Words and phrases in this chapter shall be used in their ordinary context unless such word or phrase is specifically defined in this section.
In this chapter, when not inconsistent with the context:
A. 
Words in the present tense imply also the future tense.
B. 
The singular includes the plural.
C. 
The term "shall" or "must" is always mandatory.
D. 
The words "used" and "occupied" shall be construed to include the words "or intended, arranged or designed to be used or to be occupied, or offered for occupancy."
E. 
The term "such as" shall be considered as introducing a typical or illustrative designation of items, and shall not be interpreted as constituting a complete list.
F. 
The words "person," "developer" and "owner" shall be deemed to include a corporation, unincorporated association and a partnership or other legal entity, as well as an individual.
G. 
The words "building" and "structure" shall be construed as if followed by the phrase "or part thereof."
H. 
If a term is undefined by this chapter, but is defined in Chapter 225, Zoning, then the definition of the term in Chapter 225 shall also apply to the term used in this chapter.
[Added 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
I. 
If a term is defined in this chapter, and is defined differently in other chapters of the Township Code, the definition of the term in this chapter shall be used as defined in this chapter.
[Added 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCESSORY USE
A use customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use and located on the same lot with such principal use. An accessory use may be a use of land, or a building or structure.
APPLICANT
A landowner or developer, including his or her heirs, successors and assigns, as hereinafter defined, who has filed an application for development.
BICYCLE PATH
A pathway usually separated from a street, designed specifically to satisfy the physical demands of bicycling.
BLOCK
An area bounded by streets.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
The duly elected Board of Supervisors of the Township of Derry, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
CANDELA
The unit of luminous intensity. One candela is defined as the luminous intensity of 1/600,000 square meter of projected area of a blackbody radiator operating at the temperature of solidification of platinum under a pressure of 101,325 newtons per square meter. Values of standards having other spectral distributions are derived by the use of accepted spectral luminous efficiency data for photopic vision.
CARBONATE GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
The carbonate geologic formations within the Township consisting of both limestone and dolomite bedrock. The specific carbonate geologic formations within the Township consist of the St. Paul Group; the undifferentiated Hershey/Myerstown Formation, the Annville Formation, the Ontelaunee Formations, the Epler Formation, the Stonehenge Formation and the Buffalo Spring Formation.
CARTWAY
That portion of a street which is improved for vehicular use.
COMMON DRIVEWAY
A driveway providing frontage for dwelling units in a cluster development or master plan development which is part of the common open space, and otherwise meets the requirements of Chapter 225, Zoning.
[Amended 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The adopted Township of Derry Land Use Management Master Plan consisting of text, appendix, graphics and maps stating and illustrating guidelines and criteria for determining land use within the Township of Derry.
CONDOMINIUM
Real estate, portions of which are designated for separate ownership, even if by the same owner, and the remainder of which is designated for common ownership, solely by the owners of those portions. Real estate is not a condominium unless the undivided interests in the common elements are vested in the unit owners.
COST OF COMPLETION
The actual cost of improvements required by a subdivision or land development plan which shall include labor cost, material cost, construction overhead, contractor profit, equipment cost, permitting cost, insurance cost, inspection cost and any other costs which will be incurred to complete the required improvements.
CUL-DE-SAC
A street with only one outlet.
DEVELOPER
Any owner, agent of such owner or tenant with the permission of such owner, who makes or causes to be made a subdivision of land or a land development.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, drilling, dredging, excavating, filling, grading or paving operations.
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
An activity which is required to have land development or subdivision plans approved by the Township pursuant to § 185-5A of this chapter.
DRIVEWAY
A private access drive or roadway for a residential or nonresidential use. Driveways shall include a drive or roadway not intended for dedication and designed to carry vehicle traffic from a public street to and from one or more parking areas situated on one or more contiguous tracts of land privately owned by the same person or entity.
EASEMENT
A right-of-way granted for a limited prescribed and described use of land for public or semi-public purposes.
ENGINEER, MUNICIPAL
A duly registered professional engineer employed by Derry Township or engaged as a consultant thereto.
FLOOR AREA
The sum of the gross horizontal area of the floors of a building measured from the interior faces of the exterior walls, excluding stairwells, elevator shafts, those portions of floor areas having a clear ceiling height of less than six feet, floor areas devoted to automobile parking (not retail sales area) accessory to the principal use of the property, and floor areas of floors which are located at least 50% below finished grade which are used for accessory uses.[1]
FOOTCANDLE
The unit of illumination when the foot is taken as the unit of length. It is the illumination on a surface one square foot in area on which there is a uniformly distributed flux of one lumen, or the illumination produced on a surface all points of which are at a distance of one foot from a directionally uniform point source of one candela.
GROSS AREA
The area contained within the property lines of a lot as established by deed or as shown on a subdivision plan, excluding space within any street right-of-way, but including the area of any other right-of-way or easement.
HALF OR PARTIAL STREET
A street constructed or proposed to be constructed which does not have a full width right-of-way as prescribed by this chapter, and/or which does not have full paving width as prescribed by this chapter.
IMPERVIOUS COVER
A surface of a lot that has been compacted or covered with material to the extent that it is highly resistant to infiltration by water. Impervious cover (surface or area) shall include, but is not limited to, conventional impervious surfaces such as paved streets, roofs, compacted stone, and sidewalks. Impervious cover shall also consist of surfaces similar to the following when used by motor vehicles or pedestrians, unless designed and approved as an infiltration BMP: graveled areas, paver blocks (including voids), bricks, and cobblestone. The water area of swimming pools shall not be considered to be impervious surface if the overflow system of the pool is connected to a sanitary sewer system. Decks are not counted as impervious area if they allow rain to drain through them and do not prevent infiltration.
[Amended 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
LAND DEVELOPMENT or DEVELOPMENT
A. 
Any of the following activities:
(1) 
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots, tracts, or parcels of land for any purpose involving:
(a) 
A group of two or more residential or nonresidential buildings, whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single nonresidential building on a lot or lots, regardless of the number of occupants or tenure.
(b) 
The addition of 2,500 square feet of floor area to a nonresidential building or residential building, except single-family detached, two-family detached, single-family semi-detached and single-family attached dwellings.
(c) 
The division or allocation of land or space, whether initially or cumulatively between or among two or more existing or prospective occupants by means of, or for the purpose of streets, common areas, leaseholds, condominiums, buildings groups or other features.
(2) 
A subdivision of land.
B. 
Exceptions. The following shall not be construed as land development activities:
(1) 
The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling or single-family semi-detached dwelling into not more than three residential units, unless such units are intended to be a condominium.
(2) 
The addition of an accessory building, including farm buildings, on a lot of an existing principal building.
(3) 
The conversion of buildings or rides within the confines of an enterprise which would be considered an amusement park. For the purposes of this subsection, an amusement park is defined as a tract or area used principally as a location for permanent amusement structures or rides. This exclusion shall not apply to newly acquired acreage by an amusement park until initial plans for the expanded area have been approved by the Township.
LOT
A designated parcel, tract or area of land or water established by a plat or otherwise as permitted by law.
LOT, CORNER
A lot which abuts two intersecting streets. Corner lots shall have a front yard area adjacent to each street frontage, not including alleys, with remaining yards being considered side yards.
[Amended 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
LOT, DOUBLE FRONTAGE
A lot which abuts two generally parallel streets, not including alleys. Double frontage lots shall be required to provide a rear yard area adjacent to the secondary street frontage.
[Amended 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
LUX
The International System (SI) unit of illumination. It is the illumination on a surface one square meter in area on which there is a uniformly distributed flux of one lumen, or the illumination produced at a surface all points of which are at a distance of one meter from a uniform point source of one candela.
MASTER PLAN
A plan or plans and supporting data submitted as part of a grant of a conditional use by the Board of Supervisors that encourages ingenuity in the layout and design of coordinated projects in accordance with the process described in § 225-501.58 of Chapter 225, Zoning.
[Added 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
NET DEVELOPABLE AREA
The net area of a tract of land which is used for calculating the maximum density permitted which is determined by utilizing the various effective capacity ratings as they may apply to any land constraints existing on the tract (see Article II, § 225-206.L, of Chapter 225, Zoning).
[Amended 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
NONSITE TRAFFIC
Vehicle trips passing within a traffic impact study area that do not enter or exit the site and are generally the result of through traffic and traffic generated by other land use activities.
ONE HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN
The area subject to inundation by the waters of a 100 year flood which has a statistical probability of occurring once every 100 years or a 1% chance of occurring each year.
PLANNING COMMISSION
The appointed Planning Commission of the Township of Derry, Dauphin County.
PLANTING STRIP
An area of land, usually parallel to a natural feature or property line, which is reserved for use as the location of vegetative plantings to serve as a visual buffer.
PRINCIPAL USE
The main use of land, buildings or structures as distinguished from a secondary or accessory use.
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT
An individual who has demonstrated and recognized expertise of a subject or subjects and who offers professional advice or services for a fee.
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER
An individual licensed and registered under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to engage in the practice of engineering.
QUALIFIED WETLANDS PROFESSIONAL
A person with technical expertise and training in one or more of biology, botany, hydrology, soil science or engineering, who is capable of identifying and delineating wetlands with the techniques and format as published in the current edition of the "Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands."
REGISTERED SURVEYOR
An individual licensed and registered under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to engage in the practice of surveying.
RESIDENTIAL AREA
A residential development or a mixture of residential and small commercial establishments, characterized by few pedestrians at night. The definition includes areas with single-family homes, townhouses and/or small apartment buildings.
SIDEWALK
An improved passageway for pedestrian traffic located within a street right-of-way.
SINKHOLE
A funnel-shaped or steep sided depression in the land surface that is caused by the dissolution and collapse or subsidence of the roofs of subterranean caverns in carbonate geologic formations. In size, they can vary from a few feet to more than 100 feet in width.
SOILS SERIES
The name of the classification of a soil, described in the Soil Survey of Dauphin County, published and periodically revised by the Soil Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
STORMWATER DETENTION BASIN
A stormwater management basin designed to store stormwater runoff and provide a controlled release of such runoff after a storm event.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BASIN
Structures designed for the storage of stormwater. The types of stormwater management basins include detention and retention basins. Stormwater conveyance systems are not included within this definition.
STORMWATER RETENTION BASIN
A stormwater management basin designed to store runoff from a storm event.
STREET
A public roadway or roadway intended to be dedicated as a public roadway, including, without limitation, limited and marginal access, arterial, collector and minor streets and alleys (as more fully defined in this chapter).
STREET, LIMITED ACCESS
A street which carries large volumes of traffic at comparatively high speed with access at designated points and not from abutting properties.
STREET, MARGINAL ACCESS
A minor street which is parallel and adjacent to limited access, arterial or collector streets, and which provides access to abutting properties and protection from through traffic.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected with a location on the ground or attached to something having a location on the ground, that is principally above ground.
SUBDIVISION
The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions of land, including changes in existing lot lines, for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of lease, partition by the court for distribution to heirs or devisees, transfer of ownership or building or lot development; provided, however, that the subdivision by lease of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of more than 10 acres, not involving any new street or easement of access or any residential dwelling, shall be exempted.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Derry, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
VEGETATIVE COVER, MINIMUM
The minimum area of a lot that is required to be maintained in a pervious surface condition which is predominantly covered with live plant matter, trees and/or vegetative ground cover. The temporary loss of vegetative cover due to seasonal planting activities such as farming shall not be considered a loss of vegetative cover as long as vegetative cover exists annually for at least four months.
WALKWAY
An improved passageway for pedestrian traffic located within privately or commonly owned lands that are not within a public right-of-way.
WATER MAIN SUPPLY SYSTEM, PUBLIC
A water supply system which provides water to the public primarily for human consumption, which system is owned and operated by either the General Water Works of PA, Inc., or the Pennsylvania American Water Works.
WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, PUBLIC
A water supply system which provides water to the public for human consumption which has at least 10 service connections or regularly serves an average of at least 10 persons at least 60 days of any year. A public water system may or may not be a public water main supply system, as defined herein.
WETLAND MARGIN
The transitional area extending from the outer limit of a delineated wetland. For the purpose of this chapter, the wetland margin shall extend 50 feet from the wetland boundary or the limit of the hydric soil, whichever is less.
WETLANDS
Areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support and, that under normal circumstances, do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions including swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas, and which may be identified as jurisdictional wetlands using methods described in the current edition of the "Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands."
WETLANDS DELINEATION
A wetlands boundary identified by a qualified wetlands professional through an on-site demarcation as outlined in the current edition of the "Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands."
WETLANDS DETERMINATION
An investigation on at least the routine level by a qualified wetlands professional for the presence of wetlands using on-site procedures as prescribed by the current edition of the "Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands."
YARD AREA
An open space area located on the same lot with a building or structure, unoccupied and unobstructed from the ground up, except for such intrusions as are expressly permitted by and as otherwise required to be established in accordance with Chapter 225, Zoning.
[Amended 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684]
ZONING ORDINANCE
The Zoning Ordinance of the Township of Derry, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (Chapter 225).
[1]
Editor’s Note: The former definition for “floor area ratio,” which immediately followed this definition, was repealed 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 684.