Exemptions
Exempt Activities
The ordinance provides little in the way of specific activities that are exempt from this ordinance. However; here are some activities where land disturbance that may occur, as a result of that specific activity, has been determined by the Engineering Department to have little to no negative impact to the environment, and the benefits of a formal grading and land disturbance review would be de minimus.
Examples include:
- Installing lawn sprinklers, fences, or underground invisible fences
- Over-seeding an existing lawn without the placement of additional topsoil
- Planting trees or shrubs
- Resurfacing an existing bituminous driveway
- Replacing a water service connection
- Tilling an existing garden
Possible Exemptions
While the ordinance sets the requirements for a grading and land disturbance permit it also provides for some discretion in its application. The ordinance allows the Engineering Department to exempt projects where, in the opinion of the township engineer, the proposed land disturbance will not create a soil erosion problem or adversely affect existing drainage conditions.
This exemption is limited to projects under 2,500 square feet of land disturbance or small additions to existing single-family dwellings. This exemption can only be applied however in the absence of environmentally sensitive areas such as steep slopes, wetland, streams or other bodies of water.
Examples include:
- Installing play-sets
- Installing sheds
- Landscaping projects
- Limited clearing of brush and vegetation including tree / stump removal
- Retaining walls less then 4 feet in height
Non-Exempt Activities
The following activities have been shown to result in sufficient land disturbance that can result in erosion and have the potential to impact existing drainage conditions that they are subject to the requirement of a grading and land disturbance permit.
Examples include:
- Expanding or constructing a driveway
- Installing a sod lawn
- Installing a swimming pool
- Installing of a septic system
- New building construction
- Retaining walls over 4 feet inn height or tiered retaining walls