Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following terms shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meaning indicated. Words in the singular include the plural, and the words in the plural include the singular. The word "person" includes a corporation, unincorporated association and a partnership, as well as an individual or any other legal entity. The words "shall" and "will" are mandatory; the word "may" is permissive. An agency shall be construed to include its successors or assigns. Words not defined in this article or the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code[1] shall have their normal meanings.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCESSORY BUILDING
A subordinate building, the use of which is customarily incidental to that of the principal building on the same lot.
ADT (AVERAGE DAILY TRIPS)
The average number of trips generated by a land use over a twenty-four-hour period during the week, sometimes referred to as "AADT (annual average daily trip)."
ALLEY
A minor right-of-way, publicly owned, primarily for service access to the back and sides of properties.
APPLICANT
A landowner or developer, as hereinafter defined, who has filed an application for development, including his heirs, successors and assigns.
APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
Every application, whether preliminary, tentative or final, required to be filed and approved prior to the start of construction or development, including but not limited to an application for a building permit, for the approval of a subdivision plat or plan or for the approval of a land development plan.
AS-BUILT PLANS
Plans and profiles prepared by the developer's engineer showing the exact location, size, grade and depth of all required improvements, as constructed.
BIKEWAY
A path designed to be used by nonmotorized bicycles.
BLOCK
An area divided into lots and usually bounded by streets.
BOROUGH
The Borough of New Wilmington, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.
BOROUGH ENGINEER
A professional engineer licensed as such in Pennsylvania, duly appointed as the Engineer of the Borough of New Wilmington.
BOROUGH SOLICITOR
A professional attorney licensed as such in Pennsylvania, duly appointed as the Solicitor of the Borough of New Wilmington.
BUFFER
An area within a property or site, generally adjacent to and parallel with the property line, either consisting of natural existing vegetation or created by the use of trees, shrubs, fences and/or berms, designed to limit continuously the view of, and/or sound from, the site to adjacent properties.
BUILDING ENVELOPE
That portion of a lot, exclusive of the required setbacks, in which a structure may be placed.
BUILDING OR SETBACK LINE
The line within a property defining the required minimum distance between any building and the right-of-way and/or adjacent property lines.
CAD
Computer-aided drawing. A digital format of the plans and drawings that are generally submitted on paper or Mylar.
CARTWAY or ROADWAY
The improved surface of a street or alley designed for vehicular traffic.
CLEAR SIGHT TRIANGLE
An area of unobstructed vision at street intersections defined by lines of sight between points at a given distance from the intersection of street center lines.
COMMON OPEN SPACE
A parcel or parcels of land or an area of water, or a combination of land and water, within a development site and designed and intended for the use or enjoyment of residents of a development site, not including streets, off-street parking areas and areas set aside for public facilities.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The New Wilmington Borough Comprehensive Plan of 1963, and any amendments thereto.
CONDOMINIUM
Ownership in common with others of a parcel of land and certain parts of a building thereon which would normally be used by all the occupants, together with individual ownership in fee of a particular unit or apartment in such building or on such parcel of land, and may include dwellings, offices and other types of space in commercial and industrial buildings or on real property.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, extension, expansion, alteration or relocation of a building, structure or required improvement, including the placement of a mobile home.
CORNER LOT
A lot located at the intersection of two or more existing or proposed street rights-of-way.
COUNTY
The County of Lawrence, Pennsylvania.
COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
The Lawrence County Planning Commission.
COVENANT
A formal agreement of legal validity between two or more parties.
CUL-DE-SAC
A street intersecting another street at one end and terminating at the other in a vehicular turnaround.
CUT
An excavation. The difference between a point on the original ground and a designated point of lower elevation on the final grade. Also, the material removed in excavation.
DEDICATION
An act of transmitting property or interest thereto.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (DEP)
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, its bureaus, divisions, departments and/or agencies, as may from time to time be established, or such department or departments as may in the future succeed it.
DESIGNATED FLOODPLAIN AREAS
A relatively flat or low land area adjoining a river, stream or watercourse which is subject to partial or complete inundation in a one-hundred-year flood.
DETENTION POND
An area in which surface water runoff is temporarily stored pending its release at a controlled rate.
DEVELOPER
Any landowner, agent of such landowner or tenant with the permission of such landowner who makes or causes to be made a subdivision of land or a land development.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, the placement of mobile homes, streets and other paving, utilities, mining, dredging, filling, grading, excavation or drilling operations, and the subdivision of land.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The provisions for development, including a planned residential development, a plat of subdivision, all covenants relating to use, location and bulk of buildings and other structures, intensity of use or density of development, streets, ways and parking facilities, common open space and public facilities. The phrase "provisions of the development plan" when used in this chapter shall mean the written and graphic materials referred to in this definition.
DOUBLE-FRONTAGE LOT
A lot with front and rear street frontage.
DRAINAGE
The removal of surface water or groundwater from land by drains, grading or other means, and includes control of runoff to minimize erosion and sedimentation during and after construction or development.
DRAINAGE FACILITY
Any ditch, gutter, culvert, storm sewer or other structure designed, intended or constructed for the purpose of carrying, diverting or controlling surface water or groundwater.
DRAINAGE RIGHT-OF-WAY
The lands required for the installation of stormwater sewers or drainage ditches, or required along a natural stream or watercourse for preserving the channel and providing for the flow of water therein to safeguard the public against flood damage.
DRIVEWAY
A private vehicular passageway providing access between a street and a private parking area or private garage.
DWELLING UNIT
Any structure, or part thereof, designed to be occupied as living quarters as a single housekeeping unit.
EASEMENT
A right granted for limited use of private land for public and quasi-public purposes, including such things as utilities and drainage.
ENGINEER
A professional engineer licensed as such in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
EROSION
The removal of surface materials by the action of natural elements.
EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN
A plan showing all present and proposed grades and facilities for stormwater, drainage, erosion and sediment controls, and which is in accordance with § 221-48 of this chapter.
EXCAVATION
Any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock or any other similar material is dug into, cut, quarried, uncovered, removed, displaced, relocated or bulldozed and shall include the conditions resulting therefrom.
FILL
Any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock or any other material is placed, pushed, dumped, pulled, transported or moved to a new location above the natural surface of the ground or on top of the stripped surface and shall include the conditions resulting therefrom. The difference in elevation between a point on the original ground and a designated point of higher elevation on the final grade. The material used to make a fill.
FLOODPLAIN
The area along a natural watercourse which may from time to time be overflowed by water therefrom.
FLOODWAY
The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas required to carry and discharge a flood of the one-hundred-year magnitude.
GRADING AND DRAINAGE PLAN
A plan showing all existing ground features and proposed grading, including existing and proposed surface and subsurface drainage facilities, described by grades, contours and topography.
IMPROVEMENTS
Those physical additions and changes to the land that may be necessary to produce usable and desirable lots.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
A. 
Any of the following activities:
(1) 
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots, tracts or parcels of land for any purpose involving:
(a) 
A group of two or more residential or nonresidential buildings, whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single nonresidential building on a lot or lots regardless of the number of occupants or tenure; or
(b) 
The division or allocation of land or space, whether initially or cumulatively, between or among two or more existing or prospective occupants by means of, or for the purpose of, streets, common areas, leaseholds, condominiums, building groups or other features.
(2) 
A subdivision of land.
B. 
Does not include development which involves:
(1) 
The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling or single-family semidetached dwelling into not more than three residential units, unless such units are intended to be a condominium;
(2) 
The addition of an accessory building, including farm building, on a lot or lots subordinate to an existing principal building; or
(3) 
The addition or conversion of buildings or rides within the confines of an enterprise which would be considered an amusement park. For the purposes of this subsection, an "amusement park" is defined as a tract or area used principally as a location for permanent amusement structures or rides. This exclusion shall not apply to newly acquired acreage by an amusement park until initial plans for the expanded area have been approved by the proper authorities.
LANDOWNER or OWNER
The legal or beneficial owner or owners of land, including the holder of an option or contract to purchase (whether or not such option or contract is subject to any condition), a lessee, if he is authorized under the lease to exercise the rights of the landowner, or other person having a proprietary interest in land.
LAWRENCE COUNTY DEPARTMENT
The Department of Planning for the County of Lawrence.
LOCAL MUNICIPALITY
For the purpose of this chapter, the Borough. Its meaning also includes any municipal authority or private agency which may be asked to accept improvements required by this chapter.
LOT
A designated parcel, tract or area of land established by a plat or otherwise as permitted by law and to be used, developed or built upon as a unit.
LOT AREA
The area contained within the property lines of the individual parcels of land as shown on a subdivision plan, excluding space within any street rights-of-way, but including the area of any easement.
LOT, CORNER
A lot abutting upon two or more streets at their intersection, the front of which shall be considered to be the frontage of least dimension on a street, except that, where any two frontages shall each exceed 150 feet in length, either frontage may be designed as the front of the lot.
LOT, DOUBLE FRONTAGE
An interior lot which abuts streets in both the front and rear.
LOT, INTERIOR
A lot having side lot lines which do not abut on a street.
LOT LINE REVISION
A land development plan in which existing property lines are moved but in which no new additional lot is created.
LOT, NONCONFORMING
A lot of record at the time of the adoption of this chapter which, by reason of area or dimension, does not conform to the requirements of this chapter.
LOT OF RECORD
A lot described in a deed or shown on a plan of lots which has been recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.
LOT, REVERSE FRONTAGE
A lot extending between and having frontage on an arterial street and a local access street, and with vehicular access solely from the latter.
LOT WIDTH
The distance between the side lot lines measured at the building setback line.
MAINTENANCE GUARANTEE
Any financial security, acceptable under Article V of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC),[1] which may be accepted by the New Wilmington Borough for the maintenance of any improvements required by this chapter.
MARKER
A metal stake pin placed to designate the boundary and corners of lots in the subdivision of land for the purpose of reference in land and property survey and facilitate the sale of lots. Wood stakes may be used to identify in the location of the metal pin.
MEDIATION
A voluntary negotiating process in which parties in a dispute mutually select a neutral mediator to assist them in jointly exploring and settling their differences, culminating in a written agreement which the parties themselves create and consider acceptable.
MOBILE HOME
A transportable, single-family dwelling intended for permanent occupancy, contained in one unit or in two or more units designed to be joined into one integral unit capable of again being separated for repeated towing, which arrives at a site complete and ready for occupancy except for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operations, and constructed so that it may be used without a permanent foundation.
MOBILE HOME LOT
A parcel of land in a mobile home park, improved with the necessary utility connections and other appurtenances necessary for the erection thereon of a single mobile home.
MOBILE HOME PARK
A parcel or contiguous parcels of land which has been so designated and improved that it contains two or more mobile homes.
MONUMENT
A concrete, stone or other permanent object placed to designate boundary lines, corners of property, and rights-of-way of streets and utilities, for the purpose of reference in land and property survey.
MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
A body politic and corporate created pursuant to the Act of May 2, 1945 (P.L. 382, No. 164), known as the "Municipality Authorities Act of 1945."[2]
MUNICIPALITIES PLANNING CODE (MPC)
Act of Assembly of July 31, 1968, P.L. 805, as amended.[3]
ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD
A flood that, on the average, is likely to occur once every 100 years.
OPEN SPACE
Any parcel or area of land or water, essentially unimproved and set aside, dedicated, designated or reserved for the public or private use and enjoyment, or for the use and enjoyment of owners and occupants of land adjoining or neighboring such parcel or area of land or water.
PennDOT
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE
Any security which may be in lieu of the construction of required improvements prior to the county and/or local municipality approval of a final subdivision or land development plan, including performance bonds, escrow agreements and other similar collateral or surety agreements.
PERSON
An individual, partnership, corporation or other legally recognized entity.
PLAN, FINAL
A complete and exact subdivision plan prepared for official recording as required by statute and this chapter.
PLANNING CODE
See "Municipalities Planning Code."
PLANNING COMMISSION
The New Wilmington Borough Planning Commission, unless otherwise stated.
PLAN, PRELIMINARY
The preliminary drawing indicating the proposed layout of the subdivision to be submitted to the Borough of New Wilmington for consideration, as required by this chapter.
PLAN, SKETCH
An informal plan indicating salient existing features of a tract and its surroundings and general layout of the proposed subdivision or land development.
PLAN, SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION CONTROL
A plan for controlling erosion and sediment during construction which shall provide all steps, including scheduling, to assure erosion and sediment control during all phases of construction, including final stabilization.
PLAT
The map or plan of a subdivision or land development, whether preliminary or final.
PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND
Land used for agricultural purposes that contains soils of the first, second or third class, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Conservation Services (NRCS) County Soil Survey.
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT
Persons who provide expert or professional advice, including but not limited to architects, attorneys, certified public accountants, engineers, geologists, land surveyors, landscape architects or planners.
PUBLIC GROUNDS
Includes:
A. 
Parks, playgrounds, trails, paths and other recreational areas and public areas.
B. 
Sites for schools, sewage treatment plants, refuse, disposal and other publicly owned or operated facilities.
C. 
Publicly owned or operated scenic and historic sites.
PUBLIC HEARING
A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the Borough of New Wilmington, intended to inform and obtain public comment, prior to taking action in accordance with this chapter.
PUBLIC MEETING
A forum held pursuant to notice under the Act of July 3, 1986 (P.L. 388, No. 84), known as the "Sunshine Act," 53 P.S. § 271 et seq.[4]
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice published once each week for two successive weeks in a paper of general circulation in the county. Such notice shall state the time and place of the hearing and the particular nature of the matter to be considered at the hearing. The first publication shall not be more than 30 days and the second publication shall not be less than seven days from the date of the hearing.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
A type of vehicular unit primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping or travel uses, which either has its own motive power or is mounted and drawn by another vehicle, including but not limited to travel trailers, camping trailers, truck camper or motor home.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARK
A plot of land upon which two or more recreational vehicle sites are located, established or maintained for occupancy by recreational vehicles of the general public as temporary living quarters for recreation or vacation purposes.
REGULATORY FLOOD ELEVATION
The one-hundred-year flood elevation plus a freeboard safety factor of 1 1/2 feet.
RESERVE STRIP
A narrow parcel of ground having inadequate area for building purposes separating a street or a proposed street from other adjacent properties.
RESUBDIVISION
Any subdivision or transfer of land, laid out on a plan which has been approved by the Borough of New Wilmington, which changes or proposes to change property lines and/or public right-of-way not in strict accordance with the approved plan. (See also "subdivision replat.")
RIGHT-OF-WAY
Land dedicated for use as a public street, alley or crosswalk, which may also be used by sewer, water, storm sewer, electric, gas, telephone and cable system(s).
RUNOFF
The surface water discharge or rate of discharge of a given watershed after a fall of rain or snow that does not enter the soil but runs off the surface of the land.
SECRETARY
The Secretary of the Council of New Wilmington Borough.
SEDIMENTATION
The process by which mineral or organic matter is accumulated or deposited by moving wind, water or gravity. Once this matter is deposited (or remains suspended in water), it is usually referred to as "sediment."
SEPTIC TANK
A watertight tank in which raw sewage is broken down into solid, liquid and gaseous phases to facilitate further treatment and final disposal.
SETBACK (BUILDING SETBACK LINE)
The line within a property defining the required minimum distance between any structure and the ultimate adjacent right-of-way, and the line defining side and rear yards where required.
SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM, ON-SITE
A system of piping tanks or other facilities serving a lot and collecting and disposing of sewage in whole or in part into the soil.
SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM, PUBLIC
A sanitary sewage collection method in which sewage is carried from the site by a system of pipes to a central treatment and disposal plant.
SHOULDER
The portion of a roadway (cartway) between the curb or gutter and the travelway intended for emergency and parking use.
SIGHT DISTANCE
The extent of unobstructed vision, in a horizontal or vertical plane, along a street, as defined in § 221-26 of this chapter.
SLOPE
The face of an embankment or cut section; any ground whose surface makes an angle with the plane of the horizon.
SOIL PERCOLATION TEST
A field test conducted to determine the absorption capacity of soil to a specified depth in a given location for the purpose of determining suitability of soil for on-site sewage disposal.
STREET
Includes street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, freeway, parkway, lane, alley, viaduct and any other ways or strips of land used or intended to be used by vehicular traffic or pedestrians, whether public or private, and including the entire right-of-way. Particular types of streets are further defined as follows:
A. 
PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL OR EXPRESSWAYThis class of highway facility is devoted entirely to the task of moving large volumes of traffic and performs little or no land service function. It is generally characterized by some degree of access control. Normally, this classification should be reserved for multilane, divided roads with few, if any, grade intersections.
B. 
MINOR ARTERIALArterials bring traffic to and from the expressway and serve major movements of traffic within or through the areas not served by expressways. They serve primarily to move traffic, but also perform a secondary function of land service.
C. 
COLLECTORThis class of road serves the internal traffic movement within the municipality and connects developed areas with the arterial system. They do not accommodate long, through trips and are not continuous for any appreciable length. The collector system is intended to simultaneously supply abutting property with the same degree of land service as a minor street and accommodate local internal traffic movements.
D. 
COMMERCIALCommercial roads service areas whose predominant use is commercial. In function, design and specification, they will be considered as a collector street.
E. 
LOCAL AND MINORThe sole function of a minor street is to provide access to immediately adjacent land.
F. 
INDUSTRIALIndustrial roads are primarily designed to serve industrial and manufacturing development. These roads will be designed to accommodate extensive truck traffic of all types.
G. 
PRIVATEA residential street designed and constructed to the private street specifications of this chapter, which serves no more than three residential lots.
STREET CENTER LINE
An imaginary line which passes through the middle of the right-of-way and the cartway simultaneously, or which is in the center of the right-of-way in cases where the cartway is not centered in the right-of-way.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires a fixed location on the ground or an attachment to something having a fixed location on the ground, including, in addition to buildings, billboards, carports, porches, swimming pools and other building features but not including sidewalks, drives, fences and porches without a roof or enclosed sides.
SUBDIVISION
The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other division of land, including changes in existing lot lines for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of lease, partition by the court for distribution to heirs or devisees, transfer of ownership or building or lot development; provided, however, that the subdivision by lease of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of more than 10 acres, not involving any new street or easement of access or any residential dwelling, shall be exempted.
SUBDIVISION REPLAT
The change of a lot line between two abutting existing parcels not intended to create a new parcel and where such lot line change is in full compliance with this chapter, any local zoning ordinance and related ordinances, rules and regulations of the county. A replat which involves the creation of new lots or involves more than two lots shall be treated as a major or minor subdivision.
SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED
Where, in the judgment of the County Engineer or local municipal engineer, at least 90% (based on the cost of the required improvements for which financial security was posted) of those improvements required as a condition for final approval have been completed in accordance with the approved plan, so that the project will be able to be used, occupied or operated for its intended use.
SURVEYOR
A professional surveyor, licensed as such in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
SWALE
A low-lying stretch of land characterized as a depression used to carry surface water runoff.
TEMPORARY TURNAROUND
A temporary circular turnaround at the end of a road which terminates at or near the subdivision boundary bordering undeveloped land.
TOPSOIL
Surface soils and subsurface soils which normally are fertile soils and soil material, ordinarily rich in organic matter of humus debris. Topsoil is usually found in the uppermost soil layer called the "A Horizon."
TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS
An analysis, prepared by a professional engineer, of traffic generated by a new or expanded development plan, on all roads that provide access to the development.
TRIP
A single, or one-way, vehicle movement to or from a property or study area.
UNDEVELOPED LAND
Any lot, tract or parcel of land which has not been graded or in any other manner prepared for the construction of a building or other improvement.
UNIT
A part of the property, structure or building designed or intended for any type of independent use, which has direct exit to a public street or way, or to an easement or right-of-way leading to a public street or way, and includes a proportionate undivided interest in the common elements, which is assigned to the property, structure or building.
UTILITY PLAN
A plan to show all existing and proposed fire hydrants, water and sewer lines, storm sewer lines, gas and electric lines, and streetlighting.
WATER FACILITY
Any water works, water supply works, water distribution system or part thereof designed, intended or constructed to provide or distribute potable water.
WATER SURVEY
An inventory of the source, quantity, yield and use of groundwater and surface water resources within the Borough.
WATERCOURSE
A permanent stream, intermittent stream, river, brook or creek, or a channel, drain or ditch for water, whether natural or man made.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10501 et seq.
[2]
Editor's Note: The Municipality Authorities Act of 1945 was repealed 6-19-2001 by P.L. 287, No. 22. See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq.
[3]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
[4]
Editor's Note: This act was repealed 10-15-1998 by P.L. 729, No. 93. See now 65 Pa.C.S.A. § 701 et seq.