Township of East Allen, PA Design Standards and Required Improvements

Where, owing to special conditions, a literal enforcement of this chapter or its accompanying regulations would result in unnecessary hardship, the Board of Supervisors may make reasonable modifications and exceptions.

Proof of unnecessary hardship must be presented to the Commission by the developer.

The Commission shall review the applicant’s request and submit a written report to the Board of Supervisors.

The request for an exception shall be reviewed at a public meeting of the Board of Supervisors who shall make a decision consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and the intent of this chapter.

§ 212-47 Required improvements.

The remainder of this article sets forth the design and construction standards for required improvements. These minimum standards shall apply to any improvement, regardless of whether required by this chapter or not.

§ 212-48 Overall requirements.

In general:

Land shall be suited to the purposes for which it is to be subdivided.

Land subject to hazardous conditions (such as open quarries, unconsolidated fill, floods, excessive erosion, or water supply which does not meet adequacy requirements or U.S. Public Health Service standards) shall not be subdivided until the hazards have been eliminated or overcome by adequate safeguards provided by the developer and approved by the Board of Supervisors. The Township has a Floodplain Ordinance.[1]

Editor’s Note: See Ch. 112, Floodplain Management.

The approval of a plan for any proposed subdivision or land development shall not constitute a representation, guarantee, or warranty of any kind by the Township, any official, or any employee thereof of the practicability or safety of the use of such land or development, and shall create no liability upon the Township, its officials, or its employees.

Natural and historic feature preservation.

The Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors may require that the design and development of subdivisions and land developments shall preserve, insofar as possible, natural, scenic, and historic features, which will add attractiveness by providing parks, adequate open space for recreation, light and air by proper distribution of population thereby creating conditions favorable to the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the citizens and for the harmonious development of the Township.

Some of these features are the natural terrain and natural drainage, large trees or groves, watercourses and falls, historic areas and structures, scenic views and landmarks, and other community assets.

Tree removal. All trees six inches or more in diameter (measured at a height four feet above original grade) shall not be removed unless they are located within a proposed cartway, sidewalk portion of the right-of-way, or driveway, within the on-site sewage system, within 20 feet of the foundation area of the new building, or unless they are diseased or are excessive in number and thinning will promote and enhance the healthy development of the remaining trees.

Soil protection.

Erosion and sedimentation control.

The developer shall be required to submit an erosion and sedimentation control plan prepared by a person trained and experienced in erosion and sedimentation control methods and techniques (as provided for under Title 25 Rules and Regulations, Chapter 102, issued by the Department of Environmental Protection) to the Northampton County Soil and Water Conservation District for review.

A copy of the erosion and sedimentation control plan as approved by the Northampton County Soil and Water Conservation District shall be submitted to the Commission.

The Northampton County Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook shall be used as a resource in soil protection planning and in the review of such plans.

The landowner shall be responsible for carrying out the requirements of the erosion and sedimentation control plan during earthmoving activities.

All areas of the subdivision shall be stabilized by seeding or planting. Slopes steeper than 15% shall be further protected by mulching which shall be adequately tied down.

Location of site. The design of a proposed subdivision or land development shall be viewed with regard to the following:

Comprehensive Plan and Official Map requirements. The subdivision or land development shall conform to any applicable provisions of the Township Comprehensive Plan and the Township Official Map.

Zoning. The use of land in the subdivision or land development shall conform to Chapter 250, Zoning.

Nearby development. A subdivision or land development and its street pattern shall be coordinated with existing nearby developments or neighborhoods so that the area as a whole may be developed harmoniously.

§ 212-49 Streets.

Access to proposed subdivisions and land developments. All proposed subdivisions and land developments shall have adequate access to the public highway system.

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.

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. Wherever there exists a dedicated or platted portion of a street or alley along a boundary of the tract being subdivided or developed, the remainder of said street or alley to the prescribed width shall be platted within the proposed development where this would not adversely affect the proposed subdivision or land development. Where a subdivision or land development abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate right-of-way width; additional right-of-way width shall be required in conformance with the Table of Design Standards for Streets below.

Intersections.

The center lines of streets shall intersect at right angles unless existing conditions dictate otherwise. In such case the intersection shall be as nearly at right angles as possible.

Intersections of more than two streets at one point shall be avoided. Where streets intersect other streets, offsets shall not be created. The minimum offset or distance between center lines of parallel or approximately parallel streets intersecting a cross street from opposite directions shall be:

One hundred fifty feet for local streets;

Four hundred feet for collector streets; and

Eight hundred feet for arterial streets. (See Figures 10.1a and b.)

At street intersections, the property line shall be rounded by arcs with radii of not less than 25 feet. For streets other than local streets, the Township may require a larger radius. (See Figures 10.2a and b.)

Arterial and collector street frontage. Where a subdivision or land development abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial or collector street, the following measures shall be utilized in accord with the provisions of this ordinance and the East Allen Township Zoning Ordinance.[1]

[Amended 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Marginal access streets;

Buffer strips for abutting properties;

A reduction in the number of intersections;

A separation of local and through traffic. (See Figures 10.3a, b, and c); or

Reverse frontage lots.

Editor's Note: See Ch. 250, Zoning.

Street design standards.

Minimum street design standards shall be as shown in the Table of Design Standards for Streets:

Table of Design Standards for Streets (all dimensions in feet unless specified)
NA = Not Applicable
Design Specifications	Type of Street
Design Specifications	Arterial	Collector	Local	Marginal Access
Right-of-way width	80	60	50	40
Cartway width	28	26	24	24
Cartway width with curbs on both sides and no parking	30	26	NA	NA
Cartway width with curbs on one side parking	NA	34	30	30
Cartway width with curbs and two sides parking	NA	42	36	36
Acceleration/ deceleration lane width (one side without curbs)	12	12	NA	NA
Minimum sight distance¹	475	300	200	150
Minimum tangent between reverse curves²	200	100	100	100
Minimum center-line radii for horizontal curves	400³	200³	150	100
Maximum grade⁴	6%	8%	11%	11%

	NOTES: ¹ Horizontal sight distances shall be measured from a point 3.75 feet above the road surface to a point six inches above the road surface. ² All tangents shall be measured along the street center line.
	³ Larger radii may be required as determined by the Township Engineer and/or appropriate state Agency. ⁴ Minimum grades for all streets shall be 0.75%.

Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of 5°, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.

Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade exceeding 1%. The length of the vertical curve shall be determined by multiplying the algebraic difference in change of percent in grade by the following factors:

Arterial streets: 70 feet.

Collector streets: 50 feet.

Local streets: 30 feet.

Marginal access streets: 30 feet.

Where the grade on any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than four-percent grades for a distance of 25 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.

The maximum grade across the turnaround in a cul-de-sac shall not exceed 7%.

To provide for adequate drainage, the minimum grade of any street gutter shall be not less than 0.5%.

The Board of Supervisors, upon the recommendation of the Township Engineer and the Planning Commission, and after consultation with PennDOT if a state road is involved, may require a subdivision or land development to partially or wholly fund or accomplish the widening of an abutting intersection (including but not limited to moving the curbline inward to increase the curve radius) and/or providing a left and/or right turn lane if the Board of Supervisors determine that such improvements are needed to avoid increased traffic congestion and to provide for traffic safety and if the Board of Supervisors determine that such improvements are reasonably the responsibility of the applicant.

Easements. Easements shall be provided adjacent to street rights-of-way as follows:

Drainage easements shall be provided as indicated and required by the drainage plans.

Slope easements shall be provided as indicated by the required cuts and fills.

Utility easements of a minimum of 10 feet in width shall be provided for electric power, gas, telephone, and television cable lines so that each lot or dwelling unit can be served.

Sightlines at intersections of streets.

A triangular area as defined in subsection H(3)(c) shall be graded and shall be free of sight obstructions so that vision between a height of from two to 10 feet above the center-line grades of the intersecting streets is not obscured.

By means of deed restriction, lease restriction, or plan amendment (whichever method is applicable), vegetation shall not be planted or allowed to grow in such a manner as to obscure vision between a height of from two to 10 feet above the center-line grades of the intersecting streets within the triangular area defined in Subsection H(3).

Such triangular area shall be bounded by the intersecting street center lines and a diagonal connecting two points. These points are a distance from each end of the center line of each street of:

One hundred and fifty feet from the intersection of such street center lines, if either street is an arterial street;

One hundred feet from the intersection of such street and center line if either street is a collector street; and

Seventy-five feet from the intersection of such street center lines, if both streets are local streets.

Cul-de-sac streets.

Cul-de-sac streets shall be permitted for residential use, not to extend less than 250 feet or more than 400 feet in length; the cul-de-sac must be provided with a turnaround having a radius of 50 feet at the curbline or edge of paving and of 60 feet at the right-of-way line (see Figure 10.4).

[Added 5-19-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-7]

The circular right-of-way of the cul-de-sac shall be connected to the approach right-of-way by an arc having a radius of not less than 30 feet. The circular paving of the cul-de-sac shall be connected to the approach paving by an arc having a radius of not less than 40 feet (see Figure 10.4).

A snow storage easement, a minimum of 30 feet by 30 feet, shall be provided adjacent to the right-of-way at the lowest end of the cul-de-sac. The location shall generally be at the dividing line between two adjacent lots, subject to the approval of the Township. A depressed curb shall be installed at the location of the easement.

[Added 5-19-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-7]

Agreement. As a condition for final plan approval, the developer must enter into a legally binding agreement which shall state who is to be responsible for the improvement and maintenance of any street not offered for dedication. If an association of lot owners is to be made responsible, such association must be legally organized prior to plan approval.

Design and construction standards.

In general. Streets shall be graded, improved and surfaced to the grades and dimensions shown on plans, profiles and cross-sections submitted by the developer and approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Right-of-way grading.

The entire right-of-way shall be graded to the approved cross-section. All trees, stumps and other material deemed unsuitable by the Township Engineer shall be removed. The excavation shall be backfilled and suitably compacted to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer.

The finished road surface both tangent and curve shall be crowned at 3/8 inch per foot away from the center line.

A proper superelevation (banked curves) shall be required on arterials and collectors when the center-line curve radii are less than 1,200 feet and may be required by the Township Engineer on minor local streets when the center-line curve radii are less than 600 feet.

Grading beyond right-of-way.

Where the approved profile of the center line requires excavation or landfill to a depth exceeding six inches, the subdivider or developer may be required to grade beyond the right-of-way line in order to provide continuous slope from the right-of-way line to the proposed elevation of the abutting property.

Such grading beyond the right-of-way shall maintain the original conditions of slope and contours except where stormwater runoff designs dictate or warrant improvement or alteration of the original slope and contours.

Approved plans, either preliminary or final, showing proposed grading, shall be a covenant running with the land, unless altered by written permission from the Board of Supervisors in conjunction with the Northampton County Conservation District.

In areas of earth excavation or earth fill, such grading shall be done to maximum slope of one foot vertical to two feet horizontal. In areas of rock excavation such grading shall be done to a maximum slope of four feet vertical to one foot horizontal.

Trench excavation. All trenches excavated within the cartway of a public street or right-of-way shall be mechanically compacted with backfill acceptable to the Township Engineer or be stone backfilled if the roadway is to be paved in the same construction season.

Drainage.

Parallel and cross drainage facilities shall be properly located, designed and installed to maintain proper drainage of the completed streets.

Proper design and construction in accordance with those requirements may require the use of curb and gutter or paved drainage swales to prevent erosion. Drainage facilities shall be designed in accordance with requirements of Appendix D.[2]

Editor’s Note: Appendix D is included at the end of this chapter.

The minimum diameter of any cross drainage or culvert pipe shall be 15 inches. Corrugated metal pipe and reinforced concrete pipe are accepted pipe materials.

Open pipe ends must be fitted with concrete end walls or wing walls or prefabricated end sections.

No open pipes shall be allowed to end within the Township road right-of-way, except in cases where new driveways must cross existing deep road side swales adjacent to existing Township roads. In the case of these exemptions to the standard, the pipe shall be located as far off the edge of pavement as possible (at least 20 feet from the road center line).

(f)

Energy dissipaters shall be placed at the outlets of all pipes where flow velocities exceed maximum permitted channel velocities.

(g)

Bridges and culverts shall be designed to support expected loads, to carry expected flows, and to be constructed to the full width of the right-of-way in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation construction standards. Separate design plans and specifications shall be required for each bridge and culvert, which plans and specifications shall be subject to review and approval of the Township Engineer.

(h)

Consideration shall be given for subgrade drainage of those soils subject to frost heave. Design of the road bed in such locations may require parallel drainage facilities and/or underdrains to properly stabilize the subgrade. The Board of Supervisors may require that such drainage facilities be provided. The design of such subgrade drainage facilities shall be subject to the review and approval of the Township Engineer.

(i)

Construction of stormwater management and erosion control facilities shall be in accordance with the approved plans and accompanying specification, if any. The construction details and standards of the following publications in their most recent revision shall be acceptable:

Erosion and Sedimentation Control Handbook of Northampton County.

PennDOT, Form 408, Specifications.

PennDOT, RC Series, Roadway Construction Standards.

Township subdivision and land development regulations.

(j)

A set of approved design plans shall be maintained on file at the site during construction, as record drawings.

Subgrade.

The design and construction of the road bed shall take into consideration the supporting capacities of the subgrade, with particular attention to those soils which are subject to frost heave.

Unsuitable soils shall be removed and replaced, drained or otherwise stabilized to provide adequate support for the road bed and anticipated loads.

If the subdivider can prove to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer that natural subbase material has adequate bearing capacity and is well drained, the subbase required below may be omitted.

Subbase, base and surface course.

As a minimum, the road or street pavement structure shall consist of the following:

	TYPE A
	1-inch ID2 — wearing surface
	2-inch ID2 — binder course
	6-inch bituminous concrete base course (2 equal lifts)
	6-inch crushed aggregate subbase on firm subgrade

	TYPE B
	1-inch ID2 — wearing surface
	2-inch ID2 — binder course
	4-inch bituminous concrete base course
	3-inch crushed aggregate subbase on firm subgrade

A typical street cross-section for Type A and Type B is provided in Figures 10.5a and b.

All arterial streets and collector streets shall be constructed in accordance with Subsection K(7)(a) above.

All materials, construction procedures and other specifications shall be in conformance with the latest edition of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Publication 408, including but not limited to the following sections:

	Section 201 — Clearing and Grubbing
	Section 206 — Embankment
	Section 210 — Subgrade
	Section 350 — Subbase
	Section 305 — Bituminous Concrete Base Course
	Section 421 — Bituminous Wearing Course ID2 (standard)
	Section 420 — Bituminous Wearing Course ID2 (standard)

(8)

Alternative designs. Alternative road bed designs may be prepared and will be considered. The alternate design must provide load capabilities equivalent to or higher than the capabilities of the designs set forth above. Alternate designs will be reviewed on the basis of design recommendations of the Asphalt Institute and be subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors and Township Engineer.

(9)

Bridges and stream crossings. Bridges and other stream crossing structures which are part of the proposed street system shall be designed and constructed in accordance with current PennDOT Standards and Specifications. Evidence of compliance with and approval of the Division of Dams and Encroachments, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, shall be provided by the developer, if applicable.

§ 212-50 Blocks.

Residential.

Residential blocks shall not exceed 2,000 feet in length in subdivisions using an average lot size of one acre or larger and shall not exceed 1,500 feet in length in subdivisions having an average lot size less than one acre, unless permitted by the Board of Supervisors.

Blocks shall be of sufficient width to permit two tiers or lots except where access is limited by virtue of an adjoining arterial street or by virtue of topographic limitations, unless permitted by the Board of Supervisors.

Blocks along arterial streets shall be no less than 1,000 feet in length.

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Nonresidential. Nonresidential blocks shall not be less than 800 feet in length, except along arterial streets where they shall be no less than 1,000 feet in length.

[Amended 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

§ 212-51 Lots.

Lots shall conform to the applicable minimum lot sizes, lot widths and yard requirements as set forth in Chapter 250, Zoning.

All lots shall front on a street constructed in accordance with the standards of this chapter.

The depth-to-width ratio of a lot shall not be greater than three to one, unless otherwise permitted by the Board of Supervisors.

Side lines of lots shall abut and be at right angles to straight streets and on radial lines to curved streets, unless otherwise permitted by the Board of Supervisors. Pointed or very irregular lots shall be avoided. (See Figures 10.6a, b, c and d.)

Double frontage lots.

Double frontage lots shall ordinarily not be platted except as provided in Subsection E(2).

In the event such lots are provided, the lot shall be increased 20 feet in depth to provide for a planting strip along the back of the lot. (See Figure 10.7.)

If the remnants of land (other than rights-of-way) exist after subdividing, they shall be incorporated in existing or proposed lots.

§ 212-52 Open space and recreation areas.

Dedication or cash contribution required.

Dedication. The Board of Supervisors shall have the right to require the dedication of land or setting aside of land for open space and recreational area on all major subdivisions or land developments and/or nonresidential subdivisions or land development on the following basis:

Residential. The dedication to the Township or the setting aside of 2,000 square feet of open space and recreation area for each lot, or dwelling unit, or such other area which may be established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors from time to time.

Nonresidential. The dedication to the Township or the setting aside of land to be determined by the number of dwelling units that would result if 80% of the tract were occupied by one acre lots for single-family dwellings and then applying the formula in Subsection A(1)(a) above. When the computation of dwelling units results in a fractional number, only the fraction of 1/2 or more shall be counted as one. Additionally in the case of a land development a minimum of one lot to be calculated for any nonresidential subdivision; land development. All fees due and payable under this chapter shall be made payable to “East Allen Township.”

Cash in lieu of land. Where public recreation/open space areas already exist reasonably close to the proposed subdivision or land development, or in the case of nonresidential development where dedication of recreation/open space is not feasible, contributions of money and/or land located in close proximity to said subdivision or land development may be accepted by the Township in lieu of recreation/open space within the proposed subdivision or land development. The amount of cash contribution shall be determined as follows:

Residential: an amount as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors for each dwelling unit.

Nonresidential. An amount to be determined by utilizing the number of dwelling units that would result if 80% of the tract were occupied by one-acre lots for single-family dwellings (i.e., one-hundred-acre tract equals 80 dwelling units) and applying the formula in Subsection A(2)(a) above. When the computation of dwelling units results in a fractional number only the fraction of 1/2 or more shall be counted as one.

Conditions for dedication of land and/or payment of monies. The public dedication of land and/or payment of monies in lieu thereof shall at all times be conditioned on the following:

The land or monies, or combination thereof, are to be used only for the purpose of providing park or recreational facilities accessible to the subdivision or land development.

The recreational land to be dedicated, and/or facilities to be purchased with the monies contributed under this section, are in accordance with the definite principals and standards contained in a recreation plan formally adopted by the Board of Supervisors and the provisions of this chapter.

The amount and location of land to be dedicated or the monies to be paid shall bear a reasonable relationship to the use of the park and recreational facilities by future inhabitants of the land development or subdivision.

Any monies contributed to the Township in lieu of the dedication of land shall be deposited in an interest-bearing account, clearly identifying the specific recreation facilities for which the monies were received. Interest earned on such accounts shall become monies of those accounts. Monies from such accounts shall be expended only in properly allocable portions of the cost incurred to construct the specific recreation facilities for which the funds were collected.

Upon the request of any person who paid any monies in lieu of the dedication of land, the Township shall refund such monies, plus interest accumulated thereon from the date of the payment, if the Township had failed to utilize the monies paid for the purposes set forth in this chapter within three years from the date such fee was paid.

Characteristics of open space and recreation areas.

Twenty-five percent of the land set aside for open space and recreation areas shall be less than five-percent slope and be suitable for active recreation uses.

These areas may be dedicated in fee-simple to the Township if dedication is acceptable to the Board of Supervisors.

If these areas are not dedicated to the Township, a legal entity shall be provided to operate and/or maintain the open space and recreation areas. This entity may include but not be limited to a condominium, cooperative, a homes’ association, trust or corporation.

The remedies in Section 515.1 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 (as amended), 53 P.S. § 10515.1, are authorized in this chapter and are hereby incorporated by reference.[1]

Editor’s Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

§ 212-53 Stormwater drainage.

Design requirements.

Storm drainage facilities shall be designed and provided to convey flow of surface waters without damage to persons or property.

Storm drainage facilities should be designed not only to handle the anticipated peak discharge from the property being subdivided or developed, but also the runoff that will occur from the property at a higher elevation in the same watershed.

All lots shall be laid out and graded to prevent cross lot drainage, to provide positive drainage away from proposed building areas, and to retard stormwater runoff from the land by taking maximum advantage of natural on-site stormwater percolation into the soils.

An adequate storm sewer system consisting of inlets and other underground drainage structures with approved outlets shall be constructed where the runoff of stormwater and the prevention of erosion cannot be accomplished satisfactorily by surface drainage facilities.

Outlets shall be approved by the Township Engineer and by the Board of Supervisors. (See Appendix D.[1])

Natural drainage courses shall be maintained. (See Figures 10.8a and b and 10.9a and b.)

The existing points of natural drainage discharge onto adjacent property shall not be altered nor shall the rate of water runoff be increased because of development without the written approval of all affected landowners.

No stormwater runoff or natural drainage water shall be so diverted as to overload existing drainage systems, or create flooding or the need for additional drainage structures on other private properties or public lands, without complete approval of provisions being made by the developer for properly handling such conditions, including water runoff impoundments, if necessary.

Editor’s Note: Appendix D is included at the end of this chapter.

Drainage.

To minimize sheet flow of stormwater across lots located on the lower side of roads or streets, and to divert flow away from building areas, the cross-section of the street as constructed shall provide for parallel ditches or swales or curbing on the lower side which shall discharge only at drainage easements.

Drainage structures that are located on state highway rights-of-way shall be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and a letter from that office indicating such approval shall be directed to the Commission before preliminary plan approval.

All streets shall be so designed to provide for the discharge of surface water from their right-of-way. The slope of the crown on proposed streets shall be 3/8 inch per foot away from the center line.

Interceptors for stormwater runoff along streets shall be so spaced and so designed to intercept 80% of the peak runoff from the design storm.

Storm sewers.

Storm sewer facilities may be required in any development situation where the Board of Supervisors, upon review and report of the Engineer and recommendation of the Commission, determine that surface drainage facilities are inadequate to prevent excessive erosion and lot or road maintenance problems.

Whenever storm sewers are required by the Commission and Board of Supervisors, such storm sewer system shall be separate from the sanitary sewer system.

Vertical pipes, inlets, and other surface water receiving structures shall be installed with trash racks.

(8)

Drainage easements.

Drainage easements shall be provided adjacent to street rights-of-way, streams, side property lines and rear property lines as required by the Commission or Board of Supervisors.

Drainage easements shall be a minimum width of:

Ten feet adjacent to a street right-of-way plus the width of any required pipe or other necessary improvements;

Fifteen feet when following side and rear lot lines. Such easements shall, to the fullest extent possible, either immediately adjoin or be centered on such lot lines; or

Fifty feet from the banks of a stream, lake, pond or other watercourse.

(9)

Curbs, gutters and/or drainage swales.

Curbs and gutters and/or drainage swales shall be provided, unless waived by the Board of Supervisors, upon the recommendation of the Commission and Township Engineer.

On-street parking shall be provided on at least one side of a local or marginal access street when curb and gutter are required.

Drainage swales on slopes of 7% or more shall be paved, and the Board of Supervisors may require the paving of drainage swales on less than seven-percent slopes.

Minimum curb construction standards are as follows:

Straight curbs of portland cement concrete shall be 24 inches in depth, six inches wide at the top, and eight inches wide at the bottom, and shall have an exposed face between six inches and eight inches.

Expansion joints shall be provided at least every 30 feet. Each expansion joint shall contain one-half-inch premolded bituminous expansion joint materials. Contraction joints shall be provided at least every 10 feet.

Gutter requirements shall be in conformance with good engineering practice and subject to the approval of the Engineer.

Portland cement concrete used in the construction of curbs and gutters shall meet the minimum 3,000 PSI twenty-eight-day strength test according to ASTM Standards.

[5]

Bituminous paved berm and gutter shall be constructed in accordance with specifications set forth by the Township Engineer.

Ownership and maintenance. The ownership and maintenance responsibility of all temporary and permanent stormwater facilities and erosion and sedimentation control facilities shall be established prior to final plan approval including:

Description of temporary and permanent maintenance requirements.

Identification of responsible individual, corporation, association or other entity for ownership and maintenance of both temporary and permanent stormwater management and erosion and sedimentation control facilities.

Establishment of suitable easements for access to all facilities.

Where the grading and storm drainage plan proposes Township ownership and/or maintenance, a description of the methods, procedures, and the extent to which any facilities shall be turned over to the Township, including a written approval and agreement from the Township indicating acceptance of responsibilities as proposed, shall be incorporated as an integral part of the plan.

§ 212-54 Sewage disposal systems.

In general:

All subdivisions and land developments shall be served with an adequate sewage disposal system (either on-lot or centralized systems) acceptable to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

All residential lots shall contain a suitable area for on-lot sewage disposal system or be served by an approved central sewage disposal system.

An approved sewage permit is required for all lots, regardless of size, before development.

Centralized sewage disposal system.

When the Board of Supervisors determines upon review of competent data and information that on-site soil conditions are unsuitable for on-lot subsurface disposal systems, the developer shall provide a centralized sewer system.

General requirements.

The developer shall provide sewer connections to a centralized sewer system if such sewer system is within 1/4 of a mile and connection if feasible.

When a county plan, regional plan, municipal plan or subdivision requirement indicates that construction of sanitary sewers will serve the site within five years, then capped sewers shall be required.

When a public sanitary sewer system will not be available within five years but will be available within 10 years, then a central sewage treatment and disposal system (commonly called a “package treatment plant”) or a central subsurface disposal system shall be installed by the developer.

The design standards, materials, and specifications of centralized sewage disposal systems shall comply with proposed centralized sewage disposal systems as set forth by the East Allen Township Municipal Authority and are reviewed and approved by same, as well as the current Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Sewerage Manual, supplements thereto and all other requirements either federal or state necessary to secure the requisite permit from such agencies.

On-lot sewage disposal system.

Where it is not necessary to connect to a centralized sewage disposal system, on-lot systems shall be constructed in accordance with criteria set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

An adequate number of test pits and soil percolation tests, as determined by the Sewage Enforcement Officer, shall be undertaken to determine the general suitability of soils throughout the subdivision or land development for on-lot subsurface sewage disposal.

Prior to final plan submission, the developer shall test and locate, showing bearings and distances, on each lot, a suitable primary and secondary absorption area, on each lot, in accordance with Chapter 73 of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulations. These areas shall be marked with a permanent steel stake in the field and protected until such time as the system(s) are constructed and final grading completed on the lot. No sewage permit will be issued or final plans approved until the site is adequately marked as noted above. Any disturbance to the site by grading, equipment traffic, material storage, structures, or otherwise shall be cause for sewage permit denial, as well as prosecution for violation of this chapter pursuant to § 212-14.

The Township Sewage Enforcement Officer’s site and soils investigation and favorable report are required prior to submission of the final plan.

§ 212-55 Water supply systems.

[Amended 1-11-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-05]

All subdivisions and land developments shall be served with an adequate water supply system (either on-lot or public) acceptable to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Public water supply system.

All subdividers and developers shall provide connection to a public water supply system as follows:

Shall connect to and use a public water supply system main that is within 150 feet of any subdivision and/or land development for service to, and use of, such subdivision and/or land development, and for service to and use by all buildings contained within such subdivision and/or land development.

Shall connect to and use a public water supply system main that is within two miles and connection is feasible, such feasibility to be determined as follows: The portion of the development tract nearest the public water supply system is within a distance of the public water supply system equal to 100 feet multiplied by the average daily water demand of the development divided by 250 gallons per day, and:

Said public water supply system has adequate capacity to serve the development and/or the owner of the system is willing to provide improvements necessary to provide the capacity.

The public water supplier agrees to serve the development.

If connection to the existing public water supply system would not create adequate demand to maintain water quality within the delivery piping, the subdivider or developer may choose to either make provisions to maintain water quality or to defer construction of and connection to the public water supply system. If construction and connection is deferred, the ultimate construction and connection shall be agreed to and secured in a manner satisfactory to the Township, and the subdivider or developer shall provide an interim on-lot water supply until the public water supply system is available.

Connection to the public water supply system shall also be required by applicable sections of the East Allen Township Zoning Ordinance.[1]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 250, Zoning.

On-lot water supply system.

When it is determined by East Allen Township that it is not necessary to connect to a public water supply system, individual water supply wells shall be located and constructed in accordance with the criteria set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the requirements set forth in the East Allen Township Zoning Ordinance.

Individual water supply well construction and use for new construction are prohibited by the Zoning Ordinance where public water supply systems are available.

New centralized water supply systems are prohibited, unless such system is designed and constructed in compliance with the Bethlehem Authority and/or City of Bethlehem, and their successors and assigns, standards, procedures and requirements and approval has been obtained from the Bethlehem Authority and/or City of Bethlehem, their successors and assigns, for their ownership and operation, upon satisfactory construction.

Where the proposed subdivision or land development would have an average daily water demand equal to or greater than 10,000 gallons per day for human use or consumption that will be provided by wells, the following water quality tests shall be performed:

The developer shall provide at least one test well for every 2,500 gallons of expected daily demand. Well casings shall be grout-sealed and installed at least 10 feet into bedrock or a minimum depth of 50 feet and shall have a production capacity of at least five gallons per minute (gpm) per proposed dwelling unit of potable water meeting all the maximum contaminant level ("MCL") for the ground parameters listed in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) requirements for new source drinking water standards for public water systems. The water samples must be collected utilizing proper sampling protocol and the samples analyzed by a DEP-certified laboratory. The well(s) and appurtenances shall be located, drilled and installed in accordance with all applicable requirements of the DEP. If the water sampled does not meet the MCLs, the developer shall provide a plan to correct the deficiencies to the satisfaction of the Township.

The test well(s) should be located to minimize the potential for well interference and such that they may be utilized as permanent wells for future lot owners. The proposed location(s) shall be subject to review by the Township Engineer. During the drilling operation, straw bales and filter fabric shall be provided, placed and properly anchored as necessary for temporary control of silt-laden runoff and soil erosion.

After completion of the well testing, the developer shall install a watertight, overlapping, locked cover on the top of the casing to prevent contamination of the test well(s).

All well locations, depths, ground elevations, groundwater elevations, and water quality test results shall be provided to the Township in a report prepared by a professional geologist and submitted to the Township as a supporting document with the preliminary plan.

If a plan to correct water quality deficiencies is required, as described above, this plan shall be prepared by a professional engineer and submitted to the Township as a supporting document with the preliminary plan.

§ 212-56 Other utilities.

Underground placement. All electric power, telephone, cable television, gas, and other utilities shall be placed underground where feasible and in accordance with the current standards of the utility serving the subdivision or development.

Easements. Utility easements of a minimum of 10 feet in width shall be provided for electric power, gas, telephone and cable television lines so that each lot or dwelling unit can be served.

§ 212-57 Access drives and driveways.

Access drives. Access drives shall be constructed to the following minimum specifications:

Six inches crushed aggregate.

One and one-half inches ID-2 binder course paving.

One inch ID-2 wearing course paving.

Access. Access drives and driveways shall not be permitted to have direct access to state highways unless authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation through issuance of a highway occupancy permit.

Location. The minimum distance between an access drive or driveway to a street shall be as follows:

	Distance Between Center Lines of Access Drive or Driveway and Nearest Intersecting Road By Type of Intersecting Road
Type of Subdivision or Land Development	Arterial (feet)	Collector (feet)	Local (feet)
Residential	150	100	75
Nonresidential or mixed	300	200	150

Sightlines at intersections of driveways or access drives with streets.

A triangular area as defined in § 212-57D(3) shall be graded and shall be free of sight obstructions so that vision between a height of from two to 10 feet above the center-line grades of the intersecting driveway, accessway, or streets is not obscured.

By means of deed restriction, lease restriction, or plan amendment (whichever method is applicable), vegetation shall not be planted or allowed to grow in such a manner so as to obscure vision between a height of from two to 10 feet above the center-line grades of the intersecting driveway, accessway, or streets within the triangular area defined in § 212-57D(3).

Such triangular area shall be bounded by the intersecting driveway, accessway, or street center lines and a diagonal connecting two points, one which is at each end of the center line of each driveway, accessway, or street 30 feet from the intersection of such center lines.

Grades. Grades of driveways for single-family detached dwellings shall not exceed 15% at any point within the lot. All other access drives and driveways shall not exceed 11%. The maximum grade of all access drives or driveways shall not exceed 7% within 20 feet of the curbline or edge of pavement of the intersecting street.

[Amended 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Street drainage. The developer shall make adequate provisions to maintain uninterrupted parallel drainage along a public street where intersected by an access drive or driveway.

Throat length. Throat length for nonresidential development, apartment complexes, and mobile home parks shall comply with the following standards. The throat length shall be measured from the point where the access road meets the nearest edge of the shoulder or curbline of the arterial or collector street to the first point where the access driveway meets an on-site circulation driveway:

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Minimum-use driveways: 25 feet.

Low-volume driveways: 50 feet.

Medium-volume driveways: 120 feet.

High-volume driveways: 150 feet or as determined by a queuing analysis.

Driveway spacing. Driveways for nonresidential uses along arterial streets shall be spaced a minimum of 400 feet apart. Driveway spacing shall be measured from the end of one driveway radius to the beginning of the next driveway radius. Driveway center lines for low- medium-, and high-volume driveways shall be aligned with existing driveways and roadways on the opposite side of the arterial street absent identifiable safety deficiencies.

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

For driveways along arterial streets that are restricted to right-in, right-out movements, the installation of a nontraversable median shall be required for driveways with expected volumes exceeding 750 vehicles per day to reinforce the prohibition of left turns to or from the driveway. The placement, type, and design of the median barrier shall be in accordance with the most recent edition of PennDOT Publication 13M, Design Manual Part II and the AASHTO publications, A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets and Roadside Design Guide. The median will not be required if PennDOT will not allow the placement of the median.

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Channelization islands and medians shall be used to separate conflicting traffic movements into specified lanes to facilitate orderly movements for vehicles and pedestrians for medium- and high-volume driveways. Raised channelization islands may be required to restrict disruptive turning movements. Such raised islands shall be designated consistent with the criteria in the latest publication entitled "A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets."

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Deceleration lane. The provision of a deceleration lane shall be required for access points along arterial and collector streets pursuant to the following criteria:

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Unsignalized intersections.

A deceleration lane shall be considered on the arterial or collector street at an unsignalized access point when any one or a combination of the following conditions exist:

Forty or more right turns in the peak hour;

Three percent or greater downgrade with 20 or more right turns in the peak hour;

A speed limit greater than 40 miles per hour;

An average daily traffic of 5,000 or greater on the arterial or collector street.

A right-turn lane shall be required on the driveway or access road if a capacity analysis shows a Level of Service D, E, or F for the approach and the installation of a right-turn lane will improve operations.

Signalized intersections. A right-turn lane shall be required when a capacity analysis shows a Level of Service D, E, or F and the operation of the intersection can be improved by the installation of one or more right-turn lanes.

Minimum design criteria.

The width of the right-turn lane shall be 13 feet with curb and 11 feet without curb. If not curbed, shoulders shall be designed in accordance with PennDOT 3R criteria found in PennDOT Publication 13M: Design Manual Part II.

The length of the right-turn lanes shall consider the following components as applicable:

The storage bay length shall accommodate the 95th percentile queue length for signalized intersections. The stop controlled approach of an unsignalized intersection shall accommodate the number of turning vehicles likely to arrive in an average two-minute period during the peak hour.

Deceleration distance shall be in accordance with AASHTO publication A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets.

The right-turn or deceleration lane shall be designed based on an analysis that projects traffic volumes for a ten-year period from the anticipated opening of the proposed development.

The 85th percentile speed shall be used for the retrofit of existing deceleration or right-turn lanes. The design speed of the roadway shall be used for the design of right-turn or deceleration lanes for new streets.

Left-turn lane. The provision of a left-turn lane along the arterial or collector street shall be required pursuant to the following provisions:

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Unsignalized intersections.

A left-turn lane shall be provided when the appropriate Highway Research Record (HRR) 211 nomograph indicates that the warrant for a one-hundred-foot-long left-turn lane is met for the anticipated completion date of the development.

A left-turn lane shall be provided if the visibility to the rear of a vehicle stopped to turn left into the proposed access does not meet minimum sight distance requirements and no alternative is available.

Signalized intersections. A left-turn lane shall be required when a capacity analysis indicates that the operation of an intersection, approach or movement will operate at a Level of Service D, E, or F and the operation of the intersection, approach, or movement can be improved with the installation of one or more left-turn lanes.

Design criteria.

The minimum width of the left-turn lane shall be 10 feet, unless the percentage of trucks is projected to exceed 5%, in which case the minimum width shall be 11 feet.

The length of the left-turn lane shall consider the following components as may be applicable:

The length shall accommodate the 95th percentile queue length for signalized intersections.

The length shall be determined from the appropriate nomograph in HRR 211 for the uncontrolled approach of an unsignalized intersection.

The deceleration length and the taper length shall be in accordance with AASHTO publication A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets.

Acceleration lanes. Acceleration lanes shall be provided subject to the following criteria:

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Acceleration lanes may be required along arterial streets where the speed limit is greater than 40 miles per hour and where access points are located sufficiently apart to permit installation.

The design length and width shall follow criteria found in the latest edition of the AASHTO publication A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets and shall conform to PennDOT requirements.

Two-way left-turn lanes.

[Added 11-12-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17]

Two-way left-turn lanes may be allowed where the speed limit is 45 miles per hour or less and where no locations of heavy concentrations of left-turning vehicles that cannot be accommodated with exclusive left-turn lanes exist.

Modification of the pavement markings for a center left-turn lane to provide an exclusive left-turn lane based on requirements for unsignalized and signalized left-turn lanes may be required at cross streets or locations with a heavy concentration of left-turning vehicles.

The pavement markings for a two-way left-turn lane shall be in accordance with the guidelines and criteria contained in the most recent edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

§ 212-58 Off-street parking and loading.

Every land development or subdivision shall provide the minimum number of off-street parking and loading spaces required by Chapter 250, Zoning.

Off-street parking or loading spaces may be in an individual garage, carport, or driveway or in a common parking area outside the street right-of-way, convenient to the dwelling units or use to be served and shall be installed concurrently with the construction of the dwelling units.

§ 212-59 Sidewalks and pathways.

Sidewalks or pathways shall be required in all residential developments where density exceeds five dwelling units per acre.

In other subdivisions or land developments, sidewalks or pathways may also be required by the Board of Supervisors.

Location.

Sidewalks, where required or provided, shall be located within the street right-of-way and no closer than one foot from the right-of-way line nor closer than three feet from the curbline.

A grass planting strip shall be planted between the curb and sidewalk.

Width.

Sidewalks shall be a minimum width of:

Five feet along arterial streets; and

Four feet along collector or local streets, access drives, and driveways.

Pathways shall be a minimum width of four feet.

Required construction.

Sidewalks and crosswalks shall be portland cement concrete of at least four inches thick underlain by three inches of compacted gravel or crushed stone.

Sidewalks at driveway crossings shall be at least six inches thick reinforced and underlain by four inches of compacted gravel or crushed stone.

Pathways shall be portland cement concrete or bituminous of at least four inches thick underlain by three inches of compacted gravel or crushed stone.

§ 212-60 Street lighting.

The developer shall be required to provide street lights when the Board of Supervisors deems them necessary to provide safe traffic circulation.

Such lights shall meet design standards established by the Board of Supervisors.

§ 212-61 Signs.

The developer shall provide the subdivision or land development with adequate street signs at the intersections of all streets and with any other signs required by the Board of Supervisors.

Sign, style, color, and lettering, shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors.

§ 212-62 Traffic signals and signs.

The developer shall be required to provide traffic signals and signs when the Board of Supervisors, after review and recommendation of the Commission, deems them necessary to provide safe traffic circulation.

Such traffic signals and signs shall meet current design standards as established by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

§ 212-63 Landscaping.

Street trees.

The developer shall plant shade trees (except where existing trees will be retained which meet the requirements) meeting the following specifications within all rights-of-way of streets for land developments and major subdivisions, or if deemed appropriate by the subdivider or developer and approved by the Board of Supervisors, within 10 feet of the street right-of-way. Where this latter condition exists, a covenant running with the land shall so stipulate and the responsibility for maintenance and replacement shall be borne by the owner of record.

Types of trees permitted.

Trees shall be of nursery stock quality of a species approved by the Township and grown under the same climatic conditions as the location of the development.

Site locations, land use, topography, natural and historical features shall be considered by the subdivider in selecting species.

Trees within street rights-of-way shall be a deciduous type, nonsusceptible to vehicular and other air pollutants.

Street trees shall be chosen from the following list of approved street trees:

[Amended 5-19-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-7]

	American Red Maple	Acer rubrum
	Bur Oak	Quercus macrocarpa
	Chinese Scholar Tree	Sophora japonica
	Crimson King Red Maple	Acer plantinoides "Crimson King"
	Little Leaf European Linden	Tilia cordata
	Maiden Hair Tree -male only	Ginko biloba fastigiata
	Pin Oak	Quercus palustris
	Red Oak	Quercus coccinea
	Scarlet Oak	Quercus japonica
	Sugar Maple	Acer saccharum
	Sweet gum - male only	Liquidambar styraciflue
	Thornless Locust	Gleditsia triacanthos
	White Oak	Quercus alba

Quality of trees. Trees permitted shall be of symmetrical growth, free of insect pests and disease, and durable under the maintenance contemplated.

Minimum size.

Trunk diameter (measured at a height of three feet above the finished grade level) shall be a minimum of two inches.

[Amended 5-19-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-7]

Depending on good planting practice with reference to the particular species to be planted, the Township may modify the size requirements of trees.

Location.

In all subdivisions and land developments, trees shall be planted along both sides of the street right-of-way at a maximum interval of one tree every 100 feet.

Street trees shall be placed 20 feet from the edge of the paved cartway, or as otherwise approved by the Board of Supervisors.

[Amended 5-19-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-7]

If applicable, trees may be planted between the sidewalk and building line at least three feet from the sidewalk or centered between the curb and sidewalk providing the planting strip is a minimum of five feet in width.

Planting. Besides conforming to all parts of this section, all planting shall be done in conformance with good nursery and landscape practice, and to the standards established by the Township.

Removal. After the street trees have become Township property, they shall not be removed without approval of the Board of Supervisors.

Ground cover requirements.

[Amended 2-19-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-3]

Exposed ground surface in all parts of the subdivision shall be paved or covered with stone screenings, or other solid material, or protected with a vegetative growth that is capable of preventing soil erosion and the emanation of dust during dry weather. Vegetative growth is not to exceed 12 inches in height at any time.

The vegetative cover shall not be poisonous in nature. Vegetative growth is not to exceed 12 inches in height at any time.

Buffer yards. The Board of Supervisors may require the provision of a buffer yard meeting the requirements of this section in order to reduce conflicts between proposed subdivision or land development and other developments or areas.

Size; location.

A twenty-foot buffer yard shall be required, unless otherwise indicated in this chapter.

The buffer yard shall be measured from the district boundary line or from the street right-of-way line (where a street serves as the district boundary line). Buffer yards shall not be within an existing or future street right-of-way and shall be in addition to that right-of-way.

The buffer yard may be coterminous with a required front, side, or rear yard, provided the larger yard requirement shall apply in case of conflict.

Characteristics.

The buffer yard shall be a landscaped area free of structures, manufacturing or processing activity, materials, or vehicular parking. No driveways or streets shall be permitted in the buffer yards except at points of ingress or egress.

In all buffer yards, all areas not within the planting screen shall be planted with grass seed, sod or ground cover, and shall be maintained and kept clean of all debris, rubbish, grass more than 12 inches in height, or weeds.

Planting screen.

Each buffer yard shall include a planting screen of trees, shrubs, and/or other plant materials extending the full length of the lot line to serve as a barrier to visibility, airborne particles, glare and noise.

Each planting screen shall be in accordance with the following requirements:

Plant materials used in the planting screen shall be of such species and size as will produce, within two years, a complete year-round visual screen of at least eight feet in height.

The planting screen shall be permanently maintained by the landowner and any plant material which does not live shall be replaced within one year.

The planting screen shall be so placed that at maturity it will be at least three feet from any street or property line.

The planting screen shall be broken only at points of vehicular or pedestrian access and shall comply with §§ 212-49H and 212-57D.

Site landscaping All subdivisions and land developments other than those for single-family detached dwellings shall provide plantings in addition to any required street trees or buffer yard planting screens in accordance with the following requirements:

At least one tree shall be provided for each 1,500 square feet of new impervious cover. Impervious cover for the purposes of this section shall be deemed to include any nonvegetative ground cover, including but not limited to building roof areas, parking lots or storage areas, whether paved or stoned, and walkways or patios.

Besides the types of trees specified for use as street trees, the site landscaping trees may include flowering or ornamental trees (at least 1 1/2 inches diameter, measured three feet above grade level) or evergreen trees (at least five feet high). The number of flowering ornamental and evergreen trees shall not comprise more than 75% of the total site landscaping plantings.

Existing retained trees meeting the requirements of § 212-48B(3) may be counted towards meeting 50% of the number of plantings required by Subsection D(1).

§ 212-64 Monuments and lot pins.

Monuments.

Location. Permanent reference monuments shall be located at each intersection of street center lines of street(s) constructed by the developer, at the beginning and ending of all street curves, and at exterior corners of the subdivision designated by the Township Engineer. With the approval of the Township Engineer, the subdivider may install monuments on only one side of the street provided that enough monuments are set to permit a surveyor to stake out accurately any building lot shown on the record plan.

Type. Reference monument shall be constructed of steel reinforced portland cement concrete to the dimensions shown in the accompanying sketch.

Placement. Reference monuments shall be placed so that the top of the monument is as shown in the accompanying sketch.

Lot pins. All lot corner markers shall be permanently located and shall be at least a three-fourths-inch metal pin or pipe with a minimum length of 20 inches, located in the ground to existing grade.

§ 212-65 Carbonate geology areas.

Purpose. Areas within the Township are underlain by carbonate bedrock, such as limestone and dolomite. Such areas may have conduit drainage developed beneath them by dissolution of the rock, a process called “karstification.” Because of this, such areas are susceptible to surface collapse and subsidence caused by physical and chemical erosion of soil and bedrock. These areas are especially susceptible to contamination of groundwater through the movement of solid and liquid wastes, contaminated surface water, septic tank effluent or other hazardous substances in fractures, solution openings and fissures within the rock, which may lead to pollution of groundwater supplies. It is the intent of this regulation to minimize the harmful aspects of development within the carbonate rock areas through site planning and other risk-reduction measures.

Applicability. The requirements of this section shall apply to subdivisions and land developments that are underlain by carbonate bedrock. The identification of areas underlain by carbonate bedrock shall be as delineated in Open File Report 8702, entitled “Sinkholes and Karst Related Features of Northampton County, Pennsylvania” by William E. Kochanov, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Topographic and Geological Survey. Because the delineation of geologic contacts is frequently made by inference based upon interpretation of topographic features or other field data in the absence of outcrops, the requirements of this section shall apply to any subdivision or land development within 500 feet of the boundary of any area depicted as underlain by carbonate bedrock on the aforementioned Open File Report.

Specific requirements

As part of the preliminary plan requirements for all subdivision and land developments, and for minor subdivisions, excluding plans for lot line adjustments which do not create a new building lot, that are underlain by carbonate geology as described in Subsection B, the applicant shall engage a licensed professional geologist who shall conduct a field inspection of the site, review aerial photographs, soils, geologic and other available related data. The geologist shall submit a report describing the methods of the investigation and materials and data reviewed, and shall indicate the presence or absence of the following carbonate geology features, which shall be shown on the subdivision or land development grading, drainage, and utility plans:

Closed depressions or ghost lakes.

Lineaments, fracture traces or faults.

Rock outcrops.

Seasonal high water tables.

Sinkholes and previously filled sinkholes.

(f)

Soil mottling on aerial photographs, as an indication of shallow weathered pinnacles.

(g)

Springs.

(h)

Surface drainage entering the ground.

(i)

Caverns.

(j)

Disappearing streams.

(k)

Surface or shallow subsurface pinnacles.

The following requirements shall apply to the development of land in relation to carbonate geology features:

On-lot sewer system drainfields and stormwater control basins shall be located no closer than 100 feet to the rim of sinkholes, closed depressions, ghost lakes, caverns, and disappearing streams and no closer than 50 feet to lineaments, fracture traces or surface or shallow subsurface pinnacles.

Outflow from a stormwater control basin and stormwater flow generated as a result of development shall not empty into or be directed to any of the following carbonate features: sinkholes, closed depressions, lineaments, fracture traces, caverns, ghost lakes and disappearing streams.

No principal or accessory building or structure or impervious surface, shall be located any closer than 100 feet to the rim of sinkholes, closed depressions, or ghost lakes, or 100 feet to lineaments, fracture traces, caverns, or disappearing streams unless a detailed surface and subsurface investigation has been performed and procedures provided to mitigate any threat of the feature(s) on groundwater quality and stability of surface and subsurface structures to the satisfaction of the Township. The investigation must be performed by a licensed professional geologist.

All stormwater control basins shall be lined with an impervious liner. Mortar joint and metal-banded storm sewer piping is prohibited.

No toxic and hazardous substances shall be located closer than 100 feet to the rim of a sinkhole or 100 feet to ghost lakes, lineaments, fracture traces, disappearing streams, closed depressions, caverns, surface or shallow subsurface pinnacles.

Disclaimer of liability

In carbonate geology areas, alteration, development or use of land may be hazardous with respect to foundation safety of structures, the creation of unstable land as a result of changes in drainage and the contamination of groundwater and surface water. Within the limitations of the information available at the time of review on individual applications, the Township shall attempt to make reasonable judgments as to the applicant’s rights and responsibilities in this carbonate geology area. All applicants and property owners are hereby notified that the Township, Township employees, and Township consultants undertake no responsibility of property or life or personal injury due to carbonate geology conditions, even if applicants or property owners strictly observe all Township ordinances.