[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.
A. 
Curves.
(1) 
Whenever street center lines are deflected, they shall be connected by horizontal curves.
(2) 
A tangent shall be required between curves.
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:
A. 
Center line grades.
(1) 
Center line grade should be not less than .5%.
(2) 
Center line grades shall not exceed 12%.
(3) 
Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade and shall be designed in relation to the extent of the grade change.
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.
B. 
Curb or cartway radii.
(1) 
The minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be 30 feet; however, up to 35 feet may be required for intersections or such greater radius as is suitable to the specific intersection.
(2) 
Cartway radii shall be a minimum of 30 feet.
Streets shall be a minimum of 250 feet in length.
A. 
The minimum building line, measured from the required right-of-way line, shall be measured as required by Chapter 360, Zoning.
B. 
Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to street lines.
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.
(9) 
Positive drainage away from buildings and disposal sites.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
(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.
C. 
The Township has adopted with this chapter the Chapter 102 erosion controls, under Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law, Title 25.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 8301 et seq.
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.
All subdivisions occurring in or near any floodplain in the Township shall design the improvements in the development as per Article XVIII of Chapter 360, Zoning.
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]
B. 
All driveway piping required as part of the stormwater management plan for the development as per § 310-40 shall be installed by the developer prior to acceptance of the street by the Township or while the stormwater management swale is being constructed along existing streets.