This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Blair Township
Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance."
The governing body of the municipality finds that:
A. When development throughout the Township is guided by the following
and incorporated into the general context of areawide comprehensive
planning, a mutual benefit will be derived by the developer, the buyer,
adjacent local municipalities, the Township, the county, and the general
public.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the orderly, logical
and harmonious development of the Township and to protect, promote
and create conditions favorable to the health, safety, morals and
general welfare of the Township's citizenry through provisions
designed to:
A. Insuring that all future development is consistent with the Comprehensive
Plan for Blair County and other plans developed through local level
planning programs.
B. Providing for the orderly development of open lands and acreage in
concert with environmental and natural capacities and limitations.
C. Assuring uniform and equitable processing of all subdivision plans
by providing uniform standards and procedures.
D. Establishing requirements, standards and specifications to aid in
guiding elected public officials, planners, planning commissions,
subdividers, developers, land surveyors, landscape architects, architects,
engineers and others in the design and development of subdivisions
and land developments throughout the Township.
E. Assuring a coordination of proposed streets, parks and other features
in and bordering a proposed subdivision or land development, as to
such widths and grades and in such locations as deemed necessary to
accommodate prospective traffic, with the existing street and highway
system of the Township thereby facilitating the rational movement
of traffic.
F. Providing for adequate oversight of subdivision and land development
to assure that public concerns with accessibility, stormwater management,
sewage disposal, water supply and other factors are taken into account.
G. Providing for adequate open spaces for traffic, recreation, light
and air and for proper distribution of the population.
H. Encouraging and providing for innovations in new residential developments
such as planned mixed use development, cluster development and other
evolving methods which provide for: a greater variety in type, design
and layout of dwellings; the conservation and more efficient use of
usable space in relation to new dwellings; savings on energy, water
use, infrastructure, and paving; and integration of slope and other
undevelopable areas into the total development plan for use as open
space.
I. Protecting the character and the social and economic stability of
Blair Township by promoting a harmony between existing development,
future development, and the natural environment.
J. Protecting and conserving the value of land throughout Blair Township,
and the value of buildings and improvements upon the land and minimize
the conflicts among the uses of land and buildings.
K. Guiding public and private policy and action in order to provide
adequate and efficient transportation, water supply, sewerage, stormwater
management, schools, parks, playgrounds, recreation and other public
requirements and facilities.
L. Preventing the pollution of air, stream and ponds; to assure the
adequacy of drainage of facilities; to safeguard the groundwater resources;
and to encourage the wise use and management of the natural resources
in order to preserve the community and value of the land.
M. Preserving the natural beauty and topography of Blair Township and
to ensure appropriate development with regard to these natural features.
N. Providing the most beneficial relationship between the uses of land
and buildings and the circulation of traffic within Blair Township,
having particular regard to the avoidance of congestion in the streets
and highways, and the pedestrian traffic movements appropriate to
the various uses of land and building lines.
O. Providing for the logical and orderly addition and extension of the
community facilities and public utilities systems to developing areas.
P. Upgrading the quality of land records through creation and filing
of accurate and legible subdivision plans with the county Recorder
of Deeds for future information and use by municipal officials and
the general public.
Q. Generally, insuring the future orderly growth and development of
Blair Township is accompanied by adequate public facilities without
negatively affecting the environment and making Blair Township a better
place in which to live and work.
R. Insuring that minimum setback lines and minimum lot sizes be applied
throughout Blair Township based on the availability of water and sewage.
S. Permitting Blair Township to minimize developmental and related problems
as may exist or which may be foreseen, by encouraging development
on land exhibiting the appropriate soils, slope and other physiographic
and environmental characteristics.
The municipality is empowered to regulate land use activities
by the authority of the Act of July 31, 1968, P.L. 805, No. 247, the
Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended.
Approvals issued and actions taken under this chapter do not
relieve the applicant of the responsibility to secure required permits
or approvals for activities regulated by any other code, law, regulation,
or ordinance.
Neither the granting nor the denial of any approval nor the
compliance with the provisions of this chapter or with any condition
imposed by the Township, its officials, employees, or designated representatives
thereunder, shall relieve any person from any responsibility for damage
to persons or property resulting therefrom, or as otherwise imposed
by law, nor impose any liability upon the municipal officials, employees
or its designated representatives to the maximum extent permitted
by law.