To conserve open land, including those areas containing unique and sensitive natural features, such as woodlands, steep slopes, streams, floodplains and wetlands, by setting them aside from development.

To provide greater design flexibility and efficiency in the siting of services and infrastructure, including the opportunity to reduce length of roads, utility runs, and the amount of paving required for residential development.

To reduce erosion and sedimentation by the retention of existing vegetation, and the minimization of development on steep slopes.

To provide for a diversity of lot sizes, building densities, and housing choices to accommodate a variety of age and income groups, and residential preferences, so that the community's population diversity may be maintained.

To implement adopted Township's policies to conserve a variety of irreplaceable and environmentally sensitive resource lands as set forth in the Township's Comprehensive Plan, including provisions for reasonable incentives to create a greenway system for the benefit of present and future residents.

To protect areas of the Township with productive agricultural soils for continued or future agricultural use, by conserving blocks of land large enough to allow for efficient farm operations.

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.

To provide for the conservation and maintenance of open land within the Township to achieve the above-mentioned goals and for active or passive recreational use by residents.

To provide multiple options for landowners in order to minimize impacts on environmental resources (sensitive lands such as wetlands, floodplain, and steep slopes) and disturbance of natural or cultural features (such as mature woodlands, hedgerows and tree lines, critical wildlife habitats, historic buildings, and fieldstone walls).

To provide standards reflecting the varying circumstances and interests of individual landowners, and the individual characteristics of their properties.

To conserve scenic views and elements of the Township's rural character, and to minimize perceived density, by minimizing views of new development from existing roads.

Option One. Neutral density and basic conservation, providing for residential uses at the density of the underlying zoning district. Open space must comprise at least half the tract.

Option Two. Estate lots, providing for rural residential uses at a reduced density of one-half (½) of the density of the underlying zoning district in conventional layouts of standard lots, where homes and streets are located carefully to minimize impacts on resource lands. No open space is required.

Agricultural uses, including horticultural, wholesale nurseries, and the raising of crops, and buildings related to the same.

Wood lots, arboreta, and other similar silvicultural uses.

Woodland preserve, game preserve, wildlife sanctuary, or other similar conservation use.

Municipal or public uses; public park or recreation area owned and operated by a public or private nonprofit entity or agency; governmental or public utility building or use; not to include business facilities, storage of materials, trucking or repair facilities, the housing of repair crews, private or municipal solid waste disposal facilities.

The following areas of constrained land shall be deducted from the gross (total) tract area:

If a portion of the tract is underlain by more than one natural feature subject to a deduction from the total tract acreage, that acreage shall be subject to the most restrictive density factor.

Since acreage that is contained within the public or private rights-of-way, access easements or access strips is excluded from usable lot area, any portion of these items that also contains a natural feature subject to a deduction from the total tract acreage shall not be included when calculating the adjusted tract acreage.

SALDO requirements. Yield plans must be prepared in accordance with the standards of the Wright Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, containing proposed lots, streets, rights-of-way, and other pertinent features. Although it must be drawn to scale, it need not be based on a field survey. However, it must be a realistic layout reflecting a development pattern that could reasonably be expected to be implemented, taking into account the presence of wetlands, floodplain, steep slopes, existing easements or encumbrances and, if unsewered, the suitability of soils for subsurface sewage disposal.

Resource identification. The yield plan must identify the site's primary and secondary conservation areas, as identified in the Existing Resources/Site Analysis Plan, and demonstrate that the primary conservation areas could be successfully absorbed in the development process without disturbance, by allocating this area to proposed single­family dwelling lots which conform to the density factor of the chosen option. The yield plan shall be based upon accurate mapping of wetlands, one-hundred-year floodplains and land with slopes greater than 15%.

Individual sewage disposal systems. On sites not served by central sewage disposal, density shall be further determined by evaluating the number of homes that could be supported by individual on-lot soils-based sewage disposal systems on conventional lots. For the purposes of determining density under this section, this standard shall exclude holding tanks, individual stream discharge systems and evapotransporation systems. Based on the primary and secondary resources, identified as part of the inventory and analysis, and observations made during an on-site visit of the property, the Township shall select a ten-percent sample of the lots considered to be marginal for on-lot sewage disposal. The applicant is required to provide evidence that these lots meet the standards for an individual soils-based on-lot sewage disposal system and system replacement area before the applicant shall be granted the full density determined by the yield plan. Should any of the lots in a sample fail to meet the standard for individual soils-based septic system, those lots shall be deducted from the yield plan and a second ten-percent sample shall be selected by the Township and tested for compliance. This process shall be repeated until all lots in a given sample meet the standard for an individual on-lot soils-based sewage disposal system.

Yield plan density and dimensional standards. The following dimensional standards shall be used in the development of yield plans for conservation design subdivisions. The minimum lot sizes are derived from the density factor for the district location of the proposed development and the type of water supply and sewage disposal proposed. These minimum area dimensions are exclusive of all wetlands, slopes greater than 25% and land under high-tension electrical transmission lines (69 KV or greater). No more than 25% of the minimum required lot area may consist of land within the one-hundred-year floodplain, and only then if it is free of wetlands.

From all external road ultimate right-of-way: 100 feet.

From all other tract boundaries: 50 feet.

From cropland or pasture land: 100 feet.

From buildings or barnyards housing livestock: 300 feet.

From active recreation areas such as courts or playing fields (not including tot-lots): 150 feet.

Conservation of open land in its natural state (for example, woodland, fallow field, or managed meadow);

Agricultural and horticultural uses, including raising crops or livestock, wholesale nurseries, associated buildings, excluding residences that are specifically needed to support an active, viable agricultural or horticultural operation. Specifically excluded are commercial livestock operations involving swine, poultry, mink, and other animals likely to produce highly offensive odors.

Pastureland for horses used solely for recreational purposes. Equestrian facilities shall be permitted but may not consume more than half of the minimum required open space land.

Forestry, in keeping with established best management practices for selective harvesting and sustained-yield forestry.

Neighborhood open space uses such as village greens, commons, picnic areas, community gardens, public trails, and similar low-impact passive recreational uses, specifically excluding motorized off-road vehicles, rifle ranges, and other uses similar in character and potential impact as determined by the Planning Commission.

Active noncommercial recreation areas, such as playing fields, playgrounds, courts, and bikeways, provided such areas do not consume more than half of the minimum required open space land or five acres, whichever is less. Playing fields, playgrounds, and courts shall not be located within 100 feet of abutting properties. Parking facilities for the same shall also be permitted, and they shall generally be gravel-surfaced, unlighted, properly drained, provide safe ingress and egress, and contain no more than 10 parking spaces.

Golf courses, including their parking areas and associated structures, may comprise up to half of the minimum required open space land, but shall not include driving ranges or miniature golf.

Water supply and sewage disposal systems, and stormwater detention areas designed, landscaped, and available for use as an integral part of the open space.

Easements for drainage, access, sewer or water lines, or other public purposes;

Underground utility rights-of-way. Aboveground utility and street rights-of-way may traverse conservation areas but shall not count toward the minimum required open space land.

Open space lands shall be laid out in consideration of the Township's Comprehensive Plan to ensure that an interconnected network of open space will be provided. The required open space land consists of a mixture of primary conservation areas, all of which must be included, and secondary conservation areas. Primary conservation areas comprise floodplains, wetlands, and slopes over 25%. Secondary conservation areas should include special features of the property that would ordinarily be overlooked or ignored during the design process.

The open space land shall comprise a minimum of 50% of the adjusted tract area. This land shall generally remain undivided and may be owned and maintained by a community association, a homeowners' association, land trust, another conservation organization recognized by the Township, or by a private individual (typically as part of the original farmhouse). However, in no case shall less than 30% of the land comprising the adjusted tract area be available for the common use and passive enjoyment of the subdivision residents. These ownership options may be combined so that different parts of the open space land may be owned by different entities.

Greens.

Fee simple dedication to the Township. The Township may, but shall not be required to, accept any portion of the common facilities, provided that:

Condominium association. Common facilities may be controlled through the use of condominium agreements. Such agreements shall be in accordance with relevant state law. All open land and common facilities shall be held as common element.

Community association or homeowners' association. Common facilities may be held in common ownership by a community association or homeowners' association, subject to all of the provisions for the community association or homeowners' association set forth in state regulations and statutes. In addition, the following regulations shall be met:

Private conservation organization or the county. With permission of the Township, an owner may transfer either fee simple title of the open space or easements on the open space to a private nonprofit conservation organization or to the county, provided that:

Dedication of easements to the Township. The Township may, but shall not be required to, accept easements for public use of any portion of the common land or facilities. In such cases, the facility remains in the ownership of the condominium association, community association, homeowners' association, or private conservation organization while the easements are held by the Township. In addition, the following regulations shall apply:

Private ownership. Up to 80% of the required open space may be included within one or more large conservancy lots, provided that:

Unless otherwise agreed to by the Planning Commission, the cost and responsibility of maintaining common facilities and open space land shall be borne by the property owner, condominium association, community association, homeowners' association, or conservation organization.

The applicant shall, at the time of preliminary plan submission, provide a plan for maintenance of open space lands and operation of common facilities.

In the event that the organization established to maintain the open space lands and the common facilities, or any successor organization thereto, fails to maintain all or any portion thereof in reasonable order and condition, the Township may assume responsibility for maintenance, in which case any escrow funds may be forfeited and any permits may be revoked or suspended.

The Township may enter the premises and take corrective action, including extended maintenance. The costs of such corrective action may be charged to the property owner, condominium association, community association, homeowners' association, conservation organization, or individual property owners who make up a condominium association, a community association or a homeowners' association and may include administrative costs and penalties. Such costs shall become a lien on said properties. Notice of such lien shall be filed by the Township in the office of the Prothonotary of Luzerne County.