Township of Allegheny, PA Article VIII Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks

§ 223-49 Rules and regulations.

A. Adoption.

(1) The following rules and regulations for mobile home park subdivision in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, are adopted by the Board of Supervisors of said Allegheny Township, pursuant to Article V, Section 501, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10501.

(2) This chapter shall require that plans for all plots of land to be developed for use as a mobile home park lying within Allegheny Township shall be submitted for approval to the Allegheny Township Planning Commission and Allegheny Township Board of Supervisors.

(3) This chapter shall be prospective only.

B. Definitions not previously addressed in § 223-10. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION

Written approval in whatever form as issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection authorizing a person to operate and maintain a mobile home park.

DEPENDENT MOBILE HOME

A manufactured home which is not equipped with a toilet and bathtub or shower.

FIRE HYDRANT

A large pipe with a valve for drawing water from a water main.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY

Spouse, children, stepchildren, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, mother-in-law and father-in-law.

MOBILE HOME PAD

A section of an individual lot which has been reserved for the placement of a mobile home, pertinent structures or additions.

OFFICER

A person designated by the Allegheny Township Supervisors to enforce this chapter and issue permits by written approval, in whatever form as issued by the Allegheny Township Supervisors, authorizing a person to operate and maintain a mobile home park under the jurisdiction of these regulations.

SERVICE OR RECREATIONAL BUILDING

A structure housing operational, office, recreational, park maintenance, equipment and other facilities built to conform to required local and/or state standards.

SEWER CONNECTION

All pipes and fittings and appurtenances from the drain outlet of the mobile home to the inlet of the corresponding sewer riser pipe.

SEWER RISER PIPE

That portion of the sewer lateral which extends vertically to the ground elevation and terminates at each mobile home space.

SOLID WASTE

All refuse, including, but not limited to, garbage and all material originating from the preparation, cooking and consumption of food and market produce or any substance that can contain any of the waste products or tissue matter or any other discharge from human beings or animals and laundry and kitchen wastewaters, not including sewage.

TRAVEL TRAILER

A vehicular portable structure built on a chassis designed as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreation, vacation and other short-term uses, having a body length not exceeding 32 feet.

WATER CONNECTION

All pipes, fittings and appurtenances from the water riser pipe to the water inlet pipe of the distribution system within the mobile home.

WATER RISER PIPE

That portion of the water service pipe which extends vertically to the ground elevation and terminates at a designated point at each mobile home lot.

WATER SERVICE PIPE

All pipes, fittings, valves and appurtenances from the water main of the park distribution system to the distribution system within the mobile home.

C. Permits.

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain, expand, construct, reconstruct, alter, extend or relocate any mobile home park within the limits of the Township of Allegheny, County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, unless a mobile home park permit from the Township Supervisors or their authorized representatives has been issued.

(2) As a prerequisite to the issuance of any Township permit under this chapter, a valid sewage permit must have previously been issued to the applicant by the PADEP and the Township SEO.

(3) Any application for a mobile home park permit shall be filed with the Township Supervisors or their authorized representatives or officers on a form prescribed by the said Township Supervisors, and said application shall be accompanied by a copy of the PADEP sewage permit.

(4) Upon receipt of such application, the officer shall forthwith inspect the applicant's park to determine compliance with the provisions hereof. Upon favorable determination of same and upon being furnished with a copy of the sewage permit issued by the PADEP to the applicant, and upon receiving payment of the fee prescribed herein, said officer shall issue a mobile home park permit to the applicant, which permit shall be valid for a period of one year thereafter.

(5) If an application is rejected by the officer and if a permit is not issued, the applicant shall have a right of appeal to the Board of Supervisors, provided that the appeal is in writing and exercised within 15 days of the date of the rejection of the application by the officer. The Board of Supervisors of Allegheny Township shall schedule a public hearing within 30 days of the date of the receipt of the appeal of the applicant and shall render a formal written decision to the applicant within 60 days from the date of the public hearing, which decision shall either uphold the decision of the officer or remand the application to the officer with instructions to issue a permit.

(6) New mobile home parks will be issued a permit only after all of the requirements of this section and all other requirements of the Allegheny Township ordinances are met.

(7) It shall be incumbent upon every permit holder to apply for a renewal permit at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the permit holder's current permit.

(8) Renewal permits for one year shall be issued by said officer upon receiving proof from the applicant that the mobile home park continues to meet the standards prescribed by the PADEP and this chapter.

(9) Mobile home parks in existence upon the effective date of this chapter shall be required to meet the standards of the PADEP as a prerequisite to the issuance of an Allegheny Township mobile home park permit.

(10) Mobile home parks in existence upon the effective date of this chapter shall be required to pay fees only at the renewal rate for the issuance of a permit.

(11) In the event of any additional construction or expansion of any mobile home park in existence upon the effective date of this chapter, all of the standards prescribed in this chapter shall apply to those portions of existing mobile home parks which are newly constructed or expanded after the effective date of this chapter.

(12) Within 10 days after any interest in or control of any mobile home park has been sold, transferred, given away or otherwise disposed of, the officer shall be so notified. If the PADEP sewage permit is transferred or if a new PADEP permit is issued by the PADEP, proof of said transfer or issuance shall be furnished to the officer forthwith.

(13) A fee as set by current resolution of the Allegheny Township Board of Supervisors shall be paid for the issuance of an original permit. The fee shall accompany the application, be payable to Allegheny Township, and be paid by the mobile home park owner. The fee is not refundable if the application is rejected.

(14) A fee as set by current resolution of the Allegheny Township Board of Supervisors for each mobile home located on a mobile home lot within the mobile home park shall be paid for each renewal permit. The fee shall accompany the application, be payable to Allegheny Township and be paid by the park owner. The fee is not refundable if the application is rejected.

D. Service building.

(1) The requirements of this section shall apply to service buildings when space for dependent mobile homes and/or travel trailers is provided.

(2) The service building shall contain an adequate number of operable toilets, lavatories, bathtubs or showers which are separate for each sex, in accordance with Table A, below.

		Urinals	Toilets		Lavatory Sinks		Tubs or Showers
	Spaces	Men	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
	1 to 30	1	2	3	3	3	2	2
	31 to 60	2	4	6	6	6	4	4
	61 to 100	2	6	8	8	8	6	6
	101 to 160	4	9	13	11	11	9	9

(3) The service building requirement may be waived when, in the opinion of the PADEP, suitable toilet, lavatory, bathtub or shower facilities are made available to the residents of the mobile home park within a reasonable distance of the mobile home park.

(4) When a service building is provided, the floors, walls, ceilings and equipment throughout the entire service building shall be kept in a clean and sanitary manner at all times.

(5) Laundry facilities shall be provided for the exclusive use of the mobile home park residents only.

E. Inspection.

(1) The officer of Allegheny Township may inspect a mobile home park at reasonable intervals and at reasonable times to determine compliance with this chapter.

(2) Whenever, upon inspection of any mobile home park, it is determined by the officer that conditions or practices exist which are in violation of any provision of this chapter, the officer shall give notice in writing to the person to whom the permit is issued, his agent and/or person in charge of the mobile home park, advising the permit holder that unless such violations are corrected within 30 days of the date of the notice, unless an extension in writing is granted by the officer or by the Board of Supervisors, the permit to operate the mobile home park in Allegheny Township shall be revoked. At the end of such notice, the mobile home park shall be reinspected by the officer and if such violations have not been corrected, the officer shall revoke the permit and give notice in writing of such revocation to the person to whom the permit is issued, his agent and/or person in charge.

F. Plans.

(1) The construction of a mobile home park or the extension or alteration of an existing mobile home park shall be made only after the plans have been submitted to the Township Planning Commission for review and recommendation and approved by the Township Supervisors and a mobile home permit shall have been issued. No alterations or additions shall be made to any water supply or sewage disposal system in any mobile home park until the sewage and water plan for said alterations or additions have been submitted to the Township SEO and approved by the PADEP. All plans submitted to the Planning Commission shall be laid out by a registered professional engineer or registered surveyor with the engineer's or surveyor's seal on each copy and shall comply with the following:

(a) Preliminary plans shall be submitted in triplicate, in sufficient detail, and shall be clear and legible. They shall be drawn to a scale which will permit all necessary information to be clearly shown, preferably one inch to 50 feet or one inch to 100 feet. The size of the plan shall not be less than 18 inches by 24 inches.

(b) The site or plot plan shall show existing and proposed contours, property lines, access roads, existing or proposed structures, location of water and sewage facilities, service buildings, refuse storage areas, streams, lot sizes, storm drainage and the specific total number of proposed spaces. Land reserved for future development must be clearly identified as to plot size and specific uses.

(2) Approval for a sewage system must be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection or other authority having jurisdiction. A sewage facilities planning module for land development may be obtained from the Sewage Enforcement Officer, the Township office or the local office of the PADEP. The sewage facilities planning module must be reviewed and approved by the Township SEO and the PADEP or other authorities having jurisdiction before a sewage system permit can be granted.

(3) All water used in the operation of a mobile home park shall be provided from a supply approved by the PADEP, Bureau of Water Quality Management Standards and approval procedures may be obtained from the local office of the PADEP.

(4) The application for a permit shall be accompanied by three copies of a map, drawn to the same scale as the plot plan, showing:

(a) The boundaries of and current field topography (including locations of watercourses) of the part of such tract that is proposed to be used for the mobile home park development set forth in the application.

(b) The average thickness of overburden in the area of proposed mobile home park development.

(c) The means of vehicular access to the proposed mobile home park development.

(d) An excavating schedule for the proposed mobile home park development which shall include the scheduled times for blasting, if any.

(e) A general schedule for the proposed rehabilitation, including sodding, seeding, grading, fine grading, landscaping and planting of the developed area, shall be shown.

(5) Specific requirements are as follows:

(a) All banks shall be left with a slope no greater than two feet horizontal to one foot vertical.

(b) Where topsoil is removed, sufficient arable soil shall be set aside for respreading over the excavated area, and on the completion of development, such soil shall be respread in a layer having a minimum thickness of at least six inches.

(6) Standards are as follows:

(a) All mobile home park streets or roads offering a means of access to or egress from the mobile home park property from or to any public or private street or highway shall be located and designed so as to avoid the creation of dangerous or otherwise undesirable traffic conditions with a minimum view left and right of 250 feet each way.

(b) All mobile home park development operations shall be conducted in a safe manner, with respect to the likelihood of hazard to persons, physical damage to adjacent land or improvements and damage to any street by reason of slides, sinking or collapse.

(c) Upon completion of mobile home park development operations, the land shall be left in a safe condition, with respect to the requirements set forth in the preceding subsections. The developed land shall be left in such condition that sufficient drainage shall be provided so as to prevent water pockets or undue erosion, with all grading and drainage such that both natural and stormwater leaves the entire property at the original, natural drainage points existing as shown by the field topographic maps submitted to the Township and to the PADEP, Bureau of Soil and Sedimentation Control, as hereinbefore provided, and that the drainage to any one such point is not increased. Neither natural nor stormwater leaving the mobile home park shall adversely affect any property located downstream from the mobile home park.

G. Environmental open space and access requirements.

(1) The location of all mobile home parks shall comply with the following minimum requirements:

(a) Free from adverse influence by swamps, marshes, garbage or rubbish disposal areas or other potential vector breeding places for insects or rodents.

(b) Not subject to flooding.

(c) Not subject to any hazard or nuisance such as excessive noise, vibration, smoke, toxic matter, radiation, heat, odor or glare.

(2) Site drainage requirements are as follows:

(a) The ground surface in all parts of every park shall be graded and equipped to drain all surface water in a safe, efficient manner.

(b) Surface water collectors and other bodies of standing water capable of breeding mosquitoes and other insects shall be eliminated or controlled in a manner approved by the PADEP.

(c) Wastewater from any plumbing, fixture or sanitary sewer line shall not be deposited upon the ground surface in any part of the mobile home park.

(d) Plans for all mobile home park developments, regardless of size, shall be submitted to the Westmoreland County Soil Conservation District for review prior to approval by the Township Supervisors.

(3) Soil and ground cover requirements are as follows:

(a) Exposed ground surfaces in all developed parts of every park shall be paved or covered with stone screens or other solid material or protected with a vegetative growth that is capable of preventing soil erosion and the elimination of dust during dry weather.

(b) Developed park grounds shall be maintained free of vegetative growth which is poisonous or which may harbor roaches, insects or other pests harmful to man.

(4) Required setback and buffer strips are as follows:

(a) All mobile homes shall be located at least 50 feet from any mobile home park property boundary line abutting upon a public street or highway and 100 feet from nonresidential and residential property boundary lines.

(b) There shall be a minimum distance of 30 feet between an individual mobile home, including accessory structures attached thereto, and adjoining pavement of a park street or common parking area or other common areas and structures.

(c) All mobile homes parks shall be required to provide a natural growth of trees having a minimum height of three feet and a maximum separation of 15 feet between trees along or near the property boundary line separating park and adjacent nonresidential and residential uses. The natural growth shall be landscape architectural in nature. For example, an acceptable type would be an evergreen.

(5) Mobile homes shall be separated from each other and from other buildings and structures by at least 30 feet, provided that mobile homes placed end to end may have a minimum clearance of 25 feet where opposing rear walls of the mobile homes are staggered.

(6) Park street system general requirements are as follows:

(a) Safe vehicular access shall be provided from abutting public streets or roads.

(b) The entrance road connecting the public road to the park shall have a minimum pavement width of 34 feet and a right-of-way width of 50 feet.

(c) Surfaced roadways shall be of adequate width to accommodate traffic and, in any case, shall meet the requirements of the following subsections.

(d) Where parking is permitted on both sides of the internal street, a minimum right-of-way of 50 feet and a minimum pavement of 34 feet will be required.

(e) Where parking is not permitted on both sides of the internal street, a minimum right-of-way of 40 feet and a minimum pavement width of 24 feet will be required.

(f) Dead-end streets shall have a maximum length of 1,000 feet and shall be provided with a cul-de-sac having an outside roadway diameter of at least 80 feet.

(7) Street construction and design standards are as follows:

(a) Streets. All streets shall be provided with a smooth, hard and dust-free surface, shall be properly crested and banked, shall be durable and well-drained under normal use and weather conditions. The surface shall be of a macadam, concrete or asphalt material and will meet minimum standards of Township roads unless otherwise specified herein. The contractor shall not install a surface consisting of red-dog, oil or a like substance.

(b) Grades. Grades of all streets and accompanying drainage shall be sufficient to ensure adequate surface drainage, but shall be not more than 10%. Short runs, not exceeding 500 feet, with a maximum grade of 15% may be permitted, provided that traffic safety is ensured by appropriate surfacing and adequate leveling.

(c) Intersections. Intersections of more than two streets at one point shall be prohibited.

(8) Off-street parking areas shall meet the following requirements:

(a) Off-street parking areas shall be provided in all mobile home parks for the use of park occupants and guests at the minimum ratio of two per mobile home lot.

(b) Required car parking spaces shall be so located as to provide convenient access to the mobile home, but shall not exceed a distance of 200 feet from the mobile home that it is intended to serve.

(c) Each parking space shall have a choked crushed blue rock, limestone or air-cooled slag surface at least four inches in depth.

(d) One parking space shall be required for each travel trailer lot.

(9) General requirements are as follows:

(a) All mobile home lots shall be connected by a walkway to common walks, driveways or to parking spaces and connected by a walkway to a paved street.

(b) Fire extinguishers of the A.B.C.-type, ten-pound minimum size, which will control liquid as well as solid materials fires, shall be kept in each mobile home, to be furnished and maintained by the tenant.

(c) The parks or open areas shall have access walks that do not cross any tenant's lot.

(10) Mobile home pad construction shall meet the following requirements:

(a) The area of the mobile home pad shall be improved to provide an adequate foundation for the placement of the mobile home and in such a position as to allow a minimum of 30 feet between a mobile home and the adjoining pavement of a mobile home park street or common parking area or other common structures. Mobile home pads shall be provided with devices, anchor bolts and turnbuckles for anchoring the mobile home to prevent overturning or uplifting. The mobile home pad shall be designed so as not to permit shifting or settlement under the weight of the mobile home because of frost action, inadequate drainage, vibration or other forces acting under the superstructure.

(b) Skirting of mobile homes is required, compatible with the architectural style of the mobile home, but such skirting shall not attach the mobile home permanently to the ground.

(11) A single mobile home lot shall have a minimum area of 7,280 square feet, excluding all streets, roads, highways, rights-of-way, crosswalks or easements, with the exception that a utility right-of-way may be included in the calculation of the minimum area.

(12) A mobile home park shall have a gross area of not less than 20 acres.

(13) Travel trailer lots shall meet the following requirements:

(a) Travel trailer lots shall be located in a special and separate area from those lots provided for regular mobile homes.

(b) A travel trailer lot shall have a minimum area of 1,000 square feet.

H. Water supply.

(1) An adequate water supply shall be provided for manufactured homes, service buildings and other accessory facilities. Where a public water supply system of satisfactory quantity, quality and pressure is available within 1,500 feet of the mobile home development site, connection shall be made thereto and its supply shall be used exclusively. Where a satisfactory public water supply system is not available, the development of a private water supply system or common water wells shall be approved by the PADEP or other authorities having jurisdiction.

(2) Source of supply shall meet the following requirements:

(a) The water supply shall be capable of supplying a minimum of 300 gallons per day per mobile home.

(b) The well or suction line of the water supply system shall be located and constructed in such a manner that neither underground nor surface contamination from any source will reach the water supply.

(c) No well casings, pumps, plumbing machinery or suction pipes shall be placed in any pit, room or space extending below ground level nor in any room or space above ground which is walled in or otherwise enclosed unless such rooms, whether above or below ground, have free drainage by gravity to the surface of the ground unless mechanical means of ensuring full pit drainage is provided.

(d) Water supply treatment, if necessary, shall be in accordance with the requirements of the PADEP or other authorities having jurisdiction.

(3) All water storage reservoirs shall be a covered type and constructed of impervious material. Overflows and vents of such reservoirs shall be effectively screened. Manholes shall be constructed with overlapping covers so as to prevent the entrance of contaminated water or other material, and to prevent backflow, overflow pipes shall discharge through an air gap of at least 12 inches.

(4) Water distribution system shall meet the following requirements:

(a) All water piping fixtures and other equipment shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with state, county, Township and authority regulations.

(b) The water piping system shall not be connected with nonpotable or questionable water supplies and shall be protected against the hazards of backflow or backsiphonage by means of an automatic antisiphonage device. The system shall be designed and maintained to provide a pressure of not less than 20 pounds per square inch under normal operating conditions at service buildings and other locations requiring potable water supply.

I. Sewage disposal.

(1) An adequate and safe sewage system shall be provided in all parks for conveying and disposing of sewage from mobile homes, service buildings and other accessory facilities. Such sewage systems shall be designed, constructed and maintained in accordance with the PADEP or other authorities having jurisdiction.

(2) All sewage lines shall be located in trenches of a minimum depth of 36 inches to prevent breakage from traffic or other movements. All sewage lines laid within 60 inches of the surface shall be composed of extra-strength material, and all sewage lines shall be separated from the mobile home park water supply system lines by at least an eighteen-inch horizontal separation. All sewage lines shall be constructed of materials approved by the PADEP and shall have watertight joints.

(3) Where the sewer lines of the mobile home parks are not connected to a public sewer system, all proposed sewage disposal facilities shall be approved by the PADEP prior to construction.

J. Electrical distribution system.

(1) Every park shall contain an electrical wiring system consisting of wiring fixtures, equipment and appurtenances which shall be installed and maintained in accordance with local electrical codes, standards of the local power company and standards of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission regulating such systems.

(2) All electrical wires crossing any street or road shall provide a minimum clearance of 18 feet above the traveled portion of the street or road. There shall be a minimum horizontal clearance of three feet between overhead wiring and any mobile home, service building or other structure.

(3) All exposed non-current-carrying metal parts of mobile homes and all other equipment shall be grounded by means of approved grounding conductors run with branch circuit conductors or other approved methods of grounding metallic wiring.

(4) The interior electrical circuitry of every mobile home shall be independently grounded.

(5) Adequate streetlights shall be erected along each street in accordance with the latest code of the local power company regarding illumination of secondary streets, with a maximum distance of 400 feet between lights.

(6) There shall be at least one streetlight at each street intersection.

K. Refuse handling. The storage, collection and disposal of refuse in a mobile home park shall be so conducted as to create no health hazards or air pollution and shall comply with the PADEP regulations governing mobile homes.

L. Insect and rodent control. Grounds, buildings and structures shall be maintained free of insect and rodent harborage and infestation. Extermination methods and other measures to control insects and rodents shall conform to the requirements of the PADEP regulations governing mobile home parks.

M. Fuel supply and storage.

(1) Natural gas systems shall meet the following requirements:

(a) Natural gas piping systems in mobile home parks shall be installed and maintained in conformity with accepted engineering practices and all requirements of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission and shall be provided with a protective covering to protect against accidental breakage when not in service.

(b) Each mobile home lot provided with piped natural gas shall have an approved shutoff valve installed upstream of the gas outlet. The outlet shall be equipped with an approved cap to prevent accidental discharge of gas from the outlet when said outlet is not in use.

(2) Liquefied petroleum gas systems as provided for mobile homes, service buildings or other structures when installed shall include the following:

(a) Systems shall be provided with safety valves to relieve excessive pressure and shall be arranged so that discharge terminates at a safe location.

(b) Systems shall have at least one accessible means for shutting off gas. Such means shall be located outside the mobile home and shall be maintained in effective operating condition.

(c) All liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) piping outside the mobile home shall be well supported and protected against accidental damage. Liquefied petroleum gas in liquid form shall not be conveyed through piping equipment and systems in mobile homes.

(d) Liquefied petroleum gas vessels of more than 12 U.S. gallons' gross capacity shall be located below ground level on the mobile lot and, to prevent accidental injury, shall be covered and be securely, but not permanently, anchored.

(e) No LPG vessel shall be stored or located inside or beneath any storage cabinet, carport, mobile home or any other structure.

(3) Fuel oil supply systems shall meet the following requirements:

(a) All fuel oil supply systems provided for mobile homes, service buildings and other structures shall be buried and maintained.

(b) All piping from outside fuel storage tanks or service to mobile homes shall be securely, but not permanently, fastened in place.

(c) All fuel oil supply riser pipes in mobile homes, service buildings and other structures shall have an easily accessible external emergency shutoff valve.

(d) No fuel oil storage tank shall be located in any area subject to vehicular traffic.

N. Fire prevention.

(1) Mobile home park areas shall be kept free of litter, rubbish and other flammable materials.

(2) Each lot shall be numbered by a reflective-type numeral with a minimum height of four inches, which is clearly visible from the street.

(3) All streets shall be named and identified at the ends and intersections thereof with a reflective lettering street sign.

(4) In the case of a well water system, portable fire extinguishers of a type approved by the local fire department which will control liquid as well as solid materials shall be kept in a strategically located area within any public service building under park control.

(5) In the case of a public water system, fire hydrants shall be installed in accordance with the regulations of the local fire department and any other authority having jurisdiction and shall be located within 600 feet of every mobile home, service building or other structure in the park.

O. Responsibilities of the park management.

(1) The person to whom a permit for a mobile home park is issued shall operate the park in compliance with this chapter and shall provide adequate supervision to maintain the park, its facilities and equipment in good repair and in a clean and sanitary condition.

(2) The person to whom a permit for a mobile home park is issued shall supervise the placement of each mobile home on its mobile home pad, including securing the stability of the mobile home.

(3) The person to whom a permit for a mobile home park is issued shall give the Township Supervisors, or their appointed representative or officer, free access to the park and service facilities for the purpose of inspection.

(4) The person to whom a permit for a mobile home park is issued shall immediately notify the Pennsylvania Department of Health or its successor agency of any suspected communicable or contagious disease within the park.

(5) The person to whom a permit for a mobile home park is issued shall supply the Allegheny Township Tax Collector with the name and mobile home park mailing address of any adult resident of the mobile home park moving into or out of the mobile home park 30 days prior to said move.