The following special regulations shall apply to any subdivision or land development proposed within the areas of the Township designated in the R-5 and R-6 Agricultural/Rural Residence Zoning Districts, as described in Articles XII and XIII of the Whitpain Township Zoning Ordinance of 1950, as amended,[1] and as shown on the Official Township Zoning Map which
is part of that ordinance. These regulations are in addition to all
other applicable regulations as described in the other articles of
this chapter. Where these requirements contradict another such requirement
of this section, these requirements shall be followed in order to
further the intent of the R-5 and R-6 Zoning Districts.
All applicable standards for streets and related improvements
contained in this section shall be adhered to for all public streets
in or abutting a subdivision or development in the R-5 and R-6 Districts,
except as modified below.
A.
Pavement width, arterial and collector streets. Total pavement width on streets having these functional classifications, as designated in § 129-10D of this chapter, shall be as normally required, but an eight-foot-wide portion of the pavement on each side usually planned as a shoulder/breakdown lane/parking lane need not have the finished paved surface course normally required, provided that at least an oil and chip surface is installed and the normal base course is provided.
B.
Curbing. Curbing is not required along any street in the R-5 and
R-6 Districts except where, due to grades or other factors, it is
deemed necessary by the Township Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation
of the Township Engineer, for proper surface water drainage, provided
that a drainage swale at least one foot deep and having maximum side
slopes of three to one is constructed on each side of the street,
unless determined to be not needed by the Township Engineer.
C.
Cul-de-sac length. There shall be no maximum length on a street designed
as a temporary cul-de-sac that can be extended onto adjacent property
without violating any provision of this article, but the length shall
be kept to a minimum. Streets designed as permanent culs-de-sac shall
not exceed 1,200 feet, and the maximum number of lots taking access
from it shall not exceed 20, whichever is less.
D.
Other requirements. All other requirements of the Subdivision and
Land Development Ordinance relating to grades, culverts, drainage,
horizontal and vertical curves, tangents between curves, sight distance,
construction specifications, intersection alignment, intersection
radius, interconnection of adjacent parcels and similar regulations
shall be adhered to in all developments.
In keeping with the intent of the R-5 and R-6 Districts to maintain
a rural character and minimize the extension of suburban-type services
and improvements into that district, a private street is allowed,
provided that it meets the criteria of this section.
A.
Number of lots served. Any driveway which serves as the access to
more than two lots or uses shall be considered a private street rather
than an individual driveway and must be constructed in accordance
with the applicable standards. Whenever more than eight residential
lots or more than three nonresidential lots or uses will share a private
street, the provision of a public street is required.
B.
Design standards. Where private streets are provided, they shall
be planned and constructed in accordance with the same standards applicable
to public streets relative to grades, culverts, drainage, horizontal
and vertical curves, tangents between curves, sight distance, intersection
alignment, intersection radius, interconnection to adjacent parcels
and similar regulations. The cartway shall be a minimum of 18 feet
in width and have a base course and surface treatment that make it
passable in all types of weather. A cul-de-sac with a forty-foot radius
cartway shall be provided at the end of the commonly-used area whenever
three or more lots use the private way for access.
C.
Ownership. The private street shall be owned jointly by all abutting
property owners who have rights to utilize said street, and all shall
be jointly responsible for its maintenance and related costs. An association
of the landowners who have rights to use the street shall be formed
and must be established and administered in a form acceptable to the
Township Board of Supervisors and approved by it prior to or at the
same time as subdivision or land development approval.
D.
Reconstruction of private street to public standards. The Board of
Supervisors reserves the right to order the reconstruction of the
private street up to municipal standards and subsequent dedication
as a public street, if it deems the street at any time to be a safety
or health hazard. Costs of such improvements shall be assessed against
the landowners who own the street and be borne totally by them.
E.
Further subdivision. Further subdivision of any lot fronting on the private street which would create an additional lot fronting thereon is prohibited if it would violate the maximum number of lots, maximum length of culs-de-sac or any other provision of this section, unless the private street is reconstructed and dedicated as a public street. The homeowners' association which controls the street must approve the reconstruction and dedication in accordance with the procedures established in its bylaws prior to the commencement of that upgrading (unless the municipality orders such pursuant to Subsection D above).
G.
Piecemeal creation of private streets within access strips. An access
strip containing an individual driveway may be upgraded into a private
street at any time, provided that the right-of-way width and all other
requirements can be met, by separating and establishing the access
strip as a private street right-of-way, widening the existing driveway
to the minimum standards for a private street and creating the required
turnaround or cul-de-sac at the terminus of the common use area. All
requirements for private streets shall be applied thereto. Such transformation
is encouraged rather than the creation of a separate access strip
to an adjacent rear lot.
A.
General. Whenever a lot is to be created which does not have the
bulk of the lot directly abutting a street, it shall be connected
to the street by an access strip which is held in fee simple ownership
as a part of the interior (rear) lot. The area within the access strip
shall not be used in calculating the minimum lot area required by
the Zoning Ordinance.[1]
B.
Width. All access strips to rear lots shall have a minimum width
of 50 feet throughout their entire length, except that in the case
of a rear lot used or to be used strictly for residential purposes,
this may be reduced to 25 feet for any lot less than three acres in
area which cannot be further subdivided under the R-5 and R-6 Zoning
Districts.
C.
Location. The location of the access strip must, in the opinion of
the Township Board of Supervisors, be deemed logical and proper relative
to the bulk (body) of the rear lot and surrounding property configurations
and shall not, in its opinion, adversely affect environmental features
such as woods, steep slopes, streams, floodplains, etc.
D.
Alignment. Any access strip shall not traverse a slope such that
the driveway therein would be required to be in excess of 10% gradient,
nor should any access strip generally contain a horizontal turn greater
than 45°.
E.
Spacing. There shall be no more than two abutting access strips to
rear lots, including existing access strips on parcels adjacent to
where the new ones are proposed. Each access strip or group of two
shall be separated from the next one by a distance at least equal
to the minimum width of one lot as required in the R-5 and R-6 Zoning
Districts.
F.
Driveway. Prior to the use of any rear lot, a driveway at least 10
feet in width with a base and surface constructed so as to be passable
in all types of weather shall be provided in the access strip. Greater
widths may be required depending on the use of the rear lot.
G.
Combined driveways. When two access strips abut, a combined drive
within one or both of the strips is strongly encouraged.
A.
Aisle width. Where common parking facilities are to be used, no parking
aisle will be less than 25 feet in width.
B.
Required green areas. Ten percent of all common parking area on each
tract shall be devoted to green areas consisting mostly of natural
vegetation, which must be interspersed within the paved parking areas
to channel traffic or divide parking spaces. The green area required
by this section shall not constitute a portion of any green area or
common open spaces otherwise required by this section or any other
ordinance or regulation of the Township. The exact design and location
of the green areas required by this section shall be indicated on
a development or subdivision or other similar plan and be permanently
maintained as such.
A.
Water supply.
(1)
General requirements. An adequate water supply for domestic, auxiliary
and fire-fighting uses shall be provided for all uses built in the
R-5 and R-6 Zoning Districts, including residential, nonresidential
and accessory facilities. If a public or centralized water supply
system is available and found to contain the needed capacity for any
development proposed herein, that public or centralized system must
be used. If, as would normally be the case, no such public or centralized
system exists, an on-site system meeting all state and local requirements
shall be provided for each lot or use or a satellite system for joint
or common use shall be provided for all lots or uses in the proposed
development.
(2)
Distribution system. All water piping, fixtures and other equipment
shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with state and local
regulations, as well as those of the servicing utility if one exists.
(3)
Fire protection. Whenever a satellite or centralized water system
is provided, fire hydrants meeting the specifications of the Middle
States Department Association of Fire Underwriters shall be installed.
Those hydrants shall be in sufficient numbers to be within 600 feet
of all existing and proposed dwellings and structures, measured by
way of accessible streets or common areas.
