The purpose of this chapter is to regulate modification
of natural terrain and the alteration of drainage by providing for
runoff, erosion and sediment control measures and maintenance of artificial
structures and surfaces within West Goshen Township to assure, protect
and safeguard the health, safety and general welfare. It implements
Title 25, Rules and Regulations, Part I, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
Department of Environmental Protection, Subpart C, Protection of Natural
Resources, Article II, Water Resources, Chapter 102, Erosion Control,
as the same may from time to time be supplemented and amended.
This chapter shall be known and cited as the
"West Goshen Township Soil Erosion, Sedimentation and Grading Control
Ordinance."
As used in this chapter, the following definitions
shall apply:
APPROVED FORESTER
A member in good standing of the Association of Consulting
Foresters or an individual who has obtained a bachelor of science
degree in forestry from a forestry program accredited by the Society
of American Foresters.
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
BASAL AREA
The cross-sectional trunk area of a tree at a height of 4 1/2
feet above ground level.
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
BEDROCK
The solid, undisturbed rock in place either at the ground
surface or beneath surface soil deposits.
BORROW PIT
An open pit from which soil is excavated as a single incident
for use at a single construction site.
BREAST HEIGHT
A height 4 1/2 feet above ground level.
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
DEVELOPMENT
Any subdivision or land development or any alteration of
land not for agricultural or conservation purposes which includes
earthmoving, filling or stripping on a tract of one or more acres,
including but not limited to road construction, utility installation,
public, commercial or industrial facility construction, mining and
quarrying and water resource management.
EARTHMOVING
Any activity by which soil or bedrock is cut into, quarried,
displaced or relocated, including, but not limited to, construction,
mining, timber harvesting and grubbing. Also called "earth disturbance."
[Amended 3-10-2004 by Ord. No. 3-2004]
EROSION
The process by which soil and bedrock are worn away by the
action of wind, water, climate and other natural elements.
EXISTING GRADE
The vertical elevation of the ground surface prior to earthmoving
or filling.
FILL
A deposit of soil or other materials placed by man.
FINISHED GRADE
The final vertical elevation of the ground after development.
FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
A comprehensive plan which shall set forth the objectives, scope and manner of the contemplated tree harvesting operation, the anticipated short- and long-term effects of the harvesting operation on the quantity and composition of the vegetation, including trees, in the area of the tree harvesting operation and such other information as may be required pursuant to §
69-6.
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
GRADING PERMIT
The permit required to be issued prior to the disturbance
of the topography and vegetation of land in connection with the conduct
of activities regulated by this chapter.
INTERIOR AREAS
Those areas on a property which are more than 50 feet distant
from all of the boundary lines of a lot.
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
LOT
Any tract or parcel of land.
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
OPEN PIT MINING
The continuing or recurring removal of material from below
the ground surface by open excavation.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture,
unincorporated association, municipal corporation or agency within
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or any combination thereof.
SEDIMENT
Earth and rock in suspension in water or settled out of water
as a deposit on land or on beds of bodies of water.
SITE
Any lot or parcel of land or combination of contiguous lots
or parcels of land under single and separate ownership where earthmoving,
filling or stripping is, was or will be performed.
SOIL
All earth material of whatever origin that overlies bedrock.
SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN
A plan of a system of coordinated devices to prevent the
dislocation in transportation of the soil during periods of earthmoving,
development or stripping.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
A plan for controlling water runoff so that it will not cause
erosion or flooding and for minimizing the effects of impervious areas
on water runoff.
STRIPPING
The removal of the natural ground surface, including vegetation
and/or topsoil.
TOPOGRAPHY
The physical features of a site, place or region.
TREE HARVESTING OPERATION
The uprooting or removal of trees for the purpose of allowing
or encouraging the natural regeneration or preservation of a tree
stand on a lot which has a gross area, prior to any subdivision or
land development, of more than three acres. This term shall not include
the removal of up to four trees per acre from any lot.
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
VEGETATION
The plants located on a site or in an area or region.
WATERCOURSE
Any natural or artificial swale, stream, channel, drain or
culvert in which water flows continuously or intermittently. Such
term shall include, but not be limited to, a channel, creek, ditch,
drain, dry run and stream.
[Amended 3-10-2004 by Ord. No. 3-2004]
The regulations established in this section
shall apply to any person engaged in activities which disturb the
topography and vegetation of land:
A. It is unlawful for any person to do any site work
in conjunction with development, including but not limited to stripping,
grading, earthmoving, filling and establishment of open pit mines
or borrow pits, for any purpose without first securing a grading permit.
B. It is unlawful for any person to pave, fill, strip
or change the existing grade of any land without first securing a
grading permit.
C. It is unlawful for any person to disturb, modify,
block, divert or affect the natural overland or subsurface flow of
stormwater without first securing a grading permit.
D. It is unlawful for any person to construct, erect
or install any dam, ditch, culvert, drainpipe, bridge or other structure
or obstruction affecting the drainage of any premises without first
securing a grading permit.
E. It is unlawful for any person to engage in any forestry
or tree harvesting operation on a lot without first submitting a forest
management plan and securing a grading permit.
[Added 6-11-1985 by Ord. No. 8-1985;
amended 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987; 5-9-2001 by Ord. No. 6-2001]
F. It is unlawful for any person to harvest, clear away or remove any living tree having a caliper of four inches or greater at breast height without first securing a permit. No permit shall be approved for such purpose, except as authorized by the Township Building Inspector pursuant to §
69-7 of this chapter. However, no permit shall be required when none of the activities described in Subsections
A,
B,
C,
D and
E of this section are involved and:
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
(1) The concerned lot has a gross area prior to any subdivision
or land development of three acres or less; or
(2) For the annual removal of up to four trees per acre
on any lot.
No permit shall be required in the following
instances:
A. Any activity for which a grading permit or equivalent
must be obtained from any agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. Normal agricultural operations.
C. Any developed residential lot where the following
conditions are met:
(1) The aggregate area to be stripped does not exceed
5,000 square feet.
(2) The grade change does not exceed six inches.
(3) All bare earth is promptly seeded, sodded or otherwise
effectively protected from erosion.
(4) The earthmoving does not involve a quantity of material
in excess of 100 cubic yards.
D. Earthmoving incident to construction of individual
wells and sewage disposal systems.
[Added 3-24-1987 by Ord. No. 3-1987]
A. To be approved, a forest management plan must be submitted
to the Township Building Inspector not less than 10 nor more than
90 days prior to the commencement of the planned tree harvesting operation,
and such plan shall include the following elements:
(1) An identification of the concerned lot, all of the
legal owners of the lot, the mailing address(s) of the owners and
phone number(s) at which they can be reached during normal business
hours.
(2) A drawing of the lot identifying significant topographical
features, streams, vegetation, etc., and identifying those portions
of the lot to be the subject of the tree harvesting operation.
(3) A description, submitted by an approved forester,
of the planned tree harvesting operation as well as a description
of the planned replanting of the lot. Where no replanting is planned,
a statement from the approved forester describing the reasons why,
in his opinion, the characteristics of the lot and vegetation situate
thereon make natural regeneration appropriate or why such replanting
is not otherwise necessary.
(4) An analysis by the approved forester of the soil erosion
likely to occur as a result of the planned tree harvesting operation
and recommended counter-erosion measures.
(5) A description of the counter-erosion measures that
will be utilized by the lot owners.
B. The following restrictions and conditions shall apply
to any approved forest management plan:
(1) All holes created in the course of any tree harvesting
operation shall be filled to grade with soil.
(2) The total number of trees harvested over any three-year period may not exceed 65% of the total basal area per acre in interior areas other than those described in Subsection
B(3) of this section.
(3) In areas within 50 feet of lot boundaries, the total
number of trees harvested over any three-year period may not exceed
40% of the total basal area per acre in such area. Moreover, harvesting
in these boundary areas may not be undertaken in such a manner as
to concentrate most or all of the tree harvesting in portions of such
boundary areas, if the result thereof would be the harvesting of more
than 40% of the trees in such portions.
C. Township approval may not be unreasonably withheld
for any forest management plan which meets all of the above requirements.
However, the Township may impose such additional requirements as it
may reasonably deem to be necessary to ensure compliance with the
purposes of this chapter and the provisions of the Township Zoning
Ordinance establishing buffer zones and screening requirements.
D. The requirements of this section shall be in addition to and not a substitute for the requirements of §
69-7 of this chapter or any other requirements imposed by law or ordinance.
Any permit issued under this chapter may be
revoked or suspended by the Board of Supervisors of the Township,
after notice to the permit holder for:
A. Failure to carry out the control measures described
in the application at the appropriate times as specified in the applicable
time schedule or within such reasonable extension as may be granted
by the Township Engineer.
B. Violation of any other condition of the permit.
C. Violation of any provision of this chapter or any
other applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation relating to the
work.
D. Existence of any condition or the doing of any act
constituting or creating a nuisance, hazard or endangering human life
or the property of others.
Every permit issued hereunder shall expire at
the end of six months from the date of issuance. The permittee shall
fully perform and complete all of the work required to be done within
the time limit specified in the permit. If the permittee shall be
unable to complete the work within the specified time, he shall, within
30 days prior to expiration of the permit, present in writing to the
Township a request for an extension of time, setting forth therein
the reasons for the requested extension. If, in the discretion of
the Township Engineer, such an extension is warranted, he may grant
additional time for the completion of the work. Where the Township
Engineer determines that the extension of time will require a substantial
modification of the soil erosion and sediment control plan and/or
the stormwater management plan, any extension of a permit shall be
subject to approval of such revised plans in accordance with the applicable
procedure of this chapter.
Before the issuance of a permit for a project
which exceeds five acres, the applicant shall deposit with the Township
financial security in an amount sufficient to cover the cost of all
of the improvements, control measures and other conditions specified
in the permit within the time specified by this chapter, or within
any extension thereof granted by the Township Engineer. The amount
of such financial security shall be equal to 110% of the cost of the
work and required improvements for which the permit has been issued.
The form of financial security, the method of cost calculation and
the release of the posted security shall be in conformity with those
provisions set forth in the Township Subdivision and Land Development
Ordinance with respect to public improvement guaranties.
[Amended 6-23-1992 by Ord. No. 9-1992; 7-24-1996 by Ord. No.
7-1996; 6-12-2013 by Ord. No. 06-2013]
Any person who violates or permits the violation
of any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof in
a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania
Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall
be subject to the payment of a fine of not less than $100 and not
more than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution. In default of payment
thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment in the county
prison for a term of not more than 30 days. Each section of this chapter
violated shall constitute a separate offense, and each day or portion
thereof in which a violation of this chapter is found to exist shall
constitute a separate offense, each of which violations shall be punishable
by a separate fine imposed by the District Justice of not less than
$100 and not more than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution or, upon
default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment
in the county prison for a term of not more than 30 days. All fines
and penalties collected for the violation of this chapter shall be
paid to the Township Treasurer.