In the event that the proposed subdivision or land development
shall involve the subdivision of more than four lots or involve the
construction of or a change in the location of streets, sanitary or
storm sewers, water mains, culverts and other municipal improvements,
then the provisions of this article on minor subdivision/land development
shall not be applicable and the applicant shall be required to comply
with the requirements and procedures of this chapter dealing with
major land developments. It is also the purpose of this article to
provide a simplified procedure by which minor land development, including
residential conversions, may be submitted and approved.
[Amended 2-24-2003 by Ord. No. 670]
A. Applicant submits 15 copies of the minor subdivision/land development
plan and application to the designated City official.
B. The designated City official checks the submission for completeness,
and:
(1) If
submission is incomplete, immediately returns the submission to the
applicant and indicates the deficiencies; or
(2) If
the submission is complete, accepts the plan, application and fees.
C. Upon submission of the complete minor subdivision/land development
plan, the applicant shall include a filing fee in accordance with
the City fee schedule and a review fee in accordance with the County
Planning Commission fee schedule. The designated City official shall
render a proper receipt to the applicant for said fees. Copies of
the minor subdivision/land development application shall be distributed
immediately to the City Planning Commission, the City Engineer and
Zoning Officer.
D. The City Planning Commission shall:
(1) Review all applicable reports;
(2) Review the applicant's submission;
(3) Determine whether the plan meets the objectives of the Comprehensive
Plan and the requirements of this chapter and other applicable ordinances;
and
(4) Approve or disapprove the minor subdivision/land development application.
E. The City Planning Commission shall render its decision within 90
days of the date the review period began. The City Planning Commission
shall not act, however, until the report of the County Planning Commission
has been received, or until a period of 30 days following the forwarding
of the complete submission to the county has expired.
F. The decision of the Planning Commission shall be in writing and shall
be communicated to the applicant (or his agent) personally, or mailed
by way of registered or certified letter to him at his last known
address, not later than five days following the decision.
G. If the minor subdivision/land development is approved, two exact
copies of the approved plan on linen and one exact paper print copy
with the signatures required in this chapter shall be submitted to
the City Planning Commission.
H. When the application is not approved in terms as filed, the decision
shall specify the defects found in the application and describe requirements
which have not been met and shall, in each case, cite the provisions
of the statute or ordinance relied upon.
I. Prior to any review process commencing, the applicant must provide
sufficient documentation to indicate compliance with Act 537, the
Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.
[Amended 2-24-2003 by Ord. No. 670]
A. Drafting standards.
(1) The site information and plan shall be drawn at a scale of one inch
equals 50 feet or larger.
(2) Dimensions shall be in feet and decimal parts thereof and bearings
in degrees, minutes and seconds.
(3) Where any revision is made, or when the plan is a revision of a previously
approved plan, dotted lines shall be used to show features or locations
to be abandoned and solid lines shall show the currently proposed
features. All revisions shall be noted in a revision block with the
revision date, a note of explanation and reference to the page on
which the revision is to be found.
(4) Plans shall be on sheets either 18 inches by 22 inches or 36 inches
by 44 inches. All lettering shall be drawn as to be legible if the
plan should be reduced to half size.
B. General information to be shown.
(1) Name of the minor subdivision or land development.
(3) Name and address of the owner/applicant/developer.
(4) Name and address of the registered engineer, surveyor, landscape
architect or architect responsible for the plan.
(5) Type of water and sewage disposal facilities existing and proposed.
(6) Zoning requirements, including applicable district requirements and
proof of any variances, conditional uses or special exceptions which
may have been granted.
(7) A location map for the purpose of locating the site.
(8) Total acreage of the tract.
(9) Date, true North point and graphic scale.
C. Existing site features.
(1) Complete outline survey of the property to be developed shall be
provided, showing all courses, distances and areas.
(2) Location of all existing and proposed monuments.
(3) Location, size and ownership of all underground utilities, existing
and proposed rights-of-way and easements within the property.
(4) Contours at vertical intervals of two feet for land with an average
natural slope of 4% or less, vertical intervals of five feet for more
steeply sloping land. Data shall refer to known established elevations.
D. Proposed site plan.
(1) The location of existing buildings, proposed buildings and extensions
to existing buildings.
(2) The location of all existing and proposed improvements including,
but not limited to:
(a)
Driveways and interior automobile parking arrangements.
(d)
Off-street parking spaces and on-street parking spaces.
(g)
Refuse storage and other screened storage areas.
(h)
Buffering, screening, fencing and landscaping of any portion
of the lot.
(i)
Required front, side and rear yards, as well as required setbacks
and lot widths.
(j)
Areas for loading and unloading.
(k)
Any proposed display of signs.
(l)
Any required utility easements.
(m)
Must be reviewed and approved by City Engineer or designated
City official.
E. Proposed interior plan land development plans.
(1) A floor plan showing existing rooms, room uses, room sizes, stairways,
doorways, hallways and windows.
(2) A floor plan showing proposed rooms, room uses, room sizes, stairways,
doorways, hallways and windows. If dwelling units are included therein,
the number of dwelling units shall be indicated and the dwelling unit
entrances.
A landscape plan shall be required for all nonresidential parking
areas/lots (including all loading areas) that exceed five spaces.
The landscape plan shall include a combination of shrubs, deciduous
and coniferous trees, all selected to provide shade and view a restrictive
screen for parking areas. Trees and/or shrubs shall be an integral
part of this perimeter planting. Walls, earth mounds and fences, or
any combination thereof, may be included with the living plant material
at a minimum height of four feet and a maximum height of six feet.
Headlights of parked vehicles must be obscured from the public way.
At a minimum, the landscape plan shall include:
A. Required setbacks. Five-foot perimeter landscaped buffer along the
front, side and rear property lines, excluding access driveways.
B. Planting specifications. Plant materials shall be sufficiently large
and planted in such a fashion that a screen at least six feet in height
shall be produced within three growing seasons. All plantings shall
be installed according to accepted horticultural standards.
C. Maintenance. All landscaping shall be properly maintained and dead
or dying plants shall be replaced by the property owner during the
next planting season. No buildings, structures, storage of material
or parking shall be permitted within the buffer area; buffer areas
shall be maintained and kept free of all debris, rubbish, weeds and
tall grass.
D. Walls and/or fences. In addition to the required landscaping, walls
and/or fences may be erected for privacy, screening, separation, security
or to serve other necessary functions and shall be erected in conformance
with the following:
(1) Design and materials shall be functional, they shall complement the
character of the size and type of building, and they shall be suited
to the nature of the project.
(2) No fence or wall shall be constructed or installed so as to constitute
a hazard to traffic or safety.