The contents of the Washington Township Official Map show the following
elements and are on file in the township office of the Zoning Officer:
A. General mapping (from the Washington Township Comprehensive
Plan):
(1) The Long-Range Highway System Plan Map, Appendix G.
(2) The public recreational/conservation element of the Future
Land Use Types Plan Map, Appendix H.
(3) The government portion of the Public/Semipublic Land
Use Map, Appendix I.
B. Specific mapping:
(1) I-79/Route 6N Interchange Plan.
After adoption of the Official Map or part thereof, all streets, watercourses and public grounds and the elements listed in §
83-1 on final, recorded plats which have been approved as provided by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code shall be deemed amendments to the Official Map. Notwithstanding any of the other terms of this article, no public hearing need be held or notice given if the amendment of the Official Map is the result of the addition of a subdivision or land development plat as provided by Chapter
119, Subdivision and Land Development.
The adoption of any street, street lines or other public lands pursuant
to this article as part of the Official Map shall not, in and of itself, constitute
or be deemed to constitute the opening or establishment of any street nor
the taking or acceptance of any land, nor shall it obligate Washington Township
to improve or maintain any such street or land. The adoption of proposed watercourses
or public grounds as part of the Official Map shall not, in and of itself,
constitute or be deemed to constitute a taking or acceptance of any land by
Washington Township.
For the purpose of preserving the integrity of the Official Map of Washington Township, no permit shall be issued for any building or land development within the lines or setback requirements of any street, watercourse or public ground shown or laid out on the Official Map. No person shall recover any damages for the taking for public use of any building or improvements constructed within the lines of any street, included in the Official Map, and any such building or improvement shall be removed at the expense of the owner. However, when the property of which the reserved location forms a part cannot yield a reasonable return to the owner unless a permit shall be granted, the owner may apply to Council for the grant of a special encroachment permit to build. Before granting any special encroachment permit authorized in this section, Council may submit the application for a special encroachment permit to the Planning Commission and allow the Planning Commission 30 days for review and comment, and shall give public notice and hold a public hearing at which all parties in interest shall have an opportunity to be heard. A refusal by Council to grant the special encroachment permit applied for may be appealed by the applicant to the Zoning Hearing Board in the same manner, and within the same time limitation, as is provided in Chapter
150, Zoning.
Council may fix the time for which streets, watercourses and public
grounds on the Official Map shall be deemed for future taking or acquisition
for public use. However, the reservation for public grounds shall lapse and
become void one year after an owner of such property has submitted a written
notice to Council announcing his intentions to build, subdivide or otherwise
develop the land covered by the reservation, or has made formal application
for an official permit to build a structure for private use, unless Council
shall have acquired the property or begun condemnation proceedings to acquire
such property before the end of the year.