A.
Consultation with Planning and Zoning Commission. Before proceeding with an application, or with steps to acquire land, subdivide or effect a land development, all applicants should be familiar with the provisions of this chapter and Chapter 375, Zoning, and are encouraged to consult with the Hamiltonban Township Planning and Zoning Commission concerning the following factors:
(1)
The suitability of the site for development, including consistency with all Township ordinances.
(2)
The demand for a development of the type proposed in the particular location proposed.
(3)
The accessibility of the site.
(4)
The availability of public facilities (schools, parks, water, sanitary and storm sewerage, etc.) and public services (police, fire, refuse disposal, etc.).
(5)
The effect of the subdivision or development or any contemplated improvements on the proposals of any Comprehensive Plan.
(6)
The potential impact of the subdivision or development on identified environmental features, natural areas, wetlands, prime agricultural land, or cultural resources.
(7)
Sewage facilities requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
(8)
Erosion and sedimentation control plans and permits, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and administered by the Adams County Conservation District.
B.
Preapplication meeting(s); conservation by design projects. A preapplication meeting(s) is (are) required between the applicant, the site designer, and the Township staff and any Township consultants to introduce the applicant to the Township's zoning and subdivision regulations and procedures, to discuss the applicant's objectives, and to jointly conduct a site design exercise. The following information shall be provided and the following processes shall be conducted during the preapplication meeting(s).
(1)
Information to be provided. The applicant shall provide the following information at the preapplication meeting(s):
(a)
Site context map. The site context map shows the location of the proposed conservation by design development within its neighborhood context. For sites under 100 acres in area, the site context map shall be at a scale not less than one inch equals 200 feet, and shall show the relationship of the subject property to natural and man-made features existing within 1,000 feet of the site. For sites of 100 acres or more, the site context map shall be at a scale not less than one inch equals 400 feet, and shall show the above relationships within 2,000 feet of the site. The features that shall be shown on site context maps include topography (from USGS maps), stream valleys, floodplains, wetlands (from maps published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service), woodlands over 1/2 acre in area (from aerial photographs), ridgelines, public roads and trails, utility easements and rights-of-way, public land, and land protected under conservation easements.
(b)
Existing resources and site analysis plan (ERSAP).
[1]
An existing resources and site analysis plan (ERSAP) provides the applicant and the Township with a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions, both on the proposed development site and within 500 feet of the site. Conditions beyond the parcel boundaries may be described on the basis of existing published data available from governmental agencies, and from aerial photographs.
[2]
The Township and applicant shall jointly review the ERSAP to cooperatively assess the natural, historic, cultural, agricultural and/or related resources on the property, and to begin to jointly prioritize areas of the site that should be conserved. Unless otherwise specified by Township staff, the ERSAP shall be prepared at the scale of one inch equals 100 feet or one inch equals 200 feet, whichever would fit best on a single standard size sheet 24 inches by 36 inches.
[3]
The following information shall be included in this plan.
[a]
A vertical aerial photograph with the site boundaries clearly marked.
[b]
Topography, the contour lines of which shall be at two-foot intervals. Slopes between 20% and 35% and slopes exceeding 35% shall be clearly indicated. Topography shall be obtained from an actual field survey of the site or from stereoscopic aerial photography and shall be coordinated with official USGS bench marks.
[c]
The location of any ponds, streams, ditches, drains, natural drainage swales, 100-year floodplains, and wetlands.
[d]
Vegetative cover conditions on the property according to general cover type, including cultivated land, permanent grassland, meadow, pasture, old field, hedgerow, woodland and wetland, and individual trees with a caliper in excess of 15 inches.
[e]
Soil series, types and phases, as mapped by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, in the published Adams County Soils Survey, and accompanying data published for each soil relating to its suitability for construction (and, in unsewered areas, for septic suitability).
[f]
Ridgelines and watershed boundaries.
[g]
Geologic formations on the proposed development parcel, including rock outcroppings, cliffs, sinkholes, and fault lines, based on available published information or more detailed data obtained by the applicant.
[h]
All existing man-made features, including but not limited to streets, driveways, farm roads, wood roads, buildings, foundations, walls, wells, drainage fields, dumps, utilities, fire hydrants, and storm and sanitary sewers.
[i]
Locations of all historically significant sites or structures on the tract, including but not limited to cellar holes, stone walls, earthworks, barns and graves.
[j]
Locations of trails that have been in public use (pedestrian, equestrian, bicycle, etc.).
[k]
All easements and other encumbrances of property which are or have been filed of record with the Recorder of Deeds of Adams County shall be shown on the plan.
[l]
Total acreage of the tract, and the acreage of all primary constraints and corresponding percentage of the total tract acreage.
(2)
Preapplication meeting(s) activities. The following activities shall be conducted jointly by the applicant and the Township at the preapplication meeting(s):
(a)
Site inspection. A site inspection allows the applicant and the Township to jointly field evaluate the information provided on the site context map and the ERSAP. The purpose of the visit is to familiarize local officials with the property's existing conditions and special features, to identify potential site design issues, and to provide an informal opportunity to discuss site design concepts, including the general layout of designated greenway lands and potential locations for proposed buildings and street alignments.
(b)
Four-step design exercise. The four-step design exercise represents the core of the conservation by design development design process. The applicant and the Township shall conduct this exercise jointly, following the Site Inspection. This ensures coordination in site design between the applicant and the Township at an early stage in the design process, and allows each party to present and incorporate its design priorities. The applicant and Township shall conduct a four-step design exercise with the following components:
[1]
Step 1, delineation of greenway lands.
[a]
The minimum percentage and acreage of required greenway lands shall be calculated in accordance with the provisions of this article and of Chapter 375, Zoning. Greenway lands shall include all primary conservation areas and those parts of the remaining buildable lands with the highest resource significance, as described below and in Sections 801.A and 801.B.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: So in original.
[b]
Proposed greenway lands shall be designated using the existing resources and site analysis plan (ERSAP) as a base map and complying with Sections 1403 and 1405 of the Zoning Ordinance[2] and Sections 801.A, 801.B[3] and § 320-34 herein, dealing with resource conservation and greenway delineation standards. The Township's Map of Potential Conservation Lands in its Open Space Plan (Plates 1, 2, 3 and 4)[4] shall also be referenced and considered. The applicant shall reproduce Plates 1 through 4 on Mylar sheets at the same scale as the ERSAP to enable the applicant and Township to incorporate the recommendations of the Open Space Plan into the design exercise. Greenway lands shall be coordinated with greenway lands on adjacent tracts that have been developed or may be developed. Primary conservation areas shall be delineated, comprising floodplains, wetlands and step slopes over 25%. The area and percent of total area for both primary and secondary conservation areas shall be noted.
[d]
On the basis of those priorities and practical considerations given to the tract's configuration, its context in relation to resource areas on adjoining and neighboring properties, secondary conservation areas shall be delineated to meet at least the minimum area percentage requirements for greenway lands and in a manner clearly indicating their boundaries as well as the types of resources included within them.
[2]
Step 2, location of house sites. Potential house sites shall be tentatively located, using the proposed greenway lands as a base along with other relevant data from the existing resources and site analysis plan (ERSAP) such as topography and soils. House sites shall not be located closer than 100 feet to primary conservation areas and 25 feet to secondary conservation areas. Potential negative impacts of residential development on conservation areas shall be taken into consideration when locating house sites. The potential positive benefits of such locations to provide attractive views and visual settings for residences shall also be taken into account.
[3]
Step 3, alignment of streets and trails. Once house sites are located, a street plan shall be designed to provide vehicular access to each house. Impacts of the street plan on proposed greenway lands shall be minimized, particularly with respect to crossing environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands and traversing slopes exceeding 25%. Street connections shall be designed to minimize the number of new culs-de-sac to be maintained by the Township and to facilitate access to and from homes in different parts of the tract (and adjoining parcels).
[4]
Step 4, drawing lot lines. Upon completion of the preceding three steps, lot lines shall be drawn to delineate the boundaries of individual residential lots.
(3)
Impact of preapplication meeting(s). The preapplication meeting(s) is (are) intended to share information and goals regarding the development of the subject parcel within the conservation by design context. It shall be understood by all parties that the preapplication meeting(s) is (are) informational in nature only, and that no formal decision by Township officials (either the Township Supervisors or the Township Planning and Zoning Commission) will be required at the conclusion of said meeting(s). The Township hereby acknowledges that the development and conservation design concepts resulting from the preapplication meeting(s) are advisory in nature and may need to be adjusted upon the submission of preliminary and final plans for the development to reflect design and engineering requirements of this chapter and Chapter 375, Zoning.