[Ord. 5/8/1997A, § 201]
1. 
For the purposes of this chapter, words and terms used herein shall be interpreted as listed in § 22-202 of this chapter.
2. 
If a word is not defined by this chapter, but is defined by the Zoning Ordinance as amended [Chapter 27], the Zoning Ordinance definition shall apply.
3. 
The word "includes" shall mean to specifically include an item but not necessarily limited to such items.
4. 
Any word or term not defined in this chapter or the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] shall have a meaning of standard usage as determined by the Zoning Officer, within the context of the word's use within the applicable section of this chapter.
[Ord. 5/8/1997A, § 202; as amended by Ord. 2004-6, 7/13/2004, § 1.V]
When used in this chapter, the following words, terms and phrases shall have the following meanings, unless expressly stated otherwise or unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM
A system designed to collect, treat and dispose of sewage from users in compliance with regulations of local, state and federal agencies.
ACCESS DRIVE
A means of ingress and/or egress accessing; more than one single-family dwelling unit or a commercial, institutional or industrial use(s).
APPLICANT
A landowner or developer who has filed an application for a subdivision or land development, including his/her heirs, successors and assignees.
BLOCK
A tract of land or a lot or group of lots, bounded by streets, public parks, railroad rights-of-way, watercourses or bodies of water, boundary lines of the Township or by any combination of the above.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
The Board of Supervisors of Williams Township.
BOUNDARY LINE ADJUSTMENT
The same meaning as "lot line adjustment."
BUILDING
A combination of materials to form a permanent structure having walls and a roof. This shall include all mobile homes and trailers used for human habitation.
CARTWAY
The paved portion of a street or highway designed for vehicular traffic and paved areas intended for on-street parking.
CENTRALIZED MAIL DELIVERY AND CLUSTER BOX UNITS (CBUs)
Freestanding, concrete-pad-pedestal-mounted mailbox containing eight, 12, 13 or 16 individually locked mailboxes and parcel compartments.
[Added by Ord. No. 2021-2, 8/11/2021]
CENTRAL SEWAGE SERVICE
Service by a sewage disposal system which collects, treats and disposes sewage from more than one dwelling, principal use or lot. "Public sewage" service shall mean service by a Township-owned sewage system.
COMMISSION
The Planning Commission of Williams Township.
DAYS
Calendar days.
DEP
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and its successor agencies.
DESIGNATED FLOODPLAIN DISTRICTS
Those floodplain districts specifically designated in the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] as being inundated primarily by the one-hundred-year flood. Included would be areas identified as the Floodway District (F), the Flood-Fringe District (FF) and the General Floodplain District (FA).
DEVELOPER (SUBDIVIDER)
Any landowner, agent of such landowner or tenant with permission from a landowner, who makes or causes to be made a subdivision of land or land development.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, the placement of mobile homes, streets and other paving, utilities, mining, dredging, filling, grading, excavation or drilling operations and the subdivision of land, as well as sewage disposal systems and water supply systems.
DRIVEWAY
A means of ingress and egress accessing one single-family dwelling unit.
DWELLING TYPES
See definitions in the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27].
EASEMENT
A grant by the property owner to the public, a corporation, a person or group of persons, or another tract of land of a use of land for specified purposes.
ENGINEER, PROFESSIONAL
A person licensed to practice as a professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
ENGINEER, TOWNSHIP
The registered professional engineer designated by the Board of Supervisors to perform all duties required of the engineer by the provisions of this chapter.
EQUIVALENT DWELLING UNIT (EDU)
For the purpose of determining the number of lots in a subdivision, that part of a multiple-family dwelling or commercial or industrial establishment with flows equal to 400 gallons per day (GPD).
FLOODPLAIN
See § 27-1506 of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] and the Township Free Standing Ordinance.
GRADE
The elevation of ground or paving.
IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT
An agreement in a form and manner acceptable to Township requiring a developer to install the improvements required by this chapter or which appear on the official approved plans.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
As defined by the State Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq., as amended.
(1) 
As of 1991, this definition included the following: The improvement of one or more contiguous lots, tracts or parcels of land for any purpose involving either or both of the following:
(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 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.
(2) 
In addition, the following shall specifically not be considered a "land development":
(a) 
The construction of only one accessory agricultural building that is not intended for the storage of animal wastes or the storage or feeding of animals.
(b) 
The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling or a single-family semidetached dwelling (half of a twin home) into a maximum of three dwelling units.
LANDOWNER
The owner of a legal or equitable interest in land, including the holder of a written, signed and active option or contract to purchase or a lessee (if authorized under lease to exercise the right of the landowner), or authorized officers of a partnership or corporation that is a "landowner" or other person having a proprietary interest in land. A person who has clearly received formal notarized powers of attorney relating to a landowner may act in the capacity of the landowner, if legally authorized.
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 LINE ADJUSTMENT
The revision or deletion of one or more lot lines in such a way that all of the following are true:
(1) 
No new lots will be created beyond what was previously approved;
(2) 
No additional street segments or significant changes in alignment are proposed other than what was previously approved;
(3) 
No additional nonconformities will be created under the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27]; and
(4) 
No new land development will occur other than a land development that was previously approved or buildings to support "crop farming."
LOT, FLAG POLE
An irregularly shaped lot characterized by an elongated extension (pole), from a street to the principal part of the lot. The pole shape of the lot is intended to provide for access to an otherwise landlocked interior parcel.
LOT, REVERSE FRONTAGE
Lot abuts two approximately parallel streets, but only has access onto one street.
MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT
An agreement in a form and manner acceptable to the Board of Supervisors requiring the developer of required improvements to make any repairs or reconstructions and to maintain such improvements for a certain period.
MAINTENANCE GUARANTEE
Financial security which is acceptable to the Township to secure the promise made by a developer in the maintenance agreement that required improvements shall be maintained by the developer. (Note: These guarantees typically include acceptable letters of credit, performance bonds, escrow agreements and other similar collateral or surety agreements.)
MOBILE HOME SPACE
An area of land in a mobile home park improved with the utilities and other improvements needed for the placement of a single mobile home, with the land leased or rented by the park owner to the occupants of the mobile home.
MUNICIPALITIES PLANNING CODE
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended by Act 170 of 1988, and as may be further amended, or its successor legislation, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
ON-LOT SEWAGE SYSTEM
A sewage disposal system which collects, treats and disposes of sewage or holds sewage from only one dwelling unit, principal use or lot.
ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD
A flood that, on the average, is likely to occur every 100 years (such as that has a one-percent chance of occurring each year, although the flood may occur in any year).
OPEN SPACE
The area of a lot unoccupied by principal or accessory structures, streets, driveways, parking areas; but may include areas occupied by walkways, picnic pavilions, play equipment and other areas occupied by noncommercial outdoor recreation facilities.
OPEN SPACE, COMMON
A parcel or parcels of land, or an area of water, or a combination of land and water within a tract which is:
(1) 
Designed, intended and suitable for active or passive recreation by residents of a development or the general public.
(2) 
Which does not include any of the following: existing or future street rights-of-way, accessways, buildings (other than accessory buildings and pools clearly intended for noncommercial recreation), off-street parking (other than that clearly intended for noncommercial recreation), any area needed to meet a requirement for an individual lot, any area deeded over to an individual property owner for their own use, land with rights-of-way intended eventually for overhead electrical transmission of 35 kilovolts or greater capacity.
(3) 
Which is covered by a system for perpetual maintenance.
(4) 
Is deed restricted to permanently prevent the use of land for uses other than "common open space."
OPEN SPACE, PUBLIC
Common open space owned by a government agency or the Township for public recreation.
ORDINANCE, THIS
The Williams Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, as amended, and any provisions thereof [this chapter], enacted by the Board of Supervisors.
PARCEL
A tract, lot or area of land.
PARKING
Outdoor areas or specially designed buildings or garages used for the storage of vehicles. Unless otherwise stated, shall mean "off-street parking."
PATHWAY
A pedestrian accessway which is not adjacent to a street or access drive and conforms with this chapter.
PENNDOT
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE
Financial security which is acceptable to the Board of Supervisors to ensure that the developer will install required improvements. (Note: This typically includes acceptable letters of credit, performance bonds, escrow agreements and other similar collateral or surety agreements.)
PLAN
A map of a land development or subdivision and accompanying notations.
(1) 
FINAL PLANA complete and exact plan identified with the title "Final Plan," including the plan prepared for official recording as required by this chapter to define property rights and proposed streets and other improvements.
(2) 
PRELIMINARY PLANA complete plan identified with the title "Preliminary Plan," accurately showing proposed streets and lot layout and such other information as required by this chapter.
(3) 
SKETCH PLANAn informal plan, identified with the title "Sketch Plan" on the map, indicating the general layout of the proposed subdivision or land development.
PLANNING COMMISSION
See "Commission."
REGULATORY FLOOD ELEVATION
The one-hundred-year flood elevation plus a freeboard safety factor of 1 1/2 feet.
SIDEWALK
A pedestrian accessway which is adjacent to a street or access drive and conforms to the regulations of this chapter.
SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT
The Northampton County Conservation District.
SOIL SURVEY
The latest version of the official Soil Survey of Northampton County, published by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, or its successor reference.
STATE
The government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its relevant subparts.
STATE PLANNING CODE
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended by Act 170 of 1988, and as may be further amended, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
STEEP SLOPE
An area of 15% or greater slope.
STREET
A public or private thoroughfare which affords the principal means of access to abutting property or that is an expressway, but not including an alley or a driveway.
STREET CLASSIFICATION
See the Official Street Classification Map, which was adopted as part of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27]. This map classifies streets as expressway, arterial, collector or local streets.
STREET, CUL-DE-SAC
A type of street which is terminated at one end by a permitted turn-around and which intersects another street at the other end.
STREET, MARGINAL ACCESS
A type of local street which is parallel and adjacent to collector or arterial streets and provides access to abutting properties.
SUBDIVIDER
See "developer."
SUBDIVISION
As defined by the State Municipalities Planning Code, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq. As of 1991, this definition was as follows:
(1) 
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.
(2) 
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 residential dwellings is not a subdivision.
SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE
The Williams Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance [Chapter 22], as amended.
SUBDIVISION, MAJOR
Any subdivision of land which does not qualify as a "minor subdivision."
SUBDIVISION, MINOR
A proposal involving land, other than a land development, which is either:
(1) 
A "lot line adjustment."
(2) 
A subdivision:
(a) 
That results in up to five new residential lots, or EDUs.
(b) 
Which does not involve an extension or new segment of a street (other than what was previously approved).
(c) 
Which has not involved the subdivision approval of at least three lots on the tract within the five previous years.
SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED
In the judgment of the Township Engineer at least 90% (based upon the cost of the required improvements for which financial security was posted) of those improvements required as a condition for final approval have been completed in accordance with the approved plan, so that the project will be able to be used, occupied or operated for its intended use.
TOWNSHIP
Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Unless otherwise stated, this shall mean the Board of Supervisors and their authorized agents.
TRACT
One or more abutting or adjacent lots proposed to be subdivided or developed following an overall coordinated plan.
TRACT AREA, GROSS
The space contained within the exterior lot lines of a tract proposed for a subdivision or land development, not including space within the existing and future or ultimate right-of-way of existing streets, but including right-of-way of any streets proposed to be constructed within the tract.
USGS
United States Geological Survey, or its successor agency.
WALKWAY
A strip of land including a right-of-way dedicated to public use in order to facilitate pedestrian access through or into a block.
WATER, CENTRAL SYSTEM OR SERVICE
Service by a water system which transmit water from a common source to more than one dwelling, principal use or lot.
WATER, ON-LOT SYSTEM OR SERVICE
Service by a water system which transmits water from a source on the lot to only one dwelling, principal use or lot.
WATER, PUBLIC SYSTEM OR SERVICE
Central water service that is owned and/or operated by a Township Authority or a PA PUC regulated water company and that serves more than 50 dwelling units or principal uses.
WATERCOURSE
Any natural or artificial waterway, stream, river, creek, ditch, channel, millrace, canal, conduit, gully, ravine or wash in which water flows in a definite direction or course, either continuously or intermittently, and which has a definite channel and bed and shall include any area adjacent thereto subject to inundation by reason of overflow of floodwaters.