Upper Providence Township Montgomery County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
Mixed Residential Community Option
§ 300-261 Legislative intent.
In accordance with recommendations contained in the Upper Providence Township Comprehensive Plan Update of 2010, Land Use Plan, it is hereby intended that provisions be made to allow a variety of housing types, including multifamily and small lot single-family detached dwellings, in appropriate areas of the Township to:
A.
Encourage alternative housing types to provide for the varied housing needs of the community.
B.
Provide for road improvements that are desirable to handle the traffic demands of arterial roads, such as at intersections near Route 422.
C.
Locate new residential development in close proximity to existing developed areas thus preserving more open space in the less-developed areas of the Township, and reducing pass through traffic in residential areas by facilitating convenient access to Route 422.
D.
Provide housing alternatives that will be environmentally sustainable and compatible with varied surrounding land uses.
§ 300-262 Use regulations.
A mixed residential community (MRC) may be permitted in the R-1 Residential District as a conditional use, provided that the tract proposed for such development meets the criteria specified in § 300-263 of this article and that the procedural requirements for conditional uses, set forth in § 300-60 of this chapter, are followed. A tentative sketch plan application meeting the requirements of Chapter 270 of this Code shall be required for any proposed mixed residential community development and shall be submitted as part of the conditional use application. Uses specifically permitted in a mixed residential community shall be the following:
A.
Single-family detached dwellings.
B.
Two-family detached dwellings and semidetached houses.
C.
Single-family attached dwellings.
D.
Common open space.
E.
Accessory uses on the same lot or premises with and incidental to the other uses permitted in this article. In addition to accessory uses customarily incidental to a dwelling unit, appropriate accessory uses may be developed in conjunction with any of the uses in Subsections A through E herein, included but not limited to indoor or outdoor recreational facilities, community centers and other similar uses; provided, however, that none is intended as an independent freestanding use.
§ 300-263 Prerequisites for mixed residential community development.
The following prerequisites shall be met for each application for approval of a mixed residential community development:
A.
Ownership. The tract of land to be developed shall be in one ownership or shall be the subject of an application filed jointly by the owners of the entire tract, and it shall be agreed that the tract shall be developed under single direction in accordance with an approved plan.
B.
Sewer and water facilities. The tract of land shall be served by public water and sewer facilities deemed acceptable by the Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation of the Township Engineer.
C.
Any tract of ground or contiguous group of tracts that are the subject of an application as a mixed residential community development pursuant to this article shall contain a minimum of 12 developable acres.
D.
Any tract of ground, or contiguous group of tracts which are the subject of an application for development pursuant to this article shall have a minimum of 900 feet of frontage, measured along the ultimate rights-of-way of the lot or lots on roads with an arterial or collector road classification identified pursuant to the Township's adopted Ultimate Rights-of-Way Map; and a portion of the tract shall be within 4,000 feet from the center line of an interchange of Route 422.
§ 300-264 Development regulations.
A.
Density and housing mix. The following shall apply to a mixed residential community:
(1)
Housing density will be based on the following:
(a)
For a development under the mixed residential community option, on a parcel with at least 900 feet of frontage on an arterial and collector road, and less than 30 developable acres, density shall be no more than four units per developable acre.
(b)
For a development under the mixed residential community option, on a parcel with at least 1,000 feet of frontage on an arterial and collector road, and 30 developable acres or more, but less than 45 developable acres, density shall be no more than three units per developable acre.
(c)
For a development under the mixed residential community option, on a parcel with at least 1,000 feet of frontage on a collector road, with 45 developable acres or more, overall density shall be no more than two units per developable acre.
(d)
Density bonus. For a development under the mixed residential option with more than 60 developable acres, a minimum of 1,000 feet of frontage on both an arterial and collector road, density may be increased to three units per developable acre. Application of this density bonus will require an additional 10% of open space set aside, as required by Subsection J herein.
(2)
Housing type and mix will be based on the following:
(a)
For a development under the mixed residential community option, on a parcel with frontage on an arterial and collector road, and less than 20 developable acres, will be exclusively one type of dwelling unit; no mixture of those housing types outlined herein will be permitted.
(b)
For a development under the mixed residential community option, on a parcel with frontage on an arterial road, and less than 30 developable acres, but more than 20 developable acres, 25% or more of the dwelling units must be single-family detached.
(c)
For a development under the mixed residential community option, on a parcel with frontage on an arterial and/or collector road, and greater than 30 developable acres, 40% or more of the dwelling units must be single-family detached.
(d)
Any single-family attached and two-family detached units must be within 1,500 feet of the ultimate right-of-way for the arterial road, as shown on the Township's Ultimate Right-of-Way Map, and have a clear roadway connection to that arterial road.
B.
Perimeter tract setback from property lines and streets.
(1)
Buildings shall have a minimum setback of 75 feet from the ultimate right-of-way line of an arterial or collector road, as defined in the Township's Ultimate Right-of-Way Map.
(2)
Buildings that are single-family detached dwellings shall have a minimum setback of 50 feet from any other tract perimeter property line that does not abut another tract eligible for development as a mixed residential community under this article.
(3)
Buildings that are not single-family detached dwellings shall have a minimum setback of 100 feet from any other tract perimeter property line that does not abut another tract eligible for development as a mixed residential community under this article.
(4)
Buildings shall have a minimum setback of 25 feet from any tract perimeter property line that abuts another tract eligible for development as a mixed residential community under this article.
C.
Lot size, width and yard regulations.
(2)
Two-family detached dwellings and single-family attached dwellings.
(a)
The minimum distance between a building containing single-family attached dwellings or two-family detached dwellings and a single-family detached dwelling lot line shall be 35 feet.
(b)
The minimum distance between buildings containing two-family detached dwellings or single-family attached dwellings shall be 25 feet.
(c)
Two-family dwellings and single-family attached dwellings shall have a minimum setback of 25 feet from public road right-of-way within a mixed residential community and a minimum setback of 10 feet from internal private roads, driveways, common driveways, or alleys for the front, rear and sides of buildings containing such dwellings.
(d)
Buildings containing two-family detached dwellings or single-family attached dwellings shall have a minimum setback of 15 feet from the edge of pavement for parking spaces that are either perpendicular or parallel to such buildings, excluding driveway spaces in front of garages, which shall have no setback. No parking shall be located closer than 30 feet to a tract boundary line or 50 feet to an external road right-of-way.
D.
Height regulations. The maximum height of buildings shall be 35 feet. Accessory structures shall not exceed a height of 15 feet, except a community center, which shall not exceed a height of 35 feet.
F.
Building length. The maximum length of a building containing dwellings shall not exceed 150 feet.
I.
Access. Provision shall be made for safe and efficient ingress and egress to and from public streets and highways serving a Mixed Use Community without causing undue confusion or interference with the normal traffic flow. The Board of Supervisors shall satisfy itself concerning the adequacy of the adjacent thoroughfares to carry the additional traffic generated by the development as well as to the street frontage of the proposed development. Applicable PennDOT approvals and permits will be required for final plan approval as part of any subsequent land development reviews. Substantial completion of required access and frontage improvements prior to issuance of any certificates of occupancy is required. All development within the MRC shall interconnect with other MRC development through a mutually agreed street plan submitted at the time of conditional use application.
J.
Recreation and open space. The developer shall provide open space areas suitable for the number of dwellings proposed, which may include passive areas or active recreational areas like playgrounds, tot-lots, and walking paths necessary for the convenience of the prospective residents. In this regard, a minimum of 20% of the developable acreage of the tract proposed for development pursuant to this article shall be set aside as open space. Where a community center or clubhouse is provided to serve the needs of the prospective residents as part of the open space area, the minimum open space required may be reduced to 60% of the required open space set aside as required herein. Such open space shall be governed by the provisions of Article V, Open Space and Recreational Facilities, of Chapter 270 of this Code, Subdivision and Land Development, except that the requirement to first offer the open space for dedication to the Township for public use set forth in § 270-91 shall not apply in a mixed residential community development.
(1)
For all MRC developments, area defined as open space may not include areas less than 45 feet in width or land area within 10 feet of any building, community facility, or other accessory use.
K.
Buffers.
(1)
Tract buffer area requirements may be included within the required tract or yard setbacks. Along external street rights-of-way (the abutting collector and arterial roads), the required buffer shall meet the standards set forth in Chapter 270 of this Code, Subdivision and Land Development, for a Buffer Type 2. At the Township Board of Supervisors' discretion, berming as required in the Buffer Type 2A may be required if berms are required to create a more opaque screen.
M.
Lighting facilities. Lighting facilities shall be provided as needed and arranged in a manner which will protect the highway and neighboring properties from unreasonable direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind. Lighting facilities shall be required for the safety and welfare of the residents of the development, shall be installed by the applicant at its expense and shall be designed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 270 of this Code, Subdivision and Land Development, § 270-76.
N.
Common areas and facilities.
(1)
The shared provision of certain facilities serving the entire MRC development, such as parking lots, interior pedestrianways, driveways, lighting facilities, landscape planting areas, buffers, open space and recreation facilities is encouraged. These may be located either on individual lots or in common areas. In all cases, provisions satisfactory to the Board of Supervisors must be made for their perpetual maintenance and care. The use of these facilities may be restricted to the residents of the MRC development, and shall be maintained by the owner of the MRC Community, a homeowners' association or similar entity.
(2)
Specifically, in regards to recreation facilities, if shared facilities are not provided, each individual development within the MRC options must provide recreational facilities such as a community center, exercise facility, playground or tot-lot, or pool. Other recreational facilities may be proposed and installed on approval from the Board of Supervisors.
(3)
Those tracts with frontage on arterial roads, as defined herein, shall at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors set aside area for a future bus stop for mass transit, if there is not existing bus service to the tract.
O.
Design standards. The following design standards shall apply to all MRCs. The Board may agree to vary these standards as part of the land development process if the applicant provides designs judged to be of equal or higher quality.
(1)
All residences shall have consistent exterior wall treatments on all sides.
(2)
Residences shall utilize facade ornamentation, varying building setbacks, differing windows, variations in rooflines, entry treatments, dormers, offsets, recesses and other similar devices to break or minimize the scale of residential buildings.
(3)
The exterior of each residence shall be composed of dominant facing material, comprising 60% or more of the exterior elevation of that building. Dominant exterior materials may include any of the following: wood; brick; stone or stone veneer (cultured stone or equivalent); concrete masonry unit (CMU), but only as split face block or block molded with a textured surface; glass; stucco and synthetic stucco; and faux or synthetic finishes, elements or materials realistically simulating any of the foregoing.
(4)
Dominant exterior building materials may not include any of the following: aluminum siding; vinyl siding (unless it qualifies under the preceding subsection); smooth-faced CMU; tilt-up concrete panels: and highly reflective or mirrored glass.
(5)
All roofs shall have dimensional, architectural shingles with varying roof accents, including, where desired, standing seam metal roof accents.
(6)
All residence doors facing the front of the residence shall be wood, wood-stained or faux wood finish.
(7)
Each single-family attached or two-family detached dwelling shall have a variation of at least four feet in depth at least every three units or each 90 lineal feet, whichever is less.
(8)
Sidewalks and walkways within the development shall utilize only the following options: concrete, with smooth trowel edging and broom finish; stamped or patterned concrete; unit/brick pavers; bluestone, flagstone or cobblestone; and/or asphalt (but only for fitness trails or trails located in open space areas. Designated crosswalks will be provided where sidewalks cross driveways and parking areas.
P.
Trash stations. All trash containers serving multiple-dwelling units shall be screened by six-foot-high three-sided masonry enclosures, plus a six-foot-high solid metal operating gate to shield the trash container.
Q.
Property maintenance area. A suitable outdoor area shall be provided on site for the storage of landscaping, snow removal, and other property-maintenance-related materials if it is determined that such areas are necessary for the operation of the use. Such area shall not occupy any required parking spaces, and shall be located at locations screened from view from public roads and surrounding properties to the extent feasible.
R.
Plan modifications. The Board of Supervisors may grant modifications from the specific requirements herein, and those of Chapter 270 of this Code, Subdivision and Land Development, provided that the spirit and intent of this article and the statement of community development objectives contained in § 300-2 are observed and that the overall densities specified herein are maintained.