The purpose of this chapter is:
A. 
To provide minimum standards to safeguard persons, protect property and promote the general welfare by preventing excess erosion, hazardous rock and soil slippage, sediment production and other soil and water management problems by regulating and controlling the design, construction, quality of materials, use, location, and maintenance of grading, excavations and fills.
B. 
To establish performance standards which insure land use practices respectful of the natural topography and capabilities of the land.
C. 
To encourage maximum retention of natural topography and vegetative features on hillsides.
D. 
To prevent earthflow and rockfall landslides.
E. 
To prevent soil erosion and increases in stormwater runoff which result in stream siltation, flooding, and damage to the property of others.
F. 
To encourage imaginative and innovative site development to building design that adapts to and takes advantage of the best use of the natural terrain.
A. 
This chapter concerns new grading, excavation and fills; and changes, additions or alterations made in existing excavations, fills and embankments which shall conform to the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
The Borough Council shall designate an Administrator for review, approval and granting of grading permits and to make inspections of the grading work.
C. 
A separate grading permit shall be required for each site. One permit shall cover all grading, excavation, and any fills made on the same site.
D. 
Only one permit shall be required for the grading of a large continuous parcel of land for a major planned development, such as a planned subdivision development or a planned commercial development, when the standards for the grading of the entire parcel are satisfactory to and approved by the Administrator.
E. 
Unless the project qualifies for an exception pursuant to § 222-3 of the Code of the Borough of Pleasant Hills, an approved site plan and grading permit shall be required before a building permit may be issued. In all cases, applications for grading permits and/or building permits will not be accepted and the time for a decision will not begin to run until the applicant first submits each and every document required for consideration and approval.
F. 
All grading, excavations and fills, whether or not a grading permit is required, shall conform to the provisions of this chapter.
A grading permit shall not be required for any of the following:
A. 
An excavation which does not exceed three feet in vertical depth at its deepest point measured from the natural ground surface and cover a surface area of less than 1,000 square feet, provided that the surfaces of such excavation do not have slope at any point steeper than three horizontal to one vertical. However, this subsection shall not be deemed to nullify the application of this chapter, or any requirement for obtaining a grading permit, with respect to any fill made with material from such an excavation, unless otherwise excepted by Subsections B and C of this section.
B. 
A fill which does not exceed 10 cubic yards of material on any one site.
C. 
Fill which is not intended to support structures and does not exceed three feet in vertical depth at its deepest point measured from the natural ground surface and does not cover an area of more than 1,000 square feet, provided that the surface of such fills do not have a slope at any point steeper than three horizontal to one vertical and does not obstruct a drainage course.
D. 
An excavation below finished grade for basements and footings of a building, swimming pool, or underground structure authorized by a building permit and an excavation of a driveway between a building site and the street. However this Subsection D shall not be deemed to nullify the application of this chapter, or any requirement for obtaining a grading permit, with respect to any fill made with the material from such an excavation unless otherwise excused by Subsections B and C of this section.
E. 
Soil excavated under the authorization of a properly issued building permit which is temporarily stockpiled on the same site as the excavation. If, however, excavated material is stockpiled on a site for a period of longer than 120 days, then a permit shall be necessary when disposing of the fill material.
F. 
A building site improved under authorization of a properly issued building permit where the maximum natural gradient between property lines or the maximum excavation or fill, exclusive of the situations referred to in Subsection D above, do not exceed the grades or quantities set forth in the following table:
One-Family House Site
(square feet)
Maximum Gradient Without Permit
Maximum Excavation or Fill Without Permit Exclusive of Basements and Foundations
(cubic yards)
Less than 10,000
15 in 100 feet
100
10,000 to 24,000
15 in 100 feet
200
24,000 to 44,000
15 in 100 feet
250
Over 44,000
20 in 100 feet
250
G. 
Exploratory excavations under the direction of a soils engineer or engineering geologist.
H. 
Excavations for wells, tunnels, public utilities or cemetery graves.
I. 
Work performed by the Borough, or of contractors employed by the Borough in a public street or alley, Borough park, playground or recreation area or on other Borough property.
J. 
Normal agricultural operations, including but not limited to planting, tilling, and seeding.