+------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Township of Springettsbury, PA | | Chapter 213: PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ARTICLE I Use of Fees Paid in Lieu of Land Dedicated to Recreation [Adopted 5-23-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-10 (Ch. 16, Part 2, of the 2003 Code)] S 213-1. Purpose. +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Section 503(11) of the Municipalities Planning Code Editor's | | | Note: See 53 P.S. S 10503(11). authorizes and S 289-40 of Chapter | | | 289, Subdivision and Land Development, provides that in lieu of | | | the dedication of land for public recreation, the Township may in | | A. | appropriate cases, require the developer to pay a fee in lieu | | | of such dedication for park and recreation purposes. The fee in | | | lieu of payments are to be used only for the purpose of providing | | | park or recreation facilities accessible to the development from | | | which payments were made. | |----+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | The Springettsbury Township 1990 Comprehensive Plan divides the | | | Township park and recreation facilities into two categories, | | | community parks and neighborhood parks. The Township has two | | | community parks, the 43 acre park to the rear of the municipal | | | building and the 37.4 acres undeveloped park west of North Hills | | B. | Road. Both of these parks are within two miles of every Township | | | resident. The Township has 12 neighborhood parks and there are | | | eight school or church neighborhood parks aggregating | | | approximately 128.45 acres scattered throughout the Township and | | | which are accessible by foot to residents within their service | | | areas. The ratio is approximately 60% to 40%. | |----+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | The Board of Supervisors finds that the two community park areas | | | are centralized and readily accessible to all Township residents. | | | The facilities provided by the recreation complex to the rear of | | | the municipal building are of the type that can only be provided | | | in a large area park. The North Hills area lends itself to | | | passive type recreation and may be developed. Consequently, the | | | Board of Supervisors has determined that a portion of the fee in | | C. | lieu of payments received from developers should be used for the | | | capital improvement of the community parks regardless of the | | | location of the development for which said payments were made. | | | The portion of the funds presently held from such payments and | | | the portion of all future payments for the use of the community | | | parks should be established at 40%, unless the Board of | | | Supervisors determine through the annual budgetary process that a | | | greater percentage is warranted. [Amended 5-26-2005 by Ord. No. | | | 2005-06] | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ S 213-2. Allocation in lieu of fees. [Amended 5-26-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-06] All fees heretofore collected from developers in lieu of dedication of land for public park and recreation purposes and now held by the Township, together with the income earned thereon and all such fees hereafter collected, are hereby allocated and shall be spent and applied 60% to the neighborhood park or parks immediately accessible to the development for which such fees were paid and 40% shall be spent and applied for the capital improvement of the community parks as designated by the Board of Supervisors identified in S 213-1, unless the Board of Supervisors determines through the annual budgetary process that a greater percentage is warranted. S 325-59. Open space. A minimum of 30% of the T-N tract shall be devoted to common open space. +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Open space shall be designed and arranged to achieve as many of | | | the following objectives as possible: | | | | | | (1) | | | | | | Protection of important natural, historic and cultural resources. | | | | | | (2) | | | | | | Preservation of scenic views from inside and outside the | | | development, from public roads and neighboring properties. | | | | | | (3) | | | | | | Provision of new and/or connection with existing trails, | | | greenways, bikeways, linear parks or open space on adjoining | | A. | parcels. | | | | | | (4) | | | | | | Provision of usable play areas, recreation areas and/or equipment | | | made conveniently accessible to residents throughout the T-N. | | | | | | (5) | | | | | | Establishment of public open space, including public greens, | | | squares and commons, as a focal point of the T-N. | | | | | | (6) | | | | | | Interconnection of areas of proposed open space within the T-N | | | with existing or planned open space or recreational facilities on | | | lands adjoining the T-N tract. | |----+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | The applicant shall demonstrate the specific measures employed to | | | achieve the objectives in Subsection A through the provision of | | | an open space plan depicting all proposed elements of the | | | common open space. Each open space plan shall include: | | | | | | (1) | | | | | | The location and size of proposed commons, greens and/or squares. | | | | | | (2) | | | | | | Identification of connections among proposed areas of open space | | | within the T-N tract and connections of proposed areas of open | | | space on the T-N tract with elements of open space on adjoining | | B. | tracts if such exists or is proposed. | | | | | | (3) | | | | | | Location, type and size of proposed recreational equipment. | | | | | | (4) | | | | | | Location and size of trails, greenway or other pedestrian | | | linkages, including the proposed surface treatment. | | | | | | (5) | | | | | | A landscape plan that includes information as outlined in | | | S 325-61. | |----+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | In all T-Ns, regardless of the total amount of open space | | | provided, not less than 50% of the required open space shall meet | | | all of the following criteria: 1) The land shall not contain | | | floodplains, wetlands, steep slopes or other natural features | | C. | which would render the land unbuildable under applicable | | | ordinances and regulations. For the purposes of this section, | | | unbuildable land is land on which a principal structure cannot be | | | constructed. 2) The land shall not contain stormwater management | | | facilities. The remaining portion of the required open space may | | | contain floodplains, wetlands, steep slopes and similar features. | |----+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | The arrangement and configuration of the open space shall relate | | | to the design of the T-N and shall be usable by and/or accessible | | | to residents of the proposed development. Strips of land along | | | the perimeter of the T-N tract or separating proposed lots within | | D. | the T-N shall not be counted as open space to meet the required | | | minimum unless such land is improved with walking trails, fitness | | | stations or other improvements acceptable to the Board of | | | Supervisors or unless such land is, in the opinion of the Board | | | of Supervisors, integrated and integral to the overall open space | | | design. | |----+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Each T-N containing 150 or more dwelling units shall be provided | | | with at least one public common or green containing not less than | | E. | 20,000 square feet. Other greens, squares and commons of not less | | | than 1,000 square feet shall be dispersed throughout the T-N. A | | | green, square or common that meets the requirements of Subsection | | | C above may be included within the required minimum open space. | |----+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | A hard- or soft-surfaced pedestrian and bicycle network system | | | linking development within the T-N shall be provided to connect | | | greens, squares and commons depicted on the open space plan. | | F. | Access to all such areas shall be provided from public streets or | | | publicly accessible private streets. Where necessary, easements | | | shall be provided to accommodate pedestrian access as well as | | | access for maintenance equipment and bicycles. | |----+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | The open space requirements of this section are in addition to | | G. | the recreation land/fee requirements provided under the | | | Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Chapter 289). | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+