This article establishes and defines the public
improvements and design standards that the Township shall require
in the review, approval, and construction of any subdivision or land
development.
A.
The following principles, standards and requirements
shall be met by applicants in preparing plans for proposed subdivisions
and land developments.
B.
The standards and requirements outlined herein shall
be considered minimum standards and requirements for the promotion
of public health, safety, morals and general welfare.
C.
When other applicable regulations impose more restrictive
standards than those specified herein, the more restrictive standards
shall apply.
D.
Where literal compliance with the standards herein
specified is clearly impractical, the Township may modify or adjust
the standards to permit reasonable use of property while securing
substantial conformance with the objectives of these standards.
A.
The proposed use shall be suited to the land to be subdivided and developed in conformance with the Township Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 370, Zoning, and other applicable regulations.
B.
Land or properties subject to life, health or safety
hazards shall not be subdivided or developed for residential purposes
until all such hazards have been eliminated or unless adequate safeguards
against such hazards are provided by the plan.
C.
The design of the proposed subdivision and land development
shall preserve, to the greatest extent possible, the natural features
and topography of the site.
D.
No parcel of land shall be created, either by inclusion
or exclusion from a proposed subdivision or land development, which
cannot be properly used for a permitted use under the existing zoning
regulations for that district.
A.
The length, width, and shape of blocks shall be determined
with due regard to:
B.
Blocks shall not exceed 1,600 feet in length, or be
less than 500 feet in length. In the design of blocks longer than
1,000 feet, special consideration shall be given to access for fire
protection.
C.
Wherever practicable, blocks shall be two lot depths
wide. Except for lots located at street intersections or where reverse
frontage lots are approved, no blocks shall have lots that front on
more than one street.
A.
General lot design standards.
(1)
Lot dimensions, areas, and minimum setback standards shall not be less than as required by Chapter 370, Zoning.
(2)
Lot dimensions, areas, and orientation shall be appropriate
for the type of development and use contemplated, and sufficient to
provide satisfactory space for required off-street parking, accessory
uses, and other applicable standards of Township codes and ordinances.
(3)
Wherever practicable, the side property lines of lots
shall be at right angles or radial to the right-of-way line.
(4)
In order to avoid jurisdictional problems, lot lines
shall follow municipal boundaries rather than cross them, to the greatest
extent feasible.
(5)
Remnants of land that do not meet minimum area and
bulk requirements for the applicable zoning district shall not exist
after subdivision. All portions of a plan shall be incorporated into
existing or proposed lots unless special usage for a specific piece
of land is applied for as part of a land development proposal.
B.
Lot frontage standards.
(1)
All lots shall have frontage along the right-of-way
of a street and have direct access to a street, existing or proposed.
Each lot shall have, in addition to the minimum width at the front
lot line, sufficient free and complete access to an existing or proposed
street cartway to avoid the need to cross any portion of another lot
to reach such street.
(2)
Reverse frontage lots. Proposed subdivisions involving the creation of three or more residential lots (in total) abutting an existing or proposed arterial or major collector, or the creation of five or more lots abutting an existing or proposed minor collector, shall be designed as reverse frontage lots. The applicant shall be required to provide a local access street to connect the reverse frontage lots to the arterial or collector. Where a choice exists, the applicant shall connect to the street with the lowest classification. Access and design for new residential streets shall be consistent with the requirements of § 320-36A.
(3)
Flag (interior) lots. Lots for which the only frontage
on a street is by an access strip the sole purpose of which is to
provide fee-simple access from that street to the principle part of
the lot, shall be permitted only if all of the following requirements
are satisfied:
(a)
The Board of Supervisors grants permission based
on topographical or other conditions unique to the site.
(b)
The lot involves no more than one single-family
detached dwelling.
(c)
Only one flag lot is created in any subdivision.
Further, in that subdivision, no additional flag lots shall be permitted
in the future.
(d)
The flag lot access strip to the public street
has a minimum width of 50 feet for its entire length.
(e)
The minimum lot area, lot width, lot depth,
and setback of the district are met, exclusive of the access strip.
(f)
All structures are located on the lot so as
to provide the district's required setback, should the access strip
later become a street.
(g)
The lot is not a reverse frontage lot.
A.
Proposed streets shall be properly related to such Street Plans or
parts thereof as have been officially prepared and adopted by the
Township, including recorded subdivision or land development plans
and the Official Map of North Coventry Township.
[Amended 4-7-2014 by Ord.
No. 10]
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, reasonable grades, proper alignment
and drainage, and to provide for adequate sight distances.
D.
Minor collector and local streets shall be so laid
out as to not encourage through traffic, but provision for street
connections into and from adjacent areas may be required. Major collectors
and arterials shall be connected with such existing streets and highways
to form continuations thereof.
E.
If lots resulting from the proposed subdivision are
of sufficient area to permit further subdivision, or if a portion
of the tract is not subdivided at the time of application, adequate
street rights-of-way to permit further subdivision shall be provided
as necessary, to be no less than the right-of-way required for minor
collector or local streets. Remnants and landlocked areas shall not
be created.
F.
Where a proposed subdivision or land development abuts
or contains an existing or proposed arterial or collector street,
the Township may require any marginal access street, rear service
alley, reverse frontage lot or such other developed or subdivided
property to provide for ingress and/or egress to minimize access points
to such arterial or collector streets or otherwise provide for safe
and/or uninterrupted traffic movement, including establishing and
providing for cross-easements with adjacent properties, the closure,
restriction and/or condition of traffic movement on and/or through
the property or such other traffic and/or ingress/egress condition
and/or restriction as may be reasonably necessary for the public health,
welfare or safety.
[Amended 8-14-2006]
G.
Where a proposed subdivision or land development abuts
or contains a collector or arterial street identified in Township,
county or state plans for future road widening beyond normal Township
design standards, the applicant shall be required to reserve additional
right-of-way to provide for the planned widened street or highway.
H.
Half or partial streets. New half or partial streets
shall not be permitted.
I.
A parcel of land separating a street from adjacent
properties (reserve strips), including those controlling access to
streets, shall be prohibited, unless dedicated to the Township.
J.
Continuation of existing streets shall be known by
the same name, but names for other streets shall not duplicate or
closely resemble names of existing streets. Street names should reflect
the rural character of North Coventry Township. Proper names shall
not be considered unless the name has historical significance to the
Township and substantiated by the Historical Commission. The developer’s
list of three proposed street names, for each new street, shall be
forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for review. The Planning Commission,
North Coventry Police Department, Building/Zoning Department and Historical
Commission shall review and recommend to the Board of Supervisors
approval of the same. If none of the suggested names are deemed appropriate,
the developer shall be notified and they shall resubmit a new list.
Once the Board of Supervisors has deemed the names acceptable to the
Township, they shall be submitted to the Township Address Coordinator
for review by the County 911 Coordinator and the local Postmaster
for approbation and the above process shall be repeated until a name
is acceptable. All street names are subject to final approval by the
Board of Supervisors.
[Amended 2-12-2007]
K.
Where streets continue into adjoining municipalities,
evidence of compatibility of design, particularly with regard to street
widths, shall be submitted. The applicant shall coordinate such designs
with both municipalities to avoid abrupt changes in cartway width,
alignment, or in improvements provided.
L.
New streets shall be laid out to continue existing streets at equal or greater width, in regard to both cartway and right-of-way, where such continuations are reasonable and practical. Minimum widths shall be as established in § 320-36 below.
M.
Attempts shall be made to connect lower order streets
to the lesser of higher order streets.
A.
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited, except as stubs
to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, or when designed
as a cul-de-sac street in accordance with the requirements of this
section.
B.
Unless future extension is clearly impractical and
undesirable, the cul-de-sac 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.
The applicant shall have the burden of showing the impracticality
of extending a street to a property line in order to justify a shorter
street.
C.
A cul-de-sac street, permanently terminated, is not
permitted when, in the determination of the Township, a through street
is feasible and more desirable. In order to justify a cul-de-sac street,
permanently terminated, the applicant shall have the burden of showing
the infeasibility of a through street.
D.
Each permanently terminated cul-de-sac street shall
serve not more than 24 single-family residential dwellings, not more
than 50 two-family or multiple family dwellings, and not more than
six nonresidential lots. The cul-de-sac street shall be a minimum
of 250 feet in length and a maximum of 1,000 feet in length. A cul-de-sac
street of greater length may be approved by the Township where the
topography, shape or other limitations of the tract preclude the possibility
of providing a second street.
E.
Permanently terminated cul-de-sac streets shall have
a circular turnaround with minimum rights-of-way and paving radii
as prescribed below.
|
Type of Cul-de-Sac
|
Right-of-Way Radius
(feet)
|
Outer Paving Radius
(feet)
|
Inner Paving Radius
(feet)
|
Moving Lane
(feet)
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Residential
|
50
|
40
|
n/a
|
n/a
| |
|
Residential with center island
|
55
|
45
|
25
|
20
| |
|
Commercial/ industrial
|
70
|
60
|
n/a
|
n/a
| |
|
Commercial/ industrial with center island
|
70
|
60
|
35
|
25
|
F.
Center islands in the cul-de-sac turnaround shall
have curbs. Maintenance responsibility of such islands shall be determined
prior to Final Plan approval and recorded on the deed. The island
shall be landscaped with a permanent ground cover subject to approval
by the Township.
G.
No more than four lots shall have frontage on the
cul-de-sac turnaround and no more than four driveways shall have access
to the cul-de-sac turnaround.
H.
Greater cul-de-sac radii may be used, such as when
parking is to be permitted, based on the recommendation of the Township
Planning Commission and approval of the Township Board of Supervisors.
I.
The maximum slope across the diameter of a cul-de-sac
turnaround shall not exceed 5%. The minimum grade around the curbing
shall not be less than 1%.
J.
Any street temporarily dead-ended either for access
to an adjoining property or for authorized stage development shall
be provided with a temporary all-weather turnaround within the subdivision
or land development. The use of such a turnaround shall be guaranteed
to the public until such time as the street is extended. The temporary
turnaround shall be circular, with a minimum cartway radius of 40
feet, and shall remain completely within the right-of-way. The turnaround
right-of-way shall be placed adjacent to the 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
L.
Cul-de-sac (dead end) streets shall be provided, when
required by the Township, with a secondary means of access to permit
the flow of emergency vehicles in the event that the primary means
becomes blocked. The Township Fire Marshall and the Township Engineer
shall approve the secondary access means.
A.
New residential streets. New residential streets shall be classified according to the expected Average Daily Trips (ADT) level of the street [See Subsection A(4) below for ADT rates]. If subdivision lots are of sufficient area for further subdivision, the Township may require that the street be constructed to the standards of a higher classification, unless deed restricted against further subdivision.
(1)
Purpose. The purpose of these provisions is to establish
appropriate standards for the design of streets in residential subdivisions
that will:
(a)
Protect the safety of neighborhood residents;
(b)
Protect the residential qualities of neighborhoods
by limiting traffic volume, traffic speed, noise, and fumes;
(c)
Minimize maintenance and repair costs of streets;
(d)
Minimize impervious coverage, thereby protecting
the quantity and quality of the Township's groundwater resources.
(e)
Promote the safety and convenience of vehicular
and pedestrian traffic;
(f)
Encourage the efficient use of land.
(2)
Applicability. The provisions of Subsection A shall be applicable to all new residential streets. Except as otherwise stated in this section, new residential streets shall be constructed in accordance with the sections of this article applicable to local road design standards.
(3)
Street hierarchy. Proposed residential streets are classified under the overall category of "local street." Each proposed residential street shall be further classified under the following subcategories of local streets and designed for its entire length to meet the minimum standards for one of the street types listed below. The specific criteria used for determining street classification and the minimum required street widths are located in Subsection A(5), (6), (7) and (8), respectively.
(a)
Local access street. This is the lowest order residential street in the hierarchy and is intended to carry the least amount of traffic at the lowest speed. It will provide the safest and most desirable environment for a residential neighborhood. Developments should be designed so that all, or the maximum number possible, of homes front on this class of street. [See Subsection A(5).]
(b)
Secondary distributor street. This is the middle order residential street in the hierarchy and will carry more traffic than the local access street. It should provide an acceptable if not optimum environment for a residential neighborhood. [See Subsection A(6).]
(c)
Primary distributor street. This is the highest order of street that can be classified as residential and will carry the largest volume of traffic at higher speeds. In large residential developments, this class of street may be necessary to carry traffic from one neighborhood to another or from the neighborhood to streets connecting other areas in the community. This level of street is the least suitable for providing direct access to homes and such access should be avoided to the extent possible. [See Subsection A(7).]
(d)
Special purpose streets.
[1]
Alleys. An alley provides a secondary means of access to lots. It will normally be on the same level in the hierarchy as a local access street, although different design standards apply. [See Subsection A(8).]
[2]
Marginal access streets. A marginal access street
is a street parallel and adjacent to a collector or higher level street
and provides access to abutting properties and separation from through
traffic. It may be designed according to the standards for a local
access street or a secondary distributor street, as traffic volumes
dictate.
(4)
Trip generation rates. The following table shall be
used to determine the ADT levels of proposed residential developments
and streets. Any dwelling type not listed below shall use the traffic
volume estimates based on the most current edition of the Institute
of Transportation Engineer's (ITE) publication, Trip Generation.
|
Housing Type
|
Average Weekday Trip Generation Rates
(trips/dwelling unit)
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Single-family detached
|
9.6
| |
|
Single-family semidetached (twin), duplex, attached
(townhouse)
|
5.9
| |
|
Multifamily (apartments)
|
6.6
| |
|
Mobile home park
|
4.8
| |
|
Retirement community
|
3.3
|
(5)
Local access street standards.
(a)
Service restrictions. A local access street
is a frontage street which provides access to abutting properties;
it shall be designed to carry no more traffic than is generated on
the street itself. Each local access street shall be designed so that
no section of the street carries an average daily traffic (ADT) volume
of greater than 200. Each half of a loop street may be regarded as
a single local access street and the total calculated traffic volume
generated on a loop street shall not exceed 400 ADT.
(b)
Street access. Local access streets may take
access from any street type. Both ends of a loop street, however,
must intersect the same collecting street and be laid out to discourage
through traffic. Grid street patterns shall be laid out to discourage
traffic other than those residents of the immediate neighborhood.
(c)
Street design standards; local access streets.
Travel lane widths shall be determined on the basis of the intensity
of development proposed and the manner in which parking shall be provided
as follows:
|
Local Access Streets
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Design Factors
|
Street Standards
| |||||
|
Development Type
|
Parking Requirements3
| |||||
|
Off- Street
|
On- Street
|
Travel Lane Width1
(feet)
|
Parking Lane Width
(feet)
|
Total Cartway Width
(feet)
|
Individual Driveway Access Permitted
| |
|
Permanent open space, no residential
frontage
|
None
|
None
|
10
|
n/a
|
20
|
n/a
|
|
Lots 3 acres or more, deed restricted
against further subdivision
|
Off-street
|
None
|
10
|
n/a
|
20
|
Yes
|
|
Lot widths 100 feet or greater
|
Off-street
|
None
|
10
|
n/a
|
20
|
Yes
|
|
Lot widths 40 to 100 feet
|
Off-street
|
One side
|
11
|
8 (one side)
|
30
|
Yes
|
|
Lot widths less than 40 feet w/rear
alley access
|
Off-street using rear alley
|
Two sides2
|
11
|
8 (both sides)
|
38
|
No
|
|
Lot widths less than 40 feet or no
individual lots (i.e., apartments)
|
Off-street or parking lot provided
|
Parking lot provided for spillover
parking
|
11
|
n/a
|
22
|
Yes (for parking lots)
|
|
1
|
Where raised curbing is proposed, one additional
foot shall be added to the minimum travel lane width. Where no curbing
or flush curbing is being used, the minimum travel lane width shall
be used.
|
|---|---|
|
2
|
For this development type, a single parking
lane may be provided if houses front on only one side of the street.
In such cases, the total cartway width may be reduced by eight feet
to a total width of 30 feet.
|
|
3
|
These columns indicate the combination of off-street
and on-street parking to be provided for each development type.
|
(d)
Travel lanes. All local access streets shall
provide at least two travel lanes. Where a parking lane is not required
to accommodate spillover parking, occasional short-term parking for
service pickup or delivery shall be permitted within the travel lanes.
(e)
Minimum right-of-way width: 50 feet.
(f)
Cul-de-sac turnarounds. Cul-de-sac turnarounds shall be designed in accordance with the requirements of § 320-35E.
(g)
Engineering criteria. Unless otherwise specified
herein, local access streets shall meet the applicable design and
construction standards of this chapter.
(6)
Secondary distributor street standards.
(a)
Service restrictions.
[1]
A secondary distributor street is a frontage
street that provides access to abutting properties and also conducts
traffic from local access streets intersecting it.
[2]
Each secondary distributor street shall be designed
so that no section of it will convey a traffic volume greater than
500 ADT. Each half of a loop secondary distributor street and the
total traffic volume conveyed on a loop street shall not exceed 1,000
ADT.
[3]
Secondary distributor streets shall be designed
so as not to encourage external through traffic which has neither
origin or destination on the secondary distributor or its tributary
local access streets.
(b)
Street access. Every secondary distributor must
be provided with no fewer than two access intersections to streets
of higher classification in the streets hierarchy if the traffic volume
exceeds 500 ADT on the street. For secondary distributor streets designed
for 500 ADT or less, one access intersection to a street of higher
order is allowed.
(c)
Street design standards; secondary distributor
streets. Travel lane widths shall be determined on the basis of the
intensity of development proposed and the manner in which parking
shall be provided as follows:
|
Secondary Distributor Streets
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Design Factors
|
Street Standards
| |||||
|
Development Type
|
Parking Requirements3
| |||||
|
Off- Street
|
On- Street
|
Travel Lane Width1
(feet)
|
Parking Lane Width
(feet)
|
Total Cartway Width
(feet)
|
Individual Driveway Access Permitted
| |
|
Permanent open space, no residential
frontage
|
None
|
None
|
10
|
n/a
|
20
|
n/a
|
|
Lots 3 acres or more, deed restricted
against further subdivision
|
Off-street
|
None
|
10
|
n/a
|
20
|
Yes
|
|
Lot widths 100 feet or greater
|
Off-street
|
None
|
11
|
n/a
|
22
|
Yes
|
|
Lot widths 40 to 100 feet
|
Off-street
|
One side
|
12
|
8 (one side)
|
32
|
Yes
|
|
Lot widths less than 40 feet w/rear
alley access
|
Off-street from alley
|
Two sides2
|
12
|
8 (both sides)
|
40
|
No
|
|
Lot widths less than 40 feet or no
separate housing lots (apartments)
|
Off-street or parking lot provided
|
Parking lot provided for spillover
parking
|
12
|
n/a
|
24
|
Yes (for parking lots)
|
|
1
|
Where raised curbing is proposed, one additional
foot shall be added to the minimum travel lane width. Where no curbing
or flush curbing is being used, the minimum travel lane width shall
be used.
|
|---|---|
|
2
|
For this development type, a single parking
lane may be provided if houses front on only one side of the street.
In such cases, the total cartway width may be reduced by eight feet
to a total width of 32 feet.
|
|
3
|
These columns indicate the combination of off-street
and on-street parking to be provided for each development type.
|
(d)
Travel lanes. All secondary distributor streets
shall be provided with two continuous travel lanes within which parking
is not permitted.
(e)
Minimum right-of-way width: 50 feet.
(f)
Cul-de-sac.
(g)
Engineering criteria. Unless otherwise specified
herein, secondary distributor streets shall meet the applicable design
and construction standards of this chapter.
(7)
Primary distributor street standards.
(a)
Service restrictions. A primary distributor
street is a street that carries residential neighborhood traffic but
provides limited or no residential frontage.
[1]
Primary distributor streets shall be required
when the average daily traffic anticipated on the street exceeds the
limits for residential secondary distributor streets.
[2]
Whenever possible, primary distributor streets
shall be designed so that no residential lots directly front on them.
When this is not possible, the amount of residential frontage shall
not exceed the limits set forth in the accompanying chart. In addition,
only lots having frontages of 100 feet or greater may front on primary
distributor streets and space shall be provided on these lots for
turnarounds so that vehicles do not have to back out onto primary
distributor streets.
|
Percent of Total Length of Primary Distributor
Streets Permitted to Have Residential Lots Fronting On and Taking
Access From the Primary Distributor Street
| |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ADT level
|
1,000 to 1,199
|
1,200 to 1,599
|
1,600 to 1,999
|
2,000+
| |
|
Allowable access frontage
|
20%
|
10%
|
5%
|
0%
| |
[3]
Primary distributors shall be laid out to discourage
through traffic unless linkage between streets outside of the subdivision
is determined by the municipality to be desirable.
[4]
If the anticipated ADT exceeds 3,000, the street
shall be classified as a higher order than a primary distributor.
The municipality, upon recommendation of their engineer, shall determine
the required design standards. These standards may be in excess of
the minimum standards established for primary distributors by this
chapter.
[5]
On-street parking shall be prohibited on primary
distributor streets.
(b)
Street access. Every primary distributor shall
have no fewer than two access intersections to streets of equal or
higher classification in the streets hierarchy.
(c)
Street design standards. Travel lane widths
shall be based upon anticipated average daily trips as follows.
|
Average Daily Trips
(ADT)
|
Travel Lane Width
|
Total Cartway Width
| |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2,000 ADT or less
|
10 feet (no or flush curbs)
11 feet (raised curbs)
|
20 feet
22 feet
| |
|
More than 2,000 ADT
|
11 feet (no or flush curbs)
12 feet (raised curbs)
|
22 feet
24 feet
|
(d)
Travel lanes. Primary distributor streets shall
be provided with two continuous travel lanes. Parking shall not be
permitted on primary distributor streets.
(e)
Minimum right-of-way width: 60 feet.
(f)
Engineering criteria. Unless otherwise specified
herein, primary distributor streets shall meet the applicable design
and construction standards of this chapter.
(8)
Alley standards.
(a)
Service restrictions. Alleys are permitted under
the following circumstances:
[1]
Frontage lot widths are less than 75 feet.
[2]
Frontage on an alley shall not be construed
to satisfy the requirements of this chapter for frontage on an approved
street.
[3]
No parking shall be provided for or permitted
within the right-of-way of the alley.
[4]
Street systems within which alleys are a part
shall be designed to discourage through traffic on alleys.
(b)
Street access. Alleys may only intersect local
access or secondary distributor streets.
(c)
Alley length. Alley length shall not exceed
a distance of 800 feet.
(d)
Alley width. Alleys to be dedicated to the Township
shall have a minimum paved width of 16 feet. Alleys not proposed for
dedication shall have a minimum paved width of 12 feet.
(f)
Building setback from alley. Garages or parking
stalls shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the center line
of any alley. In no case shall garages be located within the required
right-of-way.
B.
Existing residential streets and new nonresidential
streets. Existing streets shall be as classified on the Existing Functional
Classification Map of the North Coventry Township Comprehensive Plan,
1989 or as amended. New nonresidential streets shall be classified
by the Township Engineer according to their function.
(1)
Minimum right-of-way and cartway widths for existing
streets or new nonresidential streets shall be as follows:
(a)
Local streets in all districts and marginal
access streets in all districts; fifty-foot right-of-way and thirty-foot
cartway.
(b)
Minor collector streets: fifty-foot right-of-way
and thirty-four-foot cartway.
(c)
Major collector streets and minor arterial streets:
eighty-foot right-of-way and forty-foot cartway.
(d)
Major arterial highways and expressways: standard
widths established by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
(2)
Where a subdivision or land development abuts or contains
an existing street of substandard width, all normally required public
improvements and additional cartway width, in conformance with Township
design standards, shall be constructed and additional right-of-way
width, in conformance with Township design standards, shall be dedicated.
The Board of Supervisors may approve, in lieu of immediate construction
of the public improvements, a cash payment sufficient to cover the
costs of the public improvements. The amount of such cash payment
shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors in consultation with
the Township Engineer. Any such payment shall be set aside in a Township
fund for public improvements.
(3)
Public streets shall be constructed or improved in
accordance with the applicable design and construction standards of
this article.
(4)
Private streets shall adhere to the design standards and other requirements of § 320-41, Private streets, of this chapter.
(5)
Where it is necessary to relocate existing utility
poles to make room for new or improved roads or for other improvements
related to a subdivision or development, the developer shall be fully
responsible for relocating the utility poles and the associated costs.
A.
Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of five
degrees, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.
B.
To ensure adequate sight distance, minimum center
line radii for horizontal curves shall be as follows:
C.
Except on local streets, a tangent shall be required
between curves. A long radius curve shall be preferred in all cases
to a series of curves and tangents. In addition, compound curves may
be satisfactory in some instances. Tangents of 100 feet shall be required
between reverse curves except as follows for new residential streets:
D.
Superelevation (commonly known as "banking a curve")
shall be required when curve radii are less than 600 feet on arterial
or collector streets or as most currently specified by PennDOT.
A.
Center line grades shall not be less than 1%.
B.
Center line grades in excess of 5% shall be avoided
wherever possible.
D.
Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade
exceeding 1% and shall be designed in relation to the extent of the
grade change (at a rate no more abrupt than one-percent change in
grade per 25 feet along center line) provided that the following minimum
sight distances are maintained. If the minimum sight distances using
AASHTO formulas are greater than those listed below, the greater sight
distances shall apply.
E.
Where the grade of any street at the approach to an
intersection exceeds 4%, a leveling area shall be provided, having
not greater than 4% grades for a distance of 50 feet measured from
the nearest right-of-way line in the intersecting street.
F.
Under no conditions shall maximum grades be permitted
with minimum curve radii.
G.
Grading of 1/4 of an inch per one foot shall be provided
in the area from the back of the curb to at least 10 feet from the
face of the curb, or in the full right-of-way width from the back
of the curb, whichever area is greater. This grading width shall be
increased as necessary where sidewalks or planting strips, or sidewalks
and planting strips, are to be provided. Beyond the limits of this
grading, banks shall be sloped to prevent erosion, but this slope
shall not exceed two horizontal to one vertical, with tops of slope
in cuts rounded.
H.
All streets shall be graded to the grades shown on
the street profile and the Cross-Section Plan submitted and approved
with the Final Plan. All grading of streets also shall meet the requirements
of all Township ordinances in the judgment of, and after inspection
by, the Township Engineer or other person designated by the Board
of Supervisors to inspect and check the grading of streets for accuracy.
A.
Streets shall be laid out to intersect at right angles.
B.
Multiple intersections involving the junction of more
than two streets shall not be permitted.
C.
Clear sight triangles shall be provided at all street
intersections and driveway intersections with streets and shall be
shown on the Subdivision or Development Plan. Each side of the sight
triangle shall be a minimum of 75 feet, measured from the point of
intersection along each road center line. Within such triangle, no
vision-obstructing object shall be permitted which obscures vision
above the height of 30 inches and below 10 feet, measured from the
center line grade in intersecting streets. Deed restrictions shall
be recorded to ensure that clear sight triangles are maintained.
D.
Intersections with arterial streets shall be located
not less than 1,000 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 at least 150 feet on local and collector streets and 300
feet on arterial streets, measured from center line to center line.
F.
All street intersections shall have a minimum paving
radius corresponding to the following corner curb radii: 25 feet for
local streets, 30 feet for collector streets, and 40 feet for arterial
streets. Where streets of different functional classifications intersect,
the requirements for the higher classification shall hold.
G.
In designing street intersections, the sight distance
dimensions most currently recommended by PennDOT shall be used. Sight
distance shall be measured from a point set back 15 feet from the
intersected pavement edge on the street controlled by a stop sign
or signal.
H.
All necessary street name signs and traffic control
signs shall be the responsibility of the applicant to provide and
erect. The street signs shall meet PennDOT safety standards, and shall
be subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors. Street signs and
traffic control signs shall be erected before the issuance of any
certificates of occupancy on that street.
[Amended 11-14-2005]
All public streets of any new subdivision or
land development shall be built to the standards and specifications
contained herein, and to applicable state and federal highway department
specifications (e.g., Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Specifications,
Publication 408, latest revision). Where a subdivision or land development
abuts or contains any existing Township street or intersection, the
street(s) and intersection(s) shall be reconstructed for the full
paved width to the standards and specifications contained herein.
Pavement core samples as required in Subsection H below shall be taken
along the property frontage and analyzed by a professional testing
laboratory to serve as the basis for defining the existing road thickness.
The report of these findings and locations of samples shall be noted
on the Preliminary Plan.
A.
Subgrade.
(1)
The area within the limits of the proposed road surface
shall be shaped to conform to the line, grade and cross-section of
the proposed road.
(2)
All unsuitable subgrade materials shall be removed
or stabilized.
(3)
Encroachment into wetland areas or the Floodplain
Conservation District, where unavoidable, shall be done only after
all required permits for such encroachment are obtained from Pa. DEP,
FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or other agency having jurisdiction
over such areas. Where permitted, such areas shall be permanently
drained and stabilized. Subbase drains shall be installed where deemed
necessary by the Township Engineer during construction. The proposed
method of subgrade preparation for such areas shall be detailed on
the Subdivision or Land Development Plan.
(4)
Fill material shall be suitable and thoroughly compacted
for its full width, including shoulder areas, in uniform layers of
not more than eight-inch thickness.
(5)
The subgrade beneath cartways, shoulders and sidewalks
shall be thoroughly compacted to not less than 100% of the maximum
modified proctor density.
(6)
Backfill of trenches within the cartway and curb area shall be thoroughly compacted prior to application of the base course. Refer to Subsection F for trench backfill specifications.
(7)
The subgrade shall be checked and approved by the
authorized Township Engineer for lines, grade, crown, contour, suitable
materials and compaction before any succeeding courses are applied.
(8)
Crown board and straight edge shall be used for checking
road and street construction. Maximum deviation shall not exceed 1/4
of an inch.
B.
Base course.
(1)
Base course shall consist of the following materials,
installed as specified by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Bituminous concrete base course (BCBC), four inches thick installed
on top of eight inches of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
subbase material.
[Amended 11-14-2005]
(2)
The base course shall be rolled uniformly and thoroughly
compacted according to requirements of PennDOT Publication 408. Rolling
shall continue until the material does not creep or wave ahead of
the roller wheels.
(3)
The base course shall extend 12 inches beyond the
edge of paving on all streets constructed without a curb.
(4)
In fill areas over three feet thick, compaction tests
are required in each eight-inch layer at one-hundred-fifty-foot intervals.
The tests must be performed by a certified testing laboratory and
results submitted to the Township Engineer. All compaction must be
100% of the maximum modified proctor density. Any layer not meeting
this standard shall be removed or rerolled until suitable compaction
is obtained.
(5)
After compaction of the base stone, dry screenings
shall be applied in sufficient quantity to fill all of the voids in
the rolled stone base. A vibratory roller, of PennDOT approved design,
must be used in this step of construction and rolling shall continue
until all voids are filled. Small areas around inlets and manholes
that cannot be reached by the vibratory roller shall be compacted
with a mechanical tamper or whacker.
(6)
When the stone surface is tight and will accept no
more screenings, all loose screenings shall be broomed from the surface
to expose the top 1/2 inch of the aggregate over at least 75% of the
road.
(7)
No base material shall be placed on a wet or frozen
subgrade.
(8)
When so required by the Township Engineer, a tack
coat shall be applied.
C.
Bituminous surface.
(1)
Bituminous material shall be ID-2 with four inches
of binder course and 1 1/2 inches of wearing course.
(2)
The completed road surface shall have a uniform slope
of 1/4 inch per foot from edge to center line, except that on super-elevated
curves, this slope shall not be less than 1/4 inch per foot and shall
extend up from the inside edge to the outside edge of the paving.
(3)
No visible moisture shall be present prior to the
laying of each course. Road surface temperature shall be 50° F.
or greater prior to laying of the bituminous surface, with the air
temperature rising.
(4)
All wearing surface courses shall be sealed to the
concrete curb and at its joint with existing streets and driveways
with a one-foot-wide Class BM-1 asphalt gutter seal.
(5)
Application of all bituminous layers of roadway paving
shall require full-time inspection by the Township or its authorized
representative.
D.
North Coventry Township shall require delivery slips
for all materials used in the construction of streets.
E.
Grading and shoulders.
(1)
Supporting shoulders shall be constructed on all sections
of projects where a base course or pavement is to be constructed without
other permanent support along the sides.
(2)
Roadways shall be graded for not less than eight feet beyond the edge of the proposed paving on each side. This grading width shall be increased as necessary where sidewalks and/or planting strips are to be provided. Shoulders shall be compacted and graded with a slope of one inch per foot, unless otherwise permitted in Subsection F(3) below. Beyond the limits of this grading, banks shall be sloped to prevent erosion but this slope shall not exceed one vertical to three horizontal to one vertical, with tops of slopes in cuts rounded. Steeper slopes shall only be permitted where excessive cut or fill would otherwise be required.
(3)
In cases where swales must be provided in the right-of-way
area outside of the paved cartway, cut slopes shall be limited to
one vertical to two horizontal and fills shall be limited to one vertical
to three horizontal.
F.
Backfilling of road excavations. All trenches or other
excavations in existing or proposed roads shall be backfilled in accordance
with the following:
(1)
Backfilling shall be done as promptly as possible.
(2)
The trench shall be backfilled with coarse aggregate
consisting of screenings, 2RC, 2A modified or other aggregate as approved
by the Township Engineer to a height of at least one foot above the
top of the conduit, pipe, or pipe bell. These screenings shall be
placed with the hand shovels and not from trucks or with the use of
power equipment and shall be free from refuse, boulders, rocks, unsuitable
organic material or other material which, in the opinion of the Township,
is unsuitable.
(3)
When the pipe is located in a dedicated street or
any place where paving (including driveways) may be placed, the remainder
of the trench shall be backfilled with 2RC or other approved materials
and promptly compacted. The backfill material shall be mechanically
tamped in approximately six-inch layers.
(4)
Where openings have been made in existing Township
roads, paving shall be restored in accordance with the paving standards
contained in this chapter. Openings made in state roads shall be restored
in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation specifications.
Permits shall be obtained before paving is opened in any existing
state or Township road.
(5)
Where openings are made behind the curbline, work
shall be as specified below. The opening shall be covered with good
topsoil to a depth of six inches and seeded or sodded to the satisfaction
of the Township Engineer.
(6)
Whenever the trenches have not been properly filled
or if settlement occurs, they shall be refilled, compacted, and graded
to conform to the surface of the ground.
(7)
Frozen earth shall not be used for backfilling, nor
shall any backfilling be done when materials already in the trench
are frozen.
(8)
Where excavated material, or any portion thereof,
is deemed by the Township Engineer to be unsuitable for use as backfill,
the applicant or applicant's agent shall replace backfill material
with material approved by the Township.
G.
The applicant shall be responsible for notifying all
emergency service agencies when construction will impact accessibility
on existing roads.
H.
All pavement core samples as required by sections
of this chapter, or as required by the Township Engineer, shall adhere
to the procedures and specifications contained herein. The number
of samples, size and locations shall be determined by the Township
Engineer. Pavement core samples shall be taken to a depth that includes
the earthen subgrade. Appropriate permits, as applicable, for sampling
work shall be properly secured by the applicant's consultant(s). Core
sample holes shall be filled with bituminous wearing course material,
compacted and sealed with asphalt sealer. Core repairs, or any resulting
damage, shall be inspected and repairs performed to the satisfaction
of the Township Engineer.
[Added 11-14-2005]
Private streets will be permitted to serve no
less than two nor more than three lots, and only when proper maintenance
is guaranteed by the developer and when in accordance with the requirements
outlined below. Private streets shall be clearly identified as such
on each preliminary and Final Plan. Deeds transferring any lots served
by such a private street shall identify the street as a private street
to be privately maintained. Private streets shall be prohibited in
nonresidential subdivisions.
A.
Design standards.
(1)
Widths. Private streets shall have a right-of-way
of 50 feet and a minimum paved cartway width of 16 feet. Shoulders
shall be provided to a minimum width of four feet on either side of
the paving, constructed in accordance with the sketch in Appendix
D.[1] Curbing is not required except as deemed necessary under
certain circumstances, such as to alleviate a critical stormwater
condition, or as required by the Township Engineer.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix D is located at the
end of this chapter.
(2)
Grades. Where no further subdivision is possible, the maximum allowable grade of the paved cartway shall be 15%; otherwise, the maximum allowable grade shall be as required by § 320-38C. The minimum center line grade shall be 1% to facilitate drainage. A five-percent grade or less shall be maintained within the public road right-of-way and for a minimum of 25 feet beyond. Where a greater than five-percent grade is involved, one parking space per lot served shall be provided at the entrance from the public street, adjacent to but outside of the public right-of-way.
(3)
Cartway construction requirements.
(a)
Grades up to 5%.
|
Subgrade
|
Construct according to § 320-40A of this chapter
| |
|
Stone base
|
3A modified, 6 inches thick after compaction
| |
|
Stone surface
|
2A modified, 2 inches thick after compaction
|
(b)
Grades greater than 5% and up to 15%.
|
Subgrade
|
Construct according to § 320-40A of this chapter
| |
|
Base course
|
Crushed aggregate base course consisting of
AASHTO No. 1 Stone with screenings (from PennDOT publication "Seldom
Used Specifications"), 6 inches thick after compaction
| |
|
Stone surface
|
2A modified, 2 inches thick after compaction
|
(c)
First 50 feet from public street.
|
Subgrade
|
Construct according to § 320-40A of this chapter
| |
|
Base course
|
2A modified, 6 inches thick after compaction
| |
|
Paving
|
The base surface course shall be shaped and
rolled to provide a two-inch crown or shall be sloped laterally to
facilitate drainage and shall be covered with 1 1/2 inches of
ID-2 compacted binder course followed by one inch of ID-2 compacted
wearing course. This requirement may be reduced or waived in the event
the street that it intersects is not paved.
|
(4)
Other construction requirements.
(a)
Intersection with public street. At the intersection with a public street, the private street shall be provided with paved 25 foot radii. The intersection shall meet the sight-distance criteria of § 320-39G of this chapter. The Township may consider waiving this requirement if the public street is not paved.
(b)
Turnaround. A turnaround facility for use by
passenger, service, and emergency vehicles shall be provided within
the right-of-way, at the end of the private street most distant from
the public street. A turnaround shaped in a "T" or a "Y" configuration
shall be provided, with the top of the "T" being 50 feet long by 20
feet wide. In the event the private street does not initially, but
is later to be extended to the last house or lot on the street, the
interim turnaround may take the form of a street extension 20 feet
beyond the second driveway with the "T" or "Y" configuration turnaround.
(c)
Drainage. Drainage swales, culverts, and curbing
shall be provided, when required, to minimize stormwater and icing
problems at the intersection and along the private street length.
B.
Agreement.
(1)
As a condition to Final Plan approval, an agreement
providing for maintenance, repair, construction, and reconstruction,
including drainage facility maintenance and snowplowing of private
streets, shall be submitted to the Township and recorded with the
approved Final Plan. The deed for each new or existing lot fronting
on the private street shall reference the agreement.
(2)
The agreement shall also contain the conditions under
which the street may later be offered for dedication. The conditions
shall state that at the time of offer for dedication the street must
conform to the Township public street specifications or that the owners
of the abutting lots shall include with the offer of dedication sufficient
money, as estimated by the Township Engineer, for the Township to
bring the street into conformance with Township specifications in
effect at the time of dedication.
C.
Information required for private streets. The following
information shall be included with the (preliminary/Final) Subdivision
Plan when a private street is proposed:
A.
Alleys shall be prohibited in developments consisting
entirely of single-family detached dwellings except where the average
lot size for such developments is 12,500 square feet or less.
B.
Alleys proposed for new residential development shall be consistent with the standards of § 320-36A(8) of this chapter.
C.
Where alleys are permitted and are intended to be
dedicated to the Township, they shall have a minimum right-of-way
width of 33 feet and have a minimum paved cartway width of 16 feet.
D.
No part of any dwelling, garage or other structure may be located within 20 feet of the center line of the alley or within the applicable setback required by Chapter 370, Zoning.
E.
Dead-end alleys shall be prohibited.
F.
Construction standards shall be the same as that required
for public streets. Where alleys intersect other roads, such intersections
shall be consistent with the standards for road intersections.
A.
Private driveways, where provided for corner lots,
shall be located not less than 40 feet from the intersection corner.
B.
Private driveways shall have such grades as to furnish
a safe and convenient parking space.
C.
All driveways shall be paved with concrete or bituminous
materials from the edge of the street cartway to a point in the lot
15 feet from the right-of-way line of any public or private road.
The remainder of the driveway may be constructed of any suitable stone,
pavement, or all-weather surface. The slope of the portion of the
driveway required to be paved shall not exceed five-percent grade.
The Township may consider waiving this requirement if the road to
which the driveway connects is not paved.
D.
The width of individual residential driveways within
the legal right-of-way of the public road shall be a minimum of 12
feet and shall be a minimum of 10 feet at all other points within
the property line.
E.
Driveway entrances into multifamily developments (with
shared parking areas) or into nonresidential properties shall be no
less than 20 feet in width, shall not exceed 36 feet in width at the
street line unless provided with a median divider, and shall be clearly
defined by the use of curbing. The curbs of these driveway entrances
shall be rounded with a minimum radius of 20 feet where they intersect
a street.
F.
Adequate turnaround surface shall be provided on the
property so that egress to the street is in a forward direction.
G.
The sight distance at the intersection of the driveway with the public road shall be as required by § 320-39 of this chapter.
H.
Driveways to single-family residences shall intersect
streets at angles of no less than 60°. All other driveways shall
intersect streets at right angles, where practicable, and in no case
less than 75°. (The angle of intersection is the acute angle made
by the intersection of the center line of the driveway with the center
line of the road.)
I.
Driveways shall be graded so that, wherever possible,
surface drainage will remain on the owner's property; otherwise, adequately
sized pipes, inlets, and/or headwalls shall be installed and gutter
improvements shall be made to direct surface drainage into the road
drainage system and not onto the paving of the intersecting road.
A.
Where easements are required for utilities, such as
water and/or sewer facilities intended for dedication, the requirements
for easement shall be determined by the Township. Easement requirements
for other utilities, and road construction and maintenance shall be
similarly established.
B.
Utility easements and easements to community facilities shall be at least 20 feet wide to provide access for maintenance vehicles. Local utility companies shall be consulted when locating easements. Storm drainage easements shall be provided as required by Chapter 194 Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control; Stormwater Management of the North Coventry Township Code.
[Amended 1-27-2014; 4-7-2014 by Ord. No.
10]
C.
To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be
centered on or adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
D.
The required minimum setback and yard dimensions for
any lot shall be measured from the lot line, except where the Township
makes a determination that such dimension shall be measured from the
edge of an easement.
E.
Except for driveways, nothing shall be constructed,
placed, planted, set or installed within the area of an easement.
The area shall be kept as lawn or, where required, vegetative buffer.
F.
Where a subdivision or land development 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.
G.
No right-of-way or easement shall be recited or described
in any deed unless the same has been shown on the approved plan. Any
easement or right-of-way required herein shall be made part of the
deeds of all affected properties. Any error found in a deed shall
be immediately corrected and rerecorded in the Chester County Recorder
of Deeds office, at the sole expense of the applicant. The applicant
shall be solely responsible to the buyer for any failure to record
an easement or right-of-way shown on the approved plan. Failure to
record an easement or right-of-way shown on the approved plan shall
not prevent its intended use from being realized.
A.
Sidewalks.
(1)
Paved sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of
all streets in all commercial and Town Center districts; on both sides
of all streets within 1,000 feet of any school; and on both sides
of all streets in all residential developments where the lot size
is less than one acre.
(a)
Sidewalks may be required on only one side of
the street in residential subdivisions where residential lots are
located on only one side of the street.
(b)
Sidewalks may be required in nonresidential
developments unless it can be shown, to the satisfaction of the Board
of Supervisors, that pedestrian traffic does not follow or mix with
vehicular traffic and is not likely to in the future.
(2)
Sidewalks shall have a minimum width of four feet
except along collector and arterial streets and adjacent to schools,
shopping centers, and community facilities where they shall be a minimum
of five feet wide.
(3)
Sidewalks shall be placed within the street right-of-way
not less than three feet from the cartway and a minimum of one foot
from the right-of-way line; gradient and paving of such sidewalks
shall be continuous across all private driveways. A grass planting
strip shall be provided between the curb and the sidewalk.
(4)
All sidewalks shall conform to specifications for
Class A concrete, as specified by PennDOT, with 6% air entrainment
and a minimum compressive strength of 3,300 psi after 28 days. Unless
otherwise approved, cement concrete sidewalks shall be constructed
on a four-inch crushed stone or gravel base to ensure proper drainage.
Concrete thickness shall be four inches except at driveway crossings
where it shall be six inches thick. Welded wire fabric (6/6-10/10)
shall be provided in all sidewalks constructed at driveways.
(5)
Expansion joints shall be placed at least every 20
feet and the sidewalk shall be scored at five-foot intervals between
such expansion joints. Expansion joints shall also be placed between
all points where the concrete sidewalk abuts a concrete curb and as
otherwise required by the Township Engineer.
(6)
The applicant shall provide the Township copies of
all delivery slips for all materials used in the construction of sidewalks
within seven days of delivery
B.
Paths, trails and walkways.
[Amended 5-23-2005]
(1)
At the discretion of the Board of Supervisors, with
recommendations from the Planning Commission, a system of bicycle,
equestrian, and/or pedestrian paths and/or trails for public use generally
unrelated to and separate from streets shall be established and secured
by dedication or easement with verification to the satisfaction of
the Board of Supervisors of good title thereto. Such paths and/or
trails shall be consistent with the Township Open Space Plan or any
other applicable plans specified by the Township, so as to encourage
the formation of an interconnecting trail network both within and
beyond the Township. Existing paths and/or trails may be relocated,
if approved by the Board of Supervisors, if a connection with a public
path and/or trail on an adjoining property is thereby established.
(2)
To facilitate circulation, public pedestrian paths,
trails and/or walkways may be required to serve the interior of a
development and link to an outside path, trail and/or walkway network.
The specifications for such public paths, trails and/or walkways shall
be as follows:
(a)
Regional. A public regional path, trail, and/or
walkway that provides connection between multiple municipalities shall
be constructed to the following specifications and designs:
[1]
Easement width: 30 feet or greater.
[2]
Trail width: Eight to 12 feet.
[3]
Tread design: Six inches 3A Modified Aggregate,
two inches 2A Modified Aggregate, 2.5 inches binder course asphalt,
1.5 inch wearing course asphalt. All aggregate surfaces shall have
installed thereon PennDOT Class 2, Type A geotextile fabric.
[4]
Slope and grade: ADA standards - 4.65% max profile
slope (5% slope for 25 feet, five feet landing) 1% to 2% side section
slope.
[5]
Clearing height: 16 feet.
[6]
Clearing width: Five feet from both edges of
the trail.
[7]
Conservation Overlay District: The trail design
shall be related to appropriate engineering standards relating to
the environmental impact as established by the Township Board of Supervisors,
pursuant to accepted engineering standards as well as planning and
design standards. Those improvements will be related to the impacts
such as waterways, woodlands, wetlands, floodways or similar environmental
impacts or concerns.
[8]
Access control barriers: Bollards, gates or
such appropriate barriers as necessary, taking in consideration common
design standards, planning considerations, safety and access concerns.
[9]
Signage: Appropriate signage comparable to signage
for public trails based upon commonly accepted standards as recommended
by the Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission and
so determined by the Board of Supervisors.
(b)
Community public path, trail and/or walkway:
Providing connection between areas of the Township.
[1]
Easement width: 20 feet.
[2]
Trail width: Six feet.
[3]
Tread design: Six inches 2A Modified Aggregate,
2.5 inches wearing course asphalt. All aggregate surfaces shall have
installed thereon PennDOT Class two, Type A geotextile fabric.
[4]
Slope and grade: ADA standards - 4.65% max profile
slope (5% slope for 25 feet, five feet landing) 1% to 2% side section
slope.
[5]
Clearing height: 10 feet.
[6]
Clearing width: Two feet from both edges of
the trail.
[7]
Conservation Overlay District: The trail design
shall be related to appropriate engineering standards relating to
the environmental impact as established by the Township Board of Supervisors,
pursuant to accepted engineering standards as well as planning and
design standards. Those improvements will be related to the impacts
such as waterways, woodlands, wetlands, floodways or similar environmental
impacts or concerns.
[8]
Access control barriers: Bollards, gates or
such appropriate barriers as necessary, taking in consideration common
design standards, planning considerations, safety and access concerns.
[9]
Signage: Appropriate signage comparable to signage
for public trails based upon commonly accepted standards as recommended
by the Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission and
so determined by the Board of Supervisors.
(c)
Rural public path, trail and/or walkway: A rural
trail providing a public bicycle, equestrian and/or pedestrian pathway
in a defined location without connection between areas of the Township
or with other municipalities.
[1]
Easement width: 20 feet.
[2]
Trail width: Three feet.
[3]
Tread design: Natural earthen surface, may be
improved with gravel or wood chips.
[4]
Slope and grade: Erosion control installed on
slopes greater than 5%.
[5]
Clearing height: Eight feet.
[6]
Clearing width: Two feet from both edges of
the trail.
[7]
Conservation Overlay District: The trail design
shall be related to appropriate engineering standards relating to
the environmental impact as established by the Township Board of Supervisors,
pursuant to accepted engineering standards as well as planning and
design standards. Those improvements will be related to the impacts
such as waterways, woodlands, wetlands, floodways or similar environmental
impacts or concerns.
[8]
Access control barriers: Bollards, gates or
such appropriate barriers as necessary, taking in consideration common
design standards, planning consideration, safety and access concerns.
[9]
Signage: Appropriate signage comparable to signage
for public trails based upon commonly accepted standards as recommended
by the Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission and
so determined by the Board of Supervisors.
(3)
Drainage. All trails shall be designed to include
drainage improvements as recommended by the Township Engineer. Regional
and community trails shall be utilize storm pipes with endwalls or
end sections to capture and convey concentrated stormwater flow under
the trail. Swales shall be utilized uphill of trails to prevent stormwater
from flooding trails. The developer shall be responsible for installing
additional drainage facilities, after trail construction, but before
dedication to the Township should drainage problems arise as required
by the Township Engineer.
(4)
As used in this section, the term "clearing width"
shall mean the distance measured from each edge of the trail surface.
A.
Curbs shall be required for new developments where necessary to facilitate drainage control, access control, pavement edge support, and the protection of pedestrians, signs, and vegetation. Curbs shall always be required wherever sidewalks are required (see § 320-45).
B.
Concrete curbs shall be installed along each side
of all streets and along the median island of divided streets. Curbs
shall be required along the inner island radius of any cul-de-sac
with an island.
C.
Where, in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors
and upon recommendation of the Township Engineer, curbs are determined
to be unnecessary, a stabilized shoulder shall be provided, subject
to approval by the Township Engineer. In areas where curbs are not
used, satisfactory provisions, such as drainage swales, shall be made
to prevent erosion. The use of drainage swales shall be allowed only
on streets with a grade of less than 7%; otherwise, curbs shall be
provided.
D.
Except where state or federal highway department manuals
require a greater standard, concrete curbs shall be 18 inches deep,
seven inches wide at the top, eight inches wide at the gutter line,
and at least eight inches wide at the base. The nominal distance from
the top of the curb to flow line of the gutter shall be eight inches.
Expansion and contraction joints shall be placed in accordance with
PennDOT specifications. A combination curb and gutter may be used
at the option of the developer when approved by the Township Engineer.
Where combination curb and gutter is used, it must be placed on a
minimum of four inches of crushed stone or gravel to provide adequate
drainage beneath the curb.
E.
Where a curb joins a storm inlet or joins with a tangent
curb on a sharp radius, two No. 4 steel reinforcing bars 24 inches
in length shall be embedded in the concrete. Depressed curb at driveways
shall also contain this steel reinforcement.
F.
All concrete used in the construction of improvements
shall have 6% air entrainment and shall be certified to develop a
compression strength of at least 3,300 psi at 28 days, with certification
of the mix furnished to the Township Engineer. Concrete shall be placed
in forms that are straight and securely braced. Care shall be taken
to control the water content to prevent separation of the aggregates.
All the concrete shall be thoroughly vibrated into the forms. After
the concrete has been set sufficiently, the form shall be removed
and the exposed surface shall be rubbed to provide an even finish.
All visible edges shall be finished with an approved edging tool.
A continuous formless curb shall be permitted if PennDOT specifications
are met for such curb.
G.
After completion of bituminous paving, class BM-1
asphalt shall be applied to the joint between the curb and the bituminous
paving for a distance of one foot from the curb toward the center
of the road of sufficient thickness to effectively seal the joint
between the curb and the bituminous paving.
H.
To provide for driveways and handicap access ramps,
depressions in the curbing may be constructed and finished during
the time of pouring.
I.
The applicant shall provide the Township copies of
all delivery slips for all materials used in the construction of curbs
within seven days of delivery
A.
Monuments or markers shall be placed in accordance
with the requirements of this section. Monuments and markers shall
be installed flush with the ground and meet the following minimum
criteria:
B.
Placement.
(1)
Monuments shall be placed at all corners and angle
points of boundaries of the original tract to be subdivided; and at
each intermediate point as may be required to facilitate the location
of lots and streets, except as follows:
(2)
Lot line change plans shall require monuments only
along the boundary line being changed.
(a)
Subdivisions with residue lots shall require
monuments only on the boundary corners of the new lots, but not on
the residue lot corners.
(b)
Two monuments shall be placed at each location
where streets intersect and one on one side of each street at angle
points and at the beginning and end of street curves.
(3)
Easements, such as for utilities, shall be monumented
at their beginning and their end; and areas to be conveyed for public
use shall be fully monumented at their external boundaries.
C.
Markers may be substituted for monuments only when
placed at individual lot corners within a subdivision.
D.
All monuments and markers shall be set by a registered
professional surveyor and placed in the ground after final grading
is completed, at a time agreeable to the Township Engineer.
E.
All monuments and markers shall have their accuracy
certified by the applicant's engineer and be checked for accuracy
by the Township Engineer. Accuracy of monuments shall be within 0.03
of a foot.
F.
Benchmarks. The Township elevations are based on the
1929 mean sea level datum. All contours and elevations shown on plans
submitted to the Township must be based on this system.
[Amended 1-27-2014; 4-7-2014 by Ord. No.
10]
All aspects, provisions, and standards regarding stormwater management shall be in accordance with Chapter 194 Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control; Stormwater Management of the North Coventry Township Code.
[Amended 1-27-2014; 4-7-2014 by Ord. No.
10]
All aspects, provisions, and standards regarding soil erosion, sediment control and grading shall be in accordance with Chapter 194 Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control; Stormwater Management of the North Coventry Township Code.
[Amended 1-27-2014; 4-7-2014 by Ord. No.
10]
All aspects, provisions, and standards regarding information requirements for stormwater management, soil erosion, and sediment control plans shall be in accordance with Chapter 194 Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control; Stormwater Management of the North Coventry Township Code.
A.
Adequate and potable water supply system(s) shall
be installed consistent with design principles and requirements contained
in this chapter and Township standards, which are the U.S. Public
Health criteria for drinking water, as administered by the Environmental
Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Act.
B.
Where public water is available, the applicant or
applicant's agent shall make use of such public water service to supply
each lot in the subdivision or the land development.
C.
Where no public water supply is available, the applicant
or applicant's agent, upon approval of the Township, may be permitted
to construct a well on each lot exclusively to serve that lot or a
shared well or wells to exclusively serve that development. The Township
may require that a well withdrawal impact study be prepared verifying
the availability of a sufficient potable water supply. All wells shall
be constructed according to all applicable rules and regulations of
the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Chester
County Health Department, and the Township. The Township may also
impose additional requirements to accommodate or mitigate the impacts
of the proposed development.
D.
Proof of quality and adequacy. The applicant or applicant's
agent shall submit proof of the quality and adequacy of the water
supply proposed to be utilized by the subdivision or land development
and approval by the Chester County Health Department of the type and
construction methods to be employed in the installation of the individual
water supply systems. In cases where review by the Delaware River
Basin Commission is required, proof of this review shall be submitted
as well.
E.
Well locations. The proposed location of the wells
shall be shown on the Preliminary Plan for each lot. Where there are
existing wells, whether functional or abandoned, on the property or
adjoining lots, they shall also be shown.
(1)
The circular area with a radius conforming to the
rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection, the Chester County Health Department and the Township,
shall be shown around each well to denote an area in which an on-site
sewage disposal system shall not be located.
(2)
Where public water is provided, depiction of the circular
areas is not necessary except where existing wells on parcels adjacent
to the subdivision may be affected by proposed on-site sewage disposal
facilities. In any case, the usable area for on-site sewage disposal
systems would still be limited by a clear zone surrounding the water
service line to each house, as required by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection, the Chester County Health Department
and the Township.
F.
Fire hydrants. Where public or a community water system
is provided, fire hydrants or acceptable alternatives shall be installed
for fire protection, as approved by the Township Fire Marshall and
Township Engineer. Where fire hydrants are installed, they shall meet
the specifications of the Insurance Services Offices of Pennsylvania.
Location and number of the hydrants shall be approved by the Township
Fire Marshall.
(1)
Fire hydrants, in general, will be located on an eight-inch
line or looped six-inch line. Where a dead end line is required to
contain a fire hydrant, the portion of the line between the main loop
and the hydrant shall be an eight-inch minimum diameter.
(2)
Fire hydrants shall be spaced in a development so
that all proposed building(s) shall be no more than 600 unobstructed
feet from the hydrant measured along traveled ways to be used by fire
apparatus.
(3)
All public or community water systems must provide
a minimum of 500 GPM at a residual pressure of 20 psi for a two-hour
period.
(4)
To provide additional protection, the Fire Marshall
may require the incorporation of a dry hydrant into existing and proposed
ponds or reservoirs and an access easement be provided for emergency
use.
G.
Alternate sources. Two sources of groundwater are
recommended for each public or community water system due to the unusual
density and demand served by such systems. Each should be capable
of supplying the average daily demand of the proposed dwelling units.
A two-well system is preferred; however, the following alternatives,
which would ensure an adequate water supply, may be acceptable:
(1)
A single well, capable of providing twice the daily
average demand, as demonstrated by a pumping test of at least 48 hours
duration, producing a stabilized drawdown of unchanging water level
for at least five hours duration.
(2)
A single well capable of supplying the average daily
demand and an additional reliable surface water source.
(3)
A single well capable of supplying the average daily
demand, plus a dependable connection to another satisfactory public
water supply system.
(4)
A second well is recommended for use as a monitor
of the aquifer and as a standby in the event of emergency.
H.
Public-community well certification and permitting. Where water is to be provided by means other than private wells owned and maintained by the individual owners of lots within the subdivision or land development, the applicant or applicant's agent shall present evidence to the Township prior to Final Plan approval that the subdivision or land development is to be supplied by a certified public utility, a bona fide cooperative association of homeowners, or by a municipal corporation, authority or utility. Written approval as required by Subsection H(1) below for capacity and construction methods and details shall be provided prior to Final Plan approval. A copy of 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.
(1)
The design, installation and construction of any such
system shall be in accordance with the standards of the applicable
authority or utility company and shall be subject to the approval
of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Chester
County Health Department and the Township. Construction details for
all facilities shall be shown on the Final Plan. Such system shall
be further subject to satisfactory provision for the maintenance thereof.
(2)
Where a permit is required by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection, it shall be presented as evidence of
such review and approval in the case of private or public systems
before construction commences.
I.
Subdivision and land development review. All subdivision
proposals and other proposed new development plans to be located within
the Well Head Protection Area shall be comply with the following provisions:
[Amended 3-10-2008]
(1)
Subdivisions and land developments within Zones 1,
2, or 3, as mapped on Figure 9-3,[1] or which stormwater management controls are required pursuant
to this chapter shall be designed with special emphasis on water quality
management, sand/peat and other filtration devices to be used in conjunction
with the required infiltration BMPs.
(2)
Subdivisions and land developments within Zone 1,
2, or 3, as mapped on Figure 9-3, which are proposed for subsurface
sewage disposal shall provide a tested and suitable primary absorption
area and a tested and suitable secondary absorption area on each lot.
(3)
Subdivisions and land developments within Zones 1,
2, or 3, as mapped on Figure 9-3, shall comply with the following
Preliminary Plan requirements in addition to all other requirements
of this chapter:
(a)
A recognized professional with field experience
shall review aerial photographs, soils, geologic, and other available
related data relating to the subject property. The professional shall
conduct a site inspection of the property and certify the finding
and conclusions so made.
(b)
The professional shall prepare a map of the
site showing all topographic, geologic, and other pertinent physical
features based upon the findings and conclusions so certified. The
mapping shall indicate, but shall not be limited to, the following:
(c)
Based upon the certified findings, the professional
shall render an opinion with a reasonable degree of professional certainty
as to what further testing, if any, is necessary to assure compliance
with this chapter. The testing methodology shall be reasonable under
the circumstances, including the scale of the proposed development
and the hazards revealed by examination of available data and the
site inspection, if any.
(d)
The applicant shall cause the additional testing
established in the above subsections, if any, to be done. A study
report shall be submitted and referred to the Township Engineer. This
study shall include a map of the area, all test results and a recommendation
on the mitigation measures to be taken, if appropriate.
(e)
The Township Engineer shall report to the Township
Planning Commission, with a copy to the landowner, his or her opinion
as to the adequacy of the study and whether the site is able to support
the proposed development so as to eliminate the risks or manage those
risks so as to achieve the goals and objectives of this section. The
Township Engineer shall make recommendations for site development,
including building location, to achieve the goals and objectives of
this section. The Township Engineer shall, where necessary and appropriate,
recommend such additional studies to produce adequate information
for a reasonable professional opinion and proposal, considering the
scale of the proposed development and the potential hazards thereof.
J.
General exceptions. The following general exceptions
identify those activities that are permitted by right and do not require
a special exception:
[Added 3-10-2008]
(1)
Transit. The transportation of any hazardous or governmentally
regulated substance through the Well Head Protection Area shall be
exempt from provisions of this section, provided that the transporting
vehicle is in transit through the Well Head Protection Area, and further
provided that such transportation is conducted in compliance with
all applicable federal and state laws and regulations;
(2)
Residential. To the extent otherwise permitted or
regulated by federal, state, and/or County statutes and regulations,
the owners and/or occupiers of parcels which are primarily utilized
for the purpose of single- or multifamily residential dwellings are
permitted to utilize and store fuels, hazardous chemicals, pesticides,
fertilizers, inflammable liquids and gases, and toxic and regulated
substances in such quantities and in such manner as is associated
with normal consumer, household use, and such limited utilization
shall not be deemed a regulated land use for the purposes of this
section.
A.
General.
(1)
Each lot shall have a permitted sewage disposal facility
in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
rules and regulations.
(2)
Documented approval of the Sewage Facilities Planning
Module for Land Development by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection shall be required prior to Final Plan approval.
(3)
The proposed sewage disposal facilities shall be in
accordance with the Township's Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan.
(4)
The sewage facilities selected to serve a proposed use shall be determined based on the outcome of the Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Feasibility Report, as required by § 320-19G(2)(b) of this chapter.
(5)
Sewage facilities shall be designed and constructed
in strict accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection, Chester County Health Department, Municipal Authority,
and Township requirements and specifications. A copy of the approval
of such systems and all required permits shall be submitted prior
to Final Plan approval.
(6)
Sanitary sewers shall not be used to carry stormwater
nor shall floor drains be connected to the sanitary sewer.
(7)
Prior to the issuance of any permit for construction
in any subdivision or land development, temporary toilet facilities
shall be installed for the builders, contractors and subcontractors,
unless the applicant or applicant's agent shows, to the satisfaction
of the Township Supervisors, that other suitable toilet facilities
will be made available during construction.
B.
Public sewage system.
(1)
Each property shall connect with the public sanitary sewer system, if accessible as defined by Chapter 289, Sewers and Sewage Disposal, and if the extension of collection lines to serve the proposed use is consistent with the Township's Sewage Facilities Plan. Proposed sewer collection facilities and proposed extensions to existing facilities shall be subject to review and approval by the Municipal Authority. All proposed sewer lines shall extent to the far property line of the development.
(a)
A signed sewer connection agreement, containing
terms and conditions for connection to the Municipal Authority system,
shall be required. A satisfactory escrow agreement will also be required
prior to granting final approval.
(b)
Authorization for capacity and approval of the
construction design and details shall be obtained in writing from
the Municipal Authority before the Final Plan is approved by the Township.
(c)
Construction details shall be shown on the Final
Plan.
(2)
Where the public sewer system is not yet accessible,
as defined by ordinance, but is planned for extension to the subdivision
or land development, the applicant or applicant's agent shall install
sewer lines, including lateral connections, as may be necessary to
provide adequate service to each lot when connection with the public
sewer system is made in accordance with the following:
(a)
The sewer lines shall be suitably capped at
the limits of the subdivision or land development, and the laterals
shall be capped at the street right-of-way. When capped sewers are
provided, individual or community sewage disposal facilities shall
be provided in the interim.
(b)
Where studies by the Township and/or Municipal
Authority indicate that construction or extension of sanitary trunk
systems to serve the property being subdivided, appear probable within
a reasonably short time (10 years or less), the Township shall require
the installation and capping of sanitary sewer mains and house connections,
in addition to the installation of temporary individual sewage systems.
The Township and Municipal Authority shall review and approve the
design and installation of such sewers.
(c)
Design of capped sewer systems and the interim
sewage facilities shall be subject to approval by the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection, the Chester County Health
Department, the Municipal Authority and the Township.
(3)
All lots which cannot be connected to a public sewage
system in operation at the time of construction shall be provided
with a community or individual sewage system meeting the design standards
set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection,
the Chester County Health Department and the Township.
C.
Community sewage system.
(1)
The planning, design and construction of any community
sewage system shall be subject to the review and approval of the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection, Chester County Health Department,
and the Township.
(2)
Where surface or subsurface disposal of wastewater
effluent is proposed, preliminary hydrogeologic and permeability testing
shall be required as part of the planning module submission.
(3)
A sewage management program shall be prepared by the
applicant or applicant's agent indicating the ownership, operation
and maintenance responsibilities for the proposed system in accordance
with the Title 25 of the Pennsylvania Code. This program shall be
subject to Township approval.
(4)
Each community sewage system shall, at a minimum,
provide sand infiltration to extend the life of the disposal area
and reserve area in the event the disposal area should fail. The reserve
area shall be located within soils suitable to support such a system.
Both the primary and reserve area shall be tested and preserved from
construction damage or paving. Locations of primary and reserve areas
and deed restrictions preventing construction on such areas shall
be noted on the Final Plan.
D.
Individual sewage system.
(1)
Where lots are to be served by individual on-site
sewage facilities, a primary area and alternate area for the sewage
disposal shall be identified on the Preliminary Plan, or Final Plan
in the case of a minor subdivision. No construction or paving shall
be permitted on the primary or the alternate on-site sewage disposal
areas and the Final Subdivision or Land Development Plan shall note
this deed restriction.
(2)
Where individual on-lot sewage systems are to be used,
each lot so served shall be the necessary size and shape to accommodate
the required length of the disposal area at a safe distance from,
and at a lower elevation than the proposed well and buildings in order
to facilitate gravity flow where practical in accordance with state
and Township regulations. Individual sewage systems shall be located
upon the same parcel as the use which is served, unless the use of
an off-site system is specifically approved by the Township.
(3)
The surveyed location of the individual sewage system,
backup area, and well shall be shown prior to Final Plan approval.
(4)
Unless served by a public or community sewer system,
the applicant or applicant's agent shall install or shall require
by deed restriction, the installation of an approved system prior
to the sale of each lot or parcel within the subdivision.
(5)
The individual sewage disposal systems serving the lots of a cluster subdivision or land development designed in accordance with the clustering option contained in Chapter 370, Zoning, may, upon approval of the Township Engineer, be located in the common open space. The applicant or applicant's agent shall be responsible for securing and recording all maintenance and access easements necessitated as a result of selecting this design alternative.
E.
Soil percolation test requirements.
(1)
Unless served by a public or community sewer system,
soil percolation tests shall be performed for all subdivision or land
developments.
(2)
Soil percolation tests shall be made in accordance
with the procedure required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection and the Chester County Health Department by either a licensed
professional engineer, a Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act sewage
enforcement officer, or similarly qualified professional.
(3)
Soil percolation tests shall be performed within the
site of the proposed on-site sewage facilities. Soil test pits shall
be within 10 feet of the absorption area.
(4)
The results of the soil percolation tests shall be
analyzed in relation to the physical characteristics of the tract
being subdivided or developed and of the general areas surrounding
the tract being subdivided. The Final Plan lot layout shall be based
on this analysis.
A.
Community facilities.
(1)
In reviewing Subdivision or Land Development Plans,
the Township shall consider the adequacy of existing or proposed community
facilities to serve the additional dwellings proposed by the subdivision
or land development.
(2)
The applicant or applicant's agent shall consider
providing or reserving areas for community facilities normally required
in residential neighborhoods, including churches, libraries, schools
and other public buildings.
(3)
Areas provided or reserved for community facilities
should adequately accommodate building sites, landscaping and off-street
parking as appropriate to the use proposed. Such areas should be located
in a manner to best serve the public likely to use the same.
B.
Park, recreation land and open space.
(1)
All subdivisions and land development proposals shall
be required to meet the provisions of this article for providing suitable
land for public recreation, trails and open space.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
(2)
In reviewing the Subdivision or Land Development Plans,
the Township shall consider the park, recreation land and open space
needs of the additional residents or employees that will result from
the subdivision or land development and how they relate to the needs
identified in the North Coventry Township Open Space, Recreation and
Environmental Resources Plan.
(3)
Subdivisions and land developments that use the RC-1, RR-1, or R1-1 Design Options of Chapter 370, Zoning, are excluded from the open space requirements of this article. With respect to park, recreation land and open space, these subdivisions and land developments shall comply with the applicable provisions of Articles X, XI and XIV of Chapter 370, Zoning.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
(4)
The applicant or applicant’s agent shall offer for public dedication an amount of land for recreation or open space in accordance with the requirements of this article. The Board of Supervisors, at its discretion, may require that the land remain as private property and be reserved and restricted in perpetuity under other forms of ownership as provided in § 370-81B(2).
[Amended 3-12-2007]
(5)
The Preliminary and Final Subdivision and Land Development
Plan submitted by the applicant or applicant's agent shall contain
a separate sheet depicting and describing the land and facilities
proposed to be dedicated or reserved in compliance with the requirements
of this section.
(6)
The dedications or reservations shall be consistent
with the North Coventry Township Open Space, Recreation and Environmental
Resources Plan for future parks, recreational facilities and open
space needs.
(7)
The amount of land to be dedicated or reserved shall be in accordance with the following table. The applicant or applicant's agent shall not be permitted to dedicate or reserve land that is deemed by the Township inadequate to be used as recreation or open space. If the Township chooses a fee-in-lieu-of land dedication to satisfy the requirement of this section, the amount of any fee shall be in accordance with § 320-53G.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
|
Type of Development
|
Average Net Lot Area
Per Dwelling Unit
|
Minimum Required Percentage of Gross Tract
Area Which Must be Dedicated or Reserved
| |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Residential uses
|
More than 1.1 acres
|
12%
| |
|
Residential uses
|
0.5 to 1.1 acres
|
15%
| |
|
Residential uses
|
Less than 0.5 acre
|
20%
| |
|
Commercial uses
|
Not applicable
|
15%
| |
|
Industrial uses
|
20%
| ||
|
Institutional uses
|
25%
|
(8)
The provisions of this section are minimum standards
and shall not be construed as prohibiting a developer, with the approval
of the Township, from dedicating or reserving other land for park
land or open space, in addition to the requirements of this section.
C.
Park, recreation land and open space designation.
(1)
The Subdivision or Land Development Plan shall contain
the following statement for land designated as open space: "Open space
land may not be separately sold, nor shall such land be further developed
or subdivided."
(2)
All Subdivision Plans shall designate the use of park land and open space and the type of maintenance to be provided. Use of the common open space area may include those uses listed in § 370-81A(1) of the Zoning Chapter.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
E.
Park and open space ownership. The terms and arrangement for ownership of any park land or open space created under the requirements of this section shall be in accordance with § 370-81B(2), Ownership options for open space and common facilities, of the Zoning Chapter. The terms and arrangement of the ownership shall be established at the time of Final Plan approval and incorporated into the development agreement. Where land is to be deed restricted in perpetuity as park land or open space, the Township shall be named as a third party.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
F.
Management and maintenance of park, recreation land
and open space.
(1)
A subdivision or land development application that includes permanent park land or open space shall include a plan for the long term management and maintenance of such land, in accordance with the requirements contained in § 370-81B(3), Maintenance of open space and common facilities, of the Zoning Chapter.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
(2)
The Township shall be responsible for maintenance
of all lands dedicated to the Township under the provisions of this
section. This function may be delegated to a homeowners' association
or other entity at the discretion of the Township Supervisors. Maintenance
may entail leaving the parcel in its natural condition.
G.
Fee-in-lieu dedication.
(1)
If the Township requires a fee-in-lieu of dedication
or reserving park land or open space to satisfy the requirements of
this article, as authorized by Section 503(11) of the Pennsylvania
Municipalities Planning Code,[1] as amended, the amount of the fee shall reflect the fair
undeveloped market value of the required land dedication or reservation.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10503(11).
(2)
The fee shall be equal to the average fair market
value per acre of the land being developed (determined at the time
of filing of the application for subdivision approval), multiplied
by the acreage of land that would have been required for dedication
or reservation.
(3)
Determination of the total fair market value of the
land shall be the responsibility of the applicant or applicant's agent
and shall result in a reasonable value acceptable to the Township.
(4)
In the event the Township selects a combination of
payment of fee-in-lieu and the dedication or reservation of park land
or open space, the amount of the fee-in-lieu shall be prorated with
the value of land provided. The applicant or applicant’s agent
shall not, however, be permitted to dedicate or reserve land that
is deemed by the Township inadequate to be used as park land or open
space.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
(5)
Any such fees received by the Township in lieu of
park and open space lands shall be deposited in a special account
to be maintained by the Township and to be used for obtaining future
park or open space lands. Fees deposited to this account shall be
administered as required by Section 503(11) the Pennsylvania Municipalities
Planning Code, as amended.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10503(11).
H.
Subdivisions that use the RC-1, RR-1, or R1-1 Design Options of Chapter 370, Zoning, are not eligible to use the fee-in-lieu provisions of this section. In terms of park, recreation land and open space, these subdivisions and land developments shall comply with the applicable provisions of Article XIV, Residential Design Options, and § 370-81, Open space design, management and ownership, of the North Coventry Township Zoning Chapter.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
A.
Applicability. The landscaping standards of this section
shall apply to proposed subdivisions or land developments as indicated
below:
(1)
An overall Landscape Plan consistent with this section
and all other applicable sections of this and other Township ordinances
shall be required to be prepared by a registered landscape architect
when any of the following are proposed:
(a)
Landscaping adjacent to buildings. Multifamily,
single-family attached residential buildings, and nonresidential buildings,
excluding agricultural buildings and buildings accessory to single-family
residential uses.
(b)
Landscaping (including street trees) adjacent
to streets, parking areas, loading and storage areas, or signs.
[1]
Streets dedicated to the Township.
[2]
Private streets and driveways with cartway widths
of 16 feet or greater.
[3]
Parking areas with a capacity of five or more
parking spaces.
[4]
Loading or storage area for equipment and materials,
which exceeds 1,000 square feet.
[5]
Freestanding or ground signs where the area
of such sign is eight square feet or greater in size.
(c)
Landscaping adjacent to other structures or
facilities that cumulatively exceed 4,000 square feet of ground coverage,
as follows:
(d)
The Township may also require an overall Landscape
Plan in other instances as deemed appropriate.
(2)
In cases where preserved natural features existing
on the site replicate or essentially replicate the planting requirements
of this section, a request for waiver for some or all of these requirements
may be sought from the Board of Supervisors.
B.
General.
(1)
Consistent with the Landscape Plan requirements and Visual Impact Plan requirements described in Subsections G and H below, the applicant shall plant trees and shrubs and make other landscape improvements, e.g., berms and fences, as necessary to negate the adverse visual impacts that the applicant's proposed actions may have on the development, adjoining properties, adjacent roadways and the Township in general.
(2)
In demonstrating compliance with Subsection B(1), above, the applicant shall follow the minimum planting and landscape design guidelines set forth in Subsections B(1)(a) through (f) below. When the proposed landscape improvements do not conform to these guidelines, the applicant shall undertake other design measures, e.g., site planning, architectural, landscape architectural, which in the opinion of the Township, achieve comparable results or that render the guidelines unnecessary or inappropriate.
(a)
The landscape standards included in this section
are minimum requirements. The Township reserves the right to require
that these standards be exceeded if conditions so warrant.
(b)
All plant material shall be of good nursery
stock, not subject to disease or blight, and conform with the American
Standard for Nursery Stock by the American Association of Nurserymen,
most recent edition, and the height and/or caliper for trees and shrubs
listed in Appendix F[1] or as otherwise required in this chapter. Unless otherwise
allowed for specific reasons, all trees shall have comparatively straight
trunks, well-developed leaders and tops, and root characteristics
of the species or variety showing evidence of proper nursery pruning.
All plants must be free of insects, mechanical injuries and other
objectionable features at the time of planting. Plant material shall
be installed in accordance with accepted planting practices.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix F is located at the
end of this chapter.
(c)
The developer shall be responsible for planting
of any required trees, including soil preparation, ground cover material,
staking, and temporary irrigation for 24 months after planting. The
developer shall also be responsible for tree care (pruning, watering,
fertilization, and replacement as necessary) during the first 24 months
after planting.
(d)
All plant material shall be guaranteed for 24 months from the day of the final inspection of site improvements as specified in § 320-25A. Any single plant 25% or more of which is dead shall be considered dead. A tree shall be considered dead when the main leader has died or 25% of the crown is dead. Any plant or tree that is determined to be dead shall be replaced and installed in accordance with approved Township planting practices.
(f)
To prevent soil erosion, suitable ground cover
shall be provided on all areas of the project that are not covered
by paving, stone, or other solid material. Ground cover may consist
of shrubs, spreading plants, sods, and decorative grasses.
C.
Street trees. Street trees shall be planted in the
parkways along both sides of proposed streets. Street trees shall
also be planted in proposed boulevard islands, islands in the center
of culs-de-sac, and in sidewalk tree wells on streets without parkways.
Where an existing street transecting a development is deficient in
street trees, sufficient trees shall be planted along both street-sides
and boulevard abutting the development to bring the street into conformity
with these requirements. Where an existing street traversing alongside
a development is deficient in street trees, sufficient trees shall
be planted along the new-development street-side and boulevard abutting
the development to bring the street into conformity with these requirements.
The design of utility facilities shall accommodate the planting of
street trees. The design of such plantings shall be as follows:
(1)
All street trees shall be a minimum of 3 1/2
inch caliper and a minimum of eight feet in height at planting.
(2)
Proposed street trees may be chosen from the deciduous
tree lists in Appendix F.[3] The Township may permit other trees if they are hardy
to the area, and are of the same general character and growth habit
as those listed in Appendix F.
[3]
Editor's Note: Appendix F is located at the
end of this chapter.
(3)
Trees shall be resistant to salt and deicing compounds,
able to withstand concentrated heat from large paved surfaces, soil
compaction, drought, and have deep root systems that will not crack
pavements and sidewalks.
(4)
Trees that have low growing branches, exude gum or
moisture that may drop on vehicles, blossoms, thorns, seeds, or pods
that may clog drainage facilities shall not be permitted.
(5)
Canopy trees shall be used in parkways, boulevard
islands, and in sidewalk tree wells on streets without parkways. Ornamental
trees may be substituted for canopy trees with Township approval.
No one species shall comprise more than 25% of the entire number of
street trees in a particular development. Street trees shall not be
planted opposite to each other, but shall alternate.
(6)
Trees shall be spaced to permit the healthy anticipated
maximum growth of each tree. The number of street trees required shall
be based on the linear feet of street frontage and the intervals outlined
below. The applicant shall use the following intervals, except where
a tree planting will jeopardize the proper functioning of utility
facilities or be in too close proximity to existing natural trees:
(7)
In general, street trees shall be equally distributed
along the street frontage, but they are not required to be at absolute
equal intervals. This will allow for some flexibility in design while
discouraging long intervals without trees. Variations in designs may
be approved by the Township when a valid Landscape Plan is followed
and when greater or lesser spacings are needed to achieve a desired
effect. Shrubs may be planted in clusters where trees are not practical,
with the approval of the Township.
(8)
Small size trees may be planted in a parkway or boulevard
four feet in width or greater. Medium size trees may be planted in
a parkway or boulevard six feet in width or greater. Large trees may
be planted in a parkway or boulevard eight feet in width or greater.
In parkways or boulevards less than the required width, or where utility
facilities or building setbacks present a special problem, larger
planting areas may be developed through the use of curved sidewalks,
cartway curves, boulevard shaping, or other measures acceptable to
the Township. Additionally, deviation from the required siting and
species of street trees can be approved by the Township.
(9)
Based on a forty-year growth cycle, no tree with a
projected trunk growth diameter greater than 24 inches shall be planted
in a parkway or boulevard less than eight feet wide.
(10)
Trees shall be planted at least 30 feet from street intersections and shall not interfere with the clear sight triangle required by § 320-39C of this chapter.
(11)
The following minimum distances from fixed objects
and vehicular ways shall be used as a guide for tree planting on public
rights-of-way unless otherwise approved by the Township.
(12)
No tree shall be planted that reaches a maximum
height of 21 feet or more within 10 lateral feet of an overhead utility
facility line or within five lateral feet of an underground utility
facility line. Ornamental trees may be substituted for canopy trees
under or adjacent to utility facility lines. Again, the design of
utility facilities shall accommodate the planting of street trees.
(13)
Species of trees should be selected that exhibit
growth habits that permit maintaining eight feet of vertical clearance
above the sidewalks and 14 feet of vertical clearance above the streets
or cartways.
(14)
Existing trees to be preserved shall be protected during the construction phase in accordance with § 370-29B(7)(c) of Chapter 370, Zoning.
D.
Buffering and screening. The purpose of the following
buffering standards is to create an acceptable transition between
potentially incompatible land uses and to reduce conflicts between
these uses. Buffering and screening shall be in compliance with the
standards outlined below.
(1)
Applicability. Buffer areas shall be located between potentially conflicting uses and shall be required in addition to the other landscaping requirements of § 320-54. Visual screening, consisting of the indicated Class A, B, C or D Buffer, shall be required between the following uses:
(a)
Class A Buffer. Any development consisting of
10 or more multifamily dwelling units, or single-family attached dwelling
units (townhouses) adjoining any residentially zoned district (RC,
RR, R-1, V-1, TC-1) district or residential use shall provide a Class
A buffer.
(b)
Class B Buffer. Any commercial use, office use,
or mobile home park adjoining any residentially zoned district or
residential use shall provide a Class B buffer.
(c)
Class C Buffer. Any industrial use or intensive agricultural use, except as noted in Subsection D(1)(d) below, adjoining any residentially zoned district or residential use shall provide a Class C buffer.
(d)
Class D Buffer. A junkyard, landfill, recycling
center, quarry, or transfer station shall provide a Class D buffer
between the required fence[4] and the street line or any edge of the property adjacent
to a residential or commercial use or district.
(e)
Other uses determined to be potentially conflicting
shall provide the buffer class specified by the Board of Supervisors,
upon recommendation by the Planning Commission.
(2)
Buffer class standards. After determining the required
buffer class, the applicant shall select an appropriate planting option
listed below. Plantings are not required to be aligned on property
or right-of-way boundaries, but may be sited as necessary to achieve
the optimal screening level. Plant materials shall be selected from
the plant materials list in Appendix F.[5]
(d)
Class D.
[1]
In addition to the required fencing, the following
planting shall be provided between the fence and street or property
line:
[5]
Editor's Note: Appendix F is located at the
end of this chapter.
(3)
Plant materials.
(a)
Each plant option listed in Subsection D(2) above may use any of the plant materials listed in Appendix F.[6] Minimum plant size shall be as indicated in Appendix F.
The Township may permit other plant types if they are hardy to the
area, are not subject to blight or disease, and are of the same general
character and growth habit as those listed in Appendix F. All planting
materials shall meet the standards of the American Association of
Nurserymen.
[6]
Editor's Note: Appendix F is located at the
end of this chapter.
(b)
Where it is determined that, due to topography or other factors, the buffer classes prescribed in Subsection D(2) above do not alone provide an adequate buffer between adjoining incompatible uses, the planting shall be placed upon a berm at a height of three to five feet to increase its effectiveness.
(c)
Existing plantings, woodlands, hedgerows, topography,
or man-made structures can reduce or eliminate the buffering requirements
if they partially or completely achieve the same level of screening
as the planting requirements outlined in this section. This determination
shall be made at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors.
(d)
Existing trees within the required buffer yard
greater than three inches in caliper or greater than eight feet in
height shall be preserved to the extent feasible. Such trees may be
counted towards required plant materials as determined by the Board
of Supervisors.
(4)
General buffering requirements.
(a)
All buffer yards shall be maintained and kept
clean of all debris, rubbish, weeds, and tall grass.
(b)
All planting in the buffer area shall be installed
and thereafter maintained by the property owner.
(c)
Plant materials required within the buffer area
shall be assured by a performance guarantee posted with the Township
in an amount equal to the estimated cost of the plant materials. Such
guarantee shall be released only after the passage of the second growing
season following planting.
(d)
The buffer planting shall be so placed that
at maturity vegetation extends not closer than three feet from any
street or right-of-way.
(f)
No structures may be placed within the buffer
area and no manufacturing or processing activity or storage of materials
shall be permitted, except for the following:
[1]
Landscaped treatments such as berms, fences,
or walls which aid in screening and do not conflict with the character
of adjoining properties, or block clear sight distance required at
intersections.
[2]
Structures relating to and used for landscaping
such as: tree wells, tree guards, tree grates and retaining walls
to preserve stands or specimens of existing trees or used for other
functional purposes.
[3]
Roads which provide direct ingress/egress for
the tract or lot, including appurtenant structures within road rights-of-way
such as curbs, sidewalks, signs, lighting standards, or benches.
[4]
Underground utilities.
(g)
Mechanical equipment, storage structures, loading
docks, and similar facilities shall be fully screened from view from
adjacent streets or residential districts or uses, through the use
of fences or planting materials.
(h)
Buffer plantings may be installed in naturalistic
groupings if a satisfactory buffer is achieved.
(i)
Where buffering is required, a Landscape Plan shall be submitted consistent with the requirements of Subsection H below.
(j)
Where earthen works are required to provide
effective screening, the specified elevation of the berm shall be
that achieved after the earth has settled.
E.
Off-street parking landscaping requirements.
(1)
The design standards specified below shall be required
for any off-street parking facility with a capacity of five or more
vehicles. (See also Figure 6-1 for an illustrative example of the
parking landscaping requirements.)
(2)
All parking areas shall have a minimum of one canopy
or one flowering or ornamental tree for every five parking spaces
as listed in Appendix F.[7] The trees shall be located within the parking area. This number shall include the trees required in the planting beds and islands described in Subsections E(3) and (4) below.
[7]
Editor's Note: Appendix F is located at the
end of this chapter.
(3)
Shrubs, ground covers, and other plant materials shall
be used within planting islands and/or peninsulas to complement the
required trees. A minimum of 10% of any parking lot facility over
2,000 square feet in gross area, outside curb to outside curb, shall
be devoted to landscaping. Minimum landscaped area calculations for
parking lots larger than 2,000 square feet shall appear on the drawing
in the following form:
|
Total Area of Interior Planting Islands ________
square feet divided by:
|
Parking Lot Area Outside Curb to Outside Curb
square feet equals:
|
Percent of Parking Lot Devoted to Landscaped
Area ______ %
|
(4)
Raised planting beds shall be at intervals not to
exceed 12 spaces with beds offset on alternating sides of parking
rows. Such planting beds shall be a minimum of nine feet wide by 18
feet in length and be planted with a minimum of one tree per bed.
Such trees shall be selected from the canopy or flowering/ornamental
tree list in Appendix F.[8]
[8]
Editor's Note: Appendix F is located at the
end of this chapter.
(5)
Raised planting islands shall be located at each end
of each parking row. Double loaded parking rows shall be planted with
a minimum of two trees per island and single loaded rows with a minimum
of one tree per island. Such trees shall be selected from the canopy
or flowering/ornamental tree list in Appendix F. Planting beds shall
be a minimum of nine feet wide by 36 feet in length for double loaded
parking rows and a minimum of nine feet wide by 18 feet in length
for single loaded parking rows.[9]
[9]
Editor's Note: Figure 6-1, which followed
this subsection, is located at the end of this chapter.
(6)
Large parking areas shall be divided by planting strips
into smaller parking areas of no more than 100 cars. The divider planting
strips shall be a minimum of eight feet wide and run the length of
the parking row. Planting strips shall contain plantings of canopy
and flowering/ornamental trees at intervals of 30 to 40 feet, plus
shrubs, evergreens, and groundcover to landscape the entire area within
the planting strip.
(7)
Parking lots or off-street areas for the storage of motor vehicles (e.g., automobile sales) shall be separated from the future right-of-way by a planting strip at least 15 feet in width which shall be landscaped consistent with the planting requirements of Subsection E(5) above.
(8)
Perimeter planting strips and raised planting islands
shall be protected by curbs.
(9)
Plant materials shall be chosen and placed so that
they do not interfere with safe circulation and sight distances within
the parking lot, particularly at the end of parking aisles where drivers
will be pulling into parking driveways (see Figure 6-1).
F.
Landscaping adjacent to buildings. The following landscaping
requirements shall apply to nonresidential buildings, multifamily
residential buildings, townhouse developments, or as otherwise required
by the Board of Supervisors. These requirements may be modified as
necessary by the Township in response to unique site conditions, such
as topography or configuration of the site.
(1)
A combination of evergreen and deciduous trees and
shrubs shall be planted along and near building perimeters.
(2)
Shrubs shall be planted in contiguous groupings in
mulched planting beds no less than eight feet in width along the perimeter
of the building. Eight evergreen and eight deciduous shrubs shall
be planted for every 30 feet of building perimeter.
(3)
Trees shall be planted to achieve a particular landscape
architectural purpose along building perimeters, or within 60 feet
of buildings. One deciduous tree and one evergreen tree shall be planted
for every 50 feet of building perimeter.
(4)
Signs. For freestanding or ground signs with an area
of eight square feet or greater, a landscape area shall be required
at the base of the sign equal to four square feet for each square
foot of sign area.
G.
Detention basin landscaping. Landscaping of detention basins shall be consistent with the requirements of Chapter 194 Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control; Stormwater Management of the North Coventry Township Code.
[Amended 1-27-2014; 4-7-2014 by Ord. No.
10]
H.
Landscape Plan requirements. In addition to the basic information required by § 320-19, the Landscape Plan shall include the following information:
(1)
Existing and proposed buildings, roads, parking, service
areas, and other paved areas.
(2)
Existing and proposed underground, surface, and above
grade utilities such as utility lines, utility easements, transformers,
hydrants, manholes, and mechanical equipment.
(3)
Existing individual trees of greater than six inches
dbh or areas of woodlands or hedgerows, as defined by this chapter.
Existing trees shown as masses shall be labeled with an approximate
quantity.
(4)
Location, size in DBH, and common name of all trees
20 inches DBH or greater. Such trees shall be shown individually on
the Landscape Plan whether they exist in open areas, hedgerows, or
contiguous wooded areas.
(5)
The location, quantities, and types of plantings proposed, including those that may be required to meet the tree replacement requirements of § 370-29B(7)(d) of Chapter 370, Zoning. This information shall include all proposed trees, shrubs, ground cover, perennials, and lawn. Any existing vegetation to be removed shall be noted on the plan with an "x."
(6)
Existing or proposed sidewalks, berms, fences, walls,
freestanding signs, retaining walls, benches, site lighting, paving,
stone, tree wells, and outside storage and trash receptacle areas.
(7)
A plant schedule listing all new plant materials (trees,
shrubs, and ground cover) proposed for planting. The schedule shall
indicate the botanical and common name, height, spread, caliper, quantity,
and special remarks for all proposed plant materials.
(8)
Details for the planting, saucering, and staking of
trees, the planting of shrubs, and any other details that depict other
related installations.
(9)
Information, in the form of notes or specifications,
concerning planting and lawn areas. Such information shall specify
the quality requirements and material for planting, seeding, sodding,
ground cover, mulching, and the like. The plant list shall include
the botanical and common name of the proposed plants along with the
proposed quantity, caliper, height, spread, and other dimensions and
characteristics.
(10)
Limits and details of temporary fencing around tree protection zones as may be required by § 370-29B(7)(c) of Chapter 370, Zoning.
I.
Visual Impact Plan requirements. The Township may
require the submission of a Visual Impact Plan to further assist in
assessing the impact of a development on adjacent uses. The plan shall
consist of the following:
(1)
Depiction on the property base map of specific mitigation
measures proposed by the applicant, including number and placement
of planting, and of other landscape or design improvements as specified
above.
(2)
Delineation of views of the site as it would be developed,
as seen from adjoining properties used or zoned for residential uses,
and from existing adjoining public roads. Such views shall be classified
according to whether views of the site would be completely, partially
or unscreened from off-site view. With respect to adjoining public
roads, such views shall be based upon the viewer's location at the
far edge of the road cartway, the opposite edge of which directly
abuts the property. With respect to adjoining properties, the viewer's
location shall be along the lines established by the minimum front,
side, and rear yard distances as required by existing zoning for the
viewer's property.
(3)
Delineation of views of the applicant's property as
seen at the time proposed mitigation improvements are in place.
(4)
Documentation showing the extent to which the landscape planting and design measures conform to the requirements of § 320-54. Where they do not conform, the applicant shall demonstrate all of the following:
(a)
That other mitigation measures chosen will produce
comparable or superior results.
(b)
That through design excellence in site planning, landscape architecture and/or architecture, specific requirements of § 320-54 are unnecessary or inappropriate.
(c)
That compliance with the requirements constitutes
an unreasonable or unnecessary financial burden.
J.
Additional screening requirements. In addition to
meeting applicable standards of this section, certain uses permitted
under the terms of this section shall be required to comply with additional
screening requirements, which, in the judgment of the Township, are
necessitated by the nature of the use or its adjacent uses. In such
cases, compliance with those standards shall be in addition to meeting
the applicable standards of this section. Where standards appear to
be in conflict, compliance shall be with the more stringent requirements.
Initial construction on the subdivision site
shall consist of stripping and stockpiling of topsoil from all areas
to be disturbed. Upon completion of other construction, the entire
amount of topsoil stripped shall be replaced on the subdivision site.
A.
Purpose. To require and set minimum standards for
outdoor lighting to:
(1)
Provide for and control lighting in outdoor public
places where public health, safety and welfare are potential concerns.
(2)
Protect drivers and pedestrians from the glare of
nonvehicular light sources.
(3)
Protect neighbors and the night sky from nuisance
glare and light trespass from improperly selected or poorly placed,
aimed, applied, maintained or shielded light sources.
(4)
Promote energy-efficient lighting design and operation.
(5)
Protect and retain the intended visual character of
the various venues of the Township.
B.
Applicability.
(1)
Uses that are proposed to operate during hours of
darkness where there is public assembly and traverse, including but
not limited to the following: multifamily residential, residential
developments with lot sizes of 20,000 square feet or smaller, commercial,
industrial, recreational and institutional uses, and sign, billboard,
architectural and landscape lighting applications.
(2)
The Board of Supervisors may require lighting be incorporated
for other uses, applications and locations, as they deem necessary.
(3)
The glare-control requirements herein contained apply
to lighting in all uses, applications and locations.
C.
FOOTCANDLE
FULL CUTOFF
GLARE
ILLUMINANCE
LIGHT TRESPASS
LUMEN
Definitions.
Unit of light intensity stated in lumens per square foot
and measurable with an illuminance meter, aka light meter.
Attribute of a lighting fixture from which no light is emitted
at or above a horizontal plane drawn through the bottom of the fixture
and no more than 10% of the lamp's intensity is emitted at or above
an angle 10º below that horizontal plane, at all lateral angles
around the fixture.
Excessive brightness in the field of view that causes loss
in visual performance or annoyance, to jeopardize health, safety or
welfare.
Quantity of light, measured in footcandles.
Light emitted by a lighting fixture or installation, which
is cast beyond the boundaries of the property on which the lighting
installation is sited.
The light-output rating of a lamp (light bulb), as used in
the context of this chapter.
D.
Criteria.
(1)
Illumination levels. Lighting, where required by this
chapter or otherwise required by the Board of Supervisors or proposed
by an applicant, shall have intensities and uniformities in accordance
with the current recommended practices of the Illuminating Engineering
Society of North America (IESNA) as contained in the IESNA Lighting
Handbook and applicable Recommended Practices, except as may otherwise
be required by the Board of Supervisors.
(2)
Lighting fixture design.
(a)
Fixtures shall be of a type and design appropriate
to the lighting application and aesthetically acceptable to the Township.
(b)
For the lighting of predominantly horizontal
surfaces such as, but not limited to, roadways, vehicular and pedestrian
passage areas, merchandising and storage areas, automotive-fuel dispensing
facilities, automotive sales areas, loading docks, culs-de-sac, active
and passive recreational areas, building entrances, sidewalks, paths,
site entrances and parking areas, fixtures shall be aimed straight
down and shall meet IESNA full-cutoff criteria. Fixtures with an aggregate
wattage per fixture that does not exceed the output of a standard
60-watt incandescent lamp, i.e., 1,000 lumens, are exempt from the
requirements of this subsection.
(c)
For the lighting of nonhorizontal surfaces,
such as, but not limited to, facades, landscaping, signs, billboards,
fountains, displays, flags and statuary, the use of lighting fixtures
that are installed and aimed so as to project their output into the
windows of neighboring residences, adjacent uses, past the object
being illuminated, skyward or onto a public roadway shall not be permitted.
Fixtures with an aggregate wattage per fixture that does not exceed
the output of a standard 60-watt incandescent lamp, i.e., 1,000 lumens,
are exempt from the requirements of this subsection.
(d)
Barn lights, aka, "dusk-to-dawn lights," shall
not be permitted where they are visible from other uses unless fitted
with a reflector to render them full cutoff.
(3)
Control of nuisance and disabling glare.
(a)
All lighting shall be aimed, located, designed,
fitted and maintained so as not to present a hazard to drivers or
pedestrians by impairing their ability to safely traverse and so as
not to create a nuisance by projecting or reflecting objectionable
light onto a neighboring use or property.
(b)
Floodlights and spotlights, where their use
is specifically approved by the Township, shall be so installed and
aimed that they do not project their output into the windows of neighboring
residences, adjacent uses, past the object being illuminated, skyward
or onto a public roadway.
(c)
Parking facility and vehicular and pedestrian
way lighting (except for safety and security applications), for commercial,
industrial and institutional uses shall be automatically extinguished
no later than one hour after the close of business or facility operation.
When safety or security lighting is proposed by applicant for after-hours
illumination, it shall not be in excess of 33% of the illumination
levels normally required or permitted for the lighting application.
(d)
Illumination for signs, billboards, building
facades and/or surrounding landscapes for decorative, advertising
or aesthetic purposes is prohibited between 11:00 p.m. and dawn, except
that such lighting situated on the premises for a commercial establishment
may remain illuminated while the establishment is actually open for
business, and until one hour after closing.
(e)
Vegetation screens shall not be employed to
serve as the primary means for controlling glare. Rather, glare control
shall be achieved primarily through the use of such means as cutoff
fixtures, shields and baffles, and appropriate application of fixture
mounting height, wattage, aiming angle and fixture placement.
(f)
The intensity of illumination projected from
any use onto a residential use shall not exceed 0.1 initial vertical
footcandle, measured line of sight from any point on the receiving
residential property.
(g)
Externally illuminated billboards and signs
shall be lighted by fixtures mounted at the top of the billboard or
sign and aimed downward. The fixtures shall be designed, fitted and
aimed to limit the light output to and not beyond the sign or billboard.
(h)
Fixtures not meeting IESNA full-cutoff criteria, when their use is permitted by the Board of Supervisors, shall not be mounted in excess of 16 feet above finished grade. Fixtures meeting IESNA full-cutoff criteria shall not be mounted in excess of 20 feet above finished grade except as provided for recreational uses in § 320-56F.
(i)
Only the United States and the state flag shall
be permitted to be illuminated from dusk till dawn and the flags on
each flagpole shall be illuminated by a single source with a beam
spread no greater than necessary to illuminate the flag. Flag lighting
sources shall not exceed 10,000 lumens per flagpole.
(j)
Under-canopy lighting, for such applications
as a gas/service station, hotel/theater marquee, fast-food/bank/drugstore
drive through, shall be accomplished using flat-lens full-cutoff fixtures
aimed straight down and shielded in such a manner that the lowest
opaque edge of the fixture shall be below the light source.
(4)
Installation.
(a)
Electrical feeds for lighting poles shall be
run underground, not overhead.
(b)
Poles supporting lighting fixtures for the illumination
of parking areas and located directly behind parking spaces, or where
they could be hit by snow plows, shall be placed a minimum of five
feet outside paved area or tire stops, or placed on concrete pedestals
at least 30 inches high above the pavement, or suitably protected
by other Township-approved means.
(c)
Pole mounted fixtures for the illumination of
horizontal tasks shall be aimed straight down.
E.
Residential development fixture placement.
(1)
For residential developments where lot sizes are or
average less than 20,000 square feet, street lighting shall be provided
as follows:
(a)
At the intersection of public roads with entrance
roads to the proposed development.
(b)
Intersections involving proposed public or nonpublic
major-thoroughfare roads within the proposed development.
(c)
At the apex of the curve of any major-thoroughfare
road, public or nonpublic, within the proposed development, having
a minimum three-hundred-foot horizontal curve.
(d)
Cul-de-sac bulb radii.
(e)
Terminal ends of center median islands having
concrete structure curbing, trees and/or other fixed objects not having
breakaway design for speeds of 25 mph or greater.
(f)
At defined pedestrian crossings located within
the development.
(g)
At other locations along the street as deemed
necessary by the Township.
(2)
Where lot sizes permit the parking of less than three
vehicles on the residential lot, thereby necessitating on-street parking,
streetlighting shall be provided along the length of the street.
(3)
In multifamily developments, common parking areas
shall be illuminated.
(4)
In residential developments with lots of less than
20,000 square feet, where five or more common contiguous parking spaces
are proposed, such spaces shall be illuminated.
F.
Recreational uses. When facilities for such outdoor
recreational activities as, but not limited to, baseball, tennis,
track, football and miniature golf are specifically permitted by the
Township for operation during hours of darkness, the following requirements
shall apply:
(1)
Lighting shall be accomplished only through the use
of fixtures conforming to IESNA full-cutoff criteria, or as otherwise
approved by the Township based on suitable control of glare and light
trespass.
(2)
Sporting events shall be timed so that all lighting
in the sports facility, other than lighting for safe exit of patrons,
shall be extinguished by 10:00 p.m., regardless of such occurrences
as extra innings or overtimes.
(3)
Golf driving ranges, racetracks, trapshooting facilities
and other sports necessitating the horizontal or near horizontal projection
of illumination shall not be artificially illuminated.
(4)
The outdoor recreational activities contained in Subsection F(5) below, with the exception of tennis, shall not be illuminated if located within a residential district or sited on a nonresidential property located within 1,000 feet of a residential use.
(5)
Maximum mounting heights for recreational lighting
shall be in accordance with the following:
G.
Plan submission. For subdivision and land-development
applications where site lighting is required by this chapter, is otherwise
required by the Township or is proposed by applicant, Lighting Plans
shall be submitted to the Township for review and approval with Preliminary
and Final Subdivision/Land Development Plan applications and conditional
use applications and shall contain the following:
(1)
Site plans, complete with all structures, parking
spaces, building entrances, traffic areas (both vehicular and pedestrian),
vegetation that might interfere with lighting, and adjacent uses that
might be adversely impacted by the lighting. The Lighting Plan shall
contain a layout of all proposed fixtures by location, orientation,
aiming direction, mounting height and type. The submission shall include,
in addition to area lighting, all other exterior lighting, e.g., architectural,
building-entrance, landscape, flag, sign, etc.
(2)
A 10 feet by 10 feet illuminance-grid (point-by-point)
plot of maintained horizontal footcandles overlaid on the Site Plan,
plotted out to 0.0 footcandles, which demonstrates compliance with
the light trespass, intensity and uniformity requirements as set forth
in this chapter or as otherwise required by the Township.
(3)
The lamp lumen ratings and types, maintenance (light-loss)
factors and IES file nomenclature used in calculating the illuminance
levels.
(4)
Description of the proposed equipment, including fixture
catalog cuts, photometrics, glare reduction devices, lamps, on/off
control devices, mounting heights, pole foundation details and mounting
methods.
(5)
Landscaping plans shall contain lighting fixture locations
and shall demonstrate that the site lighting and landscaping have
been coordinated to minimize conflict between vegetation and intended
light distribution, both initially and at vegetation maturity.
(6)
When requested by the Township, applicant shall also
submit a Visual-Impact Plan that demonstrates appropriate steps have
been taken to mitigate the potential consequences of on-site and off-site
glare and to retain the intended character of the Township. This plan
may require the inclusion of initial vertical footcandle values at
specific off-site venues, e.g., bedroom windows of adjacent residential
uses.
(7)
Plan notes. The following notes shall appear on the
Lighting Plan:
(a)
Post-approval alterations to Lighting Plans
or intended substitutions for approved lighting equipment shall be
submitted to the Township for review and approval.
(b)
The Township reserves the right to conduct post-installation
nighttime inspections to verify compliance with the chapter requirements
and approved Lighting Plan commitments, and if deemed appropriate
by the Township, to require remedial action at no expense to the Township.
(c)
All exterior lighting shall meet IESNA full-cutoff
criteria unless otherwise approved by the Township.
H.
Streetlighting dedication.
(1)
When streetlighting is to be dedicated to the Township,
applicant shall be responsible for all costs involved in the lighting
of streets and street intersections until the street is accepted for
dedication.
(2)
Prior to dedication and in the event of the formation
of a homeowner's association and/or property management declaration,
Township shall require said agency to enter into an agreement guaranteeing
the Township payment of all costs associated with dedicated streetlighting.
(3)
Assumption of costs of dedicated streetlighting. Upon
dedication of public streets, the Township shall assess the homeowners'
association, individual property owners, or corporations, as may be
necessary to collect all revenues required that are directly or indirectly
associated with all costs of each specific street lighting fixture.
These costs shall include:
A.
Resource inventory and analysis. Resources on the tract shall be delineated on an Existing Resources and Site Analysis Plan, as required by § 320-19D.
B.
Four-step design process. Residential subdivisions proposed under Residential Design Options RC-1 and RR-1 (Conservation Design), RC-2 (Country Properties), RR-2 (Rural Lots), and R1-1 (Open Space Design) shall follow a four-step design process as described below. Applicants will be required to document the design process as described in § 320-19D.
(1)
Step 1: Delineation of open space lands and development
areas. Open space lands and development areas shall be delineated
according to the following procedure:
(a)
The minimum percentage and acreage of required open space lands shall be calculated by the applicant and submitted as part of the Sketch Plan or Preliminary Plan in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and of Chapter 370, Zoning.
(b)
Using the Existing Resources and Site Analysis Plan as a base map, primary and secondary conservation areas shall be delineated consistent with the Map of Potential Conservation Areas and Chapter Three of the Comprehensive Plan. Mapped primary and secondary conservation areas on the site should include all protected resources as defined in § 370-29 of Chapter 370, Zoning, whether or not specifically mapped on the Map of Potential Conservation Areas.
[Amended 2-13-2006]
(c)
Protected open space lands shall include all primary conservation areas as designated on the Map of Potential Conservation Areas and those parts of the secondary conservation areas with the highest resource significance. In determining those secondary conservation areas to be included in the open space, the applicant shall prioritize natural and cultural resources on the tract in terms of their highest to least suitabilities for inclusion in the proposed open space, in consultation with the Planning Commission and in accordance with § 320-59A and B herein (Prioritized list of resources to be conserved and Other design considerations).
[Amended 2-13-2006]
(d)
Open space land shall be delineated to meet at least the minimum area percentage requirements for open space lands and in a manner clearly indicating open space boundaries as well as the types of resources included within them. Location of the open space land shall be determined as indicated in Subsection B(1)(c) above and designed in a manner that preserves the intent of the Conceptual Open Space Network Map in the Comprehensive Plan.
[Amended 2-13-2006]
(e)
Development areas constitute the remaining lands
of the tract outside of the designated open space areas and protected
constrained lands, where house sites, streets, and lots are to be
delineated in accordance with Steps 2, 3, and 4 below.
(2)
Step 2: Location of house sites. Potential house sites
shall be tentatively located, using the proposed open space lands
as a base map as well as other relevant data on the Existing Resources
and Site Analysis Plan. The house site locations in the tract's designated
development areas shall be designed to: fit the tract's natural topography,
be served by adequate water and sewage facilities, and provide views
of and access to adjoining open space areas (without encroaching upon
them in a manner visually intrusive to users of such areas). House
sites shall be no closer than 100 feet from primary conservation areas
and 50 feet from secondary conservation areas.
(3)
Step 3: Alignment of streets and trails.
(a)
Once the house site locations have been identified, the applicant shall delineate a street system to provide a safe pattern of vehicular and pedestrian access to each house in a manner conforming to the tract's natural topography and providing for a safe pattern of circulation and ingress and egress to and from the tract. Proposed streets shall comply with the standards in Article VI, Design Standards.
(b)
Streets shall avoid, or at least minimize, adverse
impacts on the open space areas. To the greatest extent practicable,
wetland crossings and new streets or driveways traversing slopes of
15% or greater shall be avoided.
(c)
Street connections shall generally be encouraged
to minimize the number of new culs-de-sac and to facilitate easy access
to and from homes in different parts of the tract (and on adjoining
parcels where applicable).
(d)
A tentative network of trails shall also be
shown, connecting streets with various natural and cultural features
in the conserved open space lands. Potential trail connections to
adjacent parcels shall also be shown in areas where a Township trail
network is envisioned.
(4)
Step 4: Design of lot lines. Lot lines for the subdivision should be drawn as the last step in the design procedure. They should follow the configuration of house sites and streets in a logical and flexible manner and be consistent with the applicable dimensional standards of § 370-114 of Chapter 370, Zoning.
A.
Prioritized list of resources to be conserved. The location of proposed open space shall take into consideration the resource protection standards of Article IX of Chapter 370, Zoning, open space and potential trail corridor recommendations of the North Coventry Open Space, Recreation, and Environmental Resources Plan (1992, as amended), the Conceptual Open Space Network Map in the Comprehensive Plan, the resources identified in the Map of Potential Conservation Areas in the Comprehensive Plan, and green preservation enhancement areas identified on the Official Map of North Coventry Township. During the development review process, the Township shall be satisfied that the applicant has incorporated the following resources, listed in order of priority, into the open space to the fullest extent practicable.
[Amended 2-13-2006; 4-7-2014 by Ord. No. 10]
(1)
Stream channels, floodplains, wetlands, wet soils,
swales, springs and other lowland areas, including adjacent buffer
areas required to ensure their protection.
(2)
Precautionary and prohibitive steep slopes, particularly
those adjoining watercourses and ponds, where disturbance and resulting
soil erosion and sedimentation could be detrimental to water quality.
(3)
Woodlands, particularly those performing important
ecological functions such as soil stabilization and protection of
streams, wetlands and wildlife habitats.
(4)
Hedgerows, groups of trees, large individual trees
of botanic significance, and other vegetation features representing
the site's rural past.
(5)
Significant natural areas of species listed as endangered,
threatened, or of special concern, such as those listed in the Statewide
Natural Diversity Inventory.
(6)
Areas where precipitation is most likely to recharge
local groundwater resources because of topographic and soil conditions
affording high rates of infiltration and percolation.
(7)
Historic structures and sites.
(8)
Visually prominent topographic features such as knolls,
hilltops and ridges, and scenic viewsheds as seen from public roads
(particularly those with historic features).
(9)
Existing trails connecting the tract to other locations
in the Township.
(10)
Class I, II and III agricultural soils as defined
by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.
B.
Other design considerations. The configuration of
proposed open space lands set aside for common use shall be consistent
with the following standards:
[Amended 3-12-2007]
(1)
It shall be free of all structures except historic buildings, stone walls, structures related to open space uses, and those structures specifically permitted in § 370-81A(1) of the Zoning Chapter. The Board of Supervisors may grant approval of structures and improvements required for storm drainage, sewage treatment and water supply within the open space provided that such facilities would not be detrimental to the open space. The acreage of lands required for such uses shall not be credited towards minimum open space acreage requirements for the tract, unless the land they occupy is appropriate for passive recreational use. However, in no case shall more than 50% of the open space be occupied by sewage treatment or stormwater management facilities and related infrastructure. At least 25% of the open space shall be free of structures or infrastructure of any type and the site constraints outlined in § 370-115A of the Zoning Chapter.
(2)
It shall generally not include parcels smaller than
three acres, have a length-to-width ratio of less than 4:1, or be
less than 75 feet in width, except for such lands specifically designed
as neighborhood greens, playing fields or trail links.
(3)
It shall be directly accessible to the largest practicable
number of lots within the subdivision. Nonadjoining lots shall be
provided with safe and convenient pedestrian access to open space
land.
(4)
It shall be suitable for active recreational uses
to the extent deemed necessary by the Board of Supervisors, without
interfering with adjacent dwelling units, parking, driveways, and
roads.
(5)
It shall be interconnected wherever possible to provide
a continuous network of open space lands within and adjoining the
subdivision.
(6)
It shall provide buffers to adjoining parks, preserves
or other protected lands.
(7)
Except in those cases where part of the open space
is located within private houselots, open space lands shall provide
for pedestrian pathways for use by the residents of the subdivision
and/or the Township. Consideration shall be given to providing for
public access on such trails if they are linked to other publicly-accessible
pathway systems within the Township. Provisions should be made for
access to the open space lands, as required for land management and
emergency purposes.
(8)
It shall be undivided by public or private streets,
except where necessary for proper traffic circulation.
(9)
It shall be suitably landscaped either by retaining
existing natural cover and wooded areas and/or according to a Landscaping
Plan to protect open space resources.
(10)
It shall be made subject to the requirements of § 370-81B, Ownership and maintenance of open space and common facilities, of the Zoning Chapter.
(11)
It shall be consistent with the policies of
the Township's Comprehensive Plan and Open Space Plan.
A.
All street name signs, traffic control signs, and
other traffic control devices as deemed necessary by the Township
shall be provided and erected by the applicant and at the applicant's
expense.
B.
All street name signs shall conform to and be erected
as per North Coventry Township specifications.
C.
All traffic control signs shall be Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation approved, conform to applicable regulations, and
placed using heavy-duty breakaway channel posts (or equal as approved
by the Township).
D.
All other traffic control devices shall be Township
approved and conform to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
regulations, as well as all other applicable regulations, including
any federal or county regulations promulgated for specific projects.
Traffic signal bodies shall be constructed of aluminum; plastic shall
not be permitted. To ensure commonality of parts, the Township shall
approve all signal hardware and software.
E.
All traffic signals on any road in the Township shall
have preemptive equipment provided and erected by the applicant, which
shall be compatible with existing equipment of the local police, fire
department, or other emergency agencies. All traffic signals, connections,
controllers, and other associated equipment shall also conform to
a closed loop traffic signal system, if applicable.
F.
Street traffic control devices containing an illuminated
signal or signals shall use light emitting diodes (LED's) as their
light source.
