[Amended 12-29-2004 by Ord. No. 182]
Land subject to hazards to life, health, or
property, such as quarry land, open ditches, etc., shall not be subdivided
for residential purposes until such hazards have been eliminated or
unless adequate safeguards against such hazards, including contaminated
soil; sinkholes, compliance with junkyard, nuisance and other ordinances,
are provided by the subdivision or land development plan. Soil testing
shall be required for all lands to be subdivided or developed and
suspected of soil contamination including orchards, landfills, old
dumps, or disposal sites.
The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade,
and location of all streets shall conform to the Township Comprehensive
Plan and/or to the Community Master Plan, if one has been adopted,
and shall be considered in their relation to existing and planned
streets, to topographical conditions, to public convenience and safety,
and in their appropriate relation to the proposed uses of the land
to be served by such streets. Where not shown in the Township Comprehensive
Plan or Community Master Plan, the arrangements and other design standards
of streets shall conform to the provisions found herein.
A.
The arrangement of streets in new subdivision or land
development shall make provisions for the continuation of existing
streets in adjoining areas.
B.
Where adjoining areas are not subdivided, the arrangement
of streets in new subdivision or land development shall make provision
for the proper projection of streets into such adjoining areas.
C.
When a new subdivision adjoins unsubdivided land appropriate
for subdivision or land development, then the new street right-of-way
and cartway shall be carried boundaries of the tract proposed to be
subdivided.
D.
Proposed streets shall conform to any local, county,
and state road or highway plans which have been prepared, adopted,
and/or filed, as required by law.
E.
In commercial and industrial areas, adequate off-street
loading and unloading space shall be provided.
F.
Whenever the proposed subdivision or land development
contains or is adjacent to a highway designated as a "limited access
highway" by the appropriate highway authorities, provision shall be
made for a marginal access street at a distance acceptable for the
appropriate use of the land between the highway and such street. The
Committee or the Board of Supervisors may also require rear service
access, reverse frontage lots or such other treatment which will provide
protection for abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections
with major streets, and separation of local and through traffic.
[Amended 12-29-2004 by Ord. No. 182; 12-16-2019 by Ord. No.
271]
G.
New street names shall not duplicate existing street
names and shall require the approval of the Franklin County Planning
Commission and the Board of Supervisors. New streets shall bear the
same name of any continuation of or alignment with an existing or
platted street.
H.
New half or partial streets shall not be permitted,
except where essential to reasonable subdivision of a tract in conformance
with the other requirements and standards of these regulations and
where, in addition, satisfactory assurance for dedication of the remaining
part of the street can be secured.
I.
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.
J.
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited, except as stubs
to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, or when designed
as culs-de-sac.
K.
Stub streets. When future extension is desirable,
the right-of-way shall be placed adjacent to a property line; and
a right-of-way and cartway of the same width as the street shall be
carried to the property line in such a way as to permit future extension
of the street into the adjoining tract.
L.
Temporary dead-end streets, on approved plans, may
be used, provided that the developer, on his own land, constructs
a stabilized all-weather cul-de-sac of 70 feet including the cartway,
the temporary cul-de-sac to be removed when the street is continued.
M.
Where subdivision occurs along existing streets with
less than a fifty-foot right-of-way width, the developer shall dedicate
25 feet from the center line of the street to the Township for future
widening of the street on Township maintained streets and shall reserve
25 feet from the center line of the street on all Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania maintained streets. The dedication or reserved strip
shall include the entire tract's frontage, not just the lot(s) being
subdivided and must be conveyed by deed of dedication.
N.
Developments on existing streets shall require the
developer to improve the existing roadway, including constructing
roadside swales, cutting banks, and other items required to meet the
street cross-section as provided in Exhibit 2.[1] Developer may also be required to extend paving width
of the roadway to make it 12 feet of paving from center line.
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit 2 is included at the end of this chapter.
O.
The Committee may require a traffic study be completed
as part of their development plan. Any roadway improvements including
traffic controls, traffic signals, line painting and/or traffic islands
required by the traffic study are the responsibility of the developer
to provide. The developer shall also be responsible for providing
a maintenance fee for any traffic signals required.
[Amended 12-16-2019 by Ord. No. 271]
P.
Snow-drop easements. When a land development or subdivision
submission proposes to incorporate cul-de-sac streets in its design,
an area or areas adjacent to a cul-de-sac of sufficient size to contain
a volume of snow equivalent to one foot on the paved area of the cul-de-sac
shall be depicted and designated on the plans as an easement for purposes
of snow removal from the paved area of the cul-de-sac. This area shall
be in a location adjacent to the cul-de-sac where snow plowed from
the cul-de-sac may be deposited without special maneuvering by the
snowplow.
Q.
Where subdivision occurs along Washington Township Boulevard the
developer shall provide a twenty-five-foot planting easement along
the property line that fronts on Washington Township Boulevard and
submit for approval to the Washington Township Supervisors a planting
plan. No trees, bushes or shrubs shall be planted in the right-of-way
of the Washington Township Boulevard.
[Added 12-19-2016 by Ord.
No. 261]
A.
Residential culs-de-sac shall be provided at the closed
end with a paved turnaround having a minimum right-of-way radius to
the other pavement edge or curbline of 65 feet, as per Exhibit 1.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit 1 is included at the end of this chapter.
B.
Commercial and industrial culs-de-sac shall be adequate
for the type of use to be serviced.
C.
Permanent
cul-de-sac streets shall not exceed 3,000 feet in length.
B.
Sight distance.
(1)
To assure adequate sight distance, horizontal and
vertical curves shall be provided on all streets so as to result in
the following minimum sight stopping distances:
|
Minimum Sight Distance
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Design Speed
(mph)
|
Sight Stopping Distance
(feet)
| |
|
20
|
120
| |
|
30
|
200
| |
|
40
|
300
| |
|
50
|
425
| |
|
60
|
590
| |
|
Sight distance is to be measured from a "seeing
height" of 3.5 feet to an "object height" of 0.5 feet.
| ||
Street right-of-way widths shall be dedicated
to the Township, and in cases of a new street, deeded to the Township,
and shall be a minimum of 25 feet from center line for existing streets.
Street cartway widths shall be 24 feet, centered on the fifty-foot
right-of-way. Provisions for additional street width (dedicated right-of-way
or deeded) may be required by the Board of Supervisors in specific
cases for:
A.
Public safety and convenience. In new developments,
it may be desired to make the cartway width 28 feet, with four feet
of this for pedestrian traffic. This increased width of cartway is
at developer cost, to include line painting.
B.
Commercial and industrial areas or in high-density
residential development. Increased turn radii, wider cartway, concrete
curbing and other such items adding to the safety and welfare of the
area may be required.
C.
Widening of existing streets which do not meet the
requirements of current cartways, curves or grades. Developers may
be required to provide more than 25 feet from center line when existing
road is inadequate in its predevelopment state to ensure the safety
and welfare of both users of the road and residents of the area after
development.
D.
Developments on existing streets shall require the
developer to improve the existing roadway, including constructing
roadside swales; cutting banks, and other items required to meet the
street cross section as provided in Exhibit 2.[1] Developer may also be required to extend paving width
of the roadway to make it 12 feet of paving from center line.
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit 2 is included at the end of this chapter.
Streets shall be designed to make provisions
for access to all lots and to adjacent undeveloped portions of the
subdivision or land development. Access drives shall be designed according
to the following standards:
A.
All access drives shall be laid out so that motorists
do not have to back out onto the street.
B.
Access drives shall not exceed 40 feet in width within
12 feet of the street right-of-way line, excepting as increased by
the curb radii, or as required by PennDOT or other state agencies.
[Amended 12-29-2004 by Ord. No. 182]
C.
The number of access drives shall not exceed two per
lot on any one street frontage. The Zoning Hearing Board may grant
permission for additional access drives where required to meet exceptional
circumstances and where frontage of unusual length exists.
D.
Access drives shall not enter a public street:
(1)
Within 75 feet of the street center line of an intersecting
street. Notwithstanding the above and when deemed reasonably necessary
for safety by the Planning Committee, this dimension shall be increased
for access drives to shopping centers, other commercial, industrial,
public or institutional uses. Such access drives shall be located
in a manner to permit safe ingress and egress.
[Amended 12-16-2019 by Ord. No. 271]
(2)
Within 12 feet of a fire hydrant.
(3)
Within 40 feet of another access drive.
(4)
Within five feet of a property line unless two adjoining
owners mutually agree to a common access drive.
E.
General safety requirement-sight distance. Access
drives shall be located in safe relationship to sight distance and
barriers to vision, and shall not exceed a slope of 10% within 12
feet of the street line. Where drives enter a bank through a cut,
unless a retaining wall is used, the side slopes of the cut shall
be graded to not more than 1/2 foot vertical to one foot horizontal
within 10 feet of the point the drive intersects with the right-of-way
line.
F.
Access points to the relief route known as the "Washington Township
Boulevard."
[Added 12-19-2016 by Ord.
No. 261]
(1)
Shall
be limited to one access point for every 1,000 linear feet of the
Boulevard for the entire length of the Boulevard. Access points shall
include, but not be limited to, cross intersections with other streets,
alleys or roads, whether public or private; and any and all driveways,
lanes, or other means providing vehicular access to the Boulevard.
(2)
Where
a new access point is proposed it shall be directly opposite the access
on the opposite side of the Boulevard.
(3)
Private
driveways shall be prohibited unless the Boulevard is the only access
to a land-locked existing property.
(4)
New
commercial development along the Boulevard shall be interconnected
with adjoining commercial development or provide for future interconnection
if the adjoining land is vacant.
Streets shall be logically related to the topography
so as to produce usable roads and reasonable grades. The grade of
streets shall be as follows:
B.
Leveling area. Where the grade of any street at the
approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided
having not greater than 4% grades for a distance of 25 feet measured
from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
C.
Slope of banks along streets. The slope of banks along
streets and within the 50 feet of dedicated roadway measured perpendicular
to the street center line shall be no steeper than three to one for
fills, and two to one for cuts. Such slopes shall be suitably planted
with perennial grasses or other vegetation to prevent gullying and
erosion.
A.
Intersection design.
(1)
Streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as
possible at right angles. No street shall intersect another at an
angle of less than 60°.
(2)
Multiple intersections involving the junction or crossing
of more than two streets are prohibited.
(3)
Streets entering opposite sides of another street
shall be laid out either directly opposite one another or with a minimum
offset of 150 feet between their center lines.
Streets shall be a minimum of 250 feet in length.
The arrangement and other design standards of
lots shall conform to the following requirements:
A.
Every lot shall abut a street. However, up to three
lots may abut a private street.
B.
Double frontage lots shall not be platted, except
that where desired along limited access highways, lots may face on
an interior street and back on such thoroughfares. In that event,
a planting strip for a screen, at least 15 feet in width, shall be
provided along the back of the lot. Where lots back on a railroad,
creek, or other natural barrier, there may also be required a fifteen-foot
planting screen strip; and interior lots having frontage on two streets
shall be prohibited except where unusual conditions make it desirable.
C.
The minimum lot size, lot width, and building setback line shall be as required in Chapter 360, Zoning.
D.
Panhandle lots.
[Amended 8-17-2020 by Ord. No. 273]
(1)
Only adjacent panhandle lots with a required 150 feet
minimum separation at the panhandle shall be allowed.
(2)
The stacking of panhandle lots for more than two tiers
of lots is prohibited. The permitted two-tier arrangement will allow
one lot to be located adjacent to the public road with one panhandle
lot to the rear.
(3)
The panhandle shall not decrease to less than 20 feet
in width at any point of the panhandle.
(4)
The panhandle shall be usable as the actual driveway
to the lot by normal vehicles, regardless of whether another access
to the lot is provided.
(5)
The area of the panhandle shall not be used in determining
the required lot area.
(6)
The driveway shall not have a grade of more than 15%
up or down.
(7)
Panhandles and driveways for panhandles shall not
cross streams unless a Department of Environmental Protection stream-crossing
permit is approved prior to final plan approval.
Unless otherwise provided in the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act and regulations thereunder, all installation of sewage facilities within the Township shall be in accordance with a permit issued by the Township's Sewage Enforcement Officer or in accordance with the provisions of § 310-39.
[Amended 12-29-2004 by Ord. No. 182]
A storm drainage system shall be installed in accordance with the provisions of § 310-40 and Chapter 295, Article II, for all developments located in the Antietam Watershed or Chapter 295, Article I, for developments located outside of the Antietam Watershed for the purpose of handling normal and excessive stormwater runoff with consideration given to, but not limited to, other area development, capacity of streams, and slope and soil conditions.
A.
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse,
drainage way, channel, or stream, there shall be provided a drainage
easement conforming substantially with the line of such watercourse,
drainage way, channel or stream and of such widths as will be adequate
to preserve the unimpeded flow of natural drainage or for the purpose
of widening, deepening, relocating, improving or protecting such drainage
facilities or for the purpose of installing a stormwater sewer. In
order to provide for future needs, all easements will be identified
as utility/drainage easements.
B.
Minimum widths. Minimum width for any easement is
25 feet. Where more than two utilities are located in the same easement,
a wider easement may be required.
C.
Location. Easements for public utilities shall, wherever
possible, be centered on side or rear lot lines; drainage ways, channels,
or stream easements may be located as necessary to adequately meet
the engineering requirements for the facility.
D.
Easements for public utilities shall be offered for
dedication to the providing utility. Drainage easements shall be offered
for dedication to the Township.
E.
No building or structure shall be constructed on any
easement. Any fence, plantings or other obstructions placed on an
easement shall be at the property owner's own risk, and shall not
be required to be replaced. No obstruction may be placed in a drainage
easement.
A.
An erosion and sedimentation control plan consists
of two parts:
(1)
A
map or maps describing the topography of the area, the proposed alteration
to the area and the erosion and sedimentation control measures and
facilities; and
(2)
A
narrative report describing the project and giving the purpose and
engineering assumptions and calculations for control measures and
facilities.
B.
The erosion and sedimentation control plan shall consider
and incorporate measures for:
(1)
Stripping of vegetation in such a way as to minimize
erosion.
(2)
Retention of natural vegetation wherever possible.
(3)
Stabilization of distributed soils as soon as practicable.
(4)
Minimizing cut-and-fill operations, and particularly
those which alter drainage patterns. In every case, the proposed plan
must provide sufficient capacity for the anticipated volume and velocity
of surface water runoff.
(5)
Retarding runoff is necessary to prevent sedimentation
from being discharged into the waters of the commonwealth.
(6)
Diverting surface water away from the project area
where feasible.
(7)
Temporary vegetation or mulching if necessary to prevent
accelerated erosion.
(8)
Permanent control to provide long-term stabilization.
(10)
The topographic features of the project area.
(11)
The types, depth, slope and areal extent of
the soils.
(12)
The proposed alteration to the area.
(13)
The staging of earthmoving activities.
(14)
A maintenance program for the control facilities
including disposal of materials removed from the control facilities
or project area.
D.
All erosion and sedimentation control plans shall
be reviewed and approved by the Franklin County Soil Conservation
District and shall comply with the approved plan.
A.
All driveways shall be laid out so that motorists
do not have to back out onto through streets. The lot owner shall
be responsible to provide a minimum twenty-foot-by-twenty-foot turnaround
in addition to the driveway, and the developer is responsible for
providing sufficient lot size and design to accommodate a turnaround
area on each lot. Turnaround shall be stone or macadam and shall not
be placed closer than 10 feet from the front property line.
[Amended 12-29-2004 by Ord. No. 182]
