The plat of a subdivision shall substantially
conform to the following principles and standards of design. If there
is a discrepancy between minimum standards or dimensions noted herein
and those contained in building code or other official regulations,
the highest standard shall apply.
The design of public and private improvements,
grading, building arrangement, parking, landscaping, and manner in
which proposed uses shall operate, as considered through subdivision
and land development processes, shall demonstrate a conformance with
the following general principles, plans, and ordinances:
A.
The Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 220, including but not limited to environmental standards relating to noise, odors, and glare.
C.
To the furthest extent feasible, the minimization
of impact on existing watercourses and groundwater discharge and recharge
areas.
D.
To the furthest extent feasible, conformance with
the policies of the Municipal Comprehensive Plan.
A.
Every access from a property onto a state road must
be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Evidence
of the receipt of the necessary written approval shall be submitted
to the Municipality prior to final plat approval. "Access" shall include
any new street, driveway opening or encroachment.
B.
The street and alley layout shall conform to any plans
made by the Municipality for the development of the neighborhood in
which the proposed subdivision is located.
C.
The street layout shall conform, to the greatest extend
practical in terms of municipal standards, to the existing topography
of the site.
D.
Minor streets and local streets shall be so planned
as to discourage through traffic.
E.
Wherever there exists a dedicated or platted portion
of a street or alley along a boundary of the tract being subdivided,
the remainder of said street or alley to the prescribed width shall
be platted within the proposed subdivision.
F.
Half streets shall not be provided except where it
is essential to the reasonable development of the subdivision in conformity
with the other requirements of these regulations or where it becomes
necessary to acquire the remaining half by condemnation so it may
be approved in the public interest.
G.
Culs-de-sac shall not extend more than 2,500 feet
beyond the intersection from which the cul-de-sac originates and shall
include a turnaround, which shall be provided at the closed end and
must have a minimum radius of 40 feet measured to the base of the
curb and a right-of- way radius of not less than 50 feet, and said
turnaround shall have a maximum grade at center of 5%. Culs-de-sac
that are to be dedicated and accepted into the public road system
shall be at least 250 feet in length, as measured from the edge of
the through street to the back of the cul-de-sac curb.
H.
Alleys shall not be provided in residential districts,
except in planned residential developments, but shall be included
in commercial and industrial areas where needed for loading and unloading
or access purposes.
I.
The minimum distance between center lines of parallel
or approximately parallel streets intersecting a cross street from
opposite directions shall be 125 feet.
J.
Intersections of more than two streets at one point
shall be avoided.
K.
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited unless provided
with a turnaround or cul-de-sac arrangements. Only streets provided
with cul-de-sac or turnaround arrangements as provided herein will
be considered for acceptance into the public road system.
L.
Right-of-way requirements may be increased for specific
thoroughfares if existing or anticipated traffic flow warrants it
or if drainage and sewerage easements parallel such thoroughfares.
Such increased width will be set by the Council under the advisement
of the Planning Commission, the Municipal Engineer and the FTMSA.
Consideration regarding the Street Design and Construction Standards
Ordinance[1] and parking requirements shall also be a factor in said
advisements.
M.
Minimum right-of-way widths, paving widths, angle of intersection, distances along sides of sight triangles, sidewalks required, horizontal alignments, vertical alignments, as well as maximum and minimum grades, shall be in accordance with Chapter 97, Construction Standards, now in effect and as from time to time amended.
N.
The Municipality may require additional access to
a plan, where feasible, when such access is necessary to promote the
goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan, access to emergency
services, and where the Official Map designates future rights-of-way.
O.
Generally, land developments shall be designed such
that the minimal number of access points to a public street are provided,
in consideration of parking design and circulation and building location
possible on the site, as permitted or required by municipal and state
requirements. Additionally, major street standards notwithstanding,
no proposed access drive shall be located closer than 80 feet to the
right-of-way with any street intersection.
P.
Major street standards. All land developments and
subdivisions bearing frontage on State Routes 22, 286, 380, 366, and
66 shall be limited to one access per the parcel existing at the time
of approval, in recognition of the following standards:
(1)
Access drives or streets proposed within 400 feet
of existing streets and access drives shall be located the greatest
distance from said intersections given site distance requirements
relating to the proposed access, greatest distance possible from public
street intersections, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Highway Occupancy Permit Requirements.
(2)
In cases where a subdivision of a parcel bearing frontage
on Route 22 is proposed, the applicant shall provide an access easement,
in consideration of all standards outlined in this chapter, which
demonstrates one point of access and provides for access to all parcels
proposed.
Q.
Private street maintenance. Where private streets
are proposed, maintenance shall be demonstrated through homeowners'
or condominium association declaration documents or covenants in a
form acceptable to the Municipal Solicitor as a means of providing
maintenance of the streets as proposed and approved, including winter
maintenance. Where no such association is proposed, namely in minor
subdivisions and land developments, a note shall be affixed to the
final plat giving notice to all owners of lots within the plan that
each shall share equitably in the aforesaid maintenance. Association
documents, as required, shall be recorded with the final plat.
R.
Where the waiver of street standards required by this chapter and Chapter 97, Construction Standards, is proposed, Council, in the granting of any such request, may require that the applicant or developer affix a note to the subdivision plat stating that no further subdivision of lands solely served by said street shall occur unless said street is improved to standards approved by Council. Said waivers shall include right-of-way width reductions.
S.
All driveways over 75 feet shall have a minimum clear opening width
of 12 feet, a pavement width of nine feet, and have a horizontal and
vertical alignment that can accommodate a fire truck with a wheelbase
of 250 inches. All bridges and culverts shall be designed for a thirty-ton
road.
[Added 5-17-2017 by Ord. No. 955-16]
A.
Every lot shall be provided with access adequate for
the use of public safety vehicles and other public and private purposes
and shall be served by a public or private street system. All public
streets shall be improved in accordance with this chapter and connected
to the general street system.
B.
Side lines of lots shall be approximately at right
angles to straight streets and on radial lines on curved streets.
Some variation from this rule is permissible, but pointed or very
irregular lots shall be avoided unless it is clearly evident that
such variation shall improve the overall neighborhood design.
C.
Double frontage shall be avoided.
E.
When a tract is subdivided into larger than required
building lots and there is no covenant preventing resubdivision of
the lots, such lots or parcels shall be so arranged as to permit a
logical location and opening of future streets and resubdividing with
provision for adequate utility connections for each subdivision in
consideration of Comprehensive Plan recommendations and the Official
Map.
F.
Lots shall be so designed as to permit a building
footprint or area to house a principal structure within an area that
lies outside of existing steep slopes, where steep slopes are classified
as 25% or greater. Such design shall consider existing setbacks enforced
by the Zoning Ordinance.
G.
Flag lots. Flag lots are permitted under the following
circumstances:
(1)
One flag lot is permitted per existing or proposed
block;
(2)
The strip accessing the portion of the lot the width
of which is less than the minimum lot width at the building line shall
not extend more than 500 feet from the right-of-way from which it
is accessed.
(3)
The access strip, as described, shall be subject to
all site distance requirements otherwise applicable to the respective
type of access proposed.
(4)
The net area of the lot, excluding the access strip,
shall meet the minimum lot size requirements within the respective
district as imposed by the Zoning Ordinance.
Easements shall be required at a minimum width
of 20 feet. Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse or natural
drainage, there shall be provided a stormwater easement or drainage
right-of-way of width and length sufficient for the purpose.
The requirements of Chapter 124, Grading, Excavating and Filling, shall be complied with by every land development.
