[Adopted 6-8-1977 by Ord. No. 76 (Ch. 4, Part 1, of the 1994 Code)]
This article shall be known as "the Spring Garden Township Building Permit Ordinance."
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words shall, for the purpose of this article, have the meanings herein indicated:
ALTERATION
Any change, rearrangement, enlargement, moving, relocation, removal or demolition of any structure or of the structural parts thereof.
BUILD
The construction, erection, location, placement, altering, raising, fabricating, making, repairing, enlarging, paving or restoration of any structure or part thereof, but not including the mere painting or finishing of surfaces when not accompanied by any other activity herein referred to.
BUILDING
Any structure or edifice designed or intended for use as an enclosure, a shelter, or for protection of persons, animals or property.
COMPLETELY DRY SPACE
A space which will remain totally dry during flooding; the structure is designed and constructed to prevent the passage of water vapor.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, extension, expansion, alteration or relocation of a building or structure, including the placement of mobile homes.
DESIGNATED FLOODPLAIN AREAS
Those floodplain areas specifically designated by the Federal Insurance Administration or by the Spring Garden Township Zoning Chapter (see Chapter 310) as being inundated primarily by the one-hundred-year flood.
DESIGNATED FLOODWAY DISTRICT OR AREA
The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas required to carry and discharge a flood of the one-hundred-year magnitude as specifically defined by the Federal Insurance Administration or in the Spring Garden Township Zoning Chapter.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, streets and other paving, utilities, mining, dredging, filling, grading, excavation, or drilling operations.
ESSENTIALLY DRY SPACE
A space which will remain dry during flooding, except for the passage of some water vapor or minor seepage; the structure is substantially impermeable to the passage of water.
FLOODPROOFING
Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes or adjustments to structures which reduces or eliminates flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.
MOBILE HOME
A transportable, single-family dwelling intended for permanent occupancy, office or place of assembly, contained in one unit or in two units designed to be joined into one integral unit capable of again being separated for repeated towing, which arrives at a site complete and ready for occupancy except for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operations, and constructed so that it may be used with or without a permanent foundation. The term does not include recreational vehicles, travel trailers or camper units.
MOBILE HOME PARK
A parcel of land owned by a person, which parcel has been planned and improved for the placement of two or more mobile homes for nontransient use.
OBSTRUCTIONS
Any wall, dam, wharf, embankment, levee, dike, pile abutment, projection, excavation, channel, culvert, building, fence, stockpile, refuse, fill, structure or matter in, along, across or projecting into any channel, watercourse or designated floodplain area, which may impede, retard or change the direction of the flow of water or might carry the same downstream to the damage of life or property.
ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD
A flood that, on the average, is likely to occur once every 100 years (i.e., that has a one-percent chance of occurring each year, although the flood may occur in any year). This is more precisely defined/delineated in the Spring Garden Township Flood Insurance Study and the Spring Garden Township Zoning Chapter.
PERSON
Includes an individual, partnership, association, firm, trust, club, company or corporation.
REGULATORY FLOOD ELEVATION
The one-hundred-year flood elevation plus a freeboard safety factor of 1 1/2 feet.
SIGN
Any device for visual communication that is used to bring a subject to the attention of the public.
STREET
Includes street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, freeway, lane, alley, viaduct and any other dedicated and accepted public right-of-way used or intended to be used by vehicular traffic or pedestrians.
STREET GRADE
The officially established grade of the street upon which a lot fronts, or in its absence the established grade of other streets upon which the lot abuts, at the midway of the frontage of the lot thereon. If there is no officially established grade, the existing grade of the street at such midpoint shall be taken as the street grade.
STREET LINE
A line defining the edge of a street right-of-way and separating the street from abutting property or lots; commonly known as the "right-of-way line."
STRUCTURE
Any man-made object having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to build or alter any building or structure in Spring Garden Township without having obtained a permit therefor as herein provided.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to begin any work for the building or alteration of any building or structure unless and until a building permit has been duly issued therefor.
[Amended 10-9-2002 by Ord. No. 02-11]
A. 
All applications for building permits shall be filed with the Building Permit Officer on the forms provided for that purpose.
B. 
All applications shall be accompanied by a drawing showing the shape, size and dimension of the lot to be built upon, the size and location of all buildings or structures existing thereon, and the size and location of all buildings or structures proposed to be built or altered.
C. 
Such applications shall set forth the name and address of the applicant, the location of the site, the name of the builder and architect, the zoning district, the estimated cost of the proposed building or structure, a description of each proposed building or structure, and all other information which may be required to determine whether the provisions of this article and all other ordinances of the Township have been and will be complied with.
D. 
Within 15 days after the receipt of an application for a building permit for a single-family or two-family dwelling or within 30 days after the receipt of an application for any other type of structure, the Building Permit Officer must grant or refuse the permit. If the permit is not granted, he or she must state in writing the grounds for refusal. The applicant may appeal the decision to the Township's Board of Commissioners.
The Board of Commissioners of Spring Garden Township shall by resolution create a schedule of fees to be paid by the applicant at the time of the filing of an application for a building permit under the provisions of this article.
A. 
No permit shall be issued for the building or alteration of any building or structure within the right-of-way limits of any street or highway, with the exception of drainage structures, curbing or pavement.
B. 
No permit shall be issued for the building or alteration of any building or structure unless such building or alteration conforms to required building setback lines as specified in the Spring Garden Township Zoning Chapter (see Chapter 310).
C. 
No permit shall be issued for the building or alteration of any building or structure unless surface drainage of the land, as required, is provided for.
D. 
No permit shall be issued for the building or alteration of any building or structure upon land in a subdivision unless and until a final plan of such subdivision shall have been approved and properly recorded.
E. 
No permit shall be issued unless or until any required sewerage permits have been issued.
A. 
All buildings or structures built or altered shall conform to the lines and grades of the streets and highways on which they abut.
B. 
All excavations and ditches shall be kept adequately drained, and all such excavations, ditches, supplies and materials on or about the premises shall be properly protected, screened, shielded or covered and illuminated at night to avoid damage or injury to persons or property.
C. 
No building materials or supplies may be stored on a public street.
D. 
All building permits shall be immediately posted by the applicant at a conspicuous place on the premises upon which the work is to be performed, and shall remain posted thereon until completion of the work.
E. 
All building permits shall expire unless the work authorized therein shall have been undertaken within a period of 90 calendar days from the date of issuance, and unless such work shall have been fully completed within a period of one calendar year from the date of issuance; provided, however, that in the case of large or extensive projects the applicant may specify estimated project completion date upon concurrence of the Building Permit Officer, on which date the permit shall expire, or the Building Permit Officer may extend the time for completion to a period not exceeding two years from the date of issuance.
F. 
No work shall be undertaken or resumed after a permit has expired unless and until a new application has been filed, the fee herein specified has been paid with such new application, and a new permit has been issued.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 108, Special Provisions Applying in Designated Flood Plain Areas, which immediately followed this section, was deleted 9-2-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-07; see now Ch. 151, Floodplain Management, for floodplain provisions.
Within 90 days from or after the date of completion of the work authorized by the permit, the applicant shall file with the Building Permit Officer, on a form provided for that purpose, a report certifying the completion of the work and setting forth the actual cost thereof and shall pay to the Building Permit Officer any additional fee provided for herein.
It shall be the duty of the Building Permit Officer to forthwith revoke any building permit issued hereunder if it shall be determined that the same shall have been improperly or wrongfully issued by reason of any false statement in the application or by reason of any mistake of fact or law or that the work therein authorized would constitute the violation of any statute or ordinance. Such revocation shall become effective upon the mailing by the Building Permit Officer to the applicant at his address shown in the application thereof. Upon such revocation, all work authorized by said permit shall immediately cease and shall not be resumed unless and until a permit therefor has been properly issued.
Upon the violation of any of the terms of this article or of any rule or regulation made hereunder, the Township Board of Commissioners may, in addition to any other remedies, institute in the name of the Township any appropriate action or proceeding at law or in equity to prevent, restrain, correct or abate any such violations.
[Amended 5-11-1988 by Ord. No. 224; 12-14-1994 by Ord. No. 94-5]
A. 
Any person who knowingly commits, participates in or permits the violation of any of the terms of this article shall, upon conviction thereof before any Magisterial District Judge in a summary proceeding, be sentenced for each such violation to pay a fine not exceeding $1,000 and costs of such proceedings and, in default thereof, to undergo imprisonment for a period not exceeding 30 days.
B. 
Each day that any such violation shall continue shall constitute a separate offense hereunder and shall be punishable as such.
The provisions of this article shall not be taken or construed to conflict with or otherwise limit the provisions of any other statute or ordinance imposing any other or greater requirements or restrictions, and in the event of any such duplication, the provisions imposing the greater requirement or restriction shall prevail.