(a) 
The purpose of this article is to establish and define the public improvements which will be required to be constructed by the applicant as a condition for final plan approval and, in addition, to provide specifications as to how these improvements are to be constructed.
(b) 
All construction shall be completed in accordance with the specific conditions of the commitment and the accepted drawings and specifications and in the manner acceptable to the Board of Supervisors.
(a) 
The improvements included in this article are minimum requirements, however, the Board of Supervisors reserves the right in any case to increase the same if conditions so warrant.
(b) 
Where literal compliance with the improvements hereinafter specified is clearly impractical, the Board of Supervisors may modify or adjust the improvements and standards to permit reasonable utilization of property while securing substantial conformance with the objectives of these regulations.
When changes from the accepted drawings and specifications become necessary during construction, written acceptance by the Board of Supervisors, with the advice of the Township Engineer, shall be secured before the execution of such changes.
Adequate provisions for the satisfactory maintenance of all streets shall be made by dedication to and acceptance for maintenance by the Township, or by other acceptable means. During the course of development and prior to dedication, maintenance shall be the responsibility of the developer.
(a) 
The developer shall install streetlights in accordance with the methods for streetlight installation approved by the Board of Supervisors. The location of streetlights shall be in accordance with a plan approved by the developer and approved by the Board of Supervisors. All streetlights shall be serviced by underground conduit and shall be in conformity with the standards and specifications for streetlighting established by the Board of Supervisors. The installation of new poles may be waived by the Board of Supervisors in such instances as approved by the Board of Supervisors due to the existence of wooden poles already in place.
(b) 
Provisions shall be made for energizing said lighting after 50% or more of the dwellings or nonresidential floor area in a given subdivision or land development or section of a subdivision or land development has been occupied.
(c) 
The developer shall be responsible for all charges or rates of the streetslights until such time that the streets are accepted or condemned as public streets by the Board of Supervisors.
(a) 
Monuments shall be placed at each change in direction of the boundary, two to be placed at each street intersection, at angle points along the street and at the beginning and end of curves. Utility easements shall be monumented at their beginning and at their end and at angle points. Areas to be conveyed for public use shall be fully monumented at their external boundaries.
(b) 
Monuments shall be placed in the ground after final grading is completed, at a time specified by the Township Engineer. The monuments shall be concrete, the size and length as may be approved by the Township Engineer.
(a) 
As specified in § 1230.45, sidewalks shall be constructed within the subdivision or land development unless, in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors with the advice of the Planning Commission, they are unnecessary for public safety and convenience.
(b) 
Driveway aprons shall be constructed at all private driveways and within residential areas and at all driveway approaches of ingress and egress from abutting industrial or commercial properties.
(a) 
Curbs shall be provided along both sides of all existing and proposed streets. Handicapped accessible curbs and ramps shall be constructed where indicated by the Township Engineer.
(b) 
Along the existing street on which a subdivision or land development abuts (hereinafter called "boundary streets"), the existing paved cartway shall be widened to the curb. The location of curbing along a boundary street shall be determined by the width of the existing or ultimate right-of-way of the road as established by the Board of Supervisors.
(c) 
The location of curbing along existing streets shall be determined by the width of the required cartway of the road.
(d) 
All curb shall be seven inches by eight inches by 18 inches, plain cement concrete curb along all state highways. Seven inches by eight inches by 18 inches plain cement concrete curb or Belgian block curb shall be installed along all other roadways.
(e) 
No less than a five-foot radius of curvature shall be permitted for all curblines in parking areas.
(f) 
Depressed curb. Whenever curbs are to be constructed across private driveways within residential areas or driveway approaches of ingress or egress from abutting industrial or commercial properties, the curb shall be depressed to the driveway surface. The minimum longitudinal length of a depressed curb for private driveway crossings shall be 14 feet and the maximum longitudinal length for driveway crossings in commercial or industrial areas shall be 35 feet. Depressed curb shall have curb returns with a length of 18 inches and have two No. 5 reinforcing rods at each crossing.
(a) 
The owner shall construct a water distribution system in such a manner as to provide an adequate water supply to each lot, dwelling unit or occupied structure within the subdivision or land development. The entire system, including, but not limited to, the source of supply, containment, treatment facilities, distribution lines, hydrants and meters, if any, shall be designed, constructed, activated and maintained in accordance with the requirements and standards set forth in Chapter 65, Water Service, of the Pennsylvania Code as may be hereafter amended and/or revised, the Public Utility Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,[1] such standard specifications (including, but not limited to, standard pipeline installation, customer service line and meter installation specifications) as may be adopted or hereafter amended by any PUC certificated water company servicing a franchise area in the Township and such rules and regulations as may be adopted by resolution of the Board of Supervisors for the Township of Lower Gwynedd. Further, prior to the release to the owner of approved final plans, whether subdivision or land development, the owner shall produce and deliver to the Township a copy of the final fully executed contract with the PUC certificated water company providing service to said project, establishing that the nature, extent, location and description of such facilities are the same as those depicted and described on said approved final plan of subdivision and/or land development.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 66 Pa. C.S.A. § 101 et seq.
(b) 
The system shall be so designed as to provide the necessary capacity and distribution of hydrants for adequate fire protection, in accordance with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Insurance Services Office (ISO), Grading Schedule for Municipal Fire Protection. In addition, the system shall be reviewed by the local Fire Marshal and shall be subject to his approval.
(c) 
The water system shall be looped to provide alternate directions of water flow to facilitate firefighting ability. The water distribution system shall be arranged so that the water supply to a given area cannot be isolated by closure of a single valve or obstruction.
(d) 
The developer shall be responsible for all charges or rates for the adequate water supply to each fire hydrant within the subdivision or land development until such time as the streets within said subdivision or land development are accepted or condemned as public streets by the Board of Supervisors.
(a) 
The owner shall construct a sanitary sewer collection and/or conveyance system in order to provide adequate sanitary sewer service available to each lot or dwelling unit within the subdivision or land development in areas designated for public sewer service under the Township's official sewage facilities plan (Act 537).
(b) 
The entire system shall be designed, constructed, activated and maintained in accordance with the specifications, requirements and standards set forth in the Standard Construction and Material Specifications for Sanitary Sewer Extensions Manual adopted by and as may be hereafter amended by resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Lower Gwynedd and/or the Lower Gwynedd Township Sewer Authority.
(c) 
The landowner or developer shall follow the Act 537 official sewage facilities plan revision/supplement process established under the PADEP rules and regulations, 25 Pa. Code, Chapter 71. During the subdivision/land development process, the landowner/developer shall complete and submit to the Township the necessary components of PADEP planning module for land development.
(d) 
The Board of Supervisors will review the proposal(s) and solicit comments from the Township Engineer and the Township Planning Commission. The Supervisors reserve the right to require the implementation of a different alternative if their review shows that it will have long-term environmental or economic savings to the Township.
(a) 
If public sewer facilities are neither available nor accessible, the developer or landowner shall provide a sewage disposal system on either an individual or community basis in accordance with rules, regulations, terms and conditions of 25 Pa. Code, Chapter 73, Standards for Sewage Disposal Facilities, Department of Environmental Protection, adopted January, 1983, and any amendments thereafter.
(b) 
All on-site tests required for the sewage system by the PADEP rules and regulations shall be observed and certified by the County Health Department. Before covering and backfilling, all on-site facilities must be inspected by the County Health Department and must be so installed that they can be approved as complying with the approved engineering drawings. A copy of such approval by the County Health Department shall be tendered to the Township. Two copies of an as-built drawing of on-site facilities shall be provided to the Township showing the location, sizes and capacities of all pipes, tanks, clean outs, vents and tile fields.
(c) 
The landowner or developer shall follow the Act 537 official sewage facilities plan revision/supplement process established under the PADEP rules and regulations, 25 Pa. Code, Chapter 71. During the subdivision or land development process, the landowner or developer shall complete and submit to the Township the necessary components of PADEP planning module for land development.
(d) 
The Board of Supervisors will review the proposal(s) and solicit comments from the Township Engineer and the Township Planning Commission. The Supervisors reserve the right to require the implementation of a different alternative if their review shows that it will have long-term environmental or economic savings to the Township.
(e) 
Soil percolation test requirements.
(1) 
Soil percolation tests shall be performed for all proposed on-site sewage systems.
(2) 
The results of the soil percolation tests shall be analyzed by the County Health Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, if necessary, and the final plan lot layout shall be based on this analysis. If the analysis of the soil percolation test results reveals that this soil is unsuitable for the intended use, the area shall not be used for an on-site sewage system.
(3) 
The County Health Department's report to the Board of Supervisors shall identify the type of system to be used on each lot.
(f) 
Each proposed lot designated under the Townships official sewage facilities plan for on-lot sewage systems shall qualify for an on-lot system before final subdivision or land development plans are approved.
(a) 
The owner shall cause natural gas, electric power and telephone facilities to be installed in such a manner as to make adequate service available to each lot or dwelling unit in the subdivision or land development.
(b) 
All public utilities required to service subdivisions and land developments shall be placed underground except for those exceptions necessary to permit the overall installation of the utilities.
(c) 
Wherever practicable, all utilities shall be located within the street right-of-way; otherwise, easements or rights-of-way of sufficient width for installation and maintenance shall be provided.
(d) 
Final plans shall show locations of all utilities and shall be coordinated with the required street tree planting drawings.
Street trees and other required plant material shall not be planted until the finished grading of the subdivision or land development has been completed.
(a) 
The tree protection area shall be 15 feet from the trunk of the tree to be retained or the distance from the trunk to the dripline, whichever is greater. Where there is a group of trees or woodlands, the tree protection area shall be the aggregate of the protection areas for the individual trees.
(b) 
The preliminary plan shall show the location of all trees to be saved, including their trunk and dripline locations. Where groups of trees are to be saved, only the locations of the trees and their trunks and driplines on the perimeter must be shown.
(c) 
Protection standards.
(1) 
Grade changes and excavations shall not encroach upon the tree protection area.
(2) 
No toxic materials shall be stored within 100 feet of a tree protection zone, including petroleum-based and/or derived products.
(3) 
The tree protection area shall not be built upon nor shall any materials be stored there, either temporarily or permanently. Vehicles and equipment shall not be parked in the tree protection area.
(4) 
When tree stumps are located within 10 feet of the tree protection area, the stumps shall be removed by means of a stump grinder to minimize the effect on surrounding root systems.
(5) 
Tree roots which must be severed shall be cut by a back hoe or similar equipment aligned radically to the tree. This method reduces the lateral movement of the roots during excavation, which if done by other methods could damage the intertwined roots of adjacent trees.
(6) 
Within four hours of any severance of roots, all tree roots that have been exposed and/or damaged shall be trimmed cleanly and covered temporarily with moist peat moss, moist burlap or other moist biodegradable material to keep them from drying out until permanent cover can be installed.
(7) 
Sediment, retention and detention basins shall not discharge into the tree protection area.
(8) 
Sediment, retention and detention basins shall not be located within the tree protection area.
(9) 
Prior to construction, all trees scheduled to remain shall be marked; where groups of trees exist; only the trees on the edge need to be marked.
(10) 
A forty-eight-inch-high wooden snow fence mounted on steel posts, located eight feet on center, shall be placed along the boundary of the tree protection area.
(11) 
When the wooden snow fence has been installed, it shall be inspected and approved by the Engineer prior to commencing clearing and further construction. The fencing along the tree protection area shall be maintained until all work/construction has been completed. Any damage to the protective fencing shall be replaced and repaired before further construction shall begin.
(12) 
Trees being removed shall not be felled, pushed or pulled into a tree protection area or into trees that are to be retained.
(d) 
Retaining walls.
(1) 
Where the original grade cannot be retained at the tree protection area line, a retaining wall shall be constructed outside of the tree protection zone.
(2) 
The retaining wall shall be designed to comply with the Township standards for retaining walls.
(3) 
In addition, the following methods shall be used to ensure survival of the tree:
(e) 
The top of the wall shall be four inches above the finished grade line.
(f) 
The wall shall be constructed of large stones, brick, building tile, concrete blocks or treated wood beams not less than six inches by six inches; a means for drainage through the wall shall be provided so that water will not accumulate on either side of the wall; weep holes shall be required with any wall.
(g) 
Any severed roots as a result of excavation shall be trimmed so that their edges are smooth and are cut back to a lateral root if exposed.
(h) 
A layer of clean stone, sized 3/4 inch to one inch, shall be placed one foot out from the wall to aid in drainage.
(i) 
Trenching and tunneling.
(1) 
If there is no alternative but to locate a utility line through a tree protection zone, tunneling shall be used instead of trenching, except where, in the opinion of the Engineer, survival of the tree would not be affected by either method. The Engineer shall determine the most desirable location for the utility line.
(2) 
Trenches shall be filled as soon as possible and tamped lightly to avoid air spaces.