Unless specifically defined below, words and phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted to have common English usage, to give effect to the purposes set forth in § 99-2 above, and to provide reasonable application of this chapter. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
ALLUVIAL SOILS — Soils, developed from transported and relatively recently deposited material (alluvium), characterized by a weak modification (or none) of the original material by soil-forming processes.
AREA OF DISTURBANCE — The outermost limit of the area within a property where one or more of the following will occur: 1) grading, including excavation, fill, vegetation or topsoil removal, tree and stump removal; 2) construction, including buildings, structures, walls, paving, stone and gravel areas, accessory uses, utility installation, stormwater management facilities, equipment or material storage; and, 3) erosion control, including silt fence, topsoil stockpile areas, construction entrances, drainage features, equipment access. Any area not included in the area of disturbance may not be disturbed in connection with a permitted project.
BEDROCK — The solid, undisturbed rock in place either at the ground surface or beneath surface soil deposits.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES — Procedures and measures pertaining to earth disturbances/construction activities that are intended to minimize water pollution; increase water quality; retain valuable topsoil; prevent erosion and sedimentation; and control rate of runoff from storm events.
BORROW PIT — An open pit from which soil is excavated as a single incident for use at a single construction site.
BUILDING PERMIT — A permit issued by the Codes Department pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 73, Building Construction, for the construction, erection or alteration of a structure or building.
CUT — The removal of soil or rock from its natural or predevelopment location.
DEVELOPMENT — Any subdivision or land development or any alteration of land not for agricultural or conservation purposes that includes earthmoving, cutting, filling or stripping, including but not limited to road construction, utility installation - public or private, residential, commercial or industrial facility construction, mining, quarrying and water resource management.
EARTHMOVING — Any activity by which soil or bedrock is cut into, quarried, displaced, relocated, or used as fill.
EROSION —
(1) The wearing away of the soil, bedrock, and/or land surface by running water, wind, ice, chemical or other geological agents.
(2) Detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments by water, wind, ice, or gravity.
EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN — A plan indicating the specific measures and sequencing to be used in controlling sediment and erosion on a development site both during and after construction.
EXCAVATION — Any act by which earth, sand, gravel, rock or any other similar material is cut into, dug, quarried, uncovered, removed, displaced, relocated or bulldozed, and shall include the conditions resulting therefrom.
EXISTING GRADE — The vertical elevation of the ground surface prior to earthmoving.
FILL — A deposit of soil or other materials placed by people.
FINISHED GRADE — The final vertical elevation of the ground after development.
GRADE —
(1) The slope of a road, channel, or natural ground.
(2) The finished surface of a roadbed, top of embankment, or bottom of excavation; any surface prepared for the support of construction like paving or laying a conduit.
(3) To finish the surface of a roadbed, top of embankment, or bottom of excavation.
GRADING PERMIT — The permit required to be issued prior to the disturbance of the topography and vegetation of land in connection with the conduct of activities regulated by this chapter.
IMPROVEMENT — Alteration of private property to include building, structures including decks, accessibility features, paving, concrete or stone areas, drainage systems, repairs to such items, whether temporary or permanent.
NATURAL GROUND SURFACE — The ground surface in its original state before any earthmoving or stripping of vegetation.
PARCEL — All contiguous land under single and separate ownership.
PERMANENT VEGETATION — Ground cover establishing a 75% vegetated cover to control soil erosion satisfactorily and to survive severe weather conditions.
PERMIT — A grading permit.
PERMITTEE — Any person to whom a grading permit is issued or to whom a site plan approval is granted.
PERSON — Any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, unincorporated association, municipal corporation or agency within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or any combination thereof.
RUNOFF (HYDRAULICS) — That portion of irrigation water, rainfall, snowmelt, or other precipitation upon a drainage area or watershed that is discharged from the area in watercourses, sheet flows, absorption, etc. Types of runoff include surface runoff, groundwater runoff, and seepage.
SEDIMENT — Solid material, both mineral and organic, that is in suspension in, is being transported by, or has been moved from its site of origin by air, water, gravity, or ice and has come to rest on the earth’s surface either above or below water level.
SEDIMENTATION — The process by which sediment is deposited.
SITE — Any lot, parcel, or combination of contiguous lots or parcels of land under single and separate ownership where earthmoving, filling or stripping is, was, or will be performed.
SLOPE — Degree of deviation of a surface from the horizontal usually expressed in percent or degrees.
SOIL — All earth material of whatever origin that overlies bedrock.
SOIL DRAINAGE — A condition of the soil, referring to the frequency and duration of periods when the soil is free of saturation.
STRIPPING — Any activity which removes the vegetative surface cover, including tree removal; and the clearing and storage or removal of topsoil.
TEMPORARY STREAM CROSSING — A temporary structural span installed across a flowing watercourse for use by construction traffic. Such structures include, but are not limited to, bridges, round pipes and pipe arches and must meet all local, county, state, and federal requirements.
TOPOGRAPHY — The physical features of a site, place or region.
TOWNSHIP — The Township of Upper Dublin.
VEGETATION — The plants located on a site or in an area or region.
WATERCOURSE — Any natural or artificial river, stream, swale, channel, gully, ravine, drain or culvert in which waters flow continuously or intermittently, having a defined bed and banks.