Township of Raccoon, PA Article VIII Design Standards

§ 161-17 Application of standards.

The following minimum subdivision principles, standards, and requirements will be applied by Township officials in evaluating the plans for a proposed subdivision.

§ 161-18 Land requirements.

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

B. Land subject to hazards of life, health and safety, such as strip mine land, quarry land, open ditches and land subject to flooding or subsidence, shall not be subdivided for residential purposes. All such hazards shall be identified and eliminated by the owner or developer and guarantees shall be provided to the Township that adequate safeguards against such hazards have been provided.

C. No land shall be subdivided in a manner that landlocks or compromises the use or future development of contiguous or adjacent land areas.

§ 161-19 Street requirements.

A. Proposed streets shall be properly related to Township, county, and state road and highway plans that have been prepared and officially adopted and/or filed as prescribed by law.

B. Streets shall be logically related to the topography to achieve usable lots and reasonable grades.

C. Internal subdivision streets shall be laid out to discourage unnecessary through traffic, but provisions to coordinate adjacent area streets will be generally required.

D. Where a subdivision plan abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial street, the governing body may require local access streets, reverse frontage lots, or such other treatment that will provide protection for abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections with arterial streets, and separation of local and through traffic.

E. 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 this chapter, and where, in addition, satisfactory assurances for dedication of the remaining part of the street is secured.

F. 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.

G. Dead end streets shall be prohibited except as stubs to permit future street extensions or when designed as culs-de-sac. Permanent cul-de-sac streets may be permitted when it is clear that through traffic at such a street end is not essential to the existing or future street system in that district, or to the development of adjacent properties in the area.

(1) Such streets, where permitted, shall not exceed 1,500 linear feet including the cul-de-sac. The Planning Commission may recommend approval of a cul-de-sac terminated street longer than 1,500 feet if it determines that additional length improves layout design, is more adaptable to local topography, and does not create hardship for potential residents and/or the Township with respect to access, movement, convenience or safety. Temporary dead end street stubs shall terminate with culs-de-sac if said street extensions are not made within one year unless said street stubs are 240 feet or less in length and accommodate no more than four building lots.

(2) The turn-around shall have an outside pavement radius of not less than 40 feet and a right-of-way radius of not less than 50 feet.

(3) The minimum grade of the turn-around portion of the cul-de-sac shall be 1%.

(4) The maximum grade of the turn-around portion of the cul-de-sac shall be 5%.

(5) The minimum width of all lots abutting a cul-de-sac shall be 50 feet at the right-of-way line.

H. If lots resulting from original subdivision are large enough to permit additional subdivision, or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided, adequate street rights-of-way shall be provided as necessary to allow for future development activity.

I. Reserve strips, restricting or controlling access to adjacent streets or properties shall be prohibited. This requirement shall apply equally where the end point of a cul-de-sac touches portions of an adjacent tract or land parcel. In such situations, a 50 foot right-of-way shall be recorded on the plan to provide for future street extension.

J. Street grades.

(1) Center line grade shall be not less than 2%.

(2) Center line grades shall, wherever feasible, not exceed the following:

(a) Minor street: 12%.

(b) Collector and major traffic street: 6%.

(3) Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade and shall be designed in relation to the extent of the grade change. (Applicable standard: 10 to 12 times the algebraic difference in the grade.)

(4) 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.

K. Street width.

(1) Minimum street right-of-way and cartway width shall be as follows. Minor street and marginal access street: right-of-way and twenty-four-foot paved cartway.

(2) Additional right-of-way and cartway width may be required by the governing body for the following purposes:

(a) To promote public safety and convenience where anticipated traffic flows warrant, or where drainage easements should reasonably parallel thoroughfares.

(b) To provide parking space in commercial districts and in areas of high density residential development.

(3) Short extension of existing streets with lesser right-of-way and/or cartway widths than prescribed above may be permitted; provided, however, that no section of new right-of-way less than 50 feet in width shall be permitted.

L. Street intersections.

(1) Multiple intersections involving junction of more than two streets shall be prohibited. Where this proves impossible, such intersections shall be designed with extreme care for both pedestrian and vehicular safety.

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

(4) Minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be 15 feet for intersections involving only minor streets, 25 feet for intersections including other type streets, or such greater radius as is suitable to the specific intersection.

(5) A clear sight triangle shall be maintained at all intersections within an area formed by the intersecting street lines and a line joining points on the street lines 75 feet from the corner.

(6) Intersections of local streets with collector and arterial streets shall be kept to a minimum, consistent with topography and other local conditions. All subdivision intersections of less than 150 feet shall be avoided. To the fullest extent possible, intersections with collector and arterial streets shall be located not less than 800 feet apart, measured from center line to center line.

M. Alleys shall not be permitted in any subdivision.

N. Private streets, either new or existing, (vehicular rights-of-way not dedicated for public use) shall not be approved, nor shall layout or improvements for lots abutting private streets be approved for more than a maximum total of five lots. A portion of any such lot shall be within 1,000 feet from a point of intersection with a public access road. When such private streets are approved, they shall have a minimum fifty-foot right-of-way, shall be installed in a manner that will enable a mud-free condition at all times and shall not receive maintenance, repair or other road related services from the Township. Topography lines are required in subdivisions of two or more lots. No extension of private streets shall be approved until the original portion of the street complies with all requirements of this chapter and is dedicated for public use.[1]

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

O. Streets proposed for commercial or industrial land development purposes shall, if possible, be laid out to intersect directly with arterial and collector streets. Insofar as possible, traffic circulation systems for commercial and industrial subdivisions shall be designed in a manner to eliminate or discourage traffic flow through residential areas.

P. Driveways (site ingress and egress).

(1) Commercial and industrial ingress and egress (driveways) shall be designed to provide optimum visibility and to minimize traffic congestion in the vicinity of the development parcel. Traffic access design shall conform to the following requirements:

(a) In addition to the information and data required by §§ 161-11 and 161-13 of this chapter, all applications for preliminary and final plan approvals of subdivisions for commercial and industrial land development shall contain a traffic circulation plan showing:

[1] Locations and dimensions of vehicular ingress and egress for each development parcel.

[2] Location and access provisions for parking and loading for each development parcel.

[3] Available sight distances at all driveways.

(b) Defined ingress and egress points shall be required for all commercial and industrial development parcels.

(2) All driveways shall be constructed so as not to interfere with roadway drainage. Cross drains shall be constructed beneath the driveway where required to provide adequate drainage.

§ 161-20 Land development requirements.

A. The following general provisions shall apply to all subdivisions of land:

(1) All lot area requirements and specified minimum yard and setback designations shall be dimensioned from public rights-of-way where applicable. No lot area requirement or setback shall be computed from within a public right-of-way.

(2) The frontage width of lots abutting a cul-de-sac shall be determined as the width at the building line. The side yard and setback requirements will be calculated from the midpoint of the structure along the average length of both sides and the rear of the structure.

(3) All lot lines shall be set perpendicular or radial to the center line of the street whenever possible.

(4) Lots abutting local streets shall front on the streets that parallel the long dimension of the block, if possible.

(5) All lots shall abut by their full frontage on a publicly dedicated street. Lots abutting on a private street or easement shall not be approved, except that lots developed on private streets in existence prior to the enactment of this chapter may be approved. Private streets shall not be extended to permit additional lot development. (See § 161-19N)

(6) No land shall be graded, cut or filled so as to create a slope exceeding a vertical rise of one foot for each two feet of horizontal distance between abutting lots, unless a retaining structure is installed in accordance with specifications approved by the Township Engineer and the governing body.

(7) The literal application of front yard setback requirements for single family dwellings, as set forth in Chapter 185, Zoning, may be relaxed by the governing body in predominantly developed areas, provided that:

(a) Seventy-five percent or more of the established structures on the same side of the street in the immediate vicinity have front yard areas less than required by Chapter 185, Zoning;

(b) For purposes of this setback relaxation, immediate vicinity shall be interpreted as a block area not exceeding 800 lineal feet which is between either two intersecting streets, or an intersecting street and a cul-de-sac;

(c) In the absence of typical block development in open or rural areas, the immediate vicinity shall be determined as developed parcels within 500 lineal feet of the subject property;

(d) Where setback relaxations are granted, the front yard setback requirements shall be established as the average setback of all existing structures in the immediate vicinity;

(e) The relaxation of setback requirements under this section shall be subject to the granting of a zoning variance from the Zoning Hearing Board and shall be employed only to achieve orderly development and not to circumvent the purpose and intent of Chapter 161, Subdivision and Land Development, or of Chapter 185, Zoning.

B. Lots laid out for residential purposes shall be subdivided in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 185, Zoning, with respect to lot area, lot width, setbacks, yard requirements and other applicable requirements.

C. Lots and tracts of land laid out for nonresidential purposes shall be subdivided in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 185, Zoning, with respect to lot area, lot width, setbacks, yard requirements, and the following additional guidelines:

(1) The location of areas designated for structures, internal site accessways, off-street parking and loading areas and generalized land use proposals shall be included as a part of all final plan applications for nonresidential purposes.

(2) The Planning Commission may recommend and the governing body may authorize block platting in place of lot platting for nonresidential purposes to provide the developer maximum flexibility, provided that no block shall be subdivided in such a way that any subsequent lots would be smaller than the minimum size authorized by Chapter 185, Zoning.

(3) The developer shall demonstrate every effort to protect adjacent existing or potential residential development sites through the provision of guarantees or other appropriate procedures or amenities designed and established for the purpose of mitigating adverse influences resulting from business activities.

§ 161-21 Easements.

A. Utility and public utility easements shall have a minimum width of 20 feet and be placed at the side or rear of lots if possible. When the governing body determines that conditions are suitable for utilities and/or public utilities, an easement reservation will be required.

B. Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a drainage easement or right-of-way conforming substantially with the line of such watercourse, and of such width as will be adequate to preserve natural drainage and provide sufficient width for maintenance by adjacent property owners, but not less than 20 feet. Where applicable, federal, state and local flood maps and data shall be employed to determine the location of easements or rights-of-way required by this chapter.

§ 161-22 Sidewalks.

Sidewalks and crosswalks shall be installed by the subdivider or developer along public streets or at other locations deemed necessary for public safety if determined necessary by the governing body because of safety or relationship to contiguous development.

§ 161-23 Reserved areas.

Reserve strips surrounding property, or areas reserved for any purpose that shall make any area unprofitable for regular or special assessments, or that may revert to an untended nuisance area, shall not be approved by the governing body.

§ 161-24 Street names and numbering.

A. The subdivider may choose his street names subject to the approval of the governing body. No street, other than an extension, may be given the name of an existing street in the Township's postal service area.

B. Streets laid out opposite another street shall be given the same name or number of the opposite street.

C. All house numbering systems shall be coordinated with the numbering of existing development in the area and approved by the Planning Commission and the governing body.

§ 161-25 Access.

Subdividing land shall be done in a manner that will not bar adjacent property owners from access to streets and ways of alignment or otherwise preclude the development of surrounding land areas.

§ 161-26 Public use areas.

A. Provisions for improvement and maintenance of any open space and recreation areas set aside as common space shall be guaranteed by appropriate bonds or similar provisions satisfactory to the governing body.

B. Recreation and community facilities developed totally or in part on land provided by a developer shall be established consistent with the following criteria:

(1) Facilities and areas shall be located in a manner to best serve both the municipality and the future inhabitants of the development or subdivision.

(2) Facilities and areas shall be located on land that is topographically suitable and safe from traffic and other safety hazards and readily accessible to the general public.

§ 161-27 Vegetation.

A. Trees, shrubbery and similar vegetation shall not be established within a road right-of-way.

B. Trees, shrubbery and similar vegetation shall not be established in proximity to a road right-of-way in a manner that interferes with clear site access from the road cartway.

C. In wooded areas or where other natural conditions exist in such a manner that their presence adds to the desirability of a subdivision, the governing body shall require that the subdivider preserve as much of the original vegetation and natural conditions as is economically feasible, and require that a minimum of grading be done other than the grading and excavating that is required in the construction of the improvements, in accordance with the standards included herein.

D. All development and earthmoving activities subject to applicable law under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Title 25, Chapter 102, Erosion Control, shall be complied with.