In addition to the other applicable requirements in this chapter, the provisions in this Article VIII shall apply to any campground or recreational vehicle (RV) park in the Township. As used herein, "campground" shall also include "RV park."
A.
Purpose. The purpose of this Article VIII is to assure that all campgrounds and RV parks constructed and operated in the Township are planned and developed so as to protect the health, safety and welfare of their inhabitants and of the residents of the Township.
B.
Occupancy. Campsites shall be used only for camping purposes and not for long-term residency. (See definition in Article II.) No improvement or any recreational vehicle designed for long-term residency or occupancy shall be erected or placed on any campsite. All recreational vehicles in the RV park shall be maintained to meet Pennsylvania Department of Transportation vehicle/trailer registration requirements and in a road-worthy, transportable condition at all times, and any action toward removal of wheels is hereby prohibited. Moreover, no campsite shall be occupied for more than 12 consecutive months, and no campsite shall be the primary and principal residence of the owner or any other occupant; each campsite to be used and occupied (excepting occasional guests) for camping and recreational purposes only by a single household. Unless such owner can establish a prior relocation or removal within the immediately preceding 12 months, the Township shall require any owner to relocate or remove a recreational vehicle from any campground campsite for a period of 30 days. Placement in a storage area in the campground complying with the required relocation or removal shall be permitted. These requirements shall be attached to each campsite by restrictive covenant.[1]
C.
Ownership. The campground shall remain in single ownership and shall
not be subdivided.
A.
Land development. A campground or expansion of campground shall be
considered a land development as defined by this chapter and the application
for the development of a campground shall be processed in accord with
all the procedures established by this chapter for land developments.
A campground shall have a total contiguous land area of not
less than 20 acres.
A.
Site size. The minimum area of any campsite shall be 2,500 square
feet exclusive of road rights-of-way and walkways.
B.
Density. The total number of sites in a campground shall not exceed a density of six campsites per acre of adjusted tract acreage. Density shall be calculated by calculating the adjusted tract acreage in accord with the requirements of residential conservation design in Chapter 470, Zoning, and dividing by six lots per acre.
C.
Open space. The construction and maintenance of recreation facilities
and open space shall be the responsibility of the owner of the campground.
Not less than 5% (but not less than 1/2 acre) of the area improved
for campsites shall be suitable for and improved to provide for active
recreation for users of the campground. Such active recreation may
include, but is not limited to, swimming pools, playgrounds, play
fields, ball fields, courts of all types, recreation buildings and
similar facilities. The Board of Commissioners will determine the
adequacy of the proposed facilities for the number of campsites and
may require additional facilities.
In addition to the other applicable standards contained in this chapter, the design standards of this § 390-72 shall apply to all campgrounds.
A.
Location.
(1)
Floodplains. A campground shall not be located within a one-hundred-year
floodplain area as defined by the Federal Flood Insurance Program.
(2)
Nuisances. The site of any proposed campground shall be free from
adverse influence by swamps, marshes, garbage or rubbish disposal
areas or other potential breeding places for insects or rodents, and
shall not be subject to any hazard or nuisance, such as excessive
noise, vibration, smoke, toxic matter, radiation, heat, odor or glare.
(3)
Slopes. A campground shall not be located where the average natural
slope of the area of the site intended for development exceeds 10%.
B.
Soil and ground cover.
(1)
Existing vegetation. Existing trees, shrubs and other vegetation
shall be preserved and maintained to the greatest extent possible.
(2)
Erosion control. All areas of a campground disturbed during the development
process and not covered by improvements shall be stabilized and protected
with such vegetative growth as necessary to prevent soil erosion and
the emanation of dust during dry weather. Such vegetation shall be
maintained by the owner in such condition as to provide continued
soil protection.
D.
Setbacks, buffer strips and screening. No individual campsite shall
be located closer than 100 feet to any exterior property line of the
campground, or from a public road right-of-way. Campgrounds shall
be required to provide screening such as fences or plant materials
along the property boundary line separating the park and any adjacent
use. Plantings shall provide an effective screen to a height of five
feet at the time of planting and an effective screen to a height of
eight feet within five years. These buffer strips shall be properly
maintained at all times.
E.
Roads, access and parking.
(1)
Interior roads.
(a)
All campground roads shall conform to the cross-section requirements
for private access roads.
(b)
One-way roads shall have a minimum right-of-way width of 20
feet and shall be improved with a travel way not less than 15 feet
in width.
(c)
Two-way roads shall have a minimum right-of-way width of 30
feet and shall be improved with a travel way not less than 20 feet
in width.
(d)
The minimum center-line radius of any interior campground road
shall not be less than 50 feet.
(e)
The maximum grade of any campground road shall not exceed 12%.
(f)
No campground road may be offered for dedication to the Township.
Construction and maintenance of campground roads shall be the sole
responsibility of the developer or operator of the campground.
(2)
Parking.
(a)
Parking shall not be permitted on roads or drives within the
campground, but shall be restricted to designated parking areas either
at each site or at common locations.
(b)
All campsites designed for recreational vehicles shall have
off-road parking spaces for the recreational vehicle and for one passenger
vehicle. The parking spaces shall be level in a longitudinal direction
and shall be uniformly crowned in a transverse direction and shall
be well drained. The parking spaces need not be paved with asphalt,
but shall have a minimum depth of six inches of compacted crushed
stone.
(c)
All campsites designed for tenting may be provided with on-site parking spaces in accord with § 390-72E(2)(b) or may have a common parking area not over 300 feet from the most distant campsite. Common parking areas shall provide at least 1.5 spaces per campsite. The minimum size of each parking space shall be at least nine feet by 18 feet.
(3)
Access roads. There shall generally be at least two points of ingress
and/or egress for each campground from any one public right-of-way
(emergency accesses excepted) and all driveways to individual sites
along a public right-of-way shall front on an interior access drive.
Accesses shall be designed and constructed in accord with the requirements
of this chapter for local roads.
(4)
Site frontage. Campground sites and parking spaces shall have direct
access to and frontage on the interior campground road system. Campsites
and parking spaces shall not front or have access directly to public
roads or roads or to private roads or roads passing through the campground
and providing access to other parcels or developments.
F.
Water supply and sewage disposal. Campgrounds shall be served by
a central water supply and a central sewage disposal system in accord
with this chapter.
(1)
All campsites which are not provided with a connection to a central
water supply and a central sewage system shall be located within 300
feet of a bathhouse/toilet facility which shall be equipped with a
water supply, toilets, urinals and lavatories in accordance with Department
of Environmental Protection regulations.
(2)
The campground shall be equipped with sewage dumping stations designed
and constructed for easy access by campers in accord with the following:
(a)
The station shall not be located in any one-hundred-year floodplain.
(b)
(c)
Signs shall be provided to distinguish between water supplies.
(d)
The station shall be sited so that it is usable from the driver's
side of the vehicle.
(e)
All controls that operate the station shall be between nine
inches and 54 inches off the ground and be operable with one hand
with not more than five pounds of force.
G.
Refuse disposal. The storage, collection and disposal of refuse in
the campground/RV park shall be so managed as to create no health
hazards or air pollution. All refuse shall be stored in flytight,
watertight, rodent-proof containers, which shall be located not more
than 150 feet away from any campsite space. Containers shall be provided
in sufficient number and capacity to properly store all refuse as
required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Rubbish shall be collected and disposed of at a facility approved
by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as frequently
as may be necessary to insure that the containers shall not overflow.
H.
Landscaping. A landscaping plan for the proposed project shall be prepared by the developer in accord with § 390-55 of this chapter for review and approval by the Township. Landscaping shall be considered an improvement for the purposes of regulation by this chapter.
J.
Other requirements. There shall be provided in each campground such
other improvements as the Board of Commissioners may require whereby
such requirements shall at all times be in the best interest of the
public health, safety and general welfare.
No part of any campground shall be used for noncamping purposes,
except such uses that are required for the direct servicing and well-being
of the users of the campground and for the management and maintenance
of the campground.
A.
Fences. All property lines shall be kept free and open; and no fences,
except as may be required by screening sections or may exist naturally,
shall be permitted thereon.
B.
Nuisances. No noxious or offensive activities or nuisances shall
be permitted on any campsite.
C.
Animals. No animals shall be kept or maintained on any campsite,
except the usual household pets. Pets shall be kept confined so as
not to become a nuisance.
D.
Garbage and refuse disposal. No person shall burn trash, garbage
or other like refuse on any campsite. All such refuse shall be placed
and kept in approved receptacles for the same. No owner shall permit
the accumulation of litter or refuse or junk on a campsite.
E.
Camping accessories. Notwithstanding any provisions herein contained
to the contrary, picnic tables, benches, storage sheds (not exceeding
120 square feet in area), fire boxes or fireplaces, and similar items
of personal property, may be placed on a campsite. All personal property
on a campsite shall be maintained in good condition so as not to become
unsightly.
F.
Appurtenances. No permanent external appurtenances, such as additions,
carports, cabanas, decks or patios, may be attached to or be placed
to serve any travel trailer or other recreational vehicle parked in
a campground development, and the removal of wheels or placement of
the unit on a foundation is prohibited.
The regulations of this Article VIII shall apply to any expansions of existing campgrounds, including increases in the number of campsites even though no addition to total land area is involved.
