The owner or owners of any tract of land of not less than five acres may petition or apply to the Zoning Hearing Board for a special exception and submit a development plan for the use of such tract of land for the erection of townhouse units; or a group of townhouse units and garden apartments; groups of single-family, two-family and/or multiple dwellings, other than high-rise apartment buildings; or any combination of the same, and the Zoning Hearing Board prior to fixing a public hearing to consider such application shall refer the same to the Planning Commission for study, which shall prepare a report and recommendation to the Zoning Hearing Board. A favorable recommendation must be predicated upon a finding that the proposed development and land upon which the development is to be erected are particularly suited for that purpose; that the development will not unduly conflict with any adjoining single-family or two-family residential areas; that the proposed development is located in such a manner that it has reasonably direct traffic access to and from principal thoroughfares so that traffic congestion is not likely to be created; that the proposed development will be consistent with the orderly and planned development of the Borough as an essentially residential community, and that the proposed development conforms to the following requirements:
(a) Design. The proposed project shall be designed as a single architectural project or unit with appropriate landscaping, shall provide for appropriate common open space and facilities and shall not materially detract from the character of the neighboring district. A townhouse unit shall have no more than three consecutive town house dwellings with identical facades and identical front yard setbacks. Alternating groups of three facades may have identical setbacks.
(b) Minimum Lot Size. The tract of land shall be not less than five acres.
(c) Use. The buildings shall be used only for residential purposes and the customary accessory uses. Such accessory uses shall include only garages, storage spaces and buildings used for recreational or community activities.
(d) Density. The maximum net residential density shall be twelve dwelling units per acre and the maximum gross residential density shall be nine dwelling units per acre.
(e) Building Coverage. Not more than fifteen percent (15%) of the lot area shall be occupied by buildings.
(f) Access. The tract of land shall have either direct access to an arterial highway or shall have access to a road leading directly to an arterial highway. An arterial highway shall be considered one that carries primarily regional traffic, or traffic on its way through the Borough.
(g) Height. No building shall be erected to a height in excess of three stories or thirty-five feet, such height measured from the average of the highest and lowest points at grade to the top of a parapet on a flat-roofed building or the midpoint between eaves and gables on a sloped-roof building.
(h) Length. No building may exceed 250 feet.
(i) Grouping. Each building, whether principal or accessory, shall be at least fifty feet distant from any other building in the group, except for the following which shall apply to principal buildings only:
(1) The distance between the long sides of two parallel or approximately parallel buildings or two parallel faces of wings of the same building shall be at least sixty feet plus one foot for each foot additional height of each building or wing above thirty feet.
(2) The distance between the long side of one building and the short side of another, if parallel or approximately parallel shall be at least fifty feet plus one foot for each two feet additional height of each building or fraction thereof above thirty feet.
(3) Two buildings shall be considered parallel if their longer sides, when extended to intersect, form an interior angle of forty-five degrees.
(4) Two buildings shall be considered at right angles if their longer sides, when extended to intersect, form an interior angle of forty-five degrees.
(5) The short side of a principal building shall be subject to the controls governing long sides if any apartment has more than fifty percent (50%) of its window area on the short side.
(j) Yard Depths.
(1) Relation to public rights of way or property lines of single-family or two-family dwellings:
A. A minimum depth of fifty feet plus one foot for each foot of building height above thirty feet shall be required if any building's long side parallels a right of way or boundary line.
B. A minimum depth of fifty feet shall be required if any building's short side parallels a right of way or any boundary line.
(2) Relation to property lines:
A. A minimum depth of forty-five feet shall be required if a building's long side parallels a property line.
B. A minimum depth of forty feet shall be required if a building's short side parallels a property line.
(k) Grading. Grading, excavation and filling shall be in accordance with provisions of Section 1367.02.
(l) Drainage. All storm water falling upon the site shall be disposed of into a stream or storm sewer to be provided by the developer.
(m) Parking. All-weather, surfaced, off-street parking spaces, each at least 171 square feet in area plus access lanes, shall be provided at a ratio of 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit. No parking shall be closer than fifteen feet from a principal building, nor shall any parking interfere with recreational areas on the site or be leased to persons not resident on the site. Parking may be provided in separate garages on the lowest floor or floors of a principal building, provided such parking does not interfere with the basic residential use and character of the buildings involved. Garages shall be subject to the controls on garages in the residential districts but may be no closer than fifty feet to a residential building.
(n) Loading. One paved offstreet loading space shall be provided for every 75,000 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof in each building, or group of buildings that could be served from the same loading area.
(o) Balconies. No balcony shall extend more than five feet from the face of any building and balconies shall not be considered in measuring distances between buildings.
(p) Screens. Screens shall be provided along all lot lines abutting commercially zoned land, along public rights of way directly across which is commercially zoned land and along property lines of single-family or two-family dwellings. Such screens shall be either of the following:
(1) A continuous fence at least four feet high, no less than one-half the surface of which is opaque; or
(2) A continuous planted strip at least ten feet in width and of sufficient thickness, when mature, to provide a screen no less than one-fourth of the apparent surface of which will be opaque four feet above the ground.
(q) Play Areas. Areas shall be provided and developed for playgrounds and passive recreation space, appropriate in location, nature and size, but in no case consisting of an area less than a total of 200 square feet for each dwelling.
(r) Utilities. The proposed development shall be served by public sewer and water facilities adequate to handle the ultimate development of the project. Where additional lines, or upgrading of existing lines, whether on the site or off, is required to reach the necessary capacity, such work shall be underwritten by the developer.
(s) Performance Standards. All uses shall comply with the performance standards specified in Section 1371.15.
(Ord. 2717. Passed 2-10-86.)