[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of East Bradford 4-13-2004 by Ord. No. 2-2004.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Soil erosion and sediment control — See Ch. 90.
Subdivision and land development — See Ch. 95.
Zoning — See Ch. 115.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed
former Ch. 45, Building Construction, adopted 10-11-1994 by Ord. No.
156-1994, as amended.
East Bradford Township hereby elects to administer
and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act,
Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. §§ 7210.101 through 7210.1103,
as amended from time to time, and its regulations.
The Uniform Construction Code, contained in
34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time,
is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal
building code of East Bradford Township.
A.
All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances
which are in effect as of the effective date of this chapter and whose
requirements are less then the minimum requirements of the Code are
hereby amended to conform with the comparable provisions of the Code.
B.
All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies
of East Bradford Township not governed by the Code shall remain in
full force and effect.
C.
All construction performed pursuant to this chapter shall comply with applicable design standards in Chapter 95, Subdivision and Land Development.
[Added 8-10-2010 by Ord. No. 2-2010]
D.
The 2015 International Fire Code, including Appendix D, Fire Apparatus
Access Roads, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and
incorporated herein by reference as part of the Municipal Code of
East Bradford Township.
[Added 6-9-2020 by Ord.
No. 02-2020]
Administration and enforcement of the Code within
East Bradford Township shall be undertaken in any of the following
ways as determined by the Board of Supervisors of East Bradford Township
from time to time:
A.
By the designation of an employee of East Bradford
Township to serve as the East Bradford Township code official to act
on behalf of East Bradford Township;
B.
By the retention of one or more construction code
officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of East Bradford
Township;
C.
By agreement with one or more other municipalities
for the joint administration and enforcement of this Act through an
intermunicipal agreement;
D.
By entering into a contract with another municipality
for the administration and enforcement of this Act on behalf of East
Bradford Township;
E.
By entering into an agreement with the Pennsylvania
Department of Labor and Industry for plan review, inspections and
enforcement of structures other than one-family or two-family dwelling
units and utility and miscellaneous use structures.
A Board of Appeals shall be established by resolution
of the East Bradford Township in conformity with the requirements
of the relevant provisions of the Code, as amended from time to time,
and for the purposes set forth therein. If at any time enforcement
and administration is undertaken jointly with one or more other municipalities,
said Board of Appeals shall be established by joint action of the
participating municipalities.
All building code ordinances or portions of
ordinances which were adopted by East Bradford Township on or before
July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code
shall continue in full force and effect until such time as such provisions
fail to equal or exceed the minimum requirements of the Code, as amended
from time to time. The following will continue in effect:
A.
Frost protection. Except when erected upon solid rock
or otherwise protected from frost, foundation walls, piers and other
permanent supports of all buildings and structures larger than 100
square feet in area or 10 feet in height shall extend below the frost
line of the locality, and spread footings of adequate size shall be
provided when necessary to properly distribute the load within the
allowable bearing value of the soil, or not available. Footings shall
not be founded on frozen soils. For purposes of this chapter, the
frost line shall be 36 inches below ground surface level.
B.
Plain concrete. Concrete footings for load-bearing
walls shall be of adequate dimensions to distribute the load and,
unless otherwise required by local conditions, shall be not less than
16 inches wide and eight inches thick. Footings shall also be at least
twice as wide as the wall they support.
C.
Foundation drainage. Foundation walls shall be drained
by the installation of four-inch perforated plastic pipe in crushed
stone, enveloped around the entire perimeter of below-grade cellars,
inside or outside of foundation wall. The invert of pipe should be
below cellar floor levels. Pipe should be extended to a sump pit in
the cellar or to grade where conditions permit.
D.
Bearing course. The bearing or top course of all hollow
masonry walls shall be solid. Grout-filled hollow masonry units may
be used.
Fees assessable by East Bradford Township for
the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this chapter
and the Code shall be established by East Bradford Township by resolution
from time to time.
There shall be no refunds of any fees for any
reason whatsoever once a permit has been issued without an express
waiver of the Board of Supervisors.
A permit application pursuant to this chapter shall not he considered complete and accepted by the Code Administrator unless and until all prerequisite approvals have been submitted as approved, including zoning pursuant to Chapter 115, soil erosion and sediment control permit pursuant to Chapter 90, as applicable, satisfaction of prerequisite agreements with East Bradford Township and any applicable jurisdictional requirements of local, state and federal agencies.
