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Whitemarsh Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE XXIII

Steep Slope Overlay

§ 116-167 Title.

This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Whitemarsh Township Steep Slope Overlay Ordinance."

§ 116-168 Legislative intent.

In amplification of § 116-2, the specific intent of this article is:
A. 
To conserve and protect those areas having steep slopes, as defined herein, from inappropriate development and excessive grading.
B. 
To minimize stormwater runoff, accelerated soil erosion and resultant stream siltation which may create a danger to life and/or property.
C. 
To relate the intensity of development to the steepness of terrain in order to minimize grading, the removal of vegetation, runoff and erosion.
D. 
To protect the Township from development in areas of steep slopes which may cause a subsequent expenditure for public works and disaster relief, which affects the welfare of the Township and its residents.
E. 
To implement Article I, § 27, of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which decrees that the people have a right to clean air, pure water and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment.

§ 116-169 Modification of regulations.

[Amended 9-18-1986 by Ord. No. 537]
The requirements of the following zoning districts shall be modified in accordance with the provisions of this article on all land having a slope of 8% or more as delineated on a plan which meets the requirements of a preliminary plan as specified in the Whitemarsh Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance:[1]
A. 
Every lot having a steep slope ratio of 15% or more, which is the ratio of the total area of all steep slopes on the site to the overall site area based upon contour lines measured at vertical intervals of two feet, and proposed for residential use shall meet the following average lot area and maximum impervious ground cover requirements. Unless otherwise provided in Subsection C hereof, the requirements set forth in this section shall be applicable to all lots, whether currently in existence or hereafter created; provided, further, that the average lot area and maximum impervious ground cover requirements do not apply to lots created in new subdivisions or land developments designed in accordance with the requirements of Article XXXVI of this chapter, the Conservation Design Overlay District.
[Amended 3-16-1995 by Ord. No. 672; 2-28-2002 by Ord. No. 751; 3-28-2013 by Ord. No. 925; 10-25-2018 by Ord. No. 988]
Average Lot Area
(Square Feet)
Steep Slope Ratio
District
15% to 50%
50% to 75%
75% or More
AAAA
90,000
90,000
90,000
AAA
50,000
56,000
65,000
AA
34,600
39,000
45,000
A
17,250
19,500
22,500
B
11,500
13,000
15,000
Maximum Impervious Ground Cover
(per lot)
Steep Slope Ratio
District
15% to 50%
50% to 75%
75% or More
AAAA
0.08
0.07
0.06
AAA
0.09
0.09
0.08
AA
0.12
0.11
0.10
A
0.18
0.17
0.16
B
0.24
0.22
0.19
B. 
In all zoning districts, for those portions of sites having slopes greater than 15% based upon contour lines measured at vertical intervals of two feet, the following standards shall also apply for all proposed uses:
[Amended 3-16-1995 by Ord. No. 672]
(1) 
Fifteen percent to 25%: No more than 30% of the total area of such portions shall be regraded and/or stripped of vegetation.
(2) 
Twenty-five percent or more: No more than 15% of the total area of such portions shall be regraded and/or stripped of vegetation.
C. 
Exemptions. These regulations shall not apply to the following:
[Amended 3-28-2013 by Ord. No. 925]
(1) 
Disturbance of soil for agricultural or food-production purposes.
D. 
No grading shall be undertaken prior to the granting of necessary grading permits pursuant to Chapter 58, Grading, Erosion Control, Stormwater Management and Best Management Practices, of the Whitemarsh Township Code.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 105, Subdivision and Land Development.