Naming and number of streets shall meet the following requirements:
A. Proposed streets which are obviously in alignment with others already
existing and named shall bear the names of the existing streets.
B. In no case shall the name of a proposed street duplicate an existing
street name in the Borough or in the postal district. The developer
shall submit proposed street names to the local post office prior
to filing a preliminary plat.
C. All street names shall be subject to the approval of the Borough
Planning Commission.
Fitting imaginative design shall be encouraged by allowing the
developer to submit original development designs not in strict conformance
with the standards set forth in this section. Such original designs
may comprise industrial or commercial development or residential development
of five or more lots. Nothing in this section shall relieve the developer
from strict conformity with the regulations unless the developer can
show that the proposal for original design observes the spirit of
the chapter if not the exact content.
A. Layout. The length, width and shape of the blocks shall be determined
with due regard to provision of adequate sites for buildings of the
type proposed, to the land use or zoning requirements, and to the
topography of the land being developed, and to the requirements for
safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
B. Length. Blocks shall have a minimum length of 300 feet. In the design
of blocks longer than 1,000 feet, special consideration shall be given
to the requirements of satisfactory fire protection. Where practicable,
blocks along arterial and collector streets shall not be less than
1,000 feet long.
C. Crosswalks. Crosswalks may be required between streets wherever necessary
to facilitate pedestrian circulation and to give access to community
facilities. Such crosswalks shall have a width of not less than 10
feet.
D. Depth. Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to accommodate
two tiers of lots, except:
(1) Where reverse frontage lots are required along a major traffic street;
or
(2) Where prevented by the size, topographical conditions and other inherent
conditions of property; in which case single-tier lots may be approved.
E. Commercial and industrial blocks. Blocks in commercial and industrial
areas may vary from the elements of design detailed above, if required
by the nature of the use. In all cases, however, adequate provisions
shall be made for off-street parking and loading areas as well as
for traffic circulation and parking for employees and customers. Space
for off-street loading shall also be provided with limited access
to the street system. Extension of streets, railroad access right-of-way
and utilities shall be provided as necessary.
Fitting imaginative design shall be encouraged by allowing the
developer to submit original development designs not in strict conformance
with the standards set forth in this section. Such original designs
may comprise industrial or commercial development or residential subdivision
of five or more lots. Nothing in this section shall relieve the developer
from strict conformity with the regulations unless the developer can
show that the proposal for original design observes the spirit of
the chapter, if not the exact content.
A. General standards:
(1) The size, shape and orientation of lots shall be appropriate for
the type of development and use contemplated.
(2) Side lot lines shall be at right angles to straight street lines
or radial to curved street lines, insofar as possible.
(3) Lot lines shall follow municipal boundaries rather than cross them
in order to avoid jurisdictional problems, where feasible.
(4) The depth of residential lots shall be not less than one nor more
than 2.5 times their width, where feasible.
(5) If after development there exists remnants of land, they shall be
incorporated in existing or proposed lots or legally dedicated to
public use, if acceptable to the municipality.
B. Lot frontage.
(1) All lots shall have direct access to a public street or to a private
street if it meets the requirements of these regulations.
(2) Double or reverse frontage lots shall be avoided except where required
to provide separation of residential uses from major streets or to
overcome specific disadvantages of topography or orientation.
(3) No residential lots shall be created which front upon a limited access
highway. Furthermore, no major development shall be created which
fronts upon an arterial street.
C. Driveways and off-street parking.
(1) Residential, commercial, and industrial developments shall provide
parking in accordance with the Borough Zoning Ordinance.
(2) Private driveways on corner lots shall be located in accordance with
the requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance.
(3) In order to provide a safe and convenient means of access, grades
on private driveways must not exceed 15%. In addition, driveways should
be paved where grades exceed 7%.
(4) Private driveway entrances should be rounded at a minimum radius
of five feet or should have a flare constructed that is equivalent
to this radius at a point of intersection with the cartway edge.
D. Lot size. Lot dimensions and areas shall be not less than specified
by the provisions of the Borough Zoning Ordinance or as determined
by the provisions contained in this chapter.
E. Building setback.
(1) Front, side and rear setbacks shall be in conformance with the Borough
Zoning Ordinance.
(2) Buildings shall be oriented such that their longest axis faces within
25° of true South whenever lot size, street orientations, soil
and slope conditions make this practical.
All development plans must meet the requirements of the Borough
Sewage Facilities Plan, the Borough's Code of ordinances, and any
other local, state or federal regulations or laws relating to sanitary
disposal of sewage.
If proposed development cannot be tied with an approved public
water supply, the individual source well or spring must be installed
and/or set up in full compliance with the latest local, state and
federal specifications covering such facilities.
The design of all development plans shall preserve, whenever
possible, natural features which will aid in providing open space
for recreation and conditions generally favorable to the health, safety
and welfare of the residents of the Borough. These natural features
include: the natural terrain of the site, woodland areas, large trees,
natural watercourses and bodies of water, wetlands, rock outcroppings,
scenic views, and historic resources.
A. Tree preservation and planting.
(1) Trees with a caliper of six inches or more as measured at a height
of 4.5 feet above existing grade shall not be removed unless they
are located within the proposed cartway or sidewalk portion of the
street right-of-way or within 15 feet of the foundation area of a
proposed building. In areas where trees are retained, the original
grade level shall be maintained, if possible, so as not to disturb
the trees.
(2) Where existing trees are removed along the street right-of-way, supplemental
planting, in the form of appropriate street trees, shall be introduced.
Such trees shall be planted at intervals of between 50 feet and 100
feet, preferably in random patterns.
(3) When five or more acres are proposed for development, a landscape
plan may be required. Such plan shall indicate the vegetation or plant
cover which exists and, on the same or separate sheet, the vegetation
or plat cover which will exist when landscaping is completed. In addition,
landscaping shall be designed, installed and maintained with the aim
of allowing as great a portion of the site to remain or become wooded
without adversely affecting the availability of solar access to the
south.
(4) The location and species of trees and other landscaping elements
shall be such that, when grown to full maturity, shall not impede
solar access to neighboring structures.
B. Stream frontage preservation.
(1) A maintenance easement for the Borough or its designee, with a minimum
width of 25 feet, shall be provided along all stream banks. Such easement,
in all cases, shall be of sufficient width to provide proper maintenance.
(2) Stream frontage shall be preserved as open space wherever possible.
(3) Access shall be provided to the water and maintenance easement area.
The width of such access points shall not be less than 50 feet.
C. Topography. All existing natural terrain of the proposed subdivision
tract shall be retained whenever possible. Cut and fill operations
shall be kept to a minimum.
All residential subdivisions or land development plats submitted
after the effective date of this chapter shall provide for suitable
and adequate recreation in order to ensure adequate recreation areas
and facilities to serve the future residents of the Borough; maintain
compliance with recreational standards as developed by the National
Recreation and Parks Association; reduce increasing usage pressure
on existing recreational areas and facilities; ensure that all present
and future residents have the opportunity to engage in many and varied
recreational pursuits; and reduce the possibility of the Borough becoming
overburdened with the development and maintenance of many very small,
randomly planned and widely separated recreation areas.
A. Exemptions and requirements.
(1) The following are exempt from the provisions of this chapter:
(a)
Any single-family and/or multifamily residential subdivision
or land development plan in a residential zone classification for
which a preliminary plan has been submitted prior to the effective
date of this chapter.
(b)
Any residential subdivision or land development plan, whether
single-family and/or multifamily, that contains less than 30 dwelling
units may be exempted by the Borough Council from dedicating land
for recreational purposes, but shall pay the fee in lieu of dedication
as provided by this chapter. Yard extensions shall be excluded from
this requirement.
(2) The amount of land required to be provided for recreational purposes
for residential subdivisions or land development plans not exempted
from the provisions of this chapter shall be as follows:
(a)
Single-family developments. In the case of single-family development,
the developer shall provide a minimum of 1,500 square feet of recreation
area per lot.
(b)
Multifamily developments. In multiple-family developments, a
minimum contiguous area of 10% of the total area shall be provided
for recreation, exclusive of roadways of the land being developed.
(3) A maximum of 25% of the total land area to be provided for recreation
as required by this chapter may consist of floodplain areas.
(4) Such land set aside shall be suitable to serve the purpose of active
and/or passive recreation by reason of its size, shape, location and
topography and shall be subject to the approval of the Borough Council.
(5) The developer shall satisfy the Borough Council that there are adequate
provisions to assure retention and all future maintenance of such
recreation areas by maintaining ownership or by providing for and
establishing an organization for the ownership and maintenance of
the recreation area, and such organization shall not be dissolved
nor shall it dispose of the recreation area by sale or otherwise except
to an organization conceived and established to own and maintain the
recreation area without first offering to dedicate the same to the
Borough.
B. Recreation area location criteria. The Planning Commission and the
Borough Council, in exercising their duties regarding the approval
of subdivision and land development plans, shall consider the following
criteria in determining whether to approve the proposed location of
recreation areas in the developer's subdivision and land development
plans:
(1) Site or sites should be easily and safely accessible from all areas
of the development to be served, have good ingress and egress and
have access to a public road; however, no public road shall traverse
the site or sites.
(2) Site or sites should have suitable topography and soil conditions
for use and development as a recreation area.
(3) Size and shape for the site or sites should be suitable for development
as a particular type of park. Sites will be categorized by the Borough
using the standards established by the National Recreation and Parks
Association.
(4) When designing and developing these recreation areas, it shall be
done according to the standards established by the National Recreation
and Parks Association.
(5) Site or sites should, to the greatest extent practical, be easily
accessible to the essential utilities, such as water, sewer and electric.
(6) Site or sites should meet minimum size requirements for usable acreage
with respect to the National Recreation and Parks Association standards,
with 75% of such area having a maximum slope of 7%.
(7) Recreation sites shall be located in such a manner which allows maximum
practical solar access to neighboring structures.
(8) Where open space is being provided, it shall be located, wherever
possible, to provide a buffer from the shading effects of taller structures
or obstructions on existing or proposed shorter buildings.
C. Dedication to municipality.
(1) In the case where the developer does not wish to retain the required
recreation area, such area may be offered for dedication to the Borough
for public use.
(2) In addition to approving the recreation site areas to be dedicated
to the Borough, the Planning Commission shall make its recommendation
to Borough Council as to whether the dedication should be accepted
by the Borough.
(3) Such areas dedicated to the Borough for public use shall be suitable
for recreational purposes by reason of size, shape, location, topography
and access.
(4) The Planning Commission may find dedication to be impractical because
of the size, shape, location, access, topography, drainage or other
physical features of the land and that such dedication would adversely
affect the subdivision or land development and its future residents
or occupants, or that there is no land area within the proposed subdivision
which is practical for dedication to the public because of size, access,
topography or other physical characteristics.
(5) When the Borough Council deems it to be in the public interest to
accept dedicated land, such acceptance shall be by means of a signed
resolution to which the property description of the dedicated recreation
area shall be attached.
D. Fee in lieu of dedication.
(1) Where the Borough Council agrees with the developer that, because
of size, shape, location, access, topography or other physical features
of the land, it is impractical to dedicate land to the Borough or
set aside a recreation areas as required by this section, the Borough
Council shall require a payment of a fee in lieu of dedication of
such land, which shall be payable to the Borough prior to approval
of each final section of the overall plan by the Borough Council.
(2) The amount of the fee shall be set at 10% of the current appraised
value of the tract.
(3) All monies paid to the Borough Council pursuant to this section shall
be used only for the acquisition of and or capital improvements for
park and recreation purposes, as provided in Section 503(11) of the
Municipalities Planning Code.
In reviewing development plans, the Borough Planning Commission
shall consider whether community facilities, especially schools, in
the area are adequate to serve the needs of the additional dwellings
proposed by the subdivision and shall make such report thereon as
it deems necessary in the public interest to the area school board.
Developers shall give earnest consideration to the desirability of
providing or reserving areas for facilities normally required in residential
neighborhoods, including churches, libraries, schools and other public
buildings. Areas provided for such community facilities should be
adequate to provide for building sites, landscaping and off-street
parking as appropriate to the use proposed. Prior to the preparation
of plans, developers of large tracts should review with the staff
of the Borough and County Planning Commissions the minimum standards
for various community facilities applicable to the tract being developed.
Utility easements shall be provided for drainage facilities,
overhead or underground public utility facilities in consultation
with the Borough Engineer, the electrical, telephone, water and gas
utilities, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the
municipal authority, and shall conform to the following standards:
A. No structures or trees shall be placed within easements with a minimum
width of 15 feet that are provided for poles, wires, conduits, storm
and sanitary sewers, gas, water and heat mains, and other utility
lines intended to service abutting lots.
B. To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be centered on or
adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
C. There shall be a minimum distance of 50 feet, measured in the shortest
distance, between any proposed dwelling unit and any petroleum, petroleum
products, or natural gas transmission line which traverses the subdivision.
D. Where development is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway channel
or stream, there shall be provided a drainage easement width, to be
determined by the Borough Engineer, conforming substantially with
the line of such watercourse, drainageway, channel or stream, and
such width as will be adequate to preserve the unimpeded flow of natural
drainage or for the purpose of widening, deepening, relocating, improving
or protecting such drainage facilities or for the purpose of installing
a stormwater sewer. Under no circumstances shall the easement be less
than 25 feet.
E. Where a subdivision or land development involves the use of solar
access, solar sky-space easements will be provided, shall be in writing,
and shall be subject to the same conveyancing and instrument recording
requirements as other easements. Any such easements shall be appurtenant;
shall run with the land benefitted and burdened; and shall be defined
and limited by conditions stated in the instrument of conveyance,
which shall be submitted to and approved by the Borough Solicitor.
Instruments creating a solar sky-space easement shall include but
not be limited to:
(1) A permanently identifiable description of the sky space above the
burdened land into which trees, buildings and/or other obstructions
as specified by the easement shall not be permitted to encroach;
(2) Any terms or conditions under which the solar sky-space easement
is granted or will be terminated; and
(3) Any provision for compensation by the owner of the land benefitting
from the solar sky-space easement or compensation of the owner of
the land burdened by the solar sky-space easement for maintaining
the easement.
F. Where necessary for access to public or common lands, a pedestrian
easement shall be provided with a width of no less than 10 feet. Additional
width may be required by the Planning Commission and Borough Council,
depending on the purpose and use of the easement.