West Norriton Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 13
MULTIPLE RESIDENTIAL UNIT DISTRICTS
§ 27-1301 Use Regulations.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
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.
An apartment house building or a group of apartment house buildings.
B.
Storage garages as appurtenances to and accessory uses of apartment house buildings and restricted to the use by tenants of apartments and the operating personnel of apartment house buildings.
C.
Motor vehicle parking areas and recreational and service areas for use by tenants of apartments and by the operating personnel of apartment house buildings within the confines of an apartment house development.
§ 27-1302 Area Regulations.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
1.
For each apartment house building with any accessory buildings appurtenant thereto, there shall be a land area of not less than 40,000 square feet and not more than 25% of such land area shall be used in the construction of an apartment house building, including any accessory buildings appurtenant thereto. Coverage shall be measured by dividing a land area of not less than 40,000 square feet by the area contained within the outside lines of the foundation walls of an apartment house building, including the foundation walls of any accessory buildings appurtenant thereto.
2.
The area contained within the outside lines of the foundation walls of any apartment house building, including the outside lines of the foundation walls of any accessory buildings appurtenant thereto, shall not exceed 22,000 square feet.
3.
The minimum distance between buildings, at any point, shall be 50 feet.
4.
Any part of any building shall have a minimum setback of 50 feet from the legal right-of-way line, nearest to it, of any public street.
5.
Any part of any building shall have a minimum setback of 25 feet from the curbline, nearest to it, of any private road in any apartment house building development.
6.
Any street constructed in an apartment house building development shall be constructed in accordance with Township specifications.
§ 27-1303 Height Regulations.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
No apartment house building shall exceed 35 feet in height nor contain more than two floors for tenant occupancy.
§ 27-1304 Apartment Regulations.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
1.
A basement in an apartment house building shall not contain living quarters or apartments for tenants, but may contain one apartment for a building superintendent.
2.
Terrace apartments are prohibited.
3.
No more than 14 apartment units for each 40,000 square feet of land area are permitted.
4.
The minimum floor space for a one-bedroom apartment unit shall be 750 square feet, and for each additional room a minimum of 150 square feet of floor space shall be added.
5.
An apartment unit shall consist of three or more rooms, of which one shall be an adequately equipped private bathroom and another an adequately equipped private kitchen. An efficiency apartment unit shall consist of three rooms, of which one shall be an adequately equipped private bathroom, another an adequately equipped kitchen containing a dining area, and another a combination living and bedroom. The inside area of an efficiency apartment shall not be less than 450 square feet and the permissible number of efficiency apartments shall not exceed 10% of the number of apartment units in any apartment house building.
6.
The ceiling, floor and walls of an apartment unit shall be of approved soundproof construction.
§ 27-1305 Development Regulations.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
1.
An inner court consisting of an open space substantially enclosed on all sides by the walls of an apartment house building, shall not be permitted.
2.
An outer court consisting of an open space partly enclosed by the walls of an apartment house building shall not exceed in depth two times the width thereof.
3.
Parking facilities to afford complete off-street or off-road parking of motor vehicles for apartment house building tenants and operating personnel shall be provided in conformity with applicable Township ordinances.
4.
All parking areas shall be provided with approved curbs.
5.
No parking or service areas shall be so located as to interfere with direct and immediate access to all parts of an apartment house building development by emergency and utility vehicular equipment.
6.
Recreational areas may be required where appropriate, and excluded where inappropriate.
7.
An apartment house building development shall have a buffer area of at least 50 feet which shall extend along its boundary line except where a boundary line abuts a public street.
8.
An apartment house building development shall be supplied with shielded lights sufficient in number for adequate night illumination of the development, including adequate lighting for walkways and parking facilities.
9.
No more than one radio antenna and no more than one television antenna shall be erected on the roof of an apartment house building.
10.
All streets, roads and driveways in an apartment house building development shall be so interconnected as to permit direct and immediate access to all parts of the development by emergency and utility vehicular equipment.
11.
In an apartment house building development there must be constructed and installed all utility services necessary or desirable for modern comfortable living and such fire hydrants, sufficient in number and location, as to afford an ample supply of water, at all times, for fire fighting purposes.
§ 27-1306 Control of Apartment House Building Developments.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
1.
An apartment house building development may be developed in sections but must be developed in accordance with an overall plan to be submitted to, and approved by the Township Commissioners.
2.
Each apartment house building shall constitute a single operating and maintenance unit except where the apartment house is being developed for a condominium.
3.
Four complete sets of plans for a proposed apartment house building development, including the plans and specifications of the buildings to be constructed, shall be submitted at the Township Office before any work on the project is commenced, for the use of the Township Zoning Officer, Building Inspector and Engineer, who shall first determine whether or not the same conform with all of the applicable Township ordinances, resolutions and regulations, and who shall then transmit the plans to the Township Commissioners with recommendations in respect thereto for final approval or rejection by the Commissioners.
4.
An architect's drawing in color, showing the external appearance of the proposed building or buildings on completion, with a certificate thereon, by the owner, that the building or buildings will be constructed, as to appearance, in conformity with the drawing, shall be submitted with the plans.
5.
Plans submitted for approval shall show, among other things, the layouts of the total apartment house building development and shall include the following information:
A.
A scale of not less than one inch equals 50 feet with contours at two feet intervals, or a maximum horizontal spacing of 100 feet and showing other topographical features.
B.
The location, use, plan, dimensions and height of each building or other structure, and the total gross floor area to be constructed.
C.
The location, dimensions and arrangement of all open spaces, access ways, entrances, exits, off-street and road parking facilities, pedestrian ways, width of roads, streets and sidewalks.
D.
The capacity of all areas to be used for motor vehicle access, parking, loading and unloading.
E.
Location, dimensions and arrangements of all areas devoted to planting, lawns, trees or similar purposes.
F.
Provisions made for and location of existing or proposed sewage disposal, water supply, stormwater drainage, utility services, parking lot lights and fire hydrants.
G.
Trees, shrubs, vines and other plant material shall be adequate in size, quantity and character to provide an attractive setting for apartment house buildings and other improvements, privacy, a pleasant outlook for living units, to screen objectionable features both on site (such as laundry yards, refuse collection stations, etc.) and on adjacent properties (such as nonresidential uses and rear yards) and to minimize reflected glare and afford summer shade.
H.
All improvements shall be installed in conformity with Township specifications.
6.
There shall be submitted with the plans a certificate from the Township Municipal Authority that it has sufficient capacity, taking into consideration the other demands for sewage disposal upon it, to accept the sanitary sewage arising on the apartment house building development.
§ 27-1307 Liability of Owner for Costs and Expenses.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
The owner shall pay all costs, charges and expenses of the Township incident to the presentation, processing and approval of the plans for an apartment house building development including, but not exclusive of legal, engineering and inspection fees and costs, as may be determined, established or imposed, from time to time, by the Township Commissioners.
§ 27-1308 Correction of Plans.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
If, through oversight, inadvertence or miscalculation, any of the requirements of the Township for an apartment house building development, have been omitted from the plans when approved, the same shall be corrected by the direction of the Commissioners.
§ 27-1309 Special Conditions.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
When, owing to special conditions, a literal enforcement of all of the provisions of this Part would, in the opinion of the Township Commissioners, result in unusual and unnecessary hardship, the Commissioners may make such reasonable exceptions thereto as will not be contrary to the public interest.
§ 27-1310 Applicable Definitions.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
A single building designed for and occupied exclusively as a residence for three or more families, or the equivalent thereof, living independently of one another.
A wholly or partially subterranean area situated beneath the first habitable floor of an apartment house building.
§ 27-1321 Declaration of Intent.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
The Retirement Residential District is intended to address the housing needs of elderly persons who do not require the intensive needs of a nursing home but desire the security, safety and special design of a residential environment which can provide protective care and independent living in addition to intensive needs of a nursing home.
§ 27-1322 Use Regulations.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
Buildings may be erected, altered or used and a lot or premises may be used for any of the following purposes:
A.
Retirement residential community consisting of retirement residential structure or group of retirement residential structures consisting of retirement residential units, personal care units and/or nursing care units having interconnecting walks, breezeways, corridors or similar connecting structures which constitute a single operating or propriety unit.
B.
Accessory uses to retirement residential communities which are specifically restricted to serve only residents of the retirement residential community and their invited guests:
(1)
Medical treatment, nursing and diagnostic facilities.
(2)
Central dining facilities.
(3)
Auditoriums, activity rooms, craft rooms, library, lounges, and similar facilities for members of the retirement residential community and invited guests.
(4)
Office and retail facilities designed to serve only the members of the retirement residential community, such as but not limited to, doctors' office, pharmacy, fitness center, gift shop, coffee shop, post office, bank, travel agent, beauty shop, and barbershop.
(5)
Guard station and/or mechanical entrance gate.
(6)
Parking. Off-street automobile parking or parking garage and off-street delivery; collection facilities shall be required for the use of occupants, staff and visitors to the facility.
§ 27-1323 Development Requirements for Retirement Residential Communities.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991]
The general plan shall demonstrate that provision has been made for and the development will be executed in accordance with the following criteria:
A.
Master plan. The proposed development shall be constructed in accordance with an overall plan and shall be designed as a unified architectural theme with appropriate landscaping.
B.
Phasing. If the proposed development is to be constructed in phases, each stage shall be so planned that the regulations of this Part shall be fully complied with at the completion of any stage.
C.
Minimum district size. No tract of less than 20 acres shall be designated as an R-R Retirement Residential Zoning District.
§ 27-1324 Area and Bulk Requirements for Retirement Residential Communities.
[Ord. 524, 12/31/1991; as amended by Ord. 554, 2/10/1997, § 1]
1.
Building area. Maximum building coverage shall not exceed more than 12% of the entire tract.
2.
Setback from property line. There shall be a building setback of not less than 100 feet from any property line or ultimate road right-of-way line which the retirement residential community abuts.
3.
Dwelling units/acre. There shall be no more than eight dwelling units per gross acre of land. For the purpose of this district, one unit shall be the equivalent of three nursing care beds.
4.
Dwelling unit size. No dwelling unit within a retirement residential structure shall exceed 1,200 square feet in size.
5.
Unit occupancy.
A.
For retirement residential structures no more than two persons shall occupy a dwelling unit within a retirement residential community, at least one of whom shall be not less than 55 years of age.
B.
For all dwellings, principal occupants if unrelated by blood or marriage shall both be 55 years of age or older.
6.
Height of building. No building shall exceed the height of 35 feet or three stories, whichever is less (not including basement storage or parking garage).
7.
Parking.
A.
There shall be a minimum of two parking spaces for each independent retirement residential dwelling unit.
B.
There shall be a minimum of 1/2 parking space for each personal care unit.
C.
There shall be one parking space for each three beds used for nursing care.
D.
Additional parking shall be provided equal to one parking space for each two employees of the largest shift.
E.
When submitting a land development plan, applicant shall provide for the maximum of parking that may be expected for the retirement residential community. This shall include not less than one parking space for every residential and personal care dwelling unit, as well as employee and visitor parking as may be required by the Township.
F.
Twenty percent of the above required parking may be held in reserve and not constructed, unless required by the operator of the facility or directed by the Township. Reserve parking shall be shown on the site development plan, but may be devoted to landscaping and open space until such time that installation of the parking spaces is warranted.
G.
Upon submission of acceptable parking studies and upon a finding that the bedroom mix and/or age of occupants would require less parking than required in this section, the Board of Commissioners may permit fewer parking spaces actually to be built; provided, the difference of unbuilt spaces shall be held in reserve, shown on the site development plan, but may be devoted to landscaping and open space until such time that installation of the parking spaces is warranted, as directed by either the owner or the Board of Commissioners.
8.
Parking setback. No parking shall be permitted closer than 100 feet from any residential district.
9.
Utilities. All buildings and units within the retirement residential community shall be served by both public water and public sanitary sewer. All utility lines, such as electric, telephone and cable, shall be installed underground.
10.
Signs. Identification signs and directional signs shall be permitted pursuant to § 27-1605 of this chapter.
11.
Lighting fixtures. External illumination of any retirement residential community as well as the parking lots, driveways, walkways and entrances thereto shall be arranged so as to protect the adjacent highways and neighboring properties, whether or not contiguous thereto, from unreasonable direct glare or hazardous visual interference. No free standing light fixture shall exceed a height of 16 feet.
12.
Landscape plan. The developer of a retirement residential community shall provide a separate landscape plan for the perimeters of the tract, as well as any green or open space portions of the tract.
13.
Buffer. A permanent landscape buffer of no less than 100 feet shall be provided along the perimeter boundaries of a retirement residential community, excluding access points only.
14.
Open space. A permanent open space area of no less than 50% of the total land area shall be required in any retirement residential community which may be used only for active or passive recreation in addition to conservation purposes.
A.
The open space shall contain no paved surfaces except as required for recreation purposes or pedestrian walkways.
B.
The open space shall be designated as and used exclusively for open space by residents of the retirement residential community by which may be open to the public only when used as golf course, recreation; the ownership, use and design and maintenance may consist of the following methods:
C.
The nature of organization of the ownership, maintenance and leasing of open space lands shall be further subject to the approval of the Board of Commissioners, who must be satisfied that the form selected will ensure that the open space shall remain open in perpetuity.
15.
Unit mix. No more than 20% of the total dwelling units within a retirement residential community shall consist of the dwelling unit equivalent of nursing care beds.