The owner or owners of any tract of land having an area of not less than ten 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 high-rise apartment buildings; a group of high-rise apartment buildings, a group of garden apartment buildings and a group of townhouse units; groups of single-family, two-family or multiple dwellings; or any combination of the foregoing; 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 the 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 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 express standards and criteria:
(a) Design. The proposed project shall be designed as a single architectural project or unit and shall not materially detract from the character of the neighboring district.
(b) Minimum Lot Size. The tract of land on which the dwelling group is to be erected shall be not less than ten acres in area.
(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 and community activities.
(d) Density. The maximum net residential density in areas devoted to high-rise apartment buildings shall be thirty families per acre and the maximum gross residential density shall be twenty-four families per acre. In areas that are partly garden apartments, partly townhouses and partly high-rise apartment buildings with the grouping such that a designation of specific areas for each type is difficult, a compromise reflecting the proportion of high-rise to garden apartment and townhouse units shall be used to determine density.
(e) Coverage. Not more than ten percent (10%) of the lot area set aside for high-rise apartment buildings shall be occupied by structures.
(f) Access. The tract of land shall have either direct access to a major 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 twelve stories or 150 feet measured from the average of the highest and lowest grade lines of the building to the top of the highest point of the building.
(h) Length. No building may exceed 250 feet along any side.
(i) Grouping. Each high-rise apartment or other multiple dwelling unit, 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 additional height of each building or fraction thereof above forty-five feet.
(2) The distance between the short sides of two parallel or approximately parallel buildings shall be at least fifty feet plus one foot for each ten feet additional height of each building or fraction thereof above forty-five feet.
(3) 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 five feet for each ten feet addtional height of each building or fraction thereof above forty-five feet.
(4) 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.
(5) Two buildings, if when projected towards one another, do not overlap, shall be no closer than fifty feet. Projection shall be considered as occurring along planes parallel to the faces of buildings being considered.
(6) Two buildings shall be considered parallel if their longer sides, when extended to intersect, form an interior angle of forty-five degrees.
(7) Two buildings shall be considered at right angles if their sides, when extended to intersect, form an interior angle of more than forty-five degrees.
(j) Yard Depths.
(1) Relation to public rights of way or property lines of single-family or two-family dwellings:
A. If the building's long side parallels a right of way or property line, a minimum depth of sixty feet plus seven feet for each ten feet of building height or fraction thereof above forty-five feet shall be required.
B. If the building's short side parallels a right of way or property line, a minimum depth of fifty feet plus two feet for each ten feet of building height or fraction thereof above forty-five feet shall be required.
(2) Relation to property lines within the residential districts that separate tracts developed as designed multiple dwelling projects:
A. If the building's long side parallels a property line, a minimum depth of forty feet plus seven feet for each ten feet of building height or fraction thereof over eighty feet shall be required.
B. If the building's short side parallels a property line, a minimum depth of forty feet plus two feet for each ten feet of building height or fraction thereof over eighty feet shall be required.
(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 present or provided on the site.
(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 high-rise 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 or 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 rights of way directly across which is commercially zoned land and along property lines and 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 to the prospective population but in no case consisting of an area less than a total of 100 square feet for each dwelling unit served.
(r) Utilities. The proposed development shall be served by public sewer 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.)