The design standards listed below and in Table
1[1] shall be incorporated in all proposed plans.
A.
Conformance with other requirements. All subdivisions
and land developments shall comply fully with all federal, commonwealth,
county, borough and other applicable laws and regulations. Evidence
of the receipt of any permits or approvals required by such laws and
regulations shall be submitted by the applicant and shall be a condition
of the approval of any plan submitted under this chapter. Where such
other laws and regulations are more restrictive than those contained
herein, such other regulations shall be observed.
B.
Planned unit development. The Commission and the borough
governing body shall have flexibility in applying these design standards
with regard to planned residential or unit developments, if these
developments establish design criteria which will preserve the environment,
will protect the health, welfare and safety of the public and will
not unduly tax the borough's fiscal-service obligations.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table 1 appears at the end
of this chapter.
A.
Land requirements. Land shall be suited to the purpose
for which it is to be subdivided. Land subjected to hazards against
life, health or property shall not be subdivided unless adequate safeguards
are provided and approved by the Commission and the borough governing
body.
B.
Coordination requirements.
(1)
The design of a subdivision and land development shall
give consideration to the following:
(a)
Comprehensive Plan and Official Map requirement.
The subdivision and/or land development must conform to any applicable
provisions of the borough's Comprehensive Plan which is used as the
basis for zoning or other related regulations. It must also conform
to the Official Borough Map.
(c)
Nearby developments. A subdivision and/or land
development and its street pattern must be coordinated with existing
nearby developments or neighborhoods so that the area as a whole may
be developed harmoniously.
(2)
In reviewing subdivision and land development plans,
the Commission will consider the adequacy of existing or proposed
community facilities to serve the additional dwellings proposed by
the applicant.
C.
[2]Environmental protection requirements. In the design of
any subdivision and land development, the Commission shall require
that maximum consideration be given to the preservation and protection
of the natural environment so as to safeguard the public health, safety
and welfare of all residents of the community and to minimize any
adverse effects resulting from the proposed development. The applicant
shall present a plan indicating the specific manner in which any and
all environmental problems will be minimized or eliminated. The Commission
may refer such plan to any appropriate governmental or other agency
or authority qualified to review and/or determine if the plan meets
the requirements and objectives of this chapter and the requirements
of any other federal, commonwealth, county, borough or other applicable
law or regulation. Environmental factors for which a plan shall be
provided include but are not limited to the following:
D.
Water supply and sewage disposal. All subdivisions
and land developments within the borough shall be served with public
water and public sanitary sewer facilities unless the Commission determines
that such facilities are not required or that suitable alternate facilities
meeting the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Resources shall be provided. Such public facilities shall be designed
in accordance with the requirements of the borough, subject to the
review of and approval of the Commission Engineer.
E.
Fire hydrants. Fire hydrants shall be required wherever
a central water system is installed. Spacing of hydrants shall be
such that no residential structure shall be further than 600 feet
from a hydrant and no nonresidential structure shall be further than
400 feet from a hydrant. Additional standards published by the Insurance
Services Office of Pennsylvania may also be applied by the Commission.
F.
Storm drainage. Lots shall be laid out to encourage
positive drainage away from proposed building areas, and, wherever
desirable, natural drainage courses shall be maintained. The applicant's
plan for dealing with stormwater, as required by the Environmental
Protection Requirements above, will be carefully evaluated. Wherever
storm drains are required by the borough governing body, such storm
sewer system shall be separate from the sanitary sewer system. Storm
sewers shall have a minimum diameter of 15 inches and a minimum grade
of 5%. Manholes shall be placed at all breaks in grade and alignment
on pipe sizes up to 24 inches but shall not be more than 500 feet
apart where pipe sizes of 24 inches or less are used and not more
than 600 feet apart where larger sizes are installed. When approved
by the Commission Engineer, inlets may be substituted for manholes.
Special sections of ten- to fifteen-foot radius shall be installed
where abrupt changes are made in alignment.
G.
Easements.
(1)
Easements with a minimum width of 15 feet, plus the
width of any required pipe or other improvements, shall be provided
as necessary for utilities.
(2)
To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be
centered or adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
(3)
Easements for installation of underground conduits
for electric power, telephone and television cable lines shall be
provided so that each lot or leased unit can be practically served.
Wherever practicable, in accordance with good engineering practice,
utility easements and trenches shall be occupied jointly by compatible
electric, gas, water, sewage and communication facilities.
(4)
Watercourses shall be provided with a drainage easement
or right-of-way conforming substantially with the line of such watercourse
and shall be of such width as will be adequate to preserve natural
drainage.
H.
Street design standards. Street construction standards are presented in § 196-17. Street design standards are as follows:
(1)
Street classification and design specifications. Each street to be contained in a subdivision or land development shall be classified as either an arterial, connector, collector or minor local street. These street classes are defined in § 196-5 in terms of their function. The street system should be designed in accordance with the specifications for the appropriate class of street as shown on the accompanying table.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: See Table 1 at the end of this
chapter.
(2)
Street layout. Proposed streets shall be designed
to provide safe and efficient access to all parcels, to create a functional
street system, including arterial, connector, collector and minor
local streets where appropriate, and to minimize street intersections
and pedestrian-vehicular conflicts.
(3)
Intersections.
(a)
The center lines of streets shall intersect
as nearly at right angles as possible.
(b)
At intersections of minor streets and/or alleys,
the property line corners shall be rounded by arcs with radii of not
less than 15 feet or by chords of such arcs. For other than minor
streets, a radius of 25 feet or larger may be required by the borough
governing body. Street curbs or edges of pavement at street intersections
shall be rounded off concentrically with property lines.
(c)
Intersections of more than two streets at one
point shall be avoided. Where streets intersect other streets, minor
offsets shall not be created. The minimum distance between center
lines of parallel or approximately parallel streets intersecting a
cross street from the opposite directions shall be 120 feet for minor
streets and 300 feet when one or more of the streets is a major street.
The Commission Engineer may require a larger offset if he/she determines
that the conditions warrant such increase.
(4)
Streets and topography. Proposed streets shall be
adjusted to the contour of the land so as to produce usable lots and
streets of reasonable gradient.
(5)
Street continuations. Where appropriate, proposed
streets shall be extended to the boundary line of the tract being
subdivided so as to eventually provide for normal circulation of traffic
within the vicinity.
(6)
Boundary streets. Wherever there exists a dedicated
or platted portion of a street or alley along a boundary of the tract
being subdivided, the remainder of said street or alley, to the prescribed
width, shall be platted within the proposed subdivision or land development
where this would not adversely affect the proposed development.
(7)
Alleys. Alleys shall ordinarily not be provided in
residential districts but shall be included in commercial and industrial
areas where needed for loading and unloading or for access purposes.
(8)
Development abutting existing thoroughfare. Where
a subdivision or land development abuts or contains an existing or
proposed major traffic street or a railroad, the borough governing
body may require marginal access streets, rear service alleys, reverse
frontage lots or such other treatment as will provide protection for
abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections with
the major street and separation of local and through traffic. Where
residential reverse frontage lots are utilized, they shall have a
rear yard with a minimum depth of 75 feet to the ultimate right-of-way
of the major street on which they abut, and they shall have a planting
screen easement at least 10 feet wide across which there shall be
no right of access.
(9)
Street alignment. Whenever street lines are deflected
in excess of 5°, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.
(10)
Street grades. Vertical curves shall be used
at changes of grade exceeding 1% and shall be designed in relation
to the design speed to provide vertical sight distance consistent
with the accompanying table. Where the grade on any street at the
approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided
having not greater than 4% grades for a distance of 25 feet measured
from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street. To
provide for adequate drainage, the minimum grade of any street gutter
shall be not less than 1/2%.
(11)
Driveways.
(a)
Driveway widths shall be designed to properly
and safely serve the function for which they are intended. Such driveways
shall generally be not less than 10 feet wide or greater than 30 feet
wide.
(b)
Driveway entrances shall be clearly defined
and shall provide minimum radii at the street intersection of 10 feet
when serving a single family unit and 15 feet when serving a higher
density or more intensive development.
(c)
The number of driveways and driveway intersections
on a major traffic street shall be minimized and avoided where possible.
Permits for driveways intersecting with commonwealth roads or highways
shall be secured from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Such driveway intersections shall generally not be located closer
than 70 feet to any street intersection right-of-way line.
(d)
Driveway grades shall not exceed 10% when access
is to a collector or local street or 7% when access is to a major
traffic street.
(12)
Clear sight triangle. Clear sight triangles
shall be provided at all street intersections, within which area no
obstruction to vision shall be permitted between a height of two to
10 feet above the center line grade of each street. Such clear sight
triangles shall be established from the point of intersection of the
right-of-way lines of the intersecting streets for a distance of 30
feet where both streets are local streets, 50 feet where one or both
streets are collector streets and 75 feet where one or both streets
are a connector or arterial street.
B.
Blocks.
(1)
Residential blocks shall ordinarily not exceed 1,200
feet in length nor, so far as practicable, be less than 600 feet in
length.
(2)
Blocks shall be of sufficient width to permit two
tiers of lots of appropriate depth except where an interior street
parallels a limited-access highway or major street or except where
it backs up to a railroad, creek or other natural barrier or an unsubdivided
area.
(3)
Pedestrian interior walks may be required where necessary
to assist circulation or provide access to community facilities. Such
crosswalks shall have a right-of-way width of not less than 10 feet.
C.
Lots.
(1)
All lots to be for sale shall front upon an existing
or proposed public street.
(2)
Side lines of lots shall be at approximately right
angles to straight streets and on radial lines on curved streets.
Some variation from this rule is permissible, but pointed or very
irregular lots shall be avoided.
(3)
Double frontage lots shall ordinarily not be platted,
except as specifically provided herein. In that event, a planting
strip for a screen at least 20 feet in width shall be provided along
the back of the lot. Where the lots back up to a railroad, the borough
governing body may also require a planting screen of 20 feet.
(4)
The depth-to-width ratio of the usable area of a lot
shall ordinarily not be greater than 3:1.
(6)
If remnants of land exist after subdividing, they
shall be incorporated in existing or proposed lots or shall be reserved
for public use, if acceptable to the borough governing body.
D.
Cul-de-sac streets.
(1)
Cul-de-sac streets, permanently designed as such,
shall not exceed 700 feet in length and shall furnish access to not
more than 25 dwelling units.
(2)
Cul-de-sac streets on which six or more residential
properties front shall terminate in a circular right-of-way with a
minimum diameter of 120 feet overall and 100 feet to the outer pavement
edge or curbline.
(3)
For cul-de-sac streets with less than six residential
properties fronting on them, the pavement, where required, may be
widened to the full right-of-way in a T- or Y-shaped configuration,
12 feet wide, with the flared portions rounded by at least a ten-foot
radius.
(4)
Unless future extension is clearly impractical or
undesirable, the turnaround 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.
B.
Size. Approval of lot or parcel size will be determined
by the following factors:
(1)
The total area shall be sufficient to provide adequate
space for off-street parking and loading, landscaping and other facilities.
(2)
Whenever possible, commercial parcels should include
enough land to provide for a group of commercial establishments, planned,
developed and operated as a unit. In no cases will narrow, highway
ribbon developments be approved.
C.
Street systems.
D.
Block layout. Block layout shall conform, with due
consideration of site conditions, to the best possible service to
customers, traffic and parking circulation and pick-up and delivery
services.
E.
Off-street parking and loading. Commercial and industrial
subdivisions shall provide off-street parking according to the borough
Zoning Ordinance. In addition, paved truck loading areas shall be
provided so that all truck loading, unloading and maneuvering can
be accommodated within the property lines.
A.
Application. The minimum improvements required for
all subdivisions and land developments, which shall be provided by
the subdivider, shall be as set forth in this section. Additional
or higher-type improvements may be required in specific cases where,
in the opinion of the borough governing body, they are necessary to
create conditions essential to the health, safety, morals and general
welfare of the citizens and to protect the environment of the borough.
B.
Summary of required improvements. The accompanying
schedule[1] summarizes the required improvements for various types
of subdivision and/or land development. The remainder of this Article
sets forth the construction standards for several of the required
improvements. Other construction standards shall be evaluated and
approved by the Engineer.
[1]
Editor's Note: See the Schedule of Required
Improvements, which appears at the end of this chapter.
C.
Monuments and markers.
(1)
Monuments shall be of concrete or stone with a minimum
size of six inches by six inches by 36 inches and shall be marked
on top with a one-half-inch round brass pin or a drilled hole. Markers
shall consist of iron pipes or iron or steel bars at least 15 inches
long and not less than 3/4 inch in diameter.
(2)
Monuments and markers shall be placed so that the
scored or marked point shall coincide exactly with the intersection
of lines to be marked and shall be set so that the top of the monument
or marker is level with the surface of surrounding ground.
(3)
Monuments shall be set in readily accessible locations
at all angles of the property or in the right-of-way of existing streets.
The Commission may require two additional monuments for every block
placed equidistant from the corner of blocks and located on the sidewalk
line.
(5)
Any monuments or markers that are removed shall be
replaced by a competent engineer at the expense of the person removing
them.
D.
Streets.
(1)
Streets, and alleys where provided, shall be graded,
surfaced and improved to the grades and dimensions shown on plans,
profiles and cross sections submitted by the applicant and approved
by the borough governing body.
(2)
The finished road surface, both tangent and curve,
shall be crowned at 1/4 inch per foot away from the center line. Curves
shall not be superelevated.
(3)
All trees, stumps and other material deemed unsuitable
by the Commission Engineer shall be removed to a depth of two feet
below subgrade, and the excavation shall be backfilled and suitably
compacted to the satisfaction of the Commission Engineer. Pavement
shall be placed on a well compacted and prepared subgrade. As a minimum,
pavement structure shall consist of the following: 1 1/2 inch
ID-2A wearing surface on six-inch bituminous concrete base course
on six-inch subbase, after compaction.
(a)
Other alternates may be proposed by the applicant
and are subject to the approval of the borough governing body.
(b)
If the subdivider can prove, to the satisfaction
of the Commission Engineer, that the subgrade material has adequate
bearing capacity and is well drained, then the subbase may be omitted.
All materials and construction procedures shall conform to the latest
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation specifications, Form 408.
All construction is subject to the inspection of the Commission Engineer.
(4)
Prior to placing the street surface, the subgrade
shall be graded parallel to the finished crown to permit the proper
drainage of the subbase. The subbase shall be outletted to the satisfaction
of the Commission Engineer. Adequate subsurface drainage for the streets
and all subsurface utilities, as acceptable to the borough governing
body, shall be provided or installed by the applicant.
(5)
In all respects in which standards for required improvements
are not set forth herein or specified by the borough governing body
hereunder, the applicable standard requirements of the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation shall govern, and all work shall be performed
in the manner prescribed in the standard specifications for road construction
of said Department for the type of construction under consideration.
(6)
Minimum slopes of banks measured perpendicular to
the center line of the street shall be 3:1 for fills and 2:1 for cuts.
E.
Curbs. The curb shall be constructed of portland cement
concrete and may be of the following type: plain cement concrete curb,
seven inches at the top, eight inches at the bottom and 22 inches
in height, with an eight-inch bevel and a one-inch taper in the bevel.
F.
Driveway entrances.
(1)
When driveway entrances or aprons are provided within
the street right-of-way, they shall be surfaced to their full width.
The type of surface shall be the same as specified for streets in
this chapter.
G.
Sidewalks. Sidewalks shall be installed and shall
have a minimum width of five feet, except that sidewalks serving apartment
houses or proposed commercial areas shall be wider if deemed necessary
by the borough governing body. Sidewalks shall be placed between the
property line and curb, being 36 inches from the property line, and
may be of the following type: concete, cast in place or precast, four-inch
thickness of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PDOT) Class
A concrete placed on four inches of cinders or crushed stone.
H.
Street signs. The developer shall provide the subdivision
or land development with adequate street signs at the intersections
of all streets.
I.
Streetlights.
(1)
Streetlights may be required when the Commission and
the borough governing body deem them necessary to provide safe traffic
circulation. In addition, the payment for operation of such lights
shall be borne by the developer for a period of one year from the
time of their installation and approval.
(2)
When it is deemed necessary to install streetlights
in a subdivision or land development that is to be served with underground
utilities, the subdivider shall furnish and install all items or things
necessary to provide a street lighting system within the complete
subdivision in a manner so as to achieve the lowest rate for the cost
of operation of said street lighting for the borough. All such costs
of installation shall be borne by the applicant, who shall provide
utility installation for said street lighting.
J.
Street trees. Street trees of a type and spacing approved
by the borough governing body shall be planted between the sidewalk
and the outside right-of-way line in such a manner that the sidewalk
will not be affected, and the trees shall be of a deciduous hardwood
type and shall have a minimum caliper of two inches.
K.
Water and sewer facilities. Water, sanitary sewer, storm drainage and utility facilities shall be provided as required by the design standards in § 196-14D, E and F of this chapter. They shall be installed according to the construction requirements of the Municipal Authority and good engineering practices, and they shall be subject to the approval of the Commission Engineer.
(1)
Location of water and sewer lines. All water and sewer
lines shall be installed within the rear lot line easement in order
to minimize future street pavement disruptions. If this location is
not possible, then the utilities may be placed in the street right-of-way.
Water lines shall be between the curb and right-of-way line. Sewer
lines shall be as near to the street center line as possible.
(2)
Capped sewers. Where the borough has a plan for extending
the public sanitary sewer system into an area that is being subdivided
and it is reasonably expected that the area will be served by the
public system within a period of five years, the applicant shall install
capped sewers to adequately serve all lots in the proposed subdivision.
L.
Other utilities. In accordance with a Pennsylvania
Public Utility Commission order of July 8, 1970, all electric utility
distribution lines shall be installed underground in subdivisions
or land developments of five or more dwelling units. Wherever practicable,
telephone and cable television utilities shall also be installed underground.
A.
Improvements to be provided by subdivider. In all
cases, the applicant who is subdividing or developing land shall be
responsible for the installation of all required improvements under
supervision of the Commission Engineer and in the manner specified
below.
B.
Method of providing improvements. No final plan shall
be approved by the borough until provision has been made for the proper
installation of required improvements in either of the following ways:
(1)
Improvement bond. The applicant shall deposit with
the borough a corporate bond, an irrevocable letter of credit from
a federal or commonwealth chartered lending institution, an escrow
account or any other security acceptable to the borough governing
body in an amount sufficient to cover 110% of the costs of all required
improvements as estimated and approved by the Commission Engineer
based on bona fide bids from contractors selected by the applicant.
Where more than one year is needed to complete the improvements, an
additional 10% for each additional one-year period may be required.
Such a bond or other security shall provide for and secure to the
public the completion of all required improvements within a period
of three years from the execution of the development agreement referred
to below, except that no occupied structure within the proposed subdivision
and/or land development shall be without a public improved street
for a period of time longer than six months.
[Amended 10-12-1981 by Ord. No. 340]
(2)
Construction of improvements. In lieu of posting a
bond or other security, the applicant may elect to install the required
improvement in accordance with the standards and specifications contained
in this Article and with the final plan submitted to the Commission.
The applicant shall obtain a certificate from the Commission Engineer
stating that all improvements have been so installed.
C.
Maintenance bond. In submitting the final plan to the commission, the applicant shall submit a maintenance bond in addition to the improvement bond to the borough governing body in an amount equal to 15% of the estimated cost of all required improvements to guarantee maintenance and repair of the streets and other improvements in the subdivision and/or land development for 18 months after completion of construction and release of improvement bonds. Such financial securities may be in the form as stated in Subsection B.
[Amended 10-12-1981 by Ord. No. 340]
D.
Development agreement. All applicants proposing any
subdivision or land development requiring the installation of improvements,
as required herein, shall be required to enter into a legally binding
development agreement with the borough, guaranteeing the installation
of said improvements in accordance with the borough requirements.
The development agreement shall be in a form suitable for execution
by the borough governing body, and it shall consist of the following,
where applicable:
(1)
The construction authorized by the approved final
plans.
(2)
Construction of streets with related curbs, sidewalks,
street trees, etc.
(3)
Installation of utility lines.
(4)
Installation of underground streetlighting cable and
streetlighting poles.
(5)
Dedication of streets; transfer of water and sewer
lines and easements.
(6)
Prevention of erosion and water damage to adjacent
properties.
(7)
Developer's responsibilities for damage to other property.
(8)
The cost of all borough inspection to be borne by
the developer.
(9)
A work schedule and the beginning and ending date
for improvements contained herein.
(10)
The payment of all reasonable legal costs and
expenses incurred by the borough, including but not limited to the
cost of preparing the development agreement.
(11)
The estimated cost of the improvements and amount
of performance bond.
(12)
Indication of security, in the form required by Subsection B, for the repair or reconstruction of all improvements which are found by the Borough Engineer to be defective within 18 months from the date on which the Engineer certified them to have been completed, together with provisions for disbursement thereof.
[Amended 10-12-1981 by Ord. No. 340]
(13)
The developer's provision to the borough of
a set of reproducible "as built" plans.
(14)
Provisions for violation of the development
agreement.
(15)
Developer's securing or maintenance of public
liability insurance.
(16)
A save harmless clause.
(17)
Liability of developer during warranty period.
(18)
A provision that no improvements shall be commenced
or work begun prior to the execution of this agreement, the delivery
of the bond or escrow agreement and deposit and the recording of the
final plan.
(19)
Other requirements.
E.
Release from improvement bond. The improvement bond
provided by the applicant shall be released as follows:
(1)
The applicant may request partial release of funds as improvements are completed. He/she shall so notify the governing body by registered or certified mail. The Borough Engineer shall act on such a request within 30 days, and the governing body shall notify the applicant of its decision within 45 days of the date of request. If the governing body fails to act within the forty-five-day period, the governing body shall be deemed to have approved the release of funds as per the written request of the applicant. A maximum of 90% of the estimated cost of the partial improvement may be released; 10% will be retained until final certification by the Borough Engineer. When the applicant has completed all required improvements, including construction of streets in accordance with § 196-17D(1), he/she shall notify the Borough Governing Body, in writing, by certified or registered mail, and send a copy to the Borough Engineer.
[Amended 10-12-1981 by Ord. No. 340]
(2)
Within 10 days of receipt of such notice the borough
governing body shall direct and authorize the Commission Engineer
to inspect all of the improvements.
(3)
The Commission Engineer shall then file a written
report with the borough governing body and shall mail a copy to the
applicant, by certified or registered mail, within 30 days after his
receipt of authorization to inspect all improvements from the borough
governing body. Said reports shall be detailed and shall indicate
approval or rejection of said improvements, either in whole or in
part, with a statement of reasons for any nonapproval or rejection.
(4)
The borough governing body shall notify the applicant,
in writing, by certified or registered mail, of its action in relation
to the improvements provided.
(5)
If the borough governing body or the Commission Engineer
fails to comply with the above time limits, all improvements will
be deemed to have been approved, and the applicant shall be released
from all liability pursuant to its performance or improvement bond
or other performance security.
(6)
Any improvements not approved or rejected by the borough
governing body shall be expeditiously completed by the applicant,
and upon completion, the same notification procedure as above shall
be followed.
(7)
If any required improvement has not been installed
as required by this chapter, by the final approved plan or by the
executed development agreement, then the borough governing body shall
enforce the corporate bond or other security by appropriate legal
and equitable remedies. If the proceeds of such bond or other security
are insufficient to pay the cost of installing or making repairs or
corrections to the required improvements, the borough governing body
may, at its option, install part of such improvements and may institute
appropriate legal or equitable action to recover the moneys necessary
to complete the remainder.
