Township of Upper Hanover, PA Mobile Home Regulations

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:

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.

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:

Parking is prohibited along the road; and

Off-street visitor parking is provided in common areas within 300 feet of all dwelling units at a rate of 0.3 space per mobile home.

(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.

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.

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.

Pedestrian circulation.

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.

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.

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.

Parking.

Spaces required. Two paved off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each dwelling on the same lot therewith. Parking for any commercial or other nonresidential use shall follow the requirements otherwise applicable for such uses.

Common parking areas.

Aisle width. Where common parking facilities are to be used, no parking aisle shall be less than 22 feet in width.

All parking areas shall conform to § 425-416 herein.

§ 425-702 Common open space.

In addition to any requirements of the Township Zoning Ordinance, the following regulations shall also apply:

Arrangement; location; recreation areas.

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.

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.

Buffers.

General requirements. A permanent buffer shall be provided along all exterior property boundary lines.

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:

The property line of a mobile home park occurs along natural features which function as buffers, including but not limited to:

Mature vegetation;

Significant grade changes; or

[3]

Stream valleys that are likely to be permanently preserved.

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.

Drainage considerations. Drainage facilities shall comply with the standards and requirements contained in Articles IV and V.

§ 425-703 Common elements.

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.

Maintenance. Prior to plan approval, provisions shall be established for the maintenance of all common elements that will not be owned and maintained by a governmental agency, in compliance with § 500-805 of Chapter 500, Zoning.

Service building. The structure or structures containing the management office and other common facilities shall be conveniently located for the use intended.

§ 425-704 Utilities.

Water supply.

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).

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.

Individual water-riser pipes and connection.

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.

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.

Sewage disposal.

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.

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.

Individual sewer connections.

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.

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.

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.

§ 425-705 Permits, licenses, fees and inspections.

Permits required.

Lots for sale; occupancy permits.

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:

The subdivision and/or land development plan has been properly approved; and

The proper building and construction permits have been issued to the lot in accordance with standard procedures for any building activity in the Township.

No mobile home or other structure shall be occupied until the Township has issued a valid occupancy permit.

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:

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:

A valid permit issued by PA DEP, in the name of the operator, for a specified construction, alteration or extension proposed.

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.

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.

Fees.[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.

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.

Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

Inspection.

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.