[Ord. 3/1/1978, 3/1/1978, § 200; as amended by
Ord. 6/24/1987, 6/24/1987; by Ord. 2-88, 12/21/1988; by Ord. 1-93,
1/6/1993, and by Ord. 2-93, 1/6/1993, § 1; and by Ord. 2-99,
5/12/1999; § I]
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and phrases
shall be construed throughout this chapter to have the meaning indicated
in this section. The present tense includes the future, the singular
number includes the plural, and the plural the singular; the masculine
gender indicates the feminine and neuter.
The removal of the surface of the land through the combined
action of man's activities and natural process at a rate greater
than would occur from natural process alone.
A private drive providing pedestrian and vehicular access
between a public or private street and a parking area within a land
development and any driveway servicing two or more units of occupancy
on a single lot or contiguous lots.
A building, excluding mobile homes, subordinate to the principal
building on a lot and used for purposes customary and incidental to
those of the principal building.
A use subordinate to the principal use of land or of a building
on a lot and customarily incidental thereto.
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code of July 31,
1986, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq. (Act No. 247), as amended.
The application of sludge on, under or into land used for
agricultural purposes.
The cultivation of the soil and the raising and harvesting
of the products of the soil, including but not by way of limitation,
nurserying, horticulture, forestry, mushroom growing and the breeding
and raising of customary domestic animals.
Any change in supporting members of a building or structure,
such as bearing walls, columns, beams, or girders, joints or rafters,
or enclosure walls.
An institution where the science and art of prevention, cure
or alleviation of disease and injury in animals is being administered
by persons qualified and authorized to treat diseases and injuries
of animals.
A building designed for and occupied as a residence by two
or more families living independently of one another.
A landowner or developer or his authorized agent, including
his heirs, successors and assigns, as hereinafter defined, who has
filed an application for subdivision or land development.
Every application, whether preliminary or final, which is
required to be filed and approved prior to start of construction or
development, for the approval of a subdivision plan or for the approval
of a development plan.
An establishment where liquids used as motor fuels are stored
and dispensed into the fuel tanks of motor vehicles by an attendant
or persons other than an attendant and provides servicing for automobiles
and other motor vehicles, but which does not include painting or body
and fender repairs.
An enclosed area partly or completely below grade, It shall
be considered a building story if more than 33Â 1/3% of the perimeter
walls are five feet or more above grade and if the net area of the
door or window openings in the exterior walls is at least equal to
10% of the enclosed floor area.
An area bounded by streets.
Any body granted jurisdiction under a land use ordinance
or under this chapter to render final adjudications.
A roofed, often open to the sides, passage connecting two
buildings (as a house and garage) or halves of a building.
Any structure which has enclosing walls and a roof including
house trailers and mobile homes.
An established line within a property defining the minimum required distance between any structure to be erected and an adjacent right-of-way, to provide the front yard specified by Chapter 27 of this Code.
A term used to describe the size of buildings or other structures
and their relationships to each other, to open areas such as yards
and to lot lines and therefore includes:
The paved surface of a street available for vehicular traffic.
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.
A use permitted in a particular zoning district by the Board of Supervisors pursuant to the provisions of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] and Article VI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10601 et seq.
A building used for the purpose of retail sales of foodstuffs
and dry goods. Permissible accessory uses to this use only shall include
the retail sale of gasoline and related products and the retail sale
of prepared food for consumption off-premises.
A residential street with an open end for public vehicular
and pedestrian access and the other end terminating in a vehicular
turnaround.
A date on which a completed application together with all
required information, fees, etc., is received by the appointed Township
Official.
Final adjudication of any board or other body granted jurisdiction
under any land use ordinance or this chapter to do so, either by reason
of the grant of exclusive jurisdiction or by reason of appeals from
determinations. All decisions shall be appealable to the court of
common pleas of the county and judicial district wherein the Township
of Lower Oxford lies.
A flat, wooden floored, roofless area adjoining a house,
often used for recreation purposes.
The number of dwelling units per the base site area.
The number of dwelling units per the net buildable site area.
A single dwelling which has yards on all four sides.
Final action by an officer, body or agency charged with the
administration of any land use ordinance or applications thereunder,
except the following:
The Board of Supervisors.
The Zoning Hearing Board.
The Planning Commission, only if and to the extent the Planning
Commission is charged with final decision on preliminary or final
plans under the subdivision and land development ordinance. Determinations
shall be appealable only to the boards designated as having jurisdiction
for such approval.
Any landowner, agent of such landowner, or tenant with the
permission of such landowner, who makes or causes to be made a subdivision
of land or land 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, drilling operation, the storage
of equipment or materials and the subdivision of land.
A written contract between the subdivider or developer and
the landowner, on one hand, and the Township on the other, specifying
the conditions of final approval by the Township and providing for
the completion and dedication of public improvements.
The provisions for development including a plat of subdivision,
all covenants relating to use, location and bulk of buildings and
other structures, intensity of use or density of development, streets,
ways and parking facilities, common open space and public facilities.
The phrase "provisions of development plan," when used in this chapter,
shall mean the written and graphic materials referred to in this definition.
Normal wastes from kitchens, water closets, lavatories, and
laundries in residences, offices, hotels, stores, restaurants, hospitals,
schools, commercial establishments, industrial establishments, and
similar services.
The upstream watershed area of a drainage basin measured
from the point of discharge in the watercourse.
Any ditch, gutter, pipe, culvert, stormwater or other structure
designed, intended or constructed for the purpose of diverting surface
water from or carrying surface waters off streets, public rights-of-way,
parks, recreational areas or any part of any subdivision or land development
or contiguous land areas.
A private means of vehicular and pedestrian access from a
public or private street to a single lot.
A driveway providing access to not more than two contiguous lots, which is established and maintained in accordance with the applicable requirements of this chapter or Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] and all other applicable laws and regulations.
A lot or portion of a lot used for deposit and storage of
refuse including, but not by way of limitation, garbage, ashes, and
rubbish. The definition of dump does not include a sanitary landfill
as defined by this section and when operated in accordance with standards
established by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources
and/or the Chester County Health Department.
A building designed for and occupied for residential purposes,
excluding hotels, institutional homes, motor courts, and the like,
and including, but not limited to the following:
SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED DWELLINGA dwelling on a lot designed and occupied exclusively as a residence for only one family, having independent outside access and having open space on all sides.
DUPLEX DWELLINGA single two-family, semi-detached dwelling on a lot having only two dwelling units from ground to roof and having only one wall in common with another dwelling.
TWIN-HOME DWELLINGA single family, semi-detached dwelling unit having only one dwelling unit from ground to roof and only one wall in common with another dwelling unit.
SINGLE-FAMILY ATTACHED DWELLINGA dwelling on a lot designed and occupied exclusively as a residence for one family, having independent outside access attached to but separated from adjoining dwellings by not more than two party walls.
MULTIPLE-FAMILY DWELLINGA dwelling on a lot designed and occupied exclusively as a residence for three or more families.
Any room or group of rooms located within a residential building
and forming a single habitable unit with facilities which are used
or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating by
one family.
A right-of-way granted for limited use of land for public
or private use.
A licensed professional engineer registered in Pennsylvania
and duly designated by Lower Oxford Township to perform the duties
of engineer as herein specified.
An addition to the floor area of an existing bridling, an
increase in size of another structure, or an increase in that portion
of a lot occupied by an existing use.
The natural process by which the surface of the land is worn
away by the action of water, wind or chemical action.
Any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock or any other similar
material is dug into, cut, quarried, uncovered, removed, displaced,
relocated, moved, including the conditions resulting therefrom.
A plot of land on which livestock are fattened for market.
Any act by which earth, sand, gravel rock or any other similar
material is placed, pushed, dumped, pulled, transported or moved to
a new location above the natural surface of the ground or the top
of the stripped surface, including the conditions resulting therefrom.
The difference in elevation between a point on the original
ground surface and a designated point of higher elevation on the final
grade.
The material used to make a fill.
Long, narrow strips of close growing vegetation at the perimeter
of disturbed or impervious areas which serve to intercept or retard
sheet flows of surface runoff and/or collect sediment. Used often
to protect other stormwater control facilities such as diversions,
impoundments, etc.
Soils along streams subject to flooding as a natural function
of streams and wetlands, as identified by the "Soil Survey of Chester
County, Pennsylvania," U.S.D.A., SCS, dated May 1963 as being "on
the floodplain" or "subject to flooding."
The sum of the gross horizontal area of the several floors
of a building or buildings measured from the outer face of the exterior
walls or from the inner face of walls separating two buildings.
RESIDENTIAL USEThe sum of the gross horizontal area of the several floors of a building and its accessory buildings, excluding cellar, basement, garage or carport floor areas not devoted to residence.
OFFICES, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL or MANUFACTURE USEThe sum of the gross, horizontal area of the several floors of a building and its accessory buildings including basements and attics with a minimum headroom of eight feet.
The ratio of floor area to the lot area, as determined by
dividing the floor area by the lot area.
An accessory building for the storage of one or more automobiles
and/or other vehicles accessory and incidental to the primary use
of the premises.
Building where motor vehicles are stored in return for compensation.
All water beneath the surface of the ground excluding water
above the water table but below the surface of the ground.
Point or points where pits, wells, or other facilities are
placed in a geologic formation at a particular depth or over a particular
depth range for the purpose of collecting samples of groundwater from
directly beneath the point or points.
A street, generally parallel and adjacent to a property line,
having a less right-of-way width than normally required for a satisfactory
improvement and use of the street.
The vertical distance measured in the case of flat roofs
from the average level of the finished ground surface along the main
front wall of the building to the level of the highest point of the
roof beams adjacent to the front wall and in the case of pitched roofs
from the same finished ground surface to the mean height level of
the gable.
An accessory use which:
Is customarily carried on within a dwelling unit by one or more
occupants of such dwelling unit except that two persons not residing
in such dwelling unit may be employed.
Occupies not more than 25% of the total floor area of such dwelling
unit and includes, but is not limited to, such occupations as professional
practice of medicine, law, engineering, architecture, real estate,
and insurance, and such other occupations as dressmaking, millinery,
antique dealing, and similar handicrafts and renting of rooms.
All surfaces which do not absorb water, including all buildings
and paved surfaces. In addition, any other area determined by the
Township Engineer to be impervious within the meaning of this definition
shall also be classified as impervious. Total square feet within this
definition, as projected on a horizontal plane, shall be considered
as impervious surface.
The total area of all impervious surfaces divided by the
base site area.
A retention or detention basin designed to retain stormwater
runoff and release it at a controlled rate.
Buildings, for public or quasi-public use, streets, curbs,
gutters, street lights and signs, parking areas, water mains, hydrants,
sanitary sewer mains, storm drainage lines, stormwater management
structures, walkways, recreational facilities, open space improvements,
shade trees, buffer or screen plantings and all other additions to
the tract that are required by this Part or necessary to result in
a complete subdivision or land development in the fullest sense of
the term.
Including, but not limited to, grading, paving, curbing,
fire hydrants, water mains, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, and other
surface drainage facilities, retaining walls, street signs, monuments
or the like, intended for dedication to the Township.
Any and all waste discharged from an industrial or manufacturing
establishment other than domestic waste.
An area of land with or without buildings used for storage
outside a completely enclosed building of used and discarded materials
including, but not limited to, wastepaper, rags, metal building materials,
house furnishings, machinery, vehicles or parts thereof, with or without
the dismantling, processing, salvage, sale or other use or disposition
of the same. The deposit or storage on a lot of two or more unlicensed,
wrecked, or disabled vehicles, or the major parts thereof, is a junkyard,
provided that unused farm equipment stored on agricultural properties
shall not be included within the definition of a junkyard.
A structure or place used for the breeding or boarding of
two or more domestic animals.
The application of sludge on, under, or into the land at
any location for any purpose other than agriculture.
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 group of two or more residential or non-residential buildings,
whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single non-residential
building on a lot or lots regardless of the number of occupants or
tenure.
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.
"Land development" does not include development which involves:
The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling
or single-family semi-detached dwelling into no more than three residential
units, unless such units are intended to be a condominium.
The addition of an accessory building, including farm building,
on a lot or lots subordinate to an existing principal building.
The addition or 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 proper authorities.
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 person having a proprietary interest in land, shall be deemed
to be a landowner for the purposes of this chapter.
A completely planted visual barrier composed of plants and
trees to form both a low-level and high-level screen.
A branch of a craft, art, business, manufacturer, especially
one that utilizes capital in manufacturing and which can be accommodated
close to residential districts because of its minimum impact to the
environment in terms of noise, air pollution, water pollution, and
movement of materials.
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.
The area of land included within a lot; provided, that the
area shall not include any part of an existing or proposed street
right-of-way, nor shall the lot area include the area of the leg of
a leg lot when said leg is less in width than the required building
width and greater than 50 feet in length.
The area contained within the property line of the lot excluding any area within any existing or designated future street rights-of-way and excluding any area required as open space under Chapter 27 [Zoning].
The ratio of the total ground floor area of all buildings
on a lot to the lot area on which they are located.
The line separating the lot from the street right-of-way.
The line which is parallel to or within 45° of being
parallel to the line designated as the front lot line.
A side lot line is any lot line which is not a front lot
line or a rear lot line.
The distance between the side lines of a lot measured along
a straight line lying between the required front and rear building
setbacks and making equal angles with the side lines. For a corner
lot, the lot width is the distance between one of its front lot lines
and the side lot line opposite thereto, measured along a straight
line making equal angles with such front and side lot lines and lying
between the required front building setback from the other front lot
line and the required side building setback from the side lot line
and the required side building setback from the side lot opposite
such other front lot line. If the lot width is measured along the
setback line, the lot width at the street right-of-way line shall
be a minimum of 50 feet or as designated by the zoning district.
A lot with at least two intersecting sides abutting for their
full length upon a street. The interior angle of intersection shall
not exceed 135°. Both (or more than two) yards adjacent to the
street shall be considered front yards. The remaining yards(s) shall
be the rear yard(s).
A metal pipe or pin of at least 1/2 inch in diameter, and
at least 24 inches in length.
A transportable, single-family dwelling intended for permanent
occupancy, contained in one unit or in two or more units designed
to be joined into one integral unit capable of, again, being separated
for repeated towing, which arrives at a site complete and ready for
occupancy except for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operations,
and constructed so that it may be used without a permanent foundation.
A parcel of land in a mobile home park, improved with the
necessary utility connections and other appurtenances necessary for
the erection thereon of a single mobile home.
A parcel or contiguous parcels of land which has been so
designated and improved that it contains two or more mobile home lots
for the placement thereon of mobile homes.
A stone or concrete monument with a flat top at least four
inches across and at least 24 inches in length.
A body politic and corporate created pursuant to the Act
of May 2, 1945 (P.L. 382, No. 164), known as the "Municipalities Authority
Act of 1945."
Involves the following elements:
The conformance of the proposed development or use with the
Comprehensive Plan for Lower Oxford Township and the compatibility
of the project with existing and proposed land uses adjacent to the
side.
The impact on any existing floodplains, heavily wooded areas,
steep slopes, and other sensitive natural features, if any.
The impact on the Township and regional transportation system
and the ability of the adjacent streets and intersections to efficiently
and safely handle the traffic generated by the proposed development
or use.
The impact on public utilities, including but not limited to
sewage disposal, garbage and rubbish disposal, water supply, storm
drainage and electrical utilities.
The impact on the provisions of police and fire protection for
the proposed development or use.
The impact upon the character of the surrounding neighborhood.
The applicant must show that the proposed development or use will
not adversely affect the neighborhood by reasons of noise, odors,
vibration, or explosion.
A lot the area or dimension of which was lawful prior to the adoption or amendment of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27], but which fails to conform to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located by reason of such adoption or amendment.
A structure or part of a structure manifestly not designed to comply with the use or extent of use provisions of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27], or amendments heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such structure lawfully existed prior to the enactment of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27], or amendment, or prior to the application of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27], or amendment, to its location by reason of annexation. Such nonconforming structures include, but are not limited to, nonconforming signs.
A use, whether of land or of structure, which does not comply with the applicable use provisions in the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such use was lawfully in existence prior to the enactment of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] or amendment, or prior to the application of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.
A drainage element in which stormwater flows with an open
surface. Open channels include, but shall not be limited to, natural
and man-made drainage ways, swales, streams, ditches, canals and pipes
flowing partly full.
That portion of a lot which is restricted from future development
for natural resource protection, buffers, and/or recreation. Open
space does not include land occupied by structures, roads, road rights-of-way,
parking lots or areas reserved for future parking lots, storm water
detention basins, nor does it include any portion of the minimum lot
areas as required by this Part.
That portion of the base site area that is required to remain
as open space.
All waste materials, whether solid, or liquid, or semi-solid,
or semi-liquid or otherwise from any source.
An off-street space available for the parking of one motor
vehicle and having usable access to a street or alley.
A masonry (usually concrete or brick) flat-floored area adjoining
a house often used for recreation purposes.
The maximum rate of flow of water at a given point and time
resulting from a storm event.
Includes an individual, corporation, partnership, incorporator's
association, or any other similar entity.
A complete and exact land development or subdivision plan
prepared by a registered engineer, land surveyor, or landscape architect
for official recording as required by the Act to define property rights
and proposed streets and other improvements.
Any land development application.
Any proposal involving public improvements, either privately
owned or to be dedicated to the Township.
Any proposal involving construction, improvement or widening
of a street, whether public or private.
Land disturbance activities requiring permanent stormwater management
facilities.
A subdivision in excess of four lots.
A subdivision or land development proposal other than those
qualifying as a major plan, including but not limited to re-subdivision
proposals and lot line adjustments.
A tentative land development or subdivision plan prepared
by a registered engineer, land surveyor or landscape architect, in
lesser detail than a final plan, showing approximate proposed street,
drainage, and lot layout as a basis for consideration prior to preparation
of a final plan.
A plan prepared by a registered engineer or surveyor showing
the vertical section of the existing grade and proposed grade along
the center line of any proposed street, and any street appurtenances
to be constructed or installed, which must include a typical cross-section
of the street construction.
An informal plan, not necessarily to exact scale, indicating
topographic and other salient existing features of a tract and its
surroundings and general layout of the proposed subdivision or land
development.
The Planning Commission of the Township of Lower Oxford.
A covered entrance to a building, usually with a separate
roof.
Includes:
A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the Board
of Supervisors or Planning Commission, intended to inform and obtain
public comment, prior to taking action in accordance with this chapter.
A forum held pursuant to notice under the Act of July 3,
1986 (P.L. 388, No. 84), known as the "Sunshine Act," 53 P.S. § 271
et seq.
Notice published once each week for two successive weeks
in a newspaper of general circulation in the Township of Lower Oxford.
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 more than 30 days and the second publication
shall not be less than seven days from the date of the hearing.
Any Township or state-owned street, avenue, boulevard, road,
highway, freeway, parkway, lane, alley, viaduct, or any other ways
used or intended to be used by vehicular traffic or pedestrians.
Any municipally or privately owned water supply system established
for the distribution or sale of water in accordance with the regulations
of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources and other
applicable laws of the commonwealth.
A lot or portion of a lot used for excavation and/or removal
of rock, stone, sand, and other earthen material.
That portion of the total unrestricted land area that is
required to be utilized for active recreation use.
Any letter, review, memorandum, compilation or similar writing
made by any body, board, officer, or consultant for the purpose of
assisting the recipient of such report in the rendering of any decision
or determination. All reports shall be deemed recommendatory and advisory
only and shall not be binding upon the recipient, board, officer,
body or agency, nor shall any appeal lie therefrom. Any report used,
received or considered by the body, board, officer or agency rendering
a determination or decision shall be made available for inspection
to the applicant and all other parties to any proceeding upon request,
and copies thereof shall be provided at cost of reproduction.
A building used for the purpose of furnishing to the public
meals to be consumed on the premises. A "fast food restaurant" is
defined as furnishing meals to the public for consumption on or off
the premises.
A reservoir designed to retain stormwater runoff with its
primary release of water being through the infiltration of said water
into the ground.
A lot extending between and having frontage on a major thoroughfare
and local street and with vehicular access solely from the latter.
Refers to land reserved as a street, crosswalk, or for other
public or private purposes.
The part of precipitation which flows over the land.
A land site on which engineering principals are utilized
to bury deposits of solid waste without creating public health or
safety hazards, nuisances, pollution, or environmental degradation.
Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A temporary structure, barrier, dam, retention or detention
basin designed to retain sediment, designed and constructed in accordance
with PA Title 25, Chapter 102 and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection rules and regulations.
A temporary sediment control device formed by excavation
and/or embankments or haybales to intercept sediment laden runoff
and retain the sediment.
All water-carried domestic or industrial wastes or any combination
thereof.
COMMUNITY SEWAGE COLLECTION, TREATMENT, and/or DISPOSAL SYSTEMA sanitary sewage system which carries sewage from individual dischargers by a system of pipes to one or more common treatment and disposal facilities employing spray irrigation and/or subsurface land disposal techniques. Treatment and disposal may occur either on-site or off-site, and shall be approved by the Chester County Health Department and/or the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.
INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMThe treatment and disposal of sewage by use of septic tanks and on-site subsurface seepage beds, or other safe and healthful means, approved by the Chester County Health Department. Such system shall be totally within the confines of the lot on which the use is located.
PUBLIC SEWAGE SYSTEMAn off-site system for treatment and disposal of sewage in which sewage is conveyed by a central collection system to a publicly-operated treatment and disposed of through means approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.
Course screenings, grit, and de-watered or air-dried sludges,
septic and holding tank pumpings and any other residues from sewage
collection and treatment systems which require disposal.
One or more buildings or parts thereof, designed as a unit
to be occupied by one or more business enterprises for the conduct
of business as an integrated planned area development, with controlled
ingress and egress and off-street parking provided on the property
as an integral part of the unit. These enterprises may include those
for the retail sale of such things as dry goods, variety and general
merchandise, clothing, food, flowers, drugs, liquor, household supplies
or furnishings, sale or repair of jewelry, or scientific instruments,
the provision of personal services such as barber shops, banks, hairdressers,
laundry or laundromats, and cleaning and pressing shops, and for such
purposes as theaters or bowling alleys, and restaurants with inside
seating and services only.
Any letter, word, model, device, symbol, or representation
intended as an announcement, direction or advertisement and may be
either free-standing or attached to another structure, or painted
on the exterior wall of a building or other structure.
The ownership of a lot by one or more persons which ownership
is separate and distinct from that of any adjoining property.
Outer bound of the tract of ground to be subdivided or developed.
The gross site area minus all roads as measured to their
ultimate right-of-way and existing overhead utility transmission right-of-way;
and land without development opportunities due to conservation easement
or restrictive covenant.
All land area within the site as determined from an actual
site survey.
That part of the base site area remaining for development
after the required amount of open space has been subtracted.
Sewage sludge or other waste materials as defined herein
or any other material, which any person seeks to spread or place on
the land, other than commercially prepared and sold agricultural fertilizers
and agriculturally-produced animal wastes.
A method of runoff computation developed by SCS and found
in its publication "Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds," Technical
Release No. 55, SCS, June 1986 or latest edition.
Garbage, refuse, and other discarded materials including,
but not limited to, solid and liquid waste materials, resulting from
Township, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and residential activities.
A use permitted in a particular zoning district pursuant to the provisions of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] and Articles VI and IX of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. §§ 10601 et seq., 10901 et seq.
Areas where the slope exceeds 15%.
The number of times that a given storm "event" occurs or
is exceeded on the average in a stated period of years.
A system of pipes or other conduits which carries intercepted
surface runoff, street water and other wash waters or drainage, but
excludes domestic sewage and industrial wastes.
All structural and nonstructural appurtenances utilized to
manage or control stormwater runoff including, but not limited to,
detention facilities, swales, diversion channels, streams, culverts,
bridges, infiltration facilities, cisterns and sediment basins.
That part of precipitation which flows over land (surface
runoff) excluding that portion which infiltrates or is evapotranspired.
That portion of a building located between the surface of
any floor and the ceiling or roof next above it.
Includes street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, freeway,
parkway, lane, alley, viaduct or any other ways used or intended to
be used, by vehicular traffic or pedestrians, whether public or private.
COLLECTOR STREETThose which carry traffic from local streets into the system of major thoroughfares.
LOCAL STREETA street intended to serve and provide access to the properties abutting thereon and not connecting with other streets in such a manner as to encourage through traffic.
MAJOR THOROUGHFAREA street with considerable continuity connecting district centers which serves, or will eventually serve large volumes of traffic.
A street line is the right-of-way line of a street.
The center line of a street is a line which is an equal distance
from both street lines.
Any man-made object having an ascertainable stationary location
on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land.
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 divisees, 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.
A low lying stretch of land which gathers or carries water
runoff.
A temporary or permanent structure containing or that could
contain a body of water with a minimum depth of two feet.
PRIVATEAny pool or open tank not located within a completely enclosed building and containing or normally capable of containing water to a depth at any point greater than two feet. Ponds and/or lakes are not included provided that swimming was not the primary purpose for their construction.
PUBLICAny open or enclosed pool, open to the public for amateur and/or professional swimming or recreational bathing whether or not a fee is charged for admission or for the use thereof.
The time for surface runoff to travel from the hydraulically
most distant point of the watershed to a point of interest within
the watershed. This time is the combined total of overland flow time
and flow in pipes or channels, if any.
A building, housing a single family which has one or two
common walls with similar buildings provided that no more than four
such buildings may be so attached in any one group.
The Township of Lower Oxford.
Any Lower Oxford Township-owned street, as defined herein.
One or more lots assembled for the purpose of development.
Relief granted to the provisions of the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] and Articles VI and IX of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
CENTRAL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMA system for supplying water from a common source or sources, available to all dwellings and buildings within a service area approved by the Township. The system shall be approved by the Chester County Health Department and/or the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. The water supply source may be located on or off the lot or lots being serviced by the system.
INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMA safe and healthful supply of water to a single user from a private well located on the lot on which the use is located.
An inventory of the source, quantity, yields and use of groundwater
and surface water resources within a municipality.
A stream of water, river brook, creek, or channel or ditch
for water, whether natural or man-made.
Any and all rivers, streams, creeks, rivulets, ditches, watercourses,
storm sewers, lakes, dammed water, wetland, ponds, springs and all
other bodies or channels of conveyance of surface and underground
water, or parts thereof, whether natural or artificial, within or
on the boundaries of this commonwealth.
The entire region or area drained by a river or other body
of water, whether natural or man-made.
A pond containing a permanent pool of water designed to store
stormwater runoff for a given storm event and release it at a predetermined
rate.
Wetlands are those areas inundated or saturated by surface
or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support —
and under normal circumstances do support — prevalence of vegetation
typically adapted for life in saturated soil condition.
Stands of trees averaging greater than six inches in caliper
measured four feet above the ground covering an area greater than
1/4 of an acre; or a grove of more than five trees within an area
less than 1/4 area that is greater than 12 inches in caliper measured
four feet above the ground. Such woodland associations shall include
but shall not be limited to floodplain and swamp association, meisic
upland and lowland associations, and upland associations.
That portion of a lot which is unoccupied and open to the
sky and extends from lot line to the building.
A yard extending the full width of the front lot line and
extending in depth from such lot line to the nearest point of any
building on the lot.
A yard extending the full depth of the lot along the lot
line and extending in width from such side lot line to the nearest
point of any building on the lot.
A yard extending the full depth of the lot along the rear
lot line and extending in depth from the rear lot to the nearest point
of any building on the lot.
The Zoning Hearing Board of Lower Oxford Township
