Certificate of Compliance $50.00 – (Residential Home Resale – Excludes Mobile Homes)
The following inspections are required for a residential home resale:
- Smoke Detectors – one on each floor (includes 1st floor, 2nd floor, and basement – no attic)
- Carbon Monoxide Detectors – Required if there are any appliances that have open flames. The carbon monoxide detector should be located in the hallway where bedrooms are located.
- 911 Address Sign – 3″ Reflective numbering is required at the entrance of each property. If you live in an area that uses community mailboxes rather than individual mailboxes, it is important to display your address on your house using a minimum of 4-inch-high numbers that are well illuminated and have a high contrast to the background, both day and night. As an alternate, place a small post with the address sign attached, visible from both sides, and located near the roadside.
Conditional Use Hearing Application $1,500 – A Conditional Use is a use permitted by the Board of Supervisors pursuant to provisions of Chapter 27.
Where the Board of Supervisors, in Chapter 27 has stated conditional uses to be granted or denied by the Board of Supervisors pursuant to express standards and criteria, the Board of Supervisors shall hold hearings on and decide requests for such conditional uses in accordance with such standards and criteria. In granting a conditional use, the Board of Supervisors may attach such reasonable conditions and safeguards, in addition to those expressed in this chapter, as it may deem necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter and the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
- The Conditional Use Hearing form must be filled out in its entirety and must be submitted with payment of $1,500.00 made payable to Lower Oxford Township.
- Upon receipt of a “complete submittal”, the Zoning Officer will forward copies to the Lower Oxford Township Board of Supervisors, the Township Planning Commission, the Chester County Planning Commission, and the Chester County Health Department.
- The Township Planning Commission shall promptly review and consider the application and all supporting materials including any Neighborhood Impact Analysis as required by either the Board of Supervisors or the Planning Commission and shall return the application and all supporting materials to the Board of Supervisors, along with their recommendations.
- The Board shall schedule a hearing and render a final decision thereon in accordance with § 27-1501.
Zoning Hearing Application $1,000 – (Variance, Special Exception, or Interpretation of the Ordinance) – Zoning Hearing Variance is required if compliance with any of the requirements of the zoning ordinance would result in an exceptional hardship to a prospective builder, developer or landowner, the Township of Lower Oxford Zoning Hearing Board may, upon request, grant relief from the strict application of the requirements.
The Zoning Hearing Board shall hear requests for variances where it is alleged that the provisions of this chapter inflict unnecessary hardship upon the applicant. The Board may by rule prescribe the form of application and may require preliminary application to the Code Enforcement Officer. The Board may grant a variance, provided that all of the following findings are made where relevant in a given case:
- That there are unique physical circumstances or conditions, including irregularity, narrowness, or shallowness of lot size or shape, or exceptional topographical or other physical conditions peculiar to the particular property and that the unnecessary hardship is due to such conditions and not the circumstances or conditions generally created by the provisions of this chapter in the neighborhood or district in which the property is located.
- That because of such physical circumstances or conditions, there is no possibility that the property can be developed in strict conformity with the provisions of this chapter and that the authorization of a variance is therefore necessary to enable the reasonable use of the property.
- That such unnecessary hardship has not been created by the applicant.
- That the variance, if authorized, will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood or district in which the property is located, nor substantially or permanently impair the appropriate use or development of adjacent property, nor be detrimental to the public welfare.
- That the variance, if authorized, will represent the minimum variance that will afford relief and will represent the least modification possible of the regulation in issue.
In granting any variance, the Board may attach such reasonable conditions and safeguards as it may deem necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter and the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
Special Exceptions – Permissible use that requires approval by the Zoning Hearing Board. It is subject to certain provisions of the ordinance and may necessitate additional safeguards. The use is permitted but requires a closer examination by the Zoning Hearing Board.
Where the Board of Supervisors, in Chapter 27, has stated special exceptions to be granted or denied by the Zoning Hearing Board pursuant to express standards and criteria, the Board shall hear and decide requests for such special exceptions in accordance with such standards and criteria. In granting a special exception, the Board may attach such reasonable conditions and safeguards, in addition to those expressed in this chapter, as it may deem necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter and the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
Interpretation – To determine the extent of the restriction upon the use of the property, the language shall be interpreted, where doubt exists as to the intended meaning of the language written and enacted by the governing body, in favor of the property owner and against any implied extension of the restriction.