The purpose of this article is to identify certain regulations
and standards which are either common to all zoning districts or applicable
to more than one district.
The following uses shall be prohibited in any zoning district
within the Borough:
C. Fortune telling, palmistry or similar uses.
D. The sale of merchandise from a temporary structure or roadside stand.
E. The sale of merchandise from a motor vehicle.
All new construction on lots where there is currently no sidewalk
shall install a sidewalk with handicapped curb cut ramps at the crosswalks.
No building or part thereof shall be erected within, or shall
project into, any required yard in any district, except for unenclosed
porches, one-story bay windows, eaves, chimneys, balconies, fire escapes,
buttresses, cornices, or steps; and none of these or similar projections
shall encroach more than three feet into the required yard.
In the case of multifamily dwellings and nonresidential buildings,
lighting facilities shall be provided and arranged in a manner that
will protect the street and neighboring properties from excessive
glare and hazardous interference of any kind. Lighting facilities
shall be provided for the safety and convenience of the residents
of multifamily dwellings or patrons of nonresidential buildings. All
driveways and parking areas must be properly lighted to assure safe
driving conditions at night and security for residents and patrons.
[Amended 5-28-2019 by Ord. No. 869]
In the event that multifamily dwellings are converted or developed
as condominiums, such condominiums shall be owned and operated in
accordance with the Uniform Condominium Act, 68 Pa. C.S.A. § 3101
et seq., as amended.
The following provisions shall regulate satellite antennas in
the Borough:
A. Only ground-based satellite antennas are permitted in residential
zoning districts.
B. Ground-based satellite antennas shall be placed only in the side
or rear yard. No antenna shall be placed in the front yard.
C. If ground-based, the maximum diameter of the satellite antenna shall
not exceed 10 feet.
D. Roof-mounted satellite antennas shall be placed only in nonresidential
zoning districts.
E. A roof-mounted antenna shall not exceed four feet in diameter.
F. All applications for a roof-mounted antenna shall be accompanied
by specific mounting and stress analysis designs prepared by a professional
engineer.
G. The satellite antenna shall be of a color that blends with the surrounding
landscape. It shall have an open mesh rather than a solid surface
in order to blend with the landscape and reduce visual blockage.
H. All wiring for ground-based antennas shall be underground.
I. Satellite antennas shall be located and designed so as to reduce
their visual impact on the surrounding properties and public streets.
In districts where minimum side yards for corner lots are not
specifically indicated in this chapter, no building shall be placed
closer to the side street than existing buildings in the adjacent
area.
In all zoning districts, whenever parking areas with five or
more spaces are proposed to be constructed, a traffic circulation
plan showing all points of ingress and egress, as well as on-site
traffic flow, shall be submitted to the Planning Commission for its
recommendations.
[Added 5-28-2019 by Ord.
No. 869]
A. In order to more effectively evaluate the impact of any use permitted
by special exception, conditional use or any variance to the allowable
use in any district, the applicant for special exception or use variance
shall be required to submit a traffic impact study.
B. A traffic impact study is intended to enable the Borough to assess
the traffic impacts of a proposal. The traffic impact study shall:
(1)
Identify any traffic problems that may be created in the existing
highway network as a result of the proposal.
(2)
Delineate solutions to potential problems and to present improvements
to be incorporated into the proposal or into the highway and/or public
transit systems within the study area.
(3)
Indicate how the proposed improvements will assist in the protection
of air quality and the conservation of energy and to encourage the
use of public transit where available.
C. Preparation of study. The traffic impact study shall be prepared
by a professional engineer and/or transportation planner in accordance
with accepted traffic engineering standards, with the cost borne by
the applicant. The traffic study area shall be the area of land within
the Borough that is likely to be affected by the development. Specific
intersections to be included in the study shall be approved by the
Borough prior to initiating work. Based on the findings of the study,
Borough Council may require improvements, which will alleviate hazardous
or congested situations, as a condition for approval.
D. Applicability.
(1)
A traffic impact study shall be submitted with all developments
with 10,000 or more square feet of building floor area and all subdivisions
of 10 or more dwelling units.
(a)
Proposals that would not be required to produce a traffic impact
study by reason of size, above, must produce a study if the expected
number of trips generated per day exceeds 300.
(b)
The anticipated number of trips per day shall be determined
through the use of the most-recent edition of the Institute of Transportation
Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Report. The proposed use or development
shall be identified using the appropriate ITE land use code. Where
doubt exists, the applicant shall seek guidance from the Borough Engineer.
(2)
The Borough Council may waive the requirement for a traffic
impact study where, in the opinion of the Borough Council in consultation
with the Borough Zoning Officer, Planner and Engineer, it is determined
that the proposal is not expected to create a significant traffic
impact.
E. General requirements and standards. A traffic impact study shall
contain the following information:
(1)
General site description.
(a)
The site description shall include the size, location, proposed
land uses, construction staging and completion date of the proposed
subdivision or land development. If the development is residential,
types of dwelling units shall also be included. A brief description
of other major existing and proposed developments within the study
area shall be provided. The general site description shall also include
probable socioeconomic characteristics of potential site users to
the extent that they may affect the transportation needs of the site
(i.e., number of senior citizens).
(b)
Photographs should be obtained and labeled for all the study
intersections and proposed access driveways. It is recommended that
two views be taken of each approach for the intersections. Photographs
should consider elements such as horizontal/vertical alignment of
roadways, trees, buildings or other roadside objects, pavement markings,
drainage, signal heads and placement:
[1] Approximately 200 feet from the intersection to
provide an overview of the study area and overall study context.
[2] Approximately 50 feet from the intersection.
(2)
Transportation facilities description.
(a)
The description shall contain a full documentation of the proposed
internal and existing external transportation system. This description
shall include proposed internal vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian
circulation, all proposed ingress and egress locations, all internal
roadway widths and rights-of-way, parking conditions, traffic channelization
and any traffic signals or other intersection-control devices at all
intersections within the site.
(b)
The report shall describe the entire external roadway system
within the study area and include discussion of existing design deficiencies
and potential safety hazards. Major intersections in the study area
shall be identified, photographed and sketched. All existing and proposed
and public transportation services and facilities within a one-half-mile
radius of the site shall also be documented. The applicant shall identify
all existing and proposed pedestrian and bike facilities that would
be affected by the proposed development. Pedestrian facilities include
sidewalks, intersection treatments, and off-road paths or trails.
Bicycle facilities include on-street bike lanes, paved shoulders,
and off-road paths or trails. The traffic impact study shall include
review and discussion of all available accident reports within the
study area during the prior five years.
(c)
All future highway improvements, including proposed construction
and traffic signalization, shall be noted. The Regional Transportation
Improvement Program maintained by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning
Commission and the PennDOT Transportation Improvement Program shall
be used as a source of information when determining if any future
roadway improvements are scheduled for the adjacent road network.
Any proposed roadway improvements due to proposed surrounding developments
shall be recorded.
(3)
Existing traffic conditions. Existing traffic conditions shall
be measured and documented for all roadways and intersections in the
study area. Existing traffic volumes for average daily traffic, peak
highway hour(s) traffic, and peak development-generated hour(s) documentation
shall be included in the report. Traffic counts are to be performed
from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Traffic
count data shall not be more than one year old. Traffic counts shall
be taken on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of a nonholiday week.
Traffic counts shall be taken during the school year. Traffic counts
shall be collected during average volume conditions, during fair weather,
and in consideration of any construction activities or special events
which may be taking place in the area. Additional counts (conducted
on a Saturday for a commercial development or residential development
in close proximity to the commercial district or tourist attractions)
may also be required in some cases. The Borough Engineer shall make
such determinations. Traffic counts shall be submitted in electronic
format to the Borough. Roadway characteristics shall be described
and illustrated. Features to be addressed shall include lane configurations,
geometry, signal timing, traffic control devices, posted speed limits,
and sight distance limitations. Existing levels of service shall be
calculated for all intersections and turning movements within the
study area. This analysis will determine the adequacy of the existing
roadway system to adequately serve the existing traffic demand. Roadways,
intersections, or individual movements experiencing levels of service
below C, and/or volume/capacity ratios greater than or equal to 1.0,
shall be noted as deficient. A volume/capacity analysis based upon
existing volumes shall be performed during the peak highway hour(s)
and the peak development-generated hour(s) for all roadways and major
intersections in the study area. Levels of service shall be determined
for each location using the current edition of the Highway Capacity
Manual methodology. All analysis must utilize highway capacity software,
version 4.1e, or latest.
(4)
Transportation impact of the development. Estimation of vehicular
trips to result from the proposal shall be completed for the average
daily peak highway hour(s) and peak development-generated hour(s).
Vehicular trip generation rates to be used for this calculation shall
be obtained from the manual Trip Generation, Eighth Edition, Institute
of Transportation Engineers, 2008 (as amended). These development-generated
traffic volumes shall be provided for the inbound and outbound traffic
movements as estimated, and the reference source(s) methodology followed
shall be documented. All turning movements shall be calculated. These
generated volumes shall be distributed to the study area and assigned
to the existing roadways and intersections throughout the study area.
Documentation of all assumptions used in the distribution and assignment
phase shall be provided. Traffic volumes shall be assigned to individual
access points. If school crossings are to be used, pedestrian volumes
shall be assigned to each crossing. Any characteristics of the site
that will cause particular trip generation problems shall be noted.
(5)
Analysis of transportation impact.
(a)
The total future traffic demand shall be calculated. This demand
shall consist of the combination of the existing traffic expanded
to the completion year (using a background growth rate for the area
from PennDOT, Pennsylvania Traffic Data, latest edition), the development-generated
traffic, and the traffic generated by other proposed developments
in the study area. A separate trip distribution figure shall be provided.
A second volume capacity analysis shall be conducted using the future
conditions volumes without development. This analysis shall be performed
during the peak highway hour(s) and peak development-generated hour(s)
for all roadways and major intersections in the study area. Level-of-service
calculations shall be completed for all major intersections. A third
volume capacity analysis shall be conducted using the total future
demand and the future roadway capacity.
(b)
If staging of the proposed development is anticipated, calculations
for each stage of completion shall be made. This analysis shall be
performed during the peak highway hour(s) and peak development-generated
hour(s) for all roadways and major intersections in the study area.
Level-of-service calculations shall be completed for all major intersections.
It is usually at these locations that capacity is most restricted.
All access points and pedestrian crossings shall be examined as to
the feasibility of installing traffic signals. This evaluation shall
compare the projected traffic and pedestrian volumes to the warrants
for traffic signal installation.
(6)
Sight distance analysis. Sight distance measurements shall be
performed at any proposed driveway and/or existing driveway to determine
sufficient sight distance to the left and right of the driveway. Sight
distances shall be compared to the desirable sight distance standards
as specified in 67 Pa. Code Chapter 441, Access to and Occupancy of
Highways by Driveways and Local Roads. Sight distance shall also be
compared to PennDOT's safe stopping sight distance (SSSD) requirements
as specified in A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets
(latest edition), of the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Chapter III, Elements of Design.
(7)
Auxiliary lane analysis. An auxiliary lane analysis shall be
completed utilizing Highway Research Record (HRR) 211 (1967). HRR
211 provides graphs based upon the speed of the roadway and the percentage
of left turns. Utilizing the future build with development traffic
volumes, points shall be plotted on the graphs. Based on the plotted
points, it should determine that the study area intersections associated
with the proposed developments do or do not satisfy the left-turn-lane
warrant. Right-turn-lane analysis should be based upon the Access
Management, Location and Design Participant Notebook, Publication
No. FHWA-HI-92-033, United States Department of Transportation, Federal
Highway Administration NHI Course No. 15255, February 1992. Deceleration
lanes should be provided for all high-volume driveways. For low- and
medium-volume driveways, the designer should refer to the AASHTO at-grade
intersections deceleration lane warrants.
(8)
Conclusions and recommended improvements.
(a)
Levels of service for all roadways and intersections shall be
listed. All individual turning movement of roadways and/or intersections
showing a level of service below C shall be considered deficient,
and specific recommendations for the elimination of these problems
shall be listed. This listing of recommended improvements shall include,
but not be limited to, the following elements: internal circulation
design, site access location and design, external roadway and intersection
design/safety improvements, traffic signal installation and operation,
including signal timing, and transit design improvements. All physical
roadway improvements shall be shown in sketches.
(b)
Existing and/or future public transportation service shall also
be addressed. A listing of all actions to be undertaken to increase
present public transportation usage and improve service, if applicable,
shall be included.
(c)
The listing of recommended improvements for both roadways and
transit shall include, for each improvement, the party responsible
for the improvement, the cost and funding of the improvement, and
the completion date for the improvement.
(d)
The study shall outline mitigation measures and demonstrate
any changes to the level of service achieved by these measures. Any
alternatives or suggested phasing of improvements shall be described.
The mitigation measures may include recommendations such as roadway
widening, turning lanes, deceleration lanes/tapers, changes to signalization,
use of access management techniques, or a reduction in the proposed
intensity of the use. The responsibility and timing of all recommended
roadway improvements shall be described within the traffic impact
study.
(9)
Time of submission. The traffic impact study shall be submitted
to the Planning Commission with the preliminary plan submission. Revisions
to preliminary plans may constitute the need for resubmission of the
traffic impact study or the revised conditions.
(10)
Implementation. The Borough Council shall review the traffic
impact study to analyze its adequacy in solving any traffic problems
that will occur due to the land development or subdivision. The Borough
Council may determine that certain improvements on and/or adjacent
to the site and within the study area are necessary requirements for
land development or subdivision plan approval and may attach these
as conditions to the approval. If the governing body determines that
such additional improvements are necessary, the developer shall have
the opportunity to submit alternative improvement designs to obtain
plan approval.
(11)
Emergency response organizations. The applicant shall submit
the traffic impact study with the land development plans proposing
the construction of nonresidential buildings or multifamily residential
dwellings to the Fire Department, Police Department and any other
emergency response organization having jurisdiction within the area
of the proposed development for review and comment.