A.
Individual mobile homes. Individual mobile, modular or manufactured housing units, as defined in Article II, Definitions, herein, may be erected on any lot where the use is permitted, providing compliance is made with zoning requirements and all sections of this chapter which apply to subdivisions and development of single-family detached dwellings and applicable local or federal building codes.
B.
Mobile home parks. The provisions of this article shall be followed in the construction or alteration of all mobile home parks, as defined in Article II, Definitions, herein. These provisions are in addition to other applicable regulations of this chapter. Any construction or alteration of a mobile home park shall comply with Chapter 500, Zoning.
The following regulations shall apply to mobile
home parks:
A.
Arrangement of structure and facilities. The tract,
including mobile home stands, patios, other dwellings and structures,
and all tract improvements, shall be organized in relation to topography,
the shape of the plot, and common facilities. Special attention shall
be given to new mobile home designs and to common appurtenances that
are available.
B.
Adaptation to tract assets. Each mobile home unit
or other dwelling or structure shall be fitted to the terrain with
a minimum disturbance of the land and a minimum elevation difference
between the floor level of the unit and the ground elevation under
it. Existing trees and shrubs, rock formations, streams, floodplains,
steep slopes, and other natural features of the tract shall be preserved
to the maximum extent practical. Favorable views shall be emphasized
by the plan.
C.
Courts and spaces. Groups or clusters of units, so
placed as to create interior spaces and courtyards, shall be incorporated
whenever feasible.
D.
Orientation. Developers of mobile home parks are encouraged
to arrange mobile homes in a variety of orientations. In order to
provide variety and interest, they are strongly encouraged to have
many units with their long sides rather than their ends facing the
street.
E.
Street layout. Street patterns shall follow the topography
of the site as much as practical.
F.
Roadways.
(1)
Standards. Developers shall adhere to all Township
standards contained in this chapter for the construction of streets
in and abutting mobile home parks. In those parks where the streets
are to be maintained as private internal roadways, owned and maintained
by the mobile home park operator or owned and maintained in common
by the residents/owners of the individual lots, the standards shall
be as follows:
(a)
Right-of-way. There shall be an equivalent right-of-way
(as defined herein) reserved along those streets that are designed
to function as feeder or collector streets and that connect major
exterior roadways, form major loops, traverse the development or provide
major or important access to adjacent parcels. No equivalent right-of-way
is required on other streets. On those streets where an equivalent
right-of-way is required, parallel parking may be permitted, but perpendicular
or angle parking is prohibited.
(b)
Pavement. Pavement width of all residential
streets serving as access to mobile home lots shall be not less than
26 feet. This may be reduced to not less than 20 feet on a street
serving as access to no more than 10 mobile home lots where the following
conditions are met:
(c)
Grades. Gradients on all residential streets
shall not exceed 10%.
(d)
Culs-de-sac. A paved turnaround area with a
minimum radius of 50 feet shall be provided at the closed end of any
cul-de-sac road serving as a sole access to four or more mobile home
lots. No permanently closed cul-de-sac street shall exceed 500 feet
in length or serve as the only access to more than 20 mobile home
lots.
(2)
Access limitations. Mobile home lots may have direct
access only onto streets internal to the development. Direct access
from a mobile home lot shall not be permitted onto the streets from
which the mobile home park gains primary access.
(3)
Conversions. Any road built as a private road and
later proposed for conversion to a public road shall be brought up
to the applicable standards for public streets prior to being ordained
as a public way. The governing body, upon determining that compliance
with the requirement would have a negative effect on the mobile home
park, may waive this requirement.
G.
Pedestrian circulation.
(1)
General requirements. All mobile home parks shall
provide safe, convenient, all-season pedestrian walkways of adequate
width for intended use, durable and convenient to maintain between
individual mobile homes, mobile home development, all community facilities
provided for the residents and off-site pedestrian traffic generators,
such as schools, bus stops, commercial centers, etc. These pedestrian
walkways may parallel vehicular roadways, where they shall only be
required on one side, or they may form a separate but coordinated
system away from streets. Walkways must be provided wherever pedestrian
traffic is concentrated and where schoolchildren congregate but may
be waived elsewhere if the applicant successfully demonstrates a lack
of need.
(2)
Common walk system. Where a common walk system is
provided and maintained between locations, such common walks shall
have a minimum width of four feet. Where these walks parallel roadways,
they shall be separated from the road pavement by a distance of at
least four feet.
(3)
Individual walks. All dwellings shall be connected
to common walks or to streets or to driveways or parking spaces connecting
to a paved street. Such individual walks shall have a minimum width
of two feet.
In addition to any requirements of the Township
Zoning Ordinance, the following regulations shall also apply:
A.
Arrangement; location; recreation areas.
(1)
Arrangement. The common space shall be designed as
a contiguous area unless the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction
of the Township Board of Supervisors that two or more separate areas
would be preferable. The open space shall also have easily identifiable
pedestrian and visual accessibility to all residents of the mobile
home park, although all units do not have to abut the common open
space.
(2)
Recreation. Recreation areas and facilities shall
be provided to meet the anticipated needs of the residents of the
mobile home park. Not less than 25% of the required open space area
exclusive of lands within the required buffers shall be devoted to
recreation. Recreation areas shall be of a size, shape and topography
that is conducive to active and passive recreation in compliance with
applicable zoning requirements.
B.
Buffers.
(1)
General requirements. A permanent buffer shall be
provided along all exterior property boundary lines.
(2)
Existing buffers. Buffering may be waived along the
property line, upon approval of the Township Board of Supervisors
and upon recommendation of the Township Planning Commission, in cases
where:
(3)
Buffer landscape plan. A landscaping plan shall be
submitted with the final plans showing all pertinent information,
including the location, size and species of all individual trees and
shrubs to be preserved or planted or, alternately, the general characteristics
of existing vegetation masses which are to be preserved.
A.
Ownership. Common open space and roadways shall be
offered for dedication to the Township or public use shall be assured
through easements or other appropriate means in any mobile home park
where all lots will be sold or where the Township Board of Supervisors
determines those facilities to be key elements in the open space and/or
circulation systems of the Township. In all other cases, these and
other common elements may be retained in private ownership or may
be owned jointly by the residents of the development.
C.
Service building. The structure or structures containing
the management office and other common facilities shall be conveniently
located for the use intended.
A.
Water supply.
(1)
General requirements. An adequate supply for domestic,
auxiliary and fire-fighting uses shall be provided for all uses included
in the mobile home park, including service buildings and accessory
facilities, in accordance with the Township Zoning Ordinance, and
any other applicable ordinances, as well as the requirements of the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP).
(2)
Water distribution system. All water piping, fixtures
and other equipment shall be constructed and maintained in accordance
with state and local regulations as well as those of the Upper Hanover
Authority.
(3)
Individual water-riser pipes and connection.
(a)
Individual water-riser pipes shall be located
within the confined areas of the mobile home stand at a point where
the water connection will approximate a vertical position, thereby
ensuring the shortest water connection possible and decreasing susceptibility
to water pipe freezing.
(b)
The water-riser pipe shall have a minimum inside
diameter consistent with the standards of the Upper Hanover Authority
and terminate at least four inches above the ground surface. The water
outlet shall be provided with a cap when a mobile home does not occupy
the lot.
(c)
Adequate provisions shall be made to prevent
freezing of service lines, valves and riser pipes and to protect risers
from heaving and thawing actions of ground during freezing weather.
Surface drainage shall be diverted from the location of the riser
pipe.
(4)
Fire protection. All mobile home parks shall be provided
with fire hydrants that comply with applicable codes and Upper Hanover
Authority standards. Hydrants shall be in sufficient numbers and spacing
to satisfy standards of the Upper Hanover Authority.
B.
Sewage disposal.
(1)
General requirements. An adequate and safe sewerage
system shall be provided in all mobile home parks for conveying and
disposing of sewage from dwellings, service buildings and accessory
facilities in accordance with the state requirements.
(2)
Sewer system. All sewer lines shall be located in
trenches of sufficient depth to be free of breakage from traffic or
other movements and shall be separated from the water supply system.
The system shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with
all state regulations, as well as those of the Upper Hanover Authority.
(3)
Individual sewer connections.
(a)
Each mobile home stand shall be provided with
a sewer-riser pipe consistent with the standards of the servicing
utility. The sewer-riser pipe shall be so located on each stand that
the sewer connection to the mobile home drain outlet will approximate
a vertical position.
(b)
The sewer connection shall have an inside diameter
and slope as required by the servicing utility. All joints shall be
watertight.
(c)
All material used for sewer connections shall
be semirigid, corrosive-resistant, nonabsorbent and durable. The inner
surface shall be smooth.
(d)
Provision shall be made for capping the sewer-riser
pipe when a mobile home does not occupy the lot. Surface drainage
shall be diverted away from the riser. The rim of the riser pipe shall
extend at least 1/2 inch above ground elevation.
C.
Underground utilities. All electric, natural gas,
telephone and any other utility lines shall be placed underground
in all mobile home parks, and each shall have the necessary shutoff
valves and other safety requirements normally associated with safe
operations. All utility connections shall be appropriately capped
for safety purposes whenever a mobile home stand is not occupied.
A.
Permits required.
(1)
Lots for sale; occupancy permits.
(a)
In those mobile home parks wherein some or all
of the mobile home lots will be sold individually (whether totally
fee simple; fee simple with a homeowners' association, condominium
or cooperative), no lot to be conveyed shall be developed or mobile
home or other structure placed or constructed thereon until:
(b)
No mobile home or other structure shall be occupied
until the Township has issued a valid occupancy permit.
(2)
Lots for lease. In those mobile home parks wherein
some or all of the mobile home lots will be leased, the following
regulations shall apply to the entire development, exclusive of the
lots being sold individually:
(a)
Initial permits. It shall be unlawful for any
person or group to construct, alter, extend or operate a mobile home
park unless and until that person or group obtains:
[1]
A valid permit issued by PA DEP, in the name
of the operator, for a specified construction, alteration or extension
proposed.
[2]
Valid permit(s) authorizing construction of
initial occupancy issued by the Township Zoning Officer in the name
of the operator. All permits for water supply and sewage systems shall
have been obtained.
[3]
Compliance with all other requirements contained
herein.
[4]
Final approval of the application by the Township
Board of Supervisors.
(b)
Annual licenses. In addition to the initial
permits, the operator of a mobile home park with lots for lease shall
apply to PA DEP and to the Township Zoning Officer on or before the
first day of each year for an annual license to continue operation
of the mobile home park. The Zoning Officer shall issue the annual
license upon satisfactory proof that the park continues to meet the
standards prescribed by the state agencies having jurisdiction and
the standards of this article and other applicable ordinances. The
license so issued shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance.
B.
Fees.[1]
(1)
Fees for the initial application and preliminary and
final approvals of any mobile home park shall be prescribed by resolution
of the Township Board of Supervisors.
(2)
The fee for the annual license required for mobile
home parks having lots for lease shall be prescribed by resolution
of the Township Board of Supervisors and shall be submitted to the
Zoning Officer with the application for the annual license.
C.
Inspection.
(1)
Upon notification to the licensee, manager or person
in charge of a mobile home park with lots for lease, the Building
Inspector or Zoning Officer may inspect a mobile home park after due
notice to determine compliance with this article.
(2)
Upon receipt of the application for annual license
and before issuing such annual license, the Zoning Officer or other
designated representative of the Township shall make an inspection
of the mobile home park to determine compliance with this article
and other applicable ordinances. The Zoning Officer or other representative
shall thereafter notify the licensee of any instances of noncompliance
and shall not issue the annual license until the licensee has corrected
all such violations.
D.
Modular and mobile home inspections. The applicant
or developer shall inform the Township Engineer of the delivery date
of a modular and/or mobile home. The Township Engineer shall inspect
the modular or mobile home upon its arrival at the site prior to installation
to determine whether it meets the standards of "NFPA 501A: Standard
for Fire Safety Criteria for Manufactured Home Installations, Sites
and Communities," 1999 or most current edition. The Township Engineer
shall also inspect a modular home after its installation and prior
to occupancy by residents in order to determine its compliance with
installation instructions outlined in the building system approval
report, which shall be provided by the applicant or developer.
A.
Mobile home stands. A concrete pad, properly graded,
placed and compacted so as to be durable and adequate for the support
of the maximum anticipated loads during all seasons, shall be used
for all mobile homes.
B.
Anchoring. Every mobile home placed within a mobile
home park shall be anchored to the mobile home stand where it is located
prior to the unit being occupied or used in any other way or the expiration
of seven days, whichever occurs first. The anchoring system shall
be designed to resist a minimum wind velocity of 90 miles per hour.
C.
Stability. All mobile homes placed within a mobile
home park shall, prior to occupancy or other use, be affixed to their
mobile home stands in such a way so as to prevent tilting of the unit.
No mobile home shall permanently rest on the wheels used to transport
the unit.
D.
Skirts. All mobile homes placed within a mobile home
park shall, prior to occupancy or other use, have skirts installed
for protection of the utility connections.
E.
Hitch. The hitch or tow bar attached to a mobile home
for transport purposes shall be removed and remain removed from the
mobile home when it is placed on its mobile home stand.