Subdivision, consolidation or land developments shall conform to the standards set forth in this article. The standards specified in this article are minimum design requirements.
In reviewing any application, the Planning Commission and Borough Council shall refer the application for development to the Borough Engineer for a recommendation concerning technical compliance with these design standards and the construction standards referred to in Article IV.
A. 
Slope of land. No land shall be graded, cut or filled so as to create a slope exceeding a vertical rise of one foot for each two feet of horizontal distance. The ability to construct slopes greater than two to one must be demonstrated by the developer through a geotechnical investigation that has been performed by a professional engineer licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The geotechnical investigation must be reviewed and approved by the Borough Engineer.
B. 
Stripping of topsoil. No person shall strip, excavate or otherwise remove topsoil, dirt or slag for sale, or for use other than on the lot from which it is taken, except in connection with the construction or alteration of a building on that lot and the excavation or grading incidental to that construction.
(1) 
Major excavation, grading and filling. Any major cuts, excavation, grading, and filling which materially changes the drainage characteristics of the site and the site's relationship with surrounding properties shall not be permitted unless first approved by the Borough Engineer. As a condition for such approval, all applications that will include the cut, fill, or grading of earth in excess of 100 cubic yards shall be required to provide a preliminary assessment of subsurface conditions.
(2) 
The assessment is intended to enable:
(a) 
Developers to identify, early in the development process, potential opportunities and constraints derived from subsurface conditions and consider these constraints in the development process.
(b) 
Protection of persons and lots from hazards resulting from inappropriate development in areas containing adverse subsurface conditions.
(3) 
The general scope and minimum requirements for this assessment includes a review and evaluation of soil and rock conditions likely to have an impact on the development. It also includes information on site grading history, coal seams, previous surface and deep mining activities, mine drainage, and active or inactive gas, oil, and water wells. Refer to Preliminary Assessment of Subsurface Conditions Form attached for additional required information.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said form is included at the end of this chapter.
(4) 
The information from this assessment shall be used in conjunction with site assessments required by other local, state, and federal agencies, the Borough Subdivision Ordinance, or other applicable Borough ordinances. These assessments and ordinances include, but are not limited to, evaluations for drainage, wetlands, floodways, and potential contaminated materials.
(5) 
Implementation of this assessment includes an inventory of geotechnical and geological as well as related grading activity information based on a review of available information and a site reconnaissance. The Preliminary Assessment of Subsurface Conditions Form[2] summarizes the minimum information required for the assessment and must be submitted as part of any application for a tentative approval of a development plan. All sections of the Preliminary Assessment of Subsurface Conditions Form must be completed and information referred to on the form, including conditions from the field reconnaissance, must be shown on a plan illustrating the proposed site development scheme.
[2]
Editor's Note: Said form is included at the end of this chapter.
(6) 
This assessment must be conducted under the supervision of a professional engineer registered in the State of Pennsylvania and specializing in geotechnical engineering.
(7) 
Refer to the following agencies for information regarding previous land disturbance for the subject parcel of land. Additional contact information is available at the Borough building; however, the applicant is responsible for contacting other sources of information related to the assessment.
(a) 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey.
(b) 
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Regional Offices.
(c) 
Bureau of Mining and Reclamation, Division of Surface Mine Reclamation.
(8) 
Applicability. For purposes of carrying out the provisions of this chapter, complete and submit the assessment as part of any application for development, subdivision, or building permit, plan or subdivision as defined by the Emsworth Borough ordinance. No application will be processed until the Borough Engineer determines that this assessment has been properly completed.
(9) 
Plan development. Final development plans shall consider the conditions described in this assessment, make effective use of land within the plan, and demonstrate in required submissions that methods to mitigate adverse subsurface conditions have been incorporated into plans.
C. 
Geotechnical worksheet: see Appendix B.[3]
D. 
Planting and cutting of trees; removal of debris.
(1) 
Major shade trees should be adequately protected from injury and preserved to the extent practical and in conformance with Allegheny County Subdivision Ordinance, Section 5.6.
(2) 
All lot areas which slope towards streets or adjacent lots may be required to be seeded with grass or planted with ground cover so as to prevent washing and erosion, and in accordance with Allegheny County Subdivision Ordinance, Section 5.12.
(3) 
During construction, the developer shall remove and dispose of all uprooted trees, stumps, brush, rubbish, unused building materials and debris promptly in the interest of public safety.
E. 
Flood-prone areas. Land which is naturally poorly drained or subject to periodic flooding shall not be used for residential development or for any uses which may involve danger to health, safety and general welfare of the community. Land identified as flood-prone on maps issued by the Federal Insurance Administration shall be subject to the regulations of the National Flood Insurance Program and of the Borough of Emsworth Floodplain Management Ordinance.[4]
[4]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 135, Floodplain Management.
F. 
Compliance with the law. The developer in site development shall likewise comply with applicable provisions of law of the Allegheny County Conservation District, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Federal Environmental Protection Agency. The developer, if required, shall obtain all permits, with evidence of compliance to the Borough.
All items related to streets shall comply with the construction standards of the Borough.
A. 
Layout. Streets shall be planned to conform to the layout of existing and planned streets and so located as to allow proper development of surrounding properties. Local streets shall be laid out so as to discourage through traffic. Collector streets should be designed to provide adequate flow of traffic from local streets to major community facilities and to arterial streets.
B. 
Topography. Proposed streets shall be planned to conform to the contour of the land, to provide buildable lots, to have a suitable alignment and grade and to allow proper drainage.
C. 
Grading. The shoulders shall be graded to the full width of the right-of-way and provisions shall be made for protection of slopes beyond the right-of-way.
D. 
Street grades. Minimum and maximum grades shall be provided on all streets in accordance with the design standards in applicable Borough ordinances. Grades shall be measured along the center of the street. Vertical curves shall be used in changes of grade exceeding 1% and should be designed in accordance with the design standards in applicable Borough ordinances. Intersections shall be approached on all sides by leveling grades for a distance of 50 feet within which no grades shall exceed the design standards. The grade of actual intersections shall not exceed 1% in any direction.
E. 
Right-of-way and paving widths. Minimum widths of rights-of-way and minimum widths of paving shall be provided in accordance with the design standards in applicable Borough ordinances. All streets shall be paved in accordance with Borough construction standards.
F. 
Additional right-of-way and paving widths. Additional widths and paved cartway widths may be required by the Borough where necessary for public safety and convenience, for parking in commercial and residential areas and where additional width is necessary on existing roads which do not comply with current standards.
G. 
Culs-de-sac. A cul-de-sac will not be approved when a through street is practical and shall not be more than 800 feet in length, unless a modification or exception to this requirement is granted under Article VII of this chapter. A cul-de-sac shall have a minimum right-of-way radius and an outer minimum paving radius as specified in the design standards in applicable Borough ordinances.
H. 
Temporary turnarounds. A temporary turnaround may be required where a road is constructed to an adjoining property line. The right-of-way width required for a temporary turnaround shall be a minimum of 50 feet and the outer paving radius of the temporary turnaround shall be 20 feet.
I. 
Visibility. No fence, hedges, shrubbery, walls, planting (other than trees and grass) or similar obstructions shall be located within the right-of-way and no such obstruction shall obscure visibility at any intersection. A clear sight triangle shall be maintained free of any obstructions at intersections so that there shall be a minimum clear sight triangle of 75 feet measured along the center line from the points of intersection.
J. 
Street names. The Borough shall approve all new street names. Names of new streets shall be sufficiently different in sound and spelling from existing names of streets in the Borough so as not to cause confusion. A street which is planned as a continuation of an existing street shall bear the same name. Street signs shall be provided in accordance with § 212-33 of this chapter.
K. 
Sidewalks. The width of sidewalks shall conform to the Borough construction standards. Sidewalks shall be located in line with existing sidewalks on adjacent lots or, where none exists, shall be located adjacent to the curb or, where no curb exists, within one foot of the edge of paving. Sidewalks shall be constructed in accordance with Borough construction standards and applicable Borough ordinances.
L. 
Street construction. All streets and alleys in the Borough shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards and specifications for local streets as contained in the Department's Guidelines for Design of Local Roads and Streets (most recent edition), unless required otherwise by Borough specifications or the Borough Engineer. Design and construction plans shall be approved by the Borough Engineer. Underdrains may be required where applicable.
Service streets, as defined by this chapter, may be provided in residential, commercial and industrial developments where needed for loading, unloading or secondary access. Service streets shall meet the minimum design standards of applicable Borough ordinances.
Sewer and other easements shall be required to have a minimum width of 20 feet. Where a subdivision, consolidation or land development is or will be traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way of a width sufficient for the purpose, but no less than 25 feet.
The following standards shall apply to all lots proposed to be subdivided or developed in accordance with this chapter:
A. 
Area. Minimum lot areas shall conform to the requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 245, Zoning.
B. 
Frontage. All lots created by a subdivision shall front along the right-of-way of a street improved to the Borough's minimum construction standards and the design standards of this article. The width of the frontage shall conform to the requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 245, Zoning.
C. 
Double frontage. Double frontage lots, other than corner lots, shall be avoided; however, where a double frontage lot is the only practical alternative, vehicular access shall be limited to only one street and that street shall be the street with the lower volume of traffic, if physically feasible. The final plan shall contain a notation restricting vehicular access to one frontage.
D. 
Side lines. Whenever practicable, the side lines of a lot shall be at right angles or radial to the right-of-way lines of streets.
E. 
Building lines. Building lines of lots shall conform to the minimum requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance[3] and shall be shown on the final plat.
[3]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 245, Zoning.
F. 
Grading. Lots shall be graded to provide drainage away from buildings and, where practical, water shall be drained to the street rather than to adjoining property. The developer shall be required to provide drains or other drainage facilities, as approved by the Borough Engineer, to drain off surface water within the development.
G. 
Driveways.
(1) 
All driveways shall be paved in accordance with the Borough Zoning Ordinance,[4] Borough construction standards and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Design Manual, Part 2, Chapter 18. In the event of a conflict between any of the above provisions, the more stringent requirement shall apply.
[4]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 245, Zoning.
(2) 
No driveway shall have a slope of more than 15%. Driveways may extend from the right-of-way line of the street to the cartway of the street, but shall not change the grade or contour of the street right-of-way, nor shall any person cut into, fill, or in any way alter any gutter, curbing, drainage ditch or storm sewer within the right-of-way of a street or easement for the purpose of extending a driveway; or for any other purpose without first obtaining a permit therefor from the Borough Building Inspector.
H. 
Accessibility. Every lot shall be accessible to emergency and public safety vehicles.
I. 
House numbers. House numbers shall be assigned by the Borough Secretary or the local Post Office, and must be posted at each house so as to be easily visible and readable from the street, and in conformity to applicable Borough ordinances.
Unless waived by the Borough Engineer, on all properties of one acre or more which are proposed for subdivision, consolidation or land development under the terms of the Borough Stormwater Management Ordinance No. 940[1] and this chapter, on-site stormwater detention shall be required where postdevelopment discharges exceed predevelopment discharges and where detrimental effects may be caused downstream or on adjacent properties. All plans and computations required to evaluate the need for on-site stormwater retention shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer with expertise in stormwater management and shall comply with the following requirements:
A. 
Design criteria. The procedure for determining projected runoff from the site shall be as follows:
(1) 
Compute the predevelopment discharges for the two-, ten-, twenty-five-, fifty-, and one-hundred-year storms using the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Technical Release No. 55 (TR-55), latest revision. The computations should assume actual existing soil and land use map and the SCS Soils Classification Map for the watershed. A site plan showing the hydrological soil group and land uses should be included in the applicant's submission.
(2) 
Compute the postdevelopment discharges for the two-, ten-, twenty-five-, fifty-, and one-hundred-year storms using TR-55. The computation should include all reductions proposed for on-site stormwater management techniques.
(3) 
Compare postdevelopment discharges to predevelopment discharges. If postdevelopment discharges are greater than predevelopment discharges, on-site retention is required. The size of the retention facility shall be determined for the excess discharges for the two-, ten-, twenty-five-, fifty-, and one-hundred-year design storms so that none of the five design storm flows exceed the predevelopment storm flows.
(4) 
Indicate stormwater outfall path to waterway or stream.
B. 
Off-site storage. Off-site storage may be substituted for required on-site retention, provided that:
(1) 
Proper legal arrangements are executed;
(2) 
The off-site facility is approved by the Borough Engineer; and
(3) 
No problems are created between the development site and the off-site storage facility.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 203, Stormwater Management.
A. 
Size and grade. Storm drains shall be adequate for the anticipated runoff when the area is fully developed. The minimum diameter of storm sewers shall be 15 inches, and the minimum grade shall be 1%, unless approved by the Borough Engineer.
B. 
Manholes. For pipe sizes of 24 inches or less, manholes shall be spaced at a maximum of 400 feet; and for larger pipe sizes, the maximum distances between manholes shall be 600 feet. In addition, manholes shall be installed at all points of abrupt changes in alignment and grade. Inlets may be substituted for manholes where practical.
C. 
Inlets. Inlets of the type shown in the Borough construction standards shall be installed. Inlets at street intersections shall be placed on the tangent and not on the curved portions.
D. 
Castings. Manholes and inlet castings shall be as indicated in the Borough construction standards.
E. 
Stormwater roof drains. Stormwater roof drains and pipes shall not discharge water over a sidewalk but shall extend under the sidewalk to the gutter. Where accessible, the roof drain shall be connected with the storm sewer. When required by the Borough Engineer, roof drains shall be connected in rock sumps of sufficient size and design to properly retain and disperse the roof water.
F. 
Unnatural drainage. Whenever construction stops or concentrates the natural flow of storm drainage in such a way as to affect adjoining properties, approval of the owners shall be obtained in writing. Approval of plans by the Borough does not authorize or sanction drainage affecting adjoining properties.
G. 
Watercourses. Open watercourses will not be permitted within the rights-of-way of streets. The stopping, filling up, confining or other interference with, or changing the course of, drains, ditches, streams and watercourses in the Borough of Emsworth will not be permitted unless approval in writing is obtained from the Borough Council. A permit must be obtained from the applicable agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for construction or changes in a watercourse which drains an area of more than 1/2 square mile.
H. 
Bridges and culverts. All bridges and culverts shall be designed to support expected loads and to carry expected flows and shall be constructed to the full width of the right-of-way. They shall be designed to meet current standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
I. 
Compliance with other laws. Storm sewers and drainage facilities shall further comply with the Borough's Stormwater Management Ordinance No. 940,[1] and related county, state and federal laws.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 203, Stormwater Management.
A. 
Installation. Installation of sanitary sewers shall be in accordance with the Borough construction standards. All installations, including house connections, shall be made prior to the paving of the street and shall be thoroughly compacted.
B. 
Minimum size and grade. The minimum diameter of sanitary sewers shall be eight inches and the minimum grade shall be 0.5%.
C. 
Laterals. Lateral connections, where required, shall be installed to the right-of-way line of the street prior to road paving. Each building shall have a separate connection to Borough sewer lines, except that garages accessory to dwellings may be connected to the dwelling line.
A. 
Public water system. All public water systems shall be designed and approved by the West View Water Authority, 210 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15229.
B. 
Location of water system. The location of the proposed waterlines must be approved by Emsworth Borough Council. The Borough Engineer must first approve waterlines, valve pits, and other system components that are designed to be placed in a public street.
All construction materials used in the construction of public improvements shall be subject to testing through a qualified testing laboratory to determine their conformity with the Borough's minimum construction standards, ASTM testing standards, and PennDOT Publication 408. The cost for such tests shall be borne by the developer.