Commission recommends ordinance to allow multi‑family units in R‑3 and R‑4 with objective conditions

Wilkins Township's Planning Commission on Oct. 16 voted to recommend to the Board of Commissioners an ordinance that would remove multi‑family dwellings as a Conditional Use in the R‑3 and R‑4 districts and instead permit them if they meet specified, objective conditions. The Commission's motion (DeRiso — Wolfgang) passed unanimously after the group identified drafting corrections to be made before Board consideration.

Staff explained the Township already defines multi‑family as three or more dwelling units and defines a duplex as two units. The draft ordinance links allowable unit counts to lot size: "A twenty thousand (20,000) square foot lot can have up to six units, a forty thousand (40,000) square foot lot can have up to twelve units. Any lot with square footage over forty thousand can have up to thirteen units." Commissioners agreed parking dimensions should mirror the Parking Pad Ordinance — nine feet by seventeen feet — and directed staff to remove language permitting a 10% alteration of yard and height requirements and to delete Section 450‑50 Paragraph J from the draft.

Ms. Greco and the solicitor also recommended a wording change in the ordinance preamble from "amending its zoning ordinance to correct an error" to "amending its zoning ordinance to clarify a potential ambiguity." With those corrections, the Commission recommended the Board adopt the ordinance.