[Ord. No. 678, 11/28/2018]
1. For all regulated activities, unless preparation of an SWM site plan is specifically exempted in §
23-302 of this chapter:
A. Preparation and implementation of an approved SWM site plan is required.
B. No regulated activities shall commence until the Township issues
written approval of an SWM site plan which demonstrates compliance
with the requirements of this chapter.
2. SWM site plans approved by the Township, in accordance with §
23-406 of this chapter, shall be on site throughout the duration of the regulated activity.
3. These standards apply to the landowner and any person engaged in
regulated activities.
4. For all regulated earth disturbance activities, erosion and sediment
control BMPs shall be designed, implemented, operated, and maintained
during the regulated earth disturbance activities (e.g., during construction)
to meet the purposes and requirements of this chapter and to meet
all requirements under Title 25 of the Pennsylvania Code and the Clean
Streams Law. Various BMPs and their design standards are listed in
the Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Program Manual (E&S
Manual), No. 363-2134-008, as amended and updated. Comment on the
adequacy of the erosion and sedimentation controls may be provided
by the Township per the requirements of Conservation District.
5. Impervious areas:
A. The measurement of impervious areas shall include all of the impervious
areas in the total proposed development even if development is to
take place in stages.
B. For development taking place in stages, the entire development plan
must be used in determining conformance with this chapter.
C. For projects that add impervious area to a parcel, the total impervious area on the parcel is subject to the requirements of this chapter; except that the volume controls in §
23-303 of this chapter and the peak rate controls of §
23-304 of this chapter do not need to be retrofitted to existing impervious areas that are not being altered by the proposed regulated activity.
6. Stormwater flows onto adjacent or downstream property shall not be
created, increased, decreased, relocated, impeded, or otherwise altered
without written notification of the affected property owner(s). Notification
shall include a description of the proposed development and the stormwater
flows that are being created, increased, decreased, relocated, impeded,
or otherwise altered. Adjacent property shall at a minimum include
any property having a shared boundary with the subject property of
the SWM site plan; however, if in the judgement of the designated
plan reviewer additional properties are being affected, then additional
notifications may be required. Proof of notification (signed postal
receipt, for example) shall be included as part of the SWM plan submission
to the Township. Such stormwater flows shall be subject to the requirements
of this chapter.
7. All regulated activities shall include such measures as necessary
to:
A. Protect health, safety, and property.
B. Meet the water quality goals of this chapter by implementing measures
to:
(1)
Minimize disturbance to floodplains, wetlands, and wooded areas.
(2)
Maintain or extend riparian buffers.
(3)
Avoid erosive flow conditions in natural flow pathways.
(4)
Minimize thermal impacts to waters of this commonwealth.
(5)
Disconnect impervious surfaces by directing runoff to pervious
areas, wherever possible.
C. Incorporate methods described in the Pennsylvania Stormwater Best
Management Practices Manual (BMP Manual). If methods other than green infrastructure and LID methods
are proposed to achieve the volume and rate controls required under
this chapter, the SWM site plan must include a detailed justification,
acceptable to the designated plan reviewer, demonstrating that the
use of LID and green infrastructure is not practicable.
8. Infiltration BMPs should be dispersed throughout the project site
at strategic locations, made as shallow as practicable, and located
to maximize use of natural on-site infiltration features while still
meeting the other requirements of this chapter.
9. Normally dry, open-top storage facilities should completely drain
both the volume control and rate control capacities over a period
of time not less than 24 and not more than 72 hours from the end of
the design storm. Infiltration tests performed at the facility locations
and proposed basin bottom depths, in accordance with the BMP Manual,
must support time-to-empty calculations if infiltration is a factor.
10. The design storm precipitation depths to be used in the analysis
of peak rates of discharge shall be as obtained in PennDOT's Drainage
Manual, Publication 584, Appendix 7A; or obtained from the latest
version of the Precipitation-Frequency Atlas of the United States,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather
Service, Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center, Silver Spring,
Maryland. NOAA's Atlas 14 can be accessed at: http://hdsc.nws.noaa.gov/hdsc/pfds/.
11. For all regulated activities, SWM BMPs shall be designed, implemented,
operated, and maintained to meet the purposes and requirements of
this chapter and to meet all requirements under Title 25 of the Pennsylvania
Code, the Clean Streams Law, and the Storm Water Management Act.
12. Various BMPs and their design standards are listed in the BMP Manual.
13. The Township may, after consultation with DEP, approve measures for
meeting the state water quality requirements other than those in this
chapter, provided that they meet the minimum requirements of, and
do not conflict with, state law, including, but not limited to, the
Clean Streams Law.
[Ord. No. 678, 11/28/2018]
1. Regulated activities that result in cumulative earth disturbances less than 0.25 acre and propose an increase in impervious area of less than 5,000 square feet are exempt from the requirements in §
23-401 of this chapter except as provided in Subsection
2 below.
2. Earth disturbances between 0.05 acre (2,178 square feet) and 0.25 acre (10,890 square feet) of earth disturbance must submit a SWM site plan to the Township which shall consist of the following items and related supportive material needed to determine compliance with §§
23-303 through
23-305 of this chapter. The applicant can use the protocols in the small project stormwater management site plan contained in Appendix 23-B of this chapter.
A. General description of proposed stormwater management techniques,
including construction specifications of the materials to be used
for stormwater management facilities.
B. An erosion and sediment control plan, including all reviews and letters
of adequacy from the Conservation District, where appropriate.
C. Limits of earth disturbance, including the type and amount of impervious
area that is proposed; proposed structures, roads, paved areas, and
buildings; and a statement, signed by the applicant, acknowledging
that any revision to the approved drainage plan must be approved by
the Township, and that a revised erosion and sediment control plan
must be submitted to the Township or Conservation District for approval.
D. All stormwater management facilities must be located on a plan and
described in detail; and all calculations, assumptions, and criteria
used in the design of the stormwater management facilities must be
shown.
3. Agricultural activity is exempt from the SWM site plan preparation
requirements of this chapter, provided the activities are performed
according to the requirements of 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102.
4. Forest management and timber operations are exempt from the SWM site
plan preparation requirements of this chapter, provided the activities
are performed according to the requirements of 25 Pa. Code Chapter
102.
5. Roadway resurfacing and maintenance projects, which do not increase impervious area, and underground infrastructure projects are exempt from the provisions of this chapter, provided the activities meet the requirements of all other Township, county, state and federal requirements. Exemptions from any provisions of this chapter shall not relieve the applicant from the requirements in §
23-301, Subsections
4 through
10, of this chapter.
6. The Township may deny or revoke any exemption pursuant to this §
23-302 at any time for any project that the Township believes may pose a threat to public health and safety or the environment.
7. Voluntary green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) retrofit projects
that are solely intended to better manage runoff from existing development
and are not part of new development or redevelopment are exempt from
the stormwater management provisions of this chapter. This does not
exempt such projects from any other Township, county, state, or federal
regulation.
[Ord. No. 678, 11/28/2018]
1. The green infrastructure and low-impact development practices provided
in the BMP Manual shall be utilized for all regulated activities wherever
possible. Water volume controls shall be implemented using the Design
Storm Method in Subsection A or the Simplified Method in Subsection
B below, or alternative design criteria as allowed by 25 Pa. Code
Chapter 102.
A. The Design Storm Method (CG-1 in the BMP Manual) is applicable as a method to any size of regulated activity.
This method requires detailed modeling based on site conditions. The
following shall be incorporated into the CG-1 method:
(1)
Do not increase the post-development total runoff volume for
all storms equal to or less than the two-year, twenty-four-hour duration
precipitation.
(2)
At least the first one inch of runoff from the net increase
in impervious surfaces shall be permanently removed from the runoff
flow, i.e., it shall not be released into the surface waters of this
commonwealth. Removal options include reuse, evaporation, transpiration,
and infiltration. If the developer provides justification that the
listed removal options are not feasible, and the designated plan reviewer
agrees, runoff shall be detained in a facility designed for a forty-eight-
to seventy-two-hour dewatering time in an area with a dedicated stormwater
system (not contributory to a combined sewer system) and shall be
detained in a facility designed for a seventy-two-hour dewatering
time in an area contributory to a combined sewer system before discharge
to local stormwater systems or the environment. Justification, as
prepared and sealed by a qualified professional, for assertion that
permanent removal is not feasible must be provided, at a minimum,
in the form of field-measured infiltration rate testing and geotechnical
evaluation of the existing site soils with regard to the impact of
proposed infiltration. Applications omitting this justification, including
infiltration rate testing, will be considered incomplete. BMPs proposing
use of extended detention in lieu of permanent reduction through the
listed methods shall include a valve to adjust or regulate dewatering
time to achieve the performance standards noted herein. The valve
system shall include an inspection/monitoring port for review of dewatering.
(3)
For modeling purposes:
(a)
Existing (predevelopment) nonforested pervious areas must be
considered meadow in good condition.
(b)
Twenty percent of existing impervious area, when present, shall
be considered meadow in good condition in the model for existing conditions.
B. The Simplified Method (CG-2 in the BMP Manual) provided below is independent of site conditions and
should be used if the Design Storm Method is not followed. This method
is not applicable to regulated activities greater than one acre or
for projects that require design of stormwater storage facilities.
For new impervious surfaces:
(1)
Stormwater facilities shall capture at least the first two inches
of runoff from the net increase in impervious surfaces.
(2)
At least the first one inch of runoff from the net increase
in impervious surfaces shall be permanently removed from the runoff
flow, i.e., it shall not be released into the surface waters of this
commonwealth. Removal options include reuse, evaporation, transpiration,
and infiltration. If the developer provides justification that the
listed removal options are not feasible, and the designated plan reviewer
agrees, runoff shall be detained in a facility designed for a twenty-four-hour
dewatering time in an area with a dedicated stormwater system (not
contributory to a combined sewer system) and shall be detained in
a facility designed for a seventy-two-hour dewatering time in an area
contributory to a combined sewer system before discharge to local
stormwater systems or the environment.
(3)
Wherever possible, infiltration facilities should be designed
to accommodate infiltration of the entire permanently removed runoff;
however, in all cases, at least the first 0.5 inch of the permanently
removed runoff should be infiltrated.
(4)
This method is exempt from the requirements of §
23-304 (Rate Controls) of this chapter if the project qualifies for exemption by the provisions of §
23-302, Subsection
1, of this chapter.
[Ord. No. 678, 11/28/2018]
1. For areas not covered by a release rate map from an approved Act
167 Stormwater Management Plan: Post-development discharge rates shall
not exceed the predevelopment discharge rates for the one-, two-,
five-, ten-, twenty-five-, fifty-, and 100-year, twenty-four-hour
storm events. This is the equivalent to a 100% release rate area when
compared to those rates shown in the maps contained in Appendix 23-A
(Watershed Map and Release Rate Management District Maps) of this
chapter. This predevelopment to post-development control is not to
be misconstrued as the same as the "conditional direct discharge"
areas on the release rate maps. For comparison of peak flow rates,
flows shall be rounded to a tenth of a cubic foot per second (cfs).
If it is shown that the peak rates of discharge indicated by the post-development
analysis are less than or equal to the peak rates of discharge indicated
by the predevelopment analysis for one-, two-, five-, ten-, twenty-five-,
fifty-, and 100-year, twenty-four-hour storms, then the requirements
of this section have been met. Otherwise, the applicant shall provide
additional controls as necessary to satisfy the peak rate of discharge
requirement. Peak flows should be computed using the methods included
in the chapter titled "Stormwater Calculations and Methodology" of
the BMP Manual; except, however, where documented downstream flooding
problems exist, the Township may impose a 50% reduced release rate
criteria.
2. For areas covered by a release rate map from an approved Act 167 Stormwater Management Plan: For the one-, two-, five-, ten-, twenty-five-, fifty-, and 100-year, twenty-four-hour storm events, the post-development peak discharge rates will follow the applicable approved release rate maps. These release rate maps are contained in Appendix 23-A (Watershed Map and Release Rate Management District Maps) of this chapter. For comparison of peak flow rates, flows shall be rounded to a tenth of a cubic foot per second (cfs). For any areas not shown on the release rate maps, the post-development discharge rates shall not exceed the predevelopment discharge rates for the specified design events. Peak flows should be computed using the methods included in Chapter
8 of the BMP Manual.
[Ord. No. 678, 11/28/2018]
1. In order to protect and improve water quality, a riparian buffer
easement shall be created and recorded as part of any subdivision
or land development that encompasses a riparian buffer. The intent
of this chapter in establishing a riparian buffer is to protect and
improve stream water quality. The riparian buffer is intended to slow
overland flow to the stream through the presence of native grasses,
trees and shrubs, allowing infiltration/groundwater recharge; causing
deposition of sediment, nutrients, pesticides, and other pollutants
in the buffer rather than in the stream; and reducing erosion by providing
stream bank stabilization. The trees provide shade for streams, keeping
waters cooler and reducing evaporation.
2. Except as required by 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102, the riparian buffer easement shall be required for all streams (as defined in Part
2) with a contributing watershed area of greater than 10 acres. The riparian buffer easement shall be measured to be a minimum of 35 feet from the top of the stream bank (on each side).
3. Minimum Management Requirements for Riparian Buffers.
A. No use or construction within the riparian buffer shall be permitted that is inconsistent with the intent of the riparian buffer as described in §
23-305, Subsection
1, of this chapter.
B. Existing native vegetation shall be protected and maintained within
the riparian buffer easement.
C. Whenever practicable, invasive vegetation shall be actively removed,
and the riparian buffer easement shall be planted with native trees,
shrubs and other vegetation to create a diverse native plant community
appropriate to the intended ecological context of the site.
4. The riparian buffer easement shall be enforceable by the Township
and shall be recorded in the County Department of Real Estate, so
that it shall run with the land and shall limit the use of the property
located therein. The easement shall allow for the continued private
ownership and shall count toward the minimum lot area required by
the Zoning Ordinance, unless otherwise specified in the Zoning Ordinance.
5. Any permitted use within the riparian buffer easement shall be conducted
in a manner that will maintain the extent of the existing 100-year
floodplain, improve or maintain the stream stability, and preserve
and protect the ecological function of the floodplain.
6. Stormwater drainage pipes shall be permitted within the riparian
buffer easement, but they shall cross the easement in the shortest
practical distance. Other structural stormwater management facilities
are not permitted within the riparian buffer easement.
7. The following conditions shall apply when public and/or private recreation
trails are permitted by the Township within riparian buffers:
A. It is preferred that trails be designed to be permeable and for nonmotorized
use only; however, impermeable trails are permitted provided they
have adequate drainage.
B. Trails shall be designed to have the least impact on native plant
species and other sensitive environmental features.
8. Septic drainfields and sewage disposal systems shall not be permitted
within the riparian buffer easement and shall comply with setback
requirements established under 25 Pa. Code Chapter 73.
9. Underground utilities shall be permitted within the riparian buffer
easement; however, work shall be performed to minimize disturbance
area and removal of trees. Restoration within the riparian buffer
easement shall be with native species of trees, grasses, and other
plantings. One tree shall be planted for each tree removed, and the
restoration shall be designed by a qualified professional with the
requisite experience. Aboveground utilities shall only be permitted
to cross the easement perpendicular to the easement or in the shortest
practical distance. Existing utilities may remain and be maintained
as required.