[Amended 11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-17; 10-17-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-10]
The following site capacity calculations shall be submitted with all applications for subdivision or land development. Through these calculations, the net buildable site area, the maximum number of dwelling units, the maximum amount of impervious surfaces, and the required open space shall be determined.
A. 
Base site area. Calculate the base site area. From the total site area subtract future road rights-of-way: existing utility rights-of-way; land which is not contiguous or which is separated from the parcel by a road, railroad, or major stream which acts as a major barrier to common use; or land shown on previous subdivision or land development plans as reserved for open space.
Total site area
= _____ acres
 
- _____ acres
Base site area
= _____ acres
B. 
Land with resource restrictions and resource protection land. Calculate the land with resource restrictions and the resource protection land. In the event that two or more resources overlap, only the resource with the highest open space ratio shall be used in the calculations.
Resource
Open Space Ratio
Acres of Land in Resources
Resource Protection Land (Acres X Open Space Ratio)
Steep slopes:
 
 
 
15% - 25%
.70
 
 
25% or more
.85
 
 
Woodlands
 
 
 
No other resource
.50
 
 
With other resource
.80
 
 
Lakes and ponds
1.00
 
 
Lakeshore areas
.70
 
 
Pond shore areas
.80
 
 
Waters of the commonwealth
1.00
 
 
Wetlands
1.00
 
 
Wetland margins
.80
 
 
Land with resource restrictions
 
_____ acres
 
Resource protection land
 
 
_____ acres
C. 
Net buildable site area. Calculate the net buildable site area.
Base site area
_____ acres
Subtract resource protection land
- _____ acres
Net buildable site area
= _____ acres
D. 
Number of dwelling units. For districts or uses which specify a maximum density, calculate the maximum number of dwelling units. For residential districts or uses which do not specify a maximum density and for nonresidential uses, skip to Subsection E.
Net buildable site area
_____ acres
Multiply by maximum density
x _____ (See applicable district regulations.)
Number of dwelling units (do not round up)
= _____ dwelling units
E. 
Impervious surfaces. Calculate the maximum area of impervious surfaces.
Net buildable site area
_____ acres
Multiply by maximum impervious surface ratio
x _____ (See applicable district regulations.)
Impervious surfaces
= _____ acres
F. 
Site capacity summary.
Net buildable site area (c)
_____ acres
Maximum number of dwelling units (if applicable) (d)
_____ dwelling units
Maximum impervious surfaces (e)
_____ acres
[Amended 11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-17; 10-17-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-10]
All uses and activities established after the effective date of this chapter shall comply with the following standards. Site alterations, regarding, filling or clearing of any natural resources prior to the submission of applications for building permits or the submission of plans for subdivision or land development shall be a violation of this chapter. In the event that two or more resources overlap, the resource with the greatest protection standard (the least amount of alteration, regrading, clearing or building) shall apply to the area of overlap.
A. 
(Reserved)
B. 
(Reserved)
C. 
Steep slopes. In areas of steep slopes, the following standards shall apply:
(1) 
15% to 25%: No more than 30% of such areas shall be altered, regarded, cleared or built upon.
(2) 
25% or steeper: No more than 15% of such areas shall be altered, regraded, cleared or built upon.
(3) 
Areas of steep slope that are less than 3,000 square feet shall be exempt from these standards.
D. 
Woodlands. In areas containing woodlands, the following standards shall apply except as specifically provided for in § 205-16, Use D30 Forestry:
(1) 
No more than 50% of woodlands not associated with another environmentally sensitive resource shall be altered, regraded, cleared, or built upon. The remaining 80% shall be maintained as permanently preserved.
(2) 
No more than 20% of woodlands associated with another environmentally sensitive resource shall be altered, regraded, cleared or built upon. The remaining 80% shall be maintained as permanently preserved.
E. 
Tree protection zone. During construction such areas shall not be altered, regraded, compacted or built upon, nor used for storage or parking of vehicles.
F. 
Lakes, ponds and waters of the commonwealth. Such areas shall remain undisturbed and freeflowing. Such areas shall not be altered, regraded, filled, piped, diverted or built upon, except for minor road crossings where design approval is obtained from the Township and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and where no other reasonable access is available.
G. 
Lakeshore area. The shorelines of lakes, to a distance of 300 feet from the shorelines, shall contain no more than 10% impervious surfaces. At least 70% shall remain undeveloped and unaltered.
H. 
Pond shore area. The shorelines of ponds, to a distance of 100 feet from the shorelines, shall contain no more than 10% impervious surfaces. At least 80% shall remain undeveloped and unaltered.
I. 
Wetlands. The following standards shall apply to wetlands:
(1) 
Delineation of wetlands. When the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Maps indicate wetlands on a site or when a site contains hydric soils[1] or an area with a predominance of wetlands vegetation,[2] an on-site investigation shall be conducted to determine if wetlands are present on the site. A landowner or an applicant shall use one of the following methods to delineate wetlands:
(a) 
Wetland boundaries shall be delineated through an on-site assessment which shall be conducted by a professional soil scientist or others of demonstrated qualifications. Such a person shall certify that the methods used correctly reflect currently accepted technical concepts, including the presence of wetlands vegetation, hydric soils, and/or hydrologic indicators. A study shall be submitted with sufficient detail to allow a thorough review by the Township. The study must be approved by Council.
(b) 
A wetlands delineation validated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In the event that a wetlands delineation validated by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is shown to vary from a wetlands boundary derived from Subsection l(l)(a) above, the Corps delineation shall govern.
[1]
See § 205-11 for a list of hydric soils.
[2]
See Appendix A for a plant list of common wetland species found in Bucks County. These species are reliable indicators of wetlands when found dominating a site (e.g. comprising more than 50% of the vegetation).
(2) 
Wetlands of one acre or greater in size shall remain undeveloped. Such areas shall not be altered, regraded, filled, piped, diverted or built upon, except for minor road crossings where design approval is obtained from the Township, where state and federal permits have been obtained, and where no other reasonable access is available.
(3) 
Wetlands of less than one acre in size shall not be altered, regarded, filled, piped, diverted or built upon except where state and federal permits have been obtained.
J. 
Wetland margin. For wetlands of one acre or greater in size, a wetland margin shall be provided. The wetland margin shall extend 100 feet from the wetland boundary and to the limit of the hydric soils, whichever is less. At least 80% shall remain undisturbed in which no alteration, regrading, filling or development shall be permitted. In addition, any Department of Environmental Protections regulations (under Chapter 105) concerning activities in wetland margins shall be met.
K. 
Stormwater. The stormwater shall be managed in accordance with the Stormwater Management Regulations in Section 518 of the Bristol Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.[3]
[3]
Editor’s Note: See § 177-50 of Ch. 177, Subdivision and Land Development.
L. 
Soil erosion and sedimentation. All uses shall protect streams, lakes and ponds from sedimentation damage and control erosion in accordance with the Clean Streams Law P.L. 187, Chapter 102,[4] except that in addition, all subdivisions and land developments shall submit a soil erosion and sedimentation plan as part of the preliminary subdivision or land development plan. The required soil erosion and sedimentation plan shall be submitted to the Bucks County Conservation District.
[4]
Editor’s Note: See 53 P.S. § 45101 et seq.
M. 
Sewage disposal. All sewage disposal systems, regardless of type, shall meet the requirements and procedures of the current official sewage facilities plan in accordance with Act 537, the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act,[5] the Bucks County Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The applicant shall demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this section for all applications for building permits.
[5]
Editor’s Note: See 35 P.S. § 750.1et seq.
N. 
Permanent removal of topsoil. The permanent removal of topsoil from any parcel of land shall be prohibited, except as follows:
(1) 
During actual construction on premises, that portion of the topsoil present which covers an area to be occupied by permanent structures or permanently located materials of an impervious nature or ponds and lakes may be considered excess, and may be removed by the owner.
(2) 
During regrading operations conducted upon premises, whether or not carried on in conjunction with on-site construction, excess topsoil remaining after restoring a minimum compacted depth of four-inch topsoil cover to the art::as of the parcel upon which regarding operations were conducted may be removed by the owner.
O. 
Permanent removal of subsurface solids. The permanent removal of subsurface solids, whether soil, clay, or mineral in nature, for other than on-site construction or grading purposes shall be prohibited.
A. 
Buffering serves to soften the outline of buildings, to screen glare and noise, and to create a visual and/or physical barrier between conflicting land uses. Buffer yards are required between uses and along existing and proposed streets. The extent of buffering required shall be determined by the type of use proposed and the adjacent uses or streets surrounding the proposed development.
B. 
To determine the required buffer yard and planting schedule, a three-step procedure should be followed:
(1) 
Step 1, Site Analysis and Determination of Buffer Yard Class: For each property boundary, the applicant shall determine the adjacent land use. Land use information shall be determined by an on-site survey. Table 1 specifies the buffer yard class for each boundary.[1] The applicant shall match the proposed land use with the corresponding adjacent land use for each property boundary. The letter indicates the buffer yard class.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table 1 is included at the end of this chapter.
(2) 
Step 2, Selection of the Planting Option for the Buffer Yard Class: After determining the buffer yard class, the applicant shall select a planting option from Table 2.[2] For each buffer class, several planting options are available, one of which the applicant shall select to meet the buffer yard requirement for each boundary.
[2]
Editor's Note: Table 2 is included at the end of this chapter.
(3) 
Step 3, Selection of the Plant Materials From the Plant Materials List: For each planting option, any of the plant materials outlined in Table 3[3] may be utilized. Minimum plant size, given either in height or in caliper, is indicated on this table. Council may permit other plant types if they are hardy to the area, are not subject to blight or disease, and are of the same general character and growth habit as those listed in Table 3. All plant material shall meet the standards of the American Association of Nurserymen. The applicant shall not be required to provide a buffer yard should existing planting, topography, or man-made structures be deemed acceptable for screening purposes by Council or the Zoning Officer.
[3]
Editor's Note: Table 3 is included at the end of this chapter.
C. 
General requirements.
(1) 
Location of buffer yard.
(a) 
The buffer yard shall be measured from the property line or the near street line where a street serves as the property line. Where the property of a proposed use adjoins or abuts an existing paper street that has not been officially dedicated, the buffer yard shall be measured from the proposed near street line of the paper street.
(b) 
The buffer yard may overlap the required front, side or rear yards and, in case of conflict, the larger yard requirements shall apply.
(c) 
The buffer yard may be part of the lot area assigned to a dwelling unit; however, the portion of the lot area containing the buffer yard must be in addition to the required minimum lot area. A deed restriction shall be placed on the lot in accordance with § 205-141 of this chapter.
(d) 
No more than 30% of required open space area shall be located in the buffer yard.
(2) 
All buffer yards shall be maintained and kept clean of all debris, rubbish, weeds and tall grass.
(3) 
No structure, sign, manufacturing or processing activity, commercial activity, parking, or storage or display of materials shall be permitted in the buffer yard.
(4) 
Existing buffer: All existing deciduous and coniferous trees larger than two inches in caliper and/or six feet in height may be considered to contribute to the definition of an existing buffer on the property. If the amount of existing plant material that size or greater equals any of the planting requirements, the equivalent reduction of required plant material may be taken. In all cases, existing plant material of the above caliper and height shall be preserved in any buffer yard except where clearance is required to insure adequate sight distance. Any removal shall, where feasible, involve relocation rather than clearing.
(5) 
Plant materials shall be permanently maintained and any plant material which does not live shall be replaced.
(6) 
Planting design: It is encouraged that plant materials in buffer yards be planted in natural clusters that will give privacy but do not block views or vistas. The exception shall be commercial or industrial uses bordering residential uses. Here a dense, visual screen is required. Thus, plant material shall be at least four feet high when planted and be of such species as will ultimately produce a screen at least eight feet high.
(7) 
The plant material shall be so placed that at maturity it will be no closer than three feet from any property or street line.
(8) 
A clear sight triangle shall be maintained at all street intersections and at all points where private accessways intersect public streets in accordance with § 205-128.
(9) 
The screen planting shall be broken only at points of vehicular or pedestrian access.
(10) 
Prior to the issuance of any building permit, complete plans showing the arrangement of all buffer yards and the placement, species and size of all plant materials to be placed in such buffer yard shall be reviewed by the Zoning Officer to ascertain that the plans are in conformance with the terms of this chapter.
(11) 
All berms incorporated into the design of landscape planting for required buffer yards shall have slopes ratios of three horizontal to one vertical.
D. 
Special buffer yard requirements: The following requirements shall supersede the buffer yard requirements of Table 1: Determination of Buffer Yard Class.
(1) 
Buffer yard requirements along expressway and arterial streets.
(a) 
Where a residential use is proposed adjacent to an expressway or arterial street, a Class "C" buffer yard shall be provided.
(b) 
No screen planting shall be required along expressway or arterial streets provided that:
[1] 
The proposed use is nonresidential;
[2] 
No outdoor processing, manufacturing or commercial activity and no outdoor storage or display of material shall be so located as to be visible from the property across the expressway or arterial street; and
[3] 
The front of the building faces the expressway or arterial street.