A.
Applicability of Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. The
applicant shall follow all requirements for application and approval
for a preliminary and final land development plan as stated in Article
500 of this chapter, in addition to the requirements stated in this
article.
B.
Plan and map requirements. The following plans and maps shall bear
the name, signature, address and telephone number of the engineer,
land surveyor, or landscape architect responsible for preparing the
plan or map.
C.
Existing Resources and Site Analysis Map. For all land development
plans, the developer shall prepare an existing resources and site
analysis map to provide a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions
both on the proposed development site and within 500 feet of the site.
Conditions beyond the parcel boundaries may be described on the basis
of existing published data available from governmental agencies and
from aerial photographs. The Borough shall review the map to assess
its accuracy, conformance with municipal ordinances, and likely impact
upon the natural and cultural resources on the property. Such maps
shall generally be prepared at the scale of one inch equals 100 feet
or one inch equals 200 feet, whichever would fit best on a single
standard-size sheet (24.22 inches by 36.34 inches). A digital copy
of this map must be provided by the developer to the Borough as specified
in Article 500 in this chapter. The following information shall be
included on this map:
(1)
Topography, the contour lines of which shall generally be at
two-foot intervals, determined by photogrammetry (although ten-foot
intervals are permissible beyond the parcel boundaries, interpolated
from USGS published maps). Slopes between 15% and 25% and those exceeding
25% shall be clearly indicated.
(2)
The location and delineation of ponds, streams, ditches, drains,
and natural drainage swales, as well as the one-hundred-year floodplains
and wetlands.
(3)
Vegetative cover conditions on the property according to general
cover type, including cultivated land, permanent grassland, meadow,
pasture, hedgerow, woodland and wetland, trees with a caliper in excess
of 15 inches, the actual canopy line of existing trees and woodlands.
Additional areas of wetlands on the proposed development parcel shall
also be indicated, as evident from testing, visual inspection, or
from the presence of wetland vegetation.
(4)
Soil series, types and phases, as mapped by the United States
Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service,
in the published soil survey for the county, and accompanying data
published for each soil relating to its suitability for construction
(and, in unsewered areas, septic suitability).
(5)
Ridgelines and watershed boundaries shall be identified.
(6)
A viewshed analysis showing the location and extent of views
into the property from public roads and from public parks, public
forests, and state game lands.
(7)
Geologic formations on the proposed development parcel, including
rock outcroppings, cliffs, and areas of slide-prone soils, such as
Pennsylvania redbeds, based on available published information or
more detailed data obtained by the applicant.
(8)
All existing man-made features, including but not limited to
streets, driveways, farm roads, woods roads, buildings, foundations,
walls, wells, drainage fields, dumps, utilities, fire hydrants, and
storm and sanitary sewers.
(9)
Locations of all historically significant sites or structures
on the tract, including but not limited to cellar holes, stone walls,
earthworks and graves.
(10)
Locations of trails that have been in public use (pedestrian,
equestrian, bicycle, etc.).
(11)
All easements and other encumbrances of property, which are
or have been filed of record with the Allegheny County Department
of Real Estate, shall be shown on the plan.
D.
Four-step design process for conservation subdivisions. The application
for preliminary approval for a conservation subdivision shall include
documentation of a four-step design process, as described below, in
determining the layout of proposed greenway lands, house sites, and
streets and lot lines.
(1)
Step 1: delineation of greenway lands.
(b)
Greenway lands shall include all primary conservation
areas and those secondary conservation areas with the highest resource
significance.
(c)
The Borough's Comprehensive Plan shall also
be referenced and considered. The applicant shall prioritize natural
and cultural resources on the tract in terms of their highest to least
suitability for inclusion in the proposed open space, in consultation
with the Planning Commission and the Environmental Advisory Council.
(d)
On the basis of those priorities and practical
consideration given to the tract's configuration, its context
in relation to resource areas on adjoining and neighboring properties,
and the applicant's subdivision objectives, secondary conservation
areas shall be delineated to meet at least the minimum area requirements
for greenway lands in a manner clearly indicating their boundaries
as well as the types of resources included within them.
(2)
Step 2: alignment of streets and trails. A street plan shall
be designed to provide vehicular access to each house, complying with
the standards within this article and bearing a logical relationship
to topographic conditions. Impacts of the street plan on proposed
greenway lands shall be minimized, particularly with respect to crossing
environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands and traversing slopes
exceeding 15%. Street connections shall generally be encouraged to
minimize the number of new culs-de-sac to be maintained by the Borough
and to facilitate access to and from homes in different parts of the
tract.
(3)
Step 3: location of house sites. Potential house sites shall
be tentatively located along the proposed streets. House sites should
generally be located not closer than 100 feet from primary conservation
areas and 50 feet from secondary conservation areas, taking into consideration
the potential negative impacts of residential development on such
areas as well as the potential positive benefits of such locations
to provide attractive views and visual settings for residences.
(4)
Step 4: drawing in the lot lines. Upon completion of the preceding
three steps, lot lines shall be drawn as required to delineate the
boundaries of individual residential lots.
E.
Preliminary improvements plan. An application for preliminary
improvement plan shall include the following:
(1)
Existing and approximate proposed lot lines, lot areas, any
existing easements and rights-of-way.
(2)
The boundaries of greenway lands.
(3)
Delineation of the proposed phases and a schedule of deadlines
within which applications for final approval of each phase are intended
to be filed.
(4)
Typical street cross-section drawing(s) for all proposed streets,
including details relating to thickness, crowning, and construction
materials.
(5)
Exact locations of existing utility easements and approximate
locations of proposed utility easements.
(6)
Approximate layout of all proposed sanitary and storm sewers
and location of all inlets and culverts and any proposed connections
with existing facilities. (This data may be on a separate plan.)
(7)
Approximate location of proposed shade trees, plus locations
of existing vegetation to be retained.
F.
Community association document. A community association document,
also known as a "homeowners' association document" or a "condominium
association document," shall be provided for applications that propose
lands or facilities to be used or owned in common by all the residents
of that subdivision or land development and not deeded to the Borough.
The elements of the community association document shall include but
shall not necessarily be limited to the following:
(1)
A description of all lands and facilities to be owned by the
community association. This description shall include a map of the
proposal highlighting the precise location of those lands and facilities.
(2)
Statements setting forth the powers, duties and responsibilities
of the community association, including the services to be provided.
(3)
A declaration of covenants, conditions and restrictions, giving
perpetual easement to the lands and facilities owned by the community
association. The declaration shall be a legal document that also provides
for automatic association membership for all owners in the subdivision
or land development and shall describe the mechanism by which owners
participate in the association, including voting, elections and meetings.
Furthermore, it shall give power to the association to own and maintain
the common property and to make and enforce rules.
(4)
Statements prescribing the process by which community association
decisions are reached and setting forth the authority to act.
(5)
Statements requiring each owner within the subdivision or land
development to become a member of the community association. Statements
setting cross covenants or contractual terms binding each owner to
all other owners for mutual benefit and enforcement.
(6)
Requirements for all owners to provide a pro rata share of the
cost of the operations of the community association.
(7)
A process of collection and enforcement to obtain funds from
owners who fail to comply.
(8)
A process for transition of control of the community association
from the developer to the unit owners.
(9)
Statements describing how the lands and facilities of the community
association will be insured, including limit of liability.
G.
Greenway ownership and management plan. Using the conceptual
preliminary plan as a base map, the boundaries, acreage and proposed
ownership of all proposed greenway lands areas shall be shown. In
addition, the applicant shall also submit a greenway ownership management
and maintenance plan detailing the entities responsible for maintaining
various elements of the property and describing management objectives
and techniques for each part of the property. If such a plan is required,
the Borough shall have the authority to enforce its provisions.
A.
The following street cross-section requirements shall apply for plans
developed as a conservation subdivision in lieu of the standards specified
in § 184-905 of this chapter.
(1)
Cluster option: two ten-and-one-half-foot travel lanes and eighteen-inch
curbs; two eight-foot planting strips for street trees, streetlights
and utility easements; two five-foot concrete sidewalks.
(2)
Country lot option: two ten-and-one-half-foot travel lanes;
two eight-foot planting strips for street trees, streetlights and
utility easements. The balance of the right-of-way shall be for pedestrian
trails and/or additional utility easements.
B.
A circular planter island with curbs is required, with a radius of
no more than 15 feet, in the center of a cul-de-sac, subject to private
maintenance responsibilities as specified on the plan.
C.
All other provisions of this chapter shall apply to the construction
of streets within a conservation subdivision.
The public dedication of land requirements under § 184-904
of this chapter shall apply to all conservation subdivisions. The
applicant may request and the Borough Council may grant that the public
dedication of land requirement be satisfied by payment of a fee in
accordance with the terms of § 184-904. In such case, the
applicant shall pay the fee and deduct the amount of land that otherwise
would have been dedicated from the greenway land to be set aside.
In no case shall such deduction exceed 20% of the minimum greenway
land.
