This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Limerick Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance."
This chapter is adopted for the following purposes:
A. 
To assist orderly, efficient, integrated and harmonious development of the Township.
B. 
To assure sites suitable for building purposes and human habitation.
C. 
To coordinate proposed streets with existing streets or other proposed streets, parks or other features of the Township Official Map Summary.
D. 
To provide adequate open spaces for traffic, recreation, light and air and for proper distribution of the population.
E. 
To ensure conformance of subdivision and land development plans with the public improvements of the Township and coordination of intermunicipal, county and commonwealth improvement plans and programs.
F. 
To secure equitable handling of all subdivision and land development plans by providing uniform procedures and standards.
G. 
To regulate subdivisions and land developments within the jurisdiction of the Township and concurrently to promote the highest quality environment obtainable.
H. 
To ensure that the layout and arrangement of the subdivision or land development plan is in conformance with the approved articles or chapters of the Comprehensive Plan and with any regulations or maps adopted in furtherance thereof.
I. 
To preserve natural amenities of the Township, including but not limited to stream valleys, floodplains, woodlands, steep slopes, prime agricultural soils and individual specimen trees.
[Added 5-7-1991 by Ord. No. 130]
J. 
To ensure that all new development protects existing vegetation to the maximum extent possible in order to retard soil erosion, protect significant natural areas and wildlife habitat, soften the visual impact of new development, promote groundwater recharge and improve air quality.
[Added 5-7-1991 by Ord. No. 130]
K. 
To provide buffers between land uses and to act as sound barriers and windbreaks, to visually soften the impacts of adjacent land uses and to integrate new development with its surroundings.
[Added 5-7-1991 by Ord. No. 130]
The provisions of this chapter shall be held to be minimum requirements for the above-stated purposes. Where the provisions of this chapter impose greater restrictions than those of any statute, other ordinance or regulation, the provisions of this chapter shall prevail. Where the provisions of any statute, other ordinance or regulation impose greater restrictions than those of this chapter, the provisions of such statute, ordinance or regulation shall prevail.
A. 
Subdivision of a lot for construction, opening or dedication of a street. No subdivision of any lot, tract or parcel of land shall be effected, and no street, alley, sanitary sewer, storm drain, water main, gas, oil or electric transmission line or other facilities in connection therewith shall be laid out, constructed, opened or dedicated for public use or travel or for the common use of occupants of a building abutting thereon, except in strict accordance with the subdivision and land development regulations adopted hereunder.
B. 
Sale of lots, issuance of building permits or erection of buildings. No lot in a subdivision or land development may be sold and no permit to erect, alter or repair any building upon land in a subdivision or land development may be granted unless and until a plat has been approved and, where required, recorded and until the required improvements in connection therewith from the lot or building to an existing improved street have either been constructed or the Township has been assured, by means of a proper completion guaranty in the form of a bond or the deposit of funds or securities in escrow sufficient to cover the cost of the required improvements as estimated by the Township Engineer, that the improvements will subsequently be installed. The posting of such improvement guaranty and the subsequent release thereof shall comply with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10509, and § 155-7 hereof. Where, owing to special conditions, a literal enforcement of this requirement would result in unnecessary hardship, such reasonable exceptions thereto may be made as will not be contrary to the public interest, and the sale of a lot, issuance of a permit or erection of a building may be permitted, subject to conditions necessary to assure adequate street and other improvements.
[Amended 4-4-1989 by Ord. No. 109]
C. 
Condominium ownership plans. No section of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit condominium ownership as permitted by the Uniform Condominium Act, 68 Pa.C.S.A. § 3101 et seq.
[Amended 4-4-1989 by Ord. No. 109[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection D, which immediately followed this subsection, added 5-17-1994 by Ord. No. 163, was deleted 5-3-2005 by Ord. No. 250.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 15-4.1, Mortgage subdivisions, added 5-3-2005 by Ord. No. 250, was repealed 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 351.