Article V Design Standards

The location and width of all streets shall conform to the Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 375, Zoning, and the Official Map or to such parts thereof as may have been adopted by the Township.

Proposed streets shall further conform to such county and state street and highway plans as have been prepared, adopted and/or filed as prescribed by law.

Streets shall be logically related to the topography so as to produce reasonable grades, satisfactory drainage and suitable building sites.

Streets within residential subdivisions and land developments shall be so designed with a hierarchy of levels; however, the arrangement of streets shall provide for the continuation of existing or platted streets and proper access to adjoining undeveloped residentially zoned lots suitable for future subdivision or land development. Streets within nonresidential subdivisions and land developments shall provide for the continuation of existing or platted streets and proper access to adjoining undeveloped commercially or industrially zoned tracts suitable for future subdivision and land development.

All required improvements, including, but not limited to, existing and proposed streets, sanitary sewer and water facilities, stormwater management facilities and all other improvements, that are to be installed in the right-of-way of existing and proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the development to provide access to adjacent lands. All such existing and proposed streets and all required improvements to be located within the street rights-of-way shall be designed to accommodate the future needs in the Township with respect to street circulation patterns and utility alignments. Where a street extension is to be more than one lot in depth and where there is not an adequate location for vehicles to turn around at the terminus of the street, the Township may require that a paved turnaround with temporary easements for the turnarounds be provided.

If lots resulting from subdivision are large enough to permit further subdivision or development, or if a portion of the lot is not subdivided or developed, adequate street rights-of-way to permit further subdivision or development of the lot shall be provided as necessary.

Half streets at the perimeter of the development or partial streets with less than required right-of-way or cartway width shall not be permitted.

Where a development abuts a collector or arterial street, the Board of Supervisors may require the use of marginal access streets, reverse frontage lots, or such other treatment that will provide protection for abutting properties, reduce the number of intersections with the major street, and separate the local and through traffic.

(9)

Streets that are extensions of or obviously in alignment with existing streets shall bear the names of the existing streets. Street names shall not be repeated and all street names shall be subject to the approval of the Lancaster County-Wide Communications.

(10)

Whenever design standards for required street improvements are not specified by the Board of Supervisors, the applicable standard requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Guidelines for Design of Local Roads and Streets (PDT Pub. 13M Design Manual 2: Highway Design), as amended, shall govern.

(11)

All existing streets at the perimeter of the project property must be improved to Township specifications. If an existing street is at the perimeter of the development, it shall be fully improved from the right-of-way line on the development side of the street to the center line of the street. If an existing street is within the development, it shall be improved to the full width of the street right-of-way as required by the Township specifications. Adequate right-of-way in accordance with Township specifications shall be set aside for dedication to the Township for all existing streets to be improved. Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to subdivisions for agricultural use within the Rural Zoning District as defined by the Revised Zoning Ordinance of East Lampeter Township, 1990, as amended.[1] For the purpose of this subsection, the phrase "subdivisions for agricultural use" shall mean those subdivisions from which each resultant lot or tract is intended for predominantly agricultural use.

Editor's Note: See now the Agricultural (AG) District in Chapter 375, Zoning.

(12)

The developer shall be responsible for the construction of all improvements delineated by a traffic impact study prepared in accordance with § 386-516 of this chapter as needed to eliminate all adverse conditions created by the traffic generated by the development.

(13)

The developer shall be responsible for obtaining and installing all street name and traffic signage within the development prior to the use and occupancy of any part of the development, or upon the installation of the binder or wearing course of the adjacent street, whichever comes first. All signage shall be subject to the approval of the Township and shall be consistent with existing signage within the Township.

Culs-de-sac and turnarounds.

Dead-end streets shall be prohibited, except where designed as temporary turnarounds to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, or when designed as culs-de-sac.

Culs-de-sac, whether permanently or temporarily designed, shall not exceed a center line distance of 1,000 feet in length and shall not have a center line distance less than 250 feet in length. The length of the cul-de-sac street shall be measured from the center line intersection of the intersecting street to the center of the cul-de-sac turn-around. Permanent cul-de-sac streets must be provided with a paved turnaround with a minimum diameter of 80 feet to the face of curb and of 100 feet to the street right-of-way line.

Any street dead-ended in order to provide for the future continuation of the street into adjoining property or for authorized stage development; shall be fully constructed and all utilities installed. A barrier to prevent vehicular access to adjoining property shall be constructed at the termination point of the street. Where the Board of Supervisors has determined that a temporary turnaround is required at the terminus of a dead-end street, said turnaround shall be provided with an all-weather surface within the development and the use of such turnaround shall be guaranteed to the public until such time as the street is extended. The temporary turnaround shall be circular with a minimum cartway radius of 25 feet and shall remain completely within the right-of-way.

Snow storage easements shall be required at the end of all culs-de-sac.

Horizontal alignment.

Horizontal curves shall be used at all horizontal alignment deflections in excess of 2°.

The minimum radius at the center line for horizontal curves on arterial streets shall be 600 feet; for collector streets, 300 feet; and for local streets, 150 feet. Proper superelevation shall be provided for curves on arterial streets.

There shall be a tangent of at least 100 feet between reverse curves for all collector and arterial streets.

Proper sight distance shall be provided with respect to both horizontal and vertical alignment. Measured along the center line, four feet above grade, this shall be 400 feet for arterial streets, 275 feet for collector streets, and 200 feet for local streets.

Vertical alignment.

The minimum grade on all streets shall be 0.75%. The maximum grade on arterial and collector streets shall be 6% and on local streets, 10%.

Vertical curves shall be used in changes of grade exceeding 1%. To provide proper sight distances, the minimum length (in feet) of vertical curves shall be as follows: for arterials, 85 times the algebraic difference in grade; for collectors, 55 times the algebraic difference in grade; for local streets, 30 times the algebraic difference in grade.

The through street at intersections shall be approached by side streets in accordance with the following standards: where the grade of the side street exceeds 7%, there shall be a leveling area on the side street with a minimum length of 75 feet (measured from the intersection of the center lines), within which no grade shall exceed a maximum of 4%.

Intersections.

No more than two streets shall intersect at the same point.

Right-angle intersections shall be used whenever possible. No street shall intersect another at an angle of less than 75°.

Two streets intersecting at opposite sides of a through street shall intersect at their center lines or their center lines shall be off set by a minimum of 200 feet.

Intersections with collector streets entering into arterial streets shall not be located less than 1,000 feet apart on the same side of the arterial street measured from center line to center line of the collector streets.

A fifty-foot clear-sight triangle shall be provided and maintained at all street intersections. The triangle shall be established by measuring 50 feet from the point of intersection of the center lines of the streets. No building, planting or other obstruction above the height of three feet and below 10 feet in height that would obscure the vision of a motorist shall be permitted within the area. The height shall be measured from the center line grade of the intersecting streets. This requirement shall not apply to traffic signals, traffic signs, street name signs, public utility poles and similar type structures.

The cartway edge at street intersections shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a minimum radius of 20 feet for local streets and 30 feet for intersections involving collector or arterial streets. The right-of-way radii at intersections shall be substantially concentric with the edge of the cartway.

At least two street name signs shall be placed at each four-way street intersection, and one street name sign shall be placed at each "T" intersection. Signs shall be installed in a location and manner where they will be clearly visible at all hours. The design of street name signs shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

All streets intersecting a state highway shall be subject to the approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Private streets.

Streets providing primary vehicular access through subdivisions or land developments to other subdivisions or land developments shall be public streets and shall be connected directly to other public streets; however, where required by the Township Board of Supervisors, alternate vehicular access shall be provided between land developments of similar or compatible uses by private streets connected to the other private streets within each land development. All other streets within a land development are permitted to remain private.

Private streets shall not be offered for dedication unless they meet all public street design standards.

There shall be a note on each preliminary and final plan indicating those streets that are not intended for dedication.

There shall be a note on each preliminary and final plan indicating that private streets will have off-street parking.

Private streets shall adhere to all design standards of a public street except for those standards for which private streets are specifically excluded in this chapter.

Private streets shall be permitted to terminate in an off-street parking facility in lieu of a cul-de-sac turnaround.

Applications which propose a private street shall be accompanied by an agreement which shall be recorded with the Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds as part of the final plan. This agreement shall establish the conditions under which the street will be constructed and maintained, as well as conditions controlling an offer of dedication, and shall stipulate:

That the street shall be constructed and maintained to conform to the specifications of this chapter.

That the owners of the abutting lots will include, with any future offer for dedication, sufficient monies, as estimated by the municipality, to restore the street to conformance with the prevailing standards.

That an offer for dedication of the street shall be made only for the street as a whole.

(d)

The method of assessing maintenance and repair cost.

(e)

That an agreement by the owners of 51% of the front footage thereon shall be binding on the owners of the remaining lots.

Widths.

Minimum right-of-way and cartway widths shall be as outlined within the East Lampeter Township Technical Specifications and Standard Detail document.

Provision for additional cartway width may be required by the Board of Supervisors in specific cases for:

Public safety and convenience;

Access to off-street parking in commercial and industrial areas and in areas of high-density residential development.

The extension of existing streets which are presently constructed with a cartway different from the standards of this chapter shall be provided with a transition area, the design of which is subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Where a proposed development fronts on an existing Township street, or where, in the opinion of the Township Engineer, an existing Township street will be damaged or destroyed beyond normal wear and tear due to the increased volume of traffic generated by a proposed development, the Board of Supervisors reserves the right to require the developer to improve and widen the existing street and to install curbing so as to enable the existing street to be able to adequately accept the increased volume of traffic.

Where, in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors, a proposed development does not have adequate access to an existing street, or the proposed access is limited in such a manner that it jeopardizes the general health, safety and welfare of the residents of the Township, the Board of Supervisors reserves the right to require the developer to obtain and improve additional access as is necessary to assure proper access.

Construction.

Streets shall be constructed in accordance with the East Lampeter Township Technical Specifications and Standard Detail document as may be amended by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

Where the physical characteristics of the land indicate the need or where streets will be constructed in a commercial or industrial development, or where an existing Township street is being relocated at the request and expense of the developer, the Board of Supervisors reserves the right to alter the method or type of construction or to require the utilization of a specific alternate as described in the East Lampeter Township Technical Specifications and Standard Detail document, as a condition of plan approval.

All streets and stormwater management facilities shall be constructed in strict accordance with the approved plans and no changes shall be effectuated unless said changes receive the written authorization of the Board of Supervisors. Notwithstanding the provisions herein, the Board of Supervisors reserves the right to require changes during the construction stages of development where in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors or its duly designated representative, because of unusual or unique physical conditions, the anticipated facilities, as shown on the plans, cannot be constructed in accordance with the plans without the same having an adverse effect upon the proposed development, or upon any of the facilities to be constructed therein, or upon adjacent lands.

Streets shall be finish graded to the full width of the right-of-way, surfaced, and improved to the grades and dimensions shown on the plans, profiles, and cross-sections submitted by the developer and approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Maximum slopes of banks measured perpendicular to the center line of the street shall be 3:1 in fill areas and 2:1 in cut areas.

Prior to placing the street surface, adequate subsurface drainage for the streets and all subsurface utilities as acceptable to the Board of Supervisors shall be provided or installed by the developer public utilities are required to be placed underground in compliance with Public Utility Commission Law of 1970, I.D. 99, dated July 8, 1970.

§ 368-504 Curbs.

Curbs shall be required along both sides of all proposed streets and along each side of any existing streets required to be improved by the Township, whether public or private, and along all new parking compounds, except for those subdivisions for agricultural use within the Rural Zoning District as defined by the Revised Zoning Ordinance of East Lampeter Township, 1990, as amended.[1] For the purpose of this subsection, the phrase "subdivisions for agricultural use" shall mean those subdivisions from which each resultant lot or tract is intended for predominantly agricultural use.

Editor's Note: See now the Agricultural (AG) District in Chapter 375, Zoning.

Curbs shall be installed to the dimensions and construction standards of the Township Technical Specifications and Standard Detail Documents. Applicant and/or contractor shall stamp S and W for sewer and water lines into lot within curbing.

Curbs shall be the standard straight curb type except that standard slant curbing may be used in residential developments where the location of driveways is not known. The transition from one type of curb to another shall be affected only at a street intersection.

§ 368-505 Sidewalks.

Sidewalks shall be required along both sides of all proposed streets and along each side of any existing streets required to be improved by the Township in all residential subdivisions and all nonresidential subdivisions, other than industrial subdivisions, except for those residential and nonresidential subdivisions within the Agricultural Zoning District.

Sidewalks shall be required in any subdivision or land development where it is desirable in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors to continue the sidewalks that are existing in adjacent developments, or to provide access to community facilities (schools, shopping areas, recreation areas, etc.), or to provide access to adjacent undeveloped lands zoned for development, or to insure safety of pedestrians in unusual or peculiar conditions with respect to prospective traffic.

Sidewalks shall be provided along all proposed streets and parking compounds located in land developments unless it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors that pedestrian traffic does not follow or mix with vehicular traffic, in which case, walkways which are intended to follow pedestrian patterns may be installed in lieu of sidewalks. Such walkways shall not have to meet the construction standards of sidewalks, but their location, construction materials and dimensions are required to be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

When sidewalks are required, they shall be installed to the dimensions and construction standards of the Township.

Sidewalks shall be a minimum of five feet wide, along local, collector and arterial streets, and adjacent to shopping areas, schools, recreation areas, and other community facilities.

Sidewalks along public streets shall be located within the street right-of-way one foot from the right-of-way line. A grass planting strip shall be provided between the curb and sidewalk unless otherwise approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Sidewalks and walkways along streets and parking compounds shall be located no closer than two feet from the edge of the street or parking compound unless the sidewalk is widened to a minimum of six feet. Sidewalks/trails shall be in accordance with any corridor, streetscape or transportation plan adopted by East Lampeter Township.

Sidewalks/trails shall be designed and constructed per East Lampeter Township specifications and standard details.

§ 368-506 Monuments and markers.

Permanent stone or concrete monuments shall be accurately placed along the street line at least on one side of each street at the beginning and end of all curves and at all angles.

Markers shall be set at locations shown on the final plans as follows:

At all points where lot lines intersect curves, either front or rear;

At all angles in property lines of lots;

§ 368-515 Park, open space and greenway provision.

At all other lot corners.

Monuments shall be of concrete or stone, with a flat top having a minimum width or diameter of four inches and a minimum length of 30 inches. They shall also be marked on the top with a proper inscription or a drill hole. Markers shall consist of iron pipes or steel bars at least 30 inches long and not less than 3/4 of an inch in diameter.

Monuments and markers shall be placed so that the scored or marked point shall coincide exactly with the intersection of lines to be marked, and shall be set so that the top of the monument or marker is level with the surface of the surrounding ground.

§ 368-507 Blocks.

In large blocks with interior parks and playgrounds, in exceptionally long blocks where access to a school or shopping center is necessary, or where cross streets are impractical or unnecessary, a crosswalk with a minimum right-of-way width of 12 feet and a minimum paved cartway width of five feet may be required by the Board of Supervisors.

§ 368-508 Lots.

All lots shall abut on a public street, or shall have access to an approved private street. In general, side lot lines shall be at right angles or radial to street lines. If, after subdividing, there exist remnants of land, they shall be included in the area of proposed or existing lots.

Lot lines shall, where possible, follow Township Boundary lines rather than cross them.

Corner lots shall have vehicular access solely from the street of lesser intensity unless the developer shows, to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors, that additional access to the street of higher intensity, or that sole access to the street of higher intensity, provides for safer and more efficient traffic movement in the vicinity of the lot.

Each lot within a development shall be provided with a street number approved by both the Lancaster County-Wide Communications and the Board of Supervisors. Prior to the use and occupancy of a lot, the street number for the lot shall be required to be displayed in a location clearly visible and readable from the adjacent streets. Where a lot contains multiple buildings or dwelling units, each building and dwelling unit shall be identified prior to its use and occupancy in a manner acceptable to the Board of Supervisors so that emergency services can easily identify the location of every building and dwelling unit in a time of emergency.

§ 368-509 Easements.

Nothing shall be placed, planted, set, or put within the area of an easement that would adversely affect the function of the easement or conflict with the easement agreement.

Utility easements shall have a minimum width of 20 feet. Where feasible, utility companies are encouraged to use common easements.

Utility companies who have registered with the Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds indicating they have utilities located within the Township shall be contacted by the developer prior to any construction.

The applicant shall reserve easements where stormwater or surface water management facilities are existing or proposed, whether located within or beyond the boundaries of the property. Easements shall have a minimum width of 20 feet and shall be adequately designed to provide area for: 1) the collection and discharge of water; 2) the maintenance, repair and reconstruction of all stormwater management facilities; and 3) the passage of machinery for such work. The easements shall clearly identify who has the right of access and responsibility of maintenance.

§ 368-510 Sanitary sewage disposals.

The method of sanitary sewage disposal shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Public sanitary sewerage improvements shall be constructed in accordance with the standards of the appropriate sewer authority. Whenever standards for such sanitary sewerage improvements are not specified by the sewer authority, the applicable standard requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection shall govern, and all work shall be performed in the manner prescribed in the standard specifications for sanitary sewer construction of said Department for the type of construction under consideration.

When a public sanitary sewerage system is not available, each lot in a development shall be provided with an individual on-lot sanitary sewage disposal system in accordance with all applicable standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Where feasibility studies of the Township indicate that construction or extension of a public sewerage system appears probable within a reasonable time, the Board of Supervisors may require the installation of capped sewer mains and house connections in addition to the installation of individual on-lot sanitary sewage disposal systems. It shall be the responsibility of the Township to inspect and approve the design and installation of such facilities.

Prior to the construction of any public sewer extension, pump station, force main, treatment plant or other similar sewer facility, a water quality management permit or a sewer extension permit, where applicable, shall be submitted by the developer to the appropriate sewer authority.

§ 368-511 Water supply.

Whenever feasible, all subdivisions and land developments shall be provided with a complete water distribution system which shall be connected to a public water system. The design and installation of such system shall be subject to the approval of the appropriate water authority or company.

The design and installation of any local community water distribution system shall be subject to the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and such system shall be further subject to satisfactory provision for the maintenance thereof.

When a municipal or community water supply system is not available, each lot in a development shall be provided with an individual water supply system in accordance with all applicable standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

§ 368-512 Utility transmission lines.

When any natural gas line, petroleum or petroleum products transmission line, electric transmission line or any other cable or pipeline, traverses a development, the developer shall confer with the applicable transmission or distribution company to determine the minimum distance which shall be required between each proposed structure and the transmission line, cable or pipeline.

§ 368-513 Streetlighting.

When streetlights are proposed by the developer, a plan for such streetlights, approved by the appropriate utility company, shall be provided by the developer to the Planning Commission for review and to the Board of Supervisors for approval upon submission of final subdivision or land development plans.

§ 368-514 Planting.

All ground surfaces in a development that are neither paved or covered with some other solid material shall be protected with vegetative growth that is capable of preventing soil erosion and the emanation of dust during dry weather.

Planting plans, when required, shall show the location, size and name of all trees, shrubs, vegetative screens and ground covers proposed to be installed in the development.

Street trees of a deciduous hardwood type with a minimum width of 1 1/2 inches shall, when provided, be planted between the sidewalk and the building line at least five feet from the sidewalk, between the curb and sidewalk provided the planting strip is a minimum of six feet wide, or a minimum of five feet from the curbline when no sidewalk is proposed.

[Amended 8-4-2025 by Ord. No. 379]

General.

This section applies to proposals that would create new residential and nonresidential development. The purpose of this section is to implement § 503(11) of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code and thereby provide needed parks, open space and greenways.

This section is based on the conclusions and recommendations of the adopted Township's Comprehensive Plan(s) and the County Comprehensive Plans.

Mandatory dedication of land.

Land shall either be dedicated to the Township for parks, open space and/or greenways or an alternative action shall be taken from among the choices in Subsection C under either one of the following two situations:

A proposed land development or subdivision that creates one or more new dwelling units shall dedicate a minimum of .027 acres of land per dwelling unit to the Township.

A proposed land development or subdivision that creates one or more commercial, industrial or other nonresidential principal uses and that involves a total area of two acres or more, excluding public and private schools, shall dedicate a minimum of 2.5% of the proposed development's total land area (including areas of current and proposed public right-of-way) to the Township.

(Reserved)

Mandatory dedication alternatives. The applicant may use one of the following alternatives to mandatory dedication, provided the Township's governing body approves:

Construct new and/or improve existing recreation facilities;

Pay a fee-in-lieu of land dedication;

Guarantee the private reservation and maintenance of parkland, open space and/or greenway; or

Provide a combination of the above.

Total or partial fee in lieu of dedication.

Any of the alternatives in § 368-515C must be at least equal to the fair market value of the land that would otherwise be dedicated in accordance with § 368-515B(1) above.

The fair market value of the land is defined as the price per acre established annually by the Township governing body based upon the average per acre value of all land in the Township according to the Lancaster County Tax Assessment Office, excluding all tax-exempt parcels and all parcels in the Township's Agriculture Zoning District, modified by the common level ratio.

The amount of any fee to be paid in lieu of dedication of land shall be calculated by multiplying (a) the number of acres required to be dedicated for park and open space purposes calculated in accordance with § 368-515B(1) with (b) the fair market value of land as defined in § 368-515D(2).

Where a developer proposes to provide active parkland and/or recreation space as part of the proposed development, those areas shall be credited against the total amount of parkland and open space area required to be dedicated. Credit shall be provided without consideration as to whether or not the parkland and/or recreation space will be available to the general public to the same extent it is available to residents of the development.

To the extent a developer provides active parkland space and/or recreation space within the development which will be openly available to the general public to the same extent it will be available to residents of the development, then the estimated construction costs (reviewed and approved by the Township Engineer) associated with recreational improvements within the parkland shall be credited against the amount of the fee in lieu of dedication to be paid by the developer.

To the extent the development involves redevelopment of a property, a fee in lieu of dedication shall not be assessed against those portions of an existing nonresidential development which will remain nonresidential. However, in the event the area of new nonresidential development is larger than the area of the existing nonresidential development, a fee in lieu shall be assessed against that portion of the newly developed area.

To the extent the proposed development or redevelopment involves residential units which exceed 85% of the density permitted in the zoning district in which the proposed development or redevelopment is located, the Township's governing body may, in its sole discretion, approve a reduction in the fee to be paid in lieu of dedication. Any request for a reduction in the fee in lieu shall include details on the developer's efforts to provide affordable housing within the development.

As an alternative to payment of a fee in lieu, the developer may offer an alternative project which permits the developer to a) acquire land for dedication to the Township for park and recreation purposes, b) procure certain park and recreation materials and/or equipment for the Township, or c) construct park and recreation facilities in an existing Township park. The offer of an alternative project must be reviewed and approved by the Township's governing body, be fully described and documented in a developer's agreement with the Township, adequate security for the completion of the alternative project must be posted with the Township, and the alternative project must be completed within two years of the date the land development plan is recorded.

Parkland capital reserve, operation, maintenance and acquisition fund. The applicant shall pay all fees-in-lieu of land dedication to the Township. Upon receipt of the fees, the Township shall deposit said fees in an interest-bearing account. This account shall be separate from other municipal accounts and shall be clearly identified for the purpose of providing, acquiring, operating or maintaining park or recreational facilities. Interest earned on all monies deposited in such accounts shall become funds of that account. Funds from such accounts may be expended at the discretion of the Township's elected officials for the purpose of providing, acquiring, operating or maintaining park or recreational facilities reasonably accessible to the subdivision or land development for which they were collected. Fees deposited to this account shall be administered as required by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

Cash fee payments in lieu of dedication and expenditure. The fees shall be paid prior to recording of the final plan, unless the applicant agrees, as part of a legally binding development agreement, to pay the required fees prior to the issuance of each building permit for development. If requested by any person who had paid any fee under this section, the Township shall refund such fee, plus interest accumulated thereon from the date of payment, if the Township had failed to utilize the fee for a purpose other than the purposes set forth in this section.

Municipal fund reimbursement or municipal parks and open space improvements or acquisition. From time to time the Township may purchase land for parks, greenways, open space and/or improve existing parks and greenways in or near the area of actual or potential subdivisions and/or developments. If the Township does undertake such action within a distance of 1 1/2 miles, subsequent park, greenway and open space land dedications within that area may be a cash fee-in-lieu of land dedication and be used to reimburse the Township's actual cost of acquiring and/or developing such land for parks, greenways or open space. Once the Township has been reimbursed for all such park, greenway and open space actions within this area, this subsection shall cease to apply and the other subsections of this section shall remain applicable.

Primary recreation space design requirements. In general, primary recreation space and related open spaces to be set aside and provided for in this section shall include areas for active recreational pursuits. Accordingly, the following design requirements shall apply:

The primary recreation space shall be reasonably located so as to serve all of the residents or users of the subdivision or land development;

The site(s) shall be located and designed so that safe and convenient access shall be provided to all existing and proposed users. Additionally, each site shall have at least one vehicular access area that is a minimum of 24 feet in width;

The site(s) shall be sized and configured so as to accommodate its intended uses. Sufficient lot width/depth dimensions shall be provided so as to accommodate, where practical, ball fields, courts and other open play areas. Furthermore, should a development be proposed at a location contiguous to existing parkland, dedicated parklands should be provided where practical, as an expansion of the existing park;

The site(s) shall have suitable topography and soil conditions for use and development as active play areas. A minimum of 1/2 of the primary recreation space shall have slopes of 5% or under and the remaining 1/2 of the space shall have slopes of 10% or under. The area of the site considered as the primary recreation space shall be free from floodplains, wetlands, slopes of over 10% and stormwater detention facilities that are not usable for recreation. No more than 10% of the area of the site considered as the primary recreation space shall be located within an easement for overhead utilities;

The site(s) shall be located and designed to conveniently access public utilities, which may be extended by the developer, including sanitary sewer, water and electric service. However, no part of an overhead utility easement or any above ground protrusion of an underground utility shall be permitted within the area proposed for active play areas on the site;

No part of the site(s) shall be a part of any other required setback, yard, buffer and/or open space required for any adjoining lots or uses as regulated by Chapter 375, Zoning;

The site shall comply with any applicable design, orientation, size and location guidelines in the Township's Recreation, Parks and Open Space Plan and/or Official Comprehensive Plan.

Greenway and natural resource space design requirements.

In general, greenway and natural resource space and related open spaces to be set aside and provided for in this section shall include areas for lineal greenways. These corridors of open space provide ways for people to gain access to residential and nonresidential areas, parks, schools, historic sites, town centers, neighborhoods, rural areas and related human settlement points as well as access to water, forest, meadows and other unique natural features and related open space for recreational pursuits.

Some greenways will be for walking, hiking, jogging, biking, horseback riding and even canoeing. Others will be simple and untouched as a stretch of stream bank left wild. Whether developed or not, greenways are exceptional for recreation, education, environmental preservation and important open space corridors that people may use to reach community resources. Accordingly, the following design principles shall apply:

Greenway and natural resource planning and design principles. The developer and Township shall use the following principles to plan for greenways and natural resource areas:

Provide greenways along natural areas such as creeks, wetlands, floodplains and edges of water bodies;

[2]

Provide greenways along ridge lines with dramatic views;

[3]

Provide greenways along utility easements, rights-of-way and other man-made linear corridors, such as abandoned railroad beds and underground pipelines;

[4]

Provide greenways along highway and street rights-of-way;

[5]

Provide greenways which incorporate parks, schools, urban pedestrian ways and plazas, especially in urban centers with limited parking, traffic congestion and more dense development;

[6]

Provide greenways which incorporate existing pathways, bike routes, trails and sidewalks;

[7]

Provide greenways within expanded buffer areas between different types of land uses;

[8]

Provide greenways which interconnect and loop, giving interest for walkers, bikers and other users;

[9]

Provide greenways which minimize road crossings, especially along major highways with high traffic volumes and fast-moving traffic. When necessary, consider using streets with limited traffic.

The greenway and natural resource space shall be reasonably located so as to serve all of the residents or users of the subdivision or land development.

(d)

Actual dedication of greenways and natural resource areas shall have a minimum width of 50 feet unless circumstances prohibit this width) and, if dedicated to a Township, must be approved by the elected officials.

(e)

Any greenway and natural resource space shall conform to the goals of the municipal recreation, parks and open space plan and official Comprehensive Plan.

(f)

The minimum right-of-way width of an easement containing a trail which crosses private land shall be 20 feet. Easements may be dedicated to the Township, the county or to another organization(s) which, in the judgment of the Township's elected officials, is/are appropriate. In all cases; however, such easements must provide for public use.

(g)

All walkways, bikeways or other access ways must have a minimum vertical clearance of not less than 10 feet and a minimum walkway width of not less than five feet.

(h)

Greenway and natural resource space may include floodplains, wetlands, steep slopes greater than 10% and stormwater detention areas that are not usable for recreation purposes, as well as primary recreation space. Any walkway, bikeway, trail or other man-made features or use areas may be located in a wetlands area only after Township and state approvals.

If any part of this chapter is declared invalid or unenforceable, the Board of Supervisors hereby declares it to be their intent to adopt the balance of the ordinance without the invalid or unenforceable provision, and therefore the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision shall not affect the remaining portion of this chapter.

§ 368-516 Traffic impact studies.

When required. A traffic impact study shall be required to be prepared whenever one of the following conditions exist within the local area of a proposed development:

Whenever a proposed development will generate 100 new vehicle trips (inbound and outbound combined) during the peak traffic hour for the development;

Whenever current traffic problems exist in the local area of a proposed development which will directly affect access to the development, including but not limited to a high accident location, a confusing highway alignment, a confusing intersection alignment, or a congested intersection; or

Whenever the ability of the existing street system to handle increased traffic, or the feasibility of improving the street system to handle traffic, is limited.

Traffic impact study requirements.

Area of traffic impact study. The traffic impact study area shall be based on the characteristics of the surrounding area. The intersections to be included in the study shall be adjacent to the development site or have direct impact upon the access to the development site. The final scope and area of the study shall be mutually agreed upon by the Township staff, the traffic engineer preparing the study prior to approval of the preliminary plan application by the Township. The Township Board of Supervisors shall be called upon to resolve any disputes between the Township Planning Commission and the traffic engineer.

Preparation by professional transportation engineer. Traffic impact studies shall be prepared, signed and sealed by a professional engineer with specific training in traffic and transportation engineering.

Horizon year and design year. The traffic forecasts shall be prepared for the anticipated opening year of the development, assuming full buildout and occupancy. This year shall be referred to as the horizon year within the study. In addition, traffic forecasts shall be prepared for a five year projection beyond the horizon year. This shall be referred to as the design year within the study.

Non-site traffic estimates. Estimates of non-site traffic shall be made and will consist of through traffic and projected traffic generated by all other developments within the study area for which preliminary or final plans have been approved by the Township. Non-site traffic may be estimated using any one of the following three methods: build-up technique; area transportation plan data or modeled volumes; and trends or growth rates.

Trip generation rates. The traffic impact study shall include a table showing the categories and quantities of land uses, the corresponding trip generation rates or equations (with justification for selection of one or the other) for each land use, and the resulting number of trips. The trip generation rates used must be either from the latest edition of "Trip Generation" by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), or from a local study of corresponding land uses and quantities based on actual traffic counts. All sources must be referenced in the study.

Pass-by trips. If pass-by trips or shared trips are a major consideration for the land use in question, studies and interviews at similar land uses must be conducted or referenced.

Rate sums. Any significant difference between the sums of single use rates and proposed mixed use estimates must be justified in the study.

Special or unusual trip generators. The reasoning and data used in developing a trip generation rate for special or unusual generators must be justified and explained in the study.

(9)

Definition of influence area.

Prior to trip distribution of the trips generated by the development, an influence area must be defined which contains 80% or more of the trip ends that will be attracted to the development. A market study, if available, may be used to establish the limits of an influence area. If no market study is available, an influence area shall be delineated based on a reasonable documented estimate. The influence area may also be based on a reasonable maximum convenient travel time to the site or by delineating area boundaries based on locations of competing developments.

Other methods such as using trip data from an existing development with similar characteristics or using an existing origin/destination survey of trips within the area may be used in place of the influence area to delineate the boundaries of the impact.

(10)

Estimates of trip distribution. Trip distribution may be estimated using any one of the following three methods: analog; trip distribution model; or surrogate data. Whichever method is used, trip distribution must be estimated and analyzed for both the horizon year and the design year. A multi-use development may require more than one distribution and coinciding assignment for each use (for example, residential and retail development on the same site). Consideration must also be given to whether inbound and outbound trips will have similar distributions.

(11)

Trip assignments.

Assignments must be made considering logical routings, available street capacities, left turns at critical intersections, and projected and perceived minimum travel times. In addition, it may be appropriate in some instances to assign multiple paths between origins and destinations to achieve realistic estimates rather than assigning all of the trips to the route with the shortest travel time. The assignments must be carried through the external site access points and in large projects (those generating 500 or more new vehicle trips during the peak hour) through the internal streets. When the development has more than one access, logical routing and possibly multiple paths shall be used to obtain realistic volumes for each access. The assignment shall reflect conditions at the time of the analysis. Assignments may be accomplished either manually or with applicable computer models.

If a thorough analysis is required to account for pass-by trips, the following procedure shall be used:

Determine the percentage of pass-by trips in the total trips generated.

[2]

Estimate a trip distribution for the pass-by trips.

[3]

Perform two separate trip assignments based on the new and pass-by trip distributions.

[4]

Combine the pass-by and new trip assignment.

Upon completion of the initial site traffic assignment, the results shall be reviewed to see if the volumes appear logical given the characteristics of the street system and trip distribution. Adjustments shall be made if the initial results do not appear to be logical or reasonable.

(12)

Total traffic impacts. Traffic estimates for any development site with current traffic activity must reflect not only new traffic associated with the redevelopment of the site, but also the trips subtracted from the traffic stream because of the removal or revision of an existing land use. The traffic impact study shall clearly depict the total traffic estimate and its components.

(13)

Capacity analysis. Capacity analysis must be performed at each of the major street and development site access intersection locations (signalized and unsignalized) within the study area. In addition, analyses must be completed for street segments deemed sensitive to development site traffic within the study area. These may include such segments as weaving sections, ramps, internal development streets, parking facility access points and reservoirs for vehicles queuing off site and on site. Other locations may be deemed appropriate depending on the situation.

The recommended level of service analysis procedures detailed in the most recent edition of the "Highway Capacity Manual" as published by the Transportation Research Board must be followed. Overall level of service ratings A, B, C and D are considered acceptable for signalized intersections (levels C or better are considered desirable); level of service E or F is considered to be unacceptable.

The operational analyses in the "Highway Capacity Manual" shall be used for analyzing existing conditions, traffic impacts, access requirements, or other future conditions for which traffic, geometric and control parameters can be established.

(14)

Required levels of service. The recommendations of the traffic impact study shall provide safe and efficient movement of traffic to, from, within and past the proposed development for both the horizon year and the design year while minimizing the impact to non-site trips. The current levels of service must be maintained if they are C or D, not allowed to deteriorate to worse than C if they are currently A or B, and improved to D if they are E or F.

(15)

Intersection modeling analysis. In addition to capacity analyses at intersections, the study shall analyze the amount of delay at each studied intersection and at each access point affected by the traffic at each intersection. This analysis shall include the anticipated effect of delays, gaps and queue lengths at each intersection where traffic signals are required, signal warrants data and analysis shall also be provided.

(16)

Miscellaneous analyses. The traffic impact study shall include the following additional analyses within the traffic impact study area:

Accident data within the past five years along with analysis of potential mitigation measures.

Nonmotorized vehicle data along with improvements necessary to accommodate nonmotorized vehicles.

Descriptions of existing and proposed mass transit services in the Township, the potential of such services to serve the proposed development, and the improvements necessary to accommodate such services.

(d)

Pedestrian use data along with improvements necessary to accommodate pedestrian traffic.

(17)

Documentation required.

A report shall be prepared to document the purpose, procedures, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the traffic impact study.

The documentation for a traffic impact study shall include, at a minimum:

[a]

Study purpose and objectives.

[b]

Description of the site, proposed development and study area.

[c]

Existing conditions in the area of the development.

[d]

Recorded or approved nearby development.

[e]

Trip generation, trip distribution and modal split.

[f]

Projected future traffic volumes.

[g]

Assessment of the change in street system operating conditions resulting from the development traffic.

[h]

Recommendations for site access and transportation improvement needed to maintain traffic flow to, from, within and past the site at an acceptable and safe level of service.

[2]

The analysis of all information shall be presented in a straight forward and logical sequence. It shall lead the reader step-by-step through the various stages of the process and resulting conclusions and recommendations.

[3]

The recommendations shall specify the time period within which the improvements shall be made (particularly if the improvements are associated with various phases of the development construction) and any monitoring of operating conditions and improvements that may be required.

[4]

Data shall be presented in tables, graphs, maps and diagrams wherever possible for clarity and ease of review.

[5]

An executive summary of one or two pages shall be provided concisely summarizing the purpose, conclusions and recommendations of the study.

The report documentation outlined above provides a framework for traffic impact study reports. Some studies will be easily documented using this outline; however, the specific issues to be addressed, local study requirements and the study results may warrant additional sections or information to be included in the study.

(18)

State requirements. When a development will access or improve a state street, the applicant shall include the state's requirements for a traffic impact study (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Publication 201; Engineering and Traffic Studies) in addition to the traffic impact study requirements of the Township.

(19)

Improvements.

Responsibility for improvements. The applicant shall be responsible for the improvements required to provide safe and convenient ingress and egress to the development site and to eliminate all adverse conditions created by the traffic generated by the development for both the horizon year and the design year.