The design of all subdivisions and land developments shall be in conformance with and subject to the following general standards and provisions:
A. 
Suitability of land. Land subject to hazards of life, health or property, as may arise from fire, floods, severe stormwater runoff, disease or other dangers, shall not be subdivided for development or developed for purposes susceptible to such hazards unless they have been eliminated or the subdivision or land development plat provides adequate safeguards against such.
B. 
Physiographic considerations. The standards of this chapter may be increased or the modification of the design of a proposed subdivision or land development may be required on the recommendation of the township engineer, Lycoming County Planning Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, the soil conservation service of the United States Department of Agriculture and/or planning consultant when such is deemed necessary as a result of topographic or other natural or man-made physical features within or adjoining a particular site to assure public safety, health and welfare, the provision of public services and the maintenance of public facilities.
The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade and location of all streets shall conform to the Official Map and to the community Comprehensive Plan, if one has been adopted, and shall be considered in their relation to existing and planned streets, to topographical conditions, to public convenience and safety, and in their appropriate relation to the proposed uses of the land to be served by such streets. Where not shown on the Official Map or community Comprehensive Plan, the arrangement and other design standards of streets shall conform to the provisions found herein.
A. 
The arrangement of streets in new subdivision or land development shall make provisions for the continuation of existing streets in adjoining areas.
B. 
Where adjoining areas are not subdivided, the arrangement of streets in new subdivision or land development shall make provision for the proper projection of streets.
C. 
When a new subdivision adjoins unsubdivided land appropriate for subdivision or land development, then the new street right-of-way shall be carried to the boundaries of the tract proposed to be subdivided.
D. 
Proposed streets shall conform to any local, county, and state road or highway plans which have been prepared, adopted and/or filed, as required by law.
E. 
In commercial and industrial areas, adequate off-street loading and unloading space shall be provided.
F. 
Minor streets shall be laid out so as to discourage through traffic.
G. 
Whenever the proposed subdivision or land development contains or is adjacent to a highway designated as a limited access highway by the appropriate highway authorities, provision shall be made for a marginal access street at a distance acceptable for the appropriate use of the land between the highway and such street. The Commission may also require rear-service access, reverse frontage lots or such other treatment which will provide protection for abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections with major streets and separation of local and through traffic.
H. 
In approving names of streets, cognizance shall be given to existing or platted street names within the postal delivery district service by the post office. New streets shall bear the same name of any continuation or alignment with an existing or platted street.
I. 
New half or partial streets will not be permitted, except where essential to 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 secured.
J. 
Wherever a tract to be subdivided borders an existing half or partial street, the other part of the street shall be plotted within such tract.
K. 
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited, except as stubs to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, or when designed as culs-de-sac.
L. 
New reserve strips, including those controlling access to streets, shall be avoided.
A. 
Residential culs-de-sac shall be provided at the closed end with a paved turnaround having a minimum radius to the outer pavement edge or curbline of 40 feet and a property line radius of 50 feet.
B. 
Commercial and industrial culs-de-sac shall be adequate for the type of use to be serviced.
C. 
Stub streets. When future extension is desirable, the right-of-way shall be placed adjacent to a property line and a right-of-way of the same width as the street shall be carried to the property line in such a way as to permit future extension of the street into the adjoining tract.
D. 
Temporary dead streets, on approved plans, may be used, provided that the developer, on his own land, constructs a stabilized all-weather turnaround of the same radius as would be required for a permanent cul-de-sac, the turnaround to be removed when the street is continued.
E. 
Permanent culs-de-sac shall not exceed 1,000 feet in length or serve more than 20 dwelling units.
A. 
Curves.
(1) 
Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of 5º, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.
(2) 
A tangent shall be required between curves, except on minor streets.
B. 
Sight distance. To assure adequate sight distance, horizontal and vertical curves shall be provided on all streets as follows:
(1) 
Minor streets: 150 feet.
(2) 
Collector streets: 300 feet.
(3) 
Arterial streets: 500 feet.
A. 
Street right-of-way widths and cartway shall be not less than as shown on the following table:
Streets
Width
(feet)
Collector Streets
  Right-of-way width
60 to 80
  Cartway with curbing
36
  Cartway without curbing
24 plus ten-foot shoulders
Minor and Culs-de-sac
  Right-of-way width
50
  Cartway with curbing
30
  Cartway without curbing
24 plus eight-foot shoulders
B. 
Provision for additional street width (right-of-way) may be required by the governing body in specific cases for:
(1) 
Public safety and convenience.
(2) 
In commercial and industrial areas or in high-density residential development.
(3) 
Widening of existing streets which do not meet the requirements of Subsection A.
Short extensions of existing streets with lesser right-of-way and/or cartway widths than above may be permitted; provided, however, that no section of new right-of-way less than 40 feet in width shall be permitted.
Streets shall be logically related to the topography so as to produce usable roads and reasonable grades. The grade shall be as follows:
A. 
Center line grades.
(1) 
Center line grade should be not less than 1/2 of 1% when curb or paved gutter is provided, and 1% when no curb or gutter is provided.
(2) 
Center line grades shall not exceed:
(a) 
Minor street: 12%.
(b) 
Collector and major traffic street: 7%.
(3) 
Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade, and shall be designed in relation to the extent of the grade change and to provide the following minimum sight distances:
(a) 
Minor street: 100 feet.
(b) 
Collector street: 200 feet.
(c) 
Arterial street: 400 feet.
B. 
Leveling area. Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than 4% grades for a distance of 25 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
A. 
Intersection design.
(1) 
Streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. No street shall intersect another at an angle of less than 60º.
(2) 
Multiple intersections involving the junction or crossing of more than two streets are prohibited. Where this proves impossible, such intersections shall be designed with extreme care for both pedestrian and vehicular safety.
(3) 
To the fullest extent possible, intersections with collector or arterial streets shall be located not less than 800 feet apart, measured from center line to center line.
(4) 
Streets entering opposite sides of another street shall be laid out either directly opposite one another or with a minimum offset of 150 feet between their center lines.
(5) 
Clear sight triangles of 75 feet measured along street center lines from their point of junction shall be provided at all intersections, and no building or other sight obstruction over 2 1/2 feet in height shall be permitted within such sight triangles.
B. 
Curb radii. Minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be 20 feet for intersections involving only minor streets, 35 feet for intersections, including other type streets, or such greater radius as is suitable to the specific intersection. Property line corners shall be rounded with a similar radius as provided for the curb.
A. 
The length, width and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to:
(1) 
Provision of adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed.
(2) 
Topography.
(3) 
Requirements for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulations.
B. 
Blocks should have a maximum length of 1,600 feet and, so far as practicable, a minimum length of 500 feet. In the design of blocks longer than 1,100 feet, special consideration shall be given to the provision of satisfactory fire protection.
C. 
Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to accommodate two tiers of lots, except where reverse frontage lots bordering a major traffic street are used.
D. 
Pedestrian walkways may be required where necessary to assist circulation or provide access to community facilities. Such walkways shall have a right-of-way width of not less than 20 feet, and a paved walk of not less than four feet.
The minimum building line shall be controlled by Chapter 215, Zoning, as amended. Corner lots shall have extra width to permit the appropriate building setback from both streets.
The arrangement and other design standards of lots shall conform to the following requirements:
A. 
Every lot shall abut a street or private road.
B. 
Lot size shall be controlled by the provisions of Chapter 215, Zoning, as amended, and Act 537 as amended.
Public grounds, recreation areas and general open space shall be provided in accordance with the following:
A. 
Reservations: Subdivision and land development plans shall provide for the reservation of any public grounds shown on the county or community Comprehensive Plan and/or Official Map situated within the area to be subdivided or developed, however, such reservation shall lapse one year after the landowner has submitted a written notice and/or formal application indicating his intention to subdivide or develop the land covered by the reservation, unless the governing body or such other entity for which the land is reserved shall have acquired, entered into an agreement to acquire, or begun condemnation proceedings to acquire such property.
B. 
Common use areas: Every proposed residential subdivision or land development to accommodate more than 25 dwelling units shall be required to provide open space for the common use of the residents thereof when deemed necessary by the Planning Commission and the governing body. The size of lots or area per dwelling units may be reduced by 5%, except in the case of on-lot sewage disposal when such land is provided in accordance with the following standards:
(1) 
The land provided is of suitable size, dimensions, topography, access and general character for the type of use deemed appropriate to the needs of the development, as determined by the Planning Commission and the governing body.
(2) 
The amount of such land equals at least .02 acres per each dwelling unit to be established in the subdivision or land development; provided, however, that such area must be at least one acre in size.
(3) 
Such area may be offered for dedication; however, such offer shall not bind the township to accept the same. If such dedication is accepted, the reduction of the zoning requirements permitted above shall be deemed adequate compensation to the landowner for the land so dedicated if said allowance has been exercised.
(4) 
The developer shall make adequate provision for the perpetuation and ground maintenance of any such area not offered or accepted for dedication by the township, and shall provide evidence of such provision upon filing the preliminary plat.
C. 
Open space: In the case of group or cluster developments, no less than 25% of the total land area shall be devoted to common open space (including any area provided under Subsection B above) and adequate assurance for the perpetuation and ground maintenance thereof shall be provided by the developer.
A. 
Lot drainage. Lots shall be laid out and graded to provide positive drainage away from new and existing buildings.
B. 
Storm sewers installation. Storm sewers, culverts and related installations shall be installed in accordance with this section, to provide:
(1) 
The unimpeded flow of natural watercourses.
(2) 
Adequate drainage of streets.
(3) 
The interception of stormwater runoff along streets at intervals reasonably related to the extent and grade of the area drained.
C. 
Stormwater runoff: In the design of storm sewerage installations, special consideration shall be given to avoidance of problems which may arise from concentration of stormwater runoff over adjacent properties. All storm drainage systems shall be designed to handle a twenty-five-year frequency, twenty-four-hour duration rainfall. Storm intensity to be used shall be based upon the twenty-five-year frequency and the storm drainage in the watershed under consideration. The minimum one-hour rainfall intensity used in computation shall be based upon a one-hour rainfall of two inches.
D. 
Open drainageways. When open drainageways are used for the disposal of stormwater, the Planning Commission shall review the design of such open drainageways in relation to the following:
(1) 
Safety. Steep banks and deep pools shall be avoided.
(2) 
Erosion. Adequate measures shall be taken, such as seeding, sodding, paving or other measures as necessary to prevent the erosion of banks and the scouring of the channel bottom.
(3) 
Stagnation. Design of open drainageways shall not create stagnant pools or swampy areas.
E. 
Approval. Any structure in, along or across any stream having a drainage area of 1/2 mile square or more shall be subject to approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Forest and Waters, Water and Power Resources Board. The subdivider shall submit to the Commission a copy of the approved permit for a structure from the Water and Power Resources Board.
A. 
Minimum widths: The following minimum widths of easements shall be provided unless otherwise specified:
(1) 
Underground public utility facilities: 15 feet.
(2) 
Overhead public utility facilities: 20 feet.
(3) 
Drainage facilities shall be sized as necessary by engineering requirements for the particular area.
B. 
Location. Easements for public utilities shall, wherever possible, be centered on side or rear lot lines. Drainageways, channels or stream easements shall be located as necessary to adequately meet the engineering requirements for the facility.
C. 
Transmission lines. Where natural gas, petroleum or high-tension lines are located within or adjacent to the subdivision or land development, the applicant shall provide the Planning Commission with a statement from the utility company involved setting forth any special conditions which they may require.