[Ord. 5/3/1982, § 200]
1.
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words
and phrases shall be construed throughout this chapter to have the
meanings indicated below:
A.
The present tense includes all other tenses; the singular
includes the plural, and the plural includes the singular; the masculine
gender includes the feminine and neuter; the word "used" includes
the words "designed" or "arranged"; the word "person" includes any
individual, estate, trust, fiduciary, partnership, association, corporation,
or any other organization or entity, including the principal officers
thereof or any person or entity acting directly or indirectly by,
through, or under any of the foregoing; the word "occupied" includes
the words "designed," or "intended to be occupied"; the word "structure"
includes "building"; the word "shall" is always mandatory; the word
"may" is always permissive and the word "will" is always directory;
the words "as amended from time to time" and the like as applied to
any statute, ordinance, code, regulation, plan or map includes replacements,
supplements or restatements thereof; and, reference to a particular
Part, section or subsection which inherently refers to other Parts,
sections or subsections, includes all Parts, sections or subsections
referred to.
B.
The word "Township" means Charlestown Township, Chester
County, Pennsylvania; the term "Board of Supervisors" means the Board
of Supervisors of the Township; and the term "Planning Commission"
means the Planning Commission of the Township.
C.
The terms "such as," "including" and the like are
intended to introduce matters which are illustrative of the meaning
of the sentence, clause or phrase in which such terms appear without
limiting or derogating from the general application of the sentence,
clause or phrase in which such terms appear.
[Ord. 5/3/1982, § 201; as amended by
Ord. 102-2002, 8/5/2002, § 1; by Ord. 111-2003, 11/3/2003, §
1; and by Ord. 159-2010, 10/4/2010, § 1]
For the purposes of this chapter, the following
words, terms and phrases have the meaning indicated herein:
The owner of record of a parcel of land which is contiguous,
at any point, to the parcel to be subdivided and/or developed or which
has frontage on a common road or street (public or private) across
from the parcel to be subdivided and/or developed.
An added roadway lane which permits integration and merging
of slower moving vehicles into lanes of the main vehicular flow.
The point where stormwater can be released to a channel or
other body of water without causing erosion to or sedimentation of
the receiving channel or other body of water. The outlet shall include
structural and vegetative measures to assure nonerosive velocities
or rates of flow.
A way or means of approach to provide physical ingress to
and egress from a parcel, tract or other lot.
A building subordinate to the principal permitted building
on a lot and used for purposes customarily incidental to those of
such principal buildings.
A use conducted on the same lot as a principal permitted
use to which it is related and which is located either within the
same structure(s) or in an accessory building or structure. A use
which is clearly incidental to, and customarily found in connection
with, a particular principal permitted use.
Results contributing to a harmful or degraded condition and/or
producing an unfavorable outcome.
Any person or entity, other than the landowner or developer,
who, acting upon written authority for the landowner or developer,
files subdivision and/or land development plans with the Township
for the purpose of obtaining approval thereof.
The cultivating of the soil, the raising of livestock and
poultry and the harvesting of the products of the soil, including
horticulture and forestry.
A right-of-way providing secondary vehicular access to the
side or rear of two or more lots.
Any change in the exterior or structural portions of a building;
any change to or in a building which would alter its use classification.
Choices between or among two or more plans, layouts, approaches,
solutions and/or outcomes.
A landowner or developer, who has filed an application for
subdivision and/or land development, as hereinafter defined, including
his heirs, successors, assigns and grantees.
A form available from the Township Secretary (included in
the Appendix of this chapter) which is to be used to provide information
to aid in the review of a subdivision and/or land development plan
and for general administrative purposes.
The action taken to complete, sign and file the application
form as therein provided and as provided by this chapter, which shall
also include the filing of the number and types of plans, documents
and other submissions required by this chapter for the review and/or
approval of a preliminary plan and thereafter a final plan, and the
necessary fees in accordance with the prevailing application fees;
an application, whether preliminary or final, required to be filed
and approved prior to the conveyance or other transfer of lots and/or
the commencement of construction and development, including an application
for the approval of a subdivision plat or plan and an application
for the approval of a development plan. No application shall be complete,
considered filed or considered as accepted by the Township until all
of the foregoing requirements have been fulfilled.
A person duly registered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to practice architecture.
Results contributing to an improvement in condition and/or
producing a favorable outcome.
A mound of earth which serves purposes such as: directing
the flow of surface water runoff, preventing soil erosion or supporting
plant materials to aid in screening.
Characteristics of the natural environment manifest in its
flora and fauna. The disposition of these characteristics is typically
expressed in vegetation and/or wildlife units such as: tree, woodland
or forest stands and related understory and ground cover growth; and
aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and/or their habitats.
A developed area bounded by three or more streets.
The area of a lot remaining after the minimum yard and setback requirements of the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] have been met within which a principal permitted building shall be located. Such setback requirements include yard setback and setbacks from flood hazard and flood fringe areas, and such features as area of steep slope and very steep slope, and easements. Where a buildable area is shown on a plan as extending into a Flood Hazard District, a Steep Slope Conservation District or any other area which may involve a conditional use or special exception, those portions of the buildable area extending into any such areas shall be delineated, depicted, and otherwise noted on all plans in an accurate and conspicuous manner to disclose the specific uses which may occur in such areas.
A person, who is not necessarily the owner of the land or
agent of the same, who by contract or other agreement is charged with
the responsibility of construction of buildings or other structures,
or of making any construction improvements on any parcel of land.
Any structure having a roof supported by walls or columns
and intended for the shelter, housing or enclosure of any individual,
animal, process, equipment, goods or materials of any kind or nature.
The relation of the total ground floor area of all buildings
on a lot to the lot area on which they are located.
The line which establishes the minimum depth of front yard
for the particular district as measured from the street line.
A document issued by the Township granting permission for
the construction, repair, alteration of or addition to a structure.
A building in which is conducted the principal permitted
use of the lot on which it is situated.
The diameter of a tree trunk measured at a point 4 1/2 feet
from the ground surface at the center of the base of the tree.
Sanitary sewage facilities which are installed and capped
where existing sanitary sewer facilities are not accessible and available,
but are proposed in the official sewage facilities plan of the Township.
Such facilities shall include sanitary sewers, force mains, pumping
stations, and all other appurtenances necessary to serve the entire
subdivision and/or land development.
Area of a road or other street within which vehicles are
permitted including travel lanes but not including shoulders, curbs,
gutters, sidewalks or drainage swales.
An area which conveys the normal continuous or intermittent
flow of water.
An area which conveys the normal continuous or intermittent
flow of water.
The required length of a line of unobstructed vision from
a point 4 1/2 feet above the center line of a street to the nearest
point at the top of an object four inches high on the same center
line and to another object 4 1/2 feet high on the same center line.
An area of unobstructed vision at street intersections defined
by lines of sight between points at a given distance from the intersection
of street center lines.
The services which provide for various community health,
education, safety, leisure, and like needs and the locations at which
these services are provided. Typical community facilities include:
schools, parks and recreation areas, libraries, hospitals and other
health-care facilities, fire protection, police, ambulance and rescue
service and postal services.
A well or series thereof with facilities serving more than
one lot or one building, which along with its appurtenant facilities
is administered and/or maintained by such organizations as a homeowners
association or other entity having the right or obligation to administer
and/or maintain same.
The Charlestown Township Comprehensive Plan, as adopted in
2001, as may be amended from time to time, including maps, tables
and text which constitute a policy guide for decisions regarding land
use, circulation, community facilities and utilities in the Township.
A use which is not appropriate to a particular zoning district as a whole, but which may be suitable in certain locations within the district only when specific conditions and factors prescribed for such cases within the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] area present. Conditional uses and applications for permits therefore, are allowed or denied by the Board of Supervisors after recommendations are provided by the Planning Commission in conjunction with subdivision and/or land development plans and applications, unless no subdivision and/or land development application is filed as to the tract on which a conditional use is proposed in which case they are allowed or denied by the Board of Supervisors after recommendations are provided by the Planning Commission.
A plan filed as and forming a part of the preliminary plan and the final plan detailing the measures to be taken by the landowner or developer for the purposes of the protection of watercourses, notable trees and other important natural features and the control and other management of surface water runoff, erosion and sedimentation, which includes all information required in the Stormwater Management Ordinance [Chapter 23] and any other Township ordinances, codes, regulations, plans and maps, as amended from time to time.
Any disturbance of the land or the erection of structures
thereon, including the cutting of trees or clearing of brush, provided,
however, that staking or the clearing for survey lines, or performing
engineering or other scientific tests to obtain data shall not be
deemed as construction.
A visually impenetrable screen created through the effective
use of plan materials, fencing, walls and/or earthen berms.
An invisible line on the surface of the earth along which
all points are at the same elevation above sea level. Such lines are
represented on maps relative to data furnished by such agencies as
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or other organizations duly certified
to produce such information.
Areas including: flood hazard and high groundwater areas;
wetlands and hydric soils; one-hundred-foot wetland buffers; one-hundred-foot
stream valley buffers; prime agricultural soils; prime agricultural
land; steep and very steep slopes; prime woodlands; visually sensitive
areas and historic and cultural sites and structures.
A street having vehicular access to and from another street
at one end and terminating in a vehicular turn around at the other
end.
A representation of man's influence on land and/or water
through the use, organization, adornment and maintenance of property
and structures.
A structure designed to convey water under a street or pedestrian
walk.
A stone or concrete boundary marking the edge of the cartway
or paved area.
A portion of land or other area from which earth has been
removed or will be removed by excavation; or, the depth below the
original ground surface or excavated surface.
The data on which a complete application for subdivision
and/or land development, as herein defined, has been submitted to
the Township Secretary and accepted by the Township.
A reference point from which elevations are measured. The
standard datum is sea level as established by the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS).
An added roadway lane that permits vehicles to slow down
and leave the main vehicular flow.
A gift or other donation of property by the owner thereof
to the Township or other entity.
A legal document conveying an estate or other right, title
or interest in property.
Standards adopted pursuant to this chapter.
A structure designed, built and used for the temporary storage
of stormwater runoff.
Any landowner, equitable owner, or authorized agent of such
landowner who makes or causes to be made a subdivision of land or
a land development.
A small drainage channel.
A channel constructed on, across, or at the bottom of a slope.
A system for conveying surface water or groundwater from
the land by facilities or structures which serve to control or otherwise
manage runoff and minimize sedimentation and soil erosion during an
after construction or development.
Any trench, ditch, swale, gutter, pipe, culvert, storm sewer
or other similar depression or structure designed, intended or constructed
for the purpose of diverting surface water or conveying surface water
or groundwater from a subdivision, land development area or contiguous
areas.
A plan which depicts existing and proposed drainage as required
by this chapter.
Any watercourse or trench, ditch, swale, gutter, pipe, culvert,
storm sewer or other similar depression or structure in which water
flows in a definite direction either continuously or intermittently
and has a definite channel, bed and banks, and includes any area adjacent
thereto subject to inundation by reason of overflow.
An individual or shared portion of a lot which provides access
for vehicles to a parking space, garage, dwelling or other structure
from a street.
A covered pit with open jointed lining through which water
from roofs, basement floors or areaways may seep or leech into the
surrounding soil.
A building designed for and occupied exclusively for residential
purposes, including a mobile home.
A building, or portion thereof, providing complete housekeeping
facilities for one family.
A right, privilege or other interest granted or reserved
for the use of land for a particular purpose.
Characteristics related to the expenditures and revenues
in conjunction with the management of income of a household, private
business, community, association and/or government.
An exit.
The line which represents the termination area of a shared
driveway.
A person duly registered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to practice professional engineering.
A vertical distance above or below a fixed reference level;
a scale drawing of the front, rear or side of a building.
An addition to the floor area of an existing building, an
increase in size of another structure or an increase in that portion
of a tract of land occupied by an existing use.
The conditions, resources and/or characteristics which exist
within and surround the area to be affected by a proposed subdivision
and/or land development including: natural elements such as land,
water, air, minerals, natural flora and natural fauna; and man-made
components such as objects of historic or aesthetic significance,
infrastructure, and man-related attributes of a social and economic
nature.
An assessment which objectively describes, analyzes and documents both the beneficial and adverse environmental effects of a proposed subdivision and/or land development and the measures to be undertaken to mitigate adverse effects in accordance with the provisions set forth in this chapter and the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27].
Removal or recovery by any means whatsoever of soil, rock,
minerals, mineral substances or organic substances other than vegetation
from water or land or beneath the surface thereof, whether exposed
or submerged.
Material such as sand, gravel, earth and other suitable and
approved composition; or, any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock
or any other material is placed, pushed, dumped, pulled, transported,
or moved to a new location above the natural surface of the ground
or on top of a stripped or otherwise cut surface.
A general or temporary condition of partial or complete inundation
or areas from the overflow of inland waters and/or the unusual and
rapid accumulation of water on or under the ground.
An area which contains soils with high water table or seasonal
high water table characteristics. Such areas are located primarily
adjacent to a flood hazard area. Soils in the flood fringe area include:
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Croton silt loam
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Glenville silt loam
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Guthrie silt loam
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Lawrence silt loam
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Readington silt loam
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Any land area susceptible to flooding from any source.
Those areas of extensive vegetation in which the dominant
plans are trees that are indigenous to the area.
The categorization of streets, roads and highways according
to a hierarchy of service characteristics for which various design
standards have been established.
An accessory building or part of a principal permitted building
used for the storage of motor vehicles owned and used by the owner
or tenant of such principal permitted building.
The slope of a street, road or other installation expressed
as a percent; or, the elevation of existing, finished or proposed
conditions as hereinafter defined.
The elevation, relative to a given datum, of the ground surface
prior to any excavation, cut or fill.
The elevation, relative to a given datum, of the ground surface
after completion of any excavation, cut or fill.
The elevation, relative to a given datum, of the ground surface
proposed to be achieved by excavation, cut or fill.
The changing of the surface of the ground by cutting, filling
or excavation, including land in its cut or filled condition.
The financial security that may be accepted by the Township
as a guarantee that improvements required as part of an application
for subdivision and/or land development are completed to the satisfaction
of the Township. Such financial security shall include, but is not
limited to, performance bonds, federal or commonwealth chartered lending
institution irrevocable letters of credit, and restrictive or escrow
accounts in such lending institutions.
The financial security that may be accepted by the Township
as a guarantee that improvements required as part of an application
for subdivision and/or land development will be in first class condition,
state of repair and working order for a specific period of time. Such
financial security shall be similar to that accepted for a completion
guarantee.
Portion within a street right-of-way, outside the cartway,
designed for surface drainage, whether paved or otherwise.
An area that contains soils with seasonally high water table
characteristics.
Sites, areas, structures, trails and/or routes which are
valued due to their significance as example and/or locations of events,
customs, skills and/or arts of the past, including those having a
present significance.
The power of an event to produce changes in a condition.
In the context of impact exerted on the environment, changes which
affect the existing conditions and/or quality are of greatest concern.
A surface which has materials that do not normally absorb
rainfall or surface water such as buildings, paved parking areas,
paved walks and similar surfaces.
A body of water, such as a pond, detention or retention basin,
confined by a headwall, dike, floodgate or other barrier, in the nature
of a dam.
Physical additions and changes to land such as grading, paving,
curbing, fire hydrants, water mains, sanitary sewers, capped sewers,
storm sewers, storm drains, catch basins, culverts, sidewalks, monuments,
crosswalks, bridges, earthworks, street lights, wells, on-site sewage
disposal systems, street trees and other plantings, and other structures
that may be necessary to produce usable and desirable land development.
A list of improvements approved by the Township which the
landowner or developer agrees to install as a prerequisite to final
plan approval.
Minimum standards for the construction and other installation
of improvements.
The basic installations and facilities on which the continuance
and growth of a community depend such as roads, schools, electrical
transmission facilities, transportation and communication systems.
An entrance.
Any lot which only has access to a street by an easement
or right-of-way such as a shared driveway and may be characterized
as "landlocked" in that said lot does not front on a dedicated street;
any lot which has limited frontage to a dedicated street by virtue
of being a flag-shaped lot.
The lowest visible surface of a drainage conduit or channel.
The improvement of one or more lots, tracts or parcels of land for any purpose involving a group of two or more principal permitted buildings, or the division or allocation of land between or among two or more existing or prospective occupants by means of, or for the purpose of, streets, common areas, leaseholds, building groups or other features; a subdivision of land. For purposes of the Stormwater Management Ordinance [Chapter 23], the term "land development" shall also include any attention to land, not used for agricultural purposes, which includes earth moving, filling or cutting on a tract of one or more acres, including but not limited to road construction, utility installation, public, commercial or industrial facility construction, and mining and quarrying.
The record holder of legal title to land; the rightful holder
of an option or contract to purchase (whether or not such option or
contract is subject to any condition); a lessee if he is authorized
expressly under the lease to exercise the rights of the owner, of
the land which is the subject of an application for subdivision and/or
land development.
A person who is recognized as a certified planner by the
American Institute of Certified Planners, an Institute of the American
Planning Association.
A person duly registered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to practice landscape architecture.
The use to which land is used, arranged and the like typically
expressed in terms of the type of activity or development which exists
such as: agricultural, residential, business, office, commercial,
industrial, institutional, recreational, municipal and the like whether
such use is principal or accessory.
Any facility, earthwork or fill placed in a controlled manner
and compacted to support structural foundations and the buildings
and other structures thereon, vehicular traffic or improvements in
accordance with the highest standards of professional engineering.
Results which are manifest for, or extending over, a long
period of time.
A parcel of land which is intended for transfer of ownership, improvement or development, and which conforms to the provisions of this chapter, the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] and all other Township ordinances, codes, regulations, plans and maps; a parcel or tract of land.
The total area within the lot lines of a lot, excluding any
street rights-of-way.
A lot or parcel of land abutting upon two or more streets
including shared driveways at their intersection, or upon two parts
of the same street including shared driveways forming an interior
angle of less than 135°.
A property boundary line of any lot held in single and separate
ownership. In the case of any lot abutting a street including shared
driveways, the lot line for such portion of the lot as abuts such
street including shared driveways shall be deemed to be the same as
the street line, and shall not be the center line of the street, or
any other line within the street line.
The lot line abutting a street including shared driveways
and coinciding with the street line. In the case of a corner lot,
whichever street abutting lot line is elected by the landowner or
developer when filing any application for subdivision and/or land
development, subject to the approval of the Township Engineer and
the Planning Commission, may be deemed the front lot line. In the
case of an interior lot, the landowner or developer when filing any
application for subdivision and/or land development may select the
front lot line, subject to the approval of the Township Engineer and
the Planning Commission. The foregoing election does not apply in
the case of a street which is a shared driveway.
A lot line opposite and most distant from the front lot line.
If the rear lot line is less than 10 feet in length within the lot,
between the side lots lines, parallel to and at the maximum distance
from the front lot line, and such line shall be coextensively shown
on any plans.
Any lot line other than a front or rear lot line.
An iron pipe or steel bar 3/4 of an inch in diameter, and
30 inches in length.
A method of describing the boundaries of land by directions
or bearings and distances from a known point of reference, including
the content of the land and each lot in square feet and acres and
fractions thereof.
The act of precluding a potentially adverse effect and/or
making a potentially adverse effect less severe through measures which
will improve a condition and/or lessen the impact.
A permanent marker of stone or concrete, set to mark a boundary
or a control point in a survey which shall be six inches square by
30 inches in length, on top of which is permanently inscribed a center
mark.
A composition of land, water and/or air represented by its
inherent physical and biological resources.
Trees of twelve-inch caliper or greater which are indigenous
to the Township.
A document issued by the Township Zoning Officer allowing
the occupancy or other use of a permitted building or other structure
and certifying that the building or other structure and the use thereof
has been constructed and will be used in compliance with all applicable
Township ordinances, codes, regulations, plans and maps, as amended
from time to time.
A legally adopted map that conclusively shows the location
of existing and proposed public streets, watercourses and public grounds.
The plan adopted by the Township and approved by the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection which sets forth recommendations
for the provision of adequate sewage systems in the Township in accordance
with the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, 35 P.S. § 750.1
et seq.
A single system of piping, a septic tank or other approved
facility serving a single lot and collecting and disposing of sewage
in whole or in part into the soil through a septic tank filter field.
An individual well serving one lot and/or a water supply
on a lot occupied or to be occupied and serving permitted buildings.
A reasonably level space, available for the parking of one
motor vehicle, not less than 10 feet wide having an area of not less
than 200 square feet exclusive of passageways, driveways or other
means of circulation or access. A parking space shall include either
covered garage space or uncovered parking lot space located off the
street right-of-way.
Porous to water or to other liquids.
Characteristics of the natural environment manifest in its:
landforms, soils, geological structure of surface and/or subsurface
rock, minerals, natural bodies of water and/or man-made impoundments,
watercourses, groundwater and the like. The disposition of these characteristics
is typically expressed in physiographic, topographic and/or hydrologic
units such as: rock formations, slopes, elevations, soil types, watersheds,
surface water types, wetlands, floodplains, aquifers or aquifer recharge
areas and the like.
A draft, diagram or drawing or set thereof showing the present and proposed physical features of and improvements to land and the proposed development thereto; see also Part 4 for classification and requirements of plans. The term "plan" includes profiles, cross-sections and the like.
A plan prepared by a surveyor or engineer showing dimensions
and locations of all improvements as actually constructed.
A plan prepared by an engineer, architect or landscape architect
showing the construction details of streets, drains, sewers, bridges,
culverts and other improvements as required by this chapter, and shall
include horizontal plans, profiles and cross-sections.
A sketch, preliminary or final plan including written and
graphic documentation showing the provision for development of a subject
tract when plans of subdivision would not be applicable.
A subdivision and/or land development plan filed as a basis for consideration and approval prior to preparation of a final plan depicting all features required in § 22-403 herein, including an improvements construction plan, conservation plan and all other plans, documents and submissions required therein.
A plan prepared by an engineer, architect or landscape architect,
showing the vertical section of the existing grade and proposed grade
along the center line of any proposed street and any street appurtenances
to be constructed or installed, which must include cross-sections
of the street and other improvements construction.
A final plan prepared for recording by an engineer, architect,
landscape architect or surveyor, showing the ultimate width of streets,
the lot lines, easements and any other relevant information pertaining
to a subdivision and/or land development as required by this chapter.
A schematic plan, not necessarily to exact scale, indicating
topographic, vegetative and other salient existing features of a tract
and its surroundings and the general layout of the proposed subdivision
and/or land development in sufficient detail to allow for disclosure
of all significant review matters prior to the filing of a preliminary
plan for a proposed subdivision and/or land development.
An area of land, controlled by a landowner, to be developed as a single entity for a number of swellings and a minimum percentage of open space in accordance with the requirements for planned residential development of the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27].
An individual duly appointed by the Board of Supervisors
who serves as the Secretary for the Township Planning Commission.
A certified planner, recognized as such by the American Institute
of Certified Planners, an Institute of the American Planning Association,
who provides technical assistance to the Township in matters such
as subdivision and/or land development.
A planting strip five feet in width having an initial height
of not less than four feet which shall provide a continuous visual
buffer.
A strip of land lying between the curb line, or edge of the cartway, and the sidewalk or walkway and any area requiring a planting screen as specified in this chapter, the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] or any other Township ordinances, codes, regulations, plans and maps.
A map representing a tract of land, showing the boundaries
and location of individual properties and streets. A map or plan of
a subdivision or land development, whether preliminary or final.
A natural or artificial body of water which retains water
on a year round basis and is less than two acres in size. (The shoreline
of a pond shall be measured from the spillway crest elevation rather
than the permanent pool elevation should there be a difference in
the two elevations.)
Results of a direct nature which have a principal influence
on a particular condition or state.
Land used for agricultural purposes that contains soils of
the first, second or third class as defined by the United States Department
of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, County Soil
Survey.
Those soils possessing the greatest production capability
for crops, Class I, II, and III, as defined by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Notice published once a week for two successive weeks in
a newspaper of general circulation in the Township, which states the
time and place of the hearing and the particular nature of the matter
to be considered at the hearing. The first publication shall be not
more than 30 days nor less than seven days from the date of the hearing.
Any system, other than an on-site sewage disposal system,
which is administered and operated by the Valley Forge Sewer Authority
or other governmental agency, authority, or commission for the collection,
conveyance, treatment and disposal of wastes.
Any system for water distribution and water supply, other
than an on-site water supply system, which is owned, administered
and operated by an organization which is regulated by a governmental
agency, authority of commission.
A limitation on property which may be created in a deed,
lease, mortgage, through certain zoning, subdivision or other Township
codes, ordinances, regulations, plans or maps of conditions of approval
of an application for subdivision and/or land development.
A restriction on the use and enjoyment of land usually set
forth in the deed.
The further division of lots or the relocation of lot lines
of any lot or lots within a subdivision previously made and approved
or recorded; or, the alteration of any streets or the establishment
of any new streets within any such subdivision. Resubdivision does
not include conveyances made so as to combine entire existing lots
by deed or other instrument.
A pond, pool, or other reservoir of water designed, built
and used to permanently retain stormwater and surface water runoff.
A use for an existing building or parcel or lot of land other
than the use for which it was originally intended or made.
An examination of the sketch, preliminary and/or final plan
by the Township Planning Commission, Township Engineer, planning consultant,
other Township officials, representatives and bodies and the Board
of Supervisors to determine compliance with this chapter and its regulations,
design standards and all other Township ordinances, codes, regulations,
plans or maps.
A strip of land granted or reserved for public or private
use.
A type of street.
Any liquid waste containing animal or vegetable matter in
suspension or solution, or the water-carried waste resulting from
the discharge of water closets, laundry tubs, washing machines, sinks,
dishwashers, or any other source of water-carried waste of human origin.
A pipe that conveys sanitary sewage.
The relationship between distances on a map and the actual
ground distances.
The use of plant materials, fencing, walls and/or earthen
berms, or combinations thereof, to aid in the concealment of such
features as parking areas and vehicles within them, and to provide
privacy between two or more different land uses or activities; a visual
and/or sound buffer or other barrier.
Soils in which the groundwater surface is 18 inches or less
from the ground surface at certain times of the year, as specified
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation
Service, or as determined by field investigation.
Results of an indirect nature which have an influence on
a particular condition or state derived from a primary effect.
Deposited silt or other matter that is being or has been
moved from its site of origin by water or other means of erosion.
A structure designed and built to retain sediment.
An underground system with a septic tank and filter field
used for the decomposition of domestic wastes and its safe disposal.
A water-tight receptacle that receives the discharge of sewage
from a building, sewer or part thereof, and is designed and constructed
so as to permit settling of solids from this liquid, digestion of
the organic matter, and discharge of the liquid portion into a disposal
area.
A system of open jointed popes intended to distribute septic
tank effluent into the ground for absorption and evaporation.
A separate and subordinate cartway abutting or within the
right-of-way of a street which is parallel to and connected at controlled
intervals with the principal cartway, and which serves as the means
of access to abutting lots.
The area to be designated, delineated, depicted and otherwise
noted on any plan as separating buildings or groups of buildings,
or the area separating parking areas from loading zones from buildings
and groups of buildings or the lines of the buildable areas and the
lot lines. Setback areas also include the area separating a building
or a group of buildings or their parking areas from the street line
and other lines.
The total of organic waste and waste water generated by residential,
industrial, commercial, institutional or other establishments.
Any pipe or conduit used to collect and carry away sewage
or stormwater runoff from the generating source of origin to treatment
plans and to a receiving stream or other drainageway.
All effluent carried by sewers whether it is sanitary sewage,
residential, commercial or industrial wastes or stormwater runoff;
or, the entire system of sewage collection, conveyance, treatment
and disposal.
The portion of the Township designated in the official sewage
facilities plan in which there is, or may be, constructed a public
sewer system.
A woody plant, usually deciduous, which normally grows with
one main trunk to a height in excess of 40 feet and has a canopy which
screens and filters, the sun in the summer, and winter, respectively.
Results which are manifest for, or extending over, a short
period of time.
A paved, surfaced or leveled area, paralleling and separated
from the cartway of the street, used as a pedestrian walkway.
A structure, building, wall or other outdoor surface, or
any device used for visual communication which is used for the purpose
of bringing the subject thereof to the attention of the public or
to display, identify or publicize the name or product or service of
any person.
Finely divided particles of soil or rock, often carried in
cloudy suspension in water and eventually deposited as sediment.
A tract or parcel of land or combination of contiguous lots
or parcels of land.
Characteristics related to the distribution, density and
vital statistics of populations.
The detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments, or
the wearing away of the land surface by water, wind, and ice.
A plan and related narrative report required under the Stormwater Management Ordinance [Chapter 23].
A field test in accordance with criteria of the Chester County
Health Department conducted to determine the suitability of the soil
for on-site sewage disposal facilities by measuring the absorptive
capacity of the soil at a given location and depth.
A report entitled, "Soil Survey-Chester and Delaware Counties,
Pennsylvania," published May 1963 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Soil Conservation Service.
Garbage, refuse or other discarded materials including, but
not limited to, non-liquid waste materials resulting from industrial,
commercial, institutional, agricultural and residential activities.
Those areas of land which are characterized by a change in
elevation of 15% or more but not exceeding 25% over a specified distance
or contour.
A sewer that carries storm, surface and groundwater drainage
but excludes sewage and residential, commercial and industrial wastes.
Water which accumulates from precipitation and is manifest
in surface runoff.
Any storm drainage technique that retards or detains runoff,
in rate, volume, or otherwise, such as a detention or retention basin,
parking lot storage, rooftop storage, porous pavement, dry wells or
any combination thereof.
A plan for controlling surface water runoff so that it will
preclude erosion or flooding and/or the adverse effects of impervious
areas on surface water runoff as required by the Township ordinances,
codes, regulations, plans and maps.
A type of watercourse.
A public or privately owned right-of-way, serving as a means
of vehicular and pedestrian travel, furnishing access to abutting
lots and used to provide space for installation improvements such
as sewers, other utilities, street trees, sidewalks.
The dividing line between a lot and the outside boundary
or right-of-way line of a public street, road, or highway legally
open or officially platted or between a lot and a privately owned
street (such as a shared driveway) or road over which the owners or
tenants of two or more lots, each held in single and separate ownership,
have the right of access.
See "cul-de-sac."
A street intended to serve a principal role in providing
access to lots abutting thereon, and as a means of collecting traffic
from local secondary streets and gaining access to collector streets.
A street intended to serve a principal role in providing
access to lots abutting thereon, and to loop and cul-de-sac streets
and as the means for gaining access to local primary streets.
A local street which has its only ingress and egress at two
points of the same connecting street, or, at one point with the connecting
street, as would be the case if the loop street were in the form of
a circle.
A street intended to serve a principal role in accommodating
traffic from collector streets and in carrying relatively large volumes
of long distance traffic between principal arterials and other minor
arterials.
A street intended to serve a principal role as a limited
access highway with no grade crossings.
A street not offered or required to be offered for dedication
or duly accepted by the Board of Supervisors as a public street.
A street intended to serve a principal role in collecting
traffic from minor collectors and local streets, and used primarily
as the means of access for through traffic within the Township and
to areas adjacent thereto, and from minor arterial or principal arterial
streets.
A street intended to serve a principal role in collecting
traffic from local streets, and used primarily as the means of access
for through traffic between residential neighborhoods and other areas
within the Township and to areas adjacent thereto, and from major
collectors and arterials.
A shade tree within a street right-of-way not less than four
inches in caliper. Street trees recommended for use in the Township
are listed in the Appendix of this chapter.
Cutting or any other activity which removes the vegetative
surface cover such as tree removal, clearing, grubbing and removal
of top soil.
Any change in or addition to the supporting or structural
members of a building or other structure, such as the bearing walls,
partitions, columns, beams or girders, or any change which could convert
an existing building or other structure into a different structure,
or adapt it to a different use.
Any man-made object or improvement having an ascertainable
stationary location on land or in the water, whether or not affixed
to the land.
The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land
by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions
of land including changes in the existing lot lines for the purpose,
whether immediate or future, of lease, conveyance or other transfer
of ownership or building or lot development, provided, however, that
the division of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of more
than 10 acres not involving any new street or easement of access may
be exempted.
Any subdivision that is not a minor subdivision, and any
subdivision that may involve any portion of a minor subdivision combined
with a major subdivision.
The following qualify as a minor subdivision:
Two lots of the minimum lot area required in
the applicable District, proposed for single-family detached dwelling
units, provided the parent tract has not been subdivided in the previous
four years.
A residential lot subdivision for single-family
detached dwelling units, where the proposed lot sizes average 10 acres
each, and the lots are deed restricted in perpetuity against further
subdivision. Such lots are intended to conserve the natural, scenic,
and historic values of the environment.
A person duly registered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to practice surveying.
An elongated depression in the ground which channels surface
water runoff.
A professional engineer (P.E.) licensed as such in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, duly appointed as the engineer for the Township;
or, a firm of such engineers employed by the Township or retained
as a consultant thereto.
An individual duly appointed by the Board of Supervisors
who serves as Secretary to the Township.
An area, lot, parcel, site, or property which is the subject
of a subdivision and/or land development application.
A system for the movement of people or goods including conveyors
such as streets and highways, accessory facilities such as parking
facilities and driveways, attributes of conveyance such as traffic
volumes, trip generation and traffic controls.
The specific purpose for which land or a building is proposed
to be subdivided and/or developed or is otherwise designed, arranged,
intended or for which it is proposed or may be occupied or maintained.
Facilities such as sewers, water mains, fire hydrants, street
lights and other facilities of the same general character; installations
of a community which pertain to their consumption and emission characteristics,
including facilities such as those used for water supply, sewage disposal,
refuse disposal, storm drainage, communications and electrical transmission.
Those areas of land which are characterized by a change in
elevation of 25% or more over a specified distance or contour.
Characteristics of the natural and/or cultural environment
which are visible. The visual resources of a particular area are typically
expressed in terms of their visibility, character and/or attractiveness
relative to their amenity value and/or quality, or lack of it.
A thoroughfare for pedestrian travel.
A stream with year-round or substantially year-round flow
such as a stream, creek or run.
A yard extending the full width of the lot along the front
lot line and extending in depth from the front lot line to the nearest
point of the permitted principal accessory building or buildings on
the lot.
A line drawn parallel to a lot line at a distance therefrom
equal to the depth of the required yard.
A yard extending the full width of the lot along the rear
lot line and extending in depth from the rear lot line to the nearest
point of the permitted principal or accessory building or buildings
on the lot.
A yard extending the full depth of the lot along the side
lot line and extending in width from such side lot to the nearest
point of the permitted principal or accessory building or buildings
on the lot.
The Charlestown Township Zoning Ordinance of 1979 [Chapter 27], as amended from time to time.
