For any of the activities regulated by this chapter, the preliminary
or final approval of subdivision and/or land development plans, the
issuance of any building or occupancy permit, or the commencement
of any land disturbance activity may not proceed until the applicant
or his/her agent has received written approval of a drainage plan
from the municipality.
Any regulated activity that meets the exception criteria in the following table is exempt from the provisions of this section. This criterion shall apply to the total development even if development is to take place in phases. The date of the municipal ordinance adoption shall be the starting point from which to consider tracts as "parent tracts" in which future subdivisions and respective impervious area computations shall be cumulatively considered. An exemption shall not relieve the applicant from implementing such measures as are necessary to protect health, safety, and property. This exemption shall not relieve the applicant from meeting the special requirements for watershed drainage to high quality (HQ) or exceptional value (EV) waters (§ 173-11(D) through (K)) and requirements for water quality (§
173-13), groundwater recharge (§
173-14) and streambank erosion (§
173-15).
Stormwater Management Exemption Criteria
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Area Total Parcel Size (square feet)
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Impervious Exemption
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≤ 1/4 acre
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1,200 square feet
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> 1/4 to 1 acre
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2,500 square feet
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> 1 acre
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5,000 square feet
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Exemptions shall be at the discretion of the municipality upon
review of site conditions, topography, soils, and other factors as
deemed appropriate.
The drainage plan shall consist of all applicable calculations,
maps, and plans. A note on the maps shall refer to the associated
computations and erosion and sedimentation control plan by title and
date. The cover sheet of the computations and erosion and sedimentation
control plan shall refer to the associated maps by title and date.
All drainage plan materials shall be submitted to the municipality
in a format that is clear, concise, legible, neat, and well organized;
otherwise, the drainage plan shall be disapproved and returned to
the applicant.
The following items shall be included in the drainage plan:
A. General.
(1) General
description of project.
(2) General
description of permanent stormwater management techniques, including
construction specifications of the materials to be used for stormwater
management facilities.
(3) Complete
hydrologic, hydraulic, and structural computations for all stormwater
management facilities.
(4) An
erosion and sediment control plan, including all reviews and approvals
by the conservation district.
(5) A
general description of nonpoint source pollution controls.
B. Maps. Map(s)
of the project area shall be submitted on twenty-four-inch by thirty-six-inch
sheets and shall be prepared in a form that meets the requirements
for recording at the offices of the Recorder of Deeds of Bucks County.
The contents of the map(s) shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) The
location of the project relative to highways, municipalities, or other
identifiable landmarks.
(2) Existing
contours at intervals of two feet. In areas of steep slopes (greater
than 15%), five-foot contour intervals may be used.
(3) Existing
streams, lakes, ponds, or other bodies of water within the project
area.
(4) Other
physical features including flood hazard boundaries, sinkholes, streams,
existing drainage courses, areas of natural vegetation to be preserved,
and the total extent of the upstream area draining through the site.
(5) The
locations of all existing and proposed utilities, sanitary sewers,
and water lines within 50 feet of property lines.
(6) An
overlay showing soil names and boundaries.
(7) Proposed
changes to the land surface and vegetative cover, including limits
of earth disturbance and the type and amount of impervious area that
would be added.
(8) Proposed
structures, roads, paved areas, and buildings.
(9) Final
contours at intervals of two feet. In areas of steep slopes (greater
than 15%), five-foot contour intervals may be used.
(10) The name of the development, the name and address of the owner of
the property, and the name of the individual or firm preparing the
plan.
(12) A graphic and written scale of one inch equals no more than 50 feet;
for tracts of 20 acres or more, the scale shall be one inch equals
no more than 100 feet.
(14) The total tract boundary and size with distances marked to the nearest
foot and bearings to the nearest degree.
(15) Existing and proposed land use(s).
(16) A key map showing all existing manmade features beyond the property
boundary that would be affected by the project.
(17) Location of all open channels.
(19) A minimum fifteen-foot-wide access easement around all stormwater
management facilities that would provide ingress to and egress from
a public right-of-way.
(20) The location of all erosion and sedimentation control facilities.
(21) A note on the plan indicating the location and responsibility for
maintenance of stormwater management facilities that would be located
off site. All off-site facilities shall meet the performance standards
and design criteria specified in this chapter.
(22) A statement, signed by the landowner, acknowledging the stormwater
management system to be a permanent fixture that can be altered or
removed only after approval of a revised plan by the municipality,
which shall be recorded with the record plan and which shall be applicable
to all future landowners.
(23) The following signature block for the design engineer:
"(Design Engineer), on this date (date of signature), have reviewed
and hereby certify that the Drainage Plan meets all design standards
and criteria of the Delaware River South Watershed Act 167 Stormwater
Management Ordinance."
C. Supplemental
Information.
(1) A
written description of the following information shall be submitted:
(a) The overall stormwater management concept for the project designed in accordance with §
173-12.
(b) Stormwater runoff computations as specified in this chapter.
(c) Stormwater management techniques to be applied both during and after
development.
(d) Expected project time schedule.
(e) Development stages (project phases) if so proposed.
(f) An operation and maintenance plan in accordance with §
173-36.
(2) A
soil erosion and sedimentation control plan, where applicable, including
all reviews and approvals, as required by DEP.
(3) A
geologic assessment of the effects of runoff on sinkholes as specified
in this chapter.
(4) The
effect of the project (in terms of runoff volumes and peak flows)
on adjacent properties and on any existing municipal stormwater collection
system that may receive runoff from the project site.
(5) A
Declaration of Adequacy and Highway Occupancy Permit from the PennDOT
District Office when utilization of a PennDOT storm drainage system
is proposed.
D. Stormwater
Management Facilities.
(1) All
stormwater management facilities must be located on a plan and described
in detail.
(2) When
groundwater recharge methods such as seepage pits, beds or trenches
are used, the locations of existing and proposed septic tank infiltration
areas and wells must be shown.
(3) All
calculations, assumptions, and criteria used in the design of the
stormwater management facilities must be shown.
For all activities regulated by this chapter, the steps below shall be followed for submission. For any activities that require a DEP joint permit application and regulated under 25 Pa. Code Chapter
105, Dam Safety and Waterway Management, or 25 Pa. Code Chapter
106, Floodplain Management, require a PennDOT highway occupancy permit, or require any other permit under applicable state or federal regulations, the proof of application for the permit(s) shall be part of the plan. The plan shall be coordinated with the state and federal permit process.
A. The drainage
plan shall be submitted by the applicant as part of the preliminary
plan submission for the regulated activity.
B. A minimum
of four copies of the drainage plan shall be submitted.
C. Distribution
of the drainage plan will be as follows:
(1) Two
or more copies to the municipality accompanied by the requisite municipal
review fee, as specified in this chapter.
(2) One
copy to the municipal engineer.
(3) One
copy to the Bucks County Planning Commission.
A disapproved drainage plan may be resubmitted, with the revisions addressing the Municipal Engineer concerns documented in writing addressed, to the municipality in accordance with §
173-26 and distributed accordingly and be subject to review as specified in §
173-27. The applicable municipality review fee must accompany a resubmission of a disapproved drainage plan.