Multifamily uses shall be divided into two categories: multifamily building that involves one single structure, and multifamily development that involves a complex of structures. The following standards shall apply to multifamily developments, except in the Village of Berwyn Districts, where the zoning standards contained in
Article V: Village of Berwyn Districts (VB, VT and VR) shall apply:
A. Use regulations. A multifamily development may consist of a unified group of two or more buildings on a lot to be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no other:
(1) Apartment house or apartment development.
(2) Townhouse development, except in the PBO District.
(3) Quadruplex or quadruplex cluster.
(4) Accessory use on the same lot with and customarily incidental to the foregoing permitted use. The term "accessory use" shall not include a business, except as permitted below where such use is located within an multifamily development, and may include:
(a) A parking garage or off-street parking lot or area.
(b) In conjunction with a permitted multifamily development, an accessory office or commercial use such as a restaurant, personal service shop, drugstore, or similar retail store or a public garage operation may be permitted, provided:
[1] Each such accessory use is conducted entirely within a building constructed as a part of a multifamily development primarily housing residential uses and is located on the ground floor.
[2] The total area devoted to business use shall not exceed 10% of the total floor area of the building in which located, excluding basement and garage.
[3] The net floor area of any one store, shop or similar use, except in the case of an office or restaurant, shall not exceed 1,500 square feet.
(c) Recreational facilities available for use only by residents of the development and their guests. Permitted accessory structures within designated open space areas shall be limited to perimeter fences and decks, patios, and swimming pools.
[1] Such accessory uses shall be located no closer to the street or street right-of-way line on which the associated building fronts than a line parallel to and coincident with the rear facade of the building, extended to its points of intersection with the side boundaries of the lot or open space area.
[2] Such accessory uses shall not be less than 20 feet from any other building or accessory structure located on any other lot or open space area.
B. Site development standards. The following site development standards shall apply to multifamily developments:
(1) Minimum lot area. A lot to be developed pursuant to this section shall be not less than one acre in size based upon net lot area.
(2) Density. There shall be a density of not more than eight dwelling units per acre.
(3) Building coverage and maximum impervious surface. Coverage of the lot by principal and accessory buildings shall not exceed 35% of the net acreage, and building coverage when combined with other impervious surfaces shall not exceed a maximum impervious surface of 65%.
(4) Open space. All multifamily developments shall have a minimum of 20% of the land reserved for open space areas, and the following provisions shall apply:
(a) Open space areas shall be free of obstructions, including watercourses, floodplains, steep slopes, and wetlands or their associated buffers as required by
Chapter 274: Natural Resources Protection.
(b) Open space areas shall be unpaved and primarily consist of an open grassed area including appropriate trees, bushes, and other vegetation. Such an area shall be contiguous and shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from any residential uses or residential accessory uses and shall be a minimum of 25 feet in width.
(c) Open space areas shall not be located within or be included in calculating any required buffer area or setback areas.
(d) Open space areas shall be substantially free of structures, except those designed for recreational purposes, and shall be usable as such.
(e) Open space areas shall not contain any required aboveground stormwater facilities, required parking islands, or required parking buffer areas.
(f) Open space areas shall be located and designed so as to be easily accessible by all residents of the multifamily dwelling development and shall not be part of any private outdoor living area.
(g) When an open space area is designed for active recreation and abuts a public street, it shall be fenced, provided with an earthen berm, or combination thereof, that physically separates it from the street. Appropriate landscaping should be considered in conjunction with such fence, earthen berm, or combination thereof.
(h) Maintenance of open space areas shall be the responsibility of the landowners', homeowners', or condominium owners' association.
(i) Failure to maintain any open space areas shall constitute a violation of this chapter and shall be actionable by the Township, as per the applicable requirements of
§ 455-65H below.
C. Setback requirements.
(1) No principal building or group of townhouses or other multifamily structure shall be located closer than 50 feet to any adjoining single-family residence district.
(2) No accessory structure or parking area shall be located closer than 25 feet to any adjoining single-family residence district.
(3) No interior street, whether public or private, shall be located so as to have a pavement edge closer than 25 feet to any adjoining single-family residence district.
D. General development standards. The following site development standards shall apply in all multifamily developments under this section:
(1) Building separation. The minimum distance between separate buildings shall be as follows:
(a) Between front or facing walls (long walls): 45 feet if both walls provide windows.
(b) Where walls do not face each other for any of the distance of either wall or for endwalls (short walls): 25 feet.
(2) Building dimensions.
(a) Height. No building shall exceed 35 feet in height. No accessory building shall exceed 20 feet in height.
(b) Building length. No building or building group, such as a townhouse group, shall exceed 160 feet as its greatest dimension in length or depth. No townhouse group shall consist of more than eight dwelling units.
(c) Offsets. No more than eight townhouse dwelling units shall be attached in a single group. No more than two contiguous units in any group may be constructed in line, and each unit shall have at least one plan element on any floor which projects or recedes within the wall plane of the facade a minimum dimension of two feet.
E. Off-street parking and vehicular circulation standards.
(1) General guidelines.
(a) A street and parking lot circulation plan shall be prepared indicating vehicular movement patterns and expected peak-hour traffic volumes. Proposed streets shall be classified according to classifications indicated in this chapter and
Chapter 400: Subdivision and Land Development.
(b) Streets and parking lots shall be planned to minimize traffic movement in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings and yards, with particular attention given to controlling noise and daytime and nighttime visual impacts of vehicles.
(c) Streets and parking lots shall be planned to minimize their adverse impacts on adjoining properties. Buffers shall be provided in accordance with
§ 455-76: Landscaping, screening and buffering and
§ 455-65G, below.
[1] Minimum distances between streets, internal streets, parking lots, and residential buildings.
[a] Streets and/or internal street and residential buildings (measured from pavement to exterior building walls): 20 feet.
[b] Parking lots and residential buildings: 20 feet.
[2] Design of streets and parking lots.
[a] The sizes of parking lots should be harmonious with residential living environments. Large parking areas should be avoided.
[b] All planting areas proposed for street rights-of-way and parking lots shall be in conformance with
Article XI: Landscaping of
Chapter 274: Natural Resources Protection.
[c] Streets, internal streets, and parking areas shall be designed to permit safe movement of automobiles, emergency vehicles, moving vans and trash trucks.
[d] Streets, internal streets, and parking areas shall be designed with consideration given to plowing and piling of snow.
(d) Pedestrian circulation plan. A pedestrian circulation plan shall be required as a part of all applications for multifamily development. The plan shall indicate the locations, dimensions, and materials to be used in providing for adequate pedestrian circulation in the proposed development. The pedestrian circulation plan shall reflect the following considerations:
[1] Provision of safe and adequate pedestrian movement in crossing of streets and parking areas.
[2] Provision of safe and adequate pedestrian routes to individual residences, with consideration given to privacy requirements of all residences.
[3] Specific provisions for schoolchildren and safe locations for school bus stops.
[4] Provisions for safe and adequate access between public transportation facilities and the proposed development, if appropriate.
[5] Multiple uses of pedestrian routes for recreation purposes, including, when appropriate, provisions for leisure-time walking, jogging and bicycling.
[6] Aesthetic considerations to the alignments and materials used in construction of pedestrian routes.
[7] Maintenance considerations of the alignments and materials used in construction of pedestrian routes.
(2) Compliance with other regulations:
F. Solid waste storage and collection.
(1) A plan for the storage and collection of trash, garbage and rubbish must be submitted as part of the application for a multifamily development indicating methods and proposed locations for the storage and collection of all solid wastes.
(2) The plan shall be prepared with full consideration given to health, safety and welfare of individual residents of the proposed development, as well as adjoining property owners.
(3) If common solid waste storage and collection points are proposed, a roofed structure with walls on at least two sides must be provided. Such structures must be architecturally harmonious with other buildings in the proposed development and shall be considered as accessory buildings, which shall meet all requirements for such structures as set forth in this chapter and
Chapter 400: Subdivision and Land Development.
G. Architecture and landscape architecture regulations.
(1) Architecture. Architectural schematic drawings prepared by an architect registered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall be required of plans of typical residences and elevations of typical front and rear building facades of residences and accessory buildings.
(2) Architectural schematic drawings shall reflect the following considerations:
(a) The presentation of an overall architectural theme, as well as architectural recognition of individual residences.
(b) Compatibility of the proposed project with adjoining properties, particularly residential neighborhoods.
(c) Long-term durability and maintenance requirements of building materials.
H. Ownership and maintenance of open space.
(1) Application plans shall describe the plan for ownership and maintenance of open space.
(2) The plan may provide for one of the following:
(a) Dedication to and maintenance by the Township if acceptable to the Board of Supervisors.
(b) Private ownership and maintenance. The governing documents of a multifamily development shall provide, in perpetuity, for the common and uniform maintenance of all landscaped areas, including open space and buffers.
(3) The Board of Supervisors may require dedication, easements and/or deed restrictions covering all or portions of the open space and may require the applicant to provide for and establish an organization for the maintenance of the common open space, organized under or similar to that required by the Uniform Condominium Act, 68 Pa.C.S.A. § 3101 et seq., as amended, and agree that such organization or owners holding undivided interest in the open space shall not dispose of the open space by sale or otherwise (except to a similar organization or group conceived and established to own and maintain open space). In determining whether the organization described in the plan is adequate, the Board of Supervisors shall consider the type and structure of the organization from the standpoint of its capacity to raise revenue, meet obligations and properly maintain facilities.
(4) In the event the open space is, in the judgment of the Board of Supervisors, permitted to deteriorate or not maintained in reasonable condition in accordance with the plan, the Township shall have the option of taking whatever steps are afforded by law to require compliance with the plan.
(5) In addition to any other remedies afforded by law, the Township shall have the right, which shall be made part of the agreement with the applicant, to enter upon the common open space and maintain the same for a period not to exceed one year. The purpose of such action by the Township shall be to preserve the taxable values of the property within the development and prevent the common open space from becoming a public nuisance.
(6) Prior to entering upon the property, the Board of Supervisors shall give written notice of the condition complained of to the property owner and afford the latter a period of not less than 30 days to remedy and correct the same.
(7) The cost of such maintenance by the Township shall be assessed ratably against the properties within the development which have a right of enjoyment of the open space and shall become a lien upon said properties upon filing thereof as required by law.
I. Application for development.
(1) Applications for development of multifamily development under this section shall be accompanied by a plan containing the information required by this section and
Chapter 400: Subdivision and Land Development. The appropriate application fee and/or escrow prescribed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors from time to time shall be paid in advance, and the applicant shall agree to reimburse the Township for all costs incurred by it in connection with and in direct relation to the review and processing of the application.
(2) In addition, the following information shall be submitted to the Township:
(a) The nature of the landowner's interest in the land to be developed.
(b) The density of land use to be allocated to the site to be developed.
(c) Location and size of common open space and the form of the organization proposed to own and maintain the common open space.
(d) The use and the approximate height, bulk, and location of dwellings and other structures and their proposed construction materials.
(e) The feasibility of proposals for the disposition of sanitary waste and stormwater and provision of public water supply.
(f) The substance of covenants, grants and easements or other restrictions proposed to be imposed upon the use of the land, buildings and structures, including proposed easements or grants for public utilities.
(g) A provision for parking of vehicles and the location and width of proposed streets and public ways.
(h) A statement which will show the ecological and economic impact of the development on the Township and especially as to the surrounding areas.
(i) A traffic impact study, as per
§ 400-25E of
Chapter 400: Subdivision and Land Development, documenting all improvements which may be needed to avoid off-site congestion or hazard which might arise as a result of the construction of the project for which application is made.
(j) Such other data as will indicate compliance with the development standards of this section and
Chapter 400: Subdivision and Land Development.
J. Where a multifamily development application involves land development and/or subdivision approval, any approval of the application shall be valid for a time period consistent with MPC Sections 508 and/or 917,[1] as the case may be. Where an application does not result in land development and/or subdivision, any approval of an application shall expire if the applicant fails to apply for a building permit or, if no building permit is required, a use and occupancy permit within six months from the date of the decision on the application.
In the PBO District:
Providing the use is on a lot no less than one acre in size, a combination of the uses enumerated in
§ 455-16A(1), and the following business uses, provided that business uses shall not exceed 50% of the gross floor area of all buildings constructed, erected or converted under the provisions of this article.