Definitions. For the purpose of this §
27-1301, the following definitions shall be added:
BASEMENT
Deemed to include only those areas of a building having its
floor below ground level on all sides.
COMPLETELY DRY SPACE
A space which will remain totally dry during flooding; the
structure is designed and constructed to prevent the passage of water
and water vapor.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, extension,
expansion, alteration, or relocation of a building or structure, including
the placement of manufactured homes.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate
including, but not limited to, construction, reconstruction, renovation,
repair, expansion, or alteration of buildings or other structures,
the placement of manufactured homes, streets, and other paving, utilities,
filling, grading, excavation, mining, dredging, or drilling operations
and the subdivision of land, or the storage of materials or equipment.
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.
FLOOD
A temporary inundation of normally dry land areas.
FLOOD FRINGE
That portion of the floodplain outside the floodway.
FLOODPLAIN
(1) A relatively flat or low land area adjoining a river,
stream, or watercourse which is subject to partial or complete inundation;
(2) an area subject to the unusual and rapid accumulation of runoff
of surface waters from any source.
FLOODPROOFING
Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions,
changes, or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood
damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary
facilities, structures and their contents.
FLOODWAY
The designated area of a floodplain required to carry and discharge flood waters of a given magnitude. For the purposes of this Chapter
27 the floodway shall be capable of accommodating a flood of the one-hundred-year magnitude.
HISTORIC STRUCTURE
Any structure that is:
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(i)
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Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places
as maintained by the U.S. Department of Interior or preliminarily
determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements
for such listing; or,
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(ii)
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Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the
Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered
historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary
to qualify as such; or,
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(iii)
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Individually listed on the commonwealth's inventory of
historic places maintained by the Historic and Museum Commission;
or,
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(iv)
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Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places
if any such list is established by the Township and certified by the
United States Government or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as such.
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LOWEST FLOOR
The lower floor of the lowest fully enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished, flood resistant partially enclosed area, used solely for parking of vehicles, building access, and incidental storage, in an area other than a basement area is not considered the lowest floor of a building, provided that such space is not designed and built so that the structure is in violation of the applicable nonelevation design requirements of this Chapter
27.
MANUFACTURED HOME
A transportable, single-family dwelling intended for permanent
occupancy, office, or place of assembly, contained in one or more
sections, built on a permanent chassis, 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 includes park trailers,
travel trailers, recreational and other similar vehicles which are
placed on a site for more than 180 consecutive days.
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK
A parcel of land under single ownership which has been planned
and improved for the placement of two or more manufactured homes for
nontransient use.
MINOR REPAIR
The replacement of existing work with equivalent materials
for the purpose of its routine maintenance and upkeep, but not including
the cutting away of any wall, partition or portion thereof, the removal
or cutting of any structural beam or bearing support, or the removal
or change of any required means of egress, or rearrangement of parts
of a structure affecting the exitway requirements; nor shall minor
repairs include addition to, alteration of, replacement or relocation
of any standpipe, water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas,
oil, waste, vent, or similar piping, electric wiring or mechanical
or other work affecting public health or general safety.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Structures for which the start of construction commenced
on or after September 5, 1978, and includes any subsequent improvements
thereto.
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).
PERSON
An individual, partnership, public or private association
or corporation, firm trust, estate, municipality, governmental unit,
public utility or any other legal entity whatsoever, which is recognized
by law as the subject of rights and duties.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
A vehicle which is (i) built on a single chassis; (ii) not
more than 400 square feet, measured at the largest horizontal projections;
(iii) designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light-duty
truck; (iv) not designed for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary
living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonable use.
REPETITIVE LOSS
Flood related damages sustained by a structure on two separate
occasions during a ten-year period for which the cost of repairs at
the time of each such flood event, on average, equals or exceeds 25%
of the market.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected on the ground or attached
to the ground including, but not limited to buildings, sheds, manufactured
homes, and other similar items. This term includes any man-made object
having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water
whether or not affixed to land.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE
Damage from any cause sustained by a structure whereby the
cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would
equal or exceed 50% or more of the replacement cost of the structure
before the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
Any repair, reconstruction or improvement of a structure,
the cost of which equals or exceeds 30% of the market value of the
structure either before the improvement or repair is started, or,
if the structure has been damaged and is being restored, before the
damage occurred. For the purpose of this definition, "substantial
improvement" is considered to occur when the first alteration of any
wall, ceiling, floor or other structural part of the building commences,
whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of
the structure. The term does not, however, include either:
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(i)
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Any project for improvement of a structure to comply with existing
state or local health, sanitary or safety code specifications which
are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions; or,
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(ii)
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Any alteration of a structure listed on the National Register
of Historic Places or a State Inventory of Historic Places.
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UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE (UCC)
The statewide building code adopted by the Pennsylvania General
Assembly in 1999 applicable to new construction in all municipalities
whether administered by the municipality, a third party or the Department
of Labor and Industry. Applicable to residential and commercial buildings,
the Code adopted the International Residential Code (IRC) and the
International Building Code (IBC), by reference, as the construction
standard applicable with the commonwealth floodplain construction.
For coordination purposes, references to the above are made specifically
to various sections of the IRC and the IBC.