A. 
No project shall be considered in compliance with this chapter until the streets, street signs, street trees, sidewalks, curbs, survey monuments and markers, landscaping required by this chapter, storm drainage for dedication or which affects adjacent properties or streets, sanitary sewer facilities for multiple use, water supply facilities for multiple use, fire hydrants, and other such improvements required by this chapter have been installed in accordance with this chapter and other applicable Township ordinances.
B. 
When sanitary sewer and water supply facilities are to be installed under the jurisdiction and pursuant to the rules and regulations of a public utility or municipal authority separate and distinct from the Township, financial security to assure proper completion and maintenance thereof shall be posted in accordance with the regulations of the controlling public utility or municipal authority and shall not be included within the financial security as otherwise required by this section.
C. 
No final plan shall be signed by the Board of Supervisors for recording in the office of the York County Recorder of Deeds unless:
(1) 
A financial security in accordance with § 435-72B is accepted by the Board of Supervisors and the Board of Supervisors has received confirmation that the public utility or municipal authority has been provided with financial security, if applicable; and/or
(2) 
The improvements required by this chapter have been installed, in accordance with § 435-75.
A. 
The administration of the financial security shall comply with the provisions of this article, the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247, as reenacted and amended by Act 170 of 1988,[1] and as subsequently amended, and other applicable laws of the commonwealth.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
B. 
Submission of financial security. Final plan applications which include required improvements that have not been installed shall include a financial security and memorandum of understanding or developer's agreement (see sample memorandum available at the Township Municipal Office).
(1) 
Type of financial security. Financial security must comply with the following and is subject to review by the Township Solicitor and Board of Supervisors for adequacy:
(a) 
Irrevocable letter of credit. A letter provided by the developer from a federally chartered financial institution.
(b) 
Escrow account. A deposit of cash either with the Township or in escrow with a federally chartered financial institution.
(c) 
Bond. A bond with corporate surety authorized by the Pennsylvania Insurance Commission to do business in Pennsylvania.
(d) 
Other. A deposit of any other form acceptable to the Township Solicitor, Township Engineer and Board of Supervisors.
(2) 
General contents. The terms of any financial security documents shall be acceptable to the Township Solicitor, Township Engineer and Board of Supervisors.
(a) 
The amount of secured funds.
(b) 
In case of failure on the part of the developer to complete the specified improvements within a time period specified in a written agreement, the funds shall be paid to the Township immediately and without further action, upon presentation of a signed draft in an amount necessary to finance the completion of those improvements, up to the limit of the security.
(c) 
The security is irrevocable and may not be withdrawn or reduced in amount by other than the Township until release or partially released by the Township.
(3) 
Amount of financial security.
(a) 
The amount of financial security shall be equal to 110% of the cost of completion estimated as of 90 days following the date scheduled for completion by the developer. Annually, the Township may adjust the amount of financial security by comparing the actual cost for the completion of the remaining improvements as of the expiration of the 90th day after either the original date schedule for completion or a rescheduled date of completion. Subsequent to said adjustment, the Township may require the developer to post additional security in order to assure that the financial security equals said 110%. Any additional security shall be posted by the developer in accordance with this chapter.
(b) 
The amount of financial security required shall be based upon an estimate of the cost of completion (including quantities and unit cost) of the required improvements, submitted by a developer and prepared and certified by an engineer to be a fair and reasonable estimate of such cost.
(c) 
If the party posting the financial security requires more than one year from the date of posting of the financial security to complete the required improvements, the amount of financial security may be increased by an additional 10% for each one-year period beyond the first anniversary date from posting of financial security or to an amount not exceeding 110% of the cost of completing the required improvements as reestablished on or about the expiration of the preceding one-year period by using the above procedure.
(d) 
As the work of installing the required improvements proceeds, the party posting the financial security may request the governing body to release or authorize the release, from time to time, such portions of the financial security necessary for payment to the contractor or contractors performing the work. Any such request shall be in writing addressed to the governing body, and the governing body shall have 45 days from receipt of such request within which to allow the municipal engineer to certify, in writing, to the governing body that such portion of the work upon the improvements has been completed in accordance with the approved plat. Upon such certification, the governing body shall authorize release by the bonding company or lending institution of an amount as estimated by the municipal engineer fairly representing the value of the improvements completed or, if the governing body fails to act within said forty-five-day period, the governing body shall be deemed to have approved the release of funds as requested. The governing body may, prior to final release at the time of completion and certification by its engineer, require retention of 10% of the estimated cost of the aforesaid improvements.
A. 
When the developer has completed all of the necessary and appropriate improvements, the developer shall notify the Township, in writing, by certified or registered mail, of the completion of the aforesaid improvements and shall send a copy thereof to the Township Engineer. The Township shall, within 10 working days after receipt of such notice, direct and authorize the Township Engineer to inspect all of the aforesaid improvements. The Township Engineer shall, thereupon, file a report, in writing, with the Township, and shall promptly mail a copy of the same to the developer by certified or registered mail. The report shall be made and mailed within 30 days after receipt by the Township Engineer of the aforesaid authorization from the Township; said report shall be detailed and shall indicate approval or rejection of said improvements, either in whole or in part, and if said improvements, or any portion thereof, shall not be approved or shall be rejected by the Township Engineer, said report shall contain a statement of the reasons for such nonapproval or rejection.
B. 
The Township shall notify the developer within 15 working days of receipt of the Township Engineer's report, in writing by certified or registered mail of the action of the Township.
C. 
If the Township or the Township Engineer fails to comply with the time limitation provisions contained herein, all improvements will be deemed to have been approved and the developer shall be released from all liability, pursuant to its performance guaranty bond or other security agreement.
D. 
If any portion of the said improvements shall not be approved or shall be rejected by the Township, the developer shall proceed to complete the same and, upon completion, the same procedure of notification, as outlined herein, shall be followed.
E. 
Nothing herein, however, shall be construed in limitation of the developer's right to contest or question by legal proceedings or otherwise, any determination of the Township or the Township Engineer.
F. 
Where herein reference is made to the Township Engineer, it shall be as a professional consultant thereto.
G. 
The Board of Supervisors shall establish, by ordinance or resolution a schedule for inspection fees to be paid by the applicant. Every applicant or developer shall reimburse the Township for the reasonable and necessary expense incurred in connection with the inspection of improvements. Inspection fees shall include reasonable and necessary charges by the Township's professional consultants for inspection and report thereon to the Township. The applicant shall not be required to reimburse the Township for any inspection which is duplicative of inspections conducted by other governmental agencies or public utilities. The burden of proving that any inspection is duplicative shall be upon the objecting applicant. Such expense shall be reasonable and in accordance with the ordinary and customary fees charge by the Township's professional consultant for work performed for similar services in the community, but in no event shall the fees exceed the rate or cost charged by the professional consultant to the Township for comparable services when fees are not reimbursed or otherwise imposed on applicants.
H. 
The Board of Supervisors shall submit to the applicant an itemized bill showing the work performed in connection with the inspection of improvements performed, identifying the person performing the services and the time and date spent for each task. In the even the applicant disputes the amount of any such expense in connection with the inspection of improvements, the applicant shall, no later than 100 days after the date of transmittal of a bill for inspection services, notify the Township and the Township's professional consultant that such inspection expenses are disputed as unreasonable or unnecessary and shall explain the basis of their objections to the fees charged, in which case the Township shall not delay or disapprove a request for release of financial security, a subdivision or land development application or any approval or permit related to development due to the applicant's dispute of inspection expenses. Failure of the applicant to dispute a bill within 100 days shall be a waiver of the applicant's right to arbitration of that bill under this section.
I. 
Subsequent to the final release of financial security for completion of improvements for a subdivision or land development, or any phase thereof, the professional consultant shall submit to the Board of Supervisors a bill for inspection services, specifically designated as a final bill. The final bill shall include inspection fees incurred through the release of financial security.
J. 
If a professional consultant and the applicant cannot agree on the amount of expenses which are reasonable and necessary, then the applicant shall have the right, within 100 days of the transmittal of the final bill or supplement to the final bill to the applicant, to request the appointment of another professional consultant to serve as an arbitrator. The applicant and professional consultant whose fees are being challenged shall, by mutual agreement, appoint another professional consultant to review any bills the applicant has disputed and which remain unresolved and make a determination as to the amount thereof which is reasonable and necessary. The arbitrator shall be of the same profession as the professional consultant whose fees are being challenged.
K. 
The arbitrator so appointed shall hear such evidence and review such documentation as the arbitrator in his or her sole opinion deems necessary and shall render a decision no later than 50 days after the date of appointment. Based on the decision of the arbitrator, the applicant or the professional consultant whose fees were challenged shall be required to pay any amounts necessary to implement the decision within 60 days. In the even the Township has paid the professional consultant an amount in excess of the amount determined to be reasonable and necessary, the professional consultant shall within 60 days reimburse the excess payment.
L. 
In the event that the Township's professional consultant and applicant cannot agree upon the arbitrator to be appointed within 20 days of the request for appointment of an arbitrator, then, upon application of either party, the President judge of the Court of Common Pleas of York County (or if at the time there be no President Judge, then the senior active judge then sitting) shall appoint such arbitrator, who, in that case, shall be neither the Township's professional consultant nor any professional consultant who has been retained by, or performed services for, the Township or the applicant within the preceding five years.
M. 
The fee of the arbitrator shall be paid by the applicant if the disputed fee is upheld by the arbitrator. The fee of the arbitrator shall be paid by the charging party if the disputed fee is $2,500 or greater than the payment decided by the arbitrator. The fee of the arbitrator shall be paid in an equal amount by the applicant and the charging party if the disputed fee is less than $2,500 of the payment decided by the arbitrator.
N. 
In the event that the disputed fees have been paid and the arbitrator finds that the disputed fees are unreasonable or excessive by more than $10,000, the arbitrator shall:
(1) 
Award the amount of the fees found to be unreasonable or excessive to the party that paid the disputed fee; and
(2) 
Impose the surcharge of 4% of the amount found as unreasonable or excessive to be paid to the party that paid the disputed fee.
O. 
The Township or an applicant shall have 100 days after paying a fee to dispute any fee charged as being unreasonable or excessive.
P. 
The fee of the arbitrator shall be paid by the applicant if the review fee charged is sustained by the arbitrator; otherwise, it shall be divided equally between the parties. If the disputed fees are found to be excessive by more than $5,000, the arbitrator shall have the discretion to assess the arbitration fee in whole or in part against either the applicant or the professional consultant. The Board of Supervisors and the consultant whose fees are the subject of the dispute shall be parties to the proceeding.
If proceeds of the financial security are insufficient to pay the cost of installing or making repairs or corrections to all the improvements covered by said security, the Board of Supervisors may, at its option, install all or part of such improvements and may institute appropriate legal or equitable action to recover the funds necessary to complete the remainder of the improvements. All of the proceeds, whether resulting from the security or from any legal or equitable action brought against the applicant, or both, shall be used solely for the installation of the improvements covered by such security, and not for any other municipal purpose.
A. 
Authorization for construction. The applicant may receive approval to construct only the improvements required as part of this chapter upon receipt of conditional final plan approval with the only outstanding condition being the guarantee of public improvements, the recording of the plan. However, the approvals/permits from other agencies with jurisdiction shall be obtained.
B. 
The construction of improvements is limited to streets, street signs, street trees, sidewalks, curbs, survey monuments and markers, landscaping required by this chapter, storm drainage for dedication or which affects adjacent properties or streets, sanitary sewer facilities for multiple use, water supply facilities for multiple use, fire hydrants, and other such improvements.
C. 
Completion of public improvement. When all or part of the required improvements are complete, the developer shall notify the Board of Supervisors. Except for mandatory inspection during construction, notification of completion of a portion of the required improvements is only necessary should the developer elect to financially secure the remaining improvements in accordance with § 435-72.
D. 
Notification of completion of improvements shall be in writing, by certified or registered mail, and copy thereof shall be sent to the Township Engineer. This notice shall include the "as-built plan" in accordance with § 435-77.
E. 
After receipt of notice that improvements are completed, the Board of Supervisors shall, within 10 days, authorize the Township Engineer to inspect all of the aforesaid improvements. The Township Engineer shall, thereupon, within 30 days of authorization, file a report, in writing, with the Board of Supervisors, and shall promptly mail a copy of the same to the developer by certified or registered mail. The report shall be detailed and shall indicate approval or rejection of said improvements, either in whole or in part, and if said improvements, or any portion thereof, are not approved by the Township Engineer, said report shall contain a statement of reasons for such rejection.
F. 
The Board of Supervisors shall notify the developer, within 15 days of receipt of the Township Engineer's report, in writing by certified or registered mail of the action of the Board of Supervisors with relation thereto.
G. 
If any portion of the said improvements shall not be approved by the Board of Supervisors, the developer shall proceed to complete the same and, upon completion, the same procedure of notification, as outlined herein, shall be followed.
H. 
Nothing herein, however, shall be construed in limitation of the developer's right to contest or question by legal proceedings or otherwise, any determination of the Board of Supervisors or the Township Engineer.
A. 
Inspections shall be required prior to the start of construction, during installation of materials and structures, and upon the completion of all improvements. Prior to the initiation of construction, the developer shall arrange a preconstruction meeting with the Township Engineer or designee so that an inspection schedule can be coordinated with the construction schedule. The Township Engineer or designee shall be notified two working days in advance of any intended date of construction. The provisions stated herein shall not be construed as mandating periodic inspections and the undertaking of periodic inspections shall not be construed as an acceptance of the work during construction or as a final inspection of the construction.
B. 
The Township, at the expense of the developer, reserves the right for the Township Engineer to require drawing detail or shop drawing, and/or tests by an approved testing facility to determine whether the improvement complies in all respects with the requirements of the Township.
C. 
No underground pipes, structures, subgrades or base courses shall be covered until inspected and approved by the duly authorized official of the Township. Failure in compliance with this regulation shall provide cause for uncovering of such work, at the applicant's expense, to permit the required inspection.
D. 
Whenever any work or materials are found to be not in compliance with the final plan and/or applicable Township requirements, the Township Engineer or any other duly authorized Township representative may stop work on the job until such noncompliance or variance is eliminated and any work or materials installed which are not in compliance are made to comply. It shall be unlawful to do or prevent injury or damage to person or property. Such stop order may be revoked by the Board of Supervisors.
E. 
A specific schedule and procedure for information will be established for each project. The following is intended to describe the format of inspections:
(1) 
Subsoil system. Inspection and testing to determine subsoil compaction to required density and inspection of subsoil elevation to insure grade and profile compatibility.
(2) 
Subgrade. Inspection and testing of subgrade type and required density.
(3) 
Storm drainage system. Inspection and testing of pipe installation, including inlets, manholes, endwalls, and bridges prior to backfilling.
(4) 
Concrete curb. Inspection prior to installation of string line to show type of curb, grade, and alignment. Material inspection, including the submittal of all certified material delivery slips.
(5) 
Street subbase course. Inspection of materials placed as subbase prior to installation of base course, including the submittal of all certified material delivery slips.
(6) 
Street base course. Inspection of materials placed as base, including the submittal of all certified material weight slips.
(7) 
Street wearing course. Inspection of materials placed as wearing surface, including the submittal of all certified material weight slips.
(8) 
Sidewalk. Inspection of subbase grade and form grade and alignment prior to any pour.
(9) 
Right-of-way profile. Inspection of required finish grade elevations to limits of street right-of-way.
(10) 
Storm drainage. Inspection of required finish grade elevations, alignments and profiles to limits of easement.
(11) 
Seeding, sodding and erosion control. Inspection as required to assure compliance with storm drainage regulations.
(12) 
Utilities. Utility provider must provide verification that utility installation for development was acceptable.
Upon completion of all required improvements and prior to final inspections of improvements, the developer shall submit a plan labeled "as-built plan," showing the actual location, dimension and elevation of all existing improvements in same scale as submitted plans. In addition, the plan shall demonstrate the existing grading, drainage structures, and/or drainage systems and erosion and sediment control practices, including vegetative measures, are in substantial conformance with the previously approved drawings and specifications. The plan shall specifically identify all deviations from the previously approved drawings and acknowledge the Township Engineer's approval of the change. The applicant's engineer shall certify that the construction of the stormwater management facility was completed in accordance with the plans and specifications as approved by the Township. An electronic version of approved as-built plan shall be provided in PDF format and three paper copies of the plan shall be submitted to the Township Secretary, or designee, who shall distribute a paper copy to the Township Engineer and retain two copies for the Township files. These plans are not subject to recording with the York County Recorder of Deeds.
All improvements shall be deemed to be private improvements and only for the benefit of the specific project until such time as the same have been offered for dedication and formally accepted by the Board of Supervisors. No responsibility of any kind with respect to improvements shown on the plan shall be transferred until the improvements have been formally accepted. Proof is to be provided that utility installations within public rights-of-way and easements have been accepted by the governing utilities or agencies (i.e., MetEd, DAA, PennDOT), release of liens, title search to indicate no liens exist on the property, release from the lender prior to acceptance of improvements by the Township. All requests for dedication shall be made in accordance with Township rules and regulations, resolutions, ordinances and shall include all information required by the Township for processing such request, and shall be accompanied by any required filing fee.
The Board of Supervisors may, at its discretion, require the developer to submit a maintenance guarantee or other approved guarantee as specified herein, guaranteeing the structural integrity as well as function of any improvement shown on the final plan for a term not to exceed 18 months from the date of acceptance of dedication by the Board of Supervisors. Said guarantee shall be 15% of the actual cost of installation of said improvements and be of the same type of financial security as required in § 435-72B(1).