Specific words and phrases. The following words and phrases shall
have the particular meaning assigned by this section in the appropriate
sections of this chapter:
ACCESS DRIVE
An improved cartway designed and constructed to provide for
vehicular movement between a public road and a tract of land containing
any use other than one single-family dwelling unit or farm, or two
single-family dwelling units utilizing a shared driveway.
ACT
The latest version of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning
Code, as amended.
ADULT-RELATED FACILITIES
A business or club which engages in one or more of the following
areas of sales, services or entertainment:
(1)
ADULT BATHHOUSEAn establishment or business which provides the services of baths of all kinds, including all forms and methods of hydrotherapy during which specified anatomical areas are displayed or specified sexual activity occurs. This section shall not apply to hydrotherapy treatment practiced by or under the supervision of a medical practitioner. A medical practitioner, for the purpose of this chapter, shall be a medical doctor, physician, chiropractor or similar professional licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania;
(2)
ADULT BODY PAINTING STUDIOAny establishment or business which provides the service of applying paint or other substance, whether transparent or nontransparent, to or on the human body when specified anatomical areas are exposed;
(3)
ADULT BOOKSTOREAny establishment which has a substantial or significant portion of its stock-in-trade:
(a)
Books, films, magazines or other periodicals or other forms
of audio or visual representation which are distinguished or characterized
by an emphasis on depiction or description of specified sexual activities
or specified anatomical areas; and
(b)
Instruments, devices or paraphernalia which are designed for
use in connection with specified sexual activities.
(4)
ADULT CABARETA nightclub, theater, bar or other establishment which features live or media representations of performances by topless or bottomless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, or similar entertainers, where such performances are distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas;
(5)
ADULT MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTAny establishment or business which provides the services of massage and body manipulation, including exercises, heat and light treatments of the body, and all forms and methods of physiotherapy, unless operated by a medical practitioner, chiropractor or professional physical therapist licensed by the commonwealth. This definition does not include an athletic club, health club, school, gymnasium, reducing salon, spa or similar establishment where massage or similar manipulation of the human body is offered as an incidental or accessory service;
(6)
ADULT MINI MOTION-PICTURE THEATERAn enclosed or unenclosed building with a capacity of more than five, but less than 50, persons used for presenting any form of audio or visual material, and in which a substantial portion of the total presentation time, measured on an annual basis, is devoted to the showing of material which is distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas;
(7)
ADULT MODEL STUDIOAny place where, for any form of consideration or gratuity, figure models who display specified anatomical areas are provided to be observed, sketched, drawn, painted, sculptured, photographed, or similarly depicted by persons paying such consideration or gratuity, except that this provision shall not apply to any figure studio or school of art, or similar establishment which meets the requirements established in the Education Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the issuance or conferring of, and is in fact authorized
thereunder to issue and confer, a diploma;
(8)
ADULT MOTELA motel or similar establishment offering public accommodations for any consideration, which provides patrons with material distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas;
(9)
ADULT MOTION-PICTURE ARCADEAny place to which the public is permitted or invited wherein coin- or slug-operated or electronically or mechanically controlled still or motion-picture machines, projectors, or other image-producing devices are maintained to show images to five or fewer persons per machine at any one time, and where the images so displayed are distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas;
(10)
ADULT MOTION-PICTURE THEATERAn enclosed or unenclosed building with a capacity of 50 or more persons used for presenting any form of audio or visual material, and in which a substantial portion of the total presentation time, measured on an annual basis, is devoted to the showing of material which is distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas;
(11)
ADULT NEWSRACKAny coin-operated machine or device which dispenses material substantially devoted to the depiction of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas;
(12)
ADULT OUTCALL SERVICE ACTIVITYAny establishment or business which provides an outcall service which consists of individuals leaving the premises upon request or by appointment to visit other premises for a period of time for the purpose of providing any service during which time specified anatomical areas are displayed or specified sexual activity occurs;
(13)
ADULT SEXUAL ENCOUNTER CENTERAny business, agency, or person who, for any form of consideration or gratuity, provides a place where two or more persons, not all members of the same family, may congregate, assemble or associate for the purpose of engaging in specified sexual activity or exposing specified anatomical areas, excluding psychosexual workshops, operated by a medical practitioner licensed by the commonwealth, to engage in sexual therapy;
(14)
ADULT THEATERA theater, concert hall, auditorium or other similar establishment, either indoor or outdoor in nature, which regularly features live performances which are distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on specified sexual activities or by exposure of specified anatomical areas for observation by patrons; and
(15)
Any other business or establishment which offers its patrons
services or entertainment characterized by an emphasis on matter depicting,
describing or relating to specified sexual activities or specified
anatomical areas.
AGRICULTURE
The tilling of the soil, the raising of crops, forestry,
horticulture and gardening, including the keeping or raising of livestock
such as cattle, cows, hogs, horses, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits,
birds, fish, bees, and other similar animals. This definition also
includes noncommercial greenhouses and mushroom houses.
AIRPORT
An area used for the landing and taking off of aircraft.
Such use may also include support services, such as fueling and maintenance
equipment, passenger terminals, and storage hangars.
ALLEY
A minor right-of-way, privately or publicly owned, primarily
for service access to the rear or sides of properties.
ALTERATIONS
Any change in the supporting members of a building or structure
such as bearing walls, columns, beams or girders, joists or rafters,
or enclosing walls. Any renovation to a building which would change
its use, location and/or size.
AMUSEMENT ARCADE
A commercial establishment which provides, as a principal
use, amusement devices and/or games of skill or chance (e.g., pinball
machines, video games, Skee-Ball, electronic or water firing ranges
and other similar devices).
ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Any establishment offering veterinary services. Animal hospitals
can treat all types of animals and may or may not include outdoor
keeping of animals.
AQUACULTURE
The growing of sea animals or plants for commercial purposes.
AUTOMOBILE, MOTORCYCLE, ATV, SNOWMOBILE, BOAT, MOTORIZED WATERCRAFT,
TRAILER, RECREATIONAL VEHICLE, AND MOBILE HOME SALES AND RENTALS
Any building or land devoted to the retail sale of automobiles,
motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, boats, motorized watercraft, trailers,
and mobile homes, including accessory service and repair facilities
if conducted within a completely enclosed building.
AUTOMOBILE FILLING STATION
Any area of land, including structures thereon, that is used
for the sale of gasoline or any other motor vehicle fuel and oil and
other lubricating substances, including any retail sales of motor
vehicle accessories, which may not include major repairing, engine
rebuilding, body- and fender work, painting, vehicular sales, nor
rental or automatic car washes. This use may include minor incidental
repair of motor vehicles, such as the replacement of lights, wipers,
signals, flat tires, batteries, or belts. This use may also include
convenience stores.
BASE FLOOD
The flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded
in any given year (one-hundred-year flood).
BASEMENT
Any area of a building having its floor below ground level
on all sides.
BED-AND-BREAKFAST
An owner-occupied single-family detached dwelling where between
one and six rooms are rented to overnight guests on a daily basis
for periods not exceeding two weeks. Meals may be offered only to
registered overnight guests.
BEEKEEPING
An accessory use to a farm in which bees are raised and/or kept in compliance with §
215-12B(7)(c) of this chapter.
BILLBOARD
A sign upon which advertising matter of any character is
printed, posted, or lettered, whether freestanding or attached to
a surface of a building or other structure. A billboard is used to
advertise products, services or businesses at a location other than
the premises on which the sign is placed.
BOARD
The Zoning Hearing Board of Derry Township.
BOARDINGHOUSE or PERSONAL CARE FACILITY
A detached building or portion thereof arranged or used for
the housing or feeding, or both, of more than four and not more than
10 individuals that do not constitute a family. A personal care facility
may additionally provide some level of nursing care.
BUILDING
Any structure with a roof intended for shelter or enclosure
of persons, animals or property.
(3)
ATTACHEDA building which has two or more party walls in common.
BUILDING AREA
The total of areas taken on a horizontal plane at the average
grade level of the principal building and all accessory buildings,
exclusive of uncovered porches, awnings, terraces, and steps.
BUILDING HEIGHT
A building's vertical measurement from the mean level of
the ground abutting the building at its comers to the highest point
of the roof.
BUILDING SETBACK LINE
The actual line of that face of the building nearest an adjacent
right-of-way or street line. This face includes sun parlors and porches,
whether enclosed or unenclosed, but does not include steps.
CABIN GROUPING
A grouping of small, seasonal dwellings intended for temporary
occupancy on a rental basis. A cabin grouping may include a dining
area where meals may be offered to registered overnight guests only.
CAMPGROUND
A lot, tract or parcel of land upon which two or more campsites
are located or established, intended and maintained for occupation
by transients in recreational vehicles or tents.
CAMPSITE
A plot of ground within a campground intended for occupation
by a recreational vehicle or tent
CARTWAY
That portion of a street or alley right-of-way that is intended
for vehicular movement.
CEMETERY
Land used or intended to be used for the burial of the deceased,
including columbaria, mausoleums, and mortuaries when operated in
conjunction with the cemetery and within the boundaries thereof. This
definition shall not include crematoria, which shall be considered
as funeral homes. All cemeteries shall be required to be licensed
by the Pennsylvania Department of State.
CERTIFICATE OF USE AND OCCUPANCY
A statement signed by a duly authorized Township officer
setting forth that a building, structure or use legally complies with
this chapter and other applicable codes and regulations and that the
same may be used for the purposes stated therein.
CHANNEL
A natural or artificial watercourse with a definite bed and
banks which confine and conduct continuously or periodically flowing
water.
CHURCH AND RELATED USES
A building, structure, or group of buildings or structures,
including accessory uses, designed or intended for public worship.
This definition shall include rectories, convents, and church-related
educational and/or day-care facilities.
COMMERCIAL RECREATION FACILITY
An activity operated as a business, open to the public, for
the purpose of public recreation or entertainment, including, but
not limited to, bowling alleys, drive-in motion-picture facilities,
swimming pools, health clubs, miniature golf courses, museums, etc.
This does not include adult-related uses or amusement arcades.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Derry Township Comprehensive Plan, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania,
adopted June 18, 1997.
CONDITIONAL USE
A use which may be defined in one of two ways. Some conditional uses are generally compatible with a particular zone, often being accessory, or conversion-oriented. Where such uses are likely to be frequently occurring and only minor impacts are associated with them, there is no compelling reason for the services of a court recorder as is required for special exception uses. For this reason, and so as not to impose an undue hardship on this class of applicants, such uses will be reviewed as conditional uses. A second type of conditional use is a use which may not be appropriate to a particular zoning district as a whole, but which may be suitable in certain localities within the district only when specific conditions and criteria prescribed for such uses have been complied with. These uses may involve significant off-site impacts, making governing body review desirable. Conditional uses are reviewed by the Board of Supervisors after recommendations by the Planning Commission, in accordance with §
215-133 of this chapter.
CONDOMINIUM
A form of property ownership providing for individual ownership
of a specific dwelling unit, or other space not necessarily on ground
level, together with an undivided interest in the land or other parts
of the structure in common with other owners.
CONSERVATION OR NATURAL AREA
An area owned or managed by a governmental, nonprofit or
public utility organization, whether open to the public or not, for
the purpose of protecting an identified significant natural resource
or resources.
CONSERVATION PLAN
A plan including a map(s) and narrative that, at the very
least, outlines an erosion and sedimentation control plan for an identified
parcel of land. Such plan is required for any agricultural, horticultural
or forestry-related uses, including timbering, which involve earthmoving
activities, and must be approved by the Mifflin County Conservation
District.
CONVENIENCE STORE
(1)
A retail sales business which specializes in providing household
products and foods. Convenience stores may also provide for any or
all of the following as an accessory use:
(a)
The rental of videotapes, provided that an adult bookstore is
specifically prohibited;
(b)
The preparation and sales of delicatessen sandwiches and foods,
provided that no patron seating is provided; and
(c)
The use of no more than two amusement devices (e.g., pinball
machines, video games, and other similar devices).
(2)
Convenience stores shall not include the dispensing of gasoline
or other vehicle fuels, unless the appropriate approvals for an automobile
filling station (as defined herein) have been obtained.
CONVERSION OFFICE
The adaptation of one single-family dwelling into an office
or offices.
DAY CARE
The offering of care or supervision over minors or special
needs adults in lieu of care or supervision by family members. This
definition includes preschool facilities, but does not include the
offering of overnight accommodations.
(1)
FAMILY DAY CAREAn accessory use to a single-family dwelling in which four to six individuals who are not related to the residents of the principal dwelling are cared for and supervised during any calendar day. Family day care must be registered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(2)
GROUP DAY CAREAn accessory use to a detached single-family dwelling in which seven to 11 individuals who are not related to the residents of the principal dwelling are cared for and supervised during any calendar day. Group day care requires a license from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(3)
DAY-CARE CENTERA principal use in which more than 11 individuals are cared for and supervised during any calendar day. A day-care center requires a license from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
DENSITY, NET
The number of dwelling units permitted in relation to the land area actually in use or proposed to be used for residential purposes, exclusive of public rights-of-way, private streets, and areas within the Floodplain Zone as described in §
215-24 of this chapter.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining,
dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations,
or, in the Floodplain Zone, the storage of equipment or materials.
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY
A disability of a person which has continued or can be expected
to continue indefinitely; a disability which is:
(1)
Attributable to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy
or autism;
(2)
Attributable to any other conditions found to be closely related
to mental retardation because such condition results in similar impairment
of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior to that of
mentally retarded persons, or requires treatment and services similar
to those required for such persons; and
(3)
Attributable to dyslexia resulting from a disability described in Subsections
(1) and
(2) of this definition.
DISABILITY
Incapacitation due to physical or mental handicap. For purposes
of determining eligibility for ECHO housing, a letter from a physician
may be required attesting to the disability and the need for care
by another.
DOMESTIC PETS
The noncommercial keeping of no more than four adult nonfarm
animals, that are locally available for purchase as pets, as an accessory
use to a primary residential use.
DRIVEWAY
An improved cartway designed and constructed to provide vehicular
movement between a public road and a tract of land serving one single-family
dwelling unit or a farm. Driveway is also defined to include a shared
driveway utilized by two single-family dwelling units.
DRIVING RANGE
An outdoor area intended for use by the general public in
driving golf balls.
DWELLING
Any building or portion thereof designed and used exclusively
for residential occupancy, including those uses listed below, but
not including hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, motels, boarding,
rooming and lodging houses, resorts and retreats, institutional housing,
cabins, and the like, offering overnight accommodations for guests
or patients. All dwellings must be permanently affixed to a completely
enclosed foundation constructed of currently accepted materials that
shall be an entire perimeter wall and extend from below the frost
line to the first floor of the building. Such foundation shall be
constructed to provide sufficient structural integrity to prevent
the building from heaving, shifting, or settling unevenly due to frost
action. In addition, all dwellings shall be properly connected to
approved and permanently designed sewer, water, electrical (if applicable)
and other utility systems. The above requirements shall apply to all
the following dwelling types:
(1)
SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHEDA freestanding building containing one dwelling unit for one family, and having two side yards, one front yard, and one rear yard; in the case of a comer lot, the building will have two front and one side and rear yards. Modular, or manufactured, homes are considered single-family detached dwellings so long as they comply with the general requirements of a dwelling. Mobile homes can be considered single-family detached dwellings if, in addition to the requirements listed for all dwellings, they comply with Subsection
(5), as follows. Travel trailers, as defined herein, shall not be construed as dwellings;
(2)
DUPLEX(Two-family; single-family semidetached) — A freestanding building containing two dwelling units for two families, arranged in a side-by-side or over-and-under configuration. Those units placed on common grounds shall have one front and rear yard and two side yards. Those units constructed on individual lots shall have one front, side and rear yard;
(3)
MULTIPLE FAMILYA building containing three or more dwelling units, at least one of which must be located above or below the remaining units;
(4)
TOWNHOUSEA building containing between three and eight dwelling units arranged in a side-by-side configuration with two or more common party walls;
(5)
MOBILE HOMEAny structure intended for or capable of permanent human habitation, with or without wheels, and capable of being transported or towed from one place to the next, in one or more pieces, by whatsoever name or title it is colloquially or commercially known, but excluding transport trucks or vans equipped with sleeping space for a driver or drivers and travel trailers. For the purposes of this chapter, all mobile homes, except those contained within mobile home parks (see "mobile home park"), shall be governed by all regulations applicable to single-family detached dwellings, and the following:
(a)
All apparatuses used to tow or transport the mobile home (including,
but not limited to, the towing hitch) shall be removed; and
(b)
All mobile homes and additions thereto shall be installed either
according to the manufacturer's specifications or consistent with
the most recent Manufactured Home Installation Standards as specified
in the National Conference of State Building Codes and Standards ANSI
NCSBCS A225.1 publication.
DWELLING UNIT
A building or portion thereof arranged or designed for occupancy
by not more than one family.
EARTHMOVING ACTIVITY
Any construction or other activity which disturbs the surface
of the land, including, but not limited to, excavations, embankments,
land development, subdivision development, mineral extraction and
the moving, depositing or storing of soil, rock or earth.
ECHO HOUSING (ELDER COTTAGE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY)
An accessory use to the primary agricultural or residential
use of the property in which an additional temporary dwelling unit
is placed on a property for occupancy by up to two elderly, handicapped
or disabled persons related by blood, marriage or adoption, who are
first cousins or closer to the occupants of the principal dwelling.
FAMILY
An individual or individuals related by blood, marriage,
or legal adoption (including persons receiving foster care) that maintain
one common household and live within one dwelling unit. Additionally,
up to four unrelated individuals who maintain a common household and
live within one dwelling unit may be considered a family. Finally,
a family shall also expressly include any number of unrelated persons
who reside within a licensed group home, as defined herein.
FARM
Any parcel of land with a minimum of 10 acres which is used
for gain in the raising of agricultural products, livestock, poultry
or dairy products, including necessary farm structures and the storage
of equipment customarily incidental to the primary use.
FARM OCCUPATION
An accessory use to the primary agricultural use of a property
in which residents engage in a secondary occupation conducted on the
active farm.
FARM-RELATED BUSINESS
A use intended to provide necessary farm-related goods and
services to local agriculture, or to provide for the distribution
or processing of locally grown agricultural products. A farm-related
business may or may not be conducted on an active farm.
FENCE or WALL
A structure designed as a barrier to restrict the movement
or view of persons, animals, property and/or vehicles. This definition
shall not include ornamental fence treatments that are located in
the front yard and extend less than 1/2 the width and/or depth of
the front yard.
FILL
Material placed or deposited so as to form an embankment
or raise the surface elevation of the land, including, but not limited
to, levees, bulkheads, dikes, jetties, embankments, and causeways.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
A bank, savings and loan association, credit union, finance
or loan company, or stock or brokerage office.
FLAT WALL SIGN
A sign erected, or displayed on, or parallel to the surface
of a building.
FLEA MARKET
A retail sales use where more than one vendor displays and
sells general merchandise that is new or used. Flea markets can include
indoor and outdoor display or merchandise.
FLOOD
A general and temporary condition of partial or complete
inundation of normally dry land areas from the overland flow of watercourses,
or other body of surface water, or from the unusual and rapid accumulation
or runoff of surface waters from any source.
FLOOD ELEVATION
The projected heights, in relation to the National Geodetic
Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD), reached by floods of various magnitudes
and frequencies in the floodplain areas.
FLOOD OF RECORD
The flood which has reached the highest flood elevation above
mean sea level at a particular location.
FLOODPLAIN
An area of land adjacent to the channel of a watercourse
which has been or is likely to be flooded, or any area subject to
the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from
any source.
FLOODPROOFING
Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions,
changes or adjustments to structures or contents which reduce or eliminate
flood damage to property, structures and their contents.
FLOODWAY
The channel of the watercourse and portions of the adjoining
floodplains which are reasonably required to carry and discharge the
one-hundred-year-frequency flood. Unless otherwise specified, the
boundary of the floodway is as indicated on maps and flood insurance
studies provided by FEMA. In an area where no FEMA maps or studies
have defined the boundary of the one-hundred-year-frequency floodway,
it is assumed, absent evidence to the contrary, that the floodway
extends from the stream to 50 feet from the top of the banks of the
stream.
FLOOR AREA GROSS
The sum of the floor areas of a building as measured to the
outside surfaces of exterior walls and including all areas intended
and designed for the conduct of a business or use.
FLOOR AREA HABITABLE
The sum of the floor areas of a dwelling unit, as measured
to the outside surfaces of exterior walls and including all rooms
used for habitation, such as living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom,
bathroom, closets, hallways, stairways, but not including unfinished
basements or attics, nor service rooms or areas such as utility rooms,
nor unheated areas, such as enclosed porches.
FREESTANDING SIGN
Any sign erected upon a permanently affixed independent structure
(legs or base) so that such structure is the main support of the sign.
GARAGE, PRIVATE
An accessory building for the storage of one or more automobiles
and/or other vehicles accessory and incidental to the primary use
of the premises; provided, however, that one commercial vehicle of
a capacity of not more than 3/4 ton may be stored therein where the
use of such vehicle is not incidental to the use of the premises.
No business, occupation or service shall be conducted therein, nor
shall space therein for more than one vehicle be leased to a nonoccupant
of the premises. Where a garage is an attached integral part of a
dwelling unit, the garage shall not be counted as floor area unless
it is constructed or modified into a habitable room by the removal
of all vehicular access doors, and provided adequate off-street parking
is still available on the same lot as the dwelling unit.
GOLF COURSE
A golf course with a minimum of 2,800 yards of play in nine
holes.
GROUP HOME
A dwelling operated by a responsible individual, family,
or organization with a program to provide a supportive living arrangement
for individuals where special care is needed by the individual served
due to age, emotional, mental, or physical handicap. This definition
shall expressly include facilities for the supervised care of developmentally
disabled persons and those under treatment for alcohol and/or drug
abuse. Group homes must be licensed where required by any appropriate
government agencies, and a copy of any such licenses must be delivered
to the Township prior to beginning the use. Group homes shall be subject
to the same limitations and regulation by the Township as single-family
detached dwellings.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Materials which have the potential to damage health or impair
safety. Hazardous materials include, but are not limited to, inorganic
mineral acids or sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, nitrogen, chromium, phosphorous,
selenium and arsenic and their common salts, lead, nickel and mercury
and their inorganic salts or metallo-organic derivatives; coal tar
adds, such as phenols and cresols, and their salts; petroleum products;
and radioactive material. Also included for purposes of the Floodplain
Zone are floatable materials with the potential to cause physical
damage, such as logs, storage tanks, and large containers.
HAZARDOUS WASTE
Any garbage, refuse, sludge from an industrial or other wastewater
treatment plant, sludge from a water supply treatment plant, or air
pollution facility and other discarded material including solid, liquid,
semi-solid, or contained gaseous material resulting from municipal,
commercial, industrial, institutional, mining, or agricultural operations,
and from community activities, or any combination of the above, which
because of its quantity, concentration, or physical chemical, or infectious
characteristics may:
(1)
Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality
or an increase in morbidity in either an individual or the total population;
or
(2)
Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health
or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, exposed
of, or otherwise managed.
HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY
Any structure, group of structures, aboveground or underground
storage tanks, or any other area or buildings used for the purpose
of permanently housing or temporarily holding hazardous waste for
storage or treatment for any time span other than the normal transportation
time through the Township.
HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USES
Any industrial use that is characterized by any of the following:
(1)
A site exceeding two acres in size;
(2)
The outdoor storage of finished products and/or materials used
in the production process; or
(3)
The use of hazardous materials or generation of hazardous waste
on site.
HEIGHT, BUILDING
A building's vertical measurement from the average ground
level at the corners of the building to the highest point of the roof.
HEIGHT, STRUCTURE
A structure's vertical measurement from the mean level of
the ground abutting the structure to the highest point of the structure.
HELIPAD
An accessory use to a hospital or other medical facility
where no more than one helicopter may land/take off and be stored.
HELIPORT
An area intended for the landing and taking off of helicopters.
Such use may also include support services, such as fueling and maintenance
equipment, passenger terminals and storage hangars.
HISTORIC STRUCTURE
Any structure that is:
(1)
Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places
(a listing maintained by the Department of Interior) or preliminarily
determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements
for individual listing on the National Register;
(2)
Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the
Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered
historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary
to qualify as a registered historic district;
(3)
Individually listed on a state inventory of historic places
in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved
by the Secretary of Interior; or
(4)
Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places
in communities with historic preservation programs that have been
certified either:
(a)
By an approved state program as determined by the Secretary
of the Interior; or
(b)
Directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without
approved programs.
HOME OCCUPATION
(1)
A business or commercial activity that is conducted as an accessory
use in a single-family detached dwelling unit, and which is characterized
by any of the following:
(a)
Exterior evidence of the business, including signs;
(b)
Sales, personal service or display of goods from the home;
(c)
The occupation of the business or commercial activity over more
than 15% of the habitable floor area;
(d)
Employment of a nonresident;
(e)
On-site storage of a commercial vehicle or vehicles; or
(f)
The delivery of materials and goods by trucks larger than standard
panel trucks.
(2)
An in-home activity which does not display any of the above
characteristics is permitted by right in every zone.
HOSPICE
A facility licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which
renders inpatient and outpatient care on a twenty-four-hour basis
to terminally ill persons.
HOSPITAL
An institution, licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
as a hospital, which renders inpatient and outpatient medical care
on a twenty-four-hour basis; and provides primary health services
and medical/surgical care to persons suffering from illness, disease,
injury, deformity and other abnormal physical or mental conditions.
A hospital use can also include attached and detached accessory uses,
provided that all accessory uses are contained upon the hospital property.
HOTEL, MOTEL and SIMILAR LODGING FACILITY
A facility which provides lodging to boarders for compensation,
which contains seven or more rooms, and which may provide meals and
other services as a part of the compensation.
HUNTING, FISHING, SKIING, OR BOATING LODGES
A private facility, including buildings and premises used
for outdoor recreational purposes not conducted for profit and excluding
any vending stands, merchandising or commercial activities. Such facility
may offer overnight accommodations and meals to no more than 20 guests
for periods not to exceed two weeks.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
Any material which covers the land which inhibits the percolation
of stormwater directly onto the soil, including, but not limited to,
buildings, pavement and stormwater facilities that discharge stormwater
off the site.
INTENSIVE COMMERCIAL POULTRY AND/OR LIVESTOCK OPERATION
An agricultural use involving the commercial keeping and
handling of poultry and/or livestock quantities of an average adult
weight for horses, dairy cattle and layer chickens and/or an average
market weight of all other livestock of more than 2,000 pounds per
acre. This definition shall include commercial stockyards and feedlots.
INTERIOR DRIVE
Any on-site vehicular movement lane(s) that is associated
with a use other than a single-family dwelling.
JUNKYARD
An area of land with or without buildings used for the storage,
outside a completely enclosed building, of used and discarded materials,
including, but not limited to, wastepaper, rags, metal, building materials,
house furnishings, machinery, vehicles, or parts thereof, with or
without the dismantling, processing, salvage, sale, or other use or
disposition of the same.
KENNEL
Any lot on which three or more animals (except relating to
a farm) are kept, boarded, raised, bred, treated, or trained for a
fee, including, but not limited to, dog or cat kennels.
LANDOWNER
The legal or beneficial owner or owners of land, including
the holder of an option or contract to purchase (whether or not such
option or contract is subject to any condition), a lessee if he is
authorized under the lease to exercise the rights of the landowner,
or other person having a proprietary interest in land shall be deemed
to be a landowner for the purposes of this chapter.
LANDSCAPE SCREEN
A visual barrier composed of evergreen shrubs and trees,
walls, fences and earth berms arranged to form both a low-level and
a high-level screen between grade, and to a height of six feet.
LOADING SPACE
An off-street paved space suitable for the loading or unloading
of goods, material or equipment and having direct usable access to
a street or alley.
LOT
Any parcel or tract of land intended as a single use for
purposes of ownership, transfer of ownership, use, rent, improvement
or development. The word "lot" includes the word "plot," "parcel"
or "tract." Contiguous nonconforming lots of record under common ownership
as of the date of adoption of this chapter shall be considered one
lot, unless there are enough nonconforming lots to constitute more
than one conforming lot.
(1)
LOT, CORNERA lot which has an interior angle of less than 135° at the intersection of two street lines. A lot abutting upon a curved street shall be considered a corner lot if the tangents to the curve at the points of intersection of the side lot lines with the street line intersect at an interior angle of less than 135°. Corner lots shall have two front yards, one side, and one rear yard.
(2)
LOT, FLAGA lot whose frontage does not satisfy the minimum width requirements for the respective zone but that does have sufficient lot width away from the lot's frontage. A flag lot includes a narrow projection or "flagpole" to the public right-of-way, which serves as access to the parcel.
(3)
LOT, INTERIORA lot other than a corner lot, the sides of which do not abut a street.
LOT AREA
The area contained within the property lines of individual
parcels of land, excluding any area within a street right-of-way,
but including the area of any easement.
LOT COVERAGE
A percentage of the lot area which may be covered with an
impervious surface (e.g., buildings, driveways, parking area, sidewalks).
LOT OF RECORD
A lot identified on a subdivision plan or in a deed or other
instrument of conveyance recorded in the office of the Recorder of
Deeds in and for Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.
LOT WIDTH
The horizontal distance measured between side property lines.
On corner lots, lot width shall be measured between the right-of-way
line for the nonaddress street and the directly opposite property
line.
MANUFACTURING
A function involving either the production or processing
of materials, goods or products.
MANURE STORAGE FACILITY
An open or covered pit, detached structure or other improvement
built to store manure for future use, or disposal. Types of storage
facilities are as follows: underground storage, in-ground storage,
earthen bank, stacking area, and aboveground storage.
MEAN SEA LEVEL
The average height of the sea for all stages of the tide,
using the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.
MEDICAL OR DENTAL OFFICE
Any building or group of buildings occupied by licensed medical
practitioners and related services for the purpose of providing health
services to people on an outpatient basis.
MINI WAREHOUSE
A building and/or series of buildings divided into separate
storage units for personal property and/or property associated with
some business or other organization. These units shall be used solely
for dead storage and no processing, manufacturing, sales, research
and development testing, service and repair, or other nonstorage activities
shall be permitted.
MOBILE HOME
Any structure intended for or capable of permanent human habitation, with or without wheels, and capable of being transported or towed from one place to the next, in one or more pieces, by whatsoever name or title it is colloquially or commercially known, but excluding transport trucks or vans equipped with sleeping space for a driver or drivers, and travel trailers. Mobile homes placed in parks shall meet the requirements for mobile home parks listed in §
215-86 of this chapter. Mobile homes placed on individual lots shall be considered "dwellings," and be bound by the requirements there-imposed. For the purposes of §
215-24 of this chapter, any travel trailer, as defined herein, that is contained on the same parcel for more than 180 days in any calendar year shall be considered a mobile home.
MOBILE HOME LOT
A parcel of land in a mobile home park, improved with the
necessary utility connections and other appurtenances necessary for
the erection thereon of a single mobile home, which is leased by the
park owner to the occupants of the mobile home erected on the lot.
MOBILE HOME PARK
A parcel or contiguous parcels of land which have been so
designated and improved to contain two or more mobile home lots for
the placement thereon of mobile homes.
MODEL HOME
Residences which are used for demonstration purposes and
which are open to the public for viewing during specified hours. Such
model homes shall be limited to three per structural type and shall
be subject to all density, lot size, setback, and other requirements
of the zone.
MUNICIPAL WASTE
Garbage, refuse, industrial lunchroom or office waste and
other material, including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained
gaseous material resulting from operations of residential, municipal,
commercial, or institutional establishments and from community activities,
and sludge not meeting the definition of residual or hazardous waste,
from a municipal, commercial, or institutional water supply treatment
plant, wastewater treatment plant or air pollution control facility.
NIGHTCLUB
Any building used for on-site consumption of alcoholic or
nonalcoholic beverages where live entertainment is offered. For the
purposes of this definition, "live entertainment" is meant to include
the use of disc jockeys for the purposes of supplying musical entertainment.
Nightclubs may also provide for on-site consumption of food. Additionally,
nightclubs can offer the retail sale of carry-out beer and wine as
an accessory use. This is meant to include an "under 21" club which
features entertainment.
NONCONFORMING LOT
A lot the area or dimension of which was lawful prior to
the adoption or amendment of a zoning ordinance, but which fails to
conform to the requirements of the zone in which it is located by
reasons of such adoption or amendment.
NONCONFORMING STRUCTURE
A structure or part of a structure manifestly not designed
to comply with the applicable use or extent of use provisions in this
chapter or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such structure
lawfully existed prior to the enactment of this chapter or amendment
or prior to the application of this chapter or amendment to its location
by reason of annexation. Such nonconforming structures include, but
are not limited to, nonconforming signs.
NONCONFORMING USE
A use, whether of land or of structure, which does not comply
with the applicable use provisions in this chapter or amendment heretofore
or hereafter enacted where such use was lawfully in existence prior
to the enactment of this chapter or amendment or prior to the application
of this chapter or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.
NONCONFORMITY, DIMENSIONAL
Any aspect of a land use that does not comply with any size,
height, bulk, setback, distance, landscaping, coverage, screening,
or any other design or performance standard specified by this chapter,
where such dimensional nonconformity lawfully existed prior to the
adoption of this chapter or amendment thereto.
NURSING OR REST HOMES
Facilities designed for the housing, boarding and dining,
and nursing care of 10 or more individuals.
OBSTRUCTION
Any wall, dam, wharf, embankment, levee, dike, pile, abutment,
projection, excavation, channel, rectification, culvert, building,
fence, stockpile, refuse, fill, structure, or matter in, along, across,
or projecting into any channel, watercourse, or flood-prone area which
may impede, retard, or change the direction of the flow of water either
in itself or by catching or collecting debris carried by such water,
or which is placed where the flow of the water might carry the same
downstream to the damage of life and property.
OFFICE
A place where the primary use is conducting the affairs of
a business, profession, service, or government, including administration,
recordkeeping, clerical work, and similar business functions. An office
shall not involve manufacturing, fabrication, production, processing,
assembling, cleaning, testing, repair, or storage of materials, goods
or products; or the sale or delivery of any materials, goods, or products
which are physically located on the premises. Office supplies used
in the office may be stored as an incidental use.
ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR-FLOOD BOUNDARY
The outer boundary of an area of land that is likely to be
flooded once every 100 years (i.e., that has a 1% chance of being
flooded each year). A study by the Federal Insurance Administration,
the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Department
of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service, the United States Geological
Survey, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, or a licensed surveyor
or professional engineer registered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
is necessary to define this boundary.
ON-LOT SEWER SERVICE
The disposal of sewage generated by one principal use with
the use of safe and healthful means within the confines of the lot
on which the use is located, as approved by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection.
ON-LOT WATER SERVICE
The provision of a safe, adequate, and healthful supply of
water to a single principal use from a private well.
OPEN SPACE
A space unoccupied by buildings or paved surface and open
to the sky on the same lot with the building.
PA DEP
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
PennDOT
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
PARKING LOT
An accessory use in which required, and possibly additional, parking spaces are provided subject to the requirements listed in §
215-38 of this chapter.
PARKING SPACE
An off-street space available for the parking of one motor
vehicle and having usable access to a street or alley.
PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS, PUBLIC AND/OR NONPROFIT
(1)
Those facilities designed and used for recreation purposes by
the general public that are:
(a)
Owned and operated by a government or governmental agency/authority;
or
(b)
Operated on a nonprofit basis.
(2)
This definition is meant to include the widest range of outdoor
recreational activities, excluding adult entertainment uses, amusement
arcades, and amusement and theme parks.
PERSON
An individual, corporation, partnership, incorporator's association,
or any other similar entity.
PLANNED CENTER
A group of uses planned and designed as an integrated unit
with controlled ingress and egress and shared off-street parking provided
on the property as an integral part of the unit. Such centers also
may include "planned center signs" as regulated herein.
PREMISES
The property upon which the activity is conducted as determined
by physical facts rather than property lines. It is the land occupied
by the buildings or other physical uses that are necessary or customarily
incident to the activity, including such open spaces as are arranged
and designed to be used in connection with such buildings or uses.
The following are not considered to be a part of the premises on which
the activity is conducted, and any signs located on such land are
to be considered off-premises advertising:
(1)
Any land which is not used as an integral part of the principal
activity, including land which is separated from the activity by a
roadway, highway, or other obstruction, and not used by the activity,
and extensive undeveloped highway frontage contiguous to the land
actually used by a commercial facility, even though it might be under
the same ownership;
(2)
Any land which is used for, or devoted to, a separate purpose
unrelated to the advertised activity; and
(3)
Any land which is in closer proximity to the highway than to
the principal activity, and developed or used only in the area of
the sign site or between the sign site and the principal activity
and whose purpose is for advertising purposes only. In no event shall
a sign site be considered part of the premises on which the advertised
activity is conducted if the site is located on a narrow strip of
land which is nonbuildable land, or is a common or private roadway,
or is held by easement or other lesser interest than the premises
where the activity is located.
PRIVATE CLUB
An organization catering exclusively to members and their
guests, or premises or buildings for social, recreational and administrative
purposes which are not conducted for profit, and where there are not
conducted any vending stands, merchandising or commercial activities,
except as required for the membership of such club. Clubs shall include,
but not be limited to, service and political organizations, labor
unions, as well as social and athletic clubs. Private clubs shall
not include "adult-related facilities," as defined herein.
PUBLIC
Owned, operated or controlled by a governmental agency (federal,
state, or local, including a corporation created by law for the performance
of certain specialized governmental functions, and the Mifflin County
School District).
PUBLIC HEARING
A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the governing
body or planning agency, intended to inform and obtain public comment,
prior to taking action on zoning-related matters.
PUBLIC MEETING
A meeting held pursuant to notice under the Act of July 3,
1986 (P.L. 388, No. 84), known as the "Sunshine Act," as it may be
amended from time to time.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice published once each week for two successive weeks
in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. Such notice
shall state the time and place of the hearing and the particular nature
of the matter to be considered at the hearing. The first publication
shall not be more than 30 days and the second publication shall not
be less than seven days from the date of the hearing. Public notice
for rezoning, special exception, conditional use and/or variance requests
shall also include the posting of a sign or signs at conspicuous locations
along the perimeter of the subject property, as deemed appropriate
by the body holding the hearing. The sign(s) shall be posted at least
one week prior to the hearing and will exhibit the nature, date, time
and location of the hearing. In the event that the definition and
requirements for "public hearings" are changed by amendments to the
Act, those amendments shall be incorporated into this definition.
PUBLIC SEWER
A municipal sanitary sewer or comparable conversion or package
facility approved and permitted by the PA DEP and capable of serving
multiple uses.
PUBLIC USES
Includes public and semi-public uses of a welfare and service
nature, such as fire stations, libraries, municipal buildings and
garages, etc., but excluding schools, churches and health care uses.
PUBLIC UTILITIES STRUCTURES
Lines, pipes and other structures intended to convey and
transport gas, oil, sewage, water, telephone, electricity, and other
similar utilities, and which are in possession of a certificate of
public convenience from the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission.
PUBLIC WATER
A municipal water supply system or a comparable conversion
water facility approved and permitted by the PA DEP and capable of
serving multiple users.
QUARRY
An area used for the excavation, mining and/or processing
of mineral or aggregate resources, but excluding the extraction of
such resources by a landowner for his or her own noncommercial use
on land owned or leased by him or her; PennDot borrow pits; the handling,
processing or storage of slag on the premises of a manufacturer as
a part of the manufacturing process; dredging operations carried out
in rivers and streams of the commonwealth; and the extraction, handling,
processing and storage of any building or excavation materials where
such materials are incidental to the building or excavation. (NOTE:
The above activities exempted from the definition of quarry may be
subject to other requirements of PennDot and the PA DEP.)
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Any natural or artificially produced substance which emits
radiation spontaneously.
RECYCLING COLLECTION FACILITY
An accessory use whereby recyclables are dropped off by the
public for collection by a waste hauler and/or processor.
RECYCLING STATION
A principal use whereby collected recyclables are separated,
processed, cut, shredded, cleaned, ground, crushed, bundled, and/or
packaged for reuse.
RESIDUAL WASTE
Garbage, refuse, other discarded material, or other waste,
including solid, liquid, semi-solid or contained gaseous materials
resulting from industrial, mining and agricultural operations, and
sludge from a water supply treatment facility, wastewater treatment
facility or air pollution control facility for the same, if it is
not hazardous.
RESORT OR RETREAT FACILITY
A facility which provides lodging, meals, conference facilities,
outdoor recreational facilities, and other related services to guests
on a daily or weekly basis, excluding any vending stands, merchandising
or commercial activities not part of the resort or retreat facility.
Such facility may accommodate no more than 100 guests.
RESTAURANT
An establishment that serves prepared food primarily on nondisposable
tableware, but can provide for incidental carry-out service so long
as the area used for carry-out service does not exceed 5% of the total
patron seating area nor 80 square feet (whichever is less). Caterers
shall be included in this definition.
RESTAURANT, DRIVE-THROUGH OR FAST-FOOD
An establishment that serves prepared food generally packaged
in paper wrappers and/or disposable plates and containers. Such food
can be consumed either on or off the site.
RETAIL
The display and sale of goods and products to the general
public. This term shall not include adult-related facilities, as defined
herein.
RETIREMENT VILLAGE
A compact grouping of residences made available to individuals
of at least 50 years of age or those with disabilities.
RIDING SCHOOL and/or HORSE BOARDING STABLE
A principal use whereby equestrian instruction is offered
and/or horses are kept, bred, trained and/or exercised. Such use may
also involve the rental of horses for riding purposes to the general
public.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
A corridor of publicly owned or eased land for purposes of
maintaining primary vehicular and pedestrian access to abutting properties,
including, but not limited to, roads, streets, highways and sidewalks.
Abutting property owners are prohibited from encroaching across the
right-of-way line. (See also "street line.")
ROOF SIGN
A sign erected or displayed upon the roof of any building
or structure.
RURAL OCCUPATION
A business or commercial activity that is conducted as an
accessory use to a principal single-family detached dwelling unit,
within a completely enclosed outbuilding.
SATELLITE DISH ANTENNA
A device incorporating a reflective surface which is solid,
open mesh or bar-configured and is in the shape of a shallow dish,
cone, horn, or cornucopia. Such device shall be used to transmit and/or
receive radio or electromagnetic waves between terrestrially and/or
orbitally based uses. This definition is meant to include but not
be limited to what are commonly referred to as "satellite earth stations,"
"TVROs," and "satellite microwave antennas."
SCHOOL
A principal use in which supervised education or instruction
is offered according to the following categories:
(1)
COMMERCIAL SCHOOLA school that may offer a wide range of educational or instructional activities (excluding vocational-mechanical trade schools as defined below) that may, or may not, be operated as a gainful business by some person or organization other than the School District;
(2)
PRIVATE SCHOOLA school that offers elementary, secondary, post-secondary and/or postgraduate education that may, or may not, be operated as a gainful business;
(3)
PUBLIC SCHOOLA school licensed by the Department of Education for the purpose of providing elementary, secondary, and adult education, and operated by the School District;
(4)
(c)
Building construction and general contracting;
(g)
Electrical contracting; and
(h)
Other similar trades, as determined by the Zoning Hearing Board pursuant to §§
215-6 and
215-124E of this chapter.
SEASONAL DWELLING
A dwelling, cabin, lodge or summer house no larger than 900
square feet per floor which is intended for occupancy fewer than 182
days of the year.
SETBACK
The required horizontal distance between a setback line and
a property or street right-of-way line.
(1)
SETBACK, FRONTThe distance between the street line and the front setback line projected the full width of the lot. Commonly called "required front yard."
(2)
SETBACK, REARThe distance between the rear lot line and the rear setback line projected the full width of the lot. Commonly called "required rear yard."
(3)
SETBACK, SIDEThe distance between the side lot line and the side setback line projected from the front yard to the rear yard. Commonly called "required side yard."
SETBACK LINE
A line within a property and parallel to a property or street
line which delineates the required minimum distance between some particular
use of property and that property or street line.
SHARED DRIVEWAY
A common driveway that serves two single-family detached
dwellings.
SHOOTING RANGE
A place where members of the public, for a fee or by invitation,
can discharge firearms for recreation, competition, skill development,
and training. For the purpose of this chapter, a firearm shall include
any instrument that uses a propelling charge to move a projectile
(e.g., rifle, gun, shotgun, pistol, air gun, or archery). "Shooting
range" does not include hunting when conducted in accordance with
the rules and regulations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
SHOPPING CENTER
A group of stores planned and designed for the site on which
it is built, functioning as a unit, with shared off-street parking
provided on the property as an integral part of the unit
SIGN
A device for visual communication that is used to bring the
subject to the attention of the public, but not including lettering
or symbols that are an integral part of another structure, or flags
or other insignia of any government, fraternal, or similar organization.
SOIL SURVEY
The latest published version of the United States Department
of Agriculture's Soil Survey for Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.
SPECIAL EXCEPTION
A use that can be compatible with a particular zone once specified criteria have been met. Special exception uses are listed by zone and approved by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with §
215-124C of this chapter.
SPECIFIED ANATOMICAL AREAS
Less than completely and opaquely covered human genitals,
pubic region, buttocks, anus, female breasts below a point immediately
above the top of areolae, and/or human male genitals in a discernible
turgid state, even if completely and opaquely covered.
SPECIFIED SEXUAL ACTIVITIES
For the purposes of this chapter, this term shall include
any of the following:
(1)
Actual or simulated sexual intercourse, oral copulation, anal
intercourse, oral anal copulation, bestiality, direct physical stimulation
of unclothed genitals, flagellation or torture in the context of a
sexual relationship, or the use of excretory functions in the context
of a sexual relationship, and any of the following depicted sexually
oriented acts or conduct: anilingus, buggery, coprophagy, coprophilia,
cunnilingus, fellatio, necrophilia, pederasty, pedophilia, piquerism,
sapphism, zooerasty;
(2)
Clearly depicted human genitals in a state of sexual stimulation,
arousal or tumescence;
(3)
Use of human or animal masturbation, sodomy, oral copulation,
coitus, ejaculation;
(4)
Fondling or touching of nude human genitals, pubic region, buttocks
or female breast;
(5)
Masochism, erotic or sexually oriented torture, beating, or
the infliction of pain;
(6)
Erotic or lewd touching, fondling or other contact with an animal
by a human being;
(7)
Human excretion, urination, menstruation, vaginal or anal irrigation.
STORY
That part of a building located between a floor and the floor
or roof next above. The first story of a building is the lowest story,
having 75% or more of its wall area above grade level. A half-story
is a story under a gable, hip or gambrel roof, the wall plate of which
on at least two opposite exterior walls is not more than two feet
above such story.
STREET
Includes street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, freeway,
lane, viaduct and any other dedicated and adopted public right-of-way
used or intended to be used by vehicular traffic and/or pedestrians.
STREET CENTER LINE
The horizontal line paralleling the street that bisects the
street right-of-way into two equal widths. In those instances where
the street right-of-way cannot be determined, the street center line
shall correspond to the center of the cartway.
STREET LINE (RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE)
A line defining the edge of a street right-of-way and separating
the street from abutting property or lots. The street line shall be
the same as the legal right-of-way line currently in existence.
STRUCTURE
(1)
Any man-made object, including buildings, having an ascertainable
stationary location on or in land or water, whether or not affixed
to the land.
(a)
STRUCTURE, ACCESSORYA structure associated with an accessory use (e.g., swimming pools, patios, antennas, tennis courts, garages, utility sheds, etc.).
(2)
Structures shall not include such things as fences, sandboxes,
decorative fountains, swing sets, birdhouses, bird feeders, mailboxes,
and any other similar nonpermanent improvements.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
Any repair, reconstruction, or improvement of a structure,
the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the fair market value of
the structure either before the improvement or repair is started,
or if the structure has been damaged, and is being restored, before
the damage occurred. For the purpose of this definition, "substantial
improvement" is considered to occur when the first alteration of any
wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of the structure commences,
whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of
the structure. This term includes structures which have incurred substantial
damage, regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does
not, however, include either:
(1)
Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing
violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications
which have been identified by the local code enforcement official
and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions;
or
(2)
Any alteration of an historic structure, provided that the alteration
will not preclude the structure's continued designation as an historic
structure.
SWIMMING POOL
Any pool, not located within a completely enclosed building,
and containing, or normally capable of containing, water to a depth
at any point greater than 1 1/2 feet. Farm ponds and/or lakes
are not included, provided that swimming was not the primary purpose
for their construction.
TAVERN
An establishment which serves primarily alcoholic beverages,
but which may also serve food, for mostly on-premises consumption,
and which is licensed by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
TEMPORARY FARMWORKER HOUSING
An accessory additional temporary dwelling unit placed on
a property for occupancy by a person (and family) engaged in farm
work on the subject property.
TRAVEL TRAILER
A portable structure, primarily designed to provide temporary
living quarters for recreation, camping or travel purposes. In addition
to the above, any of the following attributes are characteristic of
a travel trailer:
(1)
The unit is of such size or weight as not to require a special
highway movement permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
when self-propelled, or when hauled by a standard motor vehicle on
a highway;
(2)
The unit is mounted or designed to be mounted on wheels;
(3)
The unit is designed to be loaded onto, or affixed to, the bed
and/or chassis of a truck;
(4)
The unit contains, or was designed to contain, temporary storage
of water and sewage; and
(5)
The unit contains some identification by the manufacturer as
a travel trailer.
TWO-FAMILY CONVERSION
The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling
unit to contain two separate dwelling units.
USE
The specific purpose for which land or a structure is designed,
arranged, intended, occupied, or maintained.
(1)
USE, ACCESSORYA use customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use or building and located on the same lot with this principal use or building.
USE AND OCCUPANCY PERMIT
A permit issued by the Zoning Officer certifying a use's
compliance with information reflected on the building permit and this
chapter.
VARIANCE
A modification of any provision of this chapter granted by
the Zoning Hearing Board subject to findings specified by the Act.
WALL-PROJECTING SIGN
Any sign mounted upon a building so that its principal face
is not parallel to the building wall.
WAREHOUSE
A building used for the storage of goods, products and materials
that is not open to the public.
WASTE
Garbage, refuse and other discarded materials, including,
but not limited to, solid, semi-solid, contained gaseous and liquid
materials resulting from municipal, industrial, institutional, commercial,
agricultural, residential, and other activities. Such wastes shall
also include biological excrement and hazardous waste materials, as
defined in 40 CFR 261 (1984), or as amended. Waste shall expressly
include those materials defined, at any given time, as "waste" by
the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the United
States Environmental Protection Agency. For the purposes of this chapter,
the difference between "waste" and "junk" or "recyclables" is that
waste shall include materials that have entered a reasonably continuous
process by which their ultimate disposal is imminent; whereas junk
includes materials that may be stored for longer periods of time awaiting
potential reuse or ultimate disposal; and where recyclables include
materials that have entered a reasonably continuous process whereby
their reuse is imminent.
WATERCOURSE
A permanent or intermittent stream, river, brook, run, creek,
channel, swale, pond, lake or other body of surface water carrying
or holding surface water, whether natural or artificial.
WATERSHED
All the land from which water drains into a particular watercourse.
WHOLESALE
The sale of goods and products to retailers and not to the
general public.
WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM (WECS)
Any device which converts wind energy to mechanical or electrical
energy, consisting of an assemblage of blades, hubs to which blades
are attached, and any device, such as a tower, used to support the
hub and/or rotary blades, which is designed to harness the kinetic
energy of wind.
WINDOW
An opening to the outside, other than a door, which provides
all or part of the required natural light, natural ventilation or
both to an interior space. The glazed portion of a door in an exterior
wall may be construed to be a window in regard to provision of natural
light.
YARD
An area between the permitted structures and the property
lines.
(1)
YARD, FRONTThe area contained between the street right-of-way line and the principal structure.
(2)
YARD, REARThe area contained between the rear property line and the principal structure. On corner and reverse frontage lots, the rear yard shall be considered that area between the principal structure and the property line directly opposite the street of address. For flag lots, the rear yard shall be all areas between the building and every lot line.
(3)
YARD, SIDEThe area(s) between a principal structure and any side lot line(s). On corner lots, the side yard shall be considered those areas between the principal structure and the property lines directly opposite the nonaddress street(s).
ZONING
The designation of specified districts within the Township,
reserving them for certain uses together with limitations on lot size,
heights of structures and other stipulated requirements.
ZONING OFFICER
The duly constituted municipal official designated to administer
and enforce this chapter in accordance with its literal terms.