The following minimum subdivision principles, standards, and requirements will be applied by Township officials in evaluating the plans for a proposed subdivision.
A. 
Land shall be suited for the purpose for which it is to be subdivided.
B. 
Land subject to hazards of life, health and safety such as strip mine land, quarry land, open ditches and land subject to flooding or subsidence shall not be subdivided for residential purposes until all such hazards have been eliminated or unless guarantees are given that adequate safeguards against such hazards are provided by the subdivision plan.
A. 
Proposed streets shall be properly related to Township, county, and state road and highway plans which have been prepared and officially adopted and/or filed as prescribed by law.
B. 
Streets shall be logically related to the topography to achieve usable lots and reasonable grades.
C. 
Internal subdivision streets shall be laid out to discourage unnecessary through traffic, but provisions to coordinate adjacent area streets will be generally required.
D. 
Where a subdivision plan abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial street, the governing body may require local access streets, reverse frontage lots, or such other treatment which will provide protection for abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections with arterial streets and separation of local and through traffic.
E. 
New half or partial streets will not be permitted except where essential to reasonable subdivision of a tract in conformance with the other requirements and standards of this chapter and where, in addition, satisfactory assurances for dedication of the remaining part of the street is secured.
F. 
Wherever a tract to be subdivided borders an existing half or partial street, the other part of the street shall be plotted within such tract.
G. 
Cul-de-sac streets may be permitted when it is clear that through traffic at such a street end is not essential to the existing or future street systems in that district, or to the development of adjacent properties in the area.
(1) 
A turnaround with a cartway diameter of 80 feet with a right-of-way diameter of 100 feet shall be required at the end of all streets terminating in a cul-de-sac; and
(2) 
Such streets shall not exceed 600 feet in length.
H. 
If lots resulting from original subdivision are large enough to permit additional subdivision, or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided, adequate street rights-of-way shall be provided as necessary to allow for future development activities.
I. 
Reserve strips, restricting or controlling access to adjacent streets or properties, shall be prohibited.
J. 
Maximum allowable grades center line of streets.
(1) 
Arterial streets: 7%.
(2) 
Collector streets: 7%.
(3) 
Local streets: 12%.
(4) 
Grades in excess of the standards cited herein may be approved by the governing body where it is clear that no traffic hazards or maintenance problems will be created.
K. 
Minimum grades on all streets shall not be less than 1%.
L. 
Vertical curves shall be installed on all street grade changes to provide for the following minimum sight distances:
(1) 
Arterial streets: 400 feet.
(2) 
Collector streets: 200 feet.
(3) 
Local streets: 150 feet.
M. 
Alignment.
(1) 
Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of 2°, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.
(2) 
To ensure adequate sight distance, minimum center-line radii for horizontal curves shall be as follows:
(a) 
Arterial streets: 500 feet.
(b) 
Collector streets: 200 feet.
(c) 
Local streets: 150 feet.
N. 
Widths. Minimum street right-of-way widths and cartway widths shall be as follows:
Type of Street
Cartway
(feet)
Right-of-Way
(feet)
Local
20
50
Collector
24
50
Arterial
30
60
(1) 
Additional right-of-way and cartway widths may be required by the governing body for the following purposes:
(a) 
To promote public safety and convenience;
(b) 
To provide parking space in commercial districts and in areas of high density residential development; and
(c) 
Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate right-of-way in conformance with the above standards.
O. 
Street intersections.
(1) 
Curbs, where required by the governing body, shall be installed by the subdivider along the streets or where deemed necessary for public safety. The curbs shall be of a type and material as specified and approved by the governing body. All curbs at intersections shall be rounded by a minimum radius of 20 feet.
(2) 
Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 5%, a leveling area shall be provided with a transitional grade not to exceed 2% for a distance of 25 feet from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersection.
(3) 
Multiple intersections of more than four streets shall be prohibited.
(4) 
Minimum street intersection angles shall not be less than 60°.
(5) 
At the intersection of two or more streets, the driver of a vehicle shall have an unobstructed view to both his right and left of at least 75 feet as measured along the center lines of intersecting streets.
(6) 
Intersections of local streets with collector and arterial streets shall be kept to a minimum, consistent with topography and other local conditions. Intersections of less than 150 feet shall be avoided.
P. 
Alleys shall not be permitted in any subdivision.
Q. 
Lots in a subdivision may abut on a private street or easement; such private streets or easements shall conform in all other respects to the design standards of Article VIII of this chapter and meet the minimum requirements for improvements provided hereinabove.
[Amended 9-29-2008]
R. 
Driveways.
(1) 
Driveways shall be located to provide the best visibility possible within the limits of the property that each driveway serves. Driveways shall conform to the following tabulation:
Residential
Commercial
Width: 10 feet minimum
In compliance with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Specifications
Radius: 10 feet minimum
(2) 
Driveways shall be constructed so as not to interfere with roadway drainage. Cross drains shall be constructed beneath the driveway where required to provide adequate drainage.
A. 
Residential lots shall be subdivided in accordance with the following minimum specifications:
Lots Served by:
Lot Area
(square feet)
Lot Width
(feet)
Front Bldg. Line
(feet)
Side Yard
(feet)
Corner Lot
(feet)
Rear Yard
(feet)
Municipal sewer and water
7,500
50
25
7.5
10
10
Municipal sewer or water
20,000
100
25
10
20
10
Neither municipal sewer nor water
40,000
125
35
15
25
15
B. 
Regardless of the provisions of § 275-20A above, lot area per dwelling unit shall equal or exceed the following minimum requirements:
Dwelling Type
Minimum Land Area
(square feet)
Single-family
7,500
Duplex
6,500
Multifamily (3 dwelling units or more per structure)
5,500
C. 
The frontage width of lots abutting a cul-de-sac shall be determined as the width at the building line. The side yard and setback requirements will be calculated from the midpoint of the structure along the average length of both sides of the structure.
D. 
All lot lines shall be set perpendicular or radial to the center line of the street whenever possible.
E. 
Lots abutting local streets shall front upon the streets which parallel the long dimension of the block, if possible.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Original Subsection 803F, regarding lots abutting public property, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 9-29-2008.
F. 
Nonresidential lots shall be subdivided to meet the following minimum requirements:
Lot Area
(square feet)
Front Bldg. Line
(feet)
Side Yard
(feet)
Corner Lot
(feet)
Rear Yard
(feet)
Municipal sewer and water
15,000
100
25
25
25
Municipal sewer or water, or neither municipal service
40,000
125
35
35
25
[1]
Editor's Note: All lot area requirements shall be dimensioned exclusive of dedicated street and public areas.
A. 
Block length shall not exceed 800 feet, nor be less than 500 feet.
B. 
Blocks shall be at least two lots in depth except for reverse frontage lots.
C. 
The depth-to-width ratio of usable lot length shall be at a maximum of 2 1/2 to 1.
A. 
Utility and public utility easements shall have a minimum width of 20 feet and be placed at the side or rear of lots, and underground whenever possible. When the governing body determines that conditions are suitable for utilities and/or public utilities, an easement reservation will be required.
B. 
Anchor easements shall be approximately four feet by 30 feet and placed on a lot line.
C. 
Aerial easements shall be in accordance with state regulatory agencies having jurisdiction.
D. 
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a drainage easement or right-of-way conforming substantially with the line of such watercourse, and of such width as will be adequate to preserve natural drainage and provide sufficient width for maintenance purposes, but not less than 20 feet. Where available, federal, state and local flood maps and data shall be employed to determine the location of easements or rights-of-way required by this chapter.
Sidewalks and crosswalks shall be installed by the subdivider or developer along public streets or at other locations deemed necessary for public safety, if determined necessary by the governing body.
Reserve strips surrounding property, or areas reserved for any purpose, which shall make any area unprofitable for regular or special assessments, or which may revert to an untended nuisance area, will not be approved by the governing body.
A. 
The subdivider may choose his street names subject to the approval of the governing body. No street, other than an extension, may be given the name of an existing street in the Township's postal service area. Documentation certifying that the street names used are not duplications of street names within the same post office service area shall be filed by the developer.
B. 
All house numbering systems shall be coordinated with the numbering of existing development in the area.
In subdividing land, it shall be done in a manner that will not have the effect of barring adjacent property owners from access to the streets and ways of alignment or otherwise precluding the development of surrounding land areas.