The following principles of subdivision and
land development, general requirements, and minimum standards of design,
shall be observed by the applicant in all instances:
A.
All portions of a tract being subdivided or developed
shall be taken up in lots, streets, public lands or other proposed
uses so that remnants and landlocked areas shall not be created.
B.
When only a portion of a tract or single holding is
the subject of a subdivision or land development application, a sketch
plan shall be submitted at the time of preliminary plan submission,
demonstrating that the remainder of the tract may be subdivided or
developed in conformance with applicable zoning and subdivision and
land development regulations and in a logical and consistent manner.
C.
To the maximum feasible extent, applicants shall preserve
specimen trees, groves, waterways, scenic points, historic buildings
and sites and other community assets and landmarks.
D.
Subdivisions and land developments should be laid
out so as to avoid the necessity for excessive cut or fill.
E.
Identified floodplain areas, as defined in Chapter 250, Zoning, shall not be developed with any structures or for any uses that may involve danger to the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the residents of Pocopson Township and shall comply with the floodplain provisions of Chapter 250, Zoning.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003; 8-14-2017 by Ord. No. 1-2017]
F.
Where no public water supply is available for the proposed subdivision or land development, the Supervisors shall require the subdivider, developer or builder to obtain from the District Sanitarian of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection prior to final plan approval certificates of approval as to the quality and adequacy of the water supply proposed to be utilized by the subdivider, developer or builder, and approval of the type and construction methods to be employed in the installation of the individual water supply system. In addition, all wells or water sources shall meet the standards of Chapter 236, Water, and no certificate of occupancy shall be granted until all information required therein has been submitted.
G.
Where the subdivision or land development is inaccessible
to sanitary sewers, the Supervisors shall require the subdivider,
developer or builder to obtain from the County Sanitarian of Chester
County, prior to final plan approval, certificates of approval of
the sewage disposal facilities to be provided by the subdivider, developer,
or builder.
H.
Applicants shall observe the ultimate rights-of-way for contiguous existing streets. Additional portions of the corridors for such streets shall be irrevocably offered to the state, county, or Township agency having jurisdiction at no public cost. At the time of approval of the subdivision or land development, such agency shall have the right to accept such offer at such time as it deems appropriate. Applicable building setback lines as specified by Chapter 250, Zoning, shall be delineated as measured from the ultimate right-of-way street line.
I.
Proposed subdivision and land development shall be
coordinated with existing nearby neighborhoods so that the community
as a whole may develop harmoniously.
J.
Improvement construction requirements will be completed
under specifications of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation,
the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Chester
County Soil and Water Conservation District, or other appropriate
agencies, or the specifications included herein, whichever specifications
shall be more stringent.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
K.
The subdivider, developer, or builder shall construct
and install, at no expense to the Township, the streets, curbs, sidewalks,
water mains, sanitary and storm sewers, street lights, fire hydrants,
street and traffic signs, shade trees and other landscaping, monuments
and other facilities and utilities specified in this article. Construction
and installation of such facilities and utilities shall be subject
to inspection by appropriate Township officials or agents during the
progress of the work and the subdivider, developer, or builder shall
pay for such inspections.
L.
In all proposed subdivisions the lots shall abut a
proposed or existing public or private road of specified design to
provide ingress and egress.
M.
The standards of design in this article should be
used to judge the adequacy of subdivision proposals. Moreover, where,
in the opinion of the Planning Commission, the literal application
of these standards in certain cases would serve to create an undue
hardship, to be plainly unreasonable to the applicant, or be contrary
to the public health, safety, morals or welfare, the Township Planning
Commission may recommend to the Supervisors such reasonable exceptions
as will not be contrary to the public interest. The Supervisors may
modify or adjust the standards to permit reasonable utilization of
property while securing substantial conformance with the objectives
of these regulations.
N.
All proposed improvements and land uses shall be suited to the purposes for which the land is to be subdivided or developed and shall conform to Chapter 250, Zoning, and to the Township Comprehensive Plan. No subdivision or land development shall be designed in a manner which is topographically unsuitable or would increase danger to health, life or property or aggravate existing erosion or flood hazards.
O.
The standards included in these regulations are minimum
design requirements. The Supervisors reserve the right in any case
to request that development features exceed these standards if conditions
so warrant.
P.
Traffic-calming measures should be considered when
laying out new streets and may be required where straight sections
of road exceed 1,000 feet. Traffic-calming measures may include, but
are not limited to, the following:
[Added 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
(1)
Boulevards, median constrictions and islands, which
separate opposing lanes of traffic and keep motorists from turning
onto routes to be restricted. When they encroach on the edge of a
wide travel lane, they give the appearance of narrowing the travel
lane which tends to slow motorists.
(2)
Chokers and bulbouts, which are semicircular or longer
extensions of the curb or roadside landscaping which tend to slow
motorists.
(3)
Chicanes, which change the alignment of the roadway,
creating brief curves in previously straight sections before returning
the roadway to its original alignment.
Q.
Any property undergoing subdivision or land development
shall be required to bring all existing structures or buildings into
compliance with current Township and County Health Department standards
for sewage disposal (including the identification of replacement areas),
water supplies and all requirements of the Township’s Stormwater
Management Ordinance.[1] If existing roadways, rights-of-way, easements or similar existing conditions prohibit the existing structure or building’s compliance with this provision, a waiver may be requested by the procedure set forth in § 190-50 and in compliance with the Municipalities Planning Code § 512.1, 53 P.S. § 10512.1, as amended.
[Added 11-26-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
R.
Any property undergoing subdivision or land development shall be required to bring all existing structures or buildings into compliance with ordinance requirements for sidewalks, trails or bikeways, as may be indicated on the Township’s trail and bikeway plans. Any property undergoing subdivision or land development shall be required to bring all existing driveways into compliance with ordinance requirements for proper driveway grades or locations, if existing driveways are, or may be, dangerous, and a reasonable and safe alternative can be designed, including the use of a shared driveway for the existing and new lots or buildings. If existing roadways, rights-of-way, easements or similar existing conditions prohibit the existing structure’s or building’s compliance with this provision, a waiver may be requested by the procedure set forth in § 190-50 and in compliance with the Municipalities Planning Code § 512.1, 53 P.S. § 10512.1, as amended.
[Added 11-26-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
A.
The length, width and shape of blocks shall be determined
with due regard to:
B.
Blocks shall have a maximum length of 1,600 feet and,
as far as practicable, a minimum length of 500 feet. In design of
blocks longer than 1,100 feet, special consideration shall be given
to access for fire protection.
C.
Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to
accommodate two tiers of lots, except where lots border an existing
arterial, collector, or local road, in which case such lots shall
be reverse frontage lots and the block shall contain a single tier
of lots.
D.
Blocks for nonresidential development may vary from
the design standards herein specified if justified by the particular
circumstances of the proposed use.
A.
Lot areas, dimensions and yard requirements shall not be less than specified by applicable provisions of Chapter 250, Zoning.
B.
Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles
or radial to street lines.
C.
Except as provided herein, residential lots shall front on a residential street, existing or proposed as noted in § 190-29A(6). However, where the Board of Supervisors finds that it is necessary for the proper utilization of land to create an interior lot, such interior lot shall have an access strip serving only that lot, which access strip shall have a minimum width of 50 feet for its entire length. In no event shall more than two such interior lots be contiguous and such lots shall not comprise more than 10% of the total number of lots rounded to the lower number in a subdivision.
D.
House numbers and street names shall be assigned to
each lot in accordance with the program of street names and lot numbers
developed by the West Chester Regional Planning Commission, as determined
by the Township Secretary.
[Amended 5-9-2011 by Ord. No. 1-2011]
E.
Any proposed lots abutting an existing or proposed arterial or collector street in the Township shall be designed as reverse frontage lots having direct access only to an interior residential street, as specified by Chapter 250, Zoning. This requirement may be waived by the Board of Supervisors if, in its judgment:
(1)
The advantages to the Township of compliance with this standard are outweighed by the applicant's resulting inability to meet other requirements of this chapter or Chapter 250, Zoning (minimum dimensions, layout of lots, disturbance of slopes, etc.); or
(2)
Compliance would be unreasonable or impractical due
to the size of the proposed development, configuration of the site,
etc.
A.
Provision shall be made for reservation and/or dedication
of suitable areas for parks, playgrounds, trails, or other recreation
area. Where the Board determines that the size, location, natural
features, or configuration of the subdivision or land development
make the requirement of such areas unreasonable or infeasible on the
particular site, the applicant shall provide satisfactory off-site
arrangements nearby or make a pro rata contribution for public acquisition
and/or development of such sites.
B.
In reviewing the subdivision plans, the Board will
consider the adequacy of existing or proposed community facilities
to serve the additional dwellings proposed by the subdivision.
A.
Street systems.
(1)
All new streets constructed in the Township shall
be classified as residential streets or collector streets.
(a)
Residential streets. A street shall be constructed
as a residential street where it is designed to serve a development
of single-family homes of a gross density no more than one unit for
every two acres or if gross density is no more than one unit per acre
and the total number of single-family homes on a given street is 50
homes or less; provided, however, that any residential street which
connects two through roads or which might logically be extended in
the future to make such a connection shall be constructed as a collector
street. Such streets with more than 50 homes shall be built as a collector
street.
(b)
Collector streets. A street shall be constructed
as a collector street from the entrance to any development to the
first intersection beyond which all streets are classified as residential
streets. Irrespective of the foregoing, any street serving a subdivision
or land development with a gross residential density exceed one unit
per acre shall be designed as a collector street.
(2)
Streets serving commercial or industrial properties
and entrance roads or driveways to commercial or industrial properties
shall be designed as collector streets subject to the imposition of
increased standards for paving and base design where prospective traffic
loadings warrant.
(3)
The minimum right-of-way width for all residential
streets shall be 50 feet. For all collector and arterial roads and
streets serving commercial or industrial properties, the minimum right-of-way
width shall be 75 feet.
(4)
Additional right-of-way and cartway widths may be
required by the Board 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.
(c)
The width of residential streets shall be increased
to 20 feet for the first 100 feet of any subdivision of 24 or more
homes and shall be increased to 20 feet through the curved sections
of curves whose radii approach or are at a minimum radii.
(5)
Proposed streets shall be properly related to such
street plans or parts thereof as have been officially prepared and
adopted by the Township, including recorded subdivision plans and
the Official Map of the Township.
(6)
Proposed streets shall further conform to such Township,
county, and state road and highway plans as have been prepared, adopted,
and/or filed as prescribed by law.
(7)
Thoughtful and imaginative design of streets and their
relationship to the arrangement and shape of lots is required. An
important element is the blending with topography to produce curvilinear
design and reasonable grades. The rectilinear design of streets and
lots, involving long straight sections of streets, should be avoided.
(8)
Residential streets shall be laid out as to discourage
through traffic, but provision for street connections into and from
adjacent areas will generally be required.
(9)
Where a proposed subdivision abuts an existing subdivision
having a dedicated residential street dead-ending at a common property
line, the proposed subdivision shall make provision for extension
of such dedicated residential street within the proposed subdivision
for a distance of not less than one lot depth and connection with
another street. In the design of a proposed subdivision, provision
shall be made for continuation of width, gradient, general alignment
and direction of traffic flow of a collector street which dead-ends
at a common property line or it is proposed in the Township Comprehensive
Plan whenever such proposal has been adopted by resolution of the
Board.
(10)
If lots resulting from original subdivision are large enough to permit resubdivision or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided, adequate street rights-of-way to permit further subdivision shall be provided as necessary. The design of such rights-of-way shall provide for radii of intersections as provided in Subsection C of this section.
(11)
Where a subdivision or land development abuts
or contains an existing or proposed arterial, collector or rural road,
the Board shall require the applicant to minimize the adverse impact
of the subdivision or land development on traffic safety by:
(a)
Encouraging the applicant to designate areas
abutting such arterial, collector or rural roads as open space areas
rather than individual lots;
(b)
Requiring that any lots which abut such arterial,
collector or rural roads be reverse frontage lots having direct access
to a local street; and/or
(c)
Requiring the dedication of additional right-of-way
to provide the minimum right-of-way hereinafter specified and, particularly
in cases where any lots are proposed to have driveway access to such
arterial, collector, or rural roads, requiring that such abutting
arterial, collector or rural roads be widened and otherwise improved
to meet specifications hereinafter set forth.
(12)
New half or partial streets shall not be permitted,
except where essential to reasonable subdivision of tracts in conformance
with other requirements and standards of this chapter and where, in
addition, dedication of the remaining part of the street has been
secured. Wherever a tract to be subdivided borders on an existing
half or partial street, the other part of the street shall be plotted
within such tract. Where half or partial streets are proposed, the
acceptance of final plans shall be conditioned upon the provision
of guarantees providing for the construction or completion of such
streets to Township standards.
(13)
The reservation of strips of land which have
the effect of controlling access to streets, in a proposed subdivision,
shall not be approved.
(14)
Dead-end streets shall not be permitted, except
as stubs to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts,
or when designed as culs-de-sac.
(15)
Continuation of existing streets shall be known
by the same name, but names for other streets shall not duplicate
or closely resemble names for existing streets in the Township and
the West Chester region. The Board may reject street names and suggest
alternate names.
(16)
Where streets and other public improvements
continue into adjoining municipalities, evidence of compatibility
of design, particularly with regard to street widths, shall be submitted.
The applicant shall coordinate such design with both municipalities
to avoid abrupt changes in cartway width or in improvements provided.
(17)
Where, in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors,
a proposed subdivision or land development will generate such additional
traffic on abutting and nearby state and Township roads of substandard
specifications as to pose a hazard to public safety, the Board may
require improvements (including paving, widening, drainage, and improvement
to horizontal or vertical alignment) to be made by the applicant,
including off-site improvements within existing public rights-of-way,
such as will alleviate such hazards to public safety, provided that
the extent of required off-site improvements shall be economically
feasible in relation to the size and scope of the proposed subdivision
or land development. Under no condition shall the Township be required
to bring a substandard road to specifications in order to serve a
particular subdivision or land development.
(18)
Culs-de-sac or single-entry roadways permanently
designed as such shall not serve more than 24 lots or dwelling units
nor exceed 1,600 feet in length from existing Township roads or from
proposed Township streets having more than one access and shall be
provided with a closed end with a paved turnaround having a minimum
diameter to the outer edge of 80 feet. The entire turnaround need
not be paved. However, if it is not paved the diameter of the turnaround
shall be increased to 100 feet and the minimum cartway shall be 12
feet. The Board shall insure that an area is designated for the disposal
of snow at the end of the cul-de-sac, or in the center if the turnaround
is not totally paved. Where the property shape permits, the Board
shall require that the turnaround be a landscaped circle or "D" shaped,
with a minimum curb or edge of paving radius of 30 feet and road width
in the curves of not less than 16 feet. At the dead end of a "D" turnaround,
there shall be a minimum curve radius of 50 feet, and within such
turnarounds provisions shall be made for a minimum six-foot-deep flat
area along the inside of the turnaround for snow storage. The Board
may require that the turnaround island be designed as a groundwater
recharge area. In any case, the land within any such turnaround shall,
for purpose of density calculations, be apportioned equally to all
lots having more than 75% of their frontage on such turnarounds.
B.
Street alignment and grades.
(1)
Minimum sight distance at the center line of a height
of five feet shall be provided as follows with respect to horizontal
and vertical alignment:
[Amended 5-20-2019 by Ord. No. 3-2019]
(2)
Wherever street lines are deflected in excess of 5°,
connection shall be made by a horizontal curve. Horizontal curves
shall have a minimum radius on the center line as follows:
(3)
Reverse curves shall be separated by tangents of not
less than 100 feet. Sweeping curves of comparatively long radii are
preferable to tangents connecting curves leading in the same direction.
(4)
Vertical curves shall be used at changes in gradient
of more than 1%. The length of such curves shall not be less than
25 feet for each one-degree change in grade.
(5)
The following shall be the maximum and minimum gradients
measured on the center line, for all vehicular traffic ways:
Maximum
|
Minimum
| |
---|---|---|
Residential streets and culs-de-sac
|
10%
|
1%
|
Collector streets
|
7%
|
1%
|
(6)
The grade of any residential street or cul-de-sac
at the approach to an intersection with another residential street
or cul-de-sac shall not exceed 4% for a distance of 25 feet measured
from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
(7)
The grade of any residential street, cul-de-sac, or
collector street at the approach to an intersection with a collector
street or Township road, state highway or road shall not exceed 4%
for a distance of 50 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line
of the intersecting street.
C.
Street intersections.
(1)
Right-angle intersections shall be used whenever practicable,
especially when residential streets empty into major streets. Deceleration
lanes of appropriate length (a minimum of 100 feet) to serve anticipated
traffic volumes shall be provided on the existing street; acceleration
lanes may be required, particularly where sight distances are limited.
There shall be no intersection angle, measured at the center line,
of less than 75°.
(2)
No more than two streets shall cross at the same point.
(3)
Streets entering the opposite sides of another street
shall be directly across from each other or offset by at least 200
feet from center line to center line.
(4)
A minimum curb or edge of paving radius of 30 feet
shall be provided at all street intersections with existing Township
roads and state highways and with all collector streets. Minimum curb
or edge of paving radius for intersections of residential streets
shall be 20 feet. The Board may increase the required radii when they
consider such design advisable.
(5)
All intersections of proposed streets with existing
Township roads and state highways shall be stop sign intersections
for the proposed street. Internal intersections within new developments
shall have a through street and stop street designated on the plan.
In all cases, residential streets shall be stop streets when intersecting
with collector streets.
(6)
Sight triangles at all intersections shall be provided
in accordance with the diagram in Appendix A.[1] Sight distances at intersections between proposed streets or driveways and state highways shall be in accordance with regulations published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for Access to and Occupancy of Highway by Driveways and Local Roads (67 Pa. Code Ch. 1), or by the sight distance requirements specified in this chapter, whichever are more stringent.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix Sheets 1 through 17 are included at the end of this chapter. See Art. IX, Appendices, below.
(7)
Wherever practicable, intersections with major streets
shall be kept to a minimum, and shall be located at least 1,000 feet
apart, except in cases where, without endangering the safety of the
public, the Board allows closer spacing to serve the public convenience.
(8)
All necessary street name signs and traffic control
signs shall be provided and erected by the applicant, in accordance
with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regulations governing
these matters, as revised. The street name signs shall be subject
to approval by the Board. Signs shall be erected before acceptance
of the street.
(9)
All entrances onto Township or state roads shall require
an appropriate highway occupancy permit and shall be constructed to
state specifications.
D.
Street construction. All materials entering into the
construction of streets and the methods of construction and drainage
shall be in accordance with the applicable requirements of Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation Specifications Form 408, dated 1994,
or the latest revision thereof, and shall be supplied by vendors approved
by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for the supply of
such materials. Cross-sections shall be as directed in the Appendix
and attached hereto.[2] Inspection of materials and construction methods shall be as approved in § 190-45 of this chapter.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
(1)
Street design.
(a)
Thickness of base of paving for new Township
streets shall meet the following minimum requirements. For Road Classification
1, Residential Streets: six inches of subbase; five inches of BCBC;
two inches of ID-2 Binder; and 1 1/2 inch surface course. For
Road Classification 2, Collector Street: six inches of subbase; six
inches of BCBC; two inches of ID-2 Binder; and 1 1/2 inches of
surface course. Paving to comply with PennDOT Publication 408. See
Appendix A.[3]
Road Classification 1 — Residential Street.
| |
Road Classification 2 — Collector Street
|
[3]
Editor's Note: Appendix Sheets 1 through 17 are included at the end of this chapter. See Art. IX, Appendices, below.
(b)
Paving design is based on overall soil conditions
in the Township. The Board may require additional paving, base or
subbase materials where soil types are inferior, wet or otherwise
unsuitable as indicated by the "Soil Survey of Chester and Delaware
Counties, Pennsylvania," prepared by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service
or where, in the opinion of the Board, such conditions exist.
(2)
Subgrade.
(a)
The area within the limits of the proposed road
surface shall be shaped to conform to the line, grade and cross section
of the proposed road and shall be extended a width of eight inches
for residential streets and 12 inches for collector streets, beyond
the width of surface course paving, unless curbs are provided.
(b)
Remove or stabilize all unsuitable subgrade
materials.
(c)
Wet or swampy areas shall be permanently drained
and stabilized.
(d)
Fills shall be made with suitable materials
approved by the Township Engineer and thoroughly compacted for full
width in uniform layers of not more than eight inches thick. No more
than two feet of fill will be laid without inspection by the Township
Engineer.
(e)
The subgrade shall be thoroughly compacted by
rolling with a minimum ten-ton three-wheel roller. Equivalent sheeps
foot or rubber tired rollers may be used at the discretion of the
Township Engineer. Subgrade shall be compacted, tight and dry, to
95% compaction at optimum moisture, and shall not be soft and spongy
under the roller nor contain boulders. Compaction of the subgrade
shall extend the full width of the cartway, including the width to
be occupied by the shoulders.
(f)
At the option of the Board, in fill areas over
three feet thick, compaction tests may be required in each eight-inch
layer at one-hundred-fifty-foot intervals. The tests must be performed
by a certified testing laboratory acceptable to the Township and the
results submitted to the Township Engineer. All compaction must be
95% compaction at optimum moisture. Any layer not coming up to standard
will be removed or rerolled until suitable compaction is obtained.
(3)
Paving.
(a)
Paving and base thickness and materials shall be as specified in Subsection D(1) of this section.
(b)
The subbase course shall be installed and compacted
in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation specifications
and shall extend 12 inches on all streets beyond the paving line when
curbs are not to be installed.
(c)
Bituminous base, binder and surface courses
shall be laid to the specified thickness measured, after compaction.
All bituminous courses shall be laid with a mechanical bituminous
paver in accordance with specifications of the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation Specifications, Form 408, dated 1976, or the latest
revision thereof.
(d)
Crown board and straight edge shall be used
for checking street construction. Maximum tolerance shall not exceed
1/4 inch in the finished surface.
(e)
Delivery slips for all material deliveries shall
be furnished to the Board.
(f)
Failure to adhere to the above specifications
shall give the Board cause to refuse to accept streets for dedication.
(4)
Grading and shoulders.
(a)
Roadways shall be graded for the full width
of the right-of-way on each side, except where such grading would
damage important trees or other important natural features. Shoulders
or berm areas, including strips behind curbs, shall be graded with
a minimum slope of 3/8 inch per foot and a maximum slope of one inch
per foot. Beyond the limits of this grading, banks shall be sloped
to prevent erosion but this slope shall not be less than three to
one vertical in fill and cut sections. All unpaved areas between the
limit of grading and the edge of paving or curb (as the case may be)
shall be covered with not less than four inches of topsoil, fertilized
and seeded in the manner and with materials approved by the Board.
(b)
On both collector and residential streets where
curbs are not required, there shall be a six-foot-wide shoulder which
shall consist of 12 inches of Pennsylvania 2a aggregate rolled and
compacted in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
specifications. The aggregate 2a shall be overlain with a minimum
of four inches of topsoil, fertilized and seeded in a manner and with
materials approved by the Board.
[2]
Editor's Note: Appendix Sheets 1 through 17 are included at the end of this chapter. See Art. IX, Appendices, below.
A.
Alleys. Alleys in residential developments shall have a minimum cartway width of 14 feet and a minimum right-of-way width of 30 feet. In commercial developments without expressly designed loading areas, the Board of Supervisors may require alleys with minimum cartway widths of 20 feet and minimum right-of-way widths of 30 feet, and which otherwise conform to the standards for public streets in § 190-29 of this chapter.
B.
Driveways. To insure compliance with maximum grade
requirements for driveways, all driveways which must traverse slopes
exceeding 8% grade shall be located on the plan. All new driveways
shall require a permit from the Township Roadmaster prior to building
permit application. Fees for the driveway permit shall be as established
by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
(1)
Driveways for single-family residences.
(a)
Private driveways on corner lots shall be located
at least 40 feet from the point of intersection of the nearest street
right-of-way lines.
(b)
Grades shall not exceed 8% where the driveway
is north-facing (any compass reading north of WNW to ENE). Grades
shall not exceed 12% on all other driveways.
(c)
Sight distance from a point on the driveway 12 feet behind the curbline, or edge of outside lane where there is no curb, shall be in accordance with the chart in § 190-29B(1).
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
(d)
All driveways shall be located, designed and
constructed in such a manner as not to interfere or be inconsistent
with the design, maintenance and drainage of the highway, and appurtenant
or abutting drainage facilities or swales. Drainage pipes shall be
installed under all driveways where drainageways or swales parallel
the road. If vertical clearance is not available for a culvert, the
Township Engineer may approve a driveway swale.
(e)
In order to provide safe and convenient ingress and egress,
private driveways shall have a minimum width of 10 feet. In addition,
the width of private driveway entrances shall comply with the following
design criteria:
[Amended 5-20-2019 by Ord. No. 3-2019]
[1]
For driveways accessing local residential streets, 45° flares
(or equivalent) shall be provided and the minimum width at the cartway
edge or curbline shall be 20 feet.
[2]
For driveways accessing local collector streets or state highways,
minimum fifteen-foot radii shall be provided and the minimum width
at the cartway edge or curbline shall be 40 feet.
[3]
If the dwelling is located farther than 500 feet from the public
right-of-way, the adequacy of the access to the site for emergency
vehicles shall be subject to review by the Fire Marshal or his designee,
and approval by the Board of Supervisors.
(f)
Material specifications.
[1]
The first 50 feet of a driveway shall be constructed with one
of the following material specifications:
[Amended 5-20-2019 by Ord. No. 3-2019]
[a]
A minimum base of graded aggregate stone compacted
to six inches with a surface of at least 1 1/2 inches asphalt
wearing course; or
[b]
A minimum base of graded aggregate compacted to
four inches with a surface of at least six inches of reinforced Portland
Cement Concrete with a minimum compressive strength of 4,000 psi and
steel reinforcement for temperature and shrinkage control; or
[c]
An approved equal, using progressive or innovative
paving materials. The alternative design shall be submitted to the
Township Engineer for approval.
[2]
The remaining length of the driveway shall be surfaced with
nonerosive materials.
(g)
Whenever a driveway will slope toward a public
road, measures shall be required to prevent rainwater running off
from flowing onto the public road.
(2)
Driveways for two single-family dwellings: Except as authorized in Subsection C, privately owned driveways shall not be permitted to provide access to more than two single-family dwellings. In cases where property access poses a particular safety problem with respect to inadequate sight distance or similar concerns, the Board may require the construction of a common driveway in the place of two individual driveways to serve two adjacent lots, provided that the required street frontage and all other applicable requirements of Chapter 250, Zoning, and this chapter are complied with on each lot. In addition to the requirements for individual driveways for single-family residences in § 190-30B(1), common or shared driveways shall also comply with the following requirements:
[Amended 5-9-2011 by Ord.
No. 1-2011; 5-20-2019 by Ord. No. 3-2019]
(a)
Driveways serving two dwellings shall be constructed with the minimum pavement sections specified in § 190-30B(1)(f) above for the entire length of the shared portion of the driveway. The remaining length of the driveway shall be surfaced with nonerosive materials.
(b)
The first 50 feet of the shared driveway shall have a minimum
width of 18 feet. In addition, if the length of the shared portion
of the driveway exceeds 100 feet, additional passing areas shall be
provided at intervals as determined by the Board of Supervisors. Passing
areas shall have a total width of 18 feet and be 30 feet long.
(c)
Terms for ownership and maintenance of the driveway shall be
approved by the Board. When a subdivision and land development agreement
is required, the terms of the driveway agreement shall be included
in the development agreement. The required driveway maintenance agreement
shall provide, among other things, lien authority and a method for
compounding interest on unpaid portions of costs incurred where one
owner is unwilling or unable to pay for needed improvements or repairs.
It shall be the responsibility of the subdivider, or lot owners, as
applicable, to have such an agreement recorded at the Office of the
Recorder of Deeds of Chester County and indexed against the deeds
of the abutting property owners. The recording of the driveway agreement
shall take place simultaneously with recording of the subdivision
and/or land development plan. A recorded copy of such document shall
be provided to the Township prior to issuance of building permits.
(3)
Driveways shall not interfere with drainage patterns
for the subdivision.
C.
Private streets. Private streets may be permitted
by the Supervisors in accordance with the following:
(1)
Subdivider shall enter into an agreement with the
Township specifying that said streets shall not be offered for dedication
and shall not be accepted by the Township unless said streets are
constructed to Township standards then existing at the time of the
offer of dedication and said agreement shall be recorded at the Office
of the Recorder of Deeds of Chester County.
[Amended 5-9-2011 by Ord. No. 1-2011]
(2)
Subdivider shall present with the minor subdivision
plan, or the application for final approval, whichever is applicable,
an agreement which shall obligate the property owners abutting said
private streets to provide for the perpetual maintenance of the private
streets. Such agreement shall provide that:
(a)
The Township, at its sole option, shall have
the right but not the duty to maintain said private streets and to
charge the cost thereof, by appropriate legal procedures, including
the filing of any municipal liens, against the property owners abutting
said private street;
(b)
A simple majority of dwelling unit or lot owners
may obligate each lot owner for maintenance and improvements;
(c)
The Township Engineer shall break any tie votes,
and that liens (with monthly compounded interest and penalty fees)
may be assessed for nonpayment of assessments;
(d)
The form and substance of the agreement shall
be acceptable to the Township Solicitor.
(3)
The design of private streets shall comply with Township
standards otherwise applicable to the construction of streets to be
dedicated to the Township with the exception of variances from the
standards relating to widths and horizontal curve limitations that
are approved by the Board of Supervisors. Grades, sight distances,
type of paving, storm drainage facilities, and other elements of street
design shall be in accordance with the standards contained herein.
(4)
Lots fronting on private streets shall meet the requirements of Chapter 250, Zoning, as amended, with regard to lot width and setbacks.
(5)
Private streets shall serve no more than nine dwelling
units or lots, whichever is greater in number.
A.
Sidewalks shall be provided, in areas of high potential pedestrian use, such as the vicinity of schools, commercial centers, or high-density residential development. In addition, trails shall be provided in cluster developments to provide access to and across common open space areas. The Board of Supervisors shall also require land proposed for subdivision or land development to provide trails in accordance with the comprehensive trail and bikeway system (as defined in § 250-6 of Chapter 250, Zoning) or provide links to the system, and to identify such public use trails on the plan.
[Amended 3-4-2002 by Ord. No. 1-2002]
B.
When constructed, sidewalks shall be either concrete
or bituminous mix with a minimum of four feet width and four inches
thick except at driveway crossings when the sidewalk thickness shall
be increased to six inches.
Curbs shall be provided on collector streets
serving multifamily housing, as provided in a planned residential
development, and shall be provided as directed by the Board where
collector streets serve commercial or industrial properties, at intersections
with major highways and where required on collector streets to direct
and control traffic. On all other collector streets and residential
streets, curbs will not be required unless accumulation of water and/or
the degree of grade of the street create erosion velocity conditions
(in excess of 4.5 feet per second) in gutter lines. Sheet 3 of Appendix
A[1] provides guidelines with regard to the capacity and velocity
of flow in grass gutterlines. Grass gutterlines shall not be used
at street grades in excess of 6% and curbs shall be installed from
the street high point through inlet locations at the street low point,
irrespective of intermediate grades which may be less than 6%.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix Sheets 1 through 17 are included at the end of this chapter. See Art. IX, Appendices, below.
A.
Objectives. The surface and stormwater drainage system
to serve a subdivision shall be provided to permit unimpeded flow
of natural watercourses, drain low points along streets and other
areas of impervious cover, to intercept stormwater runoff along streets
and other areas of impervious cover at intervals related to the area
and grade of the area to be drained, to accommodate expected volumes
of stormwater runoff within all areas of a subdivision or land development,
and to provide fire protection, provided that:
(1)
Stormwater, to the maximum extent possible, shall
either be stored and reused or retained on site, and ultimately percolated
into the ground, rather than being permitted to drain off, in order
to reduce the flood-enhancing potential of a subdivision or land development
and to maximize the recharge of groundwater supplies within Pocopson
Township;
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(2)
Erosion of soil, both during and after construction shall be minimized, and the subdivision or land development shall, with respect to control of erosion, comply with the standards set forth in § 190-34 hereof;
(3)
Stormwater shall not be discharged onto adjacent properties
in a manner which results in either an increase in volume of discharge
or a concentration of flow over and above the volume and pattern of
concentration existing prior to development of the tract; and
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(4)
Retention basins with all-season fire hose hookups,
or a fire hose hookup and facilities to create a temporary dam on
a perennial stream, shall be provided in subdivisions with 10 or more
dwellings. As an alternative, and with the approval of the Board of
Supervisors, off-site arrangements can be made to install all-season
fire hose hookups on farm ponds within 1,000 feet of the property.
In the case of such an off-site alternative, the Township shall require
the submission of appropriate easements or similar documentation demonstrating
that the rights to utilize the adjacent pond for fire-fighting purposes
on the subject tract have been secured; such documentation shall be
recorded with the final approved plan. In all cases, the protection
of groundwater resources shall be assured.
B.
Performance standards.
(1)
Runoff.
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(a)
During and after construction, there shall be
no net increase in the total volume of stormwater discharged from
the site over that which was calculated for the predevelopment condition
[as defined in § 178-4B(2)(a) of the Stormwater Management
Ordinance] as a result of the runoff generated by the two-year, twenty-four-hour
storm. It should be recognized that under disturbed soil conditions,
this volume will exceed that of the stabilized site. If the soils
of a detention basin are determined by the Township Engineer to have
a poor infiltration rate or other percolation-related problems, an
underdrain(s) may be required to facilitate gradual drainage of the
facility. The postdevelopment peak discharge rates for all storms,
up to two years, shall not exceed 50% of that discharged prior to
development. Storms over two years, up to and including the ten-year
event, shall not exceed the predevelopment discharge rate for the
two-year event, given the predevelopment cover assumptions per § 178-4B(2)
of the Stormwater Management Ordinance. For events greater than the
ten-year event, up to the one-hundred-year event (i.e., the twenty-five-
, fifty- , and one-hundred-year events), the postdevelopment discharge
rates shall not exceed the peak predevelopment discharge rates, given
the predevelopment cover assumptions per § 178-4B(2) of
the Stormwater Management Ordinance, except as noted below:
[1]
Where perforated concrete seepage tanks and/or
storage and reuse facilities are adequate to infiltrate and/or store
and reuse all roof runoff from the two-year storm, the roof areas
that drain to such tanks and/or reuse facilities will be considered
to have no runoff after development.
[2]
By phasing development and installing roof drainage
seepage beds or storage and reuse systems, the land developer may
reduce the storage size of detention or retention basins.
[3]
If the peak discharge rate of a detention or
retention basin would exceed the peak discharge rate prior to development
at the particular location of the discharge, the Township may require
further reductions in discharge rates or other ameliorative measures.
(b)
Subdivisions shall be designed so that the peak
discharge rate of stormwater runoff after construction shall be no
greater than that which existed prior to development. During development,
there shall be no discharge from the detention facilities until the
storage level for a two-year storm volume is exceeded. After development,
in any storm of two years or more frequent occurrence, there shall
be no increase in total runoff volume over that which occurred prior
to development from a storm of two years or more frequent occurrence.
Except as previously noted for conditions during development, the
peak discharge rate during and after development for all storms, up
to and including the ten-year frequency, shall not exceed the peak
discharge rate of a two-year storm prior to development. Storms of
lesser frequency, such as the twenty-five- , fifty- , and one-hundred-year
storms, shall not exceed the peak discharge rates for those respective
storms before development. During the development, the Township Engineer
may require staging of the development in order to minimize the amount
of disturbed earth on the site. If site development will involve the
disturbance, including denuding of topsoil and vegetation, of more
than 25%, or 10 acres of a site, whichever is less, at one time, the
Township Engineer shall require that the applicant provide peak and
volume runoff calculations during development and size detention and
retention facilities accordingly to meet the volume and runoff rate
standards noted above. Peak runoff rates and total volumes of runoff
shall be computed for each drainage area within a site. In general,
neither the rates nor the volumes of runoff shall be allowed to increase
on the whole site or in individual drainage areas.
(2)
During construction and after all buildings, roads,
and improvements are installed, there shall be no increase in peak
discharge rates from the site for all storms in excess of the ten-year
(twenty-four-hour) storm of 5.0 inches and up to and including the
one-hundred-year storm including:
(3)
Under certain conditions, the Township, upon recommendation
by the Township Engineer, may impose the following additional restrictions
on stormwater discharges:
(a)
Peak discharge rates on storms in excess of
the ten-year storm may be further restricted when it can be shown
that a probable risk to downstream structures or unique natural areas
exists or that an existing severe flooding problem would be further
aggravated.
(b)
Measures shall be imposed to protect against
groundwater or surface water pollution where the type of business
or the nature of the soils underlying a runoff structure constitutes
risk of contamination.
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(4)
In establishing the antecedent conditions for calculating
runoff prior to land disturbance, the following assumptions shall
apply:
(a)
Average antecedent moisture conditions;
(b)
A type II distribution storm;
(c)
Woodland shall be used as the prior condition
for those portions of the site having more than one viable tree of
a DBH of six inches or greater per 1,500 square feet, where such trees
existed within six years of construction and/or four years of subdivision
application;
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(d)
Meadow shall be used for all other areas, including
areas of existing impervious surface, and off-site areas draining
through the site.
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(5)
In calculating runoff after land disturbance, all
areas that are graded, modified, filled, used for vehicle access,
or otherwise disturbed shall use the curve numbers set forth in the
Stormwater Management Ordinance, § 178-4B(2)(b), since scientific
studies have confirmed the long-term reduction in infiltration capabilities
of compacted soils.
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(6)
All plans and designs for stormwater management systems
and facilities submitted to the Township Engineer for approval shall
determine stormwater peak discharge and runoff by the use of the Soil
Cover Complex Method as set forth in Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds,
Technical Release No. 55, with specific attention given to antecedent
moisture conditions, flood routing, and peak discharge specifications
included therein, and in Hydrology National Engineering Handbook,
Section 4, both by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation
Service. The Township Engineer, however, may permit the use of the
Rational Method for calculation of runoff on land developments of
20 acres or less and for the design of storm sewers. Other recognized
methods (SWMM, SLAMM, etc.) may be approved at the discretion of the
Township Engineer.
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(7)
Lots shall be laid out and graded to provide for drainage
away from buildings. Surface drainage shall generally be directed
along lot lines.
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
(8)
The design storm for storm drains shall be the ten-year
frequency storm. The design storm for culverts shall be the fifty-year
storm, unless required otherwise by § 178-4C(6) of the Stormwater
Management Ordinance. The design storms for detention or retention
facilities shall be the two- , ten- , twenty-five- , fifty- , and
one-hundred-year-frequency storms. Storm drainage facilities serving
a drainage area larger than 1/2 square mile shall be constructed only
after a permit has been obtained from the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection. Storm drainage facilities shall be adequate
for the anticipated watershed conditions when the area is fully developed.
Runoff indices or factors shall be based on up-to-date published data
as per Chester County Conservation District. Hydraulic calculations
shall be based on accepted methods appropriate to the hydraulic situation.
Where conveyance systems, such as swales, channels or ditches, are
proposed on soil, grass, or sod, the applicant shall be required to
demonstrate that these structures will not be subject to erosion when
passing the fifty-year flow. The Township Engineer may require a higher
design storm, as conditions require. All conveyance channels shall
be designed with a minimum of one foot of freeboard above the design
water surface elevation.
[Added 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
C.
Construction standards.
(1)
Materials and methods of construction for all storm
drainage facilities shall conform to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Specifications, Form 408, as latest revised.
(2)
Where required, storm sewers shall be placed out of
street paving within the street right-of-way or within easements not
less than 15 feet wide.
(3)
Storm drains shall have a minimum internal diameter
of 15 inches and a minimum grade of 0.5% (1/2 of 1%) unless alternatives
are specifically approved by the Township Engineer.
(4)
Changes in horizontal alignment shall be by straight
sections connected by inlets or manholes, provided that, with approval
of the Township Engineer, special curved drain sections may be used
where circumstances so warrant.
(5)
Manholes shall be constructed at all changes in horizontal
or vertical alignment; and shall be spaced not more than 300 feet
apart on pipe of 24 inches internal diameter or less, and not more
than 500 feet apart where larger sizes are installed.
(6)
Inlet spacing shall be so arranged that 95% of the
gutter flow will be captured. Inlets at street intersections shall
be placed on the tangent and not on the curved portions. The gutter
adjacent to and immediately upgrade from the inlet shall be so warped
as to direct water into the inlet.
(7)
Manhole and inlet castings, covers and frames shall
conform to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Specifications.
(8)
Bridges and culverts shall have ample waterway to
carry expected flows, and conform to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection and Department of Transportation Specifications. Culverts
shall be provided with wing walls and be constructed for the full
width of the right-of-way. Bridges shall be provided with a paved
flow line and with apron and wing walls at each end.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
A.
All earthmoving activities on the site shall be conducted in accordance with the conservation plan required to accompany preliminary and final plans, in accordance with § 190-24 hereof. The conservation plan will be reviewed to assess the suitability of the proposed erosion and sediment control measures. No building permits shall be issued, or plans approved, without submission to the Township of an NPDES construction stormwater permit, where applicable.
[Amended 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 8-2007]
B.
The developer is directed to use, in the preparation
and implementation of erosion control measures, techniques and specifications
approved by the Chester County Conservation District and those prescribed
by the Regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection, set forth at Title 25, Chapter 102. In case of a conflict
between the standards and specifications of the stormwater management
provisions of this chapter, Chester County Conservation District and
DEP, the more stringent regulation, standards, or specifications shall
apply.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
C.
Both during and after construction, clearing of vegetation,
earth-moving or other surface disturbing activities, total waterborne
sediment leaving the site, and/or entering a watercourse on the site,
shall not exceed the amount of sediment which would have naturally
left the site prior to surface-disturbing activities, assuming in
the case of sites previously tilled that natural conditions are equivalent
to meadow.
D.
During construction, the dropping of mud on existing
roads from construction vehicles leaving the site shall be minimized
by covering the first 100 feet of construction entrances and exits
with stone and other measures which may be necessary.
E.
Periodic inspection of the site during construction
shall be conducted by the Pocopson Township Supervisors or their representatives
and any observed violations of this chapter shall be cause for immediate
issuance of an order to cease construction activity until such conditions
are corrected.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
A.
Applicability. Landscaping conforming to the provisions of this section shall be provided on any tract subject to subdivision or land development approval, or any lot or tract occupied by a use or activity subject to the provisions of § 250-97 of Chapter 250, Zoning, as follows:
(1)
General landscaping requirement. Any part or portion
of any lot or tract, which is not occupied by buildings or structures
or used for loading, parking spaces and aisles, sidewalks and designated
storage areas, shall be landscaped according to an overall landscape
plan, prepared and approved as provided in this section, or shall
be left in its natural state (e.g., forest, meadow or hedgerow).
(2)
Perimeter buffer requirement. Except for residential
lots not subject to subdivision or land development, the entire perimeter
of any lot or tract shall be provided with a minimum twenty-foot-wide
buffer planting strip as a separation between uses and to enhance
the visual appearance of the tract. The perimeter buffer strip shall
be designed, installed, and maintained in compliance with the requirements
set forth hereinafter.
(3)
Required screening. Screening in accordance with the provisions set forth in Subsection C(6) shall be provided where imposed by the Zoning Hearing Board or otherwise required by the Township as a condition of any approval or permit and where found necessary as provided hereinafter. In consideration of any approval or permit, the Township may require screening or buffering to provide privacy for dwellings, separate incompatible land uses, shield incompatible structures from view, protect scenic views identified by the Township or the Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers Program, abate noise, or reduce light or glare.
B.
Landscape plan.
(1)
All required landscaping and screening shall be installed
and maintained in accordance with a landscape plan that is prepared
by a registered landscape architect and approved by the Township.
The landscape plan shall depict all proposed plantings required to
complement, screen or accentuate buildings, roads, parking areas,
sidewalks, walkways, sitting areas, service or maintenance structures,
courtyards, entry road treatments, and other site features or structures.
Plant sizes, spacing, types, and use shall be in accordance with this
section.
(2)
All required landscape plans shall be submitted when
all other required applications and plans are submitted (e.g., sketch,
preliminary, or final land development plan submission, conditional
use approval application, change in use). These plans shall address
the following objectives:
(a)
Respond appropriately to the functional and
aesthetic characteristics of the tract or lot and the existing and
proposed structures and other improvements.
(b)
Preserve to the maximum extent feasible existing
topography, landscaping, and other natural features such as hedgerows
and woodlands, and incorporate them into the design.
(c)
Provide effective screening for proposed uses
or activities from adjoining properties and Township-designated scenic
roads.
(d)
Enhance views and create visual interest for
the users or residents of the proposed project.
(e)
Provide effective stormwater management while
utilizing strategies that minimize soil erosion and sedimentation,
and create opportunities for infiltration and groundwater recharge
(e.g., bioretention, biofiltration).
(f)
Maximize the use of plants (particularly along
roads, tract perimeters and common open spaces) which are native to
Chester County or the Pennsylvania Piedmont; are tolerant of the conditions
in which they are installed (e.g., salt-tolerant near roads); are
appropriate to the ecosystems in which they are planted (e.g., hydrophytes
in wet areas); are located and spaced to achieve required screening,
compatible groupings and other effective purposes; and are not injurious
to people, property, natural ecosystems, or pedestrian and vehicular
circulation.
(3)
Submitted landscape plans shall include notes, diagrams,
sketches or other depictions appropriate to demonstrate consideration
and analysis of the following:
(a)
Consistency with the objectives stated in Subsection B(2), above, as well as the design standards of Subsection C below.
(b)
Analysis of existing site conditions, including
topography and vegetation, and views to and from areas proposed for
development.
(c)
Analysis of any screening needs related to the
proposed development or use.
C.
Landscape design standards.
(1)
All required landscaping shall be designed, installed
and maintained in accordance with the standards herein.
(2)
Total plantings required. The minimum number of plantings required on any lot or tract shall be determined in accordance with Subsection D below. The total number of required plantings may be utilized anywhere on the subject site for purposes of compliance with general landscape standards as well as specific standards for screening, perimeter buffer, street trees, and parking area landscaping, as applicable. Additional plantings may be provided to further the purposes of this section. Regardless of the total number of plantings provided, required plantings utilized for street trees and parking lot landscaping and screening shall not be less than as specified in Subsection D(2) as applicable. Plantings provided in excess of minimum requirements need not comply with the dimensional standards herein. Existing trees and shrubs to be retained and protected may be credited toward the minimum planting standards on a one-for-one basis, subject to review and approval by the Township. Where existing trees have been identified for credit, the Township shall require the applicant to protect trees during construction, and commit to a tree replacement program for nonsurviving plants.
(3)
Mitigation of development impacts. Consistent with the terms of this section and the results of the screening analysis conducted in accordance with Subsection B(3)(c), applicant shall provide landscape improvements and screening as necessary to mitigate any adverse impacts the proposed project or action has on the subject property, adjoining properties, or the Township in general.
(4)
General landscape design.
(a)
Plantings and other landscape improvements shall
be located and arranged to meet the specific design requirements set
forth herein and in a manner that has an overall benefit to the landscape
and responds to site-specific conditions, including the proximity
of existing dwellings, compatibility with adjacent uses and existing
landscapes, views into and across the subject site, and consideration
of the privacy of neighboring residential properties.
(b)
Native plant species shall be used to the maximum
extent practicable, consistent with the design objectives set forth
herein, and particularly in roadside and perimeter buffer areas and
major common open space areas.
(c)
Use of linear measurements for purposes of calculation
is not intended to specify linear arrangement of plantings. Groupings
of plantings are encouraged in lieu of linear arrangement, consistent
with the provisions of this section.
(d)
In selecting the location and mix of required
plantings, consideration shall be given to the natural landscape characteristics
of the setting, the environmental conditions to be created following
site disturbance, and the texture, coloration and compatibility of
different plant species. It is strongly encouraged that improved landscapes
be designed in such a manner as to be creative and attractive while
maintaining the integrity of the natural landscape within which such
work is proposed.
(e)
The locations, dimensions, and spacing of required
plantings shall be adequate for their proper growth and maintenance,
taking into account the sizes of such plantings at maturity and their
present and future environmental requirements, such as moisture and
sunlight. In selecting locations for shade trees, consideration also
shall be given to aesthetic qualities of the site and to the protection
of solar access.
(f)
Plantings shall be limited or carefully selected
for locations where they might be disturbed or contribute to conditions
hazardous to public safety. Examples of such locations include but
shall not be limited to the edges of parking areas; public street
rights-of-way; underground and aboveground utilities; and sight triangle
areas required for unobstructed views at street intersections. No
trees shall be planted closer than 15 feet from fire hydrants, street
lights, or stop signs.
(5)
Perimeter buffer.
(a)
The Board of Supervisors may require that any portion of the minimum twenty-foot-wide perimeter buffer strip required under Subsection A(2) above be designed and planted to establish an effective visual screen of buildings, structures, uses or activities on any lot or tract, as further provided in Subsection C(6) below. Where effective screening is not required, the perimeter buffer need not be planted entirely with trees and shrubs, but is intended to blend into the surrounding landscape.
(b)
The Township may reduce or eliminate the perimeter
buffer requirement where any tract abuts similar uses such that the
Board of Supervisors agrees that buffering is not necessary or where
the applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Board of
Supervisors that existing vegetation, structural or topographic conditions
will, on a year-round basis, buffer the subject development or use
from view from adjacent tracts.
(c)
Except for post-and-rail or board fences less
than four feet in height and stone landscape walls, no fences or walls
shall be located within any required perimeter buffer along any public
street or road. Fences and walls provided for security or access control
purposes, and constructed of chain link or any solid material or exceeding
four feet in height, may be located behind the perimeter buffer and
shall be screened from view in accordance with the provisions of this
section.
(d)
The perimeter buffer strip may include or coincide
with areas where screening is otherwise required and may be included
in restricted private open space, common or public open space, or
a combination thereof. Where approved by the Board of Supervisors,
the perimeter buffer strip or portion thereof may be included within
private lot area and may be utilized to meet any required yard setback
(6)
Screening.
(a)
Where a need for visual screening has been identified,
an effective visual screen shall be provided, subject to review and
approval by the Township. Screening shall be accomplished by a combination
of plantings, berming or fencing as may be required to achieve the
desired screening effect (i.e., an opaque barrier or filtered view)
and permitted by Township ordinances. Screening shall occur on those
portions of the site where, as determined by analysis and approved
by the Township, it will be most effective (e.g., a screen may be
required near the property or right-of-way line, immediately adjacent
to the item to be screened, or somewhere in between depending on the
circumstances of the site and the objects to be screened).
(b)
Vegetative screening shall include a variety
of native deciduous and evergreen species so as to provide a year-round
visual screen except where an opaque barrier is required to obscure
an offensive use. In the latter case, berms, evergreens, or fences,
as appropriate, shall be installed. In keeping with the landscape
of Pocopson Township, deciduous species shall be utilized to the greatest
extent possible on the side of the screen facing the property's exterior
or the street.
(c)
All plants shall be installed at intervals sufficient
to create an effective visual screen, while allowing the plants to
thrive (i.e., plant spacing depends on species used). Evergreen plantings
shall be at least seven feet to eight feet in height and planted at
intervals appropriate to the desired level of screening. Where the
Township agrees that an eventual screen (in three years to five years)
is acceptable in lieu of an immediate screen (to buffer future development,
for example), evergreen plantings shall be at least four feet to five
feet in height, substituted at a ratio of two to one and planted at
intervals of 10 feet on center. To the greatest extent possible, plants
will be situated in locations and under conditions substantially similar
to those in which they naturally occur (e.g., hydrophytes in wetter
situations, drought-tolerant plants on ridge tops, etc.).
(d)
Screening shall incorporate earthen mounds or
berms where appropriate to provide sound as well as visual buffering.
Where earthen berms are used, they shall be designed to be low-profile,
and supplemented with plantings so that an effective visual screen
of at least eight feet in height measured from the crown of the adjoining
public street is created, particularly where used to screen outdoor
storage, truck or heavy equipment parking, storage and loading areas
or trash dumpsters from public view. If berms are used as a landscape
or screening feature, plantings are to be installed on both sides
of the berm, not solely at the ridgeline or top of the berm, and shall
be subject to the review and approval by the Township. Side slopes
shall not exceed a 3:1 ratio, and berms shall be designed to blend
with adjoining property topographic conditions or similarly landscaped
buffer rather than end abruptly at the property line.
(e)
Other than street trees, no trees shall be placed
with their centers less than five feet from any property line, and
no shrubs with their centers less than three feet from any property
line.
(f)
Screening shall be designed so as not to obstruct
sight distances at intersections.
(g)
Vegetative screening shall be continuously maintained
for the duration of operation of the use for which screening is required.
During such period, any plant material which does not survive shall
be replaced prior to the start of the next growing season.
(7)
Street trees.
(a)
Any subdivision or land development shall provide
street trees along the entire length of any existing or proposed public
street that forms a property boundary and on both sides if the land
is part of the subdivision and land development application. Street
trees of varying species shall not be planted so close to the cartway
edge that they become a maintenance problem, but close enough to the
cartway edge to provide shade. The arrangements and locations of all
street trees should be shown on the landscape plan and are subject
to review and approval by the Township. The specific arrangements
and locations of street tree plantings shall respond to specific site
conditions and development design objectives, consistent with the
criteria set forth herein.
(b)
Selected street trees shall be hardy, indigenous species with minimal maintenance requirements, and shall be selected such that, at maturity, they shall provide adequate summer shade along the public road. Selected street tree species shall be of the nongrafted type. A Suggested Plant List is included in Subsection H; a more extensive list can be made available by the Township.
(c)
The spacing between street trees shall be no
greater than 50 feet.
(d)
At the time of planting, street trees shall
be at least 10 feet to 14 feet in height and three inches to 3 1/2
inches caliper in size.
(8)
Parking lot landscaping and screening. All off-street
parking areas, except those intended solely for use by individual
single-family residences, shall be landscaped with trees and shrubs
of varying species, in accordance with the following:
(a)
Off-street parking areas shall be landscaped
to reduce wind and air turbulence, heat and noise, and the glare of
automobile lights; to reduce the level of carbon dioxide; to provide
shade; to ameliorate stormwater drainage problems; to replenish the
groundwater table using bioretention islands; to provide for a more
attractive setting; to protect the character and stability of residential,
business, institutional, and industrial areas; and to conserve the
value of land and buildings on surrounding properties and neighborhoods.
(b)
Parking lot screening. Any parking for five or more vehicles on a lot which abuts a residential district or a lot for residential purposes, whether single-family or multifamily, shall be screened from the adjacent property by an effective visual screen the entire length of said parking lot, in accordance with the requirements of this section and Subsection C(6), Screening. The minimum number of plantings utilized for parking lot screening shall be as specified in Subsection D(2), Item 3.
(c)
Parking lot landscaping. The interior of parking areas or lots containing less than 10 parking spaces shall have at least two shade trees. For every additional 10 parking spaces, one additional shade tree shall be provided. All such shade trees shall meet the standards provided for street trees in Subsection C(7) above. Additional parking lot landscaping may be required to enhance the overall appearance and function of the parking lot.
(d)
Planting areas shall be placed so as to facilitate
snow removal and to provide for safe movement of traffic without interference
of proper surface water drainage. Planting areas shall be bordered
appropriately to prevent erosion or damage from automobiles. Bollards
may be used to protect trees from vehicular movement.
(e)
Planting areas utilized for stormwater management/bioretention
can count toward parking lot landscaping minimum requirements. Such
planting area design and maintenance shall be clearly described in
the applicant's stormwater management plan submitted as part of a
subdivision or land development application.
(f)
The landscaping and planting areas shall be
reasonably dispersed throughout the parking lot, except where there
are more than 20 spaces in which the following shall apply:
[1]
Landscaped areas at least 20 feet wide shall
be provided around the periphery of parking areas. Such areas shall,
at a minimum, extend the full length and width of the parking areas,
except for necessary access ways, to prevent the encroachment of moving
vehicles into parking areas.
[2]
Landscaped islands at least 20 feet wide shall
be provided between each set of two parking bays, except as otherwise
approved by the Township Board of Supervisors.
[3]
Landscaped islands shall be provided at the
end of each parking bay where such parking bay abuts or opens onto
any street or accessway. Such landscaped islands shall be at least
15 feet in width and shall extend parallel to the parking spaces in
each abutting parking area the length of one parking space. No more
than 20 parking spaces shall occur between islands. Parking bays providing
more than 20 spaces in a single bay shall be broken by a similar landscape
island.
[4]
Two feet of each parking stall adjacent to planting strips required in Subsection C(8)(f)[1] and [2] above shall be of a permeable surface (e.g., concrete paver blocks filled with stone) to allow water to percolate into the ground.
(g)
Parking lots which do not conform to the criteria
listed above shall be planted with the same ratio of trees to parking
spaces as conventional parking lots but these may be planted in more
varied configurations.
(h)
All parking lots shall be designed to provide
for safe, reasonable pedestrian access. Parking lots with more than
50 spaces shall include paved pedestrian walkways. Pedestrian walkways
may be located along or through landscaped islands or other landscaped
areas adjacent to the parking lot.
D.
Minimum planting standards.
(1)
All required landscaping shall meet the minimum planting
standards, criteria for selection of plant material, and design standards
of this section. The total number of plantings required shall be no
less than the total calculated from all subsections in the following
tables, as applicable. The total number of required plantings for
general landscaping, perimeter buffering and screening may be dispersed
throughout the tract to meet the objectives of this section. Plantings
required as street trees and for parking lot landscaping and screening
shall not be less than the numbers set forth in the charts below.
Additional plantings may be provided.
(2)
All nonresidential developments shall install plantings
to meet the requirements of the table below:
Improvement/Conditions
|
Trees
|
Shrubs
| |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.
|
General landscaping, perimeter buffering and
screening
|
(Mixed deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs
depending upon effective screening needs)
| |||
a.
|
Per 1,000 square feet gross floor area, ground
floor only (building "footprint")
|
3
|
8
| ||
b.
|
Per 100 linear feet of new and existing public
or private road frontage, measured on both sides where applicable
|
3
|
5
| ||
c.
|
Per 100 linear feet of existing tract boundary,
where not coincident with existing or proposed road frontage
|
3
|
8
| ||
2.
|
Parking lot landscaping per 10 parking spaces
(min. of two shade trees for the first 10 parking spaces)
|
1
(deciduous trees only)
|
Not specified
| ||
3.
|
Parking lot screening per 2,000
|
2
|
4
| ||
square feet off-street parking or loading area,
excluding driveways less than 18 feet wide. (Note: This item is additional
to any other required perimeter screening.)
|
(Mixed deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs
depending upon effective screening needs)
| ||||
4.
|
Street trees per 100 linear feet of new and
existing public or private road frontage, measured on both sides where
applicable
|
2 (deciduous trees only)
|
0
|
(3)
All residential development shall install plantings
to meet the requirements of the table below:
Improvement/Conditions
|
Trees
|
Shrubs
| |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.
|
General landscaping, perimeter buffering and
screening
|
(Mixed deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs
depending upon effective screening needs)
| |||
a.
|
Per 1,000 square feet gross floor area, ground
floor only (building "footprint")
|
3
|
4
| ||
b.
|
Per 100 linear feet of new and existing public
or private road frontage, measured on both sides where applicable
|
3
|
0
| ||
c.
|
Per 100 linear feet of existing tract boundary,
where not coincident with existing or proposed road frontage
|
3
|
4
| ||
d.
|
Per 2,000 square feet off-street parking or loading area, excluding driveways less than 18 feet wide; parking lots with more than five parking spaces also shall meet the requirements of Subsection D(2), Item 2
|
2
|
4
| ||
2.
|
Street trees per 100 linear feet of new and
existing public or private road frontage, measured on both sides where
applicable
|
2
(deciduous trees only)
|
0
|
(4)
Where applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Township that existing vegetation, structural or topographic conditions located within 100 feet of existing tract boundaries will conceal, on a year-round basis, the proposed development or activity from view from such tract boundary (including road frontage), the linear footage of such tract boundary may be excluded from the calculation of required landscape plantings as provided in Subsections D(2), Item 1, and D(3), Item 1, above, but shall not reduce any requirement for street trees or parking lot landscaping or screening.
(5)
Where calculation of the minimum number of plantings
required as above results in fractions of plants required, the minimum
number of plants required shall be rounded up to the nearest whole
number.
(6)
Except as specifically provided above, plantings used
to comply with the minimum number of plantings required shall be:
(7)
Plantings and their measurement shall conform to the
standards of the publications "American or U.S.A. Standard for Nursery
Stock," American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or U.S.A.S. Z60.1
of the American Association of Nurserymen, as amended. All plant material
used on the site shall have been grown within the same U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zone as the site, shall be free of
disease, and shall be nursery grown, unless it is determined by the
Township that the transplanting of trees partially fulfills the requirements
of this section. At the discretion of the Township, plantings required
as above may be waived or reduced if applicant can demonstrate to
the satisfaction of the Township that retaining existing plant material
or other means of landscaping substantially achieves the objectives
of this section. The applicant shall note, on all appropriate submittals,
the location, type, extent, and condition of the existing plant materials
or other means of landscaping that would be the basis for the proposed
waiver or reduction. Should the Township issue a waiver or reduction,
the approved, existing plant materials or other means of landscaping
shall be protected during construction from impacts such as, but not
limited to, root compaction, debarking, and soil stripping. The Township
shall conduct a postconstruction inspection, and reserves the right
to require additional plantings if the existing plant material or
other means of landscaping are damaged or did not survive construction.
E.
Criteria for selection of plant material.
(1)
Species selected by the applicant shall reflect careful
evaluation of the required site analysis plan and in particular the
following considerations:
(a)
Existing and proposed site conditions and their
suitability for the plant materials, based upon the site's geology,
hydrology, soils, and microclimate.
(b)
Specific functional and design objectives of
the plantings, which may include but not necessarily be limited to
provision for landscape buffer, visual screening, noise abatement,
energy conservation, wildlife habitats, and aesthetic values.
(c)
Maintenance considerations such as hardiness,
resistance to insects and disease, longevity, availability, and drought
and salt resistance.
(2)
Use of native plants, because of their many benefits (such as ease of maintenance, longevity, wildlife habitat, etc.), is generally required to meet the requirements of this section. A Suggested Plant List is included in Subsection H; a more extensive list can be made available by the Township.
(3)
Species for shade trees, including street trees, shall
be selected with particular emphasis on hardiness, growing habit for
pedestrian and vehicle passage, minimal need for maintenance, and
compatibility with other features of the site and surrounding environs.
(4)
For the purposes of promoting disease protection,
minimum maintenance, diverse natural plant associations, and long-term
stability of plantings, the applicant is encouraged to choose those
combinations of species which may be expected to be found together
under more-or-less natural conditions on sites comparable to those
where the trees and shrubs are to be planted.
F.
Conservation of existing vegetation and natural features.
All landscape plans shall be designed to conserve woodlands, hedgerows,
watercourses, specimen trees, and riparian buffer areas, and to minimize
woodland disturbance. Applicants shall make all reasonable efforts
to harmonize their plans with the conservation of existing vegetation
and natural features. Care shall be exercised to protect remaining
vegetation from damage during construction.
G.
Site maintenance and guarantee.
(1)
All landscape improvements, to be provided in accordance
with this section, shall be installed and maintained by accepted practices
as recognized by the American Association of Nurserymen. Planting
and maintenance of vegetation shall include, as appropriate, but not
necessarily be limited to, provisions for surface mulch, guy-wires
and stakes, irrigation, fertilization, insect and disease control,
pruning, mulching, weeding, and watering.
(2)
Applicant shall provide arrangements acceptable to
the Township to ensure that all landscaping incorporated into the
landscape plan and proposed in accordance with this chapter shall
be maintained in a healthy and sound condition, or will be replaced
by equivalent plant material and improvements, for 18 months after
dedication of improvements. Prior to Township acceptance of the site
improvements, representatives of the Township shall perform an inspection
of the finished site for compliance with approved landscape plan(s).
(3)
Installation of landscape improvements shall be guaranteed along with all other site improvements in accordance with applicable provisions of this chapter. The costs of landscape material and installation shall be considered in determining the amount of any performance guarantee required. At the Township's discretion, the applicant may be required to escrow sufficient additional funds for the maintenance or replacement of the proposed or existing vegetation in accordance with Subsection G(2) above. In addition, an escrow may be required for the removal and replacement of specimen vegetation damaged during construction. These escrows shall be in addition to any financial security posted for dedication of other required improvements. At its sole discretion, the Township may remedy failure to complete installation or to maintain required landscape improvements in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
H.
Suggested plant list (not an exclusive list). Selected
examples of species appropriate for use where screening is required
are indicated with an asterisk (*). Selected examples of appropriate
street trees are noted by "ST." A more extensive list of appropriate
species can be made available by the Township.
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
| |
---|---|---|
Evergreen Trees
| ||
Eastern red cedar*
|
Juniperus virginiana
| |
Canadian Hemlock
|
Tsuga canadensis
| |
Red (Eastern or Yellow) spruce*
|
Picea rubens
| |
Norway spruce*
|
Picea abies
| |
Eastern White Pine*
|
Pinus strobus
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
| |
---|---|---|
Shade Trees
| ||
Red maple, ST
|
Acer rubrum
| |
Sugar maple, ST
|
Acer saccharum
| |
White ash, ST
|
Fraxinus americana
| |
Green ash, ST
|
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
| |
Sycamore
|
Platanus occidentalis
| |
White oak, ST
|
Quercus alba
| |
Northern red oak, ST
|
Quercus rubra
| |
Tulip poplar
|
Liriodendron tulipifera
| |
Scarlet oak, ST
|
Quercus coccinea
| |
Pin oak, ST
|
Quercus palustris
| |
Shagbark hickory
|
Carya ovata
| |
American basswood
|
Tilia americana
| |
American beech
|
Fagus grandifolia
| |
London plane tree
|
Platanus acerifolia
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
| |
---|---|---|
Small Trees and Shrubs
| ||
Rhododendron
|
Rhododendron sp.
| |
Black cherry
|
Prunus serotina
| |
Shadbush/Serviceberry*
|
Amelanchier canadensis
| |
Redbud
|
Cercis canadensis
| |
Flowering dogwood*
|
Cornus florida white
| |
Winterberry
|
Ilex verticulata
| |
Washington hawthorn*
|
Crataegus phaemopyrum
| |
Highbush blueberry
|
Vaccinium corybosum
| |
Sourwood
|
Oxydendrum arboreum
| |
Ironwood
|
Ostrya virginiana
| |
Arrowwood
|
Viburnum dentatum
| |
Black Haw
|
Viburnum prunifolium
|
[Amended 5-9-2011 by Ord. No. 1-2011]
All sanitary sewage disposal shall comply with the Pocopson Township Sewage Facilities Plan. All individual and community sanitary sewage disposal systems shall, in addition to the requirements of this section, comply with the regulations contained in Chapter 170.
A.
Community sewage system.
(1)
Where a subdivision or land development is serviced
by a central sanitary sewage collection and treatment system, it shall
be of a type providing for land disposal of effluent (including spray
irrigation methods, marsh-pond treatment and/or subsurface disposal
methods) which complies with all requirements of the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection or the Chester County Health
Department.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
(2)
The system shall be offered for dedication to the
Township or shall be regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities
Commission and satisfactory provisions for maintenance submitted.
Any system to offered for dedication to the Township shall meet all
design and construction standards contained in the Appendix of this
chapter.[1] The Township shall have the right but not the obligation
to accept any system so offered.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix Sheets 1 through 17 are included at the end of this chapter. See Art. IX, Appendices, below.
B.
Individual sanitary sewage disposal.
(1)
Individual on-lot sewage facilities shall be installed
by the applicant or builder under the direct supervision of the Chester
County Health Department or Sewage Enforcement Officer for Act 537.
(2)
Such officials shall require percolation tests, soil
samples and other data to determine the size and extend of facilities
needed. Copies of all percolation tests shall be submitted to the
Township. During installation of such facilities, and before final
coverage, such officials shall make inspections and checks to assure
that all requirements and specifications have been met. They shall
be granted free access to the development area at all times during
this period.
(3)
After assuring that all requirements and specifications
have been met, the appropriate officials will then issue a certificate
of approval to the Township Secretary as a requirement to final plan
approval.
(4)
The type of on-site sewage disposal system to be installed
shall be determined on the basis of location, topography, available
area, soil characteristics, permeability and groundwater elevation.
The disposal area to be provided shall be determined by the results
of percolation tests, soil classification and depth of water table
and such other tests as may be deemed necessary. Proof of the adequacy
of such facilities shall be furnished by a licensed sanitarian. The
reports of such tests shall be required at each disposal area.
(5)
All percolation tests shall conform to the standards
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(6)
The "usable area" for sewage disposal shall be shown
on the final plan for each lot. The "usable area" shall be situated
beyond the radius of the water supply well and shall conform to all
rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection and the Chester County Department of Health.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
(7)
Minimum horizontal isolation distances between on-lot
septic system components and various site features shall meet the
requirements of Chapter 73, Section 73.13, of the PADEP regulations,
as may be amended.
(8)
Where on-lot systems are utilized for a subdivision
proposed to be served by a community system within a reasonable period
of time not to exceed 10 years, the Board of Supervisors may require
the installation of a sanitary sewage collection system, commonly
called "capped sewers."
(9)
Septic tanks and leach (tile) fields shall be accurately
located on the as-built plans for the subdivision.
A.
Where water is to be provided by means other than
private wells owned and maintained by the individual owners of lots
within the subdivision or development, the applicant shall present
evidence to the Board of Supervisors that the subdivision or development
is to be supplied by a certificated public utility, a bona fide cooperative
association or lot owners, or by a municipal corporation, authority,
or utility. A copy of a certificate of public convenience from the
Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission or an application for such
certificate, a cooperative agreement or a commitment agreement to
serve the area in question, whichever is appropriate, shall be acceptable
evidence. Where an existing utility proposes to extend water service
to a subdivision or land development, and sworn statements alleging
inferior water quality or water pressure have been submitted to the
Board by current users, the Township Engineer may require appropriate
testing. The expense of such tests shall be borne by the applicant
unless otherwise stipulated by the Board.
B.
If off-site water service from a private utility or
association is to be used, mains must be sized to provide for adequate
pressure and supply for the anticipated demands of the subdivision
and to meet the minimum requirements for fire protection established
by the Middle Department Association of Fire Underwriters. Minimum
main size shall be six inches. If adequate source of supply and pressure
is available, hydrants shall be installed at a maximum spacing so
that properties to be built upon shall be within 600 feet of the hydrant.
If adequate supply is not available, hydrant connectors shall be provided
for future installation. System design and development of water sources
shall conform to the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection.
C.
Minimum isolation distances for wells shall meet the
requirements of Chapter 500, Section 501.6.1., of the Chester County
Health Department Rules and Regulations, as may be amended.
[Amended 5-9-2011 by Ord. No. 1-2011]
D.
Where a permit is required by said Department, it
shall be presented as evidence of such review and approval in the
case of private or public systems before construction commences.
E.
The exact location of all wells shall be provided
on the as-built plans for the subdivision.
All other utility lines, including, but not
limited to, electric, gas, street light supply, and telephone, shall
be placed underground. Installation of all utilities shall be in strict
accordance with the engineering standards and specifications of the
Township, or other public utility concerned. All such underground
utilities shall be put in place, connected and approved before the
streets are constructed where such utilities lie under the proposed
cartway and before any person is permitted to occupy any building
to be served by such utilities.
A.
Utility. Permanent easements with a minimum width
of 20 feet and temporary construction easements with a minimum width
of 30 feet shall be provided for common utilities.
B.
Drainage. Drainage easements shall be required along
natural watercourses coinciding with the extent of the one-hundred-year
floodplain, but in any case not less than 50 feet in total width.
Permanent drainage easements for man-made facilities and swales shall
be a minimum of 20 feet in width.
C.
Dedication. Where stormwater or surface water will
be gathered within subdivisions or land developments and discharged
or drained in volume over lands within or beyond the boundaries of
the subdivision or land development, the subdivider, developer, or
builder shall reserve or obtain easements over all lands affected.
The easements shall be adequate for discharge or drainage and for
carrying off such water and for the maintenance, repair and reconstruction
of the same, including the right of passage over by vehicles, machinery,
and other equipment for such purposes, and which shall be of sufficient
width for such passage and work. The subdivider, developer, or builder
shall convey, at no cost, the easements to the Township upon demand.
A.
Permanent concrete monuments shall be set on all corners
and angle points of the boundaries of the original tract to be subdivided
and such intermediate points as may be required. All lot corner markers
shall be located that individual properties may be readily ascertained
after development of the subdivision. Markers shall be steel or iron
pins or pipes and shall be set in the ground at finished grade.
B.
The Board of Supervisors may require permanent reference
monuments to be placed at street intersections, angle points, beginning
and ending of all curves, at the corners and angle points of common
open space and at such other locations along the right-of-way lines
as the Township Engineer shall designate.
A.
Street name plates shall be put at all intersections,
naming all streets at each intersection, and shall be visible from
both directions when approaching an intersection. Generally, the sign
shall be parallel to the street that it is identifying.
B.
They shall be mounted on a heavy post or standard
that shall consist of a two-inch galvanized pipe or equivalent as
approved, of sufficient length to allow the bottom of the sign to
be eight feet from the curb or ground final grade and long enough
to allow at least three feet being embedded in a hole at least nine
inches in diameter, three feet deep, and shall rest on a steel plate
or flat stone at the bottom of the hole and have at least 2 1/2
feet of concrete poured around it and firmly tamped, taking care that
the post is plumb and is adequately braced while the concrete sets
so that the post will be permanently plumb. Provision should be made
on the embedded section of the post so that during the time when the
concrete is setting or later it cannot be turned by the wind or other
means but shall remain rigid about its axis (i.e., it shall be keyed;
this may be done by flattening the bottom six inches of the post).
C.
The remaining six inches or so above the concrete
can then be adequately backfilled with dirt and tamped.
D.
The post shall be equipped with such standard rust-proofed
hardware as to hold the nameplates rigidly in a proper and permanent
position to prevent their swaying in the wind and also to prevent
the weather from getting inside the post.
E.
Signs on all residential street intersections, and
those at intersections of private residential streets and collector
roads or public residential streets and low-volume collector roads,
shall be six-inch-by-six-inch pressure-treated wood posts stained
brown (with the Township-approved brown stain) with vertical lettering
on the four sides identifying the cross streets. The posts shall project
a minimum of six feet above ground level and be set 3 1/2 feet
below ground. Signs at the intersections of collector roads or collector
and arterial roads and the intersections of such roads with residential
streets shall either be rustproof metal signs and post materials such
as aluminum or galvanized pipe or the wood posts described above,
as the Township may determine. Metal signs shall be the proper thickness
and shall have reinforced edges to provide rigidity and stiffness.
Unless otherwise directed by the Township, the backgrounds of metal
signs for public roads shall be green and the letters white or beige
and beige with black letters for private roads. The name of the street
shall appear in capital lettering at least four inches high. Supplementary
lettering to indicate the type of street, such as "street," "avenue,"
"road," and the like, may be in smaller lettering, at least two inches
high. Conventional abbreviations shall be acceptable except for the
street name itself.
[Amended 11-19-2003 by Ord. No. 3-2003]
F.
The signs shall be located with a view to making them
seen at all times with a minimum of effort by both pedestrian and
vehicular traffic, and as close to the side of the cartway or curb
as practical, but no part of the nameplate shall be permitted to overhang
any part of the cartway or curb.
G.
Sketches of street nameplates, standards and installation
and location shall be submitted for the inspection and approval of
the Township.
The Board of Supervisors may require street lighting to be installed for any subdivision or land development in accordance with the specifications of Chapter 250, Zoning. Alternatively, the Board may require underground conduit with wire installed and stubbed below ground level for future connection with street lights.
[Added 10-13-1999 by Ord. No. 2-1999]
The Township Supervisors may elect to allow
an applicant to pay a fee in lieu of open space land dedication provisions
contained in the Township ordinances.