The purpose of this chapter is to provide minimum standards
to safeguard persons, to protect property and to promote the public
welfare by regulating and controlling the design, construction, quality
of materials, use, location and maintenance of grading excavations
and fills.
Wherever used in this chapter, the following words shall have
the meanings indicated:
BUILDING PERMIT
A permit required for the construction, erection or alteration of a structure or building, issued pursuant to the provisions of Chapter
116, Part
1, Building Permits; Floodplain Management, of the Code of the Borough of West View or any amendment or supplement thereto or replacement thereof.
[Amended 2-2-1977 by Ord. No. 1191]
EXCAVATION
Any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock or any other similar
material is cut into, dug, quarried, uncovered, removed, displaced,
relocated or bulldozed and shall include the conditions resulting
therefrom.
FILL
Any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock or other material
is deposited, placed, pushed, dumped, pulled, transported or moved
to a new location, and shall include the conditions resulting therefrom.
GRADE
The elevation of the existing ground surface at the location
of any proposed excavation or fill.
GRADING
Excavation or fill or any combination thereof, and shall
include the conditions resulting from any excavation or fill.
PERSON
A natural person, but shall also include a partnership or
corporation.
SITE
A lot, tract or parcel of land or a series of lots, tracts
or parcels of land, joined together, where grading work is continuous
and performed at the same time.
New grading, excavations and fills, or changes, additions, repairs
or alterations made to existing excavations and fills, shall conform
to the provisions of this chapter, except that this chapter shall
not apply to:
A. Work in a public street or alley or in a Borough park, playground
or recreation area or on other public property.
B. The mining, quarrying, excavating, processing or stockpiling of rock,
sand, aggregate or clay unless such work affects the support of adjacent
or contiguous property or structures.
C. The depositing of rubbish or other material at any dump operated
by the Borough.
Every applicant for a grading permit shall file a written application
therefor with the Borough Manager.
A. Such application shall:
(1) Describe the land on which the proposed work is to be done by lot,
block, tract or street address, or similar description which will
readily identify and definitely locate the proposed work.
(2) Be accompanied by plans and specifications prepared by a registered
engineer or surveyor.
(a)
Such plans and specifications shall include a contour map showing:
[1]
The present contours of land and the proposed contours of land
after completion of the proposed grading.
[2]
A plot plan showing the location of the grading, boundaries,
lot lines, neighboring streets and alleys, buildings, trees over 10
inches in diameter two feet above the ground and sufficient dimensions
and other data to show the location of all work.
[3]
A description of the type and classification of the soil.
[4]
Details and location of any proposed drainage structures and
pipes, walls and cribbing.
[5]
The nature of fill material.
[6]
Such other information as the Borough Manager may require to
carry out the purposes of this chapter.
(b)
All plans shall be dated and bear the name of:
[1]
The person who prepared the same.
(c)
Plans shall be submitted in triplicate.
(3) State the estimated dates for the starting and completion of the
grading work.
(4) State the purpose for which the grading application is filed.
B. The Borough Manager may waive the requirement for any or all plans
and specifications listed above if he finds that the information on
the application is sufficient to show that the work will conform to
the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 12-12-1977 by Ord. No. 1211]
Before issuing a grading permit, the Borough Secretary shall
collect a permit fee as follows:
A. Permit fees based on the volume of material shall be as follows:
|
Volume of Material
(cubic yards)
|
Permit Fee
|
---|
|
Not more than 50
|
$5
|
|
More than 50 but not more than 250
|
$8
|
|
More than 250 but not more than 500
|
$15
|
|
More than 500 but not more than 1,000
|
$15
|
|
More than 1,000
|
$15 plus $5 for each additional 1,000 cubic yards or portion
thereof
|
B. The permit fee for escrow agreements and bonds shall be $10 for each
agreement and bond.
Every grading permit shall expire by limitation and become null
and void if the work authorized by such permit has not been commenced
within six months or is not completed within one year from the date
of issue, provided that the Borough Manager may, if the permit holder
presents satisfactory evidence that unusual difficulties have prevented
work being started or completed within the specified time limits,
grant a reasonable extension of time, and provided further, that the
application for the extension of time is made before the date of the
expiration of the permit.
All fills shall be compacted to provide stability of material
and to prevent undesirable settlement. The fill shall be spread in
a series of layers, each not exceeding 12 inches in thickness, and
shall be compacted by a sheepsfoot roller or other approved method
after each layer is spread. The Borough Manager may require tests
or other information if, in his opinion, the conditions or materials
are such that additional information is necessary.
Adequate provisions shall be made to prevent any surface waters
from damaging the cut face of an excavation or the sloping surface
of a fill. Slopes of more than 10 feet in vertical height shall be
separated by level berms of at least four feet in width. Berm ditches
shall be constructed where necessary to prevent erosion. All drainage
provisions shall be of such design as to carry surface waters to the
nearest practical street, storm drain or natural watercourse approved
by the Borough Manager as a safe place to deposit and receive such
waters. The Borough Manager may require such drainage structures or
pipes to be constructed or installed as, in his opinion, are necessary
to prevent damage and to satisfactorily carry off surface waters.
The owner of any property on which an excavation or fill has
been made shall maintain in good condition and repair all retaining
walls, cribbing, drainage structures, fences and other protective
devices.
In case any work is performed by any person in violation of
any of the provisions of this chapter, the proper officer of the Borough,
in addition to other remedies, may institute in the name of the Borough
any appropriate action or proceeding, whether by legal process or
otherwise, to prevent such unlawful work and to restrain or abate
such violation.