For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALLEY. A public or private street primarily designed to serve as secondary access to the side or rear of those properties whose principal frontage is on some other street.
APPLICANT. A landowner or developer, hereinafter defined, who has filed an application for a subdivision or land development including his or her successors and assigns.
APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT. Every application, whether preliminary, tentative or final, required to be filed and approved prior to start of construction or development, including, but not limited to, an application for a building permit, for the approval of a subdivision or land development plan.
ARTERIAL. A road designed to include highways that provide connections between urban places and other traffic generators that develop substantial volumes of traffic on an intercounty or inter-city basis where the average trip lengths are usually five miles or greater.
AVERAGE DAILY TRIPS (ADT). The average number of vehicular trips generated by a land use over a 24-hour period during the week.
BERM. A mound of soil, either natural or human-made, used to obstruct views.
BOROUGH. The Borough of Grove City, Mercer County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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. Any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls and intended for the shelter, housing or enclosure of any individual, animal, process, equipment, goods or materials of any kind.
BUILDING, PRINCIPAL. A building in which is conducted the principal use of the lot on which it is located.
CALIPER. A measurement of the diameter of a trunk tree taken at four feet from grade.
CAPPED (DRY) SYSTEM. A completed water supply and/or sewage collection system put in place for future use (contingent upon expansion), rather than to meet immediate development needs.
CARTWAY. The actual road surface area from curb line to curb line that 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.
COLLECTOR STREET. Those streets carrying considerable volumes of traffic that, in addition to giving access to abutting properties, intercept local streets and provide routes to community facilities to arterials and to state highways.
COMMISSION or PLANNING COMMISSION. The Borough Planning Commission unless otherwise clearly stated.
CONDOMINIUM. A building, or group of buildings, in which dwelling units, offices or floor area are owned individually and the structure, common areas and facilities are owned by all the owners on a proportional, undivided basis.
CONTOUR. An imaginary line on the surface of the earth connecting all points of equal height above some reference plane, usually sea level.
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 marking the edge of a cartway.
DEAD-END STREET. A local street with only one outlet and having the other end for the reversal of traffic movement. (See STREET.)
DEDICATION. An act transmitting property or interest thereto.
DESIGN STANDARDS. Standards that set forth specific improvement requirements.
DETENTION BASIN. A human-made or natural water collector facility designed to collect surface and sub-surface water in order to impede its flow and to release the same gradually, at a rate not greater than that prior to the development of the property, into natural or human-made outlets.
DEVELOPER. Any landowner, agent of such landowner, or tenant with permission of such landowner, who makes, or causes to be made, a land development or a subdivision of land.
DEVELOPMENT. Any human-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, construction or improvements to buildings or other structures, the placement of mobile homes, streets and other paving, utilities, storm sewers, drains, improvements to watercourses, sidewalks, street signs, crosswalks, shade trees, seeding, sodding, monuments or other property markers, water supply facilities and sewage facilities; filling, grading, excavation, mining, dredging or drilling operations, or change of use as regulated by the Zoning Ordinance, when conducted within the context of subdivision or land development activities, as defined by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.
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, water bodies and wetlands.
DRIVEWAY. A private, paved or unpaved roadway, used for ingress or egress of vehicles, and allowing access from a street to a property and any building or other structure or facility on the property.
DRY SYSTEM (LINES). See CAPPED SYSTEM.
DWELLING. A building or portion thereof, designed for residential occupancy.
DWELLING UNIT. A single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
EASEMENT. A grant of one or more property rights, usually in a defined area, by the property owner to and/or for use by the public, a corporation, or another person or entity.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS. Features, natural resources or land characteristics that are sensitive to improvements and may require conservation measures by the application of creative development techniques to prevent degradation of the environment, or may require limited development, or in certain instances may preclude development.
EQUIVALENT DWELLING UNIT (EDU). A term used in planning for water and/or sewer facilities to estimate the water used or generated by a particular use. For residential planning, the term is literal, and typically a residential EDU is estimated at 300 gallons per day. In commercial, industrial, institutional or other nonresidential uses the EDU sanitary sewer flow is equal to 400 gallons per day.
EROSION. The detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments, or the wearing away of the land surface by water, wind, ice or gravity.
ESCROW. A financial guarantee permitted under § 509 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. § 10509).
FAMILY. A group of individuals, not necessarily related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship living together in a dwelling unit as a single housekeeping unit.
FENCE. An artificially constructed barrier of wood, masonry, stone, wire, metal or any other manufactured material or combination of materials.
FINAL APPROVAL. The official action of the Planning Commission taken on a minor subdivision or a preliminarily approved major subdivision or land development plan after all conditions, engineering plans and other requirements have been completed or fulfilled and the required improvements have been installed or guarantees properly posed for their completion or approval conditioned upon the posting of such guarantee.
FINAL PLAN. The final map of all or a portion of a subdivision or land development plan that is presented for final approval, and official recording as required by statute.
FLAG LOT. A lot not meeting the minimum frontage requirements of this chapter and/or local regulations and where access to a public road is provided by a narrow strip of land.
FRONTAGE. See LOT FRONTAGE.
GOVERNING BODY. The Borough Council of the Borough of Grove City.
GRADE. The slope of a street or other public way specified in percentage terms.
GROSS FLOOR AREA. The total area of a building measured by taking the outside dimensions of the building at each floor level intended for occupancy or storage.
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.
HISTORIC SITE. A structure or place of historical significance. May be designated as such by local, state or federal government.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE. A surface that has been compacted or covered with a layer of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by water.
IMPROVEMENT. Physical changes to the land, including, but not limited to, construction of buildings, installation of a structure upon a lot or lots, grading, paving, conversion or change of land use, curbs, gutters, storm sewers and drains, alterations to existing watercourses, installation of sidewalks, crosswalks, roads and streets street signs, monuments, parking lots, water supply facilities and sewage disposal facilities.
INDUSTRIAL STREET. A street designed to provide access from a collector or arterial street to an industrial structure of 20,000 square feet or larger with one or more loading docks.
LAND DEVELOPMENT. As defined by the Municipalities Planning Code § 107 (53 P.S. § 10107), is 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 subdivision of land (provided that, for the purpose of this chapter, the regulations governing subdivisions are separate from those governing other types of land development);
(b) 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
(c) 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) This definition also includes all development in accordance with § 503(1.1) of the Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. § 10503(1.1)).
LOCAL STREET. Those streets used primarily to provide access to abutting properties, to provide frontage for access to private lots and carry traffic having destination or origin on the street itself.
LOT. A tract or parcel of land, regardless of size, held in single or joint ownership, which is occupied or capable of being occupied by buildings, structures and accessory buildings, including such open spaces as are arranged, designed or required. The term LOT shall also mean PARCEL, PLOT, SITE or similar term.
LOT AREA. The area contained within the lot lines of the individual parcels of land as shown on a subdivision plan, excluding the area within the street right-of-way or easement for overhead utility lines, but including any subsurface easements, expressed in terms of acres or square feet.
LOT CONSOLIDATION (ALSO UN-SUBDIVISION). The act of eliminating an existing subdivision by combining lots or parcels of land into one deed describing the entire tract as one lot or parcel. The procedure for a un-subdivision follows that of a minor subdivision.
LOT FRONTAGE. The portion of a lot extending along a street line.
MAINTENANCE GUARANTEE. Any security that may be required and accepted by the governing body of the local municipality to ensure that necessary improvements will function as required for a specific period of time.
MAJOR SUBDIVISION. Any subdivision that contains four or more lots with access to an approved road, or requires the construction of new streets, or the installation of water, sewer or similar infrastructure. The number of lots shall be cumulative through all subdivisions occurring within the past ten years.
MARGINAL ACCESS STREET. A service street that runs parallel to a higher-order street that, for purposes of safety, provides access to abutting properties and separation from through traffic. May be designed as a local street or collector as anticipated daily traffic dictates.
MINOR SUBDIVISION. A subdivision that contains less than four lots, including the residual or parent parcel, with approved access to an existing public street and meets all other requirement of this chapter.
MOBILE HOME. 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, that 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.
MOBILE HOME LOT. A parcel or leased area of land in a mobile home park, improved with the necessary utility connections and other appurtenances necessary for the erections thereon of a single mobile home.
MOBILE HOME PARK. The land development of a parcel or contiguous parcels of land that have been so designated and improved that it contains two or more mobile home lots for the placement thereon of mobile homes.
MPC. The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, (53 P.S. §§ 10101 et seq.) as subsequently re-enacted and amended.
MUNICIPAL ENGINEER. A professional, licensed as such in the Commonwealth, duly appointed as the engineer for the borough.
NON-BUILDING LOT. A lot created for which there will be no construction of a building, such as parkland, or forestry uses; or a lot only for construction of essential services or public utilities, as defined by the borough Zoning Ordinance.
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.
ON-LOT. Located on the property that is the subject of a development application or on a contiguous portion of a street or right-of-way.
ON-SITE. Located upon the lot in question, or upon an abutting public street, alley, lot, easement or right-of-way.
ON-STREET PARKING SPACE. A parking space that is located on a dedicated street right-of-way.
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 enjoyment or for the use and enjoyment of owners and occupants of land adjoining or neighboring such open space.
PARCEL. Any legally described piece of land under single ownership.
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.
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE. Any security, consistent with the criteria of Article V of the Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. §§ 10501 to 10516) that may be accepted as a guarantee that the required improvements are satisfactorily completed.
PERVIOUS SURFACE. A surface that permits full or partial absorption of stormwater.
PLANNING COMMISSION. The Borough Planning Commission, unless otherwise noted.
PLAT. The map or plan of a subdivision or land development, whether preliminary or final.
POTABLE WATER SUPPLY. Water suitable for drinking or cooking purposes.
PRELIMINARY APPROVAL. The conferral of certain rights prior to final approval after specific elements of a land development plan or subdivision have been agreed upon by the Planning Commission and the applicant.
PRELIMINARY PLAN. A drawing indicating the proposed layout of a land development or subdivision and related information that is submitted for preliminary approval and meeting the requirements of this chapter.
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS. Persons who provide expert or professional advice, including, but not limited to, architects, attorneys, certified public accountants, engineers, geologists, land surveyors, landscape architects or planners.
PUBLIC HEARING. A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the governing body or planning agency, intended to inform and obtain public comment, prior to taking action in accordance with the chapter or the MPC.
PUBLIC MEETING. A forum held pursuant to notice under the Act of July 3, 1986 (P.L. 388), No. 84), known as the “Sunshine Act” (65 Pa.C.S. §§ 701 et seq.).
PUBLIC NOTICE. Notice published once each week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. 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.
PUBLIC OPEN SPACE. An open space area conveyed or otherwise dedicated to the local municipality, municipal agency, board of education, state or county agency, conservancy or other public body for recreational or conservational uses.
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 that may consist of fencing, berms and/or evergreen trees or shrubs providing a continuous view obstruction within a site or property.
SEDIMENTATION. A deposit of soil that has been transported from its site of origin by water, ice, wind, gravity or other natural means as a product of erosion.
SETBACK. The distance between the street right-of-way line and the front line of a building or any projection thereof, excluding uncovered steps.
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 curb line or drainage way.
SIDEWALK. 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 land development plan that illustrates the existing conditions on a land parcel as well as depicting details of a proposed land development.
SKETCH PLAN. A rough drawing of a proposed subdivision plan or land development of sufficient accuracy to be used for the purpose of discussion and applicability of this chapter.
STORMWATER DETENTION. A provision for storage of stormwater runoff and the controlled release of such runoff during and after a flood or storm.
STREET. Includes street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, freeway, parkway, alley, viaduct, stub street and any other way used or intended to be used by vehicular traffic or pedestrians, whether public or private. Collector and arterial streets shall be determined as such by the Functional Class Maps for Mercer County, the borough or the Wolf Creek Slippery Rock Creek Council of Governments Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan.
SUBDIVISION. A specific type of land development that includes 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.
SUBGRADE. The natural ground lying beneath a road or other paved area.
STRUCTURE. Anything constructed or erected that requires location on the ground or attached to something having location on the ground.
TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS. An analysis prepared by a professional engineer of anticipated or post development traffic generated by a new or expanded development plan on roads that provide access to the development.
TRIP. A single or one-way vehicle movement to or from a property or study area. TRIPS can be added together to calculate the total number of vehicles expected to enter and leave a specific land use or site over a designated period of time.
USGS. United States Geological Survey or the maps produced by that agency.
YARD. An open space that lies between the principal building or buildings and the nearest lot line.
YARD, FRONT. A space extending the full width of the lot between any building and the front lot line.
YARD, REAR. A space extending the full width of the lot between any building and the rear lot line.
YARD, SIDE. A space extending from the front yard to the rear yard between any building and the side lot line.
(Ord. 1432, passed 5-18-2015, Art. 2, § 202)