[Ord. 737, 1/19/2017]
1.
Applicants proposing regulated activities in Warminster Township that do not fall under the exemption criteria shown in § 19-104 shall submit an application for an earth disturbance permit (permit), including an erosion and sediment control plan and a stormwater management control plan, to Warminster Township for review.
2.
Every applicant for a permit shall file a written application with
the Township Department of Licenses and Inspections. Such application
shall be provided to the municipality and, at a minimum, shall:
A.
Describe the land on which the proposed work is to be done, by lot,
block, tract or street address or a similar description which will
readily identify and definitely locate the proposed work.
B.
State the estimated dates for the starting and completion of the
grading work.
C.
State the purpose for which the grading application is filed.
D.
Be accompanied by three copies of an erosion and sediment control
plan and specifications as required by Part 4.
E.
Provide evidence of any necessary permit(s) for regulated earth disturbance
activities from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
regional office or the Bucks County Conservation District.
F.
Contain signatures of all parties on the application, including the
engineer/surveyor who prepared the plan, the owner of the tract, and
the applicant.
4.
No person shall commence or perform any grading, excavation, fill,
topsoil removal, or removal of vegetative cover without first having
obtained an approved permit from the Department of Licenses and Inspections
or its duly authorized agents. A separate permit shall be required
for each qualifying site. One permit may cover both an excavation
and any fill made on the same qualifying site.
5.
For tracts and qualifying tracts, no changes shall be made in the
contour of the land and no grading, excavating, removal or destruction
of the topsoil, trees or other vegetative cover of the land shall
be commenced until such time that the permit has been approved by
the Department of Licenses and Inspections or its duly authorized
agents.
6.
Whenever the vegetation and topography are to be disturbed, such
activity and measures used to control erosion and reduce sedimentation
shall, as a minimum, meet the standards and specifications in conformance
with Chapter 102, Erosion and Sediment Control, of Title 25, Rules
and Regulations, Part I, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department
of Environmental Protection, Subpart C, Protection of Natural Resources,
Article II, Water Resources, of the Pennsylvania Code and be in accordance
with the DEP Bureau of Soil and Water Conservation and Bucks County
Conservation District policies and the standards and specifications
of the appropriate municipal government.
7.
In addition to the permit required by the Township, it is the applicant's
responsibility to determine the need for review and approval from
other local, county, state and federal agencies, including but not
limited to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) and the Bucks County Conservation District (BCCD).
[Ord. 737, 1/19/2017]
1.
The following measures are effective in minimizing erosion and sedimentation
and shall be included where applicable in the control plan:
A.
Stripping of vegetation, regrading or other development shall be
done in such a way that will minimize erosion.
B.
Plans shall preserve salient natural features, keep cut and fill
operations to a minimum, and ensure conformity with topography so
as to create the least erosion potential and adequately handle the
volume and velocity of surface runoff.
C.
Whenever feasible, natural vegetation shall be retained, protected
and supplemented.
D.
The disturbed area and the duration of exposure shall be kept to
a practical minimum.
E.
Disturbed soils shall be stabilized as quickly as practicable.
F.
Temporary vegetation and/or mulching shall be used to protect exposed
critical areas during earth disturbance activities.
G.
The permanent (final) vegetation and structural erosion control and
drainage measures shall be installed as soon as practical in the sequence
of construction.
H.
Sediment in the runoff water shall be trapped until the disturbed
area is stabilized by the use of debris drains, sediment basins, silt
traps, or similar measures.
I.
On all areas to be paved, the base shall be installed immediately
upon final grading of the road.
J.
Use culverts when crossing streams with grading equipment.
K.
Keep dust within tolerable limits by sprinkling or by the use of
dust-suppressing chemicals, such as calcium chloride.
2.
The design and installation of the required erosion and sediment
control measures shall be in accordance with the standard specifications
of the Warminster Township Manual of Specifications and Design Standards,
Bucks County Conservation District, and the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection.
3.
Whenever erosion or sedimentation is caused by an earth disturbance
activity, it shall be the responsibility of the applicant causing
such activity to remove any and all sediment from all adjoining surfaces,
drainage systems and watercourses and to repair any damage, at his
expense, as quickly as possible.
4.
The applicant shall be responsible to provide and install, at the
applicant's expense, all drainage and erosion control improvements
(temporary and permanent) as required by the erosion and sediment
control plan, stormwater management control plan, and permit.
[Ord. 737, 1/19/2017]
1.
Provisions shall be made to effectively accommodate the increased runoff caused by changed soil and surface conditions during and after earth disturbance activities. Stormwater shall be subject to the requirements of Chapter 26, Water and Stormwater Management, and/or the Pennypack Creek Watershed Act 167 Stormwater Management Ordinance, as applicable.
3.
No person, corporation, or other entity shall block, impede the flow
of, alter or construct any structure or deposit any material or thing
or commit any act which will affect the normal or flood flow of any
communal stream or watercourse without having obtained prior approval
from the Township or, when necessary, the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection.
A.
It is the responsibility of any person, corporation or other entity
doing any act on or across a common stream, watercourse or swale,
or upon the floodplain or right-of-way thereof, to maintain, as nearly
as possible, in its present state, the stream, watercourse, swale,
floodplain or right-of-way during the activity and to return it to
its original or equal condition after such activity is completed.
[Ord. 737, 1/19/2017]
In order to provide more suitable sites for building and other uses, to improve surface drainage, and to control erosion, grading shall be completed in accordance with § 22-518 of Chapter 22, Subdivision and Land Development, of the Code of the Township of Warminster and the Bucks County Conservation District standards.
[Ord. 737, 1/19/2017]
The permanent removal of topsoil from any parcel of land shall
be prohibited, except as follows:
A.
During actual construction on the qualified site, the portion of
topsoil present which covers an area to be occupied by permanent structures
or other permanently located impervious surfaces or ponds and lakes
may be considered excess, as determined by the Department of Licenses
and Inspections or its duly authorized agents, and may be removed
by the owner.
B.
During regrading operations conducted on the qualified site, whether
or not carried on in conjunction with on-site construction, excess
topsoil remaining after restoring proper topsoil cover to the areas
of the qualified site upon which earth disturbance activities were
conducted, as determined by the Department of Licenses and Inspections
or its duly authorized agents, may be removed by the owner.
[Ord. 737, 1/19/2017]
In order to maintain the supply of natural vegetation, prevent erosion of the topsoil on the site and surrounding properties, foster the retention of groundwater supply, and generally attempt to maintain the ecological balance in the Township, the requirements of Chapter 25, Part 1, Trees, of the Code of the Township of Warminster shall be met.
