For purposes of this chapter, certain words shall be interpreted
as follows:
A.
Words used in the present tense include the future.
B.
The singular number includes the plural, and the plural includes
the singular.
C.
The phrase "used for" includes "arranged for," "designed for," "intended
for," "maintained for," and "occupied for."
D.
The word "person" includes an individual, corporation, partnership,
incorporated association, and/or any other similar entity.
E.
The words "include" or "including" shall not limit the term to the
specified examples but are intended to extend the meaning to all other
instances of like kind and character.
F.
The word "building" shall always be construed as if followed by the
words "or part thereof."
G.
The word "may" is permissive, and the words "shall" and "will" are
always mandatory.
[Amended 9-26-1989 by Ord. No. 703]
Words and terms used in this chapter shall have the meanings given in this § 420-8. Unless expressly stated otherwise, any pertinent word or term not a part of this listing, but vital to the interpretation of this chapter, shall be construed to have its legal definition, or in absence of a legal definition, its meaning as commonly accepted by practitioners including civil engineers, surveyors, architects, landscape architects, and planners.
That which conforms to accepted principles, tests and standards
of nationally recognized technical, scientific, and/or engineering
authorities.
A public or privately owned right-of-way, on which no new
dwelling, stores, or other principle buildings are intended to front,
serving as the secondary means of access to two or more properties.
A person who has filed an application for approval of subdivision
or land development plans, including his/her heirs, successors, agents,
and assigns. This term also includes landowner, developer, builder,
and/or other persons responsible for the plans and construction of
buildings and/or other improvements on any parcel of land.
See definition under "floodplain."
An area bounded by streets or streets and natural or man-made
features.
The elected governing body of the Borough of Royersford;
also referred to as "Council."
An area designed to separate the uses of land which abut
it and which functions to ease the transition between them. Unless
otherwise specified, buffers may be included as part of the required
setbacks and yard areas. Buffers may be divided into two or more types
as explained in the design standards of this chapter.
See "applicant."
Any structure, whether built conventionally or in a manner
generally referred to as "mobile," "modular," or "manufactured," and
having enclosing walls and roof, permanently located on the land,
the ordinary use of which requires people to enter the structure.
The portion of a street, alley, or driveway intended for
vehicular use.
A parcel or parcels of land, or a combination of land and
water, within a development site designed and intended for the use
or enjoyment of residents of a development, not including streets,
off-street parking areas and areas set aside for public facilities;
also referred to as "open space."
The current, officially adopted Comprehensive Plan for the
Borough of Royersford and all amendments thereto.
The construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, extension,
expansion, alteration, or relocation of a building or structure, including
the placement of mobile homes.
The outermost edge of a cartway.
An excavation; the difference between a point on the original
ground and a designated point of lower elevation on the final grade;
also, the material removed in an excavation.
See "applicant."
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including but not limited to buildings or other structures, the placement
of mobile homes, streets and other paving, utilities, mining, dredging,
filling, grading, excavation, or drilling operations.
The provisions for guiding development, including a plan
of subdivision, all covenants relating to use, location and bulk of
buildings and other structures, intensity of use or density of development,
streets, parking facilities, ways, common open space, and public facilities.
The phrase "provisions of the development plan" shall mean the written
and graphic materials referred to in this definition.
The natural or man-made features of the land that are specifically
designed to store or carry surface water runoff.
A private way providing for vehicular and pedestrian access
between a public street and a parking area within a lot or property.
A right-of-way or other right granted by a property owner
for the use of a designated part of his/her property for public, quasi-public,
or private purposes, including utilities, drainageways, and access.
A professional engineer licensed as such in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
Any act by which natural materials are dug into, cut, quarried,
uncovered, removed, displaced, relocated or bulldozed, as well as
the conditions resulting therefrom.
Any act by which natural materials are placed pushed, dumped,
pulled, transported, or moved to a new location above the natural
surface of the ground or on top of the stripped surface, as well as
the conditions resulting therefrom.
See definitions in Chapter 248, Floodplain Management, of the Code of the Borough of Royersford.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The length of the lot line abutting a street right-of-way.
The slope of a street, parcel of land, utility lines, drainageways,
etc., specified in percent, and shown on plans as required herein.
Low-growing plant materials planted in a manner to provide
continuous plant cover of the ground surface; lawn, ivy, and other
low plant materials are included. Nonplant ground cover may also include
bark or wood chips, gravel, and stone, provided they are maintained
as a continuous pervious cover.
The vertical distance measured from the average elevation
of the existing grade at the location of the building to the highest
point of the roof, as further defined below:
Flat: highest point measurable.
Mansard: deckline.
Gable, hip, gambrel: height between the eaves and ridge.
For a building with two or more roof heights, to the higher
roof.
Chimneys, spires, towers, mechanical penthouses, tanks, and
similar projections not intended for human occupancy shall be excluded.
The physical additions, installations and changes required
to render land suitable for the use proposed, including streets, curbs,
sidewalks, utilities, and drainage facilities.
Any of the following activities:
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots, tracts,
or parcels of land for any purpose involving:
A group of two or more residential or nonresidential buildings,
whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single nonresidential
building on a lot or lots, regardless of the number of occupants or
tenure; or
The division or allocation of land or space, whether initially
or cumulatively, between or among two or more existing or prospective
occupants by means of, or for the purpose of, streets, common areas,
leaseholds, condominiums, building groups, or other features.
A subdivision of land.
The following are excluded from the "land development" definition:
The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling
or single-family semidetached dwelling into not more than three residential
units, unless such units are intended to be a condominium; or
The addition of an accessory building, including farm buildings,
on a lot or lots subordinate to an existing principal building.
The legal or beneficial owner or owners of land, or a building
thereon, or a portion of either, including the holder of an option
or contract to purchase (whether or not such option or contract is
subject to any condition), a lessee if he/she is authorized under
the lease to exercise the rights of the landowner, or other person
having proprietary interest in land.
A contiguous tract, parcel, or unit of land held by a landowner
and/or intended for use, development, lease, or transfer of ownership,
and for which a deed description is recorded or is intended to be
recorded at the office of the Recorder of Deeds for Montgomery County.
The horizontal land area of a lot, further defined as follows:
GROSS LOT AREAThe total horizontal land area lying within the lot or tract boundaries.
NET LOT AREAGross lot area minus:
A lot which conforms in all respects to the dimensional requirements
of the zoning district in which it is located, except that the only
road frontage and access is limited to an access strip. This definition
does not include the commonly used wedge-shaped lots located on a
cul-de-sac turnaround. Also known as "flag or interior lot."
Any lot abutting a street that shall have less than the required
width at the street line or at any point between the street line and
a point 25 feet beyond the proposed building.
[Added 11-8-2011 by Ord.
No. 848]
A graphic representation of a proposal for subdivision and/or
land development, including necessary written notes.
A parcel of land separating a street from adjacent properties.
Lotting which extends between two streets of differing classifications,
with vehicular access provided from the lesser street, in order to
promote traffic flow and safety on the greater street.
A strip of land over which are provided rights for various
purposes, including vehicular access and travel, storm drainage, and
utilities; also see "street rights-of-way."
The distance of unobstructed view along the center line of
a street from the driver's eye height of 3.75 feet to the furthest
visible point six inches above the street surface.
The Montgomery County Soil Survey of 1967, prepared by the
Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department
of Agriculture.
The dividing line between a lot and a street, identical to
the ultimate right-of-way line.
A public or private right-of-way serving primarily as a means
of vehicular and pedestrian travel, furnishing access to abutting
properties, and which may also be used for utilities, shade trees,
and stormwater control.
Rights-of-way for street purposes are defined as follows:
LEGAL RIGHT-OF-WAYThe street right-of-way legally in the public domain at the time a plan is submitted.
ULTIMATE RIGHT-OF-WAYThe street right-of-way projected as necessary for adequate handling of anticipated maximum traffic volumes.
EQUIVALENT RIGHT-OF-WAYA street right-of-way required to be reserved where private streets are permitted. The width shall be determined by the street's function, in accordance with the street classifications contained in this chapter.
Any form or arrangement of building material involving the
necessity of providing proper support, bracing, tieing, anchoring,
or other protection against the forces of the elements; also see "building"
definition.
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 existing lot lines for the
purpose, whether immediate or future, of lease, partition by the court
for distribution to heirs or devisees, transfer of ownership or building
or lot development. The subdivision by lease of land for agricultural
purposes into parcels of more than 10 acres, not involving any new
street or easement of access or any residential dwelling, is exempted
from this definition.
The dividing line between a lot and the outside limit of
a street ultimate right-of-way.
A barrier whose purpose is to obscure a view; generally comprised
of plant materials suitable for the purpose.
A place intended or used for the directed surface flow of
water, including permanent and intermittent streams, brooks, creeks,
channels, ditches, swales, and rivers.
An open, generally unoccupied area of a lot which must remain
free of buildings, but which may contain lawn or planted areas, parking
and/or driveways, walks, walls, fences, and similar appurtenances.
