The purpose of this article is to establish and define public and private improvements which shall be required by the Township to be constructed, or cause to be constructed, by the applicant. All improvements shall be constructed in accordance with the specifications of the Municipality.
A.
The improvements included in this article are minimum requirements. However, the Board of Commissioners reserves the right in any case to increase the same if conditions so warrant.
B.
If any mandatory provisions of this chapter are shown by the applicant to be unreasonable in the opinion of the Board of Commissioners, the Board may grant a waiver to such provisions, provided that such variations will not have the effect of nullifying the intent and purpose of this chapter and that full enforcement of the provisions is not necessary to maintain or protect public interest.
When changes from the accepted drawings and specifications become necessary during construction, written acceptance by the Board of Commissioners shall be secured before the execution of such changes.
A.
Physical improvements to the property being subdivided or developed shall be provided, constructed, and installed as shown on the approved plan and profile, in accordance with the requirements of the Township.
B.
All improvements installed by the developer shall be constructed in accordance with the design specifications of the Township. Where there are no applicable municipal specifications, improvements shall be constructed in accordance with specifications furnished through the Berks County Planning Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, or the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, or such other state agency as is applicable. If there are no applicable county or state regulations, the Township may authorize that specifications be prepared by the Township Engineer.
C.
No construction, grading, or other work required by the development plans shall be initiated or performed except with prior notification to the Township Engineer of intent to perform such work, and all such work shall be under the observation of said engineer and its material and workmanship approved by him.
D.
The developer shall obtain all required permits from local, county, and state agencies. Issuance of pertinent permits shall be documented by providing the Township with copies.
A.
The construction of streets, roads, land, and driveways as shown upon final plans or contained in contract agreements, shall in every respect conform to such requirements as the Township may, by resolution or specification, require for the construction of streets.
B.
All streets shall be graded as shown on the street profiles and cross section plan submitted with the preliminary plan and approved with its final plan.
C.
Specifications. The minimum requirements for improvements shall be those contained in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Specifications (Form 408) as last revised. All street pavements shall comply with the provisions of this section, except that PennDOT shall determine the construction standard for a state road.
(1)
A six inch minimum compacted depth stable subbase shall be provided, using PennDOT Type 2A aggregate or better, unless the Township pre-approves an alternative subbase. The subgrade shall be properly rolled and crowned.
(a)
The Township may require a greater depth where necessary considering the conditions of the subgrade. Materials that are unsuitable, wet soils and soils subject to frost-heave shall be removed and replaced, drained or otherwise stabilized to handle anticipated loads.
(b)
The Township may require field and/or laboratory testing of the subgrade, particularly if on-site materials are proposed to be used.
(c)
The Township shall require compaction tests, with the Township's costs reimbursed by the developer.
(2)
A four inch minimum depth 25 mm Superpave Hot Mix Asphalt Base Course shall be provided. This depth may be decreased to three inches if the depth of the subbase is increased to eight inches.
(3)
A 1.5 inch minimum depth 9.5 mm Superpave Hot Mix Asphalt Wearing Course or Township-approved equivalent shall be provided. Such depth shall be two inches for a collector street and three inches for an arterial street.
(4)
Where shoulders are required, PennDOT "Type 3" or better shoulders shall be provided on each side of the travelway.
D.
Along the existing street on which a subdivision or land development abuts, improvements shall be made to the street as required by the Board of Commissioners. The improvements to the existing street shall be determined by the width of required cartway and built to the specifications established by the Township.
A.
Curbs shall be installed along both sides of all new streets within a new subdivision and along the subdivided side of every existing street and as stipulated in § 475-21 herein. The Board of Commissioners may waive at their discretion the curbing requirement within minor subdivisions.
B.
All curbs shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards and specifications of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation or the specifications of the Township Engineer.
A.
Sidewalks are required on both sides of all newly constructed streets in Colebrookdale Township and shall be constructed in accordance with applicable ordinances of Colebrookdale Township.
B.
Wherever sidewalks are required, curbs shall also be required in accordance with specifications and applicable ordinances of the Township of Colebrookdale.
C.
Pathway or bikeway.
(1)
If deemed necessary for the convenient and safe circulation of bicycles and pedestrians, the Board of Commissioners, after a review by the Planning Commission, may require that a subdivision or land development include the construction of a pathway or bikeway.
(2)
A bikeway/pathway shall have a minimum width of six feet and a maximum width of 12 feet, unless superseded by the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. It may be required to be placed within a street right-of-way in place of a sidewalk, or may be placed elsewhere on a lot within an easement or other right-of-way.
(3)
A multi-use Pathway/Bikeway shall be compliant in all respects with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
The developer shall construct stormwater drainage facilities, including retention basins, curbs, catch basins and inlets, storm sewers, culverts, road ditches, open channels, and other structures in order to prevent erosion, flooding, and other hazards to life and property. All such facilities are to be of adequate size and grade to accommodate hydraulically maximum potential volumes of flow; size, type, and installation of all storm drains and sewers shall be constructed in accordance with the plans.
A.
When a public water supply system cannot feasibly be provided as determined by the Township, the applicant shall provide a private centralized water supply and distribution system for subdivisions and land development where the average lot size would be 30,000 square feet or less and there would be more than 12 dwellings or nonresidential buildings in the subdivision or land development. All systems shall be designed to meet the requirements of the Township, and agreements shall be suitable to the Township Solicitor and offered for dedication to the Township.
B.
The developer shall construct water mains in such a manner as to make adequate water service available to each lot, building, or dwelling unit within the subdivision or land development. A minimum pressure of 35 pounds per square inch shall be provided at each house or other building to be connected to the water supply main. The water supply must comply with the regulations and the standards of the State Department of Environmental Protection.
C.
The system shall also be designed with adequate capacity and appropriately spaced fire hydrants for firefighting purposes. Review and approval by the Township Fire Marshal and/or Engineer shall be required in order to ensure that adequate fire protection is provided.
D.
All on-site wells shall be shown on all plans.
Where no public water is accessible, water shall be furnished by the owner on an individual lot basis. If wells are installed on each lot, the well shall be of the drilled type, cased and grout-sealed into the bedrock.
A.
Wherever practical, sanitary sewers shall be installed and connected to the Township Sanitary Sewer System.
B.
In those portions of the Township where a sanitary sewer is not yet accessible, but is planned for extension to the subdivision or land development, the developer shall install sewer lines, including lateral connections, as may be necessary to provide adequate service to each lot when connection with the municipal sanitary sewer system is made. The sewer lines shall be suitably capped at the limits of the subdivision or land development, and the laterals shall be capped at the right-of-way line. The sewer installation shall include the construction within rights-of-way or easements to bring the sewer to the future connection with the public sanitary sewer system.
(1)
A sewer shall be considered to be planned for extension to a given area any time after preliminary engineering and related studies have been completed and the construction of facilities adequate to serve the area containing the subdivision or land development has been programmed for completion within a reasonable time.
(2)
When capped sewers are provided, on-site disposal facilities shall be provided.
C.
All public sanitary sewers shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the "Sewerage Manual" issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the specifications of the Berks Montgomery County Sewer Authority.
A.
Concrete monuments shall be placed at each change in direction of out-boundary where adequate monumentation does not exist. Two monuments shall be placed at each street intersection and one on each side of each street at angle points and at the beginning and end of curves. Utility easements shall be monumented at their beginning and at their end. Areas to be conveyed for public use shall be fully monumented at their external boundaries.
B.
All monuments shall be placed in the ground by a registered professional engineer or surveyor after final grading is completed, at a time specified by the Township Engineer.
C.
All monuments shall be certified for accuracy by the developer's engineer, or their accuracy checked by the Township within 3/100 of a foot.
A.
The developer shall erect at every street intersection a street sign having thereon the names of the intersecting streets. At intersections where streets cross, there shall be at least two such street signs, and at the intersections where one street ends or joins with another street, there shall be at least one such street sign.
B.
Street signs are to be erected when the first dwelling on the street is occupied.
C.
Street signs shall be consistent in design with those in general use by the Township and shall be subject to approval by the Township.
A.
Applicability.
(1)
New uses, buildings and major additions or modifications. For all proposed new land uses, developments, buildings, and structures, all outdoor lighting fixtures shall meet the requirements of this section. All building additions or modifications to buildings resulting in an increase of 25% or more of additional dwelling units, gross floor area, or parking spaces, either singly or with multiple additions subsequent to the effective date of this provision, shall invoke the requirements of this section for the entire property, including previously installed and any new outdoor lighting. Cumulative modification or replacement of outdoor lighting constituting 25% or more of the permitted lumens for the parcel, no matter the actual amount of lighting already on a nonconforming site, shall constitute a major addition for purposes of this section.
(2)
Minor additions. Additions or modifications of less than 25% to existing uses, as defined in the preceding subsection, shall require the submission of a complete inventory and site plan detailing all existing and any proposed new outdoor lighting. Any new lighting on the site shall meet the requirements of this section with regard to shielding and lamp type; the total outdoor light output after the modifications are complete shall not exceed that on the site before the modification, or that permitted by this section, whichever is larger.
B.
Plan requirements.
(1)
Lighting plans shall be submitted to the Township for review and approval and shall include a ten-foot by ten-foot point by point illuminance grid extending 10 feet beyond the property lines.
(5)
Lighting plans shall clearly show the limits of each illuminated area.
(6)
Lighting plans shall include installation details and fixture and pole cut sheets.
(8)
Lighting Plans shall bear the seal and signature of the PA-licensed professional responsible for preparation of the plan.
(9)
Should any outdoor light fixture or the type of light source therein be changed after Township approval has been issued, the permittee shall submit prior to substitution a change request to the Township Engineer for approval, together with adequate information to assure compliance with this chapter, which must be received prior to substitution.
C.
Illumination levels. Lighting, where required or permitted by this chapter, shall have intensities and uniformity ratios in accordance with the current recommended practices of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) as contained in the most current editions of the following publications:
D.
Control of light.
(1)
For the lighting of horizontal tasks such as, but not limited to roadways, sidewalks, entrances and parking areas, fixtures shall meet IESNA backlight, uplight, and glare (BUG) criteria as defined in IES TM-15-11 (or most current addendum) or meet full cut-off criteria as defined by Chapter 540, Zoning. An acceptable backlight (B) value shall be determined by fixture location whereas maximum uplight (U) value shall be zero and maximum glare (G) value shall be 2.
(2)
Unless otherwise allowed or limited by the Township, (e.g., for safety or security or all-night operations), lighting for commercial, industrial, public recreational and institutional applications shall be controlled by automatic switching devices to extinguish outdoor lighting fixtures between 11:00 p.m. and dawn in order to mitigate glare and sky-lighting consequences.
(3)
The intensity of illumination projected onto a residential use from another property shall not exceed 0.1 footcandle at the property line. The illumination projected from any property onto a nonresidential use shall at no time exceed 1.0 footcandle at the property line.
(4)
Lighting structures shall not exceed 20 feet in height in shopping centers or other commercial areas, industrial/office campuses, and recreational areas. Lighting structures shall not exceed 15 feet in height in multifamily and planned residential developments, residential streets, sidewalks and pedestrian walkways.
(5)
No bare or direct light source shall be visible beyond the lot lines. This applies to all pole-mounted lights, building mounted lights, sign lights, walkway lights, and any other type of illumination. No light shall shine directly into windows or onto streets and driveways off the premises. These standards shall not apply to temporary holiday lights displayed during the winter season.
E.
Prohibited lighting.
F.
Installation. Lighting standards shall be located no less than three feet from the curb in parking areas or on concrete pedestals at least 30 inches high above the pavement, or suitably protected from potential vehicular impact by other approved means.
G.
Streetlights. The developer shall install or cause to be installed, at the developer's expense, streetlights acceptable to the Township and serviced by underground conduit in accordance with a plan to be prepared by the developer's engineer and approved by the respective utility company and by the Township. Provision shall be made for energizing said lighting when 50% of the dwellings in a given subdivision or land development have been occupied. The developer shall be responsible for all costs involved in lighting the streets until such time that the streets are accepted or condemned as public streets by the Township. Said anticipated costs shall be required as part of the improvements escrow.
H.
Recreational lighting.
(1)
Municipal outdoor recreation lighting. Outdoor recreational lighting erected under the auspices of the governing body need not comply with the provisions of this chapter. However, in erecting any outdoor recreational lighting, the Township shall give due consideration to, but need not comply with, the same criteria for the erection of outdoor recreational lighting in determining its appropriateness that applies to institutional, private nonprofit, and commercial applicants seeking approval.
(2)
Private outdoor recreation lighting.
(a)
Outdoor lighting of private tennis courts and sports courts shall be permitted only by Conditional Use where the applicant shall bear the burden of proving that the proposed lights do not impact or offend abutting property owners or the community in general. In no case may such lights be placed on properties of less than three acres and in no case may the lights be closer than 200 feet to the nearest property line. The Board of Commissioners may, at its sole discretion, require the addition of buffer plantings or exercise other options to minimize the impact of the lights on neighboring properties, roads and/or the community at-large.
(b)
All lighting installations shall be designed to achieve no greater than the minimal luminance levels for the activity as recommended by the IESNA.
(c)
No bare or direct light source shall be visible beyond the lot lines. All lights shall be limited to 15 feet in height and be extinguished by 10:00 p.m. Lighting fixtures shall be specified, mounted, and aimed so that their beams fall within the primary playing area and immediate surroundings, and so that no direct illumination is directed off the site.
(d)
The quantity of luminaires shall be the minimum required to provide adequate illumination to safely conduct the primary use of the facility.
J.
Exemptions.
(1)
Emergency lighting for police, fire, medical, and rescue personnel are exempt from the provisions of this section.
(2)
Temporary lights for the night construction, repair or modification of Township or state owned highways are exempt from the provisions of this section.
(3)
The lighting of the national and state flags are exempt from the provisions of this chapter provided that the minimum amount of light needed to illuminate the flag is utilized and all lighting is directed solely at the flag to be illuminated and that the state or federal regulations requiring lighting are followed.
Whenever a public or community water supply system is provided, fire hydrants shall be installed in accordance with current Fire Company regulations, measured by way of accessible streets.
Electric, communication and cable television, and all other utility facilities shall be installed underground by the subdivider. Where telephone and electric service lines are placed underground, conduit or cables shall be placed within easements or dedicated public ways in accordance with the prevailing standards and practices of the utility and other companies providing such service.
As outlined in § 475-42 of this chapter, additional community facilities may be determined necessary to serve the proposed lots or dwellings in a subdivision or land development. Where a proposed park, playground, or other public facility shown in the Comprehensive Plan or parts thereof is located in whole or in part in a subdivision or land development, the dedication or reservation of such area may be required by the Board of Commissioners in those cases in which it deems such requirements to be reasonable.[1]