[Added 4-24-1997 by Ord. No. 1997-1]
A.
These regulations are intended to protect the rights
of the residents of Washington Township to enjoy clean air, pure water
and the natural scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment
as set forth in the Pennsylvania Constitution and in other commonwealth
and federal statutes. In particular, it is the Township's purpose,
through the environmental performance standards established by this
article, to adjust the allowable density of development and to establish
minimum required building areas free of environmental constraints
in order to conserve the following natural features:
(1)
Natural features identified as land or water
resources areas, e.g., groundwater recharge zones, springs, streams,
agriculturally suited soils, prime wildlife habitats and areas constituting
high recreational and other amenity value.
(2)
Natural features performing beneficial ambient
air quality or microdimate functions, e.g., by abating glare and noise,
entrapping dust and other particulate and contributing to the reduction
of climatic stress and energy costs.
(3)
Natural features which, if disturbed, may cause
hazards or stress to life and property, e.g., steep slopes and floodplains.
B.
Under the authority of the Pennsylvania Municipalities
Planning Code (Act of 247 of 1968, as amended) and the Second Class
Township Code and in recognition of the fact that its natural features
contribute to the welfare of its residents, the Township has enacted
these regulations to provide reasonable standards governing the conservation
of such features.
C.
No provisions of these regulations shall be construed
to deny the right of any property owner to use his land as may be
permitted by the Township's Zoning Ordinance. Rather, it is the purpose
of these regulations to ensure that such uses minimize disturbances
to natural features and that reasonable measures are taken to mitigate
any adverse impacts of such uses.
[Amended 8-14-1997 by Ord. No. 1997-7; 3-25-2004 by Ord. No.
2004-1]
The provisions of this article apply to any
and all lots created by subdivision or land development in the A,
WSC, R1, R2, HDV, C, LI and GI Zoning Districts.
A.
Conformance with purposes. Site planning, including
the layout of lots, streets and structures, shall be in compliance
with the purposes of this article and with the overall purposes of
this chapter.
B.
Adjusted tract area (ATA), density, buildable area
and exemptions. The maximum density in all zoning districts shall
be determined by applying the following density adjustment factors
to the tract of land under application for subdivision and/or land
development. The adjusted tract area, that area remaining after the
application of density factors, shall be used to calculate the maximum
number of units permitted on a tract.
(1)
In determining the ATA, the following factors
shall be deducted, in their entirety, from the gross tract acreage:
(a)
All areas within existing public or private
streets or within existing rights-of-way, including overhead rights-of-way
of utility lines.
(2)
In determining the ATA, the following environmental
weighting factors (EWF's) shall be applied to and subtracted from
the gross tract acreage:
(a)
Slopes. Multiply acreage of land with natural
ground slopes in excess of 25% by an EWF of 0.75. Multiply acreage
of land with natural ground slopes of between 15% and 25% by an EWF
of 0.50. Slope shall be based on five-foot contour intervals or less,
and only those areas of contiguous slopes in excess of 15% exceeding
2,000 square feet shall be counted.
(b)
Floodplain. Multiply acreage of land in the
one-hundred-year floodplain (excluding floodways or wetlands within
floodplains) by an EWF of 0.50.
(c)
Wetlands. Multiply acreage of land comprised
of wetlands by an EWF of 0.95.
(d)
Seasonal high-water table. Multiply acreage
of land with a seasonal high-water table less than three feet from
the surface for three or more months of the year by an EWF of 0.67.
(Proposed developments where water supply and sewage disposal are
provided by either a community system or a public system shall apply
an EWF of 0.33.) In the absence of a high-intensity soil survey conducted
by a licensed soil scientist, data from the medium-intensity soil
survey published by the USDA Soil Conservation Service shall be used.
The Board of Supervisors may require a high-intensity soil survey
to be conducted if, in its judgment, the medium-intensity survey is
inaccurate or inadequate.
(e)
Shallow bedrock. Multiply acreage of soils where
the depth to bedrock is less than 3.5 feet by an EWF of 0.67. Multiply
acreage of soils with surface ledge or rock outcroppings, comprising
an area of 500 square feet or greater, by an EWF of 0.95. (Proposed
developments where both water supply and sewage disposal are provided
by either a community system or a public system shall apply an EWF
of 0.33 for shallow bedrock and 0.90 for rock outcroppings, respectively.)
In the absence of a high-intensity soil survey conducted by a licensed
soil scientist, data from the medium-intensity soil survey published
by the USDA Soil Conservation Service shall be used. The Board of
Supervisors may require a high-intensity soil survey to be conducted
if, in its reasonable judgment, the medium-intensity survey is inaccurate
or inadequate.
(3)
Minimum required buildable area.
(a)
The minimum required buildable area in any zoning
district shall be not less than 50 feet wide and 50 feet deep and
in no case less than 2,500 square feet, contiguous and not interrupted
by rights-of-way, utility easements or by the Floodplain Overlay District.
(b)
In determining the minimum required buildable
area, the following shall be excluded, and their acreages shall be
listed on the preliminary and final plans.
[1]
Any area within public or private street rights-of-way
or overhead utility easement.
[2]
Any area comprising a stormwater management
basin.
[3]
Any area of Floodplain Overlay District.
[4]
Any area of slope in excess of 25%.
[5]
Setback areas required by area and bulk regulations
of the applicable zoning district.
[6]
Any area of sanitary sewage fields.
[7]
Any area of wetlands.
(4)
Application of environmental weighting factors.
In determining the adjusted tract area, if a portion of the gross
tract area contains more than one of the EWF constraints, then only
the most restrictive of the EWF's shall apply to that portion of the
tract.
