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Borough of Kutztown, PA
Berks County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Kutztown 12-26-1995 by Ord. No. 12-1995; amended in its entirety 4-20-2004 by Ord. No. 7-2004. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Construction Code — See Ch. 75.
Electrical standards — See Ch. 107.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 119.
Housing standards — See Ch. 135.
Plumbing — See Ch. 163.
This chapter shall be known and cited as the "Borough of Kutztown Building Code."
The provisions contained in § 77-3 of this chapter were reenacted on April 20, 2004, pursuant to Act 45 of 1999, also known as the "Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code," which allowed for the reenactment of all building code ordinances which equal or exceed the specific requirements of the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and were in effect prior to July 1, 1999.
A. 
Erosion control notification. The Code Official shall notify the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (PennDER) or its designee immediately upon receipt of an application for a building permit involving an earthmoving activity which affects five acres or more of land. The Code Official shall not issue a building permit to those engaged in earthmoving activities requiring a PennDER permit until PennDER has issued such permit.
B. 
Flood hazard area requirements. The Code Official shall not issue permits for the erection or alteration of buildings and structures located or to be located within areas of the Borough of Kutztown regulated under Section 1910.3 of the National Flood Insurance Program Regulations issued by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development unless and until all of the requirements of all ordinances of the Borough of Kutztown relating to the criteria and requirements of Section 1910.3 of the National Flood Insurance Program Regulations issued by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and all requirements of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are met.
C. 
The placement or replacement of roofing or siding or change of construction materials shall require an application to the Code Official.
D. 
The plan shall also include the approximate location and types of all underground lines and the names and addresses of the users as required by Act 38 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as from time to time amended.
E. 
A list of required inspections shall appear on the building permit. The applicant to whom a building permit is issued shall be responsible for requesting of the Code Official each inspection appearing on the permit as aforesaid, at least 24 hours before the applicant desires each inspection to be performed.
F. 
Violations and penalties. Any person, partnership, corporation, trust or other entity who or which shall fail to comply with any of the requirements hereof or repair a building or structure in violation of an approved plan or directive of the Code Official or other authorized person or of a permit or certificate issued under the provision of this Code shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000. In default of payment of the fine by any convicted person, partnership, corporation, trust or other entity, such person, the members of such partnership, the officers of such corporation or the trustees of such trust or the persons responsible for the operation of any other entity shall be liable to imprisonment for not more than 60 days. Each day that a violation is continued shall constitute a separate offense.
G. 
Costs of emergency repairs. Costs incurred in the performance of emergency work shall be paid by and shall be the liability of the owner of the premises where the unsafe building or structure is or was located. Upon failure of payment, the Solicitor for the Borough of Kutztown shall institute appropriate action against such owner for recovery of such costs.
H. 
Dwellings. All boardinghouses, hotels, motels and all single-family, two-family and multifamily dwellings as those terms are defined in Chapter 225, Zoning.
I. 
Dwelling unit. A dwelling unit as that term is defined in Chapter 225, Zoning.
J. 
Private garages in Use Group R shall be separated from the interior spaces and attic area by five-eighths-inch fire shield, gypsum board or equivalent applied to the garage side.
K. 
Door sills between private garages and adjacent interior spaces shall be raised not less than four inches (102 millimeters).
L. 
The minimum compressive strength of concrete shall not be less than 3,000 pounds per square inch (20,685 kPa).
M. 
Housekeeping. Rubbish and trash shall not be allowed to accumulate on the construction site and shall be removed as soon as conditions warrant. Combustible rubbish shall be removed daily and shall not be disposed of by burning on the premises or in the immediate vicinity. The entire premises and area adjoining and around the operation shall be kept in a safe and sanitary condition and be kept free of accumulation of trash, rubbish, nuts, bolts, small tools and other equipment. Rubbish and trash shall not be buried or backfilled on the premises but shall be removed and disposed of in accordance with regulations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
N. 
Fee schedule. A fee schedule shall be determined and established from time to time by the Borough Council. Upon enactment of this section and until such time as the Borough Council enacts a new fee schedule, the fee schedule in place at the time of this section's adoption shall be enforced.