The Zoning Officer shall have the following powers and duties:
A. Administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter in accordance
with its literal terms and shall not have the power to permit any
construction which does not conform to this chapter.
B. Issue zoning approval permits, occupancy permits and building permits
in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
C. Refer applications for conditional uses to the Planning Commission
and refer applications for special exceptions and variances to the
Zoning Hearing Board.
D. Conduct inspections to determine compliance or noncompliance with
the terms of this chapter.
E. Revoke any permit issued under a mistake of fact or contrary to the
provisions of this chapter.
F. Maintain a file of all permits issued pursuant to this chapter with
any accompanying plans and documents attached thereto.
G. Register all nonconforming uses and maintain a file of all legal
nonconformities under this chapter.
H. Institute, with the approval of or at the direction of the Board
of Commissioners, appropriate legal action to prevent, restrain, abate
or correct any violation of this chapter.
I. Any other duties assigned by the Robinson Township Manager.
The Board of Commissioners, by resolution, shall establish,
from time to time, fees and charges for the permits, reviews and appeals
required by this chapter. The schedule of fees, along with the procedures
for payment, shall be posted in the office of the Robinson Township
Secretary and Zoning Officer. No action shall be taken on any application
or appeal until all applicable fees, charges or expenses are paid
in full. Applicants shall not be entitled to any refund of the required
fees in the event an application for a permit or appeal is disapproved.
When applying for a zoning approval permit for any of the activities listed in §
300-18A above, the applicant shall submit the following items to the Zoning Officer:
A. A completed zoning approval permit application form.
B. A plot plan which includes the following:
(1) Name and address of the applicant and landowner (if other than applicant).
(2) Address of the property and identification of zoning district in
which it is located.
(3) Subdivision name and lot number (if applicable).
(4) County lot and block number.
(5) Scale of the drawing (not less than one inch equals 50 feet), North
arrow, and a key to all symbols.
(6) The exact dimensions of the property in metes and bounds and feet
and total lot area in square feet and acres, signed and sealed by
a registered surveyor.
(7) The location, dimensions and height of all existing and proposed
structures or uses (including fences, walls, screens, lighting fixtures,
signs or other site improvements) and the type and location (distance
in feet) of existing structures or uses on all abutting properties.
(8) Distances (in feet) between all existing and proposed structures
or uses on the property and from all structures or uses to all property
lines.
(9) All existing and proposed easements and/or rights-of-way, showing
locations, widths and purposes.
(10)
The location, number, size and method of calculation of any
required off-street parking spaces (if applicable).
(11)
All points of ingress and egress to and from the property (e.g.,
driveways) along with proposed grades and sight distances.
C. Stormwater management and erosion/sedimentation plans for the property if required by §
300-62 of this chapter and Robinson Township Stormwater Management Ordinance (Chapter
240).
D. Identification of any floodplain districts, areas of steep slopes, prior mining activity, landslide-prone soils, fill areas, or airport impact zones which would be impacted by the proposed development and proposed methods for complying with the requirements of §
300-59 through §
300-61 of this chapter relative to these environmental conditions. The Zoning Officer may waive all or parts of this requirement for a sign, fence or other accessory structure not constituting a building, as defined by this chapter.
E. A landscaping plan showing required plantings plus any additional plantings and such other information as required by §
300-71 and §
300-72 of this chapter. A landscaping plan does not need to be submitted for a single-family dwelling or accessory structure.
F. Any other information required by the Zoning Officer in order to
determine compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
A temporary occupancy permit may be issued by the Zoning Officer
for no more than 30 days for a part of a building or structure to
be used on a temporary basis while work continues on the remainder.
All conditions for temporary occupancy shall be stated on the permit.
The Zoning Officer may revoke or suspend an occupancy permit upon determining that a failure of compliance with any part of this chapter or any other applicable law or regulation exists. The revocation shall be in writing, in accordance with the requirements of §
300-26, referring to the applicable ordinances violated and shall be sent by certified mail to the last known address of the permittee or landowner (if not permittee). Upon such revocation, any further use or occupancy of said land, structure or building without an approved permit shall be considered a violation of this chapter and subject to all enforcement remedies of §
300-26 of this chapter.
The granting of a zoning approval permit or occupancy permit
shall not constitute a representation, guarantee or warranty of any
kind by Robinson Township, or by an official or employee thereof,
of the structural integrity of a building or structure, the suitability
or safety of subsurface soil conditions over which a building/structure
is located, or the practicability or safety of any stormwater management
structure or control technique or other environmental protection control,
nor shall it create any liability upon or cause of action against
Robinson Township, any official or employee for any damage that may
result from a structure or use for which a permit has been issued.
Permits issued pursuant to this chapter attest only to the conformance
of a structure or use to the zoning requirements contained herein.
Appeals from any decision made pursuant to this chapter shall
be made to the Zoning Hearing Board or to court in accordance with
the procedures prescribed by the Municipalities Planning Code.
The Board of Commissioners may, from time to time, amend, add
to or repeal this chapter or map or any part thereof either on its
own motion or by petition.
A. Initiation. An amendment, supplement, change or repeal of this chapter
or map may be initiated by:
(1) A request or resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
(2) An official proposal by the Planning Commission or Zoning Hearing
Board.
(3) A petition by an interested landowner, accompanied by the required fee for a zoning amendment request. (Refer to Figure 4-3 in the Procedural Diagrams, which is
included as an attachment to this chapter, for a flowchart illustrating the procedure for a zoning amendment.)
B. Procedure before voting on any proposed amendment. The Board of Commissioners
shall:
(1) Submit the proposed amendment to Robinson Township Planning Commission
for review and comment at least 30 days prior to the hearing on such
proposed amendment if said amendment was prepared other than by Robinson
Township Planning Commission.
(2) Submit the proposed amendment to the County Planning Commission for
review and comment 30 days prior to the hearing on such proposed amendment.
(3) In the case where a proposed amendment involves the rezoning of property,
a minimum of five public notices shall be posted on and around the
perimeter of the affected property for a minimum of seven days prior
to the date of the public hearing conducted by the Board of Commissioners.
(4) Upon reviewing the recommendations of the various planning agencies,
the Board of Commissioners shall hold a public hearing, pursuant to
public notice, on the proposed amendment.
(5) If, after any public hearing held upon an amendment, the proposed
amendment is revised, or further revised, to include land previously
not affected by it, the Board of Commissioners shall hold another
public hearing, pursuant to public notice, before proceeding to vote
on the amendment.
(6) Robinson Township may offer a mediation option as an aid in completing proceedings authorized by this section. In exercising such an option, Robinson Township and the mediating parties shall meet the stipulations and follow the procedures set forth in §
300-27G of this chapter.
(7) Within 30 days after enactment, a certified copy of the amendment
to this chapter shall be forwarded to the Allegheny County Planning
Commission.