The yards of every structure shall be graded to secure proper drainage away from buildings and dispose of runoff without ponding. Minimum two-percent slopes away from structures shall generally be required.
An outdoor space not less than 15 feet in width shall be provided around the perimeter of all dwellings. This area shall have a grade of not greater than 4%.[1]
[1]
Note: The creation of this outdoor space is not intended to preclude the construction of a home with a garage or walkout basement.
Site grading shall be designed to establish building floor elevations and ground surface grades which:
A. 
Allow drainage of surface water away from buildings.
B. 
Minimize earth settlement problems.
C. 
Avoid concentrating runoff onto neighboring properties.
D. 
Keep earth work to a practical minimum.
E. 
Provide usable outdoor space.
F. 
Minimize erosion.
A. 
No excavation shall be made with a cut face steeper in slope than two horizontal to one vertical in wooded areas, or three horizontal to one vertical in nonwooded or lightly wooded areas except as approved by the Engineer when handled under special conditions.
B. 
No fill shall be placed which creates any exposed surface steeper in slope than two horizontal to one vertical in wooded areas, or three horizontal to one vertical in nonwooded areas, except as approved by the Engineer when handled under special conditions.
C. 
Adequate provisions shall be made to prevent surface water from eroding the cut face of excavations or the sloping surfaces of fills.
D. 
Retaining walls or cribbing shall be required where needed to prevent the surface of excavations or fills from exceeding at any point the maximum allowable slope.
E. 
Excavations shall not be made so close to property lines as to endanger adjoining property without supporting and protecting the face of the excavation.
F. 
No fill or excavation shall be made closer than five feet from a property line or proposed property line.
[Amended 3-20-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-4]
A. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
LANDSCAPE RETAINING WALL
A retaining wall four feet in height or less which does not support any structure within a distance from the top of the wall equal to the height of the retaining wall.
STRUCTURAL RETAINING WALL
A retaining wall greater than four feet in height or which supports any structure within a distance from the top of the wall equal to the height of the retaining wall or the failure of which would adversely affect structures on the property or could cause significant property damage on adjoining land.
B. 
Design standards.
(1) 
Landscape retaining walls shall not be located closer to a property line than twice the height of the wall, provided that if the grade shall be raised, said wall shall be no closer than 10 feet to the property line.
(2) 
No structural retaining wall shall be closer than 10 feet to any lot line, proposed lot line or conservation easement.
(3) 
Retaining walls shall not be constructed within any public street right-of-way, conservation easement, drainage easement or utility easement.
(4) 
All walls shall be designed in conformance with generally accepted design principals. A detailed plan shall be submitted. All structural retaining walls shall be designed by a licensed design professional engineer or architect with signed and sealed plans submitted to the Township Engineer for review and approval.
(5) 
The construction of all structural retaining walls shall be inspected by a licensed design professional engineer or architect, and a signed and sealed certification that the wall has been properly constructed shall be submitted to the Township Engineer upon completion of the wall.
(6) 
Retaining walls located parallel to each other, stepped, shall be spaced horizontally at least two times the height of the lower wall, and shall have a maximum graded slope of 5% between each pair of walls.
(7) 
Fences may be required along the tops of retaining walls at the discretion of the Construction Official or Township Engineer as needed for safety.
No driveway grade shall exceed 5% within 20 feet of the traveled way, pavement, of any roadway. Driveway grades shall generally not exceed 13%, except that a grade of 15% is acceptable for a distance not to exceed 100 feet.