A building or structure subordinate to and detached from the main building on the same lot and used for purposes customarily incidental to those of the main building, including but not necessarily limited to private noncommercial greenhouses, farm buildings, swimming pools, tool sheds, playhouses and detached garages.

A use customarily incidental and subordinate to a principal use or structure.

A vehicular travel lane, such as a driveway, shared driveway, or aisle in an off-street parking area, which is interconnected to adjoining streets and/or alleys.

Any change in supporting members of a building such as bearing walls, columns, beams, girders or siding, any addition to a building, any change in use from one classification to another or removal of a building from one location to another.

A landowner or developer, including heirs, successors, assigns and grantees, who has filed a complete application for subdivision and/or land development, or a complete application for a special exception, variance, or conditional use, or a complete application for a certificate of appropriateness. "Applicant" also includes a person or entity who applies for the placement/location of a telecommunications or commercial communications facility.

A duly filed application for subdivision and/or land development; or, a duly filed application for a special exception, variance, or conditional use; or, a duly filed application for a certificate of appropriateness; or, a duly filed application for the placement/location of a telecommunications or commercial communications facility.

Any public sale of real or personal property by means of competitive bidding.

A story at least partly or totally below grade level. A basement shall be counted as a story for the purpose of height measurement and for determining floor area if the vertical distance between the ceiling and the average level of adjoining ground is more than six feet or if the basement is used for business or dwelling purposes.

A roofed areaway connecting a dwelling with a garage or carport or connecting one part of a building with another.

The word "Supervisors" or the words "Board of Supervisors" shall always mean the Lower Makefield Township Board of Supervisors.

An individual other than a member of the family occupying the dwelling unit or part thereof who is furnished sleeping accommodations and may be furnished meals or other services as part of the arrangement with the family.

Land area used to separate a street from another land use or to separate one land use from another land use; and/or to shield or block lights, noise or other nuisances.

Any structure having a roof and used or intended to be used for the shelter of people, animals or property.

The total of the areas taken on a horizontal plane at the main grade level of the principal building and all accessory buildings exclusive of uncovered porches, terraces and steps and measured from the exterior of outside walls.

The ratio of the total building area of all buildings on a lot to the net buildable site area of the lot on which they are located.

The vertical distance measured from the proposed level grade to the highest point of any structure on the roof, including all mechanical equipment and appurtenances thereto, except to the extent specifically permitted by this chapter and except for place of worship steeples and farm buildings.

Any permit required by the Lower Makefield Township Building Code.

A building in which is conducted the main or principal use of the lot on which said building is situated.

The portion of a street or alley intended for vehicular use.

A line which is typically midway between and parallel to the right-of-way lines.

A certificate stating that all work indicated on a building permit has been completed in compliance with Township regulations.

See § 200-60.

Any structure, building, or other facility designed and operated for the commercial transmission or reception of wireless communications of video, voice, data and similar transmissions, including but not limited to radio towers, omnidirectional or whip antennas, directional or panel antennas and satellite or microwave dish antennas that may be mounted on an existing building, an existing communications tower, or any structure, excluding transmission and receiving devices licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) exclusively for private use by citizens. Commercial communications facilities shall not include wireless communications facilities, defined herein, or any antenna or support structure for the purpose of transmitting or receiving commercial mobile wireless service.

Any structure owned or operated by a third party for the purpose of housing on a temporary or permanent basis two or more unrelated persons who:

A use permitted by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with specific standards set forth in this chapter and pursuant to the provisions of Article VI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968, as amended.

Any combustible or explosive composition or any substance or combination of substances intended to produce visible and/or audible effects by combustion and which is suitable for use by the public that complies with the construction, performance, composition and labeling requirements promulgated by the Consumer Products Safety Commission in 16 CFR (relating to commercial practices) or any successor regulation and which complies with the provisions for consumer fireworks as defined in the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) Standard 87-1, or any successor standard. This term excludes devices such as ground and hand-held sparkling devices, novelties and toy caps, as defined in the APA Standard 87-1, or any successor standard.

Facilities located within the boundaries of the Township that have been licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to sell consumer fireworks and that meet all criteria for licensure set forth in 35 P.S. § 1275.3, or any successor statute, as well as this chapter. Such facility shall be exclusively dedicated to the sale and storage of consumer fireworks and related items, and the facility shall operate in accordance with the rules set forth in 35 P.S. § 1275.5, or any successor statute.

The word "county" shall always mean Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The number of dwelling units per acre of net buildable site area.

Land occupied by installed sports or play equipment of facilities such as swimming pool, hard surface courts, playground apparatus, recreation buildings or playing fields.

Any landowner, agent of such landowner or tenant with the permission of such landowner, who makes or causes to be made a subdivision of land or a land development.

Any man-made change or improvement, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, the placement of mobile homes, streets and other paving, utilities, filling, grading and clearing of vegetation, excavation, mining, dredging or drilling operations or demolition.

The provisions for land development, a plat of subdivision, all covenants relating to use, location and bulk of buildings and other structures, intensity of use or density of development, streets, ways and parking facilities, open space and public facilities. The phrase "provisions of the development plan" shall mean the written and graphic materials referred to in this definition.

Defined as provided in 27 CFR § 555.11 (related to meaning of terms), which is incorporated herein by reference, or any successor statute or regulation.

A zoning district as laid out on the Zoning Map, along with the regulations pertaining thereto.

A vehicular accessway connecting a street and a parking area or garage within a lot or property.

An application for approval by the Township, which is complete in terms of plans, reports, studies, maps, investigations, analyses, exhibits, fees, and the like. Applications for variances, special exceptions, conditional uses, subdivision, land development, certificates of appropriateness and the like shall not be considered as being duly filed unless all plans and papers are submitted as required by the Township.

A building containing one or more dwelling units designed or used exclusively as living quarters.

Any room or group of rooms located within a dwelling and forming a single habitable unit with facilities which are used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, bathing and eating by one family.

A statement identifying and analyzing the effects of development proposals on the environment, as outlined in Appendix A of this chapter.[2]

An individual or two or more persons related by blood, marriage, foster relationship or adoption, or not more than five individuals (excluding servants) who need not be so related and who are living together in a single non-profit dwelling and maintaining a common household with single cooking facilities on a nontransient basis. A border shall not be considered a member of the family. Individuals residing together in a community treatment/rehabilitation facility or nursing home shall not be considered a family, except to the extent required as a reasonable accommodation under the Federal Fair Housing Act.

Any building used for the storage of agricultural equipment or farm produce or housing livestock or poultry which is part of an agricultural use as defined in § 200-68. The term "farm building" shall not include dwellings.

See §§ 200-17 and 200-68A(12).

Any structure of nonliving material erected for the purpose of separating one property from another either to assure privacy or to protect the property screened. For the purpose of this chapter, a masonry wall is considered to be a fence; also:

A flag lot or lane lot is one which does not have the minimum lot width required at the minimum required front building line, but which attains the minimum lot width required at a distance from the right-of-way line greater than the minimum front yard setback. The lot includes a strip of land owned in fee simple, which is the lane or flagpole portion of the lot, connecting the street with the flag portion of the lot.

That portion of the floodplain outside the floodway.

That land adjoining any stream, lake or pond which is subject to a one-hundred-year-recurrence-interval flood. The "floodplain" includes the "flood-fringe" and the "floodway."

See § 200-54A(2).

The designated area of a floodplain required to carry and discharge flood waters of a given magnitude.

The sum of the total horizontal areas of all floors of the building or buildings, measured from the exterior faces of exterior walls or from the center line of walls separating two buildings. The floor area of a building or buildings shall include:

The sum of the total floor area of a building and its accessory buildings on the same lot, but not including elevator shafts, stairwells, floor space for mechanical equipment or accessory garage or off-street parking areas, but including the floor area of attics where the height of the space is seven feet six inches or more or where it is used for dwelling or business purposes and basements as defined herein.

The ratio of the gross floor area to the net lot area.

A structure or roofed area attached to a residential building and used for the storage of one or more vehicles. Such attached garage or carport shall be considered an integral part of the main building in interpreting yard requirements and square footage.

An accessory building or part of a principal building used or intended to be used for the storage of motor vehicles owned and used by the owner or tenant of the premises.

Sale of tangible personal property located on the residence of the owner. This shall only include personal property which was located on the premises prior to the sale.

The elevation of the center line of the streets as officially established by the Township Engineer.

The completed surfaces of lawns, walks and roads brought to grade as shown on official plans or designs relating thereto.

The mean elevation of the ground surrounding a building, calculated as an average of the highest and lowest elevations.

The open space in a traditional neighborhood development, consisting of open space to be used for active or passive recreation, community gardens, or resource protection, all of which shall be deed-restricted against future development, and subject to landscaping acceptable to Lower Makefield Township. Green space areas shall be useable, easily identifiable and freely accessible to all residents and inhabitants of a traditional neighborhood.

Surfaces which do not absorb water, including all buildings and paved or hard surfaces. In addition, other areas determined by the Township Engineer to be impervious within the meaning of this definition shall also be classified as impervious. For purposes of this definition, that area of a swimming pool located inside the coping shall not be classified as impervious.

The total area of all impervious surfaces within a lot divided by the gross lot area.

New building construction within the TND Overlay District, which shall be regulated as to the size and scale in keeping with the size and scale of the historic structures located within the historic district.

A business that may include a restaurant with a minimum of four hotel rooms for overnight guests, provided that the rooms cannot be used for extended stays that are greater than three months’ duration.

A private academic school for pre-first grade children as defined in the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State Board of Private Academic Schools, Regulations," effective August 21, 1988, as subsequently updated and amended.

Year-round bodies of water. The shoreline of such water bodies shall be measured from the mean water level.

License issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture permitting an operator to sell and store consumer fireworks from a consumer fireworks facility.

A space accessible from a street or way, in a building or on a lot, for the temporary use of vehicles while loading or unloading merchandise or materials.

A parcel of land, set aside from other parcels in one ownership and not divided by a street and having access to a public street. A lot may include open space.

The area contained within the property lines of the lot, but excluding any part of a public or private street ultimate right-of-way.

The gross lot area excluding any area required as resource protection land or as recreation land under this chapter, and excluding the area of easements for pipelines.

A lot which has an interior angle of less than 135° at the intersection of two street lines. A lot abutting a curved street shall be considered a corner lot if the tangents to the curve at the points of intersection of the side lot lines intersect at an interior angle of less than 135°.

A lot other than a corner lot.

An interior lot having frontage on two parallel or approximately parallel streets.

The mean distance from the front lot line of the street to the rear lot line.

A lot which has been recorded in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The horizontal distance between the side lines of the lot measured at the front building line.

A highway, road or street classified as either an arterial or collector street in the Comprehensive Master Plan or this chapter.[3]

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 being again separated for repeated towing which arrives at a site complete and ready for occupancy, except for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operations and constructed so that unit may be used without a permanent foundation.

A parcel or contiguous parcels of land under single ownership which have been so designated and improved for the placement of mobile homes for nontransient use, consisting of two or more mobile home lots.

The word "municipality" or "municipal" shall always mean Lower Makefield Township.[4]

A lot the area or dimension of which was lawful prior to the adoption or amendment of this chapter but which fails to conform to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located by reasons of such adoption or amendment.

A structure or part of a structure which does not comply with the applicable area, setback, yard, building height, location, size, impervious surface and/or other dimensional requirements of this chapter or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted where such structure lawfully existed prior to the enactment of this chapter or amendment. Such nonconforming structures include but are not limited to nonconforming signs.

A use, whether of land or of structure, which does not comply with the applicable use provisions in this chapter or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such use was lawfully in existence prior to the enactment of this chapter or amendment or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.

Defined as provided in APA Standard 87-1.

A private academic school for pre-first grade children as defined in the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State Board of Private Academic Schools, regulations," effective August 21, 1988, as subsequently updated and amended.

A porch open on three sides, except for wire insect screening. A porch shall not be considered open which is enclosed by either permanent or detachable weatherproof sash.

Resource-protected lands, including farmland which is part of a farmland preservation conditional use development or open space.

An area of land or of water, or a combination of land and water, within a development site designed and intended for the use or enjoyment of residents. Open space can include resource-protected land and unpaved/gravel/pervious pavement trails. Open space shall not include streets, recreational facilities (e.g., courts, pool facilities, paved trails, athletic fields, and other developed recreational structures containing impervious surfaces), or parking areas. Open space shall not include land occupied by commercial, industrial, residential, or other non-open space uses, land reserved for future parking areas, stormwater management facilities, wastewater management facilities, and/or the yards or lots of dwelling units. Open space shall also not include leftover areas, remnants of land remaining after lotting out, or other unusable areas (such as landfills or environmentally damaged land that has not been remediated or has not been reclaimed)."

Any person who is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to sell consumer fireworks. Such license shall be obtained in accordance with 35 P.S. § 1275.4, or any successor statute.

An off-street area on a lot with an all-weather surface available for the storage of one motor vehicle and having dimensions as required by this chapter, exclusive of passageways and driveways appurtenant thereto and having individual direct access to a street without moving another vehicle.

A wall on an interior lot line shared by two buildings.

Any natural person, corporation, limited-liability company, partnership (general or limited), trust, estate, or other entity, including any members, directors, officers, employees, partners or principals thereof. Whenever used in any clause prescribing and imposing a penalty, person includes the members, trustees, partners, directors, officers, managers and supervisors, or any of them, of partnerships, associations, corporations or other form of entity.

A low-impact development (LID) stormwater BMP that consists of a pervious pavement layer and an aggregate stone bed storage layer placed on a noncompacted soil subgrade. The pavement layer must be capable of supporting vehicular or pedestrian traffic and have sufficient porosity to allow rainwater to percolate into the storage layer below. A pavement layer is considered pervious if it is one of the following materials: pervious bituminous asphalt, pervious concrete or nonseparated pervious paver blocks, all of which must be underlain by a uniformly graded aggregate stone bed on a noncompacted soil subgrade. The storage layer typically consists of gravel or crushed stone with sufficient voids that will store water after a storm until such time as the water can infiltrate into the soil subgrade below. Such systems are an effective method for minimizing the environmental impact of land development. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) BMP Manual, dated December 30, 2006, as amended, provides a detailed description of pervious pavements and their proper construction and maintenance.

The word "Commission" or the words "Planning Commission" shall always mean the Lower Makefield Township Planning Commission.

A use permitted other than an accessory use.

Notice published once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the Township. Such notice shall state the time and place of 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.

A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the Board of Supervisors or the Planning Commission intended to inform and obtain public comment prior to taking action in accordance with this chapter.

A forum held pursuant to notice under the act of July 3, 1986 (P.L. 388, No. 84,) known as the "Sunshine Act."[5]

A facility owned by a municipal government or municipal authority in which sewage is collected and piped to an approved sewage treatment plant.

Water supplied by a private or municipal corporation organized for the distribution and sale of water in accordance with the laws and regulations of all Township, county, state and federal agencies having jurisdiction.

Area or land with natural resources which require protection under the terms of this chapter.

Land set aside for use as a street or other means of travel or for use by a utility.

A currency activated device for personal use or pleasure, including but not limited to devices for washing, drying, cleaning, change or amusement but specifically excluding vending machines.

See "building line."

Any sanitary sewer, sewage system, sewage treatment works or parts thereof designed, intended or constructed for the collection, treatment and satisfactory disposal of sanitary waste and industrial sewage.

The ownership of a lot by one or more persons, partnerships or corporations, which ownership is separate and distinct from that of any adjoining lot.

An area having specific boundaries and encompassing an existing or proposed land development, subdivision or residence.

See § 200-52 for definition and method of calculation.

All land area within the site as determined from an actual survey.

That part of the base site area remaining for development after the required resource-protected land has been subtracted and, if applicable, required open space, as defined and calculated in § 200-52.

Land area in slope exceeding 15%.

That part of a building located between a floor and the floor or roof next above.

A public street, road or highway which is legally open or officially platted by the Township or a private street, road or way over which the owners or tenants have the right-of-way.

Ultimate right-of-way line of a street.

A vehicular way which is owned by a federal, state, county or local government or governmental agency.

The space formed by buildings located close to the street, which is embellished with street trees and sidewalks; and accentuated with front porches, low fences, hedges and other appointments that are emblematic of a traditional neighborhood such as streetlamps, curbs, and on-street parking. The streetscape is framed by buildings which help create the “outdoor room” typical of a traditional neighborhood setting.

Any man-made object having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land.

A structure over 18 inches in depth or with a surface area of 150 square feet or more used or intended to be used for swimming or wading.

A swimming pool on the lot with and accessory to a dwelling, which pool is used solely by the owner, operator or lessee of such dwelling and the family or by friends invited to use such pool without payment of fee. The term shall include all structures, appurtenances, equipment and other facilities incidental to the operation of such pool.

Any man-made object or improvement having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land. This term shall include sand mounds, well heads, landscaping berms and detention basin facilities. This term shall also include any pole, telescoping mast, tripod or the like which supports a device used in the transmitting and/or receiving of electromagnetic signals.

See "site or tract."

An area of land developed for a compatible mixture of residential units for various income levels and nonresidential commercial and workplace uses, including some structures that provide for a mix of uses within the same building. Residences, shops, offices, workplaces, public buildings, and parks are interwoven within the neighborhood so that all are within relatively close proximity to each other. Traditional neighborhood development is relatively compact, limited in size and oriented toward pedestrian activity. It has an identifiable center and a discernible edge. The center of the neighborhood is in the form of a public park, commons, plaza, square or prominent intersection of two or more major streets. Generally, there is a hierarchy of streets laid out in a rectilinear or grid pattern of interconnecting streets and blocks that provides multiple routes from origins to destinations and are appropriately designed to serve the needs of pedestrians and vehicles equally.

A motorized or nonmotorized vehicle designed as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreation, vacation or other for transport of goods.

A vehicle defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as a "truck," meaning a vehicle weighing more than 5,000 pounds which is not a car or a station wagon.

The specific purpose for which land or a building is designed, arranged, intended or for which it is or may be occupied or maintained. For definitions of specific uses, see Article XV.

A use allowed subject to the provisions of this chapter, exclusive of any nonconforming or illegal use.

See § 200-68A(30).

A currency-activated device for dispensing merchandise, including but not limited to devices dispensing beverages, candy, tobacco products, toiletries, newspapers, dairy products, ice or food but specifically excluding service machines.

The same definition as set forth in the provisions of § 200-51B of this chapter.

The same definition as set forth in § 200-51B of this chapter.

A space open to the sky on the same lot with a building or structure which is unoccupied, except for accessory structures to the extent specifically permitted by this chapter.

The word "Board" or the words "Zoning Hearing Board" shall always mean the Lower Makefield Township Zoning Hearing Board.

The duly appointed municipal official designated by the Township Supervisors to enforce this chapter.