As used in this chapter, unless a contrary intention
is clear, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALLUVIAL SOILS
Areas which are subject to periodic flooding as defined in
Interim Soil Survey Report, Volumes I and II, Soil Conservation Service,
1970.
APPLICANT
A landowner or developer, as hereinafter defined, who has
filed an application for development, including his heirs, successors
and assigns.
[Amended 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
Every application, whether preliminary or final, required
to be filed and approved prior to 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 approval of
a development plan.
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
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."
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
BEGINNING OF REVIEW PERIOD
(1)
The review period shall begin on the date of
the first regular meeting of the Perkasie Borough Planning Commission
following receipt by the Borough Manager of an applicant's complete
submission.
(2)
The review period shall begin on the 30th day
following receipt by the Borough Manager of an applicant's complete
submission, in the event that no regular meeting of the Perkasie Borough
Planning Commission occurs during the 30 days following receipt by
the Borough Manager of the applicant's complete submission.
BOARD
Any body granted jurisdiction under a land use ordinance
or under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code to render final adjudications.
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
BOROUGH ARBORIST
A person, selected by the Borough Manager with the approval
of Borough Council, whose responsibilities include ensuring that the
tree protection standards are followed correctly. The "Borough Arborist"
must have a degree in arboriculture, horticulture, forestry, landscape
architecture, silviculture or plant physiology and have a knowledge
of and experience in the methods of tree protection.
[Added 8-7-1989 by Ord. No. 621]
BUILDING
A structure having a roof which is used or intended to be
used for the shelter or enclosure of persons, animals or property.
The word "building" shall include any part thereof.
BUILDING SETBACK LINE
The rear line of the minimum required front yards. The "building
setback line" shall be measured from the future right-of-way line.
CARTWAY
The hard or paved surface portion of any street or that portion
of a street customarily used by vehicles in the regular course of
travel over the street.
CONDOMINIUM
(1)
A dwelling unit which has all of the following
characteristics:
(a)
The unit, the interior and associated exterior
areas designated for private use in the development plan, as owned
by the occupant.
(b)
The unit may be any permitted dwelling type.
(c)
All or a portion of the exterior open space and any community interior spaces are owned and maintained in accordance with the Uniform Condominium Act, 68 Pa.C.S.A. § 3101 et seq., and in accordance with the provisions for open space, roads or other development features in Chapter
186, Zoning, and this chapter.
[Amended 9-18-2000 by Ord. No. 835]
(2)
A "condominium" is an ownership arrangement
and not a land use, therefore it is allowed in any district and under
the same restrictions of the residential land use that comprises it.
CUL-DE-SAC
A secondary street with one end open for vehicular and pedestrian
access and the other end terminating in a vehicular turnaround.
DECISION
Final adjudication of any board or other body granted jurisdiction
under any land use ordinance or the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning
Code to do so, either by reason of the grant of exclusive jurisdiction
or by reason of appeals from determinations. All decisions shall be
appealable to the Court of Common Pleas of the county and judicial
district wherein the Borough lies.
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
DENSITY
A measure of the number of dwelling units per unit area.
The unit area for the R-1A and R-1B Residential Districts is the net buildable site area. The unit area for all
other districts is the base site area. "Density" shall be expressed
in dwelling units per acre.
DETERMINATION [Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
(1)
Final action by an officer, body or agency charged
with the administration of any land use ordinance or applications
thereunder, except the following:
(b)
The Zoning Hearing Board.
(c)
The planning agency, only in and to the extent
the planning agency is charged with final decision on preliminary
or final plans under this chapter.
(2)
"Determinations" shall be appealable only to
the boards designated as having jurisdiction for such appeal.
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.
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
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.
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
DRAINAGE FACILITY
Any ditch, pipe, culvert, storm sewer or structure designed,
intended or constructed for the purpose of diverting surface water
from or carrying surface waters off streets, public rights-of-way,
parks, recreational areas or any part of any subdivision or land development.
DWELLING UNIT
Any room or group of rooms located within a building and
forming a single habitable unit with facilities which are used or
intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking and eating by one
family.
EASEMENT
A grant of the use of a parcel of land to the use of the
public, a corporation or person for a specific purpose.
FEEDER ROOTS
The smallest roots of a tree, which are responsible for most
of the absorption of nutrients into the tree. Most are located within
the top 12 inches of the soil.
[Added 8-7-1989 by Ord. No. 621]
FLOODPLAINS
Areas adjoining any stream, watercourse, lake or pond which are subject to flooding as defined and delineated in Ch.
186, Zoning, and the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map therein.
FLOODPLAIN SOILS
Areas subject to periodic flooding and listed in the Soil
Survey of Bucks and Philadelphia Counties, Pennsylvania, United States
Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1999, as being
on the floodplain or subject to flooding. The following soil types
are "floodplain soils":
[Amended 9-18-2000 by Ord. No. 835]
(2)
Alton gravelly loam, flooded.
FOREST
Areas, groves or stands of mature or largely mature trees
(i.e., greater than six inches in caliber) covering an area greater
than 1/4 of an acre; or groves of mature trees (greater than eight
inches in caliber) consisting of more than 10 individuals.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
Those surfaces which are impervious to rain. All buildings,
parking areas, driveways, roads, sidewalks and any areas in concrete
and asphalt shall be considered "impervious surfaces" within this
definition. In addition, paved areas and other areas determined by
the Engineer to be impervious within the meaning of this definition
will also be classed as impervious surfaces.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE RATIO
A measure of the intensity of use of a piece of land. It
is measured by dividing the total area of all impervious surfaces
within the site by the gross site area.
IMPROVED PUBLIC STREET
Any street for which the Borough, county or commonwealth
has maintenance responsibility and which is paved with an approved
hardtop surface.
IMPROVEMENTS
Those physical additions, installations and changes, such
as streets, curbs, sidewalks, water mains, sewers, drainage facilities,
public utilities and other appropriate items required to render land
suitable for the use proposed.
LAKES and PONDS
Natural or artificial bodies of water which retain water
year round. Artificial "ponds" may be created by dams or result from
excavation. The shoreline of such water bodies shall be measured from
the permanent pool elevation. "Lakes" are bodies of water two or more
acres in extent. "Ponds" are any water body less than two acres in
extent.
LAND DEVELOPMENT [Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
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.
(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.
(3)
The following shall not be considered a "land
development:"
(a)
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.
(b)
The addition of an accessory building, including
farm buildings, on a lot or lots subordinate to an existing principal
building.
LANDOWNER
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.
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
LOT
A parcel of land used or set aside and available for use
as the site of one or more buildings and buildings accessory thereto
or for any other purpose, in one ownership and not divided by a street.
A "lot," for the purpose of this chapter, may or may not coincide
with a lot of record, includes plot or parcel. 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.
[Amended 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
LOT AREA
The total area of a lot lying within the lot lines and shall
specifically exclude the area of any easements within the aforesaid
lot lines.
LOT, CORNER
A lot which has an interior angle of less than 135º
at the intersection of two street lines. A lot abutting upon a curved
street or streets shall be considered a "corner lot" if the tangents
to the curve at the points beginning with the lot or at the points
of intersection of the side lot lines with the street right-of-way
lines intersect at an interior angle of less than 135º.
MANAGER
The Borough Manager, appointed as such by the Borough Council.
MINOR SUBDIVISION
The division of a single lot, tract or parcel of land into
not more than two lots, tracts or parcels of land for the purpose,
whether immediate or future, of transfer of ownership or of building
development, provided that the proposed lots, tracts or parcels of
land thereby created have frontage on an improved public street or
streets and provided further that there is not created by the subdivision
any new street or streets, the need for required improvements, easement
of access or the need therefor.
MUNICIPAL ENGINEER
A professional engineer licensed as such in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, duly appointed as the Engineer for Perkasie Borough.
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
NATURAL RETENTION AREAS
Areas of 1/4 acre or more of poorly drained soils which lie
along stream channels or swales or are adjacent to floodplain soils
and which are subject to periodic flooding. These are portions of
the following soil types where slope is less than 1/2%: Doylestown
silt loam and Urban land — Abbottstown complex, as
delineated in the Soil Survey of Bucks and Philadelphia Counties,
United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service,
1975, or as currently amended.
OPEN SPACE
(1)
Land held in common ownership, protected by easement, dedicated to the public or identified in another suitable manner in accordance with this chapter as "open space." To qualify as "open space," such land shall be used only for "open space" uses, i.e., recreation, amenity, buffer or resource protection. "Open space" does not include land occupied by buildings, roads or road rights-of-way, nor does it include the yards or lots of individuals or group dwelling units as required by the provisions of Chapter
186, Zoning, §
186-18 or
186-20.
(2)
"Open space" shall be left in its natural state,
except in the case of recreation uses. All impervious surfaces within
"open space" areas shall be counted as part of the total impervious
surface area in arriving at the impervious surface ratio for the development.
OPEN SPACE RATIO
A measure of intensity of land use. It is arrived at by dividing
the total amount of open space within the site by the gross site area.
PERSON
Includes a corporation, partnership and association, in addition
to the individual.
PONDS
Natural or artificial bodies of water which retain water
year round. Artificial "ponds" may be created by dams or result from
excavation. The shoreline of such water bodies shall be measured from
the maximum condition rather than permanent pool, if there is any
difference.
PRUNING
Removal of branches from a tree using proper tools and approved
cutting techniques.
[Added 8-7-1989 by Ord. No. 621]
PUBLIC HEARING
A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the governing
body or planning agency, intended to inform and obtain public comment
prior to taking action in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities
Planning Code (Act 247, as amended by Act 170), 53 P.S. § 10101
et seq.
[Added 9-18-2000 by Ord. No. 835]
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," 65 P.S. § 271
et seq.
[Added 9-18-2000 by Ord. No. 835]
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice published once each week for two successive weeks
in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. 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.
[Added 9-18-2000 by Ord. No. 835]
REPORT
Any letter, review, memorandum, compilation or similar writing
made by any body, board, officer or consultant other than a solicitor
to any other body, board, officer or consultant for the purpose of
assisting the recipient of such report in the rendering of any decision
or determination. All reports shall be deemed recommendatory and advisory
only and shall not be binding upon their recipient, board, officer,
body or agency, nor shall any appeal lie therefrom. Any "report" used,
received or considered by the body, board, officer or agency rendering
a determination or decision shall be made available for inspection
to the applicant and all other parties to any proceeding upon request,
and copies thereof shall be provided at cost of production.
[Added 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
RIGHT-OF-WAY
A strip of land occupied or intended to be occupied by a
street, alley, crosswalk, sanitary or storm sewer, stream, drainage
ditch or for another special use. The usage of the term "right-of-way"
for land plotting purposes in the Borough shall mean that every "right-of-way"
hereafter established and shown on a final record plan is to be separate
and distinct from lots or parcels adjoining such "right-of-way" and
not included with the dimensions or areas of such lots or parcels.
RIGHT-OF-WAY, FUTURE
(1)
The right-of-way width required for the expansion
of existing streets to accommodate anticipated future traffic loads.
(2)
A right-of-way established to provide future
access to or through undeveloped land.
SITE
A parcel or parcels of land which are intended to have one
or more buildings or intended to be subdivided into one or more lots.
SITE AREA, BASE
The area of a tract of land remaining after subtracting land which is not contiguous, land previously subdivided and existing road and utility rights-of-way from the site area. See §
164-40 of this chapter for the specific calculations.
SITE AREA, NET BUILDABLE
A calculated area upon which the density and impervious surface ratio requirements for the various districts are computed. It can be determined for a particular tract of land by completing the calculations found in §
164-40 of this chapter.
STEEP SLOPES
Areas where the average slope exceeds 8%, which are subject
because of this slope to higher rates or runoff and therefore erosion.
STREET
(1)
A public or private way used or intended to
be used for passage or travel by automotive vehicles and pedestrians
and to provide access to abutting properties.
(2)
"Streets" are further defined and classified
as follows:
(a)
Thoroughfares.
[1]
EXPRESSWAYDesigned for large volumes and high-speed traffic with access limited to grade separated intersections.
[2]
ARTERIAL STREETDesigned for large volumes and high-speed traffic with access to abutting properties controlled.
[3]
COLLECTOR STREETDesigned to carry a moderate volume of fast-moving traffic from primary and secondary streets to arterial streets, with access to abutting properties controlled.
(b)
Local streets.
[1]
PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL STREETDesigned to carry a moderate volume of traffic, to intercept secondary (residential) streets, to provide routes to collector streets and community facilities and to provide access to the abutting properties.
[3]
MARGINAL ACCESS STREETA secondary street which is parallel to and adjacent to an expressway, arterial or collector street and which provides access to abutting properties and protection from through traffic.
[4]
ALLEYA minor way which is used primarily for vehicular service access to the back or the side of properties otherwise abutting on a street.
[5]
DRIVEWAYGenerally a private street for the use of vehicles and pedestrians providing access between a public street and a parking area within a lot or property.
STREET LINE
The dividing line between the street and the lot. The "street line" shall be the same as the legal right-of-way line, provided that the street right-of-way shall not be less than required in §
164-20A through
D of this chapter and where a future right-of-way width for a street has been officially established, the street right-of-way line shall be the side line of the future right-of-way so established.
STRUCTURE
A combination of materials assembled, constructed or erected
at a fixed location, including a building, the use of which requires
location on the ground or attachment to something having location
on the ground.
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 divisions
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.
[Amended 5-21-1990 by Ord. No. 644]
SUBDIVISION, PERFORMANCE STANDARD
Considered as subdivision or land development for the purpose of the procedural sections of this chapter. It is a subdivision or land development for which the developer chooses to use the performance standards set forth in the Chapter
186, Zoning, rather than the traditional zoning.
TOPSOIL
Surface soils and subsurface soils which presumably are fertile
soils and soil material, ordinarily rich in organic matter or humus
debris. "Topsoil" is usually found in the uppermost eight inches.
[Added 10-16-1995 by Ord. No. 770]
TREE DRIPLINE
The line marking the outer edges of the branches of the tree.
[Added 8-7-1989 by Ord. No. 621]
TREE PROTECTION ZONE (TPZ)
An area that is radial to the trunk of a tree in which no
construction activity shall occur. The "tree protection zone" shall
be 15 feet from the trunk of the tree to be retained or the distance
from the trunk to the dripline, whichever is greater. Where there
is a group of trees or woodlands, the "tree protection zone" shall
be the aggregate of the protection zones for the individual trees.
[Added 8-7-1989 by Ord. No. 621]
USE
Any activity, occupation, business or operation carried on
or intended to be carried on in a building or other structure or on
a tract of land.
WETLANDS
Areas of undrained, saturated soils supporting wetland vegetation,
where the water table is at or near the surface or where shallow water
covers the area due to permanent or seasonal inundation of surface
or ground water. For the purposes of this chapter, "wetlands" are
identified using a three-parameter approach. The first is the presence
of hydrophytic or wetland vegetation. The second parameter considers
whether the soil develops under saturated conditions and will exhibit
certain morphological characteristics that distinguish it as a hydric
soil. Finally, the third parameter considers the hydrology, so that
an area must have either permanent surface water or be periodically
inundated during the growing season by ground- or surface water.
[Added 9-19-1988 by Ord. No. 604]
WOODLANDS
Areas comprised of one or more acres of mature or largely
mature trees in which the largest trees measure at least six inches
dbh (diameter at breast height or 4 1/2 feet above the ground). The
"woodlands" shall be measured from the dripline of the outer trees.
"Woodlands" are also 10 or more individual trees which measure at
least 10 inches dbh and form a contiguous canopy.
[Added 9-19-1988 by Ord. No. 604]
YARD
An open space unobstructed from the ground up, on the same
lot with a structure, extending along a lot line or street line and
inward to the structure. The size of a required "yard" shall be measured
as the shortest distance between the structure and a lot line or street
line.
YARD, FRONT
A yard between a structure and a street line and extending
the entire length of the street line. In the case of a corner lot,
the yards extending along all streets are "front yards." In the case
of a lot other than a corner lot that fronts on more than one street,
the yards extending along all streets are "front yards."