FAQs

If the dead deer is on a state road, the quickest way to have the deer removed is by calling the Department of Transportation at 215-345-6060. Refer to this list of state roads maintained by PennDot. If the deer carcass is not on one of these roads but is still within the Township, please contact the PA Game Commission (Southeastern Region) at 610-926-3136 to report a deer carcass.

Monday through Friday:

Township Administration:
Monday - Thursday: 8:00am to 4:00pm
Friday (Bldg Closed; Staff working remotely - 8:00am to 4:00pm)

Police Administration:
Monday - Thursday: 7:00am to 5:00pm
Friday (Police Offices Closed)

Public Works:
Monday - Friday: 7:00am to 3:00pm

To report suspected fraud by Township employees, email feedback@soleburytwp.org. All information will be kept confidential.

Meeting dates and times for each of the Township Boards and Committees are listed on the Township calendar on the home page. Agendas and meeting minutes may be viewed on each department page.

Agendas for the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, Land Preservation Committee, Historical Architectural Review Board, Parks & Recreation Board and Environmental Advisory Council are available on the Township website. Minutes for the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission are also available online.

Solebury Township is responsible for maintaining Township-owned roads. PennDOT is responsible for maintaining state roads. You can visit the Public Works department for more information.

When a snow emergency has been declared for Solebury Township and roads are extremely icy and rapidly becoming snow covered, any vehicle left parked or found disabled on Township roadways will be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense.

The snow ordinance is posted from November until the end of March of the following year.

No.

Appraisal for new properties include square footage, plumbing fixtures, fireplace(s) and number of rooms. The last property assessment completed by Bucks County was performed in 1972/1973 for home improvements.

The Police Department or the Public Works Department should be contacted for emergencies regarding trees blocking the roadway or involving downed wires.

Annual trimming done for roadside safety - Contact the Public Works Department

Trimming trees for above ground utilities - Call PECO, Verizon or Comcast Cable

Here are some links and phone numbers to report utility outages:

PECO 1-800-841-4141 or Peco Outages
Verizon 1-800-837-4966 or Verizon Outages
XFINITY (Comcast) 1-800-934-6489 or Xfinity Outages

We have compiled all of the state, county and local recycling information on our Trash & Recycling page.

Yes. Please visit our Recreation Programs page.

No. These are provided by the New Hope Senior Center.

Yes. Please visit our Township Parks & Trails page.

You can verify a property's ownership by using the Bucks County Board of Assessment Website.

Solebury Township is within the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) air basin, and, except in limited circumstances, DEP prohibits burning within the air basin.

Zoning violations should be reported to Zachary Zubris, Solebury Township's Zoning Officer. Violations may be reported by phone at 215-297-5656 or via email to zzubris@soleburytwp.org.

A Certificate of Appropriateness Application can be found as part of the HARB Checklist and Application on the Historical Architectural Review Board Page.

Grading permits are required when a project involves earth disturbance which exceeds 2,000 square feet. Grading permits must be submitted, processed and completed first before a building permit application can be submitted. Please review our Planning & Zoning page for more information.

The Township does not provide a list of contractors for residents.

A plot plan may be included in your parcel file. To view a lot's record, you must complete a Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form. Forms may be submitted electronically to soleburymanager@soleburytwp.org, via fax to 215-297-8402, or in person at our office at 3092 Sugan Road. Please note that the Township has five (5) business days to respond.

To view a lot's record, you must complete a Right to Know Request Form. Forms may be submitted electronically to soleburymanager@soleburytwp.org, via fax to 215-297-8402, or in person at our office at 3092 Sugan Road. Please note that the Township has five (5) business days to respond.

Permits can take up to 45 days to process. The Zoning Officer has 30 days to review a permit application, and the Building Inspector has an additional 15 days to review. Turnaround times are typically shorter, though the exact length of time varies depending on the season and the number of open permits.

Please utilize our Township Zoning Map to determine which zoning district your property falls into. For more information about your zoning district, please review our Township Code.

Small cosmetic changes such as replacing fixtures or remodeling rooms may not require permits, whereas larger projects such as finishing a basement or installing a new generator do require a permit. A list of common permit requests can be found on our Forms & Documents Page. If you have questions about a specific project, contact our Code Enforcement Office at 215-297-5656.

Please see our Approved Hauler List. The township will update this list either annually or when notified by Bucks County of changes.

The Township is in the process of implementing a Sewage Management Program, beginning with a mailer to properties that have a septic system notifying them of the requirement to have their system pumped every three years. Once notified, the property owner will have one year from that date to have their septic system pumped and after that will be required to have their system pumped on a three year cycle.

Some tell-tale signs that you have a septic system are:

• You use well water
• The waterline coming into your house does not have a water meter
• You do not get billed for any water or sewer service
• Your neighbors have a septic system

Solebury's Sewage Management Program is very concise and straight forward. We simply are asking property owners with septic systems to have the tank pumped on a three year cycle beginning in July of 2014. For the initial pump-out, you have one year from the date that you are notified by the Township to have your system pumped.

All septic systems, even those that have always functioned correctly, accumulate solids. If the solids rise to a point where they are discharged into the system leach area, possible contamination of your property and the surrounding area may occur, requiring an extensive and costly repair to you. Pumping out on a regular basis will help prevent this from happening. Most pumpers also perform a visual inspection of the septic system which may alert you early of a needed repair saving you from replacing the leach field in the future.

If you have had your system pumped in the last two years, you may submit a copy of the pump-out receipt to the Township and will not be required to have it pumped again for three years from the date of the last pump-out.

Most pumpers keep a record of the pump-outs they perform and it is likely that they will be able to supply you with a copy of the receipt.

Please submit the receipt and in most cases this will suffice and you will not be required to have your system pumped for another three years. For all future pump-outs, please use a licensed Bucks County Hauler.

Bucks County performs an inspection of all vehicles that transport septic through the County. These inspections better ensure the safety and reliability of these vehicles which helps mitigate potential spills and contamination of public waterways.

At a minimum, there should be a record of the date the service was performed, by whom, the physical location of the septic tank, gallons pumped, along with results of the visual inspection performed by the pumper. In addition, in a mailing being sent by the Township to all septic owners, we are providing the Bucks County Tax Parcel numbers assigned to their property. It would be helpful if this number is also recorded on the pump-out receipt along with a contact phone number. You can simply hand print your contact phone number and parcel number on the pump-out report before sending it to the Township if your pumper has not already done so.

Yes, please make sure that the pumper has the correct address and ask them to record the parcel number on the pump-out report.

You can scan and email the report to smp@soleburytwp.org, fax the report to 215-297-8402, or mail the report to Sewage Management Program, Solebury Township, P.O. Box 139 Solebury, PA 18963.

Please have your system pumped as soon as possible. The Township will not be able to issue building permits to any property that is not in compliance with the program along with other enforcement measures.

The 537 plan is one of the requirements of the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537 - 1968) as regulated through Chapters 71, 72, and 73 (1971, amended) of the PA Code that requires municipalities to identify existing problems and to implement sewage facilities planning to correct and prevent problems with all public and private sewage facilities. The County originally prepared the plan in 1970, while the Township revised its portion of the plan in 1975 and updated it in 1992. DEP expects municipalities to update their plans every 5 to 10 years.

With proper installation, care and maintenance, and upgrades an onlot system could last the life of the house.

• Sluggish drains
• Sewer odors
• Spongy soil
• Lush, green grass
• Ponding water
• Pump failure alarms
• Sewer backups
• Erratic pumping (all the time or not at all)

• Poor site location: steep slopes, poor soils or high water table
• Inadequate design (too small for the current use)
• Improper construction
• Overloaded septic tank that allows solids to clog the soil
• Root invasion
• Physical damage from driving over the system
• Flushing of harmful substances

Schedule an inspection and regular pumping of the septic tank - at least every three years. Install water conservation fixtures and appliances (front loading washers especially). Pace the use of washing machines. Repair leaking fixtures. Do not use the system as a trash can (what solid waste goes in just has to get pumped out). Investigate and remedy problems. Follow the "do-not-flush" list of items - trash, grease, medications, paint, thinner, varnishes, motor oil, chemicals, etc. Divert rainwater runoff from the system. This includes removing sump pump discharges. Do not drive across the system. Do not plant trees or shrubs on the system. Replace an older septic tank with the latest standard model including an effluent filter.

There are many ways you can help the Township with its stormwater program and participate in activities and programs that will keep pollutants, chemicals, trash, and other waste products out of our waterways. Please read Solution to Pollution from the EPA.

Residents can help by watching for:

• Sediment leaving a construction site via stormwater runoff
• Spills (chemical, gas, oil)
• Illegal dumping activity into streams or storm sewers (PLEASE CALL 911 FIRST)
• Dry weather flows from outfall pipes into streams (at least 72 hours after a rain storm)

Residents may be the first to recognize "illicit" discharges dumping into storm sewers or coming out of from storm sewer outfalls. If you see an "illicit" discharge please report it by calling the Township office at 215-297-5656 between 8:00am and 4:00pm weekdays, or email us. Call 911 during non-business hours. Also, take photos if possible.

For more information regarding residential stormwater, please review The Homeowner's Guide to Stormwater pamphlet/website.

Stormwater runoff is generated when precipitation from rain and snow melt events flow over land and impervious surfaces and does not infiltrate into the ground. The runoff from streets, lawns, farms and construction and industrial sites picks up fertilizers, dirt, chemicals, pesticides, oil, grease and many other pollutants and discharges it into our streams and rivers. This untreated discharge is detrimental to our water quality as it can adversely affect our drinking water supply and the environment. In Solebury Township, polluted stormwater could contaminate the Aquetong, Cuttalossa, Paunacussing Creek or Primrose Creek Watersheds.

Many Best Management Practices (BMPs), such as detention or infiltration basins, are already in place to help keep our waters clean. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website is a good place to visit for stormwater information and regulations:

• Stormwater Basic Information
• PA EPA Stormwater Management Program
• Polluted Runoff: Nonpoint Source Pollution
• EPA Water Pollution Prevention and Control
• EPA Watersheds

The Township enforces Stormwater Ordinance No. 2011-06. Contact the Township to review a copy of this Ordinance.

Solebury Township regulates stormwater management through a permit that is obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the National Pollution and Discharge Elimination System Phase II (NPDES)/ Municipals Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). This is a federal requirement from the United States Environmental Protection Agency that is administered by the PA DEP.

The Township also requires a Stormwater Management Plan Review if the stormwater management project is not part of a formal Land Development.