All construction wherein excavation, placement of fill, and/or grading activities are performed shall conform with the following general requirements:
A. No excavation or fill shall be made with a face steeper than 3 horizontal to 1 vertical, except under one or both of the following conditions:
(1) The material is sufficiently stable to sustain a steeper slope. A written statement to that effect from a Professional Engineer licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and experienced in erosion control shall be submitted to the Township. The statement shall affirm that the site has been inspected and the deviation from the slope restriction shall not result in injury to persons or damage to property. A detail of the treatment of the slope (proposed grade, seeding, erosion protection, maintenance plan, etc.), shall be submitted with the application.
(2) A concrete, masonry, or other approved retaining wall is designed by a Registered Professional Engineer licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania constructed to support the face of the excavation or fill.
B. If the vertical drop of an excavation or fill slope is greater than 5 feet, then the maximum slope shall not exceed 4 horizontal to 1 vertical.
C. The top or bottom edges of slopes shall be a minimum of 5 feet from property lines or right-of-way lines of streets in order to permit the normal rounding of the edge without encroachment on abutting property.
D. Adequate provision shall be made to prevent surface water from damaging the cut face of excavation and the sloping surfaces of fills.
E. No person, corporation, or other such entity shall block, impede the flow of, alter, construct any structure, or deposit any material or thing or perform any work that will affect the normal or flood flow in any stream or watercourse and associated floodplain without having obtained prior approval from the Township and/or Department of Environmental Protection, whichever is applicable.
F. All lots, tracts, or parcels shall be graded to provide positive drainage away from buildings and dispose of it without ponding, except where ponding (stormwater management facilities, swales, etc.) is part of the stormwater management plan for the site.
G. Areas of the site to remain undisturbed including septic and reserve septic drainfield locations shall be protected from encroachment by construction equipment/vehicles to maintain the existing infiltration characteristics of the soil.
H. The minimum depth of topsoil to be replaced shall be 8 inches, or the existing depth of topsoil encountered on the site, whichever is greater.
I. Topsoil shall not be removed from the development site. Topsoil shall be stripped, stockpiled and redistributed on the site. Prior to plan approval, the applicant/designee shall provide the Township with calculations to determine the volume of topsoil anticipated to the stripped, stockpiled and replaced on the site to verify that excess topsoil will not be generated as a result of construction activity.
J. No grading equipment shall be permitted to be loaded and/or unloaded on a paved public street and no grading equipment shall be permitted to travel on or across a public street unless licensed for operation on public thoroughfares.
K. Preliminary cut and fill calculations must be submitted with all nonresidential developments, with residential developments where new streets are proposed, and other developments as determined by the Township to evaluate grading balance of the site. The site should be designed to avoid an unbalance of cut and fill material.
(Ord. 163, passed 2-28-2012, § 518)