A. 
Meanings and intent.
(1) 
Words and terms expressly defined in this chapter have the specific meanings assigned unless the context indicates another meaning.
(2) 
Words that are not expressly defined in this chapter have the meaning assigned in Chapter 660, Zoning, or, if not defined in Chapter 660, Zoning,, in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.
B. 
Conjunctions. Unless the context otherwise expressly indicates, conjunctions have the following meanings:
(1) 
"And" indicates that all connected items or provisions apply; and
(2) 
"Or" indicates that the connected items or provisions may apply singularly or in combination.
C. 
Computation of time.
(1) 
All references to "days" are to calendar days unless otherwise expressly stated. Any references to "business days" are references to regular City government working days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays observed by City government.
(2) 
The time in which an act is to be completed is computed by excluding the first day and including the last day. If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday observed by City government, that day is excluded.
(3) 
A day concludes at the close of business and any materials received by the City after that time will be considered to have been received the following day.
D. 
Tenses and usage.
(1) 
Words used in the singular include the plural. The reverse is also true.
(2) 
Words used in the present tense include the future tense. The reverse is also true.
(3) 
The words "shall," "will," and "must" are mandatory.
(4) 
The phrase "may not" means that the subject act is prohibited.
E. 
Abbreviations. Certain terms are sometimes abbreviated in this chapter. Abbreviations have the meanings assigned in Table 136-1.
Table 136-1. Abbreviations
Abbreviation
Meaning
ACPC
Allentown City Planning Commission
ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act
BFE
Base Flood Elevation
Ft.
Feet
In.
Inches
Max.
Maximum
LANTA
Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority
LVPC
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
MPC
Municipalities Planning Code
Min.
Minimum
NPDES
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
PA-DEP
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
ROW
Right-of-way
Sq. Ft.
Square Feet
F. 
Versions and citations. All references in this chapter to other City, state or federal regulations are to be construed as referring to the most up-to-date version and citation for those regulations or successor regulations, unless otherwise expressly indicated. When the referenced regulations have been repealed and not replaced by other successor regulations, chapter requirements for compliance are no longer in effect.
G. 
Lists and examples. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, lists of examples that use "including," "such as," or similar terms are intended to provide examples only. They are not to be construed as exhaustive lists of all possibilities.
H. 
Public officials and agencies. References in this chapter to City officials, agencies, and staff are references to those of the City of Allentown.
AGENT
Any person who represents, or acts for or on behalf of a subdivider, or developer, in selling, leasing, or developing, or offering to sell, lease, or develop any interest, lot, parcel, unit, site, or plot in a land development, except an attorney-at-law whose representation of another person consists solely of rendering legal services.
ALLEY (PRIVATE)
A minor right-of-way providing secondary access to the side or rear of one or more properties.
ALLEY (PUBLIC)
A minor right-of-way providing secondary access to the side or rear of one or more properties.
APPLICANT
A landowner or developer, as hereinafter defined, who has filed an application for development including his heirs, successors and assigns.
APPLICATION (APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL)
Every application, whether preliminary, tentative or final, required to be filed and approved prior to the start of construction or development including but not limited to an application for a building permit, for the approval of a subdivision plat or plan or for the approval of a development plan.
AS-BUILT PLAN
A plan in final detail with appropriate computations of location and dimensions of completed improvements, final grades and building elevations.
BLOCK
A tract of land bounded by streets, or by a combination of streets and public parks, cemeteries, railroad rights-of-way, municipal boundary lines, or other easements or definite barriers.
BUILDING
Any structure built for the support, shelter, enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or moveable property of any kind and includes any structure.
BUILDING LINE
A line that is a specified distance from, and generally parallel to, the street, right-of-way line or lines, upon which the lot abuts.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM
A proposed schedule of all future projects listed in order of construction priority together with cost estimates and the anticipated means of financing each project. All major projects requiring the expenditure of public funds, over and above the City's annual operating expenses, for the purchase, construction, or replacement of the physical assets for the City are included.
CARTWAY
That portion of a street between the curb faces/lines available for vehicular traffic.
CITY
The City of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
CITY COUNCIL
The City Council of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
CITY ENGINEER
The engineer or the responsible representative as designated by the City consistent with the definition of "municipal engineer," as defined in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.[1]
CROSSOVER, DRIVEWAY
That portion of a sidewalk area that provides a transition between a street and a driveway for the purpose of providing ingress and/or egress to an adjacent property.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
DEVELOPER
Any landowner, agent of such landowner, or tenant with the permission of such landowner, who makes or causes to be made a subdivision of land or a land development.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The provisions for development, including a planned residential development, a plat of subdivision, all covenants relating to use, location and bulk of buildings and other structures, intensity of use or density of development, streets, ways and parking facilities, common open space and public facilities. The phrase "provisions of the development plan" when used in this chapter means the written and graphic materials referred to in this definition.
GRADE
The inclination, with the horizontal, or of a road, unimproved land, etc., that is generally expressed by stating the vertical rise or fall as a percentage of the horizontal distance.
GRADE PLAN
A map showing the horizontal and vertical geometry of existing and proposed curbs.
IMPROVED STREET
An existing street that conforms to the City's surface paving standards.
IMPROVEMENTS
Physical changes made to the raw land and structures placed on or under the land in order to improve the land for certain specified uses. Typical improvements would include grading, paving, curbs, buildings, gutters, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, water works, street name signs, shade trees, sodding, seeding, and monuments.
INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM
A septic tank, seepage tile sewage disposal system, or other approved sewage disposal system.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
A. 
A subdivision of land; or
B. 
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots, tracts, or parcels of land for any purpose involving:
(1) 
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
(2) 
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.
C. 
This "land development" definition expressly excludes all of the following:
(1) 
The conversion of an existing single-household detached or semi-detached dwelling into not more than three residential units, unless such units are intended to be a condominium.
(2) 
The addition of an accessory building subordinate to an existing principal building.
(3) 
The addition or conversion of buildings or rides within the confines of an enterprise that would be considered an amusement park. For purposes of this subclause, an amusement park is defined as a tract of area used principally as a location for permanent amusement structures or rides. This exclusion does not apply to newly acquired acreage by an amusement park until initial plans for the expanded area have been approved by applicable authorities.
LAND DEVELOPMENT, MAJOR
All land developments that do not meet the definition of a "minor land development."
LAND DEVELOPMENT, MINOR
A proposed single-lot, single-structure land development that will result in no more than 20,000 square feet of grading or land disturbance area or a net increase of no more than any of the following:
A. 
Twenty-five percent of the existing gross floor area of all buildings on the site;
B. 
Fifteen thousand square feet of gross floor area; or
C. 
Six dwelling units.
LOT
A designated parcel, tract or area of land established by a plat or otherwise as permitted by law and to be used, developed or built upon as a unit.
LOT, DOUBLE FRONTAGE
A lot having its front and rear yards each abutting on a street as defined herein.
MARKERS
A metal pipe or pin of at least 3/4 inch and at least 30 inches in length, set at all points where lot line intersect curves, at all angles in property lines of lots and all other lot corners.
MASTER (OR COMPREHENSIVE) PLAN
A comprehensive plan composed of the mapped and written proposals recommending the physical development of the City that has been duly adopted by the Planning Commission.
MONUMENT
A stone or concrete monument with a flat top at least four inches in diameter or square containing a brass dowel (plug) that establishes a point of intersection that is at least 30 inches in length located at the intersections of all lines forming angles in the boundary of the land development or at the beginning and ending of all curves and street intersections along street property lines.
OFFICIAL MAP
A map showing existing and proposed streets approved by the Planning Commission and adopted by City Council. Such a map is deemed to be conclusive with respect to the location, width, and size of the streets, public parks, and playgrounds.
ORDINARY HIGH WATER MARK
The line on a shoreline established by the fluctuations of water and indicated by physical characteristics such as clear, natural line impressed on the bank, shelving, changes in the character of soil, destruction of terrestrial vegetation, the presence of litter and debris, or other appropriate means that consider the characteristics of the surrounding areas. Per 33 CFR 328.3(e) federal regulations.
OWNER
Any individual, firm, association, syndicate, co-partnership or corporation having sufficient proprietary interest in the land to be developed to commence and maintain proceeding to develop the same under these regulations. The legal or beneficial owner or owners of land 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 is authorized under the lease to exercise the rights of the landowner, or other person having a proprietary interest in land.
PLANNING COMMISSION
The Allentown City Planning Commission (ACPC).
PLANNING DIRECTOR
The Planning Director of the City of Allentown.
PLAT
A map representing a tract of land, showing the boundaries and location of individual properties and streets.
PRELIMINARY PLAN
The preliminary drawing or drawings, described herein, indicating the proposed manner or layout of the land development to be submitted to the Planning Commission for approval.
RECORD PLAN
The copy of a final plan that is intended to be recorded with the County Recorder of Deeds.
REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission of Lehigh and Northampton Counties.
REVERSE FRONTAGE LOTS
A lot between and having frontage on two generally parallel streets, with vehicular access solely from one street.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
The width of a strip of land between property lines set aside for public use or ownership as a street, alley, crosswalk, easement, or other facility.
SAME OWNERSHIP
Ownership by the same person, corporation, firm, entity, partnership, or unincorporated association, or ownership by different corporations, firms, partnerships, or unincorporated associations, in which a stockholder, partner, or associate or a member of his family owns an interest in each corporation, firm, entity, partnership, or unincorporated association.
SECURITY
A legal instrument under which one party agrees to answer to the City for the debt, default, or failure to perform of the developer.
SHADE TREE
Includes all trees, shrubs, and woody vegetation in the public right-of-way.
SKETCH PLAN
A sketch preparatory to the preparation of the preliminary plan (or final plan in the case of minor land developments) to enable the developer to save time and expense in reaching general agreement with reviewers about the form of the plan and the objectives of these regulations.
SLOPE
Ratio of horizontal to vertical.
STREET COLLECTOR
Providing for traffic movement between arterial and minor local streets, and direct access to abutting property.
STREET, ARTERIAL
Providing for large volumes of through traffic movement between areas and across the City, and direct access to abutting property subject to necessary control of entrances, exits, and curb use.
STREET, CUL-DE-SAC
A local street with only one outlet and having an appropriate terminal for the safe and convenient reversal of traffic movement.
STREET, LOCAL
Providing for local traffic movement and direct access to abutting property.
STREET, PERIMETER
Any existing street to which the parcel of land to be developed abuts on only one side.
STREET, PRIVATE
Any street or road not dedicated for public use.
STREET, SERVICE
A minor right-of-way providing secondary access to the side or rear of two or more properties for public use.
STREETS, MARGINAL ACCESS
A minor street that is parallel to or adjacent to an arterial street that provides access to abutting property by reducing the number of access points to the arterial street.
STREETS, PUBLIC
A right-of-way dedicated to the public for the movement of traffic with space for utilities and providing access to abutting properties.
SUBDIVIDER
Any individual, firm, association, syndicate, co-partnership or corporation, trust or any other legal entity commencing proceedings under these regulations to effect a subdivision of land hereunder for himself or another.
SUBDIVISION
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; provided, however, that 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.
SUBDIVISION, MAJOR
All subdivisions not classified as minor subdivisions, including but not limited to the subdivision of five or more lots, or any size subdivision requiring any new street, extension of municipal facilities, or the creation of any public improvements.
SUBDIVISION, MINOR
Any subdivision creating a net increase of no more than four lots all of which have frontage on an existing opened street or road and that does not involve the substantial extension of municipal facilities and not adversely affecting the remainder of the parcel or adjoining property, and not in conflict with any provision or portion of the Master Plan, Official Map, zoning ordinances, or this chapter.
SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED
Where, in the judgment of the City Engineer, at least 90% (based on the cost) of the required improvements for which financial security was posted have been completed in accordance with the approved plan, so that the project will be able to be used, occupied or operated for its intended use.
WATERCOURSE
Rivers, creeks, stream channels, ditches, drains, dry runs, and springs.
WATERWAY, MAJOR
Major waterways include the Lehigh River, Lehigh Coal and Navigation Canal (D+L), Jordan Creek, Cedar Creek, Trout Creek, Little Lehigh Creek, Little Cedar Creek, Lake Muhlenberg, and Joseph S. Daddona Lake.
WATERWAY, MINOR
Waterways, whether navigable or not, including creeks, brooks, ponds, lagoons, rivers, lakes, and other unnamed, minor waterways, not including those waterways designated as major waterways.