This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Hopewell Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance of 1992." This chapter shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
This chapter is adopted for the following purposes:
A. 
To promote, protect and facilitate public health, safety and welfare of the community.
B. 
To promote coordinated, practical and efficient community development of the Township.
C. 
To ensure sites suitable for building purposes and human habitation.
D. 
To facilitate efficient movement of people and goods.
E. 
To ensure subdivision and land development plans conform to public improvement standards of the Township.
F. 
To provide a systematic and uniform procedure for reviewing plans to ensure equitable handling of all subdivision and land development proposals.
In interpreting and applying the provisions of this chapter, all requirements shall be held to be minimum requirements for promoting the above-mentioned purposes. Where the provisions of this chapter impose greater restrictions than those of any other act, statute, ordinance or regulation, the more restrictive regulation shall be controlling.
A. 
The Board of Supervisors of Hopewell Township shall have the authority to regulate subdivision and land development within the Township upon enacting this chapter. This is in accord with the provisions of the Municipalities Planning Code, as amended (Act 247 of 1968).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
B. 
No subdivision or land development of any lot, tract or parcel of land shall be made, nor improvements carried out, except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
C. 
No lot within a subdivision or land development may be sold, nor any permit to construct issued, unless and until such time as a subdivision or land development plan has been approved and, where required, recorded for public record.
D. 
Where, due to special conditions existing on a property, a literal enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and/or its accompanying appendices and regulations would result in unnecessary hardship, the Board of Supervisors may make such reasonable exceptions thereto as will not be contrary to the public interest and will be in conformity with existing community development. Such exceptions may be made subject to such reasonable conditions as the Board in its discretion may determine. Such exceptions as the Board of Supervisors may make from time to time shall be taken as isolated cases and not as precedent setting.
The Board of Supervisors shall have jurisdiction over subdivision and land development within the Township limits. In order that the actions of the Board of Supervisors under this chapter may be correlated with all relevant data and procedures, the Board of Supervisors hereby designates the Township Planning Commission as the agency of the Board of Supervisors.
A. 
All major land developments and subdivisions shall be referred, upon submission to the Board of Supervisors, to the Planning Commission for review. All other applicants relating to subdivision and/or land development plans may be referred upon request by the Board of Supervisors.
B. 
The Planning Commission shall make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors concerning approval, disapproval, modifications and conditions of approval of such plans.
C. 
The Planning Commission shall make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors concerning the interpretation or modifications to provisions and standards of this chapter.
Should any section or provision of this chapter be declared by the courts as unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such a decision shall not affect the validity of the chapter as a whole or of any part thereof.
All ordinances, or parts thereof, inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed upon the legally effective date of this chapter.