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Middletown Township Bucks
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE XIII

RC Retirement Community District

§ 500-1301 Purpose and intent.

The purpose of this district is to allow for the creation of a planned community for senior citizens which would provide care, supervision, living accommodations, health care and recreation. Reasonable standards for the size of structures, open space and permitted uses are established for this district.

§ 500-1302 Use regulations.

[Amended 10-2-2001 by Ord. No. 01-13]
A building may be erected or used and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no other:
A. 
Townhouse. An attached dwelling unit, with one dwelling unit from ground to roof, having individual outside access. No more than eight townhouses shall be attached in any group.
B. 
Garden apartments. A grouping of dwelling units sharing common elements which may include common outside access. The dwelling units share a common lot area which is the sum of the required lot areas of all dwelling units within the building. Garden apartments shall contain three or more dwellings in a single structure.
C. 
Common facilities required to support the needs of retired, infirm or disabled persons, such as:
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05]
(1) 
Dining facilities, including kitchens and accessory facilities, for residents and their guests.
(2) 
Social rooms, meeting rooms and overnight guest rooms.
(3) 
Health care facilities, including clinic, rehabilitation services, nursing care, convalescent care, intermediate care, extended care, personal care, laboratory, and other similar facilities.
(4) 
Administrative offices used in the management of the retirement community and health-care facilities.
(5) 
Activity rooms, craft and hobby shops, gifts shops, and similar type uses.
D. 
Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any permitted use in the district.
E. 
Forestry/timber harvesting, pursuant to the regulations set forth in § 500-402M of this chapter.

§ 500-1303 Area, dimensional and design requirements.

[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05]
All uses in the RC District shall meet the following requirements:
A. 
Minimum site area: 15 acres.
B. 
Maximum density: 12 dwelling units per acre.
C. 
Maximum building coverage: 30%.
D. 
Minimum open space ratio: 40%.
E. 
Minimum building setback.
(1) 
Street lines: 100 feet.
(2) 
Other property lines: 50 feet.
F. 
Maximum building height: four stories or 50 feet, whichever is less.
G. 
Maximum impervious surface ratio: 50%.
H. 
Each dwelling unit shall have no more than two bedrooms. The minimum habitable size of each dwelling unit shall be:
(1) 
Efficiency: 400 square feet.
(2) 
One-bedroom: 550 square feet.
(3) 
One-bedroom with den: 700 square feet.
(4) 
Two-bedroom: 800 square feet.
I. 
Buffer yard.
(1) 
A fifty-foot-wide buffer yard shall be provided along all property lines of the site. The buffer yard shall meet the requirements of § 500-2605.
(2) 
The buffer yard may be counted towards meeting the minimum required open space.
J. 
The retirement community shall have access to a public street either directly or by means of a right-of-way at least 50 feet in width.
K. 
Utilities. Each retirement community shall be supplied with public sewer and water facilities. All utilities shall be installed underground.
L. 
Off-street parking. There shall be one parking space per dwelling unit and one parking space per health-care facility bed.
M. 
Each retirement community shall be built as a single legal entity and shall be retained in single ownership. Fee sale of units shall be prohibited. In addition, all common facilities to support the needs of the residents of the retirement community shall remain under a single ownership.