(A) The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the orderly, logical and harmonious development of the township and to protect, promote and create conditions favorable to the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the township’s citizenry by:
(1) Ensuring that all future development is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan for the county, the Township Comprehensive Development Plan and other plans developed through local level planning programs;
(2) Providing for the orderly development of open lands and acreage in concert with environmental and natural capacities and limitations;
(3) Assuring uniform and equitable processing of all subdivision plans by providing uniform standards and procedures;
(4) Establishing requirements, standards and specifications to aid in guiding elected public officials, planners, planning commissions, subdivides, developers, land surveyors, landscape architects, architects, engineers and others in the design and development of subdivisions and land developments throughout the township;
(5) Assuring a coordination of proposed streets, parks and other features in and bordering a proposed subdivision or land development, as to such widths and grades and in such locations as deemed necessary to accommodate prospective traffic, with the existing street and highway system of the township thereby facilitating the rational movement of traffic;
(6) Providing for adequate oversight of subdivision and land development to assure that public concerns with accessibility, stormwater management, on-lot sewage disposal, water supply and other factors are taken into account;
(7) Providing for adequate open spaces for traffic, recreation, light and air and for proper distribution of the population;
(8) Encouraging and providing for innovations in new residential developments, such as planned mixed use development, cluster development and other evolving methods which provide for:
(a) A greater variety in type, design and layout of dwellings;
(b) The conservation and more efficient use of usable space in relation to new dwellings;
(c) Savings on energy, water use, infrastructure and paving; and
(d) Integration of slope and other undevelopable areas into the total development plan for use as open space.
(9) Protecting the character and the social and economic stability of the township, by promoting a harmony between existing development, future development and the natural environment;
(10) Protecting and conserving the value of land throughout the township, and the value of buildings and improvements upon the land, and minimizing the conflicts among the uses of land and buildings;
(11) Guiding public and private policy and action in order to provide adequate and efficient transportation, water supply, sewerage, stormwater management, schools, parks, playgrounds, recreation and other public requirements and facilities;
(12) Ensuring that public facilities are available and will have a sufficient capacity to serve the proposed subdivision;
(13) Preventing the pollution of air, streams and ponds to assure the adequacy of drainage of facilities; to safeguard the groundwater resources; and to encourage the wise use and management of the natural resources in order to preserve the community and value of the land;
(14) Preserving the natural beauty and topography of the township and ensuring appropriate development with regard to these natural features;
(15) Providing the most beneficial relationship between the uses of land and buildings and the circulation of traffic within the township, having particular regard for the avoidance of congestion in the streets and highways and the pedestrian traffic movements appropriate to the various uses of land and building lines;
(16) Providing for the logical and orderly addition and extension of the community facilities and public utilities systems to developing areas;
(17) Upgrading the quality of land records through creation and filing of accurate and legible subdivision plans with the County Recorder of Deeds for future information and use by municipal officials and the general public;
(18) Ensuring, generally, that the future orderly growth and development of the township is accompanied by adequate public facilities, without negatively affecting the environment, and making the township a better place in which to live and work;
(19) Ensuring that minimum setback lines and minimum lot sizes are applied throughout the township based on the availability of water and sewage; and
(20) Permitting the township to minimize developmental and related problems as may exist or which may be foreseen, by encouraging development on land exhibiting the appropriate soils, slope and other physiographic and environmental characteristics.
(B) When development throughout the township is guided by the foregoing and incorporated into the general context of area-wide comprehensive planning, a mutual benefit will be derived by the developer, the buyer, the local municipalities, the township, the county and the general public.
(Ord. 2-2011, passed 10-6-2011)