The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced
by the Zoning Officer with the aid of the Police Department and other
municipal agencies. The Zoning Officer shall be appointed at the first
meeting of the Township Board of Supervisors following the adoption
of the chapter, to serve until the first Monday of January next following,
and shall thereafter be appointed annually to serve a term of one
year and/or until his successor is appointed. The Zoning Officer may
succeed himself. He shall receive such compensation as the governing
body by resolution shall provide.
It shall be the duty of the Zoning Officer,
and he shall have power to:
A.Â
Keep a permanent record of all plans and applications
for permits and all permits issued, with notations as to special conditions
attached thereto. All records shall be open for public inspection
and shall be the property of the Township.
B.Â
Review applications for zoning permits for erections
or alterations of structures or changes of use, determine whether
such construction or use is in accordance with the general requirements
of this chapter, all other applicable ordinances and with the laws
and regulations of the commonwealth.
C.Â
Conduct inspections and surveys to determine compliance
or noncompliance with the terms of this chapter. In carrying out such
surveys, the Zoning Officer or his representative may enter upon any
land or building.
D.Â
Make written orders requiring compliance with the
provisions of this chapter to be served personally or by registered
mail.
E.Â
Institute proceedings in courts of proper jurisdiction
for the enforcement of provisions of this chapter.
F.Â
Maintain a map showing the current zoning classification
of all land.
G.Â
Maintain a map and register showing the registration,
identification, location and type of all nonconforming use.
H.Â
Participate in all proceedings before the Zoning Hearing
Board, present facts and information to assist the Board in reaching
a decision, resist and oppose any deviations from the standard provisions
of this chapter and have decisions of the Board reviewed in a court
of proper jurisdiction when, in the judgment of the Zoning Officer,
such review is desirable.
Hereafter, no use listed herein may be established
or changed; no structure shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed,
altered, razed or removed; and no building used or occupied, or changed
in use, until a zoning permit has been secured from the Zoning Officer.
Upon completion of changes in use or construction, reconstruction,
alteration or moving of structures, the applicant shall notify the
Zoning Officer of such completion. No permit shall be considered as
complete or as permanently effective until the Zoning Officer has
noted on the permit that the work or occupancy and use have been inspected
and approved as being in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
A.Â
All applications for zoning permits shall be made
in writing by the owner, tenant, vendee under contract of sale or
authorized agent on a form supplied by the Township, and shall be
filed with the Zoning Officer. The application shall include four
copies of the following information:
(1)Â
A statement as to the proposed use(s) of the
building or land.
(2)Â
A site layout drawn to scale showing the location,
dimensions and height of proposed buildings, structures or uses and
any existing buildings in relation to property and street lines. If
the application relates to property scheduled to be developed in successive
stages, such plans shall show the relationship of the portion scheduled
for initial development to the proposed layout of the entire property.
(3)Â
The location, dimensions and arrangements of
all open space, yards and buffer yards, including methods to be employed
for screening.
(4)Â
The location, size, arrangement and capacity
of all areas to be used for motor vehicle access, off-street parking,
off-street loading and unloading and provisions to be made for lighting
such areas.
(5)Â
The dimensions, location and methods of illumination
for signs, if applicable.
(6)Â
The location and dimensions of sidewalks and
all other areas to be devoted to pedestrian use.
(7)Â
Provisions to be made for treatment and disposal
of sewage and industrial wastes, water supply and storm drainage.
(8)Â
The capacity and arrangement of all buildings
used or intended to be used for dwelling purposes, including the proposed
density in terms of number of dwelling units per acre of land.
(9)Â
A description of any proposed industrial or
commercial operations in sufficient detail to indicate effects of
those operations in producing noise, glare, air pollution, water pollution,
fire hazards, traffic congestion or other safety hazards.
(10)Â
Description of methods to be employed in controlling
any excess noise, air pollution, smoke, fumes, water pollution, fire
hazards or other safety hazards.
(11)Â
Steep slope calculations.
[Added 9-18-1986 by Ord. No. 537]
(12)Â
Any other data deemed necessary by the Zoning
Officer to enable him to determine the compliance of the proposed
development with the terms of this chapter.
[Amended 9-18-1986 by Ord. No. 537]
B.Â
No permit for any new use or construction which will
involve the on-site disposal of sewage or waste, and no permit for
a change in use or an alteration which will result in an increased
volume of sewage or waste to be disposed of on the site, shall be
issued until a certificate of approval has been issued by the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Resources and conforms to all applicable
Township regulations.
C.Â
Nonresidential zoning permit applications, with the
exception of permits for repairs, shall be referred to the Whitemarsh
Township Planning Commission for review and comment prior to the issuance
of said permits.
[Amended 2-23-1984 by Ord. No. 485]
Any erection, construction, reconstruction,
alteration or moving of a building or other structure, including a
sign authorized by a zoning permit, shall be commenced, and any change
in use of a building or land authorized by a zoning permit shall be
undertaken, within one year after the date of issuance of the permit.
If not, the permit shall be considered null and void. However, in
case of erection or construction of a building, the right to proceed
with construction may be extended annually without additional fees
for an aggregate period of not more than three years, provided that
the construction pursuant to said permit has commenced within the
first one-year period.
A.Â
Hereafter, no structure erected, constructed, reconstructed,
altered, extended or moved, and no land or building changed in use,
ownership or tenancy under a zoning permit, shall be occupied or used
in whole or in part for any use whatsoever, until the owner and authorized
agent has been issued a certificate of occupancy by the Zoning Officer,
indicating that the building or use complies with the terms of zoning
as provided in this chapter.
B.Â
No certificate shall be issued until the premises
in question has been inspected and found by the Zoning Officer to
be in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance.
C.Â
The issuance of a certificate of occupancy in no way
absolves the owner or authorized agent from compliance with the intent
of this chapter.
[Amended 8-23-1990 by Ord. No. 604]
Appeals to the Board may be taken by any landowner,
developer or person affected by any decision of the Zoning Officer.
Such appeal shall be taken within the time limitations established
by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended, by filing
a notice of appeal with the Board, specifying the grounds thereof.
The applicant for a permit shall, at time of
making the application, pay to the Zoning Officer for the use by cash
payments to the Township in accordance with a fee schedule adopted
by resolution of the Board of Supervisors upon the enactment of this
chapter or as such schedule may be amended by resolution of the Board
of Supervisors.