Municipal buildings, offices and uses.

Fire companies and other rescue services.

Class One institutional uses, in accordance with the standards of Article XIVA, Institutional Regulations, of this chapter.

Golf course and club house and, in connection therewith, a country club, but excluding driving ranges, miniature golf course and/or illuminated practice tees.

Single-family detached dwelling within an LPOD cluster development, in accordance with the provisions of Article VIA.

A golf course residential community, according to the provisions of § 164-27.1 of this article. Both the golf course and residential sections shall be subject to land development approvals and shall be secured to guarantee completion as provided within the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.[2] A golf course residential community shall include a golf course, plus any of the following uses and no other:

A minimum site area of 300 acres shall be required for a golf course residential community. The maximum site area for a golf course residential community shall be 500 acres. For purposes of determining compliance with this requirement, the term "site area" shall include all contiguous property and property which would be contiguous but for the location of an existing public right-of-way. However, land shown in any previously approved subdivision or land development as reserved for open space shall not be included in the minimum site area.

All uses (residential and nonresidential) within the golf course residential community shall be served by public water and by public or approved community sewage disposal facilities.

Since the residential lots will ultimately be sold to third parties, and since other portions of the residential portion of the development may be governed by a homeowners' association, an agreement, in form and content acceptable to the Township, shall be entered into (and recorded) between and among the representatives of the residential portion of the property, the representatives of the golf course and the Township. Such agreement shall address, at a minimum, the need for mutual cooperation during construction; necessary cross-easements for stormwater, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, etc.; costs-sharing arrangements for construction of mutually beneficial facilities; and any other issue deemed necessary and appropriate by the parties to ensure the successful development of a golf course residential community as contemplated by this section.

Any proposed golf course shall have a minimum of 18 holes.

The golf course shall be a minimum length of 6,200 yards, measured from the center of the rearmost tee to the center of the green of each hole. The course shall not be designed as an executive or par-3-type golf course.

The golf course and accessory facilities may be held under separate ownership from the residential dwellings.

The dimensional standards for all facilities accessory to the golf course shall be as follows:

Maximum density: one dwelling unit for every 80,000 square feet of net acreage of the tract unless all open space areas are offered for dedication to the Township. In the event of such offering, the maximum permitted density shall increase to one dwelling unit for every 80,000 square feet of gross acreage of the tract, and the Township shall be obligated to complete the golf course and related facilities contemplated by this section. In the event that the Township declines dedication of the open space related to the golf course, the developer of the residential portion of the property shall be responsible to complete the golf course and related improvements.

Minimum lot area: 15,000 square feet, except for lots which are contiguous to properties outside the golf course residential community and do not front upon a new street built within the golf course residential community. Such lots contiguous to outside properties and not fronting upon a new street built within the golf course residential community shall have a minimum lot area of 80,000 square feet or shall provide at least 75 feet of open space as a landscaped buffer to the outside properties.

Minimum lot width: 100 feet.

Minimum front yard: 25 feet.

Minimum side yards: 10 feet minimum on one side, with a twenty-five-foot aggregate. (i.e., 10 and 15 or 12 and 13).

Minimum rear yard: 35 feet. Notwithstanding any language to the contrary elsewhere in this chapter, fencing is prohibited on all lots having rear yards abutting the golf course unless fencing is required for a swimming pool. The required rear yard setback in a residential lot which is directly adjacent to the fairway, green or the rough adjacent to any of these shall not contain any accessory buildings, sheds, swimming pools, decks, patios or any permanently affixed structures of any kind. However, swimming pools and any required fencing, decks and patios may be permitted within the thirty-five-foot minimum rear yard setback area provided a) no part of a pool, coping, patio or walkway around a pool encroaches within the "safety zone" area for the golf hole as shown on the golf course plans on file at the Township building; and b) a twenty-foot minimum setback is still to be maintained from any part of a pool, coping, patio or walkway around a pool. Any and all fencing required to be constructed adjacent to the golf course must be manufactured by Ultra Aluminum Mfg., Inc., Model UAF-201, flat top in pearl black, with 1 5/8 inches and four feet in height. If the specified brand and model number are not available, a substantially similar fence, subject to the approval by the Lower Salford Township Board of Supervisors, shall be constructed. All fencing adjacent to the golf course must include a minimum two-foot-high shrubbery landscape buffer on the exterior of the fence immediately adjacent to the required fence. The maximum distance between shrubs shall be four feet.

Minimum front, rear or side yard setback shall not overlap any golf course safety zone; no required front, side or rear yard setback under this section shall be permitted to overlap on any golf course safety zone. For purposes of this section, a "golf course safety zone" shall be those areas where it can be reasonably anticipated that golf balls may land, using, as a guideline, appropriate standards of the United States Golf Association, but subject to the reasonable approval of the Township.

Maximum building coverage (per lot): 25%.

Maximum impervious coverage (per lot): 45%.

Maximum building height: 35 feet.

Lots within the residential portion of a golf course residential community shall be governed by a homeowners' association declaration or a declaration of covenants and restrictions containing regulations for the use of properties (and particularly those portions of residential lots immediately abutting the golf course) satisfactory to the Board of Supervisors.

A minimum of 65% of the acreage of the proposed golf course community tract shall be preserved as open space, including required buffer areas, although the Supervisors may approve a reduction to 60% of the acreage of the tract if any of the open space areas offered for dedication are not deemed appropriate for public use. The open space shall be permanently deed restricted at the time of plan approval and recording to prohibit any future development. All open space shall be offered to the Township in dedication but the Township shall be under no obligation to accept such offer. If the Township accepts the offer of the open space intended for the golf course and its related facilities, the Township will be obligated to construct the golf course required by § 164-27C(6).

The golf course, practice areas and any permitted accessory uses shall be considered within the required open space.

Due to the unique characteristics of golf course communities, the design criteria as required for common open space within § 164-22 shall not apply to those areas of open space devoted to the golf course or any of its accessory facilities.

The clubhouse and other accessory facilities may be counted toward the minimum required open space, provided that the area for the clubhouse and accessory facilities does not exceed 5% of the total required open space.

At least 5% of the total tract shall be offered for dedication to the Township and set aside from either the residential or golf course uses for general open space, parkland, or recreational use in accordance with § 164-22 of this Code and in a location approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Buffers may contain golf course safety zones, tees and any other land adjacent to golf fairways, greens or tees, but shall not contain any fairways, greens, buildings, parking areas, or portions of required setbacks from existing lots or dwellings.

A minimum fifty-foot buffer is required along all tract boundaries.

A minimum seventy-five-foot buffer measured from the ultimate right-of-way shall be required along the rights-of-way of abutting arterial or major collector roads. A minimum fifty-foot buffer measured from the ultimate right-of-way is required along the rights-of-way of all other abutting roads. In addition, a setback of 300 feet shall be required from the ultimate right-of-way of Route 113 to any new residential building within the golf course residential community.