° when extended to intersect.
I. 
Lot coverage. The maximum coverage of any individual mobile home lot by all primary and accessory buildings and structures, including covered patios or decks, shall be no greater than 25%.
J. 
Height. No mobile homes shall exceed a height of one story or a maximum of 25 feet.
K. 
Preservation of natural features. No mobile home or other structure shall be located within an area defined as floodplain by the Township Floodplain Ordinance,[1] nor shall any mobile home be placed on steep slope land having a natural grade of 15% or greater, nor shall said steep slope land be graded to a lesser percentage slope for the purpose of accommodating a mobile home.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Ch. 91, Flood Damage Control, adopted 1-6-1982 by Ord. No. 82-2, as amended, was repealed 12-4-1996 by Ord. No. 96-7. For current provisions, see Article XV, Floodplain Conservation District.
L. 
Design alternatives. 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, distance between structures, minimum lot width and minimum lot size may be reduced up to a maximum of 10% upon approval of the governing body, provided that at least 50% of all lots so reduced shall directly abut a 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 § 164-52.7. All other regulations remain as stated herein.

§ 164-52.7 Common open space.

[Amended 8-21-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
At least 15% of the site area of the mobile home development must be in common open space as defined herein; no more than 1/3 of which may be required buffer area. The configuration and location of the common open space must be consistent with the requirements of § 164-22 of this chapter.

§ 164-52.8 Buffers.

All mobile home parks must have buffers that meet the following requirements.
A. 
General requirements. Along all exterior property boundary lines, except those which abut another mobile home park, there shall be a permanent buffer at least 15 feet in depth, unless this is waived pursuant to Subsection D or E below. A screen buffer, as defined herein, shall be provided wherever the mobile home park abuts existing residential uses, and when deemed necessary for other types of abutting uses by the Township governing body to provide sufficient buffering and transition. A softening buffer, as defined herein, shall be provided wherever the mobile home development abuts existing commercial, office, industrial and institutional uses; any existing street, as modified by Subsection C below, drive or parking area; or open (not wooded) undeveloped land. An open buffer shall be provided wherever more extensive buffers are deemed unnecessary by the governing body.
B. 
Components. The minimum component of each type of buffer shall be as follows:
(1) 
Screen buffer. The primary components of a screen buffer shall be a row of evergreen trees, at a height of not less than six feet when planted, spaced not more than 10 feet apart on-center, and these trees shall be of such species to attain a height at maturity of not less than 20 feet. Also required as a secondary component of the buffer is one of the following: mounding (the use of which is encouraged), provided that the slopes shall be a maximum of three to one; visually opaque fencing not greater than six feet in height; and coniferous shrubbery. Any combination of evergreen trees, coniferous shrubs, mounding, fencing or other natural vegetation or man-made materials is allowable, provided that an effective visual screen at least 15 feet in height above the adjacent ground elevation in the mobile home park is achieved. But whenever only vegetation is used, there shall be at least a double row of evergreen trees, with the trees in one row offset five feet from the trees in the other row, and the rows at least five feet apart. All screening plant materials shall be chosen from the list in § 142-43C(4) of Ch. 142, Subdivision and Land Development.
(2) 
Softening buffer. The primary component of a softening buffer shall be a row of trees, spaced not more than 25 feet apart 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 in height at maturity. Any deciduous trees shall be at least 1 1/2 inches in caliper and eight feet in height when planted, and shall attain a height of not less than 20 feet at maturity. These trees shall be interspersed with other allowable components, including any other type of trees, shrubs, mounding, fencing and/or similar natural or man-made elements having a visible vertical dimension, or any combination thereof.
(3) 
Open buffer. The open buffer shall, as a minimum, consist of grass, ground cover and/or similar vegetative material and may include trees, shrubs or other natural or man-made landscaping materials, but it shall be mostly vegetative with minimal paved areas if any.
C. 
Street boundaries. Rather than the extensive buffers described above, the use of 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, may be provided along all property boundaries which abut a street, wherever necessary for adequate sight distance or where the governing body determines this to be a sufficient buffer to protect the welfare and safety of the community.
D. 
Existing buffers. In cases where an edge(s) of a mobile home development occurs along natural features which function as buffers, including but not limited to mature vegetation, significant grade changes or stream valleys, which are likely to be permanently preserved, buffering may be waived along that edge(s) upon approval of the governing body.
E. 
Buffer alternative. Buffers may also be waived by the governing body where the mobile home development abuts a single-family residential use, if only conventional single-family detached dwellings, but not mobile homes, are constructed within 200 feet of that property boundary.
F. 
Maintenance. All vegetation shall be maintained permanently and, in the event of death or other destruction, shall be replaced within one year by the persons responsible for maintenance when death or destruction occurred.
G. 
Buffer landscape plan. A landscaping plan shall be submitted with the final plans, showing all pertinent information, including the location, size and specie of all individual trees and shrubs to be preserved or planted, or alternately the general characteristics of existing vegetation masses which are to be preserved.

§ 164-52.9 Conformance with other standards.

All mobile home parks and individual mobile homes shall meet the standards of Article VI, Mobile Home Regulations, of Ch. 142, Subdivision and Land Development.