[Amended 10-21-1996 by Ord. No. 305; 10-6-1998 by Ord. No.
319]
It shall be unlawful for any person to make
any use or change in use of any building or other structure or land,
or to commence work for the erection, construction, reconstruction,
alteration, razing or enlargement of any building, structure or portion
thereof, or to alter, regrade, fill or clear of vegetation any of
the following areas: floodplain soils abutting the Delaware River,
ponds, wetlands, waters of the commonwealth, steep slopes or woodlands,
until all necessary permits required by this chapter have been obtained.
A. Application for a zoning, building and occupancy permit.
All applications for permits shall be made to the Zoning Officer,
in writing, on forms furnished by the Township and shall include all
information necessary to enable the Zoning Officer to ascertain compliance
with this chapter.
B. Zoning permit review and approval shall be required
prior to the following:
(1) The erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration,
addition or enlargement of any building or structure including patios,
decks and porches.
(2) Any use or change in use or occupancy of a nonresidential
property.
(3) Altering, regrading, filling or clearing of vegetation
in any of the following areas: floodplain soils abutting the Delaware
River, ponds, wetlands, waters of the commonwealth, steep slopes or
woodlands.
C. Issuance of permits. No zoning permits shall be issued
until the Zoning Officer has certified that the proposed use of land
or existing or proposed building or structure complies with the provisions
of the applicable district and other provisions of this chapter.
D. The Zoning Officer may require any of the following
information to be provided:
(1) Statement as to the proposed use of the building or
land.
(2) A site layout showing the location, dimensions and
height of proposed buildings or uses and any existing buildings in
relation to property and street lines.
(3) The location, size, arrangement and capacity of all
areas to be used for motor vehicles access, off-street parking, off-street
loading and unloading and provisions to be made for lighting such
areas.
(4) The location, dimensions and arrangements of all open
spaces, yards and buffer yards, including methods to be employed for
any required screening.
(5) Provisions to be made for treatment and disposal of
sewage and industrial wastes, water supply and storm drainage.
(6) Wherever the topography and vegetation are to be disturbed, a plan for the control of erosion and sediment and grading is required. It shall be unlawful to pave, fill, strip or change the existing grade of any land without first obtaining a grading permit and complying with Chapter
116, Grading and Excavation; and it shall be unlawful to disturb, modify, divert, block or affect the natural overland or subsurface flow of stormwater within the Township without first securing a zoning and building permit.
E. Building permit review. Requirements for building
permits.
(1) A building permit shall be required prior to the erection,
construction, reconstruction, alteration, razing or enlargement of
any building, other structure or portion thereof. It shall be unlawful
for any person to commence work for the erection, construction, reconstruction,
alteration, razing or enlargement of any building structure or portion
thereof until a building permit has been duly issued.
(2) All building shall be in compliance with applicable
Township building codes, as duly adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
(3) Permits within historic districts. For any erection,
alteration or enlargement of any building or other structure, or portion
thereof within the historic district, the permit application shall
be reviewed by the Historic Architectural Review Board prior to the
issuance of a permit in accordance with historic district provisions
attached as an appendix to this chapter. Permits shall be issued only after the Board of Supervisors
has approved a certificate of appropriateness.
F. Certificate of occupancy.
(1) No structure erected, reconstructed, extended or moved,
and no land or building changed in use for which a building permit
has been issued shall be occupied or used in whole or in part for
any use whatsoever until the owner or authorized agent has been issued
a certificate of occupancy by the Zoning Officer, indicating that
the building or use complies with terms of the this chapter and Chapter
87, Building Construction.
(2) No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until
the premises in question have been inspected and found by the Zoning
Officer to be in compliance with this chapter and the Township Building
Codes.
(3) The issuance of a certificate of occupancy in no way
absolves the owner or authorized agent from compliance with the intent
of this chapter.
(4) All applications for certificates of occupancy shall
be made, in writing, by the owner or authorized agent on a form supplied
by the Zoning Officer at the time of application for a zoning and
building permit.
(5) A certificate of occupancy shall become void 90 days
from the date of issuance unless occupancy, use or change of use is
commenced.