For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. The Greene Township Code Enforcement Officer.
AGRICULTURAL. The use of land for the production and preparation for market of crops, livestock and livestock products and the production and harvesting of agronomical, horticultural, silvicultural and aquacultural crops and commodities prepared from crops.
APPLICANT. A developer submitting an application for development.
APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT. The application form and all accompanying documents required by ordinance for approval of a subdivision plan or site plan.
APPROVING AUTHORITY. The Greene Township Board of Supervisors.
BUFFER. An area within a property or site, generally adjacent to and parallel with the property line, either consisting of natural existing vegetation or created by the use of trees, shrubs, fences and/or berms, designed to limit continuously the view of and/or sound from the site to adjacent sites or properties.
BUILDING. A combination of materials to form a permanent structure having walls and a roof, including, but not limited to, all mobile homes and trailers.
CARTWAY. The actual road surface area from curbline to curbline, which may include travel lanes, parking lanes and deceleration and acceleration lanes. Where there are no curbs, the CARTWAY is that portion between the edges of the paved, or hard surface, width.
CHANNEL. The bed and banks of a natural stream which convey the constant or intermittent flow of the stream.
COMMON OPEN SPACE. Land or water within or related to a development, not individually owned or dedicated for public use, which is designed and intended for the common use or enjoyment of the residents of the development. It may include complementary structures and improvements, but not streets, off-street parking areas or public open space.
COMMUNITY SEWER SYSTEM. A sewage facility, whether publicly or privately owned, for the collection of sewage from two or more lots, or two or more equivalent dwelling units, and the treatment or disposal, or both, of the sewage on one or more of the lots or at another site.
CONCEPT PLAN. A preliminary presentation and attendant documentation of a proposed subdivision or site plan of sufficient accuracy to be used for the purpose of discussion and classification.
CONDOMINIUM. Ownership in common with others of a parcel of land and certain parts of a building thereon which would normally be used by all the occupants, together with individual ownership in fee of a particular unit or apartment in such building or on such parcel of land and may include dwellings, offices and other types of space in commercial and industrial buildings or on real property.
COUNTY. The County of Beaver, Pennsylvania.
COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION. The Planning Commission of the County of Beaver.
CUL-DE-SAC. A street open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic with one end permanently terminated by a vehicular turnaround.
CULVERT. A structure designed to convey a watercourse not incorporated in a closed drainage system under a road or pedestrian walk.
CURB. A vertical or sloping edge of a roadway.
DEDICATION. An act transmitting property or interest thereto.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (DEP). The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, its bureaus, divisions, departments and/or agencies, as may from time to time be established, or such department or departments as may in the future succeed it.
DESIGN FLOOD. The relative size or magnitude of a major flood of reasonable expectancy, which reflects both flood experience and flood potential and is the basis of the delineation of the floodway, the flood hazard area and the water surface elevations.
DESIGN STANDARDS. Criteria that specifies the standards under which required improvements are established.
DESIGNATED FLOODPLAIN AREAS. A relatively flat or low land area adjoining a river, stream or watercourse which is subject to partial or complete inundation in a 100-year flood.
DEVELOPER. The legal or beneficial owner or owners of a lot or of any land included in a proposed development. Also, the holder of an option of contract to purchase, or any other person having enforceable proprietary interest in such land who makes, or causes to be made, a subdivision of land or a land development. See LAND DEVELOPMENT.
DEVELOPMENT REGULATION. Zoning, subdivision, site plan, official map, floodplain regulation or other governmental regulation of the use and development of land.
DRAINAGE. The removal of surface water or groundwater from land by drains, grading or other means.
DRAINAGE FACILITY. Any component of the drainage system.
DRAINAGE SYSTEM. The system through which water flows from the land, including all watercourses, waterbodies and wetlands.
DRIVEWAY. A paved or unpaved area used for ingress or egress of vehicles, and allowing access from a street to a building or other structure or facility.
DWELLING. Any building which is designated for human living quarters, but not including hotels, boardinghouses, tourist cabins, motels and other accommodations used for transient occupancy.
EASEMENT. A right-of-way granted, but not dedicated, for limited use of private land for a public or quasi-public purpose and within which the owner of the property shall not erect any permanent structures.
ENGINEER. A registered professional engineer in the state designated by the Township Board of Supervisors as the Township Engineer.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS. Features, natural resources or land characteristics that are sensitive to improvements and may require conservation measures or the application of creative development techniques to prevent degradation of the environment or may require limited development, or, in certain instances, may preclude development.
EROSION. The detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments, or the wearing away of the land surface by water, wind, ice or gravity.
EXCAVATION. Any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock or any other similar material is dug into, cut, quarried, uncovered, removed, displaced, relocated or bulldozed. It shall include the conditions resulting therefrom.
FENCE. An artificially constructed barrier of wood, masonry, stone, wire, metal or any other manufactured material or combination of materials.
FILL. Any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock or any other material is placed, pushed, dumped, pulled, transported or moved to a new location above the natural surface of the ground or on top of the stripped surface. It shall include the conditions resulting therefrom. The difference in elevation between a point on the original ground and a designated point of higher elevation of the final grade. The material used to make FILL.
FINAL APPROVAL. The official action of the Township Board of Supervisors taken on a preliminarily approved major subdivision or site plan, after all conditions, engineering plans and other requirements have been completed or fulfilled and the required improvements have been installed, or guarantees properly posted for their completion, or approval conditioned upon the posting of such guarantee.
FINAL PLAN. A complete and exact subdivision plan of all or a portion of a subdivision, prepared by a registered land surveyor, for official recording as required by statute, to delineate boundaries, define property rights, proposed streets and all other improvements. If FINAL PLANS are to be for only a portion of the entire area, a schedule for development of the remainder is required.
FLOODPLAIN. The area along a natural watercourse which may, from time to time, be overflowed by water therefrom.
FLOOR AREA. Area of all floors of buildings or structures.
FRONTAGE. See LOT FRONTAGE.
GENERAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN. A plan outlining general, rather than detailed, development intentions. It describes the basic parameters of a major development proposal, rather than giving full engineering details. As such, it allows general intentions to be proposed and discussed without the extensive costs involved in submitting a detailed proposal.
GOVERNING BODY. The Greene Township Board of Supervisors.
GRADE. The slope of a street, or other public way, specified in percentage terms.
GROUND COVER. A planting of low-growing plants or sod that, in time, forms a dense mat covering the area, preventing soil from being blown or washed away and the growth of unwanted plants.
GUTTER. A shallow channel usually set along a curb or the pavement edge of a road for purposes of catching and carrying off runoff water.
HISTORIC SITE. A structure or place of historical significance. May be designated as such by local, state or federal government.
IMPOUNDMENT. A body of water, such as a pond, confined by a dam, dike, floodgate or other barrier.
IMPROVEMENT. Any human-made, immovable item which becomes part of, placed upon or is affixed to real estate.
INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM. A septic tank, seepage tile sewage disposal system or any other approved sewage treatment device serving a single unit.
LAND DEVELOPMENT.
(1) The improvement of one 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) The following shall be excluded from this definition:
(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;
(b) The addition of an accessory building, including farm buildings, on a lot or lots subordinate to an existing principal building; or
(c) The addition or conversion of building or rides within the confines of an enterprise which would be considered an amusement park. For purposes of this definition, 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 proper authorities.
LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN. A plan prepared in accordance with the application requirements of this chapter for approval of a land development, as defined herein.
LIVING UNIT. A residential unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one family, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
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 AREA. The size of a lot measured within the lot lines and expressed in terms of acres or square feet.
LOT FRONTAGE. The portion of a lot extending along a street line.
MAINTENANCE GUARANTEE. Any security which may be required and accepted by the Township Board of Supervisors to ensure that necessary improvements will function as required for a specific period of time.
MAJOR SUBDIVISION. Any subdivision not classified as a minor subdivision.
MINOR SUBDIVISION. Subdivisions developed along existing improved public thoroughfares that require no additional streets or street openings or realignment of existing vacant lots, and the division of lots containing more than one principal structure for the purpose of transferring legal ownership of lots or structures and the land on which they are situated, provided that no new land development or new streets or realignment of existing streets is involved.
MOBILE HOME. A factory-assembled structure or structures equipped with the necessary service connections and made so as to be readily movable as a unit or units on its (their) own running gear and designed to be used as a dwelling unit(s) without a permanent foundation. The phrase “without a permanent foundation” indicates that the support system is constructed with the intent that the mobile home placed thereon will be moved from time to time at the convenience of the owner.
MOBILE HOME ACCESSORY BUILDING OR STRUCTURE. A subordinate building or structure which is an addition to or supplements the facilities provided by a mobile home, such as awnings, cabanas, ramadas, storage structures, carports, porches, fences, skirtings or windbreaks.
MOBILE HOME DEVELOPMENT. A contiguous parcel of land which has been planned and improved for the placement of mobile homes.
MOBILE HOME LOT. A parcel of land for the placement of a mobile home and the exclusive use of its occupant.
MOBILE HOME PARK. A parcel of land under single ownership which has been planned and improved for the placement of mobile homes for nontransient use, consisting of two or more mobile home lots.
MODIFICATION. A relaxation or change in the provisions of this chapter that is granted by the governing body in cases where the developer can show to the satisfaction of the governing body that the literal enforcement of the provisions would exact undue hardship because of peculiar conditions pertaining to the land in question.
MOVING LANE. Any traffic lane where traffic movement is the primary, if not sole, function.
MUNICIPALITIES PLANNING CODE. Act of Assembly of July 31, 1968, P.L. 805, as reenacted and amended by Act 170 of 1988, 53 P.S. §§ 10101 et seq.
MUNICIPALITY. The Township of Greene, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
OFF-SITE. Located outside the lot lines of the lot in question, but within the property (of which the lot is a part) that is the subject of a development application, or on a contiguous portion of a street or right-of-way.
OFF-STREET PARKING SPACE. A parking space provided in a parking lot, parking structure or private driveway.
OFF-TRACT. Not located on the property that is the subject of a development application nor on a contiguous portion of a street or right-of-way.
ON-SITE. Located on the lot in question.
ON-STREET PARKING SPACE. A parking space that is located on a dedicated street right-of-way.
ON-TRACT. Located on the property that is the subject of a development application or on a contiguous portion of a street or right-of-way.
ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD. A flood that, on the average, is likely to occur once every 100 years.
OPEN SPACE. Any parcel or area of land or water essentially unimproved and set aside, dedicated, designated or reserved for the public or private use or enjoyment or for the use and enjoyment of owners and occupants of land adjoining or neighboring such OPEN SPACE.
OWNER. 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 or she is authorized under the lease to exercise the rights of the owner, or other persons having a proprietary interest in the land, shall be deemed to be an OWNER for the purpose of this chapter.
PARKING LANE. A lane usually located on the sides of streets, designed to provide on-street parking for vehicular traffic.
PARKING SPACE. An area provided for the parking of a motor vehicle.
PAVEMENT. See CARTWAY.
PERC TEST (PERCOLATION TEST). A test designed to determine the ability of ground to absorb water and used to determine the suitability of a soil for drainage or for the use of a septic system.
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE. Any security that may be accepted by the township as a guarantee that the improvements required as part of an application for development are satisfactorily completed.
PERSON. An individual, partnership, corporation or other legally recognized entity.
PLAN. A map or maps of a subdivision or site plan.
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT. An area of a minimum contiguous size, as specified by ordinance, to be planned, developed, operated and maintained as a single entity containing one or more structures to accommodate commercial or office uses, or both, and appurtenant common areas and other uses incidental to the predominant uses.
PLANNING COMMISSION. The Greene Township Planning Commission.
POTABLE WATER SUPPLY. Water suitable for drinking or cooking purposes.
PREAPPLICATION CONFERENCE. An initial meeting between developers and municipal representatives which affords developers the opportunity to present their proposals informally. This conference is not required, but is an option offered to the developer.
PRELIMINARY APPROVAL. The conferral of certain rights prior to final approval after specific elements of a development plan have been agreed upon by the Planning Commission and the applicant.
PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION PLAN. A tentative subdivision plan of an entire tract prepared by a registered land surveyor, showing approximate street and lot layout as a basis for consideration and review prior to preparation for a final plan. It must include the entire tract or eventual area that is to be subdivided.
PUBLIC HEARING. A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the governing body or Planning Commission, intended to inform and obtain public comment, prior to taking action.
PUBLIC NOTICE. Notice published once each week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the township. 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 be not more than 30 days, and the second publication shall not be less than seven days, from the date of the hearing.
PUBLIC OPEN SPACE. An open space area conveyed or otherwise dedicated to a municipality, municipal agency, board of education, state or county agency or other public body for recreational or conservational uses.
PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEM. A system of sewers, owned and operated by a municipal authority created under the Municipal Authorities Act (53 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 5601 et seq.), for the collection and disposal of sewage.
RESIDENTIAL DENSITY. The number of dwelling units per gross acre of residential land area, including streets, easements and open space portions of a development.
RETAINING WALL. A structure erected between lands of different elevation to protect structures and/or to prevent the washing down or erosion of earth from the upper slope level.
RIGHT-OF-WAY. A strip of land occupied or intended to be occupied by a street, crosswalk, railroad, road, electric transmission line, gas pipeline, water main, sanitary or storm sewer main, shade trees or for another special use.
SCREEN. A structure or planting consisting of fencing, berms and/or evergreen trees or shrubs providing a continuous view obstruction within a site or property.
SEPTIC SYSTEM. An underground system with a septic tank used for the decomposition of domestic wastes.
SEPTIC TANK. A watertight receptacle that receives the discharge of sewage.
SETBACK. The distance between the street right-of-way line and the front line of a building or any projection thereof, excluding uncovered steps.
SEWAGE. A substance that contains the waste products or excrement or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals and noxious or deleterious substances being harmful or inimical to the public health, or to animal or aquatic life, or to the use of water for domestic water supply or for recreation or which constitutes pollution under the Clean Streams Law (35 P.S. §§ 691 et seq.).
SEWER. Any pipe conduit used to collect and carry away sewage or stormwater runoff from the generating source to treatment plants or receiving streams.
SHOULDER. The graded part of the right-of-way that lies between the edge of the main pavement (main traveled way) and the curbline.
SIDEWALK (AREA). A paved path provided for pedestrian use and usually located at the side of a road within the right-of-way.
SIGHT TRIANGLE. A triangular-shaped portion of land established at street intersections in which nothing is erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow in such a manner as to limit or obstruct the sight distance of motorists entering or leaving the intersection.
SITE PLAN. An accurately scaled development plan that illustrates the existing conditions on a land parcel, as well as depicting details of a proposed development.
SKETCH PLAN. A drawing, whether or not to scale, depicting a proposed subdivision.
STREET. A public or private way that affords the principal vehicular or pedestrian means of on-grade access to abutting properties. A STREET may be designated as a highway, thoroughfare, alley, parkway, boulevard, road, avenue, lane, drive, place or other appropriate name.
STREET CLASSIFICATIONS. The following street classifications shall apply to all streets in the township.
(1) ARTERIAL. Carries major movements of traffic within or through the community.
(2) COLLECTOR. Carries the internal traffic movements within the township and connect developed areas with the arterial system. The collector system simultaneously provides abutting property with road access and accommodates local internal traffic movements.
(3) EXPRESSWAY. Limited access freeways that carry through traffic between major urban centers and to and from points outside of a region with no local interference.
(4) LOCAL. Provide access to immediately adjacent land but normally carry a small portion of the total vehicle miles traveled daily.
(5) PRIVATE. Any vehicular way that is not dedicated as a public street.
STRUCTURE. That which is built or constructed, an edifice or building of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner.
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, for lease, partition by the court for distribution to heirs or devisees, transfer of ownership or building or lot development; provided, however, that the division 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.
SURVEYOR. A professional land surveyor licensed by the commonwealth.
TOPSOIL. The original upper layer of soil material to a depth of six inches, which is usually darker and richer than the subsoil.
TREATMENT PLANT. A complete sewage treatment system designed and licensed to treat sewage and discharge effluent into a watercourse.
WATERCOURSE. A stream of water, river, brook, creek or channel or ditch for water, whether natural or human-made.
(2003 Code, § 146-5) (Ord. 2-96, passed 7-5-1996; Ord. 1-2003, passed 6-3-2003; Ord. 1-2004, passed 6-7-2004)