Article IV Design Standards

The location and width of all streets shall conform to the Official Plans or to such parts thereof as may have been adopted by the Borough Council.

The proposed street system shall extend existing or other streets on the Official Plans at the same width or larger but in no case at less than the required minimum width.

Where, in the opinion of the Borough Planning Committee, it is desirable to provide for street access to adjoining property, street stubs shall be extended by dedication to the boundary of such property.

New minor streets shall be so designed as to discourage through traffic, but the subdivider shall give adequate continuation of major and collector streets into and from adjoining properties.

Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of improper width or alignment, the Borough Planning Committee may require the dedication of land sufficient to widen the street or correct the alignment.

Private streets (streets not to be offered for dedication) are prohibited unless they meet the design standards of these regulations.

Partial and half streets. New half or partial streets shall be prohibited except where essential for reasonable subdivision of a tract in conformance with the other requirements and standards of these regulations and where, in addition, satisfactory assurance for dedication of the remaining part of the street can be obtained.

Street widths. Minimum street right-of-way and pavement widths shall be as shown on the Official Plans or, if not shown on such plans, shall be as follows. Refer to PennDOT publication on the construction of local streets if adequate information is not indicated on the following chart.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: The Table of Street Widths is included at the end of this chapter.

Restriction of access.

Whenever a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed street with an ultimate right-of-way of 80 feet or more, the Borough Planning Committee may require restriction of access to said street by:

Provision of reverse frontage lots.

Provision of service streets along the rear of the abutting lots, together with prohibition of private driveways intersecting the major streets.

Provision of marginal access streets, provided that the reserve strips establishing such marginal access streets shall be definitely placed within the jurisdiction of the Borough Council under an agreement meeting the approval of the Borough Solicitor.

Except as specified under Subsection D(1)(c) above, reserve strips shall be prohibited.

Street grades.

There shall be a minimum center-line grade of three-fourths percent (3/4%).

Center-line grades shall not exceed the following:

Minor street: 10%.

Collector street: 6%.

Major street: 6%.

(d)

Street intersection: 5%.

Grades up to 12% may be permitted on a through minor street where access to the street is possible over streets with grades of 10% or less.

Horizontal curves.

Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of five degrees, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.

To ensure adequate sight distance, minimum center-line radii for horizontal curves shall be as follows:

Minor streets: 150 feet.

Collector streets: 300 feet.

Major streets: 500 feet.

A tangent of at least 100 feet shall be introduced between all horizontal curves on collector and major streets.

To the greatest extent possible, combinations of the minimum radius and maximum grade shall be avoided.

Vertical curves (dip). At all changes of street grades where the algebraic difference exceeds 1%, vertical curves shall be provided to allow an easy or smooth transition.

Intersections.

Streets shall intersect as nearly as possible at right angles, and no street shall intersect another at an angle of less than 60° or more than 120°.

No more than two streets shall intersect at the same point.

Streets intersecting another street shall either intersect directly opposite to each other or shall be separated by at least 150 feet between center lines, measured along the center line of the street being intersected.

Intersections shall be approached on all sides by a straight leveling area, the grade of which shall not exceed 5% within 50 feet of the intersection of the nearest right-of-way lines.

Intersections with major streets shall be located not less than 1,000 feet apart, measured from center line to center line along the center line of the major street.

Street curb intersections shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a minimum radius of:

Twenty feet for intersections involving only minor streets.

Twenty-five feet for all intersections involving a collector street.

Twenty-five feet for all intersections involving a major street.

(7)

Street right-of-way lines shall be parallel to (concentric with) curb arcs at intersections.

Sight distance at intersections.

Clear sight triangles shall be provided at all street intersections. Within such triangles, no vision-obstructing object other than utility poles shall be permitted which obscures vision above the height of 30 inches and below 10 feet, measured from the center-line grade of intersecting streets. Such triangles shall be established from a distance of 75 feet from the point of intersection of the center lines, except that clear sight triangles of 150 feet shall be provided for all intersections with major streets.

Wherever a portion of the line of such triangles occurs behind (i.e., from the street) the building reserve (setback) line, such portion shall be shown on the final plan of the subdivision and shall be considered a building setback (reserve) line.

Cul-de-sac streets.

Dead-end streets are prohibited unless designed as cul-de-sac streets or designed for future access to adjoining properties.

Any dead-end street for access to an adjoining property or because of authorized stage development shall be provided with a temporary all-weather turnaround within the subdivision, and the use of such turnaround shall be guaranteed to the public until such time as the street is extended.

Cul-de-sac streets permanently designed as such shall not exceed 600 feet in length and shall not furnish access to more than 20 dwelling units.

Unless future extension is clearly impractical or undesirable, the turnaround right-of-way shall be placed adjacent to the tract boundary with sufficient additional width provided along the boundary line to permit extension of the street in full width.

All cul-de-sac streets, whether permanently or temporarily designed as such, shall be provided at the closed end with a fully paved turnaround. The minimum radius to the pavement edge or curbline shall be 50 feet, and the minimum radius of the right-of-way line shall be 50 feet.

Drainage of cul-de-sac streets shall preferably be towards the open end. If drainage is toward the closed end, it shall be conducted away in an underground storm sewer.

(7)

The center-line grade on a cul-de-sac street shall not exceed 10%, and the grade of the diameter of the turnaround shall not exceed 5%.

(8)

All cul-de-sac street widths shall follow the same minimum street widths as prescribed for minor streets.

Street names.

Proposed streets which are obviously in alignment with others already existing and named shall bear the names of the existing streets.

In no case shall the name of a proposed street be the same as or similar to an existing street name in the Borough and in the postal district, irrespective of the use of the suffix street, road, avenue, boulevard, driveway, place, court, lane, etc.

All street names shall be subject to the approval of the Borough Council.

Service streets (alleys).

Service streets may be permitted, provided that the subdivider produces evidence satisfactory to the Borough Planning Committee or the Borough Council of the need for such service streets.

No part of any structure shall be located within 20 feet of the center line of a service street.

Dead-end service streets shall be avoided,but where this proves impossible, dead-end service streets shall terminate with a paved circular turnaround or equal with a minimum radius of the outer pavement edge of 50 feet.

Service street intersections and sharp changes in alignment shall be avoided, but where necessary, corners shall be rounded or cut back sufficiently to permit safe vehicular circulation.

Driveway:

Private driveways on corner lots shall be located at least 40 feet from the point of intersection of the nearest street right-of-way lines.

In order to provide a safe and convenient means of access, grades on private driveways shall not exceed 7%. Entrances should be rounded at a minimum radius of five feet or should have a flare construction that is equivalent to this radius at the point of intersection with the cartway edge.

No driveway entrances shall be permitted off any cul-de-sac or equal type of turnaround.

§ 198-23 Blocks.

Layout. The length, width and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to:

Provision for adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed.

Zoning requirements.

Topography.

Requirements for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation, including the reduction of intersections with major streets.

Length.

Blocks shall have a maximum length of 1,600 feet and a minimum length of 500 feet; provided, however, that the Borough Planning Committee or Borough Council may decrease the maximum and/or minimum lengths of blocks if, in the opinion of either body, topography of the land in question and/or surface water drainage conditions warrant such a decrease.

In the design of blocks longer than 1,000 feet, special consideration shall be given to the requirements of satisfactory fire protection.

Where practicable, blocks along major and collector streets shall not be less than 1,000 feet long.

Crosswalks.

Crosswalks shall be required wherever necessary to facilitate pedestrian circulation and to give access to community facilities, as well as in blocks of over 1,000 feet in length.

Such crosswalks shall have a width of not less than 10 feet and a paved walk of not less than five feet.

Depth. Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to accommodate two tiers of lots, except where prevented by the size, topographical conditions or other inherent conditions of property, in which case the Borough Planning Committee or Borough Council may approve a single tier of lots.

Commercial and industrial blocks. Blocks in commercial and industrial areas may vary from the elements of design detailed above as required by the nature of the use.

§ 198-24 Lots and parcels.

General standards.

Insofar as practical, side lot lines should be at right angles to straight street lines or radial to curved street lines.

Where feasible, lot lines should follow municipal boundaries rather than cross them in order to avoid jurisdictional problems.

Generally, the depth of residential lots should be not less than one nor more than 2 1/2 times their width.

Depth and width of parcels intended for nonresidential uses shall be adequate for the use proposed and sufficient to provide satisfactory space for on-site parking, loading and unloading, setbacks, landscaping, etc.

If, after subdividing, there exist remnants of land, they shall be either:

Incorporated in existing or proposed lots; or

Legally dedicated to public use, if acceptable to the Borough.

Lot frontage.

All lots shall have direct access to a public street, existing or proposed, or to a private street if it meets the requirements of these regulations.

Double or reverse frontage lots shall be avoided except where required to provide separation of residential development from major streets or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography or orientation.

§ 198-26 Soil percolation test requirements.

All residential reverse frontage lots shall have, within such rear yard and immediately adjacent to the right-of-way, a planting screen easement of at least 10 feet in width, across which there shall be no right of access.

Lot size. Lot dimensions and areas shall not be less than specified by Chapter 225, Zoning, or as determined by this section of this chapter, whichever shall be the larger.

§ 198-25 Sanitary sewage disposal.

Where the public sewer is not yet accessible but is planned for extension to the subdivision, the subdivider shall install sewer lines, including lateral connections as may be necessary to provide adequate service to each lot when connection with the sewer system is made. The sewer lines shall be suitably capped at the limits of the subdivision, and the laterals shall be capped at the street right-of-way line. When capped sewers are provided, on-site disposal facilities shall also be provided. Design of the capped sewer system shall be subject to approval by the Department of Environmental Resources.

Sanitary sewers shall be designed and constructed in strict accordance with Department of Environmental Resources standards of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Borough construction standards. See provisions for sanitary sewage disposal as contained in Westmont Borough Ordinance No. 401, as amended, and Ordinance No. 519, as amended.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 172, Sewers, Art. II, Sewers Charges, and Art. IV, Sewage Disposal Permits, respectively.

Sanitary sewers shall not be used to carry stormwater.

All lots which cannot be connected to a public or community sanitary sewage disposal system in operation at the time of construction of a principal building shall be provided with an on-site sanitary sewage disposal system consisting of a septic tank(s) connected with a tile disposal field or another appropriate system, which meets the design standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, the Borough Zoning Ordinance and any amendments or supplements thereto or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto.[2]

[2]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 225, Zoning.

If on-site sanitary sewage disposal facilities are to be utilized, the Borough Planning Committee may require that the subdivider submit an economic feasibility report. Such report shall compare the costs of providing on-site facilities and the cost of a community sanitary sewer system with a temporary sewage treatment plant. The temporary treatment plant will have to be abandoned when public trunk sewers are installed in the area.

Where on-site sanitary sewage facilities are to be utilized, each lot so served shall be of a size and shape to accommodate the necessary length of tile fields at a safe distance from and at a lower elevation than the proposed building(s) in accordance with the Department of Environmental Resources.

Soil percolation tests shall be performed for all subdivisions wherein building(s) at the time of construction will not be connected to a public or community sanitary sewage disposal system in operation.

Soil percolation tests shall be made in accordance with the procedure required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, by a registered professional engineer or a qualified sewage enforcement officer, at the rate of one test site for each acre or part thereof for the property being subdivided, or at such rates required by the Department of Environmental Resources.

The engineer and/or sewage enforcement officer shall enter the result of the test and all other information on four copies of the required Department of Environmental Resources form and shall submit these with the preliminary plans.

Soil percolation tests shall be performed near the site of the proposed on-site sanitary sewage disposal facilities and spaced evenly throughout the property.

The results of the soil percolation tests shall be analyzed by the Borough Planning Committee and Borough Council in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources in relation to the physical characteristics of the tract being subdivided and of the general area surrounding the tract being subdivided, and the final plan lot layout shall be based on this analysis.

If the analysis of the soil percolation test results reveals that the soil is unsuitable for the intended use at the lot size proposed, the Borough Planning Committee or the Borough Council may require that the lot size(s) be increased in accordance with the test results or that additional tests be made on each proposed lot at the location of the contemplated disposal facilities and the date submitted for review.

§ 198-27 Water supply.

Whenever an existing public or approved community water system is geographically and economically accessible to a proposed subdivision, a distribution system shall be designed to furnish an adequate supply of water to each lot, with adequate main sizes and fire hydrants located to meet the specifications of the Middle Department Association of Fire Underwriters. A copy of the approval of such system by the appropriate public agency or utility company shall be shown on the final plan. Suitable agreements shall also be established for the design, specifications, construction, ownership and maintenance of such distribution system.

Where such systems are not accessible, and particularly where on-site sanitary sewage disposal systems are to be used, a community water supply system is strongly recommended. A community water supply system shall be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, and appropriate measures shall be provided to ensure adequate maintenance. Suitable agreements shall also be established for the construction, ownership and maintenance of such a distribution system.

Where individual on-site water supply systems are to be utilized, each lot so served shall be of a size and shape to allow safe location of such system, and wells shall be placed uphill from sewage disposal systems and shall not be within 100 feet of any part of the absorption (tile) field of any on-site sanitary sewage disposal system, nor within 50 feet from lakes, streams, ponds, quarries, etc.

Where individual on-site water supply systems are to be utilized, it is recommended that the subdivider provide at least one test well for each 10 proposed dwelling units. Such wells should be drilled, cased and grout sealed into bedrock at least 50 feet deep, having a production capacity of at least five gallons per minute of safe potable drinking water as certified by a state or Borough health officer.

§ 198-28 Stormwater drainage.

Any landowner and any person engaged in the alteration or development of land which may affect stormwater runoff characteristics shall implement such measures consistent with the provisions of the applicable watershed stormwater management plan as are reasonably necessary to prevent injury to health and of a person's safety and/or damage to adjacent property. Such measures shall include such actions as are required to assure that the maximum rate of stormwater runoff is no greater after development than prior to development activities or to manage the quantity, velocity and direction of resulting stormwater runoff in a manner which otherwise adequately protects health and property from possible injury.

General criteria.

The subdivision stormwater management plan must consider all the stormwater runoff flowing over the project site.

All stormwater runoff detention controls shall be designed by a person qualified and/or experienced in the design of such structures.

The method used in calculating stormwater runoff shall be the method as set forth in Ordinance No. 763, known as the "Stormwater Management Ordinance of Westmont Borough" (Chapter 191 of the Westmont Borough Code), as adopted or amended.

[Amended 6-11-2002 by Ord. No. 766]

Stormwater roof drains and pipes shall discharge water into cisterns, french drains (where soils are suitable), sheet drains or other stormwater runoff dispersion and absorption control devices and not into storm sewers unless recommended in the watershed stormwater plan.

No discharge of toxic materials into any stormwater management system is permitted.

Flow velocities from any storm drain may not result in a deflection of the receiving channel.

(7)

Developers are encouraged to consult the following stormwater management and erosion sedimentation control publications in preparing their plans.

Chapter 102. Erosion Control, Title 25, Rules and Regulations of the Department of Environmental Resources.

Chapter 105. Water Obstructions and Encroachments, Title 25, Rules and Regulations of the Department of Environmental Resources.

Engineering Field Manual for Conservation Practices, 1975, United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.

(d)

Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, Cambria County Conservation District.

(e)

Guidelines for Storm Water Management, Department of Environmental Resources, Bureau of Dams and Waterway Management.

(f)

Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Manual, Department of Environmental Resources, Bureau of Soil and Water Conservation and Bureau of Water Quality Management.

(g)

Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds, Technical Release No. 55, Soil Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, January 1975.

(h)

Cambria/Somerset Disaster Recovery Plan, Cambria County Planning Commission, Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.

Specific criteria.

Stormwater rate and quality for the specific watershed to be developed in Westmont Borough must be designed and prepared as set forth in Ordinance No. 763, known as the "Stormwater Management Ordinance of Westmont Borough" (Chapter 191 of the Westmont Borough Code).

[Amended 6-11-2002 by Ord. No. 766]

Erosion and sedimentation. All activities shall be conducted in such a way as to minimize accelerated erosion and resulting sedimentation. Measures to control erosion and sedimentation shall at a minimum meet the standards of the Cambria County Conservation District and Chapter 102, Erosion Control, of Title 25, Rules and Regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.

§ 198-29 Public use and service area.

Public open spaces.

In reviewing subdivision plans, the Borough Planning Committee and Borough Council shall consider whether community facilities, especially schools, in the area are adequate to serve the needs of the additional dwellings proposed by the subdivision and shall make such report thereon as they deem necessary in the public interest.

Subdividers and the Borough Planning Committee shall give earnest consideration to providing facilities or reserving areas for facilities normally required in residential neighborhoods, including churches, libraries schools and other public buildings; parks, playgrounds and playfields, shopping and local business centers. Areas provided or reserved for such community facilities shall be adequate to provide for building sites, landscaping and off-street parking as appropriate to the use proposed. Prior to the preparation of plans, subdividers of large tracts should review with the Borough Planning Committee the minimum standards for various community facilities applicable to the tract being subdivided.

In subdivisions which are intended to provide housing, the Borough Planning Committee shall consider the need for suitable open areas for recreation and shall make a recommendation thereon.

Community assets. Consideration shall be shown for all natural features such as large trees, watercourses, historic areas and structures, and similar community assets which, if preserved, will add attractiveness and value to the remainder of the subdivision.

Utility easements.

A temporary construction easement of 30 feet and a permanent maintenance easement of 15 feet shall be provided for poles, wires, conduits, storm and sanitary sewers, gas, water and heat mains and/or other utility lines intended to service the abutting lots. No structures or trees shall be placed within such easements.

To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be centered on or adjacent to rear or side lot lines.

There shall be a minimum distance of 50 feet, measured in the shortest distance, between any proposed dwelling unit and any petroleum, petroleum products or natural gas transmission line which traverses the subdivision.

Subdividers are urged to avail themselves of the services provided by the various public utility companies in determining the proper locations for utility line easements.