Township of Peters, PA One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Residential Standards

Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

[Amended 9-27-2004 by Ord. No. 646; 11-22-2004 by Ord. No. 647]

Peters Township Ordinance No. 501, August 22, 1994, amended by Ordinance No. 559, June 8, 1998, is replaced, with the exception that any existing provisions exceeding the "Code" are maintained.

Fees assessable by the Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this article and the Code shall be established by the governing body by resolution from time to time.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: See also Ch. 195, Fees.

Penalties. Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a Magisterial District Judge under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this article that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.[2]

[2]

Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

The following provisions of Ordinance No. 501 which were adopted by the Township 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.

(1)

Section R-106[3] Plans. Add the following: Plot plans shall be prepared by a registered professional surveyor."

[3]

Editor's Note: R-106 was formerly stated as R-112 in Ord. No. 501.

(2)

Section R-201 Definitions. Add the following: The definitions contained herein are applicable only as to the building code and are not intended as definitions of zoning terms as defined in the definitions of the Zoning Ordinance of Peters Township, Ordinance No. 491, as amended.[4]

[4]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 440, Zoning.

(3)

Section R-403 footings. Delete entire section and substitute the following:

All exterior walls shall be supported on continuous concrete footings. The footings for a dwelling erected under this code shall be no less than 10 inches in depth and 22 inches in width for ten-inch block and 24 inches for twelve-inch block. All vertical sections of stepped footings shall be continuous with the horizontal sections and shall be at least the same depth and thickness as the horizontal sections. There shall be included in the concrete footing two reinforcing steel bars of at least 1/2 inch in diameter and running continuous throughout the footer. Reinforcing shall be located on the lower third of the footing and tied to vertical steel rods and secured with wire.

Footing shall extend through garage door openings with footing being a minimum of three feet zero inches below grade. Walls abutting footing may be concrete or masonry units.

(4)

Add the following section:

R-106.1.1.[5] Professional architectural and/or engineering services. Construction documents for new construction, additions or structural modification for buildings or structures shall be prepared by a registered architect or engineer consistent with the professional registration laws of the state of Pennsylvania. The construction documents shall include the name and address of the architect or engineer and shall be signed, sealed and dated by the registered design professional in accordance with applicable professional registration laws and the exceptions in the Pennsylvania Architects Licensure Law, 63 Pa.C.S.A. § 34.3. Documents may be reviewed and sealed by someone other than the preparer. Said certification is not required if the owner executes official acceptance of liability relative to the design of the structure. However, the Code Official has authority to require professional certification of the structural integrity if the Code Official believes it is deficient.

The authority having jurisdiction (Code Official) is permitted to waive the requirements for construction being prepared by a registered design professional or engineer when the scope of the work is of a minor nature.

[5]

Editor's Note: R106.1.1 was formerly R112.1.1 in Ord. No. 501.

(5)

Section R-201, Definitions, be amended by adding the following:

PATIO HOME

A detached single-family dwelling constructed with a clear separation between any adjacent units built of not less than six feet and not 15 feet or more. Patio homes shall install fire-suppression systems in accordance with NFPA 13D or 13R standards. Along exterior walls where the distance between buildings, including eaves, is less than 15 feet, glass block windows bearing ASTM 163 labels of a fixed design shall be used. Any exterior walls that are closer than 15 feet to each other shall have a one-hour fire separation.

[Amended 7-24-2017 by Ord. No. 818]

All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which are in effect as of the effective date of this article and whose requirements are less than the minimum requirements of the Code are hereby amended to conform to the comparable provisions of the Code.

All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of this Township not governed by the Code shall remain in full force and effect.

Appendix F-Radon Control Methods, International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings 2003, is hereby adopted by Peters Township.

Fees assessable by the Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this article and the Code shall be established by the governing body by resolution from time to time.

Penalties. Any person who shall violate a provision of this code or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect, construct, alter or repair a building or structure in violation of an approved plan or directive of the Code Official, or of a permit or certificate issued under the provisions of this code, shall be guilty of a summary offense punishable by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 days, or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.

Section 105. Amendments to 2003 ICC International Residential Code.

(1)

Section P2604 Trenching and backfilling. Add new paragraph:

P2604.5 Underground installation of thermoplastic pipe for building sewers installation of all thermoplastic sewer pipe for building sewers shall be in strict conformance with ASTM D 2321, Standard Practice for Underground Installation of Thermoplastic Pipe for Sewers and Other Gravity-Flow Applications. Pipe foundation and embedment materials shall be limited to Class IA or Class 1B materials.

(2)

Section P3002, materials, Paragraph P3002.2 Building sewer pipe. Add the following paragraph at the end of the existing paragraph:

For pipe material other than thermoplastic pipe identified in Table P3002.2, special application shall be made with the sewer connection permit application which provides all necessary data to evaluate the proposed pipe material for the application intended. Data required may include pipe depth profile, backfill soil density, superimposed loads that pipe may be exposed to, trench width, trench shoring methods, and other data appropriate to the installation. The Code Official is authorized to require specific pipe material and/or pipe strength for installations where excessive burial depths may be encountered or where superimposed loads cause a concern.

(3)

Section P3002, Materials, Table P3002.2 Building Sewer Pipe.

(a)

Delete: Vitrified clay pipe.

(b)

Delete: 3.25 inch O.D. PVC/DWV pipe and fitting.

(c)

Delete reference standard: "ASTM F 1488" from Standard column for all pipe material.

(d)

Delete "PS35" from Material column for Co-extruded composite PVC and ABS pipe. IPS-DR, PS140, PA200, DWV.

(e)

Add: "Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipe, Schedules 40, 80 and 120 and fittings" referencing standard "ASTM D 1785, ASTM D 2466, ASTM D 2467."

(f)

Add: "Ductile Iron Pipe and fittings" referencing standard "ANSI A21.50 and A21.51, Class 52."

(4)

Section P3005, Drainage Pipe Cleanouts, Paragraph P3005.2.2 Spacing. Insert new sentence after first sentence: "Cleanouts shall also be provided at the public road right-of-way where the building sewer or its service connection extends under public road."

(5)

Section P3005, Drainage Pipe Cleanouts, Paragraph P3005.2.3 Underground drainage cleanouts Add new sentence at end of paragraph: "Where cleanouts are installed on building sewers, the cleanout shall be protected from damage by lawn mowers and vehicles by an approved cast iron cleanout cover or housing set in a 12 inch x 12 inch x four-inch deep concrete pad to secure the housing. Cover shall be flush with grade."

(6)

Section P3005, Drainage System, Paragraph P3005.4 Drain Pipe Sizing. Insert new sentence at end of numbered Bullet No. 5: "The building sewer shall be minimum diameter four inches for residential construction, and a minimum diameter of six inches for commercial construction."

(7)

Add new section P3009 as follows:

SECTION P3009 INSPECTION PORTS

P3009.1 General. An inspection port shall be installed on each building sewer located just prior to the connection with the public sewer at the easement line. The inspection port shall consist of a tee and a vertical riser pipe brought to above grade. Minimum diameter of the riser pipe shall be four inches. The riser pipe shall be capped with a tamperproof cap. Provide support for vertical riser in accordance with Section 7.0 Installation, of ASTM D 2321, Standard Practice for Underground Installation of Thermoplastic Pipe for Sewers and Other Gravity-Flow Applications.