The following minimum subdivision principles, standards and requirements will be applied by Borough officials in evaluating the plans for a proposed subdivision.
A. 
Land shall be suited for the purpose for which it is to be subdivided.
B. 
Land subject to hazards to life, health and safety, such as strip-mined land, quarry land, open ditches and land subject to flooding or subsidence, shall not be subdivided for residential purposes. All such hazards shall be identified and eliminated by the owner or developer, and guaranties shall be provided to the Borough that adequate safeguards against such hazards have been provided.
C. 
No land shall be subdivided in a manner that landlocks or compromises the use or future development of contiguous or adjacent land areas.
A. 
Proposed streets shall be properly related to Borough, county and state road and highway plans that have been prepared and officially adopted and/or filed as prescribed by law.
B. 
Streets shall be logically related to the topography to achieve usable lots and reasonable grades.
C. 
Internal subdivision streets shall be laid out to discourage unnecessary through traffic, but provisions to coordinate adjacent area streets will be generally required.
D. 
Where a subdivision plan abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial street, the governing body may require local access streets, reverse frontage lots or such other treatment that will provide protection for abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections with arterial streets and separation of local and through traffic.
E. 
New half or partial streets will not be permitted, except where essential to reasonable subdivision of a tract in conformance with the other requirements and standards of this chapter and where, in addition, satisfactory assurances for dedication of the remaining part of the street is secured.
F. 
Wherever a tract to be subdivided borders an existing half or partial street, the other part of the street shall be plotted within such tract.
G. 
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited except as stubs to permit future street extensions or when designed as culs-de-sac. Permanent cul-de-sac streets may be permitted when it is clear that through traffic at such a street end is not essential to the existing or future street system in that district or to the development of adjacent properties in the area.
(1) 
Such streets, where permitted, shall not exceed 1,000 feet, including the turnaround at the closed end. The Planning Commission may recommend a cul-de-sac longer than 1,000 feet if it is determined by the Planning Commission that such additional length improves the subdivision design, results in a better relationship of the proposed development to the existing topography and does not create any hardships for the subdivision's residents or the Borough. Temporary dead-end street stubs shall terminate with culs-de-sac if said street extensions are not made within six months.
(2) 
The turnaround shall have an outside pavement radius of not less than 40 feet and a right-of-way radius of not less than 50 feet.
(3) 
The minimum grade of the turnaround portion of the cul-de-sac shall be 1%.
(4) 
The maximum grade of the turnaround portion of the cul-de-sac shall be 5%.
(5) 
An easement area providing for snow removal and storage area shall be created adjacent to the road right-of-way at the dead end of each new street. The snow removal and storage area shall be located in accordance with the typical detail drawings entitled "Snow Removal and Storage Area" attached at the end of this chapter. All snow removal and storage areas shall be shown on the subdivision recording plan and the plan shall note that said areas must be maintained free of any and all driveways and structures including but not limited to mailboxes, streetlights, transformers, fire hydrants, walks, fences, etc.
[Added 4-11-2006 by Ord. No. 406]
H. 
If lots resulting from original subdivision are large enough to permit additional subdivision or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided, adequate street rights-of-way shall be provided as necessary to allow for future development activity.
I. 
Reserve strips restricting or controlling access to adjacent streets or properties shall be prohibited.
J. 
Street grades.
(1) 
Center-line grades shall be not less than 2%.
(2) 
Center-line grades shall, wherever feasible, not exceed the following:
(a) 
Minor street: 10%.
(b) 
Collector and major traffic street: 6%.
(3) 
Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade and shall be designed in relation to the extent of the grade change.
(4) 
Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than four-percent grades for a distance of 25 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
K. 
Street width.
(1) 
Minimum street right-of-way and cartway widths shall be as follows: for minor streets and marginal-access streets, a fifty-foot right-of-way and twenty-four-foot paved cartway.
(2) 
Additional right-of-way and cartway width may be required by the governing body for the following purposes:
(a) 
To promote public safety and convenience where anticipated traffic flows warrant or where drainage easements should reasonably parallel thoroughfares.
(b) 
To provide parking space in commercial districts and in areas of high-density residential development.
(3) 
A short extension of existing streets with lesser right-of-way and/or cartway widths than prescribed above may be permitted; provided, however, that no section of a new right-of-way less than 50 feet in width shall be permitted.
L. 
Street intersections.
(1) 
Multiple intersections involving the junction of more than two streets shall be prohibited. Where this proves impossible, such intersections shall be designed with extreme care for both pedestrian and vehicular safety.
(2) 
Streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. No street shall intersect another at an angle of less than 60°.
(3) 
Streets entering opposite sides of another street shall be laid out either directly opposite one another or with a minimum offset of 150 feet between their center lines.
(4) 
Minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be 15 feet for intersections involving only minor streets, 25 feet for intersections including other type streets or such greater radius as is suitable to the specific intersection.
(5) 
A clear sight triangle shall be maintained at all intersections within an area formed by the intersecting street lines and a line joining points on the street lines 75 feet from the corner.
(6) 
Intersections of local streets with collector and arterial streets shall be kept to a minimum, consistent with topography and other local conditions. All subdivision intersections of less than 150 feet shall be avoided. To the fullest extent possible, intersections with collector and arterial streets shall be located not less than 800 feet apart, measured from center line to center line.
M. 
Alleys shall not be permitted in any subdivision.
N. 
Criteria for approving lots on private streets. A modification to § 163-20A(6) that requires all lots to abut by their full frontage on a publicly dedicated street may be granted by Borough Council, upon recommendation of the Planning Commission, provided all of the following requirements are met:
[Added 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 434]
(1) 
The proposed lot or lots shall have no other practical means of access to a public street.
(2) 
No more than three lots may be created on an existing private street, provided the private street is not extended.
(3) 
No more than three lots shall front on any proposed private street.
(4) 
A new private street shall not be approved when the proposed street can provide future access to additional undeveloped land beyond the limits of the proposed subdivision.
(5) 
A proposed private street shall terminate in a cul-de-sac that meets Borough specifications for right-of-way and paving.
(6) 
If the original parcel from which the subdivision is created has its principal vehicular access from the private street, it shall be counted as a lot on the private street, even though it has legal frontage on a public street.
(7) 
The minimum right-of-way width required for a new private street shall be 50 feet.
(8) 
The minimum width of the cartway required for a private street shall be 20 feet.
(9) 
The cartway and other design requirements for a private street shall meet the Borough construction standards for a public street, unless a modification to one or more of those requirements is granted in accordance with § 163-54 of this chapter.
(10) 
A notation shall be placed on the plat for recording indicating that the Borough has no maintenance responsibilities for the private street.
(11) 
An agreement obligating the property owners of all lots abutting the private street to maintain the private street shall be submitted with the application and shall be recorded with the approved plat.
(12) 
The plat for recording shall contain a notation and the deeds for each lot shall contain a reference to the executed and recorded agreement obligating the property owners to maintain the private street.
(13) 
The plat for recording and the deeds for each lot shall contain a statement that any future request by the lot owners to have the street accepted by the Borough as a public street shall be subject to the owners assuming the total cost of improving the private street to the current Borough construction standards for a public street.
(14) 
House numbers for dwellings located on private streets shall be placed at the intersection of the private street and the public street and shall be visible from the public street.
(15) 
The owners of the lots shall purchase street signs approved by the Borough and shall pay for the cost of installation of the signs by the Borough in the public right-of-way that indicate the name of the street, that the street is private and that there is no outlet.
O. 
Standards for accepting private streets. Private streets in existence on January 1, 2010, may be accepted by Borough Council for public ownership and maintenance, including snow removal, provided all of the following requirements are met:
[Added 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 434[1]]
(1) 
At least five or more lots shall front on and have their only access from the private street.
(2) 
The private street shall have a minimum right-of-way of 24 feet.
(3) 
For private streets with a right-of-way between 24 feet and 33 feet, the paved cartway shall be a minimum of 18 feet.
(4) 
For private streets with a right-of-way in excess of 33 feet but no more than 40 feet, the paved cartway shall be a minimum of 22 feet.
(5) 
For private streets with a right-of-way in excess of 40 feet up to and including 50 feet, the paved cartway shall be a minimum of 24 feet, plus a two-foot asphalt wedge curb or approved equal on both sides of the street.
(6) 
The private street shall terminate in a cul-de-sac. The cul-de-sac shall have a minimum radius of 35 feet for paved cartways of 18 to 21 feet and shall have a minimum radius of 40 feet for paved cartways of 22 feet to 24 feet.
(7) 
Aggregate base course specifications shall be equal to or exceed borough construction standards for public streets.
(8) 
Any private street that does not meet Borough construction standards for public streets shall be improved at the expense of the landowners who have frontage on the private street prior to final acceptance by the Borough.
(9) 
The Borough Engineer shall make the required inspections during installation of the improvements. Inspections shall be subject to payment of the inspection fees required by § 163-58C of this chapter.
(10) 
Final acceptance by Borough Council shall be subject to the procedure specified in § 163-47 of this chapter.
[1]
Editor’s Note: This ordinance also provided for the renumbering of former Subsections O and P as Subsections P and Q, respectively.
P. 
Streets proposed for commercial or industrial land development purposes shall, if possible, be laid out to intersect directly with arterial and collector streets. Insofar as possible, traffic circulation systems for commercial and industrial subdivisions shall be designed in a manner to eliminate or discourage traffic flow through residential areas.
Q. 
Driveways (site ingress and egress).
(1) 
Commercial and industrial ingress and egress (driveways) shall be designed to provide optimum visibility and to minimize traffic congestion in the vicinity of the development parcel. Traffic access design shall conform to the following requirements:
(a) 
In addition to the information and data required by §§ 163-11 and 163-13 of this chapter, all applications for preliminary and final plan approvals of subdivisions for commercial and industrial land development shall contain a traffic circulation plan showing;
[1] 
The locations and dimensions of vehicular ingress and egress for each development parcel.
[2] 
The location and access provisions for parking and loading for each development parcel.
[3] 
Available sight distances at all driveways.
(b) 
Defined ingress and egress points shall be required for all commercial and industrial development parcels.
(2) 
All driveways shall be constructed so as not to interfere with roadway drainage. Cross drains shall be constructed beneath the driveway where required to provide adequate drainage.
A. 
The following general provisions shall apply to all subdivisions of land:
(1) 
All lot area requirements and specified minimum yard and setback designations shall be dimensioned from public rights-of-way, where applicable. No lot area requirement or setback shall be computed from within a public right-of-way.
(2) 
Flag lots shall not be permitted.
[Added 4-8-2003 by Ord. No. 386[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also renumbered former Subsection A(2) through (7) as (3) through (8), respectively.
(3) 
The frontage width of lots abutting a cul-de-sac shall be determined as the width at the building line. The side yard and setback requirements will be calculated from the midpoint of the structure along the average length of both sides and the rear of the structure.
(4) 
All lot lines shall be set perpendicular or radial to the center line of the street whenever possible.
(5) 
Lots abutting local streets shall front on the streets that parallel the long dimension of the block, if possible.
(6) 
All lots shall abut by their full frontage on a publicly dedicated street. Lots abutting on a private street shall not be approved, unless a modification is granted in accordance with § 163-54 and all of the requirements of § 163-19N are met.
[Amended 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 434]
(7) 
No land shall be graded, cut or filled so as to create a slope exceeding a vertical rise of one foot for each two feet of horizontal distance between abutting lots, unless a retaining structure is installed in accordance with specifications approved by the Borough Engineer and the governing body.
(8) 
Setback requirements required by the Borough Zoning Ordinance[2] shall be shown on the final plat for recording.
[Amended 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 434]
[2]
Editor’s Note: See Ch. 180, Zoning.
B. 
Lots laid out for residential purposes shall be subdivided in accordance with the provisions of the Borough Zoning Ordinance[3] with respect to lot area, lot width, setbacks, yard requirements and other applicable requirements.
[3]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 180, Zoning.
C. 
Nonresidential lots.
(1) 
Lot and tracts of land laid out for nonresidential purposes shall be subdivided in accordance with the provisions of the Borough Zoning Ordinance[4] with respect to lot area, lot width, setbacks, yard requirements and other applicable requirements.
[4]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 180, Zoning.
(2) 
The location of areas designated for structures, internal site accessways, off-street parking and loading areas and generalized land use proposals shall be included as a part of all final plan applications for nonresidential purposes.
(3) 
The Planning Commission may recommend and the governing body may authorize block platting in place of lot platting for nonresidential purposes to provide the developer maximum flexibility, provided that no block shall be subdivided in such a way that any subsequent lots would be smaller than the minimum size authorized by this chapter.
(4) 
Where nonresidential lots adjoin lots in a residential zoning classification, the buffer area required by the Borough Zoning Ordinance[5] shall be provided.
[Amended 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 434]
[5]
Editor’s Note: See Ch. 180, Zoning.
A. 
Block length shall not ordinarily exceed 1,600 feet nor be less than 500 feet, depending on topography, adjacent road configurations and other related criteria.
B. 
Blocks shall be at least two lots in depth except for reverse frontage lots.
C. 
The depth to width ratio of usable lot length shall be at a maximum of four to one (4:1), except where said requirement proves unreasonable due to unique topographic conditions or unique parcel configuration which would create inaccessible or derelict land areas.
A. 
Utility and public utility easements shall have a minimum width of 20 feet and be placed at the side or rear of lots if possible. When the governing body determines that conditions are suitable for utilities and/or public utilities, an easement reservation will be required.
B. 
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a drainage easement or right-of-way conforming substantially to the line of such watercourse and of such width as will be adequate to preserve natural drainage and provide sufficient width for maintenance purposes, but not less than 20 feet. Where applicable, federal, state and local flood maps and data shall be employed to determine the location of easements or rights-of-way required by this chapter.
C. 
On all culs-de-sac to be dedicated to the public, an easement for snow removal and storage shall be recorded on one or more lots in accordance with the specifications in Attachment 11 of this chapter.[1]
[Amended 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 434]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Attachment 11 is located at the end of this chapter.
[Amended 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 434]
Sidewalks and crosswalks shall be installed when required by § 163-34D of this chapter. If required, sidewalks and crosswalks shall be constructed in accordance with Borough construction standards. Anywhere a sidewalk meets a curbed street, a curb ramp that complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) shall be provided.[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: See 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.
Reserve strips surrounding property or areas reserved for any purpose that shall make any area unprofitable for regular or special assessments or that may revert to an untended nuisance area shall not be approved by the governing body.
A. 
The subdivider may choose his street names, subject to the approval of the governing body. No street, other than an extension, may be given the name of an existing street in the Borough's postal service area.
B. 
Streets laid out opposite another street shall be given the same name or number as the opposite street.
C. 
All house numbering systems shall be coordinated with the numbering of existing development in the area and approved by the Planning Commission and the governing body.
Subdividing land shall be done in a manner that will not bar adjacent property owners from access to streets and ways of alignment nor otherwise preclude the development of surrounding land areas.
A. 
Provisions for proper improvement and maintenance of any open space and recreation areas set aside as public space shall be guaranteed by appropriate bonds or similar provisions satisfactory to the governing body.
B. 
The governing body may, at its option, accept recreation and open spaces from the developer through deeds of dedication conveying title to the Borough.
A. 
Trees, shrubbery and similar vegetation shall not be established within a road right-of-way.
B. 
A clear sight triangle, as defined by this chapter, shall be maintained free of any obstructions at intersections so that there shall be a minimum clear sight triangle measured along the center line from the points of intersection in accordance with the requirements specified in Appendix B.[1] The clear sight triangle shall be shown on the final plat for recording.
[Amended 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 434]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Appendix B is located at the end of this chapter.