The following impact statements shall be submitted for all proposed
uses or zoning changes involving more than 10 residential units, a
building of 5,000 square feet of floor area or larger, 20 beds, or
any of the following uses: performance standard subdivision, life
care facility, hospital, office/commercial center, office park, shopping
center, emergency terminal, truck terminal, industrial park, light
industrial/office/commercial park or resource recovery facility; or
when required for use by this chapter or deemed necessary for use
by the Borough Council or Zoning Hearing Board. These impact statements
will be required by the Borough and must be found to be satisfactory
prior to approving the use, the conditional use, special exception
or any zoning change.
[Ord. 2016-2267, 10/11/2016]
1.
Market Analysis. For all commercial and industrial uses involving
the use of a building of more than 5,000 square feet of floor area,
the applicant shall submit a market analysis which will:
[Ord. 2016-2267, 10/11/2016]
1.
Environmental Impact Analysis. An environmental impact analysis shall
include the following information:
A.
An encroachment map which illustrates 1) all natural features, including
slopes in excess of 8%, floodplain and floodway areas, wetland, trees
and wooded areas, rock outcroppings, swales and gullies collecting
concentration of water runoff, and 2) a regrading plan which illustrates
all disturbances of the identified natural feature areas. The amount
of each natural feature disturbed shall be indicated and illustrated
on the encroachment map.
B.
A map narrative of the geologic, topographical, soil and hydrological
characteristics of the site.
C.
A map and a narrative identifying the biological resources of the
tract, including vegetation and wildlife.
D.
A narrative of the historic resources of the site.
E.
A map locating any hazardous waste sites located on the site, along
with a narrative describing the type of wastes involved, the potential
impact of these wastes on the surrounding environment, animal and
plant life, the proposed method of removing and/or containing these
wastes, and the related approvals and permits from the relevant agencies.
F.
A map and narrative of the visual resources of the site.
G.
All potential impacts on this site from the proposed development,
and measures to mitigate the adverse effects.
[Ord. 2016-2267, 10/11/2016]
1.
A traffic impact study is intended to enable the Borough to assess
the traffic impacts of a proposal. Specifically, its purpose is to:
A.
Identify any traffic problems that may be created in the existing
highway network as a result of the proposal.
B.
Delineate solutions to potential problems and to present improvements
to be incorporated into the proposal or into the highway and/or public
transit systems within the study area.
C.
Assist in the protection of air quality and the conservation of energy
and to encourage the use of public transit where available.
2.
Preparation of Study. The traffic impact study shall be prepared
by the Borough's Traffic Engineer and/or Transportation Planner in
accordance with accepted traffic engineering standards, with the cost
borne by the applicant. The traffic study area shall be the area of
land within the Borough that is likely to be affected by the development;
the selected area shall be approved by the Borough and its Traffic
Engineer prior to initiating the study. Specific intersections to
be included in the study shall also be approved by the Borough prior
to initiating work. Based on the findings of the study, Borough Council
may require improvements, which will alleviate hazardous or congested
situations, as a condition for approval.
3.
Applicability.
A.
A traffic impact study shall be submitted with all developments with
30,000 or more square feet of building floor area and all subdivisions
of 30 or more dwelling units.
(1)
Proposals that would not be required to produce a traffic impact
study by reason of size, above, must produce a study if the expected
number of trips generated per day exceeds 300.
(2)
The anticipated number of trips per day shall be determined
through the use of the most-recent edition of the Institute of Transportation
Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Report. The proposed use or development
shall be identified using the appropriate ITE land use code. Where
doubt exists, the applicant shall seek guidance from the Borough Engineer.
B.
An application which requires a traffic impact study shall not be
considered complete until the traffic impact study is submitted to
the appropriate review body in accordance with the provisions of this
section.
C.
The appropriate review body, at its discretion, may require any other
subdivision, land development, zoning change, special exception or
conditional use application to be accompanied by a traffic impact
study.
D.
The Borough Council may waive the requirement for a traffic impact
study where, in the opinion of the Borough Council in consultation
with the Borough Zoning Officer, Planner and Engineer, it is determined
that the proposal is not expected to create a significant traffic
impact.
4.
General Requirements and Standards. A traffic impact study shall
contain the following information:
A.
General Site Description.
(1)
The site description shall include the size, location, proposed
land uses, construction staging and completion date of the proposed
subdivision or land development. If the development is residential,
types of dwelling units shall also be included. A brief description
of other major existing and proposed developments within the study
area shall be provided. The general site description shall also include
probable socioeconomic characteristics of potential site users to
the extent that they may affect the transportation needs of the site
(i.e., number of senior citizens).
(2)
Photographs should be obtained and labeled for all the study
intersections and proposed access driveways. It is recommended that
two views be taken of each approach for the intersections. Photographs
should consider elements such as horizontal/vertical alignment of
roadways, trees, buildings or other roadside objects, pavement markings,
drainage, signal heads and placement:
B.
Transportation Facilities Description.
(1)
The description shall contain a full documentation of the proposed
internal and existing external transportation system. This description
shall include proposed internal vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian
circulation, all proposed ingress and egress locations, all internal
roadway widths and rights-of-way, parking conditions, traffic channelization
and any traffic signals or other intersection-control devices at all
intersections within the site.
(2)
The report shall describe the entire external roadway system
within the study area and include discussion of existing design deficiencies
and potential safety hazards. Major intersections in the study area
shall be identified, photographed and sketched. All existing and proposed
and public transportation services and facilities within a one-half-mile
radius of the site shall also be documented. The applicant shall identify
all existing and proposed pedestrian and bike facilities that would
be affected by the proposed development. Pedestrian facilities include
sidewalks, intersection treatments, and off-road paths or trails.
Bicycle facilities include on-street bike lanes, paved shoulders,
and off-road paths or trails. The traffic impact study shall include
review and discussion of all available accident reports within the
study area during the prior three years.
(3)
All future highway improvements, including proposed construction
and traffic signalization, shall be noted. The four-year Regional
Transportation Improvement Program maintained by the Delaware Valley
Regional Planning Commission and the PennDOT Twelve-Year Plan shall
be used as a source of information when determining if any future
roadway improvements are scheduled for the adjacent road network.
Any proposed roadway improvements due to proposed surrounding developments
shall be recorded.
C.
Existing Traffic Conditions. Existing traffic conditions shall be
measured and documented for all roadways and intersections in the
study area. Existing traffic volumes for average daily traffic, peak
highway hour(s') traffic, and peak development-generated hour(s')
documentation shall be included in the report. Traffic counts are
to be performed from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to
7:00 p.m. Traffic count data shall not be more than one year old.
Traffic counts shall be taken on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday
of a nonholiday week. Traffic counts shall be taken during the school
year. Traffic counts shall be collected during average volume conditions,
during fair weather, and in consideration of any construction activities
or special events which may be taking place in the area. Additional
counts (conducted on a Saturday for a commercial development or residential
development in close proximity to the commercial district or tourist
attractions) may also be required in some cases. The Borough Engineer
shall make such determinations. Traffic counts shall be submitted
in electronic format to Phoenixville. Roadway characteristics shall
be described and illustrated. Features to be addressed shall include
lane configurations, geometry, signal timing, traffic control devices,
posted speed limits, and sight distance limitations. Existing levels
of service shall be calculated for all intersections and turning movements
within the study area. This analysis will determine the adequacy of
the existing roadway system to adequately serve the existing traffic
demand. Roadways, intersections, or individual movements experiencing
levels of service below C, and/or volume/capacity ratios greater than
or equal to 1.0, shall be noted as deficient. A volume/capacity analysis
based upon existing volumes shall be performed during the peak highway
hour(s) and the peak development-generated hour(s) for all roadways
and major intersections in the study area. Levels of service shall
be determined for each location using the current edition of the Highway
Capacity Manual methodology. All analysis must utilize Highway Capacity
Software, version 4.1e, or latest.
D.
Transportation Impact of the Development. Estimation of vehicular
trips to result from the proposal shall be completed for the average
daily peak highway hour(s) and peak development-generated hour(s).
Vehicular trip generation rates to be used for this calculation shall
be obtained from the manual Trip Generation, Eighth Edition, Institute
of Transportation Engineers, 2008 (as amended). These development-generated
traffic volumes shall be provided for the inbound and outbound traffic
movements as estimated, and the reference source(s') methodology followed
shall be documented. All turning movements shall be calculated. These
generated volumes shall be distributed to the study area and assigned
to the existing roadways and intersections throughout the study area.
Documentation of all assumptions used in the distribution and assignment
phase shall be provided. Traffic volumes shall be assigned to individual
access points. If school crossings are to be used, pedestrian volumes
shall be assigned to each crossing. Any characteristics of the site
that will cause particular trip generation problems shall be noted.
E.
Analysis of Transportation Impact.
(1)
The total future traffic demand shall be calculated. This demand
shall consist of the combination of the existing traffic expanded
to the completion year (using a background growth rate for the area
from PennDOT, Pennsylvania Traffic Data, latest edition), the development-generated
traffic, and the traffic generated by other proposed developments
in the study area. A separate trip distribution figure shall be provided.
A second volume capacity analysis shall be conducted using the future
conditions' volumes without development. This analysis shall be performed
during the peak highway hour(s) and peak development-generated hour(s)
for all roadways and major intersections in the study area. Level-of-service
calculations shall be completed for all major intersections. A third
volume capacity analysis shall be conducted using the total future
demand and the future roadway capacity.
(2)
If staging of the proposed development is anticipated, calculations
for each stage of completion shall be made. This analysis shall be
performed during the peak highway hour(s) and peak development-generated
hour(s) for all roadways and major intersections in the study area.
Level-of-service calculations shall be completed for all major intersections.
It is usually at these locations that capacity is most restricted.
All access points and pedestrian crossings shall be examined as to
the feasibility of installing traffic signals. This evaluation shall
compare the projected traffic and pedestrian volumes to the warrants
for traffic signal installation.
F.
Sight Distance Analysis. Sight distance measurements shall be performed
at any proposed driveway and/or existing driveway to determine sufficient
sight distance to the left and right of the driveway. Sight distances
shall be compared to the desirable sight distance standards as specified
in 67 Pa. Code Chapter 441, Access to and Occupancy of Highways by
Driveways and Local Roads, April 2006. Sight distance shall also be
compared to PennDOT's safe stopping sight distance (SSSD) requirements
as specified in A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets
(5th Edition), of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO), Chapter III, Elements of Design, 2004.
G.
Auxiliary Lane Analysis. An auxiliary lane analysis shall be completed
utilizing Highway Research Record (HRR) 211 (1967). HRR 211 provides
graphs based upon the speed of the roadway and the percentage of left
turns. Utilizing the future build with development traffic volumes,
points shall be plotted on the graphs. Based on the plotted points,
it should determine that the study area intersections associated with
the proposed developments do or do not satisfy the left-turn-lane
warrant. Right-turn-lane analysis should be based upon the Access
Management, Location and Design Participant Notebook, Publication
No. FHWA-HI-92-033, United States Department of Transportation, Federal
Highway Administration NHI Course No. 15255, February 1992. Deceleration
lanes should be provided for all high-volume driveways. For low- and
medium-volume driveways, the designer should refer to the AASHTO at-grade
intersections deceleration lane warrants.
H.
Conclusions and Recommended Improvements.
(1)
Levels of service for all roadways and intersections shall be
listed. All individual turning movement of roadways and/or intersections
showing a level of service below C shall be considered deficient,
and specific recommendations for the elimination of these problems
shall be listed. This listing of recommended improvements shall include,
but not be limited to, the following elements: internal circulation
design, site access location and design, external roadway and intersection
design/safety improvements, traffic signal installation and operation,
including signal timing, and transit design improvements. All physical
roadway improvements shall be shown in sketches.
(2)
Existing and/or future public transportation service shall also
be addressed. A listing of all actions to be undertaken to increase
present public transportation usage and improve service, if applicable,
shall be included.
(3)
The listing of recommended improvements for both roadways and
transit shall include, for each improvement, the party responsible
for the improvement, the cost and funding of the improvement, and
the completion date for the improvement.
(4)
The study shall outline mitigation measures and demonstrate
any changes to the level of service achieved by these measures. Any
alternatives or suggested phasing of improvements shall be described.
The mitigation measures may include recommendations such as roadway
widening, turning lanes, deceleration lanes/tapers, changes to signalization,
use of access management techniques, or a reduction in the proposed
intensity of the use. The responsibility and timing of all recommended
roadway improvements shall be described within the traffic impact
study.
I.
Time of Submission. The traffic impact study shall be submitted to
the Planning Commission with the preliminary plan submission. Revisions
to preliminary plans may constitute the need for resubmission of the
traffic impact study or the revised conditions.
J.
Implementation. The Borough Council shall review the traffic impact
study to analyze its adequacy in solving any traffic problems that
will occur due to the land development or subdivision. The Borough
Council may determine that certain improvements on and/or adjacent
to the site and within the study area are necessary requirements for
land development or subdivision plan approval and may attach these
as conditions to the approval. If the governing body determines that
such additional improvements are necessary, the developer shall have
the opportunity to submit alternative improvement designs to obtain
plan approval.
K.
Emergency Response Organizations. Phoenixville shall submit the traffic
impact study with the land development plans proposing the construction
of nonresidential buildings or multifamily residential dwellings to
the Fire Department, Police Department and any other emergency response
organization having jurisdiction within the area of the proposed development
for review and comment.
[Ord. 2016-2267, 10/11/2016]
1.
Community and Fiscal Impact Analysis. The analysis shall include
the following information.
A.
An analysis of the social and demographic characteristics of the
proposed development in terms of future residents and users.
B.
An analysis of the potential cost/benefits of the development, including
a profile of any possible Borough, county and/or school district revenues
which the proposal may generate and any respective costs which it
may create.
C.
An analysis of the proposed impact of the development on the community's
facilities, including schools, parks and recreational areas, libraries,
hospitals, fire protection, police protection and ambulance and rescue
services. In the case of parks and recreational needs, the analysis
should explain how these needs will be met on site.
D.
Identification of utility needs of the future residents and users
of the site, including water supply, sewerage disposal, refuse disposal,
storm drainage and electric transmissions. The analysis should discuss:
