For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALLEY. A minor public right-of-way providing secondary vehicular access to the side or rear of two or more properties.
APPLICANT. A landowner or developer, as hereinafter defined, who has filed and application for development, including his or her heirs, successors and assigns.
BLOCK. An area bounded by streets.
BOROUGH. The Borough of Cressona, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, unless otherwise noted.
BOROUGH COUNCIL. The governing body of the Borough of Cressona, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
BOROUGH ENGINEER. A professional engineer licensed as such in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, duly appointed as the engineer for the Borough of Cressona and/or the Cressona Borough Planning Commission.
CLEAR SIGHT TRIANGLE.
(1) An area of unobstructed vision at street intersections defined by lines of sight between points at a given distance from the intersection of street right-of-way lines.
(2) Within such triangles, nothing except street signs, traffic lights or signs, utility poles and mailboxes, which impedes vision between a height of two and one-half feet and eight feet above the centerline grades of the intersecting streets shall be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow.
COMMISSION. The Borough of Cressona Planning Commission unless otherwise noted.
COMMISSION ENGINEER. The engineer or other qualified person designated by the Commission to perform all administrative and/or supervisory duties required of the Commission Engineer by the provisions of these regulations.
CUL-DE-SAC. A minor street intersecting another street at one end and terminated at the other by a vehicular turnaround.
DEDICATION. The deliberate appropriation of land by its owner for any general and public uses, reserving to himself or herself no other rights than such as are compatible with the full exercise and enjoyment of the public uses to which the property has been devoted.
DEVELOPER. 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 a land development.
DOUBLE FRONTAGE LOT. A lot extending between and having frontage on a major traffic street and a minor street, and with vehicular access solely from the latter.
EASEMENT. A right-of-way granted for limited use of private land for a public or quasi-public purpose.
LAND DEVELOPMENT. Any of the following activities:
(1) 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.
(2) A subdivision of land; and
(3) The following activities are hereby excluded from this definition and, by such exclusion, from the regulations of this chapter:
(a) The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling or single-family semi-detached dwelling into not more than three residential units, unless such units are intended to be a condominium; and
(b) The addition of an accessory building, including farm building, on a lot or lots subordinate to an existing principal building.
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.
PLAN, FINAL. A complete and exact subdivision plan, prepared for official recording as required by statute, to define property rights and proposed streets and other improvements.
PLAN, PRELIMINARY. A tentative subdivision plan, in lesser detail than a final plan, showing approximate proposed streets and lot layout as a basis for consideration prior to preparation of a final plan.
PLAN, SKETCH. An informal plan, not necessarily to scale, indicating salient existing features of a tract and its surroundings and the general layout of the proposed subdivision.
REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER. A person registered and licensed to practice engineering within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
SIGHT DISTANCE. The maximum extent of unobstructed vision (in a horizontal or vertical plane) along a street from a vehicle located at any given point on the street.
STRUCTURE. Any human-made object having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land.
SUBDIVIDER. The owner, or authorized agent of the owner, of a subdivision.
SUBDIVISION. 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; provided, however, that the subdivision by lease of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of more than ten acres, not involving any new street or easement of access or any residential dwelling, shall be exempted.
SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED. Where, in the judgment of the Borough Engineer, at least 90% (based on the cost of the required improvements for which financial security was posted pursuant to the requirements of this chapter) 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.
(Prior Code, Ch. 22, § 202) (Ord. 173, passed 10-5-1970, § 202; Ord. 323, passed 7-6-1998; Ord. 3-2009, passed 8-17-2009, § 1)