Township of Stowe, PA Article I Uniform Construction Code

[Adopted 5-12-2004 by Ord. No. 876]

§ 241-1 Legislative authority.

Stowe Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. §§ 7210.101 to 7210.1103, as amended from time to time, and its regulations.

§ 241-2 Adoption of standards.

The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of Stowe Township.

§ 241-3 Administration and enforcement.

[Amended 7-14-2020 by Ord. No. 1023]

Administration and enforcement of the code within Stowe Township shall be undertaken in any of the following ways as determined by the Commissioners of Stowe Township by resolution on a subjective basis as the issue presents itsclt:

A. By the designation of an employee of Stowe Township to serve as the Municipal Code Officer or Ordinance Officer to act on behalf of Stowe Township;

B. By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of Stowe Township;

C. By agreement with one or more other municipalities for the joint administration and enforcement of this article through an intermunicipal agreement;

D. By entering into a contract with another municipality for the administration and enforcement of this article on behalf of Stowe Township;

E. By entering into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for plan review, inspections and enforcement of structures other than one-family or two-family dwelling units and utility and miscellaneous-use structures.

§ 241-4 Board of Appeals established.

[Amended 7-14-2020 by Ord. No. 1023]

A Board of Appeals shall be established by resolution by the Commissioners of Stowe Township in conformity with the requirements of this article to enforce and rule upon any appeals to decisions made by anyone or any entity as set forth in § 241-3. The Commissioners of Stowe Township may decide the number of individuals serving on the Board of Appeals by resolution, and any further procedures necessary for the purposes set forth in this article. If at any time enforcement and administration is undertaken jointly with one or more municipalities, said Board of Appeals may be established by joint action of the participating municipalities.

§ 241-5 Compliance with other provisions.

A. All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were adopted by Stowe Township on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the code shall continue in full force and effect until such time as such provisions fail to equal or exceed the minimum requirements of the code, as amended from time to time.

B. All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which are in effect as of the effective date of this article and whose requirements are less than the minimum requirements of the code are hereby amended to conform with the comparable provisions of the code.

C. All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of Stowe Township not governed by the code shall remain in full force and effect.

§ 241-6 Fees.

Fees assessable by Stowe Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this article and the code shall be established by the governing body by resolution from time to time.

§ 241-7 Severability.

If any section, subsection, sentence or clause of this article is held, for any reason, to be invalid, such decision or decisions shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this article.