[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1400]
All uses in districts shall be subject to the following standards
of operation.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1401; as amended by Ord.
2288, 4/12/2010]
1.
The developer shall determine the presence of environmental or natural
features on the site and shall meet the following standards of environmental
protection. Site alterations, regrading, filling or clearing of vegetation
prior to submission of the plans for development shall be in violation
of this chapter.
A.
Floodplains. All such lands are identified on the Zoning Map. See Chapter 8 of the Ross Township Code of Ordinances, "Floodplains," for specific regulations.
B.
Areas of Moderate to High Landslide Susceptibility Produced by the
Influence of Natural And/or Man-related Activity. Specific sites,
which are being planned for development, can be reviewed for landslide
susceptibility by the Allegheny County Planning Commission, Soil Conservation
Service, or geology report.
C.
Ponds or Watercourses. These areas shall be left as permanent open
space. No development, filling, piping or diverting shall be permitted
except for required roads.
E.
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation.
(1)
All development shall be conducted in such a manner so as to
minimize accelerated erosion and sedimentation damage and shall comply
with the requirements of the Clean Streams Law, 35 P.S. § 691.1
et seq.
(2)
Soil erosion and sedimentation control shall be in accordance
with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, "Soil
Erosion and Sedimentation Control Manual."
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1402; as amended by Ord.
2288, 4/12/2010]
1.
Buffer yards are required in all industrial and commercial districts
and as indicated in Part 9 where the commercial or industrial district
adjoin any residential district.
A.
The buffer yard shall be measured from the district boundary line
or from the near street line where a street serves as the district
boundary line.
B.
The buffer yard may be adjacent with required front, side or rear
yards and, in case of conflict, the larger yard requirements shall
apply.
C.
In all buffer yards, the entire width shall be maintained and kept
clean of all debris, rubbish, weeds and tall grass.
D.
No structure, manufacturing or processing activity or storage of
materials shall be permitted in the buffer yard.
E.
All buffer yards shall include a dense screen planting of trees,
shrubs or other plant materials, or both, to the full length of the
lot line to serve as a barrier to visibility, airborne particles and
glare. Such screen planting shall be in accordance with the following
requirements:
(1)
Plant materials used in the screen planting shall be at least
three feet high when planted and be of such species as will produce
ultimately a dense visual screen at least eight feet high.
(2)
The screen planting shall be maintained permanently and any
plant material which does not live shall be replaced within one year.
(3)
The screen planting shall be so placed that at maturity it will
not overhang any street or property line.
(4)
In accordance with the provisions of § 27-1005, a clear sight triangle shall be maintained at all street intersections and at all points where private accessways intersect public streets.
(5)
The screen planting shall be broken only at points of vehicular
or pedestrian access.
(6)
When recommended by the Planning Commission, the buffer yard may be averaged if the total number of square feet of the required buffered yard is maintained. The width in Subsection 1H is the average with the minimum being 60% of the average and the maximum width being sufficiently wide to achieve the required area.
(7)
Existing deciduous and coniferous trees above two inches caliper
and/or six feet in height unless otherwise specifically approved by
the Zoning Officer shall be preserved in the buffer yard except where
clearance is required to ensure adequate sight distances. Any removal
should, where feasible, involve relocation rather than clearing.
(8)
Buffer width and planting material shall be laid out to respect
existing or proposed off-site uses. The minimum width may be used
where compatible single-family uses adjoin or where the property abuts
nonbuildable land. The object of the planting shall be defined in
the plan as visual and to prevent access to hazardous areas.
(9)
Generally, a minimum of 25% of plant material shall be evergreen,
10% flowering, the remainder shall be deciduous. Planting shall be
adequate in quantity to fully cover the minimum buffer, but may be
clumped or grouped for maximum efficiency.
(10)
Self-maintaining ground cover or grass shall be planted at the
edge of the buffer.
F.
No screen planting shall be required along streets which form district
boundary lines, provided that:
G.
Prior to the issuance of any building permit, a complete landscaping
plan showing the arrangement of all buffer yards, the placement, species
and size of all plant materials, and the placement, size and materials
of all fences to be placed in such buffer yards shall be reviewed
by the Building Code Official to ascertain that the plans are in conformance
with the terms of this chapter.
H.
Size of Buffer Yards.
(1)
For all PRDs, mobile home parks, places of worship, nursing
homes and hospital sites, against any residential district, the size
of buffer yards shall be 25 feet.
(2)
The size of buffer yards for commercial and industrial districts
against any residential district or as otherwise required in this
chapter shall be as follows:
|
District
|
Feet
| |
|---|---|---|
|
C-1
|
50
| |
|
C-2
|
30
| |
|
C-3
|
15
| |
|
I-1
|
50
|
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1404; as amended by Ord.
2288, 4/12/2010; and by Ord. 2308, 10/1/2012, § 6]
1.
No highly flammable or explosive liquids, solids or gases shall be
stored in bulk above ground except the following, and as provided
by the Township Fire Code and Floodplain Management regulations.
A.
Tanks or drums of fuel connected directly with energy devices or
heating appliances located and operated on the same lot as the tanks
or drums of fuel, specifically designed to handle the material.
B.
All trash or waste receptacles shall be in side or rear yards and
screened from view of adjacent properties (all districts).
2.
All outdoor storage facilities for fuel, raw materials and products
and all fuel, raw materials and products stored outdoors shall be
enclosed by a six-foot chain-link fence or a substitute approved by
the Building Code Official.
3.
No materials or wastes shall be deposited upon a lot in such form
or manner that they may be transported off the lot by natural causes
or forces; nor shall any substance which can contaminate wells, watercourses,
or potable water supplies otherwise render such wells, watercourses,
or potable water supplies undesirable as sources of water supply or
recreation; nor shall any substance which will destroy aquatic life
be allowed to enter any wells, watercourses, or potable water supplies.
4.
Any materials or wastes which might cause fumes or dust or which
constitute a fire hazard or which may be edible or otherwise attractive
to rodents or insects shall be stored outdoors only if enclosed in
containers adequate to eliminate such hazards.
5.
All nonconforming storage and water disposal uses must be brought
into conformity with this chapter.
6.
The accumulation of waste, materials and residue (from the operation
of the landscape contracting and supply business) in vehicles and/or
equipment shall be prohibited.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002, § 1407]
No use shall produce a strong light or a reflection of a strong
light greater than 10 footcandles beyond its lot lines or onto any
public road.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002; as added by Ord. 2308, 10/1/2012,
§ 5]
No use shall emit odorous gases or other odorous matter in such
quantities as to be offensive at any point on or beyond its lot lines.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002; as added by Ord. 2308, 10/1/2012,
§ 5]
No emission at any point from any point from any chimney or
otherwise of visible smoke from commercial and industrial uses in
excess of that permitted by the Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) and the Allegheny County Board of Health shall be permitted.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002; as added by Ord. 2308, 10/1/2012,
§ 5]
The emission of dust, dirt, fly ash, fumes, vapors or gases
which can cause any damage to human health, to animals, to vegetation,
or to property or which can cause any soiling or staining of persons
or property at any point beyond the lot line of the use creating the
emission is herewith prohibited.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002; as added by Ord. 2308, 10/1/2012,
§ 5]
No person, or his agent, servant, employee, customer or invitee,
shall cause to be made or continue any loud, unusual or unnecessary
noise, whether the same by horns, bells, voice, hammering, grinding,
singing, music, radio, television, loudspeaker, dance, bulldozers,
cement mixers, jackhammers, and other like mechanical devices, apparatus
or equipment utilized in the construction industry, or any form or
manner of noise or sound whatsoever which either annoys, injures or
endangers the comfort, repose, health or general welfare of nearby
residents and/or their visitors. The provisions of this Part shall
not apply to any mechanical device, apparatus or equipment used or
connected with emergency work, and shall also not apply to the use
of lawnmowers, chainsaws and other mechanical or motorized tools commonly
used on residential property, provided the same shall only be used
during daylight hours, but not before 8:00 a.m., local time and not
after 9:00 p.m. local time, and shall not be used in the operation
of any business on the property. The provisions of this section shall
also not apply to noise created by (A) normal land development and
construction activities carried on during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to
10:00 p.m., and (B) snow removal equipment.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002; as added by Ord. 2308, 10/1/2012,
§ 5]
No activities producing heat, cold, dampness or movement of
air are permitted which shall produce any material effect on the temperature,
motion or humidity of the atmosphere at the lot line or beyond.
[Ord. 2035, 12/9/2002; as added by Ord. 2308, 10/1/2012,
§ 5]
No activities which emit dangerous radioactivity at any point
are permitted, and no electrical disturbance adversely affecting the
operation at any point of any equipment other than that of the creator
of such disturbance shall be permitted.
