Canton Township Washington County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 5
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS
§ 27-501 Overlays Criteria.
[Ord. No. 4-2022, 6/9/2022]
Overlays shall apply to areas of land that share similar specific criteria within the Township yet may vary in their designation of a particular, base zoning district.
§ 27-501.2 Environmental Overlays.
[Ord. No. 4-2022, 6/9/2022]
1.
Sensitive Environmental Resources.
A.
Sensitive environmental areas shall consist of the following areas:
(1)
Land areas having slopes in excess of 25% which are not the result of man-made changes to the natural terrain.
(2)
Wetlands.
(3)
Areas of quarries, streams, lakes, dams or ponds and all areas within 50 feet of such features.
(4)
Cemeteries and all areas within 50 feet of a cemetery.
(5)
Landfills and areas within 50 feet of landfills.
B.
Sensitive environmental areas shall not be physically disturbed or used for any use other than agricultural uses, natural conservation areas and uses for the conservation of open space, water, soil and wildlife resources, except as may be necessary to provide ingress, egress and regress to a property or to enable utility placement.
C.
The subdivision of land after effective date of this chapter which contains such sensitive environmental areas as lakes, ponds, dams, quarries, cemeteries and landfills which, in the opinion of the Zoning Officer, are likely to require periodic maintenance, repair or protection, shall not occur unless the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Township Board of Supervisors a program which will be implemented to insure the perpetual maintenance, repair and/or protection of such sensitive environmental areas. The Township Board of Supervisors may condition the approval of such a subdivision upon the implementation of the perpetual maintenance, repair and/or protection program.
3.
Airport Safety Zone Overlay. The purpose of the overlay is to address the Pennsylvania State Aviation Code and Federal Aviation Regulation No. 77 requiring the limitation of building and structural height in "airport hazard areas." Areas contained within Canton Township have been identified as being within the "airport hazard area" for the Washington County Airport, located in Washington County, as defined in the Pennsylvania Aviation Code, and require special height controls. These height restrictions are designed to prevent any encroaching that would interfere with, or obstruct, normal airplane approaches or airport operations. Such interference or obstruction would pose a threat to the health, safety, welfare and convenience to residents of the Township, as well as passengers aboard airport aircraft. The airport safety zone is used to impose needed height restrictions as a zoning overlay, thereby enhancing public safety.
4.
Public Infrastructure Service Overlay.
A.
Canton's Public Infrastructure Service Overlay was developed to show areas where public water and/or sewage systems are currently available and areas where existing homes may require future service. It does not guarantee that service for any development is assured.
B.
If public infrastructure exists at or near the proposed development, the owner/developer is required to connect, so long as the utility can provide service to the development.
C.
Planned residential developments shall only be permitted upon approval of the application and sewage module for said development. It is the responsibility of the developer to provide all necessary sewage connections to the public infrastructure.
D.
Where the public infrastructure is not currently available, the owner/developer is required to provide their own water/septic facilities. Sewage facilities require permits from the Washington County Sewage Council.