In this Part 1, words, terms, and phrases shall have the following meanings:
ABANDONMENT
Where a building or land is abandoned for six consecutive months for residential uses and 12 consecutive months for nonresidential uses, whereby the owner discontinues the use or occupancy, the building or structure shall be declared abandoned and may be required to be removed. In the case of abandonment of a nonconforming use, Article XV, Nonconforming Uses, Structures and Lots, applies.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE
A structure detached from a principal building on the same lot and incidental and subordinate to the principal building or use.
ACCESSORY USE
A use of land or of a building or portion thereof customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use of the land or building and located on the same lot with such principal use.
ADULT BOOKSTORE or ADULT VIDEO STORE
A commercial establishment where 15% or more of the sales floor area is devoted to books, magazines, periodicals, or other printed matter, photographs, motion pictures, videocassettes, slides, or other visual representations that contain or depict material characterized by the depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas. A commercial establishment may have other principal business purposes that do not involve the offering for sale or rental of material depicting or describing specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas and still be characterized as an adult bookstore or adult video store.
ADULT USE
Any establishment that permits patrons to hear, view, read, lease, purchase, trade, or exchange and/or participate in activities, publications, movies, videotapes, and/or live or televised performances which have as their dominant theme explicit sexual activities and/or the exhibition of human anatomy which is not normally seen in public or in other commercial or club-type operations and which may or may not exclude minors by virtue of age.
ALLEY
A narrow service access to the rear of properties and buildings providing service areas, parking access, and utility easements.
ALTERATION
Any change or rearrangement in the supporting members of an existing building, such as bearing walls, columns, beams, girders, or interior partitions, as well as any change in doors, windows, means of ingress and egress, or any enlargement to or diminution of a building or structure, or the moving of a building from one location to another.
ANTENNA
Any device or mechanism used in the collection, transmission, routing, or receiving of telecommunications transmissions, radio signals, or radio frequency energy, including, but not limited to, use by or provision of wireless communications, cellular communications, satellite communications, and personal communications services. (See §§ 300-91 and 300-131.)
APARTMENT BUILDING
A structure containing three or more apartment units.
APARTMENT UNIT
One or more rooms with individual access, private bath and kitchen facilities, comprising an independent, self-contained dwelling unit in a building.
APPLICANT
A landowner or developer, as hereinafter defined, who has filed an application for development, including his heirs, successors, and assigns.
ARCADE
An establishment containing games of a mechanical and electronic type, such as pinball and video games, that can be played by a customer for a fee.
ASSISTED CARE FACILITY
A residence for individuals which provides rooms, meals, personal care, and supervision of medication. The facility may provide additional services to residents. No new assisted care facilities shall be permitted in the Borough upon enactment of this Part 1.
AUTOMOBILE-ORIENTED USE
In contrast to pedestrian-oriented uses, these uses are generally related to, dependent on, or designed to accommodate customers in automobiles. They are generally located in more remote parts of a community than pedestrian-oriented uses. Frequently, amenities such as sidewalks, trees, benches, and similar amenities are not provided in locations where these uses are found. Typical automobile-oriented uses are drive-through establishments, big-box retail establishments, automobile sales, repair and service, wholesale businesses, and similar uses.
BASEMENT
An enclosed area located partly or completely below grade. A basement shall be considered a story for the purpose of height measurement if the basement ceiling is five feet or more above the average grade level around the building.
BIG-BOX RETAIL
Retail store establishments in freestanding, industrial-style, one-story buildings, with floor areas of 60,000 square feet or more. Examples of such uses are Walmart, Costco, various retail clubs such as Sam's, and similar establishments.
BILLBOARD
A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold, or offered at a location other than the premises on which the sign is located.
BOARD
The Norwood Borough Zoning Hearing Board.
BOARDINGHOUSE
See "rooming house."
BODY ART
The practice of physical body adornment in permitted establishments by operators utilizing tattooing and/or body-piercing cosmetics.
BOROUGH
The Borough of Norwood.
BUFFER
A strip of land intended to separate one use or district from another by providing an open, unobstructed space intended to absorb, shield, or block noise, light, view, or other impacts of the use having the greater impact. Buffers shall be planted with grass or other ground cover and may be part of the required yards. Buffers are often employed between a residential district and an abutting nonresidential district having greater impacts. There shall be no structures, equipment, storage, parking, or trash disposal in buffer areas. Dimensions of buffers shall be as required by the zoning district.
BUILDING
Any structure, either temporary or permanent, having a roof or other covering and designed or used for shelter or enclosure of any person, animal, property, or equipment of any kind.
BUILDING COVERAGE
The ratio obtained by dividing the gross floor area of all principal and accessory buildings on a lot by the total area of the lot upon which buildings are located.
BUILDING HEIGHT
The vertical distance measured from the average level of the ground surrounding the structure to the top of the highest point of the roof for flat roofs and to the ridge of gable, hip, and gambrel roofs. Chimneys, spires, towers, steeples, mechanical equipment, tanks, vessels, antennas, and similar projections of the buildings not intended for human occupancy shall not be included in calculating the height, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Part 1.
BUILDING LINE
A line parallel to the street right-of-way line which establishes the actual location of the front wall of the principal building on the lot.
BUILDING PERMIT
See the definition of "zoning permit."
BUILDING SETBACK LINE
A line parallel to the street right-of-way line at a distance that is equal to the depth of the front yard required for the district in which the lot is located.
CELL SITE
A tract or parcel of land that contains the wireless, cellular, or personal communications service antenna, its antenna support structure, accessory buildings, and parking and may include other uses associated with and ancillary to providing wireless communications, cellular communications, or personal communications services.
CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY
Includes, but is not limited to, the antenna, antenna support structures, and cell sites. (See also "cell site" above.)
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
A document issued by a duly authorized local authority allowing the occupancy of a building and certifying that the structure or use has been constructed or will be used in compliance with all applicable local codes and ordinances.
CHILD DAY-CARE CENTER
A facility that is licensed to provide care for seven or more children unrelated to the operator, where the child-care areas are not being used as a family residence.
CODE OFFICIAL
The person appointed by Borough Council in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC)[1] whose duty it shall be to administer this Part 1 and such other ordinances as may be assigned by Council. The Code Official shall have the right to delegate duties of enforcement to other persons, such as the Building Inspector and other qualified individuals.
COLLECTION FACILITY, RECYCLING
A facility that serves as a neighborhood dropoff point for the temporary storage of recyclables, is a maximum of 500 square feet, and is located on public property only.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
Any self-propelled or drawn vehicle when used for commercial, nonprofit, or industrial purposes, or any vehicle so registered in accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Vehicle Code,[2] or any truck, bus, or vehicle with a gross weight capacity of greater than 11,000 pounds.
COMMON DRIVEWAY
A single way providing vehicular access to two or more properties. Generally, 1/2 of the driveway is in ownership of one owner, and the other half in ownership of the abutting owner. No new common driveways shall be permitted in the Borough.
COMMON OPEN SPACE
Land within or related to a development, not individually owned or dedicated for public use, that is designed and intended for the common use or enjoyment of the residents of the development and their guests. This land may include complementary structures and improvements that are necessary and appropriate.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
A comprehensive long-range plan intended to guide the growth and development of a community or region and one that includes analysis, recommendations, and proposals for the community's population, economy, housing, transportation, community facilities, land use, and related areas.
CONDITIONAL USE
A use specifically listed within this Part 1 pursuant to Article VI of the MPC[3] and the applicable provisions of Article XIV of this Part 1. Borough Council may only authorize such use after meeting the requirements of Article XIV and the MPC.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, extension, expansion, alteration, or relocation of a structure, including the placement of mobile homes.
CONVENIENCE STORE
A retail store containing less than 5,000 square feet of gross floor area and being open 15 hours to 24 hours per day. It is designed to attract and depends upon a large volume of traffic.
CONVERSION
A change in the use of a building, such as the change of a single-family dwelling into a multifamily dwelling or the change of a residential or retail use to offices. Such change may be accomplished without subdivision or the introduction of a new owner. Where the use and dimensional regulations of this Part 1 permit, such conversion may be accomplished by appropriate alteration upon the issuance of the necessary permits.
CUBIC CONTENT
The total volume of a structure (height multiplied by length multiplied by width), but excluding that portion of a stack or other projection that is higher than the highest point of the principal building.
DENSITY, GROSS
The number of dwelling units per acre. This term refers to all the land within the boundaries of a particular area, including streets, rights-of-way, easements, etc.
DENSITY, NET
The number of dwelling units per acre. This term refers to land within the boundaries of a particular area but excludes streets, rights-of-way, and easements in calculating net density.
DEVELOPER
Any landowner, agent of such landowner, or tenant with the permission of such landowner who makes or causes to be made a subdivision, land development, or any other development.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, streets and other paving, utilities, dredging, filling, grading, excavation, or drilling operations and the subdivision of land.
DRIVE-THROUGH ESTABLISHMENT
An establishment which offers in-car service or takeout service, including, but not limited to, financial institutions, food stores, and restaurants, but not including drive-in theaters.
DRIVEWAY
A private way used exclusively for circulation and ingress and egress to a street by the landowner or visitors of the lot.
DUMPSTER
See "refuse dumpster."
DWELLING
A building or unit designed and constructed for residential use.
DWELLING, MULTIFAMILY
A building containing three or more dwelling units, including units that are located one over another.
DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY ATTACHED (TOWNHOUSE/ROW HOUSE)
A single-family dwelling unit within a building, which unit has at least one party wall in common with other dwelling units in the same row; a townhouse or row house. After the effective date of this Part 1, no such building shall be constructed with more than six attached units.
DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED
A building designed for and occupied exclusively as a residence for only one family, with yards on all sides of the dwelling.
DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY SEMIDETACHED (TWIN)
Two dwelling units, each accommodating one family, which are attached side by side by means of a party wall, with each dwelling unit having only one side yard.
DWELLING UNIT
A grouping of rooms designed, occupied, or intended for occupancy as separate living quarters, with cooking, sleeping, and sanitary facilities provided within the dwelling unit for the exclusive use of a single family maintaining a household.
ENFORCEMENT NOTICE
A notice by an applicable Borough official concerning a violation of existing law.
ESCAPE LANE
An additional lane in any drive-through establishment located outside of a usual drive-through lane to allow vehicles to exit in the event of an emergency.
FAMILY
Any number of individuals living together as a single housekeeping unit when said individuals are related by blood, marriage, or adoption, including foster children, or not more than four unrelated individuals living together as a single housekeeping unit with single kitchen facilities.
FAMILY BASED COMMUNITY RESIDENCE FACILITY
A dwelling, licensed by the appropriate state agency, shared by persons requiring special care and their supervisors who live together as a single housekeeping unit in a family like environment. This facility is designed to create a residential environment for the developmentally disabled, mentally ill or retarded, handicapped, or similar groups unable to live without supervision. The maximum number of residents shall not exceed four, excluding supervisors. These facilities shall not be used to accommodate persons recovering from the effects of drugs or alcohol or inmates of penal institutions.
FAMILY DAY-CARE HOME
A home, other than the child's own home, operated for profit or not for profit, in which child care is provided at any one time to four, five, or six children unrelated to the operator. All required certifications and other requirements must be met before operation begins.
FLOOR AREA, GROSS
The sum of the gross horizontal areas of the several floors of a building measured from the exterior face of exterior walls or from the center line of a wall separating two buildings, but not including interior parking spaces, loading space for motor vehicles, or any space for which the floor-to-ceiling height is less than six feet. Gross floor area also includes, but is not limited to, the following:
A.
Elevator shaft, stairwell, and attic space providing headroom of six or more feet.
B.
The floor areas of roofed terraces, exterior balconies, breezeways, or porches where over 50% of the perimeter is enclosed.
C.
Any floor space used for dwelling purposes no matter where located within a building.
FLOOR AREA, NET
The total of all floor areas of a building, excluding stairwells and elevator shafts, equipment rooms, interior vehicular parking or loading, and all floors below the first or ground floor, except when used or intended to be used for human habitation or service to the public.
FREESTANDING BUILDING
Any building located within a development site which is separate from any group or cluster development on such site and which shall comply with the regulations of the district in which it is located.
FRONT YARD PARKING
Any parking in front of the front building line of a structure, not including off-street parking, that is provided as part of a driveway and/or garage.
GARAGE, PRIVATE
An accessory use which is attached to or an integral part of a residential building or dwelling unit, or an accessory structure used for the storage of motor vehicles and other personal property owned and used by the residents of the residential building or dwelling unit. Human habitation is not permitted in a private garage.
GARAGE, PUBLIC
A building or structure available to the general public in which motor vehicles are temporarily stored but which is not used for the repair or maintenance thereof.
GASOLINE SERVICE STATION
Any area of land, including structures thereon, or any building or part thereof that is used for the sale of gasoline or other motor vehicle fuel or accessories and which may include facilities for lubricating, washing, or otherwise servicing motor vehicles, but which shall not include painting or body and fender repairs.
GASOLINE STATION, SELF-SERVICE
A property and/or place of business where flammable or combustible liquids used as motor fuels are stored and dispensed from fixed equipment into the fuel tanks of motor vehicles by a person other than the service station attendant.
GREEN BUILDING
A building constructed by increasing the efficiency for use and harvesting of energy, water, and materials and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal. Residential developments with over 10 dwellings and commercial buildings with a footprint larger than 5,000 square feet are encouraged to incorporate green building techniques located in Appendix D.[4]
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Those chemicals or substances which are defined as "physical hazards" or "health hazards" in the most recently adopted version of the Uniform Construction Code.[5]
HEALTH HAZARD
A classification of a chemical for which there is statistically significant evidence that acute or chronic health effects are capable of occurring in exposed persons. The term "health hazard" includes chemicals that are carcinogens, toxic or highly toxic agents, reproductive toxins, neurotoxins, agents that are capable of acting on the hematopoietic system, and agents that damage the lungs, skin, eyes, or mucous membranes.
HIGH MEAN WATERMARK
A mark indicating the highest level, on average, reached by a body of water over a given period of time.
IMPACT, HEAVY
Any use that poses a health hazard or a significant threat from fire or involves the use of hazardous materials in any way that could endanger persons or property in the event of accidental discharge or combustion. Municipal uses with a heavy impact include a highway maintenance department, firehouse, heavy equipment storage, and similar municipal uses.
IMPACT, LIGHT OR MEDIUM
Any use whose impact is not heavy, as herein defined.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
The coverage of the lot or tract area by materials that prevent the percolation of water into the soil and generate stormwater runoff, such as buildings, streets, parking areas, driveways, and any other similar surfaces.
INFILL DEVELOPMENT
Development that occurs on vacant or underutilized lots in otherwise built-up sites or areas. Infill projects can take several forms, such as a small addition in a residential backyard, a single-lot development, a brownfield development, or multiparcel projects in urban downtowns.
LANDSCAPED PLANTING AREA
An area landscaped with grass, ground cover, shrubs, or similar plantings placed where required by this Part 1 and permanently maintained. See Article XII, Specific Regulations.
LOADING SPACE
An off-street space or berth for the loading or unloading of commercial vehicles. Such spaces shall comply with Article X.
LOT
A parcel of land that is or may be occupied by a building and/or accessory structure or use, including open spaces and setbacks as are required within the district in which the lot is located.
LOT AREA
The total horizontal area within the lot lines of a parcel.
LOT, CORNER
A lot bounded by intersecting streets on at least two sides. Both yards adjacent to streets shall be considered front yards. The yard opposite the shorter street frontage shall be the rear yard, and the yard opposite the longer frontage shall be the side yard.
LOT COVERAGE
That percentage of a lot that is covered by all combined structures, paving, or any impervious surfaces. Also see the definition of "impervious surface."
LOT DEPTH
The distance along a straight line measured from the midpoint of the front lot line to the midpoint of the rear lot line.
LOT LINE
A line of public record bounding a lot that divides one lot from another lot or from a public or private street or any other public space.
LOT LINE, FRONT
The line separating the lot from the street right-of-way.
LOT LINE, REAR
Any lot line, except the front lot line, which is parallel to or within 45° of being parallel to the front lot line and does not intersect any street line, except in the case of corner lots.
LOT LINE, SIDE
Any lot line that is not a front or rear lot line.
LOT, MINIMUM AREA OF
The smallest allowable lot area, as established by this Part 1, on which a use or structure may be located in a particular district.
LOT WIDTH
The horizontal distance between the side lot lines, measured at right angles to the lot depth at the building setback line.
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
A single building containing more than one type of land use or a single development of more than one building and use where different types of land uses are in close proximity, planned as a unified complementary whole, and functionally integrated by shared vehicular and pedestrian access, parking areas, landscaping, and other features.
MULTITENANT BUILDING
A building designed or converted to accommodate three or more commercial tenants. Each tenant shall operate a use that is permitted in the district where the building is located.
MUNICIPALITIES PLANNING CODE (MPC)
Pennsylvania Act 247 of 1968 (P.L. 805), as amended, also cited as 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq., or any subsequent act of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that replaces, supplements, or repeals any or all of the provisions of Act 247. This law controls planning, zoning, and land development in Pennsylvania.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
A structure for which construction was started after the effective date of this Part 1 and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
NO-IMPACT HOME-BASED BUSINESS
A business or commercial activity that is clearly secondary to the residential use and in which no persons other than members of the resident family are engaged. The use shall not provide for on-site parking in addition to that required for the residential use. No equipment is used other than that normally used for household or general office use.
NONCONFORMING BUILDING OR STRUCTURE
A building or structure that does not comply with the provisions of this Part 1, as amended, where such building or structure lawfully existed prior to the effective date of this Part 1 or of amendments thereafter. See Article XV.
NONCONFORMING LOT
Any lawful lot that does not conform to one or more of the applicable provisions of the district in which it is located either on the effective date of this Part 1 or of amendments thereafter.
NONCONFORMING USE
A use, whether of land or a structure, which does not comply with the applicable provisions of this Part 1, where such use was lawfully in existence prior to the effective date of this Part 1 or amendments thereafter.
OFFICIAL MAP
A map that Borough Council adopts by ordinance, pursuant to Article IV of the MPC.[6]
PARKING SPACE
A reasonably level space, having a surface slope not exceeding 6%, used for parking a motor vehicle. Such space shall have an area as listed in Article X, which shall be exclusive of passageways, driveways, or other means of circulation or access.
PEDESTRIAN (HUMAN) SCALE
A subjective standard that suggests that the relationship between the person and his environment is comfortable and contributes to the individual's sense of accessibility; frequently contrasted with vehicular (or monumental) scale.
PEDESTRIAN-ORIENTED USE
Retail or commercial use that promotes and encourages walking, window shopping, and general pedestrian activity. Examples of these uses are restaurants, retail stores, food stores, service establishments, and similar businesses. These pedestrian-oriented establishments should be located in centralized areas and rely mainly on customers from nearby neighborhoods who could walk to these establishments. Attractive paving, sidewalks, pedestrian-oriented lighting, plazas, benches, and additional shade trees are an integral part of pedestrian-oriented commercial development.
PERMIT
Written municipal permission, issued by the appropriate local official, empowering the holder thereof to do some act not forbidden by law but not permitted without such authorization.
PERSONAL SERVICE SHOP OR ESTABLISHMENT
A business engaged in providing services involving the care or appearance of a person, his or her clothing, or similar personal needs. Included in this definition are barber, beautician, shoe repair, fitness club, laundry or cleaner, or similar establishment, but not including a tattoo parlor, massage parlor, or body-piercing establishment.
PHYSICAL HAZARD
A chemical that is a combustible liquid, compressed gas, cryogenic, explosive, flammable gas, flammable liquid, flammable solid, organic peroxide, oxidizer, or unstable or water-reactive material.
PLACE OF AMUSEMENT
A use whose primary purpose is leisure activities or games, such as a bowling alley, laser tag facility, or other indoor uses, but excluding arcades.
PLANNING COMMISSION
The Planning Commission of the Borough of Norwood.
PLANTED VISUAL SCREEN
A strip of trees, hedges, or other plantings adjacent to the boundary of a property which, at time of planting, shall be not less than six feet high and of sufficient density to constitute an effective visual screen and thereby give visual protection to abutting properties. Such screen shall consist primarily of dense evergreens that shall be planted not farther than seven feet from one another and shall be permanently maintained. Deciduous trees may be added to create interest and variety.
PLAZA
An open space that may be improved and landscaped, usually surrounded by streets, buildings, and/or one or more walls.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING OR USE
A building or use which is the primary building or use on a lot as distinguished from a building or buildings relating to an accessory, incidental, or subordinate use; the primary purpose for which land, a building, or the use thereof is designed, arranged, or intended.
PRIVACY FENCE
A fence, including any gates, constructed of solid material through which no visual images can be seen.
PROFESSIONAL OFFICE
The office of a member of a recognized profession maintained for the conduct of that profession, such as a doctor, dentist, lawyer, and other similar professions.
PUBLIC HEARING
A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the Borough of Norwood or a planning agency and in accordance with the MPC,[7] intended to inform and obtain public comment prior to taking action.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
All roads, streets, walkways, sidewalks, gutters, curbs, sewers, waterlines, stormwater management facilities, landscaping, streetlighting, traffic control devices, and other facilities to be dedicated to or maintained by the Borough of Norwood.
RECREATION, ACTIVE
Leisure-time activities that involve playing fields and team participation, such as baseball, soccer, lacrosse, etc.
RECREATIONAL AREA
A place designed and equipped for the conduct of sports, leisure-time activities, and other customary and usual recreational activities.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
Any camper, boat, trailer, house trailer, motor home, recreational trailer, or any other device used for the transportation of recreational vehicles containing single-axle or multiaxle structures mounted on wheels or otherwise capable of being made mobile when attached to a motor vehicle for purposes of travel, recreation, or vacation use.
RECREATION, PASSIVE
Recreation without sporting fields, more generally trail-based hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, picnicking, etc.
REFUSE CONTAINER
A container utilized solely for the collection of refuse, not to exceed 50 cubic feet.
REFUSE DUMPSTER
A refuse container that exceeds 50 cubic feet in volume. All permanent refuse dumpsters shall employ a planted visual screen.
RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT
A building or use used as a place of religious worship and teaching, which may include schools, day-care centers, auditoriums, residences for persons serving the particular facility, and recreational facilities.
RESTAURANT, STANDARD OR SIT-DOWN
Any premises used for the sale, dispensing, and/or serving of food, refreshments, or beverages where the customer is normally involved with an individual menu and is served by a restaurant employee at the table, booth, or counter at which said items are consumed.
RIGHT-OF-WAY (ROW)
Land acquired by reservation, dedication, prescription, condemnation, or other legal manner and occupied, or intended to be occupied, by a street, crosswalk, electric transmission line, oil or gas pipeline, waterline, watercourse, or similar uses.
RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE
The line that forms the boundary of a right-of-way.
RIPARIAN BUFFER
A permanent area of trees and shrubs located adjacent to streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, intended to provide protection and absorb, shield, or block a body of water from open space or development.
ROOFLINE
The line that marks the lowest point of the roof.
ROOF RIDGELINE
The line that marks the highest point of the roof. This term is applicable to most roofs other than flat roofs.
ROOMING HOUSE
A dwelling unit or part thereof arranged or used for lodging, with or without meals, for which nightly, weekly, or monthly accommodations are provided to transient guests for compensation or other consideration. No rooming houses or boardinghouses shall be permitted in the Borough upon enactment of this Part 1.
SCREEN
Any barrier intended and designed to shield properties and uses from other uses or activities having a different sound and other impacts (e.g., screening of industrial uses or activities from nearby residential structures).
SETBACK
The distance between the street right-of-way line or a lot line and any building on a lot or tract.
SETBACK, REQUIRED
The minimum distance from the street right-of-way line or any other lot line that establishes the area, commonly known as the "building envelope," within which the principal structure must be erected or placed.
SHOPPING CENTER
A group of commercial establishments planned, constructed, and managed as a total entity, including both attached buildings and freestanding buildings with customer and employee parking provided on site.
SIGN
Any object, device, display, or illustration which is used to advertise, identify, display, direct, or attract attention to an object, person, institution, organization, business, product, service, event, or location by any means, including words, letters, numbers, or symbols.
SIGN AREA
The entire face of a sign, including the advertising surface and framing, trim, or molding, but not including the supporting structure.
SIGN, AWNING OR CANOPY
A sign that is mounted or painted on or attached to an awning, canopy, or other fabric, plastic, or structural protective cover over a door, entrance, window, or outdoor service area.
SIGN, DIRECTIONAL
A sign limited to directional messages principally for pedestrians or vehicular traffic, such as "entry" or "exit," "one way," "loading" or "service area," "fire lanes," "parking," or a similar sign incidental to the primary use and not itself advertising or naming that use except as required by law.
SIGN FACE
The area or display surface used for the message.
SIGN, FREESTANDING
A detached sign which shall include any sign placed upon or in the ground, supported by a post, stake, etc., and not attached to any building.
SIGN, GROUND
A freestanding sign, other than a sign supported by a post or pylon, placed upon or supported by the ground, independent of any other structure.
SIGN, IDENTIFICATION
A sign giving the nature, logo, trademark, or other identifying symbol, address, or any combination of the name, symbol, and address of a building, business, development, or establishment on the premises where it is located.
SIGN, ILLUMINATED
A sign lighted by or exposed to artificial lighting either by lights on or in the sign or directed towards the sign.
SIGN, MENU
A sign that depicts the menu of food and/or drink for sale at an eating or drinking establishment.
SIGN, MULTIFACED
A sign with two or more display areas or sides on which messages can be displayed.
SIGN, NAMEPLATE
A sign indicating only the name and/or profession and address of the person(s) residing or legally occupying the premises.
SIGN, NEON
A sign that is internally lighted by lamps, bulbs, tubes, etc., that are filled with neon gas.
SIGN, OFFICIAL
A sign installed by a governmental agency and intended to direct or control traffic; to identify streets, parks, and historical events; or to provide other information deemed necessary by that official agency.
SIGN, PROJECTING
A sign that is wholly or partly dependent upon a building for support and which projects more than 12 inches from such building.
SIGN, SALES OR PRICE CHANGE
A type of temporary sign that has a high turnover, such as those advertising sales and frequent price changes. These signs are most commonly found on windows/doors of supermarkets, grocery stores, and beverage distributors. In most cases, these signs are constructed of paper, cardboard, or other lightweight materials.
SIGN, SANDWICH BOARD/A-FRAME
A movable sign consisting of two faces, possibly hinged at the top.
SIGN STRUCTURE
The supports, uprights, braces, and framework of the sign.
SIGN, TEMPORARY
A sign that is used in connection with an event, situation, or circumstance that is designed or intended to take place or be completed within 30 days after the permit for the sign was issued or is intended to remain on the location where it is placed or erected for not more than 30 days.
SIGN, WALL
A sign posted on, suspended from, or otherwise affixed to a wall or vertical surface of a building that does not project more than 12 inches from the wall or vertical surface to which it is attached. Signs shall not be painted on any surface.
SIGN, WINDOW
A sign attached or affixed to a window or door.
SMALL-SCALE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT
A small retail store or shop, having a floor area not more than 500 square feet, intended to serve customers of the various uses in the TC Town Center District and passing pedestrians.
SPECIAL EXCEPTION
An authorized use that may be granted only by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with express standards and criteria as expressed in Article XIII.
STACKING OF AUTOMOBILES
A parking arrangement where one vehicle is located directly behind another. The rear vehicle must move in order for the vehicle in front to exit the parking.
STORAGE BUILDING
A freestanding structure in a nonresidential district with a height of no more than 15 feet and an area of no more than 200 square feet with its primary purpose being storage.
STORAGE SHED
A freestanding structure in a residential district with a height of no more than 10 feet and an area of no more than 100 square feet with its primary purpose being storage.
STREET
A public or private way used or intended to be used as a means of vehicular and pedestrian travel and access to abutting properties and space for public utilities that is improved in compliance with all Borough requirements for public or private streets.
STREET LINE
The line dividing the street and the abutting property. The street line shall be the same as the street right-of-way line.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected with a fixed location on the ground or attached to something having a fixed location on the ground.
SUPERMARKET
A large retail establishment primarily selling food as well as other convenience and household goods. A supermarket shall have not less than 20,000 square feet of floor area and may contain branch banking facilities, video rentals, a pharmacy, eating areas, and similar accessory establishments.
SWIMMING POOL, PRIVATE
Any body of water, tank, or receptacle of water having a depth at any point of greater than two feet, used or intended to be used for swimming or bathing solely by the owner, his family, and guests of the household and constructed, installed, established, or maintained outside any building in or above the ground upon any premises as an accessory use to the residence. Such swimming pools shall comply with Article XII, Specific Regulations. Also see "swimming pool, wading."
SWIMMING POOL, WADING
Small and sometimes portable pools, generally intended for and used by children, that do not comply with the above definition for private swimming pools and the requirements in § 300-90.
TOWNHOUSE BUILDING
A building containing single-family attached dwelling units (townhouse units) in which each townhouse unit is attached only by a party wall or walls to one or two other townhouse units. Townhouse buildings erected after the effective date of this Part 1 shall contain not more than six attached units.
TRACT
An area, lot, parcel, site, or property which is the subject of a subdivision and/or land development.
TRACT AREA
The total acreage of a subdivision or land development. Tract area shall be measured to the ultimate right-of-way line of public streets.
UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT
A tract of land developed, operated, and maintained as a single entity and containing two or more structures to accommodate retail, service, commercial, office, industrial, and residential uses. The development shall have common accessways, parking areas, and landscaping and shall be developed following a common architectural scheme.
USE
The specific purpose for which land or a building is designed, arranged, or intended or for which it may be occupied or maintained. The term "authorized use" or its equivalent shall not be deemed to include any nonconforming use.
USE, AUTHORIZED
Any principal or accessory use allowed by this Part 1 as a use by right, conditional use, or use by special exception.
USE, PRINCIPAL
The specific primary purpose for which a lot or site is used.
VARIANCE
Relief granted pursuant to Articles VI and IX of the MPC[8] and Article XVIII, Zoning Hearing Board, of this Part 1.
WALKWAY
A hardscaped pedestrian path of a width required in this Part 1 that does not follow a course parallel to the public street, as in the case of a sidewalk.
YARD
An unobstructed open space on the same lot with a principal building that extends from a street line or lot line inward to the principal building.
YARD, FRONT
A yard extending the full width of the lot, the depth of which extends from the front lot line to the nearest point of the principal building.
YARD, INTERIOR
The area between the parking lot or an interior driveway in a development and the principal building(s).
YARD, REAR
A yard extending the full width of the lot, the depth of which extends from the rear lot line to the nearest point of the principal building.
YARD, REQUIRED
The open space between a lot line and the buildable area or "building envelope" within which the principal structure must be erected or placed.
YARD, SIDE
A yard extending between the inside lines of the front and rear yards and extending in width from the side lot line to the nearest point of the principal building.
ZONING DISTRICT
An area in the Borough of Norwood in which regulations under this Part 1 uniformly apply, including overlay districts.
ZONING ORDINANCE
The ordinance that divides the Borough into areas or zones that specify allowable uses for real property, size, and locational restrictions for buildings within these areas.
ZONING PERMIT
Written permission, issued by the Zoning Officer or other appropriate municipal official, empowering the holder thereof to erect or alter a building or structure, including signs and fences, to change the use of a building or land, and to change or extend a nonconforming use. Also known in the Borough as a "building permit," this permit is used for all zoning-related matters.