[Amended 8-13-2007 by Ord. No. 640]
A. General requirements.
(1) The owners and/or developers of all subdivisions containing
five or more lots and/or land developments containing structures totaling
13,000 square feet in size, hereafter approved or constructed in the
Township of Exeter, within which subdivisions or land developments
there is no public water available, or the public water fails to meet
the requirements of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
for adequate fire protection, shall construct within such subdivisions
or land developments fire protection cisterns in conformity with the
provisions of this article and with Standard Drawing No. 101349 or
approved equal.
(2) Any further resubdivisions resulting in a total of
five or more lots, which include any lots from the original subdivision,
or any further land developments resulting in a total of 13,000 square
feet in size at the same location shall constitute cause for installation
of a fire cistern(s).
(3) Said owners and/or developers shall include all such
fire protection cisterns required as improvements covered by their
improvements agreements for such subdivisions and/or land developments,
providing the necessary security for the construction thereof. Upon
the construction of such subdivisions and/or land developments the
fire protection cisterns required shall be installed prior to the
issuing by the Township of any building permits for other structures
therein.
(4) Standard Drawing No. 101349 is hereto attached and
made a part of the within article.
B. Cisterns shall be located no more than 1,000 feet
fire truck travel distance from nearest lot line of the furthermost
lot. In addition, cisterns shall be located at two-thousand-foot intervals,
measured along streets or roadways. Each cistern shall be sited and
located on the final subdivision or land development plans for approval
by the Township.
C. In instances where adjoining existing subdivision or land development contains a fire protection cistern meeting the distance requirements outlined in Subsection
B for the proposed subdivision and/or land development, the Township may waive the cistern requirement.
D. The design of the cistern shall be submitted to the
Township for approval prior to construction. A minimum of two sets
of design plans, sealed and signed by a registered professional engineer,
shall be submitted.
E. All construction work done pursuant to the provisions
of this article shall be observed and approved by the Township Engineer
and Township Fire Marshal.
F. Lines and grades shall be approved on recorded plans
of subdivisions and/or land developments or other such plans as may
be approved by the Township Engineer. The cost for establishing such
lines and grades shall be paid by the subdivider.
G. In the case that the Township Engineer finds that
the ground condition and/or rock condition beneath a fire protection
cistern area provides sufficient stability so that part or all of
the subbase requirements may be waived, modified or charged and still
comply with generally recognized, sound engineering principles, after
appropriate tests have been taken, subbase requirements may be so
waived, modified or changed by the Township Engineer.
H. In appropriate locations, the Township Fire Marshal
may approve a pond with dry hydrant system in lieu of an underground
fire cistern.
All trees, roots, stumps, down timber, rotten
wood, rubbish and any other objectionable material shall be removed
from the site, including the removal of any obstruction interfering
with the proposed cistern construction, for the full right-of-way
area, or as approved by the Township Engineer.
Since cistern standard specifications of the
Township from time to time may change, the Board of Supervisors of
the Township reserves the right, as deemed necessary to assure proper
new cistern construction, to amend and modify, by resolution of said
Board, said cistern standard specifications. Public notice of such
resolution shall be given and a written copy thereof shall be attached
and become a part of the within article.
Notwithstanding anything hereinabove set forth, whenever the provisions of this article shall be inconsistent with Chapter
330, Subdivision and Land Development, of the Code of the Township of Exeter, and the provisions of said ordinance are more restrictive or contain more stringent requirements than set forth in the within article, the provisions of said Chapter
330, Subdivision and Land Development, shall prevail and be applicable.