Worcester Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIII
MR Multi-Residential District
§ 150-82 Legislative intent.
[Added 5-20-1998 by Ord. No. 163[1]]
In expansion of the legislative intent and community development objectives contained in Article I, §§ 150-2 and 150-3, of this chapter and in support of the goals and recommendations to the Worcester Township Comprehensive Plan, it is the intent of this article to:
A.
Provide high-density housing in portions of the Township that are appropriate for this density of housing, given the location of growth areas, sewer lines, water lines, major roads, commercial cores and Township uses.
B.
Allow a variety of housing types which can meet the needs of residents with different incomes, housing preferences, family sizes and ages.
C.
Protect the character of existing development in the Township by requiring buffering and adequate building setbacks.
D.
Provide light, air and green space within higher-density developments by regulating lot coverage and building setbacks.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the repeal of former § 150-82, Applicability.
§ 150-83 Use regulations.
A building may be erected or used and a lot may be occupied for any of the following purposes and no other:
A.
Any use permitted in the underlying district, subject to the regulations for that district contained in this chapter.
B.
Multifamily dwelling in accordance with the regulations in this article.
[Added 6-16-2021 by Ord. No. 285]
E.
No-impact home-based business, as defined in § 150-9; provided that the permission for such use granted herein shall not supersede any deed restriction, covenant or agreement restricting the use of land, nor any master deed, bylaw or other document applicable to a common interest ownership community.
[Added 8-17-2011 by Ord. No. 230]
§ 150-84 Lot area and width regulations.
§ 150-85 Yard regulations for single-family detached dwellings.
[Amended 4-17-1996 by Ord. No. 146]
§ 150-86 Coverage regulations.
[Amended 4-17-1996 by Ord. No. 146]
A.
Building coverage. In the case of any lot proposed to be developed for a single-family detached dwelling, 20% shall be the maximum total building coverage on such a lot. In the case of a property proposed to be developed with buildings containing two or more multifamily dwelling units, 20% shall be the maximum total building coverage on the land within the lot lines of the property exclusive of land within the ultimate right-of-way of public roads.
B.
Impervious coverage. In the case of any lot proposed to be developed for a single-family detached dwelling, 40% shall be the maximum total impervious coverage on such a lot. In the case of a property proposed to be developed with buildings containing two or more multifamily dwelling units, 50% shall be the maximum total impervious coverage on the land within the lot lines of the property exclusive of land within the ultimate right-of-way of public roads.
[Amended 6-16-2021 by Ord. No. 285]
§ 150-87 Height and size regulations.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Ord. No. 280; 6-16-2021 by Ord. No. 28510-20-2021 by Ord. No. 287; 8-20-2025 by Ord. No. 302]
A.
Building height.
(1)
Thirty feet, not exceeding two stories, shall be the maximum height for any building or other structure erected or enlarged in this district other than an apartment house/garden apartment.
(2)
Forty-five feet, not exceeding four stories, shall be the maximum height for any apartment house/garden apartment erected or enlarged in this district.
B.
Building size. The maximum length of any multifamily dwelling building shall be 200 feet.
§ 150-88 Parking regulations.
A.
Residential. For each dwelling unit in this district, two all-weather off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the applicable provisions of Article XXII. Upon determination by the Township Engineer, and approval by the Board of Supervisors, and compliance with § 150-159, parking may be held in reserve.
[Amended 6-16-2021 by Ord. No. 285]
B.
For employee and accessory uses, parking shall be provided in accordance with Article XXII, Off-Street Parking and Loading.
C.
Loading and service areas. Areas for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and for refuse collection, fuel and other service vehicles shall be provided, shall be adequate in size and shall be arranged so that they may be used without blocking or interfering with the use of access roads or automobile parking facilities, and all such areas shall be in accordance with Article XXII, Off-Street Parking and Loading.
D.
Setbacks. No parking area, service area, loading area or access drive shall be located within 75 feet of any property line, except as required for normal ingress and egress.
§ 150-89 Special requirements.
B.
Non-dwelling structures. Swimming pools, tennis courts and animal shelters may be permitted in this district subject to the applicable regulations under Article XXIV, General Regulations.
C.
Additional regulations. Lots in this district shall be subject to modified and/or additional regulations under Article XXIV, General Regulations, as applicable.
D.
Detention basins in yard areas. Detention basins shall be allowed in yard areas only in accordance with the: applicable regulations under Article XXIV, General Regulations.
E.
Special regulations for multifamily dwellings.
(1)
Density. The base density for an apartment house/garden apartment use shall be 12 units per acre of developable area. The density for an apartment house/garden apartment use may be increased as provided in this section up to a maximum density of 15 units per acre of developable area. The density for all other types of multifamily dwellings shall be four units per acre of developable area.
[Amended 10-20-2021 by Ord. No. 287]
(2)
All buildings shall be in accordance with an overall plan and shall be designed as a single architectural scheme. The distance at the closest point between any two buildings utilized for multifamily dwelling units shall be not less than 30 feet except that such minimum distance shall be increased to not less than 75 feet where the Board of Supervisors determines that the front or rear of any such building is substantially parallel to the front or rear of a similarly used building.
(3)
The development plan shall preserve and incorporate natural features such as woods, streams and open space areas, which add to the overall cohesive development of the Multi-Residential District and to overall Township development.
(4)
All spaces between buildings, parking, loading, access and service areas shall be adequately illuminated at night. All lighting, including sign lighting, shall be arranged to protect the highway and adjoining property from direct glare or hazardous interference. All utility lines servicing the area shall be placed underground.
(5)
Raw materials, supplies, trash, rubbish and other refuse shall be stored in covered containers within an adequate enclosure and handled and disposed of in such a manner not to give rise to smoke, odor or litter.
(6)
Buffer areas.
(a)
When any building for multifamily housing use is to be erected upon a tract of land, an unbuilt-upon buffer strip shall be provided between such buildings and adjoining properties. This buffer area shall be a minimum of 75 feet in width. It shall be landscaped and maintained by the developer and/or owner, as specified in the following subsection. Buffer areas may not be used for parking areas nor for recreational purposes, except for a walking trail. If a walking trail is provided, it shall be a minimum of 40 feet from a property line, except where it may connect to other trails and sidewalks. The walking trail shall be adequately buffered from view from surrounding properties.
(b)
Shrubbery and trees. A screen planting strip of not less than 20 feet in width shall be provided in the buffer area. All screen planting strips shall include a dense screen planting of trees, shrubs or other plant materials or both, to the full length of the lot line to serve as a barrier to visibility, airborne particles, glare and noise. Such planting shall be located within the exterior 50 feet of the buffer area, and shall be in accordance with the following requirements:
[1]
Plant materials used in screen planting shall be at least five feet in height when planted and be of a species as will produce, within two years, a complete year-round evergreen visual screen at a height of five feet. Required types of evergreen plant materials are hemlock, pine, spruce, fir, holly and yew species, other species only when approved, in writing, by the Board of Supervisors.
[2]
The screen planting shall be maintained permanently and any plant material which does not live shall be replaced within six months.
[3]
The screen planting shall be so placed that at maturity it will not be closer than five feet from any ultimate right-of-way or property line.
[4]
A clear-sight triangle shall be maintained at all street interactions and at all points where private vehicular accessways intersect public streets.
[5]
The screen planting shall be broken only at points of vehicular and pedestrian access.
[6]
Plans for buffer yards shall be submitted for review by the Township and approval by the Board of Supervisors.
[7]
Deciduous trees shall be planted in the buffer area left over from the buffer strip and shall be planted at least 20 feet away from the strip and so placed that when matured, the branches of the adjoining trees will about meet. Such trees shall be not less than two inches to 2 1/2 inches diameter at the base of the tree at time of planting. Such trees shall be maintained in a healthy condition or replaced by new trees within six months.
(7)
Amenities. Each development within the MR Multi-Residential District shall provide recreational facilities including but not limited to tot-lots, plazas public squares, outdoor meeting areas, grilling stations and outdoor fitness courts or other sport courts. At the discretion of the Board of Supervisors a developer may provide a fee in lieu as an alternate to providing the required outdoor recreational activities.
(8)
Application of transfer development rights (TDRs).
[Amended 10-20-2021 by Ord. No. 287]
(a)
The MR Multi-Residential District shall constitute a receiving district for the transfer of development rights as provided by Article XXIX for an apartment house/garden apartment use only.
(b)
TDRs may be utilized on a parcel in the MR Multi-Residential District for an apartment house/garden apartment use as follows:
[1]
Each TDR shall allow the developer to add up to three dwelling units to the receiving parcel in conformance with the requirements of this section, up to the maximum permitted density as permitted by this section.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance repealed former Subsection E, Application procedure, and provided for the redesignation of former Subsection F as Subsection E.