Perkiomen Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXII
OSR Open Space Residential Overlay District
§ 310-175 Legislative intent.
The primary purpose of this article is to preserve significant open space in the more rural areas of the Township while permitting a reasonable amount of residential development in the form of small, compact neighborhoods of single-family detached homes in an open space setting, located and designed to reduce the perceived intensity of development, preserve natural features, and provide privacy and neighborhood identity. Specific objectives are as follows:
A.
To preserve open land, including those areas containing unique and sensitive natural features, such as woodlands, steep slopes, streams, floodplain and wetlands, by setting them aside from development.
B.
To preserve scenic views and elements of the Township's rural character and to minimize perceived density by minimizing views of new development from existing roads.
C.
To provide greater design flexibility and efficiency in the siting of services and infrastructure by reducing the length of roads, utility runs and the amount of paving required for residential development.
D.
To create neighborhoods with direct visual access to open land, with amenities in the form of neighborhood open space, and with a strong neighborhood identity.
E.
To reduce erosion and sedimentation by retaining existing vegetation and minimizing development on steep slopes.
F.
To create new woodlands through natural succession and reforestation, where appropriate, and to encourage the preservation and improvement of habitat for various forms of wildlife.
G.
To meet the objectives of the Township's Park and Recreation Plan by providing open space for active or passive recreational use by residents.
§ 310-176 General requirements and eligibility criteria.
A.
Any uses permitted in the R-1 and R-2 Residential Districts are permitted under the OSR Open Space Residential Overlay District requirements.
B.
Development under the OSR District shall be permitted as a conditional use in the R-1 and R-2 Districts on tracts of land that meet the following requirements and the requirements of § 310-53 of Article VIII:
(1)
Minimum net area of the tract shall be 20 acres in the R-1 District and 15 acres in the R-2 District.
(2)
At least 45% of a tract in the R-1 District and 40% of a tract in the R-2 District shall be suitable for open space use. The open space shall be permanently set aside as open space and shall meet the requirements of § 310-180 below.
(3)
The tract shall be served by public sanitary sewer and public water.
(4)
The tract of land to be developed shall be in single ownership.
§ 310-177 Sketch plan requirements.
At the election of the applicant for conditional use, a sketch plan may be submitted for review by the Perkiomen Township Planning Commission prior to formal application for conditional use. A sketch plan shall not be considered a preliminary plan. The purpose of a sketch plan will be to demonstrate the applicant's ability to meet the requirements of Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development, compliance with the provisions and intent of this article, as well as the design standards for open space residential developments in Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development. The sketch plan may also include the following:
§ 310-178 Dimensional standards for single-family detached dwellings.
R-1 District | R-2 District | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
A. | Minimum tract size | 20 acres | 15 acres | |
B. | Minimum common open space | 45% | 40% | |
C. | Maximum density. The following 2 steps shall be used to calculate density: | |||
(1) | A yield plan, showing the maximum number of lots that could be developed in accordance with the underlying zoning district(s), shall be prepared for the tract proposed for subdivision. This yield plan shall be equivalent to a plan submitted for regular subdivision approval; shall meet all requirements of the underlying zoning district(s), the net lot area calculation and all other applicable standards of the Township's Zoning and Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances;[1] and must be deemed acceptable to the Perkiomen Township Board of Supervisors in consultation with the Township Engineer. | |||
(2) | The number of lots permitted under the OSR Cluster Overlay shall equal the number of residential lots permitted under the yield plan. | |||
D. | Minimum lot size | 20,000 square feet | 15,000 square feet | |
E. | Minimum lot width | 75 feet | 65 feet | |
F. | Minimum front yard | 25 feet | 25 feet | |
G. | Minimum side yard: | |||
Each side | 10 feet | 10 feet | ||
Aggregate | 25 feet | 25 feet | ||
H. | Minimum rear yard | 25 feet | 25 feet | |
I. | Accessory building setback from rear or side lot lines (accessory buildings not permitted in front yard setback) | 10 feet | 10 feet | |
J. | Maximum building coverage (percent of lot area) | 22% | 25% | |
K. | Maximum impervious coverage (percent of lot area) | 40% | 40% | |
§ 310-179 Neighborhood standards.
All residential lots are required to be grouped into neighborhoods according to the open space residential provisions of Chapter 264, Subdivision and Land Development.
A.
Neighborhood design standards.
(1)
Neighborhoods shall be defined by the outer perimeter of contiguous lotted areas and may contain lots, roads and open space. A plan may contain one or more neighborhoods.
(2)
Neighborhoods shall be surrounded by open space to the greatest extent possible. Neighborhoods shall be separated by open space in order to provide direct access to open space for lots and privacy to individual yard areas. Roads may not be used to separate adjacent neighborhoods unless one or more of the following is provided:
(3)
Views of neighborhoods from exterior roads shall be minimized by the use of changes in topography, existing vegetation that is preserved, and/or additional landscaping.
(4)
The encroachment of neighborhoods (including residential lots and neighborhood open space) on environmentally sensitive areas (including wetlands, floodplain, and slopes over 25%) shall be minimized. In addition, there shall be a minimum fifteen-foot setback between any building and any wetlands or floodplain.
B.
Neighborhood setbacks. All neighborhoods shall meet the following setback requirements:
(1)
From external road ultimate rights-of-way of feeder or higher classification roads: 100 feet.
(2)
From all tract boundaries: 50 feet.
(3)
From other residential neighborhoods: 75 feet. At the discretion of the Board of Supervisors, this setback could be reduced to 50 feet if the area is heavily landscaped or an existing hedgerow is preserved and/or enhanced.
(4)
From active recreation areas such as courts or playing fields: 50 feet.
§ 310-180 Common open space standards.
The portion of the tract that is required common open space shall meet the following standards:
A.
Permitted uses. The following uses are permitted in the common open space areas:
(1)
Conservation of open land in its natural state (including woodland, fallow field, or managed meadow).
(2)
Passive recreation, including, but not limited to, trails, picnic areas, community gardens and lawn areas.
(3)
Active recreation areas, including, but not limited to, golf courses, playing fields, playgrounds and courts. Such active recreation areas shall be set back from the tract boundary a minimum of 100 feet. At a minimum, 15% of the required common open space must be usable for active recreation. The design of all active recreation areas shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
(4)
Parking areas of 10 or fewer spaces where necessary to serve any active recreation facilities.
B.
Location and design. Common open space areas shall be located and designed to:
(1)
Protect site features identified in the planning process as having particular value.
(2)
Comply conceptually with the recommendations of the Perkiomen Township Open Space Plan, where specified.
(3)
Maximize common boundaries with open space areas on adjacent tracts.
(4)
Provide safe and efficient pedestrian and maintenance access. If individual lots do not have direct access to common open space, then at least one centrally located access point per neighborhood shall be provided.
C.
Ownership and maintenance. Common open space and facilities shall be owned and maintained according to the following provisions:
(1)
The common open space and facilities shall be owned by one or more of the following organizations, as approved by the Board of Supervisors:
(2)
Unless otherwise agreed to by the Township, the cost and responsibility of maintaining common open space and facilities shall be borne by the property owner, condominium association, homeowners' association or conservation organization. If the facilities are not properly maintained, the Township has the right but not the responsibility of assuming the maintenance and may charge the property owner, condominium association, homeowners' association or conservation organization a fee which covers maintenance costs, administrative costs and penalties.