The Council shall not approve any plat unless the land whereon buildings are to be constructed shall be of such character that it can be used for building purposes without danger to health or peril from flood or other hazard.
Existing natural features which would add value to the subdivision and the Borough, such as trees, steep slopes, watercourses, historic spots and similar irreplaceable assets, shall be preserved, insofar as possible, through careful design of the subdivision.
A. 
All lands, regardless of their slope, from which structures or natural cover has been removed or otherwise destroyed shall be appropriately graded and seeded within a reasonable time of such clearance activity. The phrase "a reasonable time" shall be interpreted to be within two weeks during the growing season and shall be rigidly applied to construction activities in order to accomplish the intent of keeping erosion and siltation to an absolute minimum.
B. 
On hillsides exceeding 25% in slope, no more than 20% by area of the natural vegetative cover may be removed for construction purposes or any other activity.
C. 
No cutting, filling or other disturbing of land and natural vegetation is permissible within 50 feet of the edge of any flowing stream or creek except as permitted by action of the Council. In such cases, permission may be granted, provided that special precautions are taken to ensure against continuing erosion and siltation or other circumstances which may be harmful to the immediate watercourse or in any way pollute the stream.
The Council shall not approve any plat unless all streets shown thereon shall be of sufficient width and proper grade and shall be so located as to accommodate the probable volume of traffic thereon, afford adequate light and air, facilitate fire protection, provide access of fire-fighting equipment to buildings and provide a coordinated system of streets conforming to the Borough's plan of streets.
A. 
In the case of subdivisions for commercial, industrial and public purposes, no street giving access upon an arterial street shall be located closer than 500 feet, along the same side of such arterial street, to any other driveway or public or private street in the same or another subdivision.
B. 
Local streets shall be so planned as to discourage through traffic.
C. 
Wherever there exists a dedicated or platted portion of a street or alley along a boundary of the tract being subdivided, the remainder of said street or alley, to the prescribed width, shall be platted within the proposed subdivision.
D. 
Half streets shall not be provided, except where it is essential to the reasonable development of the subdivision in conformity with the other requirements of these regulations, or where it becomes necessary to acquire the remaining half by condemnation so it may be approved in the public interest.
E. 
Culs-de-sac shall normally not be longer than 800 feet, including a turnaround which shall be provided at the closed end with an outside curb radius of at least 40 feet and a right-of-way radius of not less than 50 feet. The maximum grade of the turnaround portion of the cul-de-sac shall be 5%.
F. 
Alleys shall not be permitted in residential districts but may be included in commercial and industrial areas where needed for loading and unloading or access purposes.
G. 
The minimum distance between center lines of parallel or approximately parallel streets intersecting a cross street from opposite directions shall be 150 feet.
H. 
Intersections of more than two streets at one point shall be avoided.
I. 
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited unless provided with a turnaround or cul-de-sac arrangement.
J. 
Right-of-way requirements may be increased where anticipated traffic flow warrants it, or if drainage easements should reasonably parallel such thoroughfares. Such increased width will be established by the Council.
K. 
Minimum right-of-way widths, paving widths, angle of intersection, curb radius, distances along sides of sight triangles, horizontal alignments, vertical alignments, as well as maximum grades shall be in accordance with the following table:
Street type
Requirement
Arterial
Collector
Minor Residential
Right-of-way width (feet)
80
60
50
Paving Width (feet)
32
30
24
Maximum Grade (percent)
10
10
12
Angle for Intersection
80°
80°
70°
Curb Radius (feet)
25
25
15
Grade at Intersection
3%
3%
3%
Sight Triangle Legs (feet)
600/30
450/30
250/25
Horizontal Alignment (feet)
300
200
100
Vertical Curves (feet)
300
250
200
[Added 6-13-2005 by Ord. No. 242]
New private streets may be permitted by the Borough Council upon recommendation of the Planning Commission. New private streets are generally intended to be used as permanent cul-de-sac streets rather than as through streets connecting two public streets. New private streets shall comply with the following:
A. 
New private streets shall be constructed within a fifty-foot right-of-way and, when in a dead-end street configuration, shall have a one-hundred-foot-diameter cul-de-sac right-of-way. No more than three lots or dwelling units shall be permitted on any new private street that connects to an existing street. When serving more than three lots or dwelling units, new private streets shall be subject to the same restrictions as public streets. New private streets must be constructed with a minimum cartway surface width of 18 feet and a minimum four-inch aggregate base unless constructed for more than three lots or dwelling units, in which case they must be constructed in accordance with Borough public street specifications and standards.
B. 
Street grades and horizontal and vertical curve design of new private streets shall be consistent with § 149-25K.
C. 
There shall be no more than one private street created on any parent tract and parcel subdivided from a parent tract after the effective date of this chapter.
D. 
The above standards shall not apply to private streets existing as of the effective date of this chapter. In order to satisfy the definition of an existing private street, such street must have an existing physical cartway and be used for vehicular access.
E. 
Existing private streets shall only be extended or have linkages of additional private streets if the total number of lots or dwelling units using the existing and extended private street or linkage of private streets is three or less.
F. 
The Borough shall have no maintenance obligation for private streets. Maintenance of new private streets shall be the full and sole responsibility of the owner, association or the legally binding organization of landowners with access rights, subject to the criteria below:
(1) 
An association or other legally binding organization of landowners with access rights on the private street shall be formed and administered for the purpose of maintenance of the private street.
(2) 
All property owners in such an association shall have an equal share in the rights and bear an equal share of the costs of maintaining the private streets.
(3) 
Documents governing such association shall be filed with the Borough Council upon the recommendation of the Borough Solicitor, who shall have authority for approval of such association.
(4) 
All properties depending on a private street for access shall be guaranteed an irrevocable right to that access under the terms of a right-of-way access easement or other legal covenant. Such access right shall be clearly noted on the subdivision and/or land development plans which create a private street, shall be included in deeds for all properties with access rights and shall be recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County.
(5) 
Documents governing maintenance associations for private streets shall be recorded with each deed for properties with access rights.
(6) 
Provisions shall be made for the private streets for emergency vehicles only as approved and seen necessary by Borough officials.
G. 
Whenever an applicant proposes to establish a street which is not offered for dedication to public use, the Borough will require the subdivider to submit and also to record with the plan a copy of an agreement made with the Borough Council on behalf of his/her heirs, successors and assigns. The agreement shall establish the conditions under which the street may later be offered for dedication and should stipulate, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) 
The street shall conform to municipal specifications or the owners of the private street shall include sufficient funds with the offer of dedication to restore the street to conformance with municipal specifications.
(2) 
An offer to dedicate the street shall be made only for the street as a whole.
(3) 
Agreement by the owners of all of the front footage shall be required. Such condition shall be noted in the deeds for those properties.
Blocks shall ordinarily not exceed 800 feet in length. Where it is necessary for blocks to exceed this length, pedestrianways or easements may be required near the center of the block.
The lot and yard sizes shall conform to the requirements of Chapter 165, Zoning, and the lots shall be designed to accord with the following design standards:
A. 
Every lot shall be provided with access adequate for the use of public safety vehicles and other public and private purposes and shall be served by a public or private street system, improved in accordance with this chapter and connected to the general street system.
B. 
Side lines of lots shall be approximately at right angles to straight streets and on radial lines on curved streets wherever feasible. Pointed, tail lots or very irregular lots shall be avoided unless such variations shall improve the overall neighborhood design.
C. 
Double-frontage lots shall be avoided.
D. 
When a tract is subdivided into larger than required building lots and there is no covenant preventing resubdivision of the lots, such lots or parcels shall be so arranged as to permit a logical location and opening of future streets and resubdividing with provision for adequate utility connection for each subdivision.
[Amended 2-11-2019 by Ord. No. 298[1]]
Easements for utilities and drainage shall have a minimum width of 15 feet. Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way of width sufficient for the purpose. All easements for stormwater drainage shall be in compliance with Chapter 147 of the Borough's Code of Ordinances, "Stormwater Management."
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Appendix E, Stormwater Management, which was included as an attachment to this chapter.
The water supply and sewage disposal systems for the subdivision shall meet the design standards and requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.