[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
Minimum standards and requirements are specified for each element
of design or improvement. General goals or statements of desired outcomes
are listed in § 505. The Township will consider alternatives
to specific standards and requirements set forth in § 506
and the following sections if the applicant demonstrates that an alternative
will achieve the desired outcome to a higher degree or will produce
more-desirable results than application of the specified standard.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
The design of a subdivision or land development ordinance shall
be based upon an analysis of existing conditions of the site, which
includes consideration of the site's natural and man-made features
and of the opportunities and constraints for development that are
associated with these features. The site analysis shall also consider
the relationship of the site to the surrounding developed and undeveloped
areas and to applicable municipal, county and regional plans. The
required project narrative should summarize how the analysis of existing
conditions has influenced the design of the subdivision or land development.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
Before considering requests for waivers or modifications of
standards or requirements contained in this Part that will reduce
the attainment of the goals listed in § 505, the Township
may require the applicant to prepare alternative development plans
which more nearly meet the requirements of this chapter. The original
plan shall only be approved if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction
of the Township that an alternative plan is not practical or feasible.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
It shall be the responsibility of the applicant for approval
to obtain all required permits and approvals from other jurisdictions
or agencies. No application shall be finally approved by the Township
until all the required permits and approvals have been obtained.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
Subdivisions and land developments shall be designed to achieve
the general goals or outcomes that are listed in this section.
A.
Minimize Damage to the Environment. All subdivisions and land developments
shall be designed to minimize environmental damage to the maximum
extent possible, by carefully fitting the subdivision or development
to the existing conditions and natural features of the site.
(1)
Minimize Grading. Roads, building sites and lots should be laid
out in a manner that will minimize disturbance of the land. Roads
should generally follow existing contours, where doing so will minimize
cuts and fills. Naturally level areas should in general be utilized
for building sites. Clustering of development on less-steep areas
of the site is strongly encouraged, as an alternative to mass grading.
(2)
Protect Steep Slopes. Wooded hillsides are important environmental
and aesthetic resources of Allegheny County. Development should be
located to avoid disturbance of steeply sloped areas and to preserve
the visual character of wooded hillsides.
(3)
Protect Watercourses and Wetlands. Watercourses are the county's
natural drainageways for the conveyance of surface waters, including
runoff and floodwaters. Streams, land bordering streams and wetlands
provide habitats for aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals and
may function as wildlife corridors. The county's larger streams
and rivers are primary elements of the visual character of the county
and are also important resources for recreation and commerce. Development
should be designed to preserve and protect the county's watercourses
and wetlands so that they can continue to serve all of these functions.
(4)
Preserve Woodlands and Mature Trees. New developments should
be designed to preserve and protect existing woodlands, as excessive
cutting of trees and clearance of woodlands in conjunction with subdivision
and land development causes soil erosion, increased runoff, loss of
habitat, and diminution of one of the county's most significant
visual resources: the wooded hillsides that are so prominent throughout
the area. Except for regulated commercial timbering operations, the
cutting of mature trees and clearance of woodland shall commence only
after final approval of a plan for subdivision or land development,
and then only to the extent required for the construction of roads,
utilities and buildings.
(5)
Protect Other Identified Natural Resources. Special care should
be taken in the design and construction of subdivisions and land developments
to protect habitats in which rare or endangered plants or animals
are found and other ecologically important sites.
(6)
Protect Historic, Architectural and Archeological Resources.
Sites containing structures of historic or architectural significance
should be designed to preserve, enhance or reuse such structures,
in accordance with any applicable state regulations.
(7)
Protect the Quality of the County's Air and Water. All
land development shall comply fully with federal, state and county
laws and regulations concerning air and water pollution.
B.
Avoid Hazardous Development. Where hazardous or potentially hazardous
features are present on proposed development sites, the design of
subdivisions and land developments shall consider such features. Appropriate
precautions shall be taken to ensure that development will be safe
and that the public health and welfare will be protected. Development
shall not be approved unless safety is ensured.
(1)
Landslide-Prone Areas. In areas where soils or underlying geology
may be unstable, geotechnical investigation shall be required to ensure
the safety of any proposed disturbance.
(2)
Undermined Areas. In areas where mining has occurred in the
past, subsidence risk assessments may be required to establish that
proposed development will be safe.
(3)
Flood-Prone Areas. New construction in the undeveloped one-hundred-year
floodplain should be avoided. New construction in other undeveloped
areas subject to frequent flooding should also be avoided. In areas
where the floodplain has been developed in the past and new construction
in unavoidable, such development shall be in accordance with all applicable
state and federal regulations.
(4)
Contaminated Sites. In order to protect the public health, no
subdivision or development of land in areas which may have been contaminated
by former industrial or other uses shall be approved unless the site
has been made safe for development. Development of contaminated sites
shall be limited to uses which will not pose health risks for site
occupants.
(5)
Areas Exposed to Aircraft Noise or Hazards. Subdivisions and
land developments in areas of the county where airport-related noise
is high or where aircraft landings and takeoffs can be endangered
by vertical obstructions or other hazards shall ensure that development
does not reduce the ability of the airport to function safely and
efficiently. Conversely, the safety of development and health and
welfare of occupants should not be compromised because of proximity
to airports.
C.
The general layout of subdivisions and land development should respect
the natural resources of the site and the character of the surrounding
area and be suitable for the intended uses. The design of blocks and
lots shall comply with the zoning requirements of the municipality
and should provide suitable sites for buildings. The design of subdivisions
and land development should consider the topography and other natural
features of the site, requirements for safe and convenient pedestrian
and vehicular circulation and the character of surrounding development.
Subdivisions and land developments should be compatible with municipal,
county and regional comprehensive plans and components thereof.
D.
Land development shall include landscaping which is designed to improve
community appearance, to contribute to the environmental quality and
livability of new development areas and to mitigate the negative impacts
of development upon other areas of the community. Uses and structures
should be sited to minimize adverse impacts from or upon adjoining
uses. Landscaping and buffer yards should be designed to reduce unavoidable
impacts and to augment the natural features of the site.
E.
Provide a full range of improvements in subdivisions and land developments
as required to ensure the public health, safety and welfare and the
creation of desirable communities for living, working and recreation.
(1)
Water. A safe and sufficient supply of potable water shall be
provided for new subdivisions and land developments, in accordance
with applicable regulations of the commonwealth and county. New development
should not degrade the quality of potable water supplies.
(2)
Sanitary sewage facilities shall be provided for new subdivisions
and land developments, in accordance with applicable regulations of
the commonwealth and county.
(3)
Stormwater Management. Every subdivision and land development
shall manage stormwater flows in accordance with the Pennsylvania
Stormwater Management Act. All development located in watersheds for
which watershed stormwater management plans have adopted shall comply
with all requirements of the watershed plan.
(4)
Other Essential Public Utilities. New subdivisions and land
developments shall be served by other essential public utilities,
including electricity, natural gas and telephone. New subdivisions
and land developments may also be served by alternative energy sources,
such as solar or wind, in accordance with any applicable state, federal
and local regulations.
(5)
Public and Community Services. All new development should have
access to a full range of community services and facilities, such
as public safety and emergency services and recreation facilities,
schools and libraries.
(6)
Transportation Facilities. New subdivisions and land developments
should include a range of transportation facilities, for access to
all lots, buildings, and open space areas intended for use by people.
Transportation facilities developed within new subdivisions and land
developments should be designed as parts of the larger system of transportation
facilities which serves the community. Transportation facilities may
include streets, public transportation, sidewalks, bikeways and multipurpose
trails for nonmotorized transportation.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
A.
Permanent survey monuments, per the Township Construction Standard
Details, shall be set at all boundary corners, angle points of boundaries,
street intersections and such intermediate points as may be required.
Benchmarks shall be placed on the monuments at all street intersections
based on the NAVD 88 datum. All lot corners shall be staked and plainly
marked with oak or metal pins, where feasible.
B.
The installation and certification shall be made by a registered
professional engineer or a registered surveyor prior to the final
approval of the subdivision, consolidation or land development. In
lieu of such prior installation, the applicant shall furnish a cash
deposit in the form of a certified check to guarantee the proper installation
of the required monuments, benchmarks and lot pins. The refundable
deposit shall be in the amount as established from time to time by
resolution of Township Commission per required survey monument.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
The developer shall be responsible for contracting with private
utility companies and for providing any easements required by those
utility companies to guarantee that each lot shall be served by telephone,
gas and/or electricity. Final occupancy permits shall not be issued
until all essential public utilities are installed.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
Each lot shall front on a public street. All streets, public and private, shall be improved to Township Construction Standard Details and the design standards of Part 6 of this chapter. An agreement for maintenance of private streets shall be recorded with the final plan and shall include, in case of failure to maintain in accordance with the agreement, an offer of dedication to the municipality, together with provisions for funds sufficient to restore the private street to the standards required for public streets prior to acceptance of dedication.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
Installation shall be in accordance with local power company
standards and with the Township Construction Standard Details. For
the safety and convenience of the public, the developer shall install,
in accordance with local power company standards, streetlights of
a type approved by the Township and on poles prescribed by the Township
on all public and private streets. The cost of the lights, poles and
installation shall be assumed by the developer.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
Street signs shall be submitted to the Township for review and
approval. The developer shall install street name signs, approved
by the Township, at all street intersections, together with necessary
traffic control signals and safety signs. If needed, the developer
shall also install traffic control signals to or within the development.
The cost of the street signs and posts shall be assumed by the developer.
[Ord. 859, 4/6/2009]
At the time of construction or reconstruction of curbs and/or
sidewalks at any intersection in the Township, the developer shall
provide lowered curbs to facilitate accessibility for the handicapped
in accordance with the specifications contained in the Township Construction
Standard Details.
