Any application for development shall conform to the standards
set forth in this article. The standards specified in this article
are minimum design requirements.
In reviewing any application for development, the Planning Commission
and the Board of Supervisors shall refer the application for development
to the Township Engineer for a recommendation concerning technical
compliance with these design standards and the Township Construction
Standards.
Service streets, as defined by this chapter, shall not be permitted
in residential developments, but may be provided in commercial and
industrial developments where needed for loading, unloading or secondary
access. Service streets shall be constructed in accordance with Township
Construction Standards and shall meet the minimum design standards
shown in Appendix I for local streets.
Easements for sanitary sewers, water lines and stormwater management
facilities shall be required to have a minimum width of 20 feet. Where
a subdivision or land development is, or will be, traversed by a watercourse,
there shall be provided a stormwater or drainage easement of a width
sufficient for the purpose, but not less than 20 feet.
The following standards shall apply to all lots proposed to
be subdivided or developed in accordance with this chapter:
A. Area.
(1) Minimum lot areas shall conform to the requirements of Chapter
350, Zoning. In the case of townhouse dwellings which are proposed to be sold in fee simple, the minimum lot area recorded for each dwelling unit may be less than any minimum lot area per dwelling unit required by Chapter
350, Zoning, provided the maximum dwelling unit density approved at the time of construction under the terms of Chapter
350, Zoning, is not exceeded on the entire parcel proposed for subdivision.
(2) In the case of duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, the dwelling units may be subdivided along the common walls for the purpose of conveying the units in fee simple after construction even though the resulting lots are less than the minimum required by Chapter
350, Zoning, provided the original lot containing the duplex, triplex or fourplex structure meets the lot width and lot area required for the dwelling type at the time of construction.
B. Frontage. All lots created by a subdivision shall have frontage along the right-of-way of a public street and the width of the frontage shall conform to the requirements of Chapter
350, Zoning, except in the case of a rear lot subdivision which meets all the requirements of Subsection
D of this section or a plan that meets the requirements of §
292-37B for a private street exception.
C. Double frontage. Double-frontage lots shall be discouraged; however,
where a double frontage lot is the only practical alternative, vehicular
access shall be provided from the frontage on the street with the
lower traffic volume. Where a double-frontage lot has frontage on
an arterial or collector street, access to the lot from the arterial
or collector street shall be prohibited and such prohibition shall
be indicated by a notation on the plat for recording.
D. Flag lots. A flag lot, as defined herein, shall only be approved
under the following circumstances:
(1) Flag lots shall not be permitted in a major subdivision.
(2) Only one flag lot shall be permitted in a minor subdivision.
(3) The access corridor shall have a minimum width of 20 feet at the
street right-of-way line and for its entire length. The access corridor
shall be legally described as part of the flag lot and shall be owned
in fee simple by the owner of the flag lot. An access easement across
property owned by others shall not be permitted.
(4) In the case where the proposed flag lot has adequate lot area that
it can be further subdivided or where the flag lot adjoins undeveloped
acreage to the rear, the Township may require a fifty-foot right-of-way
for a future public street in lieu of the twenty-foot fee simple access
corridor.
(5) The front yard setback for a flag lot shall be measured from the
property line in common with the forward lot (the base of the flag)
and most nearly parallel to the street right-of-way, regardless of
which way the dwelling is proposed to face.
(6) The rear yard setback shall be measured from the farthest property
line that is most nearly parallel to the street right-of-way (the
top of the flag).
(7) All other setbacks shall be side yards.
(8) Access to the forward lot from the twenty-foot fee simple corridor
shall not be permitted unless an easement is granted by the owner
of the flag lot or reserved by the subdivider and a maintenance agreement
is submitted to the Township.
E. Side lines. Whenever practicable, the side lines of a lot shall be
at right angles or radial to the right-of-way lines of streets.
F. Building lines. Building lines of lots shall conform to the minimum requirements of Chapter
350, Zoning, and shall be shown on the final plat.
G. Grading. Lots shall be graded to provide drainage away from buildings
and, where practical, water shall be drained to the street rather
than to adjoining property. The developer shall be required to provide
drains or other drainage facilities, as approved by the Township Engineer,
to drain off surface water within the development.
H. Driveways.
(1) An individual private driveway, as defined herein, which serves one
single-family or one two-family dwelling shall not be required to
be paved; however, in lieu of paving, the driveway shall have a covering
of slag or stone at least two inches thick over a minimum four-inch
stone base for a distance of 30 feet from the right-of-way of the
street. All common private driveways, as defined herein, and all individual
private driveways serving residential uses, other than a single-family
or two-family dwelling, shall be paved in accordance with the Township
Construction Standards and/or the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Design Manual, Part 2, Chapter 18.
(2) Driveways entering onto a state road shall be subject to a highway occupancy permit from the PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Driveways entering onto a county road shall be subject to a permit from Westmoreland County. Driveways entering onto Township streets shall be subject to a driveway permit issued under Chapter
131, Driveways, as now or hereafter amended.
I. Emergency access. Where more than one building exists on the same
lot, a minimum distance of 20 feet shall be maintained between the
buildings in order to provide access for public safety and emergency
vehicles. All buildings shall be designed so that fire-fighting equipment
has reasonable access to all sides of the building. All other emergency
vehicles shall have reasonable access to the principal entrance to
the building. All nonresidential buildings and garden apartments shall
maintain a fire lane which is clearly marked to prohibit the parking
or standing of vehicles, other than emergency vehicles, on driveways
immediately adjacent to the building, subject to approval of the Fire
Marshal.
J. Handicapped accessibility. Where required by the laws of the commonwealth
or federal law or regulation, subdivisions and land developments shall
be designed to meet the current standards with respect to handicapped
accessibility.
K. House numbers. House numbers shall be assigned by the Township, subject
to the approval of the U.S. Postal Service, and shall be posted at
each house so as to be easily visible and readable from the street.
Stormwater management facilities shall be provided for subdivisions and land developments in accordance with the requirements of Chapter
280, Stormwater Management, as now or hereafter amended.
The lighting of any parking spaces, parking areas, parking aisles,
standby/stacking lanes, loading and unloading spaces and areas, access
drives and driveways shall be required if such facilities are open
and accessible to the general public when or where there is no natural
light.
A. The lighting system shall be so designed to produce a minimum average
maintained light level of from one to two footcandles on the horizontal
surface of the entire parking, loading or unloading facility, including
but not limited to parking spaces, parking areas, parking aisles,
standby/stacking lanes, loading and unloading spaces and areas, access
drives and driveways. Parking areas accessory to a single-family or
two-family dwelling on an individual lot shall be excluded from this
requirement.
B. No lighting shall be designed to illuminate (direct or reflected)
adjacent or adjoining properties which results in a lighting level
in excess of more than 0.2 minimum average maintained horizontal footcandle
on the adjacent or adjoining properties.
C. Lighting standards shall not be located on lines delineating parking
spaces or in areas hazardous to traffic movements.