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Township of Marple, PA
Delaware County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (4) Index
A. 
The following land subdivision principles and standards will be applied by the Township Planning Board and Board of Commissioners in evaluating plans for proposed subdivisions.
B. 
The standards outlined herein shall be considered minimum standards for the promotion of the public health, safety, morals and general welfare.
C. 
Where literal compliance with the standards herein specified is clearly impractical, the Board of Commissioners may modify or adjust the standards to permit reasonable utilization of property while securing substantial conformance with the objectives of these regulations.
Land subject to hazards to life, health or property, such as quarry land, open ditches, etc., shall not be subdivided for residential purposes until all such hazards have been eliminated or unless adequate safeguards against such hazards are provided by the subdivision plan.
A. 
Proposed streets shall be properly related to such street plans or parts thereof as have been officially prepared and adopted by the Township.
B. 
Proposed streets shall further conform to such Township, county and state road and highway plans as have been prepared, adopted and/or filed as prescribed by law.
C. 
Streets shall be logically related to the topography so as to produce usable lots and reasonable grades.
D. 
Minor streets shall be so laid out as to discourage through traffic, but provisions for street connections into and from adjacent areas will generally be required.
E. 
If lots resulting from original subdivision are large enough to permit resubdivision, or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided, adequate street rights-of-way to permit further subdivision shall be provided as necessary.
F. 
Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed major traffic street, the Commissioners may require marginal access streets, rear service alleys, reverse frontage lots or such other treatment as will provide protection for abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections with the major street, and separation of local and through traffic.
G. 
New half or partial streets will not be permitted except where essential to reasonable subdivision of a tract in conformance with the other requirements and standards of these regulations, and where, in addition, satisfactory assurance for dedication of the remaining part of the street can be secured.
H. 
Wherever a tract to be subdivided borders an existing half or partial street, the other part of the street shall be plotted within such tract.
I. 
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited except as stubs to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, or when designed as culs-de-sac.
J. 
New reserve strips, including those controlling access to streets, shall be avoided.
A. 
Culs-de-sac shall be provided at the closed end with a paved turnaround having a minimum radius to the outer pavement edge or curbline of 40 feet.
B. 
Unless future extension is clearly impractical or undesirable, the turnaround right-of-way shall be placed adjacent to a property line, and a right-of-way of the same width as the street shall be carried to the property line in such a way as to permit future extension of the street into the adjoining tract.
A. 
Minimum street right-of-way and cartway (roadway) widths shall be as follows:
(1) 
Minor street and marginal access street: fifty-foot right-of-way and twenty-seven-foot paved cartway.
(2) 
Collector street: sixty-foot right-of-way and thirty-six-foot paved cartway.
(3) 
Major traffic street: eighty-foot right-of-way, and cartway generally as prescribed by Pennsylvania State Highway Department standards.
B. 
Off-street parking facilities shall be provided in new developments in accordance with the requirements of the Marple Township Building Code, as amended.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 108, Building Construction, Art. I, Adoption of Standards.
C. 
Additional right-of-way and cartway widths may be required by the Board of Commissioners for the following purposes:
(1) 
To promote public safety and convenience.
(2) 
To provide parking space in commercial districts and in areas of high-density residential development.
D. 
Short extension of existing streets with lesser right-of-way and/or cartway widths than prescribed by § 265-25A above may be permitted; provided, however, that no section of new right-of-way less than 40 feet in width shall be permitted.
E. 
Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate right-of-way width, additional right-of-way width in conformance with the above standards shall be required.
A. 
Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of 5°, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.
B. 
To ensure adequate sight distance, minimum center-line radii for horizontal curves shall be as follows:
(1) 
Minor streets: 150 feet.
(2) 
Collector streets: 300 feet.
(3) 
Major traffic streets: 500 feet.
C. 
Except on minor streets, a tangent shall be required between curves.
A. 
Center-line grades should, wherever possible, be not less than 1%.
B. 
Center-line grades shall, wherever feasible, not exceed the following:
(1) 
Minor street: 10%.
(2) 
Collector and major traffic street: 6%.
C. 
Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade exceeding 1% and shall be designed in relation to the extent of the grade change and to provide the following minimum sight distances:
(1) 
Minor street: 100 feet.
(2) 
Collector street: 200 feet.
(3) 
Major traffic street: 400 feet.
D. 
Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than four-percent grades for a distance of 25 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
A. 
Streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. No street shall intersect another at an angle of less than 60°.
B. 
Multiple intersections involving junction of more than two streets shall be prohibited. Where this proves impossible, such intersections shall be designed with extreme care for both pedestrian and vehicular safety.
C. 
Clear-sight triangles of 75 feet measured along street center lines from their point of junction shall be provided at all intersections, and no building shall be permitted within such sight triangles.
D. 
To the fullest extent possible, intersections with major traffic streets shall be located not less than 800 feet apart, measured from center line to center line.
E. 
Streets entering opposite sides of another street shall be laid out either directly opposite one another or with a minimum offset of 150 feet between their center lines.
F. 
Minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be 15 feet for intersections involving only minor streets, 25 feet for intersections including other type streets, or such greater radius as is suitable to the specific intersection.
A. 
Lots shall be laid out and graded to provide positive drainage away from new and existing buildings.
B. 
Storm sewers, culverts and related installations shall be provided:
(1) 
To permit unimpeded flow of natural watercourses.
(2) 
To ensure adequate drainage of all low points along the line of streets.
(3) 
To intercept stormwater runoff along streets at intervals reasonable related to the extent and grade of the area drained.
C. 
In the design of storm sewerage installations, special consideration shall be given to avoidance of problems which may arise from concentration of stormwater runoff over adjacent properties.
A. 
The length, width and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to:
(1) 
Provision of adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed.
(2) 
Zoning requirements.
(3) 
Topography.
(4) 
Requirements for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
B. 
Blocks should have a maximum length of 1,600 feet and, so far as practicable, a minimum length of 500 feet. In the design of blocks longer than 1,100 feet, special consideration shall be given to the requirements of satisfactory fire protection.
C. 
Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to accommodate two tiers of lots, except where reverse frontage lots bordering a major traffic street are used.
D. 
Pedestrian interior walks may be required where necessary to assist circulation or provide access to community facilities. Such crosswalks shall have a width of not less than 10 feet and a paved walk of not less than four feet.
A. 
Lot dimensions and areas shall be not less than specified by provisions of the Marple Township Zoning Ordinance[1] and shall further conform to the following requirements designed to abate health hazards:
(1) 
Where both water supply and sanitary sewage disposal are provided by individual on-lot facilities, lots for single-family detached dwellings shall have a minimum area of 40,000 square feet and a minimum width, measured at the building line, of 125 feet.
(2) 
Where either water supply or sanitary sewage disposal, but not both, are provided by individual on-lot facilities, lots for single-family detached dwellings shall have a minimum area of 12,000 square feet and a minimum width, measured at the building line, of 75 feet.
(3) 
Where either or both water supply and sanitary sewage disposal are provided by individual on-lot facilities, the Township may require that the subdivider request the Division of Environmental Hygiene of the State Department of Health to make such tests as are necessary to determine the adequacy of the proposed facilities in relation to the proposed lot size and existing grade and soil conditions. In all such cases, a certificate by the State Health Officer that the proposed facilities are adequate shall be prerequisite to final approval of the plan.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 300, Zoning.
B. 
The minimum building setback line shall be controlled by the provisions of the Marple Township Zoning Ordinance, as amended from time to time.
C. 
Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to street lines.
D. 
Residential lots shall in general front on a municipal street, existing or proposed.
A. 
Alleys are prohibited in developments of single-family detached residences.
B. 
Private driveways, where provided, shall be located not less than 40 feet from the intersection corner of corner lots and shall have such grades as to furnish a safe and convenient parking space.
C. 
Easements with a minimum width of 10 feet shall be provided as necessary for utilities.
D. 
To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be centered on or adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
E. 
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a drainage easement or right-of-way conforming substantially with the line of such watercourse and of such width as will be adequate to preserve natural drainage and provide sufficient width for maintenance.