[1]
Editor’s Note: This article was retitled from "Required Improvements; Community Sewage and Water Systems” to "Required Improvements; Community Water Systems” 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 02-2016.
The applicant shall construct all streets, together with all other improvements, including grading, paving, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street lights, fire hydrants, water mains, street signs, shade trees, storm drainage facilities, sanitary sewers, landscaping, traffic control devices, open space and restricted areas, and erosion and sediment control measures in conformance with the final plan as approved, the applicable provisions of the PennDOT Specifications, Form 408, dated 1983, or the latest revision thereto, and other applicable regulations.
A. 
The construction or installation of all improvements shall at all times be subject to inspection by the Township Engineer or his designate. If such inspection reveals that work is not in accordance with approved plans and specifications, that construction is not being done in a workmanlike manner, or that erosion or sediment controls are failing to prevent accelerated erosion or waterborne sediment from leaving the site of construction, the Township is empowered to require corrections to be made and/or the suspension of subdivision approval, and to issue a cease-and-desist order which may include any or all of the following sanctions:
(1) 
That no lot in the subdivision shall be conveyed or placed under agreement of sale;
(2) 
That all construction on any lots for which a building permit has been issued shall cease; and/or
(3) 
That no further building permits for any lots shall be issued.
B. 
The said cease-and-desist order shall be terminated upon determination by the Township that the said defects or deviations from plan requirements have been corrected.
C. 
No underground pipes, structures, subgrades, or base course shall be covered until inspected and approved by the Township. A minimum of seven inspections by the Township Engineer or his designate shall be required. These inspections shall be effected in accordance with § 130-66A, above, and shall occur at the following intervals and/or as unknown existing subsurface conditions are uncovered:
(1) 
Upon completion of rough grading, but prior to placing topsoil, installing permanent drainage or other site improvements, or establishing covers. Where unsuitable conditions not previously known are uncovered which may affect the integrity of the facility, a remedial plan must be prepared prior to any further work.
(2) 
Upon excavation and completion of subgrade.
(3) 
Upon excavation, installation, and completion of drainage structures, community sewage systems, or water supply systems.
(4) 
Before placing stone base course, or before initial layer of screenings.
(5) 
Before binder course.
(6) 
Before wearing course.
(7) 
Final inspection.
D. 
The developer shall notify the Township Engineer or his designate at least 24 hours in advance of completion of any construction operations requiring an inspection.
E. 
The Township Engineer is authorized, at his sole discretion, to waive any of the otherwise required inspections stipulated in § 130-66C, or to combine inspection steps, as he deems it appropriate in relation to the amount of disturbance and nature of public improvements at a given site.
A. 
When the developer has completed all of the necessary and appropriate improvements, he shall notify the Board, in writing, by certified or registered mail, of the completion of the aforesaid improvements and shall send a copy thereof to the Township Engineer. The Board shall, within 10 days after receipt of such notice, direct and authorize the Township Engineer or his designate to inspect all of the aforesaid improvements. The Township Engineer shall, thereupon, file a report, in writing, with the Board, and shall promptly mail a copy of the same to the developer by certified mail. The report shall be made and mailed within 30 days after receipt by the Township Engineer of the aforesaid authorization from the Board; said report shall be detailed and shall indicate approval or rejection of said improvements, either in whole or in part. If said improvements, or any portion thereof, shall not be approved or shall be rejected by the Township Engineer, said report shall contain a statement of reasons for such nonapproval or rejection.
B. 
Approval of improvements shall not be given until all construction debris has been removed from the site; no such debris shall be buried, burned, or otherwise disposed of on the site.
C. 
The Board shall notify the developer, within 15 days of receipt of the Township Engineer's report, in writing, by certified mail of the action of the Board with regard to approval, nonapproval, or rejection of improvements.
D. 
If any portion of the said improvements shall not be approved or shall be rejected by the Board, the developer shall proceed to complete those improvements and, upon completion, the same procedure of notification as outlined herein shall be followed.
E. 
The developer shall be responsible for maintenance of all subdivision or land development improvements until such improvements are offered for dedication and are accepted by the Township. In addition, 10% of the performance guarantee shall be held back by the Township until the developer has posted a maintenance guarantee as provided for in § 130-70 and until as-built plans are verified and accepted by the Township.
F. 
Partial releases of the performance guarantee during the period of construction shall be authorized as per § 130-19J.
[Amended 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 02-2016]
Within 30 days after completion and Township approval of subdivision or land development improvements as shown on final plans, and before Township acceptance of any such improvements, the developer shall submit to the Board of Supervisors a corrected copy of said plans showing actual dimensions and conditions of streets and all other improvements, certified by a professional engineer to be in accordance with actual construction.
A. 
Upon completion of any public improvements shown on an approved final plan and within 90 days after approval of such public improvements as herein provided, the developer shall submit written offer of such public improvements for dedication to the Township. Said offer shall include a deed of dedication covering said public improvements together with satisfactory proof establishing the developer's clear title to said property. Such documents are to be filed with the Township Secretary for review by the Township Solicitor. Deeds of dedication for public improvements may be accepted by resolution of the Board at a regular meeting thereof. The Board may require that at least 75% of the lots in any approved subdivision or land development (or phase thereof, if final plan approval has been in phases) have certificates of occupancy issued for buildings thereon prior to acceptance of dedication. Should the streets, even though constructed according to the specifications of this chapter, deteriorate before the said 75% of the lots have certificates of occupancy issued, such streets shall be repaired, in a manner as described immediately below, before being accepted by the Township.
B. 
Where it appears that the 75% occupancy rate will be extended more than a twelve-month period, the developer may delay placing the final wearing course until the 75% rate is attained. The developer will be responsible for all maintenance and repair of the roadway which will include, but not necessarily be limited to, pothole repair, cleaning, snow plowing, cindering, mowing, drainage maintenance, and removal of debris, in a manner acceptable to the Board. For certain maintenance functions such as snow plowing and cindering, the Board will require an escrow fund and maintenance agreement in order to assure the occupants of the undedicated street that it will be opened on a timely basis for emergency vehicles and general usage after a snowfall, during icing conditions, or any other form of blockage or emergency.
C. 
The Board may require that certain subdivision and land development improvements remain undedicated, with maintenance the responsibility of individual lot owners, a homeowners' association or similar entity, or an organization capable of carrying out maintenance responsibilities.
D. 
[1]Upon final inspection and approval by the Township of any sanitary sewage system, including community sewage systems and independent sewage treatment plants, said system shall be offered for dedication to the Township in its entirety, including collection lines, laterals, and rights-of-way and easements for said system, without charge to the Township. The Township, at its option, may accept dedication of the system but shall not be required to do so at any given time.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection D, providing that all extensions to the Township sanitary sewer system be owned and operated by the Township, was repealed 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 02-2016. This ordinance also redesignated former Subsection E as Subsection D.
A. 
Where the Board of Supervisors accepts dedication of all or some of the required improvements following completion (whether such dedication is of the fee or of an easement), the Board shall require the posting of financial security to secure the structural integrity of the improvements and the functioning of the improvements in accordance with the design and specifications as depicted on the final plan. The security shall be in the form as is authorized for the deposit of the performance guarantee, as described in § 130-19 hereof, shall be for the term of 18 months from the date of the acceptance of dedication, and shall be in an amount equal to 15% of the actual costs of installation of the improvements so dedicated.
B. 
Where maintenance of stormwater management facilities, private streets, trails, or other improvements is to be the responsibility of individual lot owners, a homeowners' association or similar entity, or an organization capable of carrying out maintenance responsibilities, the Board shall require that maintenance responsibilities be set forth in recorded perpetual covenants or deed restrictions binding on the landowners' successors in interest, and may further require that an initial maintenance fund be established in a reasonable amount.
[Amended 9-25-2006 by Ord. No. 1-06]
[Amended 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 02-2016]
A. 
In the event that a community water system will not be accepted for dedication by a private, approved company, a homeowners’ association consisting of the residents of the community or development served by the community system shall be formed by the applicant and placed into operation to take ownership of and be responsible for the operation of said community system. The organization of such a homeowners’ association shall be subject to the review and approval of the Township, but at a minimum shall provide for:
(1) 
Continuing operation of all facilities related to the water system, including water mains, valves, hydrants, and service connections, and to continue to operate and maintain in good order such facilities, making such replacements as are required, and providing potable water.
(2) 
The establishment of an operating budget to provide sufficient funds for the proper operation of the community systems, including the accumulation of funds necessary to provide for replacement of portions of the systems on a schedule to be determined by the applicant or the homeowners' association and approved by the Township.
(3) 
The collection of such fees and other charges as are appropriate and sufficient to maintain the community systems and to provide for the replacement of the various elements of the water supply and distribution system that may be required. The homeowners’ association, in its formulation, shall be given the right to lien properties to collect the appropriate fees.
(4) 
The inspection and proper operation of the facilities and the submission of required reports to the Township and to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
B. 
In the event that an independent sewage treatment plant is not to be accepted and operated by the Township, the name of the person, partnership, corporation or other entity designated to own and operate the facility shall be submitted to and approved by Londonderry Township. This submission shall include the name of the person or persons responsible for overseeing the daily operation of the sewage treatment plant as well as the responsible person within the owning organization. This report of names shall be updated annually.
A. 
Before completion and dedication of a community water system by the developer or applicant to the Township, to a private, approved company, or to a homeowners’ association, as applicable and permitted by this chapter, the applicant shall deliver to the Township a maintenance, operating, and inspection plan which will consist of and include the following:
[Amended 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 02-2016]
(1) 
An as-built plan of all facilities constructed, including water supply and distribution lines and elements of the system designed to provide for monitoring of the operation. Such a plan shall include the physical parts involved and a description of their function and operation, including copies of the operating manuals.
(2) 
A list of all reports required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, including a description of the report and a copy of the reporting form and a listing of the frequency of submission of the reports required. Upon review of this information, the Township may require the submission of such additional reports as are deemed necessary to assure the proper operation and functioning of the system.
(3) 
A recommended schedule of inspections and duties required by a qualified operator, including a description of the purpose and extent of frequency of such inspections and duties. In preparing such a schedule, care should be exercised in defining the scope of duties of the operator to provide that the system is adequately checked to determine its proper operation and that such duties are performed as are required for the regular maintenance of all equipment and other elements of the system.
(4) 
A recommended budget for the operation and maintenance of the system, including a schedule of replacement of the various elements of the system, their estimated cost, and the amounts of money to be set aside in each operating year to provide for replacement.
B. 
Operators shall be licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as an operator of the class required to operate a treatment plant of equivalent complexity.
[Amended 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 02-2016]
Where a community water system is owned and operated by a private, approved company or a homeowners’ association, as applicable and permitted by this chapter, the Township shall have the right to conduct such regular and recurring inspections as may be required to assure that the system is being properly operated and maintained. The scope of such inspections shall be established for such system depending upon the type and complexity of the proposed system, and shall be consistent with the terms of this chapter. For this purpose, the Township shall appoint an inspector, which inspector may be a person or company or firm skilled and, where appropriate, licensed in the construction and operation of water systems. The cost of such inspection shall be borne by the party owning and operating the system.
The homeowners' association owning and operating a community system shall, upon formulation of its annual budget, submit a copy of such budget to the Secretary of the Township for approval by the Board of Supervisors. The budget shall include, among other things:
A. 
The anticipated fees per household, or other connection, to be collected by the homeowners' association.
B. 
The total income anticipated.
C. 
A breakdown of estimated operating and maintenance costs.
D. 
The addition to, payment anticipated from, and balances in accounts set aside for replacement of various elements of the sewage collection and treatment system or water supply and distribution facilities.
[Amended 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 02-2016]
The Township may accept any community water system at any time that the Board deems it to be in the public interest to do so, in which case the operation and maintenance responsibilities of the owners shall cease. In such a case, the Township will establish an independent water district and establish rates sufficient to provide for all of the operating, maintenance, and replacement requirements of the system. The collection of said rates shall be in accordance with the terms of ordinances to be adopted.
[Amended 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 02-2016]
The installation, operation, maintenance, and replacement of any on-lot disposal system shall be in compliance with the terms of Chapter 112, Sewage, Article II, On-Lot Sewage Management Program, of the Londonderry Township Code.