Words used in the present tense include the future tense, particular controls the general, the singular includes the plural and the plural the singular, the words "person" or "developer" include a firm, association, partnership, trust, company or corporation as well as an individual, the masculine includes the feminine, the word "shall" is mandatory and the word "may" is permissive, the words "used" or "occupied" include the words "intended, arranged, maintained or designed to be used or occupied and words used in this chapter and not otherwise defined in this article shall have the same meaning as in a standard dictionary.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
The vehicular passage between a street and parking spaces, lined on one or both sides by parking spaces for all or a part of the lane's length.
An activity that is incidental to the principal use of a lot and not permitted unless developed at the same time as, or later than, the principal use. An accessory structure contains an accessory use but no dwelling units.
Any addition, deletion or revision of the ordinance text or the Zoning Map officially adopted by the Board of Commissioners after public hearing.
A suite of rooms in a building containing at least one other dwelling unit, each unit with its own cooking, food storage, bathing and toilet facilities and with access directly or by a common hallway to the outside.
A building containing more than two apartments with access from apartments via stairways and common halls to the outside at grade level.
The duly elected governing body of Vanport Township.
A room within a dwelling available to an individual on a rental basis but not necessarily including a private bathroom or meals which if provided constitute a boarding arrangement.
Any structure having a permanent roof and covering an area on the ground.
The percentage of the area of a lot covered by buildings on the lot.
A building with a permanent roof and solid walls extending from the roof to the ground, the walls pierced by doors and/or windows.
A building supported upon foundations extending into the ground and constructed thereon.
A line running parallel to the curbs or edges of a street and equidistant from the curbs or edges on each side.
A plan designed to utilize a flood-prone, heavily wooded or steep property for residential use in an economical way but with respect for the configuration of the site and environmental factors by allowing concessions in density and housing type in exchange for preservation of unbuildable areas.
Indoor leisure activity, including but not limited to bowling, pool halls, dance halls, movie or live entertainment theaters, but not including activities that apply principally to the prurient interest.
Land areas within a plan intended for and the responsibility of the residents of the plan for their common use or protection, such land recorded as separate land parcels and deeded to an organization of all property owners in the plan.
A statement required by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code[1] to appear in a zoning ordinance, demonstrating that the ordinance is based upon a municipal master plan, relative to land use, population density and location of streets and utilities.
The use of a property that may be permitted by the Board of Commissioners after study of the use and the property proposed to receive it indicates that such use will not downgrade the neighborhood where it is proposed or be hazardous to the public. Such uses are specified for each zoning district by this chapter. The Board may attach conditions to approval of a conditional use.
A dwelling unit established from a portion of an already existing single-family dwelling, when each dwelling after conversion is provided with all the facilities normally found in a dwelling unit including adequate heat, light, ventilation, sanitary and washing facilities cooking and food storage and separate means of egress.
An amendment of this chapter requested by a property owner requiring the Board of Commissioners to schedule a public hearing within 60 days, followed by formal action thereon or an amendment by the Board after declaring a part of this chapter defective, placing a moratorium on property owner curative amendments and requiring the Board's action to reaffirm or amend this chapter or part thereof after hearing within 180 days.
Earth material excavated from the land surface during the process of grading for land development.
A facility designed to accommodate preschool age or elderly dependent persons while parents or guardians are at work but not including overnight accommodations.
Any party who subdivides land, erects, expands or alters a building or structure, changes the surface of the land or any or all of these.
The erection, expansion or alteration of a building or structure, the changing of the land surface in anticipation of its receiving a building or structure or the offering of land for such purpose.
A group of connected rooms in a building for the exclusive use of one family, containing its own private bathing, toilet, cooking and food storage facilities.
A dwelling unit attached along a common party wall or party walls to one or more similar dwellings, each with its own at-grade access to the outside and each with at least one room, not a corridor or stair hall, on the first floor level; also a townhouse.
A dwelling unit designed and intended to be occupied by one family only and surrounded by open space on the same lot.
The rearrangement of the earth surface by excavation and filling to accommodate development; also known as "grading."
A right-of-way across private property granted by the owner for the passage of public utilities or the disposal of stormwater.
Construction that increases the area or volume of a building or increases the area of paved surfaces on a lot.
One or more persons living together as a single housekeeping unit.
[Amended 12-12-1997 by Ord. No. 281]
Material excavated from another location either on or off the same property and deposited upon the earth surface in the process of grading for land development.
An accessory building on a residential lot attached to or detached from the dwelling or a room within the dwelling, intended for the storage of vehicles operated by the residents of the dwelling and not intended to house an automobile repair business.
A dwelling unit in a building containing at least three such units, each with access to a common hallway leading to the outside and none higher than the third floor of the building.
The reconstruction of the surface of a property to accommodate development.
A business carried on entirely within a single-family dwelling by the residents thereof, involving no exterior changes to the appearance of the dwelling and not creating nuisance or congestion conditions in the neighborhood where it is located.
Dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and caged birds only.
The activity or activities for which a lot or property and the structures (if any) on it are devoted.
An area of land surface abutting a street, such area recorded as to ownership and legal description with the County Recorder of Deeds; also a property.
The area of a lot but not including any portions of a street right-of-way encroaching on or crossing the lot.
The length of the edge of a lot that abuts the street to which the principal structure on the lot is or will be oriented.
A lot duly recorded in the office of the Beaver County Recorder of Deeds.
The distance across a lot measured along the front setback line.
A transportable, single-family dwelling intended for permanent occupancy, contained in one unit or in two or more units designed to be joined into one integral unit capable of again being separated for repeated towing, which arrives at a site complete and ready for occupancy except for minor and incidental assembly and unpacking operations and constructed so that it may be used without a permanent foundation.
[Amended 12-12-1997 by Ord. No. 281]
Authorization issued by the Zoning Officer attesting that the proposed use or reuse of premises is in accordance with this chapter or with a previously issued zoning permit and may legally be occupied.
Area set aside on a lot for parking of cars entirely outside a public street.
An area in a lot designed to store one vehicle.
A paved outdoor area level with surrounding land surfaces or no more than two feet above or below the surface at any point and without a permanent roof.
The enabling legislation of the commonwealth, originally adopted in 1968, regulating the right of municipalities to adopt zoning ordinances and specifying generally the regulations and limitations thereof.[2]
A dwelling converted or constructed for the long-term care of elderly or disabled persons and operated under regulations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The body duly appointed by the Board of Commissioners from residents of Vanport Township with specific duties related to this chapter.
The placement of a notice upon a signboard on a property calling public attention to proposed changes in the zoning status of the property or to a request for a variance and indicating the date, time and place of the hearing at which such matter will be heard.
A use that is expressly allowed by this chapter to occur on a lot because of the lot's location in a certain zoning district and to which all other activity on the lot is subordinate.
The main building on a lot housing the principal use of the lot.
A facility or service operated by an organization for the benefit of its members and/or for the community at large, but not as a profit-making venture.
An individual duly registered to practice civil engineering in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The perimeter of a lot or property described by bearings and distances and noted on the property deed.
A meeting called by the Board of Commissioners, Planning and Zoning Commission or the Zoning Hearing Board properly noticed in advance, for the purpose of taking testimony on the matter being heard as a basis for the body calling the hearing to make a later decision.
An announcement, published in the legal section of the principal newspaper serving Township residents at least twice, once in each of two consecutive weeks, the first notice not more than 30 days and the second notice not less than seven days before the hearing, indicating the date, time and place of the hearing and a description of the matter to be heard, as well as the location where and times at which the material to be covered in the hearing may be examined.
[Amended 12-12-1997 by Ord. No. 281]
Any element in the systems to convey water sewerage, gas, electricity or telephone or television communications, as well as devices to treat, store, transform or regulate within such systems, whether on public or privately-owned land.
Children's play equipment, picnic facilities, swimming pool and paved court game area, but not including uses available to the public or available to others not resident on the same property for a fee.
The rehabilitation of a building during which the building's exterior dimensions and its interior structural members are not changed.
An agreement between a developer and purchasers of lots in his plan restricting the use of the lots, such restrictions applying uniformly to all lots, recorded with the plan, effective for a specified time period and not involving the Township in its enforcement.
A planted buffer intended to protect residential properties from abutting commercial or other downgrading activities that might deteriorate the residential property values.
Sales of produce immediately after harvesting from the same property on which it was grown.
The minimum distance a structure must be removed from the nearest property line, thus the front setback line describes the limit of construction on a lot behind the property line abutting the street.
An individual certified by the commonwealth and retained by the Township to evaluate the ability of a lot without public sewer connection but proposed for development to absorb sewerage effluent and to decide on the appropriate type of disposal system under the circumstances to serve the property.
A panel or construction projecting a message by words, symbols and/or pictures designed to be viewed by the public, but not including the support thereof.
The improvement of a property in accordance with an approved site plan, including placement of structures and/or manipulation of the land surface.
A layout of a property showing all improvements proposed to be placed on or under the lot in the course of development, as well as existing conditions on the lot to remain.
A transcription of the testimony taken at a public hearing, recorded by a professional stenographer at the hearing.
A depression in the land surface or a paved parking area, rooftop or holding tank designed and built to hold excess stormwater drainage for release at a controlled rate.
The vertical dimension between a floor and the floor of the level next above or next below when the dimension between floors is at least six feet or if no floor is above, then the ceiling above.
An improved vehicular surface within a right-of-way which affords the primary means of access to abutting properties. A public street is one which has been accepted for maintenance by the Township or state.
Any permanent man-made construction in, on or over the ground surface and attached to the ground, but not including paving or surfaces treated for vehicular or pedestrian passages.
A civil, nonjury court action before a District Justice whose decision may be appealed to the County Court.
A dwelling attached along one or more common walls to other similar dwellings, such common walls extending from the building foundation to or through the roof and each dwelling having front and rear exterior walls.
A dwelling used to house individuals who are under the custody and care of a social agency or public body or are recovering from treatment in an institution and are preparing to return to society, such facility licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Land surface that has not been altered for at least the two previous years.
A principal permitted use.
A grant of the Zoning Hearing Board permitting an owner to use a property not wholly in accordance with this chapter because the Board finds that strict conformance would be a hardship, not created by the owner, depriving him of reasonable use of the property and a specific minor variation or variations in the regulations determined by the Board to accommodate the owner will not detrimentally affect abutting properties or the public.
The front, side or rear area of a lot or property between property line and setback line, the depth of which is specified for each zoning district by this chapter and within which buildings with permanent roofs or portions thereof, cannot be built.
The area of a lot between the front property line abutting the street to which the property has access and the front setback line and extending between the side lot lines.
The area of a lot between the rear property line and rear setback line and extending between the side lot lines.
The area of a lot between the side property line and side setback line on each side of a property and extending between the front and rear yards.
The group of uses that are permitted by right or conditionally and the constraints on development that apply uniformly throughout a zoning district.
A contiguous area of land on all parts of which the same uniform opportunities for development apply.
The edge of a zoning district where it abuts another district or the Township boundary.
A Board appointed by the Board of Commissioners to examine and decide appeals for relief from strict conformance to this chapter and to hear testimony regarding the validity of this chapter or regarding challenges to the decisions of the Zoning Officer.
The official plan of zoning districts in Vanport Township, a part of this chapter, showing precisely the boundaries and title of each zoning district.
A person retained by the Township to enforce the regulations of this chapter, with power to issue building and occupancy permits, to halt illegal construction and to interpret the meaning of the various sections of this chapter subject to appeal before the Zoning Hearing Board.
A document issued by the Township attesting that all requirements of this chapter have been met and allowing the approved work to commence in conformance with the permit.