Article V Plan Requirements

The proposed use of the site.

The density of development.

The ownership.

The street system.

The proposal for water and sewage service.

Aerial photography and all significant features within 500 feet of the property.

Initial site capacity calculations, as established in Chapter 180, Zoning.

[Added 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

§ 145-33 Preliminary plan.

When required. A preliminary plan shall be submitted for all subdivisions and land developments, except for minor subdivisions and minor land developments.

Drafting standards.

For the plan layout, the horizontal scale shall be a minimum of one inch equals 100 feet for lots greater than one acre, one inch equals 50 feet for lots 20,000 square feet or larger and one inch equals 20 feet for smaller lots. The vertical scale of the profiles shall be five feet to the inch. Sheet size shall be 12 inches by 18 inches, 18 inches by 24 inches, 24 inches by 36 inches or 36 inches by 48 inches, unless otherwise approved by the Commission.

Distances shall be in feet and decimals to hundredths of a foot and bearings in degrees, minutes and seconds.

Each sheet shall be numbered to show its relation to the total number of sheets in the plan, as "Sheet No. 1 of 5 Sheets." Where two or more sheets are required to show the entire tract, a key map shall be provided.

Where the plan is a revised plan, the revision date and a brief description of the revision should be provided in the title block.

Existing features of the land. The plan shall set forth:

The location, names and widths of streets and roads, including existing streets and those shown on the Township Street and Road Map; the location and names of railroads; the location of adjacent property lines and the names of property owners including those across adjacent roads; the names of all bordering subdivisions; and the location of municipal boundaries, the location of watercourses, recognized environmental, open space and historic resources (as may be identified on any Comprehensive Plan and Official Plan of the Township), sanitary sewers, water mains and fire hydrants, storm drains and pipes, on-lot sewage systems and wells, utility transmission lines and similar features on or within 500 feet of any part of the land to be subdivided or developed.

Existing and proposed contour lines on the site and within 500 feet of the site, at vertical intervals of not more than two feet for land with an average natural slope of 25% or less and at intervals of not more than 10 feet for land with an average natural slope exceeding 25%. The topography must be field verified and plans must indicate the source and datum of the topography. The elevation control shall be the closest United States Geological Survey established benchmark, where available within a one-mile radius of the site. This five-hundred-foot limit can be reduced to 250 feet for subdivisions and land development of 10 acres or less in total size.

The location, first floor elevation and description of existing structures and buildings and the approximate age of any building or structure. The location and approximate age of wooded areas and tree rows, as well as the location of quarries, cliffs, wetlands, marshlands, areas subject to inundation, floodplains and carbonate geology features, as well as other topographical features which may affect the location of proposed streets or roads. Also, aircraft glide paths in close proximity to a subdivision shall be noted and defined.

Existing easements (including pertinent restrictions) right-of-way or paper streets, a copy of the current deed for the property shall also be submitted, and any deed restrictions. Easement and right-of-way ownership maintenance responsibilities and restrictions should be described.

The extent of woodlands, wetlands, vernal ponds, floodplains, steep slopes, carbonate geology features, riparian corridors, buffers, and other critical topographic features, as defined by Chapter 180, Zoning, shall be shown on the preliminary plan, including supporting studies and reports documenting the delineations.

Site capacity calculations, as established in Chapter 180, Zoning.

[Added 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

Proposed street and lot layout. The plan shall contain the following information:

The name of the proposed subdivision, the names and addresses of the record landowner, the developer, if different than the landowner and the registered engineer or surveyor; deed reference or source of title; Tax Map block and lot numbers; the zoning district or districts and the location and area (in acres) of the subdivision or land development area; the date; the dates of any revisions; the written scale; the graphic scale; and the North point.

The bearings, distances and curve data of the boundary line survey of the entire parcel to be subdivided or developed. The survey shall not have an error of closure greater than one part in 5,000 parts.

The layout of streets, design dimensions, courses and curve data, including names and widths of streets, roads and crosswalks. A profile along the present ground surface over the center line and proposed finished center-line grades shall be shown for each proposed street. When the subdivision abuts or includes a state road, the state route number, segment and offset should be shown for each proposed intersection and/or encroachment. Sight distances and speed limits should be shown for any proposed intersection or driveway connection with an existing state or Township road.

The location of sidewalks, pathways and curbing, including any unusual construction features. Grades along the tops of the curbs shall be shown, giving the percentage of grade on tangents and details of vertical curves and deviations of the curb at tangent points of horizontal curves.

The layout and approximate dimensions of all lots.

Lot numbers, a statement of total number of lots and parcels and the accurate lot size, to the nearest square foot and 0.01 acre for the net and gross areas of each lot.

A reference note to all land and streets proposed for dedication to the Township, including land to be held in reserve for specified future community use.

Where a proposed street is a continuation of an existing street or is designed as a stub street that may be extended in the future, a profile of the existing street center line or existing ground or a projection of the center line to a point 200 feet beyond the boundaries of the subdivision.

(9)

Plans and profiles showing location, size, material and depth of sanitary sewers, waterlines, storm pipes and facilities, as well as other underground utilities, including present and finished ground surface and showing all utility crossings.

(10)

Locations of fire hydrants, street signs and streetlights.

(11)

Building restriction lines with distances from the right-of-way lines and property lines and tie dimensions from all existing structures to the property lines.

(12)

Indication of any lots on which a use other than residential is intended, and a description of the intended use.

(13)

Typical street and sidewalk cross sections, including paving materials, consistent with § 145-45 of this chapter.

(14)

Typical paving cross sections for private drives or parking areas.

(15)

Easements, including easements for utility, screening, pathway, crosswalk, drainage or other requirements. Proposed easement ownership, maintenance responsibilities and restrictions should be described.

(16)

No-parking and fire zones, as applicable.

(17)

A key map or location map, at a scale of not less than one inch equals to 2,000 feet, indicating the location of the subdivision or development relative to roads and zoning district boundaries in the area.

(18)

Site capacity calculations for the development and natural resource protection tabulations for the development for each lot. A tabulation shall be provided on the plan showing the area, the required protection rate and area, the maximum disturbance area, the proposed disturbance area, and the remaining allowable disturbance area for each natural resource identified in Chapter 180, Zoning, for each lot.

[Added 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

(19)

Lot grading for postdevelopment conditions with a realistic option for building area and driveway access showing the limits of disturbance for that option.

[Added 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

Other required documents. The following supporting documents are required:

Certification of public and centralized sewer and water facilities and/or required groundwater quality and supply report, for public, centralized or private single lot wells.

(a)

Certification from public sewer and water supply utilities that any usage of their respective utility proposed by the developer is within their capacity and that they would provide such service upon finalization and approval of plans and execution of necessary agreements in accordance with their current rules and regulations is required.

(b)

If water is to be provided by means of a public or private well or wells for a residential subdivision or land development proposing more than nine new dwelling units the developer shall verify that adequate water quantity and quality is available as described in § 145-50G. For residential developments of more than 50 new dwelling units, or a nonresidential development requiring a groundwater demand increase from a private well (or wells) of 12,500 gallons per day or more, the applicant shall provide a groundwater quality and supply report as described in § 145-50G.

(c)

If water is to be provided by means other than by private wells owned and maintained by the individual owners of lots within the subdivision or development, applicants shall present evidence to the Township that the subdivision or development is to be supplied by a certificated public utility, a bona fide cooperative association of lot owners or by a municipal corporation, authority or utility. A copy of a certificate of public convenience from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission or an application for such certificate, a cooperative agreement or a commitment or agreement to serve the area in question, whichever is appropriate, shall be acceptable evidence.

(d)

The developer will be regulated also by Chapter 130, Sewers, Article I, Construction and Operation, as amended from time to time, if applicable.

A completed Department of Environmental Protection land development planning module, including an analysis of alternatives with complete soils, slope and percolation test data if subsurface disposal is proposed, shall be provided. Further, if subsurface disposal is proposed, the module must include a plan showing all soil test locations and results, as well as proposed locations of primary drain fields, wells and buildings and the location of a potential second drain field, all in accordance with Chapter 130, Sewers, Article II, On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, as amended. The plan must show easement protection areas for all soil test locations for the primary on-lot sewage disposal drainfield site and the potential secondary on-lot sewage disposal drainfield site with the easement areas located sufficiently by survey information to be able to reproduce the location of the easement area by field survey.

Drainage plan and computations, consistent with the Chapter 137, Stormwater Management, including the results of any geologic and soil investigation and testing undertaken to verify suitability of the geology and soil conditions for stormwater infiltration and including the developer's proposal for best management practices and stormwater facility postconstruction operation and maintenance.

[Amended 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

Bridge or culvert design details and design details of other drainage structures and utility facilities.

A detention facilities construction plan, including details of structures, size, ground cover, fencing and landscaping, consistent with this chapter.

A soil erosion control plan and narrative, including a map or maps describing the topography of the area, the proposed alteration to the area, as well as the erosion and sedimentation control measures and facilities and a narrative report describing the project and giving the purpose and the engineering assumptions and calculations for control measures and facilities.

A lighting and landscaping plan. The lighting plan must include the manufacturer's specifications, fixture height, type, style, photometric pattern and footcandle illumination layout intensity and shielding. The Landscaping plan must include the location, size, and type of materials to be planted, as well as the planting details, specifications, requirements and any other planting restrictions. A summary planting list shall also be provided on the plans.

A proposed construction timetable and phasing schedule if the project is proposed to be developed in stages.

(9)

Sketch plan layout for any contiguous land holdings of the developer which are not shown in the preliminary plan.

(10)

A development impact analysis is required, per Appendix D,[1] for all major subdivisions and all land developments.

[1]

Editor's Note: Appendix D is included at the end of this chapter.

(11)

A copy of the subdivision or land development plan reduced to 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches in size, a separate location map showing the location of the site with respect to surrounding roads on a plan 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches in size, and a brief narrative description of the subdivision or land development.

(12)

Required notification of surrounding property owners. Any applicant submitting plans for a major subdivision or a land development shall notify all individuals or entities who own real estate adjoining or adjoining an adjoiner of the pendency of such major subdivision or land development proposal in writing on a form attached hereto as Appendix E.[2] Such notice shall be made by regular mail to the landowner's last known address. The address on the tax rolls shall be considered the last known address. Such notice shall be mailed within 15 days after the submission of the first plan submission (sketch or preliminary). Verification of mailing, including a copy of the names, addresses, and tax parcel numbers of each person to whom the notice was mailed, shall be given to the Township within 15 days of submission.

[Added 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

[2]

Editor's Note: Appendix E is included at the end of this chapter.

Certificates. An approved preliminary plan shall contain the following (refer to Appendix B):[3]

Formal notations required by this chapter regarding (refer to Appendix B):

(a)

Maintenance of drainage easements.

(b)

Notice of PennDOT permit requirements.

(c)

Notice of on-lot sewer permit requirements.

(d)

Notice of a lack of guaranty for on-lot wells' water adequacy.

(e)

Notice of floodplains.

(f)

Notice for individual drip or spray irrigation on-lot sewage systems.

The signature of the developer, certifying his acceptance of the approval of the plan and his authority to represent full ownership rights to the land being developed (refer to Appendix B).[4]

[4]

Editor's Note: Appendix B is included at the end of this chapter.

The signature and seal of the registered surveyor, certifying that the boundary of the preliminary plan represents a survey made by him, that the monuments shown exist as located and that all dimensions are correct (refer to Appendix B).[5]

[5]

Editor's Note: Appendix B is included at the end of this chapter.

The signature and seal of the registered engineer (or, if permitted by state law, the registered surveyor) that prepared the designs for road, drainage, sewage, water facilities, soil erosion control features, identification of floodplain limits and all other proposed improvements.

The signature of the Secretary and Chairman of the Planning Commission, certifying review by the Township Planning Commission.

Acknowledgment of review by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

The signature of the Township Engineer, certifying review by the Township Engineer.

The signature of the Township Secretary and President of the Township Council, certifying that the Township Council approved the plan on the date shown.

[3]

Editor's Note: Appendix B is included at the end of this chapter.

§ 145-34 Final plan.

A final plan shall be required for all subdivisions or land developments regulated by this chapter.

[Amended 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

Drafting standards and existing features of the land shall be required for a final plan the same as those required for a preliminary plan per the provisions of § 145-33B and C.

[Amended 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

Information to be shown. The final plan shall show:

A title, as required for a preliminary plan.

Courses, distances and curve data sufficient for the legal description of all the property lines shown for the entire parcel on the plan. The error of closure shall not be greater than one part in 5,000 parts.

The names of abutting owners, the names, locations, widths and other dimensions of streets, including center-line courses, distances and curve data, descriptive data of right-of-way lines not parallel with or concentric with a center line and location tie-ins by courses and distances to the nearest intersections of all existing, planned and approved streets, and easements and recreational areas within the land to be subdivided. Locations and dimensions for all riparian corridors.

The location, material and size of monuments and pins, with references to them. A certification that all perimeter monuments and pins have been set shall be provided prior to the final plan being signed by the Township.

Building restriction lines, with distances from the right-of-way and lot lines.

Proposed deed restrictions or covenants affecting the subdivision or land development of the property, including ownership, restrictions and maintenance criteria, for the property or easements and/or right-of-ways affecting the property.

[Amended 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02]

The layout and exact dimensions of all lots with bearings in degrees, minutes, and seconds and distances to the nearest 0.01 foot, and all lot areas, indicating the net and gross area to the nearest square foot and 0.01 acre.

A formal notation as to the streets, parks and other public improvements offered for dedication to the Township and such land area reserved for future nonresidential use.

(9)

Formal notations required by this chapter regarding the following (refer to Appendix B):[1]

(a)

Maintenance of drainage easements.

(b)

Notice of PennDOT permit requirements.

(c)

Notice of on-lot sewer permit requirements.

(d)

Notice of lack of guaranty for on-lot wells' water adequacy.

(e)

Notice of floodplains.

(f)

Notice for individual drip or spray irrigation on-lot sewage systems.

[1]

Editor's Note: Appendix B is included at the end of this chapter.

(10)

The date set for completion of all proposed and required improvements.

(11)

A street address for each lot, to be assigned by the Township.

(12)

Show easement protection areas for all soil test locations for the primary on-lot sewage disposal drainfield site and the potential secondary on-lot sewage disposal drainfield site with the easement areas located sufficiently by survey information to be able to reproduce the location of the easement area by field survey.

Other required supporting documents (NOTE: These documents will normally be required as conditions of final approval. Failure to provide any of the documents at the time of application for final approval will not be considered a reason for disapproval of the plan.):

For public sewer service areas or sewer service not involving on-lot disposal, a copy of the DEP approval of the planning module and, if applicable, a copy of a capacity reservation agreement with the Authority and a copy of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) permit for sewer extension or facilities; for on-lot disposal, a copy of the verification of soil suitability and recommendation of planning module approval from the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer and approval of planning module by Department of Environmental Protection, as applicable. For minor subdivisions, the request for planning module approval must be submitted to the Sewage Enforcement Officer and Township in advance of the final plan submission in order to allow time for reviews and ownership and DEP approvals prior to final plan approval. Planning module requirements are laid out in DEP regulations.

A copy of a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation highway occupancy permit, if applicable.

A copy of a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection dams and encroachments permit, if applicable, and a copy of a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection dams and encroachment permit and an Army Corps of Engineers permit for alterations to wetlands and/or waterways, if applicable.

A copy of an agreement with an acceptable sewer and water utility, indicating specific approval for each proposed extension and/or use, or a copy of a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection permit for each private centralized sewer and/or water system, where applicable.

A copy of an agreement, as a covenant running with the land, that is accepted and approved by the Township describing the property owner's responsibilities for the operation and maintenance of stormwater management facilities and BMPs in accordance with the developer's postconstruction operation and maintenance plan.

[Added 2-7-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-02[2]]

[2]

Editor's Note: This ordinance also redesignated Subsection D(5) through (7) as Subsection D(6) through (8), respectively.

A copy of an agreement and security that is accepted and approved by the Township to secure the completion of any required improvements that have not yet been completed. A certificate of insurance providing for the coverage required in § 145-30 of this chapter shall also be provided.

A copy of a maintenance agreement that is accepted and approved by the Township to require the maintenance of any required improvements for a period of 18 months from the date of acceptance of such improvement by the Township.

A letter of approval of the soil and erosion control plan by the Northampton County Conservation District, if applicable and if not previously submitted as part of a preliminary plan.

Certificates. An approved final plan shall contain the following:

The signature and seal of the registered surveyor, certifying that the plan represents a survey made by him, that the monuments shown exist as located and that all dimensional details are correct.

The signature and seal of the registered engineer (or, if allowed by state law, the registered surveyor) that is responsible for the preparation of the designs of improvements for the subdivision or land development.

The signature of the developer, certifying his acceptance of the approval of the plan and his authority to represent full ownership rights to the land being developed.

The signature of the Township Engineer, indicating the Township Engineer's review of the plans.

The signature of the Secretary and Chairman of the Planning Commission, certifying that the plan conforms with the approved preliminary plan.

The signature of the Township Secretary and President of Township Council, certifying that the Township Council approved the plan on the date shown.

The signature acknowledgment of review by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.