Borough of Elizabethtown, PA DEFINITIONS

A relatively flat or low land area adjoining a river, stream or watercourse which is subject to partial or complete inundation.

GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM, CLOSED LOOP

An area subject to the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any surface.

FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE

The Borough of Elizabethtown Floodplain Ordinance [Chapter 8], as may be amended from time to time.

FLOODPROOFING

Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes, or adjustments to proposed or existing structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.

FLOODWAY

The designated area of a floodplain required to carry and discharge floodwaters of a given magnitude. For the purposes of this chapter, the floodway shall be capable of accommodating a flood of the one-hundred-year magnitude without increasing the water surface elevation more than one foot at any point.

FLOOR AREA

The sum of the gross horizontal areas of the floors of a building and its accessory buildings on the same lot, excluding cellar and basement floor areas not used as primary living and sleeping quarters, but including the area of roofed porches and roofed terraces. All dimensions shall be measured between exterior faces of walls.

FLOOR AREA, HABITABLE

The aggregate of the horizontal areas of all rooms used for habitation, such as living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom, but not including hallways, stairways, cellars, attics, service rooms or utility rooms, bathroom, closets, nor unheated areas such as enclosed porches, nor rooms without at least one window or skylight opening onto an outside yard or court. At least 1/2 of the floor area of every habitable room shall have a ceiling height of not less than seven feet, and the floor area of that part of any room where the ceiling height is less than five feet shall not be considered as part of the habitable floor area.

FUNERAL HOMES

Establishments with facilities for the preparation of the dead for burial, for the cremation of the dead, for the viewing of the dead and for memorial services.

GARAGE, PRIVATE

An enclosed or covered space for the storage of one or more vehicles or vessels, provided that no business, occupation or service is conducted for profit therein, nor space therein for more than one vehicle or vessel is leased to a nonresident of the premises.

GARAGE, PUBLIC

Any structure, other than a private garage, which is used for storage, repair, rental, servicing or supplying of gasoline or oil to motor vehicles for compensation.

GARBAGE

The animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food, in keeping with the Refuse and Recycling Ordinance, Chapter 20.

GARDEN APARTMENT

See definition of "apartment, garden."

GARDENING

The cultivation of herbs, fruits, flowers or vegetables, excluding the keeping of livestock.

A system that uses pipes containing a heat transfer liquid. The closed loop is designed and constructed so that the liquid does not come in contact with groundwater.

GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM, OPEN LOOP

A system that pumps groundwater to the heating and cooling equipment. The groundwater is then discharged into the ground, to the ground surface or to a body of water.

GOVERNING BODY

The Borough Council of Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

GRADE, ESTABLISHED

The elevation of the center line of the streets, as officially established by the municipal authorities.

GRADE, FINISHED

The completed surfaces of lawns, walks and roads brought to grades as shown on official plans or designs relating thereto.

GREENHOUSE

A building whose roof and sides are made largely of glass or other transparent or translucent material and in which the temperature and humidity can be regulated for the cultivation of delicate or out-of-season plants for subsequent sale or for personal enjoyment.

GROUND-FLOOR

The floor of a building nearest the mean grade of the front of the building.

GROUP HOME

A facility or part of a facility providing shelter, counseling and other rehabilitative services in a family-like environment for residents who receive twenty-four-hour staff supervision and which is licensed under an applicable State program. Residents may not be legally related to the facility operators or supervisors and, by reason of mental or physical disability, chemical or alcohol dependency, or family or school adjustment problems, require a minimum level of supervision but do not require medical or nursing care. Group home activity shall not include housing of persons that have been clinically diagnosed as prone to violence and shall not provide housing and/or rehabilitative services to registered sexual offenders. A group home shall also be licensed and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and/or applicable bureaus within the respective departments.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

Any garbage, refuse, sludge from an industrial or other wastewater treatment plant, sludge from a water supply treatment plant, or air-pollution control facility and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous material resulting from municipal, commercial, industrial, institutional, mining or agricultural operations and from community activities, or any combination of the above, which, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics, may:

Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in morbidity in either an individual or the total population.

Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of or otherwise managed.

INDOOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY

Meet the definition of hazardous waste as currently defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

HEIGHT OF BUILDING

See definition of "building height."

HOME OCCUPATION

Any use customarily conducted entirely within a dwelling or in a building accessory thereto and carried on by the inhabitants residing therein.[1]

HOTEL/MOTEL

A building or group of buildings where more than six individual sleeping quarters that may have separate entrances are offered for compensation, to transient occupants as defined in this Part, licensed under applicable laws and regulations. Such a use may have ancillary services, such as recreational facilities, dining services, meeting rooms, and/or fitness centers.

[Added by Ord. 983, 11/16/2017]

IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE

See "coverage."

IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL

Any substance placed on a lot which covers the surface in such fashion as to prevent natural absorption of surface water by the earth so covered. The following items shall be deemed to be impervious material: buildings, concrete sidewalks, paved driveways and parking areas, swimming pools and other nonporous structures or materials.

INCINERATOR

An approved device in which combustible material, other than garbage, is burned to ashes.

A commercial establishment which offers leisure-time activities such as an entertainment or movie theater, a bowling alley, a skating rink, indoor golf or other similar uses.

INDUSTRY

The manufacturing, compounding, processing, assembly or treatment of materials, articles or merchandise.

INSTITUTION

A building or grounds, all or a portion of which is used by persons who occupy the buildings for a common purpose, including but not limited to hospitals, convents, school dormitories, college campuses, nursing homes; the education, administrative and/or recreational facilities of such organizations as the YMCA, YWCA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Boys Clubs; not to include penal institutions and similar facilities.

JUNKYARD

A lot, land or structure, or part thereof, used primarily for the collecting, storage, and sale of wastepaper, rags, scrap metal or discarded material or for the collection, dismantling, storage and salvaging of machinery or vehicles not in running condition, and for the sale of parts thereof. The deposit or storage on a lot of two or more unlicensed, wrecked or disabled vehicles, or the major parts thereof, shall be deemed to constitute a junkyard.

KENNEL(S)

An enclosed building or structure for the keeping, sheltering, breeding, training, and/or selling of dogs, cats, or other small animals as defined in this Section under "pets."

LAND DEVELOPMENT

Any of the following activities:

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; or,

(b)

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, building groups or other features.

A subdivision of land.

LANDOWNER

The legal or beneficial owner or owners of land, including the holder of an option or contract to purchase (whether or not such option or contract is subject to any condition), a lessee, if he is authorized under the lease to exercise the rights of the landowner, or other persons having a proprietary interest in land.

LANDSCAPE SCREEN

A completely planted visual barrier composed of evergreen plants and trees arranged to form both a low-level and high-level screen. Earthen embankments, as detailed in this chapter, may be considered as a landscape screen.

LAUNDROMAT

A business premises equipped with individual clothes washing and/or drying machines for the use of retail customers, exclusive of laundry facilities provided as an accessory use in an apartment house or an apartment hotel.

LIGHT INDUSTRIAL

The light assembly, disassembly, finishing or packaging of a product, such as electronic, scientific, or communication equipment or a product of similar character, publishing or photographic processing, research or testing laboratories, within an enclosed building and that do not produce the emission of noise, odor, gas, dust, smoke, vibration, or refuse matter.

LIGHTING

DIFFUSEDThat form of lighting wherein the light passes from the source through a translucent cover or shade.

DIRECT or FLOODThat form of lighting wherein the source is visible and the light is distributed directly from it to the object to be illuminated.

MANUFACTURED HOME DWELLING

INDIRECTThat form of lighting wherein the light source is entirely hidden, the light being projected to a suitable reflector from which it is reflected to the object to be illuminated.

LOADING BERTH/SPACE

An off-street area on the same lot with a building or contiguous to a group of buildings, for the temporary parking of a commercial vehicle while loading or unloading merchandise or materials, and which abuts on a street or other appropriate means of access.

LOT

A designated parcel, tract or area of land established by a plat or otherwise as permitted by law and to be used, developed or built upon as a unit.

LOT, CORNER

A lot at the junction of and abutting on two or more intersecting streets or at the point of abrupt change of a single street, where the interior angle is less than 135° and the radius of the street line is less than 100 feet.

LOT, DEPTH OF

The average horizontal distance between the front and rear lot lines.

LOT, DOUBLE-FRONTAGE

An interior lot having frontage on two streets.

LOT, INTERIOR

A lot other than a corner lot.

LOT LINES

The lines bounding a lot, as defined herein.

LOT, MINIMUM WIDTH

The minimum lot width at the building setback line.

LOT, NONCONFORMING

See "nonconforming lot."

LOT OF RECORD

A lot which has been recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

LOT, REVERSE-FRONTAGE

A lot extending between, and having frontage on an arterial street and a minor street and with vehicular access solely from the latter.

LOT WIDTH

The horizontal distance between the side lines of a lot, measured at right angles to its depth, along a straight line parallel to the front lot line at the minimum required building setback line.

MAINTENANCE

Except as otherwise provided by state law, shall constitute replacement or repair to a building or structure which maintains original dimensions and use, to include but not be limited to replacement of windows in the same dimensions, replacement of existing flooring, wall coverings, painting, replacement of existing countertops with those of the same dimension, replacement of existing appliances, sinks or other existing plumbing fixtures with like materials, repairs or replacement of existing HVAC or electrical fixtures, roof shingles, or repaving existing paved surfaces. Replacement of a roof structure shall not constitute maintenance and shall require a permit.

See definition of "dwelling, manufactured home."

MANUFACTURING

The processing and/or converting of raw unfinished or finished materials or products or of any combination, into an article or substance of a different character, or for use for a different purpose; industries furnishing labor in the case of manufacturing or the refinishing of manufactured articles.

MASSAGE

Any method of pressure on or friction against, or stroking, kneading, rubbing, tapping, pounding, vibrating or stimulating of the external parts of the human body with the hands or with the aid of any mechanical/electrical apparatus or appliances with or without such supplementary aids as rubbing alcohol, liniments, antiseptics, oils, powders, creams, lotions, ointment or other such similar preparations commonly used in the practice of massage, under such circumstances that it is reasonably expected that the person to whom the treatment is provided or some third person on his or her behalf will pay money or give any other consideration or any gratuity therefor.

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES

A structure intended for providing medical examination and service to the public, excluding overnight care.

MEDICAL CENTER

Establishments primarily engaged in furnishing medical, surgical or other services to individuals, including the offices of physicians, dentists and other health care practitioners, medical and dental laboratories, outpatient care facilities, blood banks and oxygen and miscellaneous types of medical supplies and services. This definition does not include a dentist's office, optician's office or similar medical office that is housed in a single unit used exclusively for that purpose (see "personal service establishment").

MINOR REPAIR

The replacement of existing work with equivalent materials for the purpose of its routine maintenance and upkeep, but not including the cutting away of any wall, partition or portion thereof, the removal or cutting of any structural beam or bearing support, or the removal or change of any required means of egress, or rearrangement of parts of a structure affecting the exitway requirements; nor shall minor repairs include addition to, alteration of, replacement or relocation of any standpipe, water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas, soil, waste, vent or similar piping, electric wiring or mechanical or other work affecting public health or general safety.

MIXED USE

Occupancy of a building or land for more than one use.[2]

MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

Municipal government buildings or facilities designed and intended to be occupied by the government or designed and intended for public use sponsored by such government.

MUSEUM

An establishment of a noncommercial nature used for the display of art, historic or science objects for the purpose of education and research.

NIGHTCLUBS

A place where entertainment in the form of live or prerecorded music is offered and/or dancing by the general public occurs. The serving of food and/or alcoholic beverages may occur.

NO-IMPACT HOME-BASED BUSINESS

A business or commercial activity administered or conducted as an accessory use which is clearly secondary to the use as a residential dwelling and which involves no customer, client or patient traffic, whether vehicular or pedestrian, or pickup, delivery or removal functions to or from the premises in excess of those normally associated with residential use. The business or commercial activity must satisfy the following requirements:

The business activity shall be compatible with the residential use of the property and surrounding residential uses.

The business shall employ no employees other than family members residing in the dwelling.

NURSING OR CONVALESCENT HOME

There shall be no display or sale of retail goods and no stockpiling or inventory of a substantial nature.

(4)

There shall be no outside appearance of a business use, including but not limited to parking, signs, or lights.

(5)

The business activity may not use any equipment or process which creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors, or electrical or electronic interference, including interference with radio or television reception, which is detectable in the neighborhood.

(6)

The business activity may not generate any solid waste or sewage discharge, in volume or type, which is not normally associated with residential use in the neighborhood.

(7)

The business activity shall be conducted only within the dwelling and may not occupy more than 25% of the habitable floor area.

(8)

The business may not involve any illegal activity.

NONCONFORMING LOT

A lot, the area or dimension of which was lawful prior to the adoption or amendment of this chapter, but which fails to conform to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located by reasons of such adoption or amendment.

NONCONFORMING STRUCTURE

A structure or part of a structure manifestly not designed to comply with the applicable use or extent of use provisions of this chapter or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such structure lawfully existed prior to the enactment of this chapter or amendment or prior to the application of this chapter or amendment to its location by reason of annexation. Such nonconforming structures include but are not limited to nonconforming signs.

NONCONFORMING USE

A use, whether of land or of structure, which does not comply with the applicable use provisions herein or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such use was lawfully in existence prior to the application of this chapter or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.

NURSERY, HORTICULTURE

Any lot or parcel of land used to cultivate, propagate and grow trees, shrubs, vines and other plants, including the buildings, structures and equipment customarily incidental and accessory to the primary use.

A building with sleeping rooms where persons are housed or lodged and furnished with meals, nursing care for hire and which is approved for nonprofit/profit corporations licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare for such use.

OBSCENE MATERIALS

Any literature, book, magazine, pamphlet, newspaper, story paper, paper, comic book, writing, drawing, photograph, figure, image, motion picture, sound recording, article, instrument or any other written or printed matter which depicts or describes in a patently offensive manner sexual conduct, sexual excitement or sadomasochistic abuse or (in the case of articles or instruments) is designed or intended for use in achieving artificial sexual stimulation; and, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest; and, taken as a whole, does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

OBSTRUCTION

Any wall, dam, wharf, embankment, levee, dike, projection, excavation, channel, rectification, culvert, building, fence, stockpile, refuse, fill, structure or matter in, along, across, or projecting into any channel, watercourse or flood-prone area, which may impede, retard or change the direction of the flow of water either in itself or by catching or collecting debris carried by such water or is placed where the flow of the water might carry the same down stream to the damage of life and property.

OFFICE BUILDING

A building designed or used primarily for office purposes, no part of which is used for manufacturing.

OFFICE, PROFESSIONAL

A room or rooms used for the carrying on of a profession, to include but not be limited to physicians, dentists, architects, engineers, accountants, attorneys, real-estate brokers, insurance agents entitled to practice under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or similar type.

OPEN SPACE

The unoccupied space open to the sky on the same lot with the building, not including parking lots and stormwater facilities.

OPEN SPACE, COMMON

A parcel or parcels of land or an area of water, or a combination of land and water, within a development site and designed and intended for the use or enjoyment of residents of a development, not including streets, off-street parking areas and areas set aside for public facilities.

OPERATOR, WIND ENERGY GENERATED SYSTEMS

The person or entity that will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the wind generated energy system.

OUTDOOR EATING (CAFE)

An exterior seating area associated with a restaurant or other place serving food and/or beverages, which is under constant supervision of an employee of the business, or an unsupervised seating area of a restaurant or other place serving food and/or beverages.

OUTDOOR HYDRONIC HEATER

Any equipment, device or apparatus which is installed, affixed or situated outdoors, and not situated within a building intended for habitation by humans or animals, which is used for the primary purpose of combustion of fuel to produce heat for energy as a heating system or component thereof which provides heat or hot water to a principal structure used for human or animal habitation, or to any accessory uses or structures, including, but not limited to, greenhouses, conservatories, and swimming pools. For the purpose of this particular appliance, a chimney shall mean any vertical structure enclosing a flue or flues that carry off smoke or exhaust from an outdoor hydronic heater. Such appliances are also commonly referred to as outdoor wood-fired furnaces, outdoor wood-burning appliances, or outdoor solid-fuel-fired boiler heaters.

OWNER-OCCUPIED or OCCUPIED BY OWNER

A dwelling unit that is the primary, permanent residence and domicile of a natural person who is identified as the owner or one of the owners on the deed for the property. In order for a dwelling unit to be considered owner-occupied, the dwelling must be considered the domicile of the record owner or at least one of the record owners under Pennsylvania law, and the owner must physically reside in the dwelling not less than six months each calendar year, and the owner cannot be registered to vote at any other address, and the owner must use the dwelling at the owner's address for payment of taxes, including, but not limited to, earned income taxes.

[Added by Ord. No. 990, 1/17/2019]

PARKING LOT

Any lot, municipally or privately owned, for off-street parking facilities, providing for the transient storage of automobiles or motor-driven vehicles. Such parking services may be provided as a free service or for a fee.

PARKING SPACE

The space within a building, or on a lot or parking lot, for the parking or storage of one vehicle.

PARTY WALL

A common shared wall between two separate structures, buildings or dwelling units.

PAVED AREA

When required herein, that amount of land required for the location of adequate parking spaces, driveways, or other access roads. In the computation of a paved area, the actual building area shall be excluded.

PERSON

Any individual or group of individuals, corporations, partnership or any similar entity.

PERSONAL SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT

A structure, or portion thereof, in which the services of a person, licensed to practice a specific profession, are offered to the general public. Personal services shall include but not be limited to agents, barbers, beauticians, cleaners, doctors, lawyers, optometrists, funeral directors, licensed psychologists, counselors/therapists, as well as photographers, post offices, tailors, and utility collection offices. Personal service establishments shall not include retail sales, arcades, amusements, massage establishments, or tattoo parlors or other similar uses.

PETS

Small domestic animals, including but not limited to those animals customarily raised, kept and maintained by people living in developed, residential communities such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds and fish. All wild or exotic mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects or birds, especially predatory species, are prohibited as pets, including livestock, poultry and wild animals as identified by the Pennsylvania Wildlife Code, which include but are not limited to horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, snakes over three feet long, pigeons, poisonous tarantulas, venomous scorpions, skunks, chickens, roosters, hens and any other animals that create a safety hazard and negatively impact the ecological system(s).

PLANNING COMMISSION

The Planning Commission of the Borough of Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

PREMISES

Any lot, parcel or tract of land and any building constructed there-on.

PRIVATE

Not publicly owned, operated or controlled.

PRIVATE ROAD

A legally established right-of-way, other than a public street, which provides the primary vehicular and/or pedestrian access to a lot.

PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATION

The practice of a profession by any professional, including but not limited to attorney, physician, surgeon, osteopath, chiropractor, dentist, optician, optometrist, chiropodist, engineer, surveyor, architect, landscape architect, planner or similar type, entitled to practice under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

PRURIENT INTEREST

Is to be judged with reference to average adults unless it appears from the nature of the material or the circumstances of its dissemination, distribution or exhibition that it is designed for clearly defined deviant sexual groups, in which case the predominant appeal of the matter shall be judged with reference to its intended recipient group.

PUBLIC

Owned, operated or controlled by a government agency (Federal, State or local, including a corporation and/or board created by law for the performance of certain specialized governmental functions).

PUBLIC GROUNDS

Public grounds include the following:

Parks, playgrounds, trails, paths and other recreational areas and other public areas;

Sites for schools, sewage treatment, refuse disposal and other publicly owned or operated facilities; and

PUBLIC UTILITY FACILITIES

Publicly owned or operated scenic and historic sites.

PUBLIC HEARING

A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the Borough Council or Planning Commission, intended to inform and obtain public comment prior to taking action in accordance herein.

PUBLIC MEETING

A forum held pursuant to notice under the Act of July 3, 1986 (P.L. 388, No. 84), known as the "Sunshine Act."

PUBLIC NOTICE

A notice published once each week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the Borough. Such notice shall state the time and place of the hearing and the particular nature of the matter to be considered at the hearing. The first publication shall not be less than seven days from the date of the hearing.

PUBLIC USE

Public and semipublic uses of a welfare and educational nature, including but not limited to hospitals, schools, parks, churches, cemeteries, daycare centers, historical restorations, fire stations, municipal buildings, essential public utilities which require enclosure within a building, airports, fraternal clubs and homes, nonprofit recreational facilities, easements for alleys, streets and public utility rights-of-way, and radio and television transmission facilities.

Public utility transmission and distribution facilities, including substations and the like.

RESIDENTIAL-CARE HOME

A building or buildings on contiguous property housing six or more handicapped or socially dependent persons and to include residential-care facility, residential-training facility and residential-treatment facility.

RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNIT

1) A dwelling unit let for rent, or 2) a rooming unit, or 3) a bed-and-breakfast establishment, or 4) a short-term lodging accommodation, or 5) an accessory dwelling unit, or 6) a dwelling unit that is not occupied by the owner, is a residential rental unit. Each individual townhouse dwelling, each individual apartment unit, each individual unit in a multifamily building, each individual bed-and-breakfast establishment, each individual boardinghouse, and each individual short-term lodging accommodation shall be considered a residential rental unit whether or not the owner or a relative of the owner also resides in the structure. A residential rental unit includes dwelling units under lease-purchase agreements or long-term (greater than six months) agreements for sale. A residential rental unit shall not include a hotel/motel as defined herein or a hospital room utilized for medical services. It shall include an institutional facility room, but only as hereinafter set forth in § 309.

[Added by Ord. 983, 11/16/2017]

RESTAURANT, CAFE or TEA ROOM

An establishment designed and operated for the express purpose of providing food and beverage service within the confines of a structure and generally excluding any encouragement, orientation or accommodation of services or products to the patrons' automobiles, on or within the premises.

RETAIL PET SHOP

An establishment that engages in selling dogs, cats or other animals defined in this Section under "pets," as well as other items for pet usage that shall include but be not limited to toys, food and health and cosmetic products.

RETAIL SALES

A use in which merchandise, goods and commodities are sold or rented to the general public, but not including pawn shops, retail sales of motor vehicles, boats or any use meeting the definition of an "adult movie theater" or "adult bookstore," nor manufacturing.

RIGHT-OF-WAY

A strip of land acquired by reservation, dedication, forced dedication, prescription or condemnation and intended to be used or occupied by a road, crosswalk, railroad, electric transmission line, oil or gas pipeline, waterline, sanitary storm sewer and other similar uses; generally, the right of one to pass over the property of another.

RIGHT-OF-WAY, STREET

A public thoroughfare for vehicular traffic and/or pedestrian traffic, whether designated as a street, highway, thoroughfare, parkway, road, avenue, boulevard, lane, alley or however designated.

ROOMING UNIT

A portion of a dwelling unit including any room or group of rooms forming a single habitable unit or intended to be used for living and sleeping, but not for cooking purposes. Granting of permission to use shared or common cooking facilities may be associated with the leasing of a rooming unit. A rooming unit shall not be leased for transient occupancy.

[Added by Ord. 983, 11/16/2017]

RUBBISH

Combustible and noncombustible waste materials, except garbage, to include residue from burning of wood, coke, coal or other combustible materials, paper, rags, cartons, boxes, wood, excelsior, rubber, leather, tree branches, yard trimmings, tin cans, metals, mineral matter, glass, crockery, dust and other similar materials, in keeping with the Refuse and Recycling Ordinance, Chapter 20.

SATELLITE DISH

See definition of "antenna, satellite dish."

SCHOOL

An elementary or secondary school that is public, private and/or of a religious nature, that provides instruction for students in grades K-12 and is recognized under the education laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

SCHOOL, CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS

An establishment, program, and/or institution that provides students with instruction to master the skill of creative writing, dance, instrument arts, visual arts, martial arts, drawing, painting and/or acting.

SCHOOL, NURSERY

See definition of "day-care center."

SCREEN PLANTING

A vegetative material of sufficient height and density to conceal from the view of property owners in adjoining residential districts the structures and uses on the premises on which the screen planting is located.

SEXUAL CONDUCT

Actual or simulated acts of human masturbation, sexual intercourse or any touching of the clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic areas or buttocks of the human male or female or the breasts of the female, whether alone or between members of the same or opposite sex or between humans and animals.

SEXUAL EXCITEMENT

The condition of human male or female genitalia when in a state of sexual stimulation or arousal.

SHOPPING CENTER

A group of stores planned and designed to function as a unit for the lot on which it is located, with off-street parking provided as an integral part of the unit.

SHORT-TERM LODGING ACCOMMODATION

An owner-occupied dwelling unit that provides rooms for transient occupancy, as defined in this Part, to individuals unrelated to the occupants of the dwelling unit.

[Added by Ord. 983, 11/16/2017]

SIGHT DISTANCE

The length of roadway visible to the driver of a passenger vehicle at any given point on the roadway when the view is unobstructed by traffic.

SIGN

Any structure or device for visual communication that is used for the purpose of bringing the subject thereof to the attention of the public. See Part 17 for definitions.

SINGLE AND SEPARATE OWNERSHIP

The ownership of a lot by one or more persons, which ownership is separate and distinct from that of any adjoining property.

SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

A scaled graphical depiction of the proposed development of a lot, parcel or tract of land describing all covenants assigned, as well as accurately depicting the use, location and bulk of all buildings and structures, intensity of use or density of development, streets, driveways, rights-of-way, easements, parking facilities, open space, public facilities and utilities, setbacks, heights of buildings and structures, and other such data necessary for municipal officials to determine compliance with this chapter and appropriate provisions of other such ordinances, as they may apply.

SOLAR ACCESS

A property owner's right to have the sunlight shine on his land.

SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM

An energy conversion system, including appurtenances, which converts solar energy to an electric or thermodynamic form of energy to meet all or part of the energy requirements of the on-site residential and commercial user.

SPECIAL EXCEPTION

A use permitted in a particular zoning district pursuant to the provisions of Part 14.

STORAGE FACILITY

A structure intended for lease for the sole purpose of storing household goods, motor vehicles or recreational equipment.

STORY

That portion of a building located between the surface of any floor and the ceiling or roof above it.

STORY, HALF

A story under a gabled, hipped or gambreled roof, the wall plates of which on at least two opposite exterior walls are not over three feet above the finished floor of such story.

STREET

A public right-of-way constructed to municipal standards which includes avenue, boulevard, road, highway, freeway, parkway and viaduct and any other ways used or intended to be used by vehicular traffic or pedestrians, whether public or private. A street shall not include a lane or alley for purposes of this chapter.

STREET CENTER LINE

The center of the surveyed street right-of-way or, where not surveyed, the center of the traveled cartway.

STREET, CUL-DE-SAC

A street intersecting another street at one end and terminating at the other in a vehicular turnaround.

STREET GRADE

The officially established grade of the street upon which a lot fronts or, in its absence, the established grade of the other streets upon which the lot abuts, at the midpoint of the frontage of the lot thereon. If there is no officially established grade, the existing grade of the street at such midpoint shall be taken as the street grade.

STREET LINE

The street line is the right-of-way line of a public street or the cartway line of a private street.

STREET, MAJOR

ARTERIAL STREETA major street or highway with fast or heavy traffic of considerable continuity and used primarily as a traffic artery for intercommunications among large areas.