[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township
of North Versailles 4-19-2004 by Ord. No. 1015. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
The "whereas" clauses are incorporated and made a part of this
chapter.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The full text of Ord. No. 1015 is on file in
the Township offices.
North Versailles Township does hereby elect to adopt, administer
and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act,
Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. § 7210.101 et seq., as amended from
time to time, and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the Pennsylvania
Department of Labor and Industry.
The Uniform Construction Code published in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters
401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated
herein by reference as the North Versailles Township Building Code.
North Versailles Township shall enforce the Uniform Construction
Code through an official, duly appointed by resolution, to be known
as the "Code Enforcement Officer," and/or by retention of code officials,
and/or by third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Township and/or
by intermunicipal agreements with local governments or with the Pennsylvania
Department of Labor and Industry as the Board of Commissioners sees
fit from time to time.
A.
In lieu of the International Plumbing Code, North Versailles Township
adopts the Allegheny County Health Department Plumbing Code as its
standard plumbing code, as permitted by 35 P.S. § 7210.503(a).
B.
Enforcement. North Versailles Township does hereby designate the
Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Section, through its
contractual relationship with the Township, to be the duly certified
and authorized plumbing inspection third-party agency, meeting all
of the statutory requirements set forth in the Uniform Construction
Code Act, 35 P.S. § 7210.701 et seq., as amended.
Appeals from a decision of the Code Enforcement Officer shall
be made to a Board of Appeals which shall be established by simple
resolution in conformity with the requirements of the applicable provisions
of the code, as amended from time to time, and for the purposes set
forth therein. If enforcement and administration is undertaken jointly
with one or more other local governments, said Board of Appeals shall
be established by joint action of the participating local governments.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: By Ord. No. 1067, adopted 3-15-2012, the Township
authorized participation in the Joint UCC Construction Code Construction
Appeals Board. Said ordinance is on file in the Township offices.
A.
All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were
heretofore adopted on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed
the requirements of the code shall continue in full force and effect
until such time as such provisions fail to equal or exceed the minimum
requirements of the code, as amended from time to time.
B.
All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which are
in effect on the effective date of this chapter the requirements of
which are less than the minimum requirements of the code are hereby
amended to conform with the comparable provisions of the code.
C.
All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of North Versailles
Township not governed by the code shall remain in full force and effect.
Fees and charges assessable for the administration and enforcement
of this chapter and the code shall be established by resolution from
time to time.
[Added 7-18-2013 by Ord.
No. 1084]
A.
ABUTTING LAND OR STRUCTURE
AFFECTED SITE
BUILDING INSPECTOR
CALL ONE
CONTRACTOR
DEMOLITION
DUG OUT HOLES
ENGINEER
OWNER
RIGHT-OF-WAY
SANITARY SEWERS
STRUCTURE
SURFACE WATER SEWERS
WALLS
Definitions. Whenever used herein, the following words and phrases
shall have the meaning prescribed as follows:
Real estate not within the affected site but in such close
proximity as to be affected by the demolition activities.
Any parcel of land upon which a structure exists and shall
be inclusive of all the real estate under common contiguous ownership
as the land where the structure is situate, and which land is the
subject of demolition as used herein.
The person occupying that office at the Township of North
Versailles.
Pennsylvania One-Call System, Inc., which implements the
Pennsylvania Line Protection Act.
That person, persons or entities who or which are actually
carrying out and performing demolition on an affected site as used
herein.
The razing, removal and disposal of any improvement on land
or on an affected site, including a building or structure.
Voids which develop in the foundation area due to the demolition
process.
The engineer of North Versailles Township.
The person or entity having title to the affected site.
All public rights-of-way including sidewalks, alley and streets.
Those sewer lines and accouterments used for the conveyance
of domestic, commercial or industrial sanitary waste.
Any man-made improvement on a parcel of land.
Non-sanitary sewer lines used for the purpose of carrying
surface and rainwater.
The supporting portion of a structure which support a building
or other structure or which supply lateral support to abutting land.
B.
Whenever any structure or improvement on land in the Township is
razed, demolished or otherwise removed, the work must be carried out
in compliance with the standards set forth herein. Such land shall
then be deemed to be an affected site. It shall be unlawful for any
razing, demolition or removal work to be undertaken except in compliance
with this section.
C.
The following rules are established to govern demolition activities
on an affected site or elsewhere in the Township of North Versailles.
(1)
It shall be the sole responsibility of the owner of the land and
contractor performing the demolition on an affected site to first
disconnect all utilities including the plugging of surface water sewers
and sanitary sewers. Prior to commencement of work, the owner and
contractor must utilize Call One services to ascertain the presence
of easements and utility lines and to take measures to assure that
such lines, easements and utilities are not disturbed or damaged.
All holes, pits and cavities on an affected site resulting from demolition
must be filled and the affected site put back as nearly as possible
to its natural state.
(2)
Material used for backfill must be clean fill and free from organic
and animal matter. Four inches of topsoil must be placed on the surface
of the land on the entire affected property and seeded with grass
seed - Lesco Fine Fescue Links Blend sown at a rate of four to five
pounds per 1,000 square feet. For subsurface fill no masonry or other
materials larger than eight inches in any dimension is permitted;
no combustible material of any kind is permitted. Backfilling shall
be compacted in layers no greater than eight inches in depth.
(3)
All trees, trash, tires, weeds, rubbish, garbage and other material
shall be removed from the entire premises of the affected site. Owner
and contractor shall be responsible for the removal of these items
until final inspection and approval by the Building Inspector or Engineer.
Owner and contractor are responsible to determine perimeter boundaries
of the subject property.
(4)
If "dug out" holes are to be utilized, the owner and contractor must
obtain approval from the Township Engineer or Building Inspector,
or their representative, prior to putting in place any backfill material
so that the Inspector or Engineer can be present at the time the dug
out hole is used. In the event an owner or contractor should fail
to notify the Engineer or Building Inspector in advance of intent
to backfill, they shall be responsible to reexcavate to the basement
floor for proper inspection.
(5)
In order to cap a sanitary sewer or surface water sewer, the owner
and contractor are obligated to first notify the North Versailles
Township Sanitary Authority whose representative must be present at
the time of capping. In addition owner and contractor shall be obligated
to notify the Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Division,
prior to commencement of work and [1] obtain a permit, if applicable,
[2] obtain plan approval and [3] arrange for final inspection for
the permanent sealing of a sanitary sewer service line and all water
service connections.
(a)
In regard to waterlines, the owner and contractor are obligated
to first notify the entity supplying water to the affected site and
locate all lines and take precaution to see that the same are capped;
approval must first be obtained by the entity suppling water to the
affected site.
(6)
Owner and contractor must obtain a demolition permit from the Building
Inspector for each structure to be demolished prior to the start of
work at the prevailing fee schedule. Permits shall be valid for a
period of six months.
(7)
Final grade of the affected site shall be sloped and configured to
direct drainage away from abutting properties.
(8)
All materials, debris, etc., removed from an affected site may only
be deposited at a landfill approved by Department of Environmental
Protection.
(9)
Owner and contractor shall confine all work operations to the limits
of the affected site and shall not deposit any debris, rubbish, materials
onto a public right-of-way or private property.
(10)
At no time and under no circumstances shall any structure or
parts thereof be set on fire.
(11)
All public sidewalks and rights-of-way must remain undisturbed
and free of obstructions.
(12)
Blasting or explosives may not be utilized.
(13)
Metal track equipment may not be operated on paved streets unless
approved protection is utilized and only with the approval of the
Township Engineer.
(14)
The exterior walls (supporting walls) of any structure which
abut a public right-of-way shall be left in place to assure continuing
lateral supporting to such street or alley. Such walls shall be removed
to the elevation of the public right-of-way. Walls (nonsupporting
walls) parallel to a public right-of-way shall be removed to an elevation
of 18 inches below the abutting right-of-way. Walls (bracing walls)
perpendicular to and directly connected to a supporting wall shall
be left in place at the same height as the supporting wall and sloped
away on a two-to-one slope.
(15)
The Engineer or designated representative shall have the authority
to stop work if the owner or contractor fails to comply with the standards
herein or if a condition is found to exist which poses a threat to
public safety.
(16)
Owner and contractor must comply with all prevailing federal,
state and/or local laws and regulations pertaining to work on and
disposal of asbestos or other hazardous or toxic materials. This includes
the obligation to be duly licensed by the Allegheny County Health
Department.
(17)
The owner and contractor are responsible for safety on the affected
site and in the immediate environment and to that end shall furnish,
erect and maintain barricades, lights and/or warning "Keep Out" signs
at places and locations where the placing of such protective devices
are warranted or as directed by the Township representative.
(18)
The owner and contractor shall be responsible for all demolition
activities and to make certain that such activities do not create
dangerous conditions to abutting structures or members of the public.
Owner and contractor shall not deface, mar or damage any abutting
land or structures, and shall be obligated to repair any such damage
within a reasonable time.
(19)
All obligations set forth herein are the joint responsibilities
of the owner and the contractor.
D.
If an interested party is aggrieved by a decision of the Township
representative or the application of the within standards, that person
may file for a variance from the Township Building Inspector. If the
Building Inspector refuses the relief sought, the interested person
may file an appeal with the North Versailles Township Zoning Hearing
Board within 30 days of the date when the Building Inspector made
the decision.
E.
Violations of this section shall be deemed to be civil in nature.
For each violation of this section, any person or entity found guilty
shall be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation.
Every day for which a violation exists shall be a separate violation.
F.
If any provision of this section shall be in conflict with any pre-existing
ordinance, the more restrictive provision shall govern.
