The purpose of these regulations is to create
conditions favorable to the health, safety, morals and general welfare
of the citizens by assisting in the orderly and efficient integration
of subdivisions; ensuring conformance of subdivision plans with the
public improvements plans of the city; ensuring sites suitable for
building purposes and human habitation; facilitating the efficient
movement of traffic and avoiding traffic hazards and congestion; securing
equitable handling of all subdivision plans by providing uniform procedures
and standards; improving land records by establishing standards for
surveys and plans; safeguarding the interests of the public, the homeowner,
the subdivider and all municipalities; preserving natural and historic
features; serving all other purposes authorized for a subdivision
and land development ordinance by the Pennsylvania Municipalities
Planning Code; and carrying out the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive
Plan.
The provisions of this chapter that only repeat,
summarize or reference provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipalities
Planning Code shall be deemed to be automatically superseded and replaced
by any applicable amendments to such provisions of the Pennsylvania
Municipalities Planning Code at the date such amendments become effective
as state law.
See §
423-29 regarding the requirements for a land development.
The city shall maintain records of the decisions
of the Planning Commission regarding all subdivision and land development
plans. Such records shall be available to the public for review.
[Amended 4-30-2018 by Ord. No. 9-2018]
Decisions of the City Planning Commission and/or the City Subdivision
Bureau (in the case of lot line adjustments, annexations and minor
revisions of approved plans where the Subdivision Bureau acts as the
approving body) may be appealed in accordance with the Pennsylvania
Municipalities Planning Code, as amended.
There is hereby created a Subdivision Bureau
of the City of Scranton, staff-persons who shall serve as a committee
responsible for the technical review of subdivision and land development
plans. Such Bureau shall be under the direction of the City Engineer
and shall include the Chief City Planner. The Bureau shall also include
such other city staff-persons as deemed appropriate by the City Engineer,
such as but not limited to: a Code Enforcement Officer, the Superintendent
of Building Inspection, the Assistant City Planner and the Zoning
Officer.
Neither the approval nor the granting of any
building permit, floodplain permit, site plan review, subdivision
approval, land development approval, zoning permit, erosion review,
stormwater runoff review, wetland delineation or wetland review, steep
slope review or any other review or permit of this chapter, involving
any land governed by the provisions of this chapter, by an officer,
solicitor, employee, consultant or agency of the city, shall constitute
a representation, guarantee or warranty of any kind by the city or
its employees, consultants, officials or agencies of the practicality
or safety of any structure, use or subdivision and shall create no
liability upon, nor a cause of action against any city body, consultant,
official or employee for any damage that may result pursuant thereto.
All plans shall comply with applicable state
professional certification laws, including but not limited to certification
laws for professional engineers, surveyors and landscape architects.
All preliminary and final plans and any required stormwater calculations
for a subdivision or land development shall be certified, signed and
stamped by a registered professional engineer. All subdivisions of
land shall be certified, signed and stamped by a registered surveyor.