The following principles of subdivision and
land development, general requirements and minimum standards of design
shall be observed by the applicant in all instances, whether or not
the proposed improvements are to be accepted by the Township:
A.
All portions of a tract being subdivided 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 is being reviewed relative
to subdivision and land development, but where future subdivision
or land development is imminent, the applicant shall, subject to approval
of his plan, demonstrate that the remainder of the tract or parcel
may be subdivided or developed in conformance with the existing zoning
classification of land use in a logical and satisfactory manner.
C.
Whenever a parcel of land is being subdivided for
the specific purpose of being added to an adjoining parcel of land,
then such subdivision application shall be accompanied by an executed
agreement of sale between the applicant for subdivision and the owner
of the parcel to which the subdivided parcel is to be annexed. Any
such subdivision must result in a lot or lots owned by the applicant
and the adjoining landowner which shall conform in all respects to
the regulations contained in this chapter. In the event that settlement
is not held in accordance with the agreement of sale within six months
of the date of subdivision approval, then the approval shall be voided.
D.
Whenever possible, applicants shall preserve trees,
groves, waterways, scenic points, historic spots and other community
assets and landmarks.
E.
Subdivisions and land developments should be laid
out so as to avoid the necessity for excessive cut or fill unless
specifically warranted by terrain or location.
F.
Flood-prone areas shall not be subdivided or developed except in strict compliance with the standards and requirements of § 175-33 of this article.
G.
Where no public water supply is available to the subdivision
or land development, the Supervisors shall require the subdivider,
developer or builder to obtain from the District Sanitarian of the
Pennsylvania Department of Health or other appropriate state agency
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 of construction methods to be employed in
the installation of the individual water supply system.
H.
Where the subdivision or land development is inaccessible
to sanitary sewers, the Supervisors shall require the subdivider,
developer or builder to obtain from the Sewage Enforcement Officer,
the Department of Environmental Resources or other appropriate state
agency certificates of approval of the sewage disposal facilities
to be provided by the subdivider, developer or builder.
I.
Applicants shall observe the ultimate right-of-way
for contiguous existing streets as prescribed by the Official Map
for the Township.[1] Additional portions of the corridors for such streets
shall be offered to the government agency having jurisdiction at the
time the subdivision or land development is consummated. Applicable
building setback lines, as defined by the Township Zoning Ordinance
of current adoption,[2] shall be delineated as measured from the ultimate right-of-way
street line.
J.
Proposed subdivision and land development shall be
coordinated with the existing nearby neighborhood so that the community
as a whole may develop harmoniously.
K.
Improvement construction requirements will be completed
under specifications of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation,
the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources or other appropriate
state agency, the Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District
or other appropriate agency or the specifications included herein,
whichever specifications shall result in the stricter interpretation
of this chapter.
L.
Construction of facilities. The subdivider, developer
or builder shall, where specified by the Township, construct and install,
with no expense to the Township, the streets, curbs, sidewalks, water
mains, sanitary and storm sewers, streetlights, fire hydrants, street
signs, shade trees, monuments and recreational facilities 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 during the progress of
the work, and the subdivider shall pay for inspection.
A.
The standards of design in this article should be
used to judge the adequacy of subdivision proposals. Where, in the
opinion of the Planning Commission, the literal application of these
standards in certain cases would work undue hardship or be plainly
unreasonable, the Township Planning Commission may recommend to the
Board such reasonable exceptions as will not be contrary to the public
interest.
B.
Modification of the requirements of one or more provisions
of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance may be granted if
the literal enforcement will exact undue hardship because of the peculiar
conditions pertaining to the land in question, provided that such
modification will not be contrary to the public interest and that
the purpose and intent of the ordinance is observed.
C.
All requests for a modification shall be in writing
and shall accompany and be a part of the application for development.
The request shall state in full the grounds and facts of unreasonableness
or hardship on which the request is based, the provision or provisions
of the ordinance involved and the minimum modification necessary.
The request for modification may be referred to the Planning Commission
for advisory comments. The Township shall maintain a written record
of all action on all requests for modifications.
A.
A transportation impact study shall be undertaken for all subdivision and land developments meeting the criteria of Subsection C below to:
(1)
Enable the Township to assess the impact of
a proposed development on the local transportation system.
(2)
Ensure that proposed developments do not adversely
affect the transportation network and to identify any traffic problems
associated with access from the site to the existing transportation
network.
(3)
Delineate solutions to potential problems.
(4)
Present improvements to be incorporated into
the proposed development.
(5)
Protect air quality, conserve energy and encourage
use of public transportation.
B.
The transportation impact study shall be prepared by a qualified traffic engineer and/or transportation planner with previous traffic study experience. The procedures and standards for the traffic study are set forth in Subsection D of this section utilizing the terminology contained in the Transportation Research Board Highway Capacity Manual, Special Report 209, 1985, as may be hereafter revised (hereinafter referred to as the "Highway Capacity Manual").
C.
Criteria.
(1)
A transportation impact study shall be required
for all subdivisions and land developments that meet one or more of
the following criteria:
(a)
Residential: 10 or more dwelling units.
(b)
Commercial: a commercial building(s) consisting
of 10,000 square feet or more of gross leasable floor space.
(c)
Office: a development consisting of 10,000 square
feet or more of gross leasable floor space.
(d)
Industrial: any development of such nature.
(e)
Institutional: any development of such nature.
(2)
For other types of development or where special
conditions exist, the supervisors may request the preparation of a
transportation impact study for any other subdivisions or land development.
Special conditions include but are not limited to development generating
100 new trips into or out of the site at either a.m. or p.m. peak
hour, using Institute of Transportation Engineers standards.
D.
The transportation impact study shall contain but
not be limited to the following information:
(1)
General site description.
(a)
The site description shall include the size,
location, proposed land uses, construction staging and completion
date of the proposed subdivision or land development. If the development
is residential, types of dwelling units and number of bedrooms shall
also be included. The general site description shall also include
probable socioeconomic characteristics of potential site users to
the extent that it may affect the transportation needs of the site
(i.e., number of senior citizens).
(b)
The description shall also contain a full documentation
of the proposed internal transportation system. This description shall
include proposed internal vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian circulation,
all proposed ingress and egress locations, all internal roadway widths
and rights-of-way, parking conditions, traffic channelization and
any traffic signals or other intersection-control devices within the
site. The site design shall be shown to maximize potential public
transportation usage to and from the development, such as providing
adequate turning radii at all access points to allow a bus to enter
the development. Bus shelter and sign locations shall be designated
where appropriate.
(2)
Area conditions.
(a)
The size of the study area shall extend 1/2
mile from all property boundary lines of the proposed subdivision
or land development. Care should be taken to include in the study
all known congested locations that may be impacted by the proposed
development. A brief description of other existing and proposed subdivisions
and land developments within the study area shall be provided.
(b)
The report shall describe the entire external
roadway system within the study area. Major intersections in the study
area shall be identified and sketched. All existing and proposed public
transportation services and facilities within a one-mile radius of
the site shall also be documented. All proposed future highway improvements,
including proposed construction and traffic signalization, shall be
noted. This information shall be obtained from the Twelve-Year Highway
Capital Program for the Delaware Valley Region, from the East Norriton
Township Comprehensive Plan, from the Montgomery County Planning Commission
and from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Any proposed
roadway improvements resulting from proposed surrounding developments
shall also be recorded.
(3)
Existing traffic conditions.
(a)
Existing traffic conditions shall be measured
and documented for all major streets and intersections identified
in the study area. Intersection traffic counts shall include traffic
volumes during the peak highway and peak development hours and for
average daily conditions.
(b)
Intersection capacity analyses shall be conducted
at all intersections examined for existing conditions according to
the Highway Capacity Manual published by the Transportation Research
Board. Levels of service shall be determined at all intersections.
This analysis will determine the adequacy of the existing roadway
system to serve the current traffic demand. Roadways and intersection
approaches experiencing Levels of Service E or F shall be noted as
congestion locations, and improvements shall be recommended to accommodate
existing traffic conditions.
(4)
Base conditions.
(a)
The selection of a horizon year for which study
results are to be characterized may be directly related to local plan
horizons, development phasing (for this and other projects) or major
transportation system changes. Table 1 sets forth the appropriate
study horizon, based on the number of trips generated by the development
during the peak hour.
|
Table 1
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Appropriate Study Horizons
| ||
|
Development Characteristic
|
Suggested Horizons
| |
|
Small development (under 500 peak hour trips)
|
Anticipated opening year, assuming full buildout
and occupancy.
| |
|
Moderate single-phase development (under 500
to 1,000 peak hour trips)
|
1.
|
Anticipated opening year, assuming full development
buildout and occupancy.
|
|
2.
|
Adopted transportation plan horizon year if
the development is significantly larger than that included in the
adopted plan or forecasts for the area.
| |
|
Large single-phase development (over 1,000 peak
hour trips)
|
1.
|
Anticipated opening year, assuming full buildout
and occupancy.
|
|
2.
|
Adopted transportation plan horizon year.
| |
|
Moderate or large multiple-phase development
|
1.
|
Anticipated opening years of each major phase,
assuming buildout and full occupancy of each phase.
|
|
2.
|
Anticipated year of complete buildout and occupancy.
| |
|
3.
|
Adopted transportation plan horizon year.
| |
|
4.
|
Additional years when major area transportation
improvement is completed.
| |
|
NOTE: Peak hour trips are based on trip generation.
|
(b)
Base conditions, that is, horizon year conditions
without the subject site being developed, shall be determined for
all peak hours examined. Base condition traffic will consist of the
existing traffic expanded to the horizon year using an annual background
growth factor and traffic generated by other proposed developments
in the study area. All sources used in developing the background growth
factor should be stated. The traffic generated by other developments
in the area should be determined from the manual, Trip Generation,
Fourth Edition, 1987, or as may be amended, an Institute of Transportation
Engineers Informational Report.
(c)
Capacity analyses for the base condition peak
hour volumes should be conducted according to the Highway Capacity
Manual. Levels of service shall be determined at all intersections.
This analysis will determine the adequacy of the horizon year roadway
system to serve the base condition traffic demand. Roadways and intersection
approaches experiencing Levels of Service E or F shall be noted as
congestion locations, and improvements will be recommended to accommodate
the horizon year traffic conditions.
(5)
Transportation impact of the development.
(a)
The traffic generated by the proposed development
shall be determined according to the manual, Trip Generation, Fourth
Edition, 1987, or as may be amended, an Institute of Transportation
Engineers Informational Report. Where the appropriate date is not
available for the proposed subdivision and land development use, the
developer shall provide the rates applied and document the source
of the rate applied. If the developer requests to use significantly
different rates than those given, he/she shall submit the rates and
specific justification to the Township Engineer prior to submission
of the transportation impact study for approval or denial. Trip generation
shall be conducted for average daily traffic, highway peak hours and
the land development or subdivision peak hours. These generated volumes
shall be distributed to the study area and assigned to the existing
streets and intersections throughout the study area. Documentation
of all assumptions used in the distribution and assignment phase shall
be provided. Traffic characteristics of the site that will cause unusual
trip generation rates and/or traffic flows shall be noted.
(b)
The total future traffic demand in the study
area based on full occupancy of the proposed development shall be
calculated. This demand shall consist of the combination of the base
condition volumes and the development-generated traffic.
(c)
Pedestrian volumes shall also be calculated,
if applicable. If school crossings are to be used, pedestrian volumes
shall be assigned to each crossing.
(d)
An intersection capacity analysis shall be conducted
for projected conditions. If staging of the proposed development is
anticipated, calculations for each stage of completion shall be made.
This analysis shall be performed using the peak highway hour(s) and
peak development-generated hour(s) for all intersections examined
in the study area. Levels of service shall be determined at all intersections.
This analysis will determine the adequacy of the horizon year roadway
system to serve the projected traffic demand. Roadways and intersection
approaches experiencing Levels of Service E or F shall be noted as
congestion locations and improvements shall be recommended to accommodate
the projected traffic conditions.
(e)
All pedestrian crossings and access points and
unsignalized intersection approaches operating at Levels of Service
E or F shall be examined as to the feasibility of installing traffic
signals. This evaluation shall examine the feasibility of installing
a traffic signal according to both PADOT (Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation Publication 201, Engineering and Traffic Studies,
Subchapter D, Traffic Control Restrictions) and U.S. DOT (Manual on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices, United States Department of Transportation,
Federal Highway Administration) standards.
(6)
Conclusions and recommended improvements.
(a)
All roadways or intersection approaches operating
at Levels of Service of E or F shall be considered deficient, and
specific recommendations for the elimination of these problems shall
be listed. This listing of recommended improvements shall include
but not be limited to the following elements: internal circulation
design, site access location and design, external street and intersection
design and improvements, traffic signal installation and operation,
including signal timing, and transit design improvements.
(b)
Existing and/or future public transportation
shall also be addressed. A listing of all actions to be undertaken
to increase present public transportation usage and improve service,
if applicable, shall be included.
(c)
The listing of recommended improvements for
both streets and transit shall include, for such improvement, the
party responsible for the improvement, the cost and funding of the
improvement and the proposed completion date for the improvement.
(d)
The planning agencies having jurisdiction, including
but not limited to the Township Planning Commission and/or the Montgomery
County Planning Commission, shall review the transportation impact
study to determine its adequacy in solving any traffic problems which
may occur due to the land development or subdivision and make recommendations
to the supervisors.
(e)
The Township may decide that certain improvements
contained in the study on or adjacent to the site are required for
application plan approval and may attach these conditions to the preliminary
approval.
(f)
The improvement plans shall not be submitted
to PADOT and/or the Montgomery County Permits Office until such plans
are approved by the Township. This submittal shall be accompanied
by comments of the Township and the Montgomery County Planning Commission.
A.
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish
an impact fee program to ensure that the transportation system is
available and adequate to support new growth and development. To advance
this objective, there is hereby created an impact fee payable to the
Township prior to building permit issuances.
B.
General findings and conditions. The Board of Supervisors
hereby finds and declares that:
(1)
The conditions and standards for the determination
and imposition of the impact fee set forth herein are those set forth
in Act 209 of 1990,[2] and any and all amendments thereto (hereinafter the "Act"),
and consist of:
(a)
The recitals set forth above;
(b)
The analysis, advice and recommendation of the
Traffic Advisory Committee;
(c)
The Land Use Assumptions as adopted by the Board
of Supervisors;
(d)
The Roadway Sufficiency Analysis as adopted
by the Board of Supervisors;
(e)
The Transportation Capital Improvement Plan,
as adopted by the Board of Supervisors; and
(f)
Such other conditions and standards as the Board
of Supervisors may, by resolution, identify from time to time as being
relevant and material to the imposition of an impact fee and consistent
with the provisions of the Act and any amendments thereto.
[2]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10501-A.
(2)
The collection, distribution and accounting
of impact fees shall be administered by the office of the Township
Manager or Secretary/Treasurer, subject to review, oversight and control
by the Board of Supervisors.
(3)
The time, method and procedure for payment of
impact fees shall be as set forth in this section.
(4)
The procedure for credits against or refunds
of impact fees shall be as set forth in this section.
D.
Imposition. There is hereby enacted an impact fee
to be imposed upon new development for the purpose of off-site public
transportation capital improvements authorized by the Act and as described
in the program adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The impact fee
shall apply to all new developments or subdivisions within the transportation
service area identified herein and shall be a condition precedent
to final approval of a development or a subdivision plan or issuance
of a building permit.
E.
Uses. Impact fees collected pursuant to this section
shall be expended for cost incurred for improvements attributable
to new development and designated in the Transportation Capital Improvement
Plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors in Resolution No. 1959 for
improvements within the transportation service area. Additionally,
such fees may be used for the acquisition of land and rights-of-way,
engineering, legal, planning costs and all other cost, including debt
service related to road improvements within the designated service
area, and including such proportionate amount of the Roadway Sufficiency
Analysis as is allowed under the provisions of the Act.
F.
Documents adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The
following documents, previously adopted by the Board of Supervisors,
are hereby incorporated by reference in this section:
(1)
Land Use Assumptions as adopted by Township
resolution.
(2)
Roadway Sufficiency Analysis as adopted by Township
resolution.
(3)
The Transportation Capital Improvement Plan
as adopted by Township resolution.
(4)
The Impact Fee Schedule as adopted by Township
resolution.
(5)
Designation of Transportation Service Area as
the entire Township consisting of 6.11 square miles.
G.
Special traffic studies.
(1)
Where intended to assist in determining the
appropriate amount of traffic impact fees, the Township may require
the preparation of special transportation studies to determine the
traffic generation or circulation patterns in new nonresidential developments
only; provided, however, that no studies may be required where the
proposed development will not require a deviation from the land use
assumptions used to create the Plan.
(2)
Any such studies required by the Township shall
be submitted prior to the imposition of the impact fee and shall be
considered in the determination of the fee.
H.
Applicability of impact fee. This section shall be
uniformly applicable to all development that occurs within a designated
service area.
I.
Imposition of impact fee. No building permit shall
be issued for a development in a designated service area, as herein
defined, unless the applicant therefore has paid the impact fee imposed
by and calculated pursuant to this section.
J.
Calculation of impact fees.
(1)
The impact fee for transportation capital improvements
shall be based upon the total cost of the road improvements included
in the adopted Transportation Capital Improvement Plan within the
transportation service area attributable to and necessitated by new
development within the service area as defined, divided by the number
of anticipated peak-hour trips generated by all new development within
the service area as defined, divided by the number of anticipated
peak-hour trips generated by all new development consistent with the
adopted Land Use Assumptions and calculated in accordance with the
Trip Generation Manual published by the Institute of Transportation
Engineer, fourth or subsequent editions, which is hereby adopted by
the Township, to equal a per-trip cost for transportation improvement
within the service area.
(2)
The specific impact fee for a specific new development
or subdivision within the service area or road improvements shall
be determined as of the date of preliminary land development or subdivision
approval by multiplying the per-trip cost established for the service
as determined in the Transportation Capital Improvement Plan by the
estimated number of peak-hour trips to be generated by the new development
or subdivision using generally accepted traffic engineering standards.
(3)
The Board of Supervisors may authorize or require the preparation of a special transportation study in order to determine traffic generation or circulation for a new nonresidential development to assist in the determination of the amount of the transportation fee for such development or subdivision as required in § 175-17.1, Transportation impact study.
K.
Establishment of transportation service areas.
(1)
The transportation service areas shall be all
of East Norriton Township.
(2)
Additional transportation district areas or
combinations of transportation district subareas may be designated
by the Board of Supervisors from time to time consistent with the
procedure set forth in this section and in consideration of the following
factors:
(a)
The Comprehensive Plan;
(b)
Any standards for adequate public facilities
incorporated in the Plan;
(c)
The projected buildout and timing of development
areas;
(d)
The need for and cost of unprogrammed transportation
improvements necessary to support projected development; and
(e)
Such other factors as the Board of Supervisors
may deem relevant.
L.
Calculation of peak hour trip fee for transportation
service area. The amount of the per-peak-hour-trip fee for the Transportation
Service Area shall be $2,123 until and unless revised or amended in
accordance with the provisions hereof and the Act, calculated in accordance
with §§ 504-A(e)(1)(iv)(c) and 505-A(a)(1) of the Act.[4] This fee was calculated as follows:
[Amended 8-28-2007 by Ord. No. 500]
(1)
Total cost of road improvements included in
the adopted Transportation Capital Improvement Plan attributable to
and necessitated by new development within the Transportation Service
Area including 50% of the estimated cost of improvements to highways,
roads and streets qualifying as a state highway or portion of the
rural highway system as provided in § 102 of the State Highway
Law and also the assumption was made that 50% of funding for county
owned roads would come from other sources: $4,368,007.
(2)
Prorated share of costs of Roadway Sufficiency
Analysis Report pursuant to § 502-A(d)(5) of the Act (28%
x $35,000 = $9,800).
|
$4,368,007
| ||
|
+
9,800
| ||
|
$4,377,807
|
(3)
Four million three hundred seventy-seven thousand
eight hundred seven dollars divided by 2062 total per peak hour trips
= $2,123 per peak hour trip.
[4]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10504-A(e)(1)(iv)(C)
and 53 P.S. § 10505-A(a)(1), respectively.
M.
Projects not contained in the Transportation Capital
Improvement Plan. Any other provisions of this section to the contrary
notwithstanding, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the
Township may expend transportation impact fees paid by an applicant
on projects not contained in the Transportation Capital Improvement
Plan or may provide credit against transportation impact fees for
the value of any construction projects not contained in the Transportation
Capital Improvement Plan which are performed at the applicant's expense
if all of the following criteria are met:
(1)
The applicant has provided written consent for
use of its collected impact fees or provisions of such credit against
the applicant's impact fees for specific transportation projects which
are not included in the Transportation Capital Improvement Plan.
(2)
The alternative transportation projects, whether
highway or multimodal, have as their purpose the reduction of traffic
congestion or the removal of vehicle trips from the roadway network.
(3)
The Township amends its Transportation Capital
Improvement Plan components required by § 504-A(e)(1)(vi)
of the Act[5] to provide replacement of the collected impact fees transferred
to transportation projects outside the Transportation Capital Improvement
Plan from sources other than impact fees or developers contributions
within three years of completion of the alternate projects to which
the transferred fees were applied or for which credit was provided.
All interest earned on such funds shall become funds of that account.
The Township shall make an accounting annually for any funds account
containing impact fee proceeds and earned interest. Such accounting
shall include, but not be limited to, the total funds collected, the
source of the funds collected, the total amount of interest accruing
on such funds and the amount of funds expended on specific transportation
improvements. Notice of the availability of the results of the accounting
shall be included and published as part of the annual audit required
of the Township. A copy of the report shall also be provided to the
Transportation Impact Fee Advisory Committee.
[5]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. 10504-A(e)(1)(vi).
N.
Nonbinding impact fee estimate. Prior to making an
application for a building permit, an applicant may request a nonbinding
impact fee estimate from the Township, which shall be based upon the
maximum development potential of the site pursuant to existing zoning
regulations, unless the applicant specifies a lesser use of development.
O.
Administration of impact fee.
(1)
Collection of impact fee. Impact fees due pursuant
to this section shall be collected by the Township in the manner or
manners prescribed herein prior to the issuance of a building permit.
(2)
Establishment of fund. Upon receipt of impact
fees, the Township Manager or Finance Director shall be responsible
for the separate and proper accounting of such fees. All such fees
shall be deposited in interest-bearing accounts in a bank authorized
to receive deposits of the Township funds. Interest earned by each
account shall be credited to that account and shall be used solely
for the purpose specified for funds of such account.
(3)
Establishment and maintenance of accounts. The
Township Manager or Finance Director shall establish appropriate trust
fund accounts and shall maintain records whereby impact fees collected
can be segregated for each transportation district service area.
(4)
Maintenance of records. The Township Manager
or Finance Director shall maintain and keep adequate financial records
for each such account which shall show the source and disbursement
of all revenues, which shall account for all moneys received, and
which shall ensure that the disbursement of funds from each account
shall be used solely and exclusively for the provision of projects
specified in the plan for the particular transportation service area.
P.
Method of payment. Payment of the transportation capital
improvements impact fee shall be made in cash, certified check or
bank check by the person seeking to build or develop.
Q.
Credit. Any applicant who shall perform, at his own
expense and with the consent and agreement of the Board of Supervisors,
off-site improvements, as herein defined, shall be eligible for a
credit from the impact fee otherwise due in the amount of the actual
cost of such off-site improvements as defined below. Such credit shall
not exceed the amount of the impact fee.
(1)
If the applicant makes such improvements, he
must enter into an agreement with the Board of Supervisors prior to
the issuance of any building permit. The agreement must establish
the estimated cost of the improvement, which shall be an amount equal
to the value of any road improvement construction which is contained
in the Transportation Capital Improvements Plan and which was performed
at the applicant's expense, the schedule for initiation and completion
of the improvement, a requirement that the improvement be completed
to Township and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards
and design criteria and such other terms and conditions as deemed
necessary by the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors must
review the improvement plan, verify cost and time schedules, determine
if the improvement is an eligible improvement and determine the amount
of the applicable credit for such improvement to be applied to the
otherwise applicable impact fee prior to issuance of any building
permit. In no event shall the Board of Supervisors provide a credit
which is greater than the applicable impact fee. If, however, the
amount of the credit is calculated to be greater than the amount of
the impact fee due, the applicant may use such excess credit toward
the impact fees imposed on other building permits for development
on the same site and in the same ownership.
(2)
Any such applicant shall be required to supply
financial security sufficient, in the judgment of the Township, to
cover the cost of any such improvement installed by the applicant
for which credit is sought.
(3)
An applicant shall be entitled to, as a credit
against impact fees, an amount equal to the fair market value of land
dedicated by the applicant and accepted by the Township for future
right-of-way, realignment or widening of existing roadways.
R.
Refunds.
(1)
Impact fees collected pursuant to this section
shall be refunded, together with interest earned thereon, to the payer
of the fees under the following circumstances:
(a)
In the event the Township completes or terminates
the capital improvements plan and there remain undisbursed funds,
the respective payers shall be entitled to a share of the fund balance
in the same proportion as the payer's impact fee payment plus interest
earned bears to the total impact fees collected plus interest.
(b)
In the event any specific road improvement project
is completed at a cost to the Township of less than 95% of the budgeted
cost of the road project, the Township shall refund an amount equal
to the excess budgeted cost over actual cost to the payers, pro rata,
plus accumulated interest.
(c)
In the event the Township fails to commence
construction within three years of the scheduled construction date
of the project as set forth in the Transportation Capital Improvements
Plan, the Township shall refund the portion of the fee paid by a payer
making written request therefor which is attributable to said project,
with accumulated interest, provided that no refund shall be paid with
respect to any project actually begun prior to the receipt of such
refund request.
(d)
In the event the development for which impact
fees were paid has not commenced prior to the expiration of the building
permit issued thereof, the impact fees paid with accumulated interest
shall be refunded to the payer. Further, if a building permit after
issuance is altered in such a way as to reduce the indicated impact
fee, the difference between the amount indicated and the amount actually
paid shall be refunded. The payer, at his option, may roll over the
impact fees attributable to an expired building permit to cover fees
incurred by a renewal of said expired permit.
(2)
With respect to refunds arising out of Subsection R(1)(a) or (b) hereof, any funds unclaimed within one year after notice as required by law shall be transferred to the general account of the Township, and the payer's entitlement to said refund shall lapse. It is the responsibility of the payer to provide the Township with the current address of his place of business.
S.
Effect of impact fee on zoning and subdivision/land
development regulations. This section shall not affect, in any manner,
the permissible use of property, density of development, previously
adopted design and improvement standards and requirements or any other
aspect of the development of land or provision of public improvements
which remain subject to applicable zoning and subdivision/land development
regulations of the Township, which shall be operative and remain in
full force and effect without limitation with respect to all such
development.
T.
Impact fee as additional and supplemental requirement.
The impact fee is additional and supplemental to and not in substitution
of any other requirements imposed by the Township on the development
of land or the issuance of building permits. Nothing herein contained
shall be deemed to alter or affect the Township's existing ordinances
and regulations regarding on-site improvements. In no event shall
a property owner be obligated to pay for transportation capital improvements
in an amount in excess of the amount calculated pursuant to this section;
provided, however, that a property owner may be required to pay, pursuant
to Township ordinances, regulations or policies, for other public
facilities in addition to the impact fee for transportation improvements
as provided herein.
U.
Liberal construction. The provisions of this section
shall be liberally construed to effectively carry out its purposes
which are hereby found and declared to be in furtherance of the public
health, safety, welfare and convenience.
[1]
Editor's Note: Ord. No. 432, adopted 5-22-2001,
which added this section, provided that it shall be retroactive to
1-18-2000, the date on which the Impact Fee Advisory Committee was
formed pursuant to Res. No. 1893. It also provided that impact fees
may be imposed on those projects involving developments, subdivisions
and PRDs for which an application has been filed on or after 2-1-2000,
the first publication of notice of the Township's intent to adopt
this ordinance.
All new streets and culs-de-sac and widened portions of all existing rights-of-way, intended for public use, including but not limited to state and county roadways, shall be dedicated to the Township or other governmental body having jurisdiction at the time of dedication, subject to final acceptance based on compliance with the following requirements and § 175-52 of this chapter.
A.
Street system.
(1)
Conformance with adopted plans. The proposed street
pattern shall be properly regulated to existing streets, to the Township
Plan of Streets and to such county and state road and highway plans
as have been duly adopted by the appropriate agency.
(2)
Arrangement. Streets shall be arranged in a manner
to meet with the approval of the Board, considered in relation to
both existing and planned streets and located so as to allow proper
development of surrounding properties. Secondary and through highways
shall be connected with such existing streets and highways so as to
form continuations thereof. Residential streets shall be laid out
to discourage their use as secondary streets or through highways.
(3)
Conformity with topography. Streets shall be adjusted
to the contour of the land so as to produce usable lots and streets
of reasonable grade, alignment and drainage.
(4)
Grading. The street shall be graded to the full width
of the right-of-way and provision made for slopes beyond the right-of-way
in conformance with Township specifications.
(5)
Provisions of streets for future development. Access
shall be given to all lots and portions of the tract in the subdivision
and to adjacent unsubdivided territory. Streets giving such access
shall be improved to the limits of the subdivision. Remnants, reserve
strips and landlocked areas shall not be created.
(6)
New streets. New streets shall be laid out to continue
existing streets at equal or greater right-of-way and cartway width,
where such continuations are reasonable and practical.
(7)
Dead-end streets. Dead-end streets are prohibited,
unless designed as culs-de-sac or designed for access exclusively
to neighboring tracts.
(8)
Street names. Continuations of existing streets shall
be known by the same name. Names for new streets shall not duplicate
or closely resemble names of existing streets. All street names are
subject to the approval of the Board.
(9)
Half streets. The dedication of half streets at the
edges of a new subdivision is prohibited. If circumstances render
this impracticable, adequate provision for the concurrent dedication
of the remaining half of the street must be furnished by the subdivider,
developer or builder. When there exists a half street in an adjoining
subdivision, the remaining half shall be provided by the proposed
development.
B.
Street alignment.
(1)
Sight distance on horizontal and vertical curves.
Proper sight distance should be provided with respect to both horizontal
and vertical alignments. Measured along the center line, this should
be 500 feet for major roads, 300 feet for secondary roads and 200
feet for local residential streets, measured at the center line and
at driver's eye height of five feet.
(2)
Horizontal curves shall be used at all changes in
excess of 2°. Long radius curves shall be used rather than a series
of curves connected by short tangents. Minimum radius curves at the
end of long tangents will not be approved.
(a)
Curvature. The minimum radius at the center
line for horizontal curves on major streets shall be 300 feet; for
secondary streets, 200 feet; and for rural or residential streets,
150 feet.
(b)
Tangents between curves. Except for local streets,
there shall be a tangent of at least 100 feet measured at the center
line between reverse curves.
(3)
Vertical curves. Vertical curves shall be used at
changes in grade of more than 1%. The length of the curve shall approximate
50 feet on secondary streets and 25 feet on residential streets for
each 1% of change in grade. Over summits or in sumps, vertical curves
shall not produce excessive flatness in grade. The high or low point
on a vertical curve must be definitely and clearly shown.
(4)
Street grades.
(a)
There shall be a minimum grade of at least 1%
on all streets.
(b)
Maximum grades. There shall be a maximum grade
of 7% on major and secondary streets and 10% on residential streets
for distances of not more than 1,500 feet. However, grades in excess
of 5% shall be avoided wherever possible. The grade shall be measured
along the center line.
(c)
Curve-grade combinations. A combination of minimum
radius horizontal curves and maximum grades will not be approved.
(d)
Street intersections. The grade within 50 feet
of any side of an intersection or the outer perimeter of a cul-de-sac
shall not exceed 3%. The grade will be measured along the curbline
of the street.
(e)
Street grading. All streets shall be graded
to the grades shown on the street profile and cross-section plan submitted
and approved with the preliminary plan of subdivision and land development.
They shall be inspected and checked for accuracy by the Township Engineer.
C.
Right-of-way width, paving width and curbing.
(1)
Classification. All streets will be classified as
residential, secondary, major or cul-de-sac and shall be governed
as follows:
(a)
Residential streets shall be those which are
used strictly to serve residential areas and do not serve as through
streets in a development. They shall have a minimum right-of-way width
of 50 feet and shall have a minimum paved width of 30 feet. Construction
of the street, curbing and sidewalk shall be in accordance with specifications
hereinafter included in these standards.
(b)
Secondary streets shall be defined in two ways:
[1]
Secondary feeder streets shall be those which
are used as connecting and through streets to serve residential areas
and to connect residential streets to collector roads and community
facilities with light traffic volumes. They shall have a minimum right-of-way
of 60 feet and shall have a minimum paved width of 36 feet. Curbing
and/or sidewalk shall be provided as required. Construction of the
street curbing and sidewalk shall be in accordance with specifications
hereinafter included in the standards.
[2]
A secondary collector street shall serve to
connect feeder streets and residential streets to other feeder roads,
community facilities and major highways with medium traffic volume.
Additionally, collector streets may also serve business or industrial
areas. They shall have a minimum right-of-way width of 80 feet and
shall have a minimum paved width of 40 feet. The construction of the
street, curbing and sidewalk shall conform to construction specifications
hereinafter included in these standards.
(c)
Major streets connect district centers or communities
serving large volumes of fast-moving through traffic. They shall have
a minimum right-of-way of 100 feet and shall have a minimum paved
width of 52 feet. The street must be provided with curbing. Construction
of the street curbing and sidewalk shall be in accordance with specifications
included hereinafter in these standards.
(d)
Cul-de-sac streets shall be those residential
streets with one end open for vehicular access and the other end terminating
in a vehicular turnaround. The circular turnaround of all culs-de-sac
shall be constructed with the curvature starting at a tangent point
on the right-hand side of the roadway and with the arc curving to
the left.
[1]
A cul-de-sac will not be approved when a through
street is practicable.
[2]
A cul-de-sac shall not be more than 500 feet
in length.
[3]
A cul-de-sac must be a side street and not be
the permanent culmination of another street to form a four-way intersection.
[4]
A cul-de-sac shall have a right-of-way of 50
feet and shall have a circular turnaround with a minimum right-of-way
radius of 50 feet and an outer paving radius of 40 feet.
[5]
A cul-de-sac permanently terminated will not
be approved when a through street is practicable. The subdivider shall
have the burden of showing the impracticability of the through street
in order to justify a cul-de-sac.
[6]
A cul-de-sac permanently or temporarily exceeding
500 feet in length may be approved by the Board if conditions of the
land so warrant.
[7]
Where it is proposed that a road be constructed
to an abutting property line with the intention that such a road will
be extended onto the adjoining property at a future date, the temporarily
terminated cul-de-sac shall be constructed the same as one permanently
terminated, including the right-of-way width. Construction of the
street curbing and sidewalk shall be in accordance with specifications
hereinafter included in these standards.
(2)
Street width. The minimum widths of the right-of-way
and the paving and the requirements for curbing shall not be less
than those of an existing street of which the new street is to be
a continuation nor less than the following:
|
Type of Street
|
Right-of-Way Width
(feet)
|
Paving Width
(feet)
|
Curbing
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Major
|
100
|
52 (or more as may be required)
|
As may be required
|
|
Secondary
collector
|
80
|
40
|
As may be required
|
|
Secondary
feeder
|
60
|
36
|
As may be required
|
|
Residential
|
50
|
30
|
Required
|
|
Cul-de-sac
|
50
|
30
|
Required
|
|
NOTE: Where the subdivision fronts
on an existing street, the existing paved portion shall be extended
to the required curbline. Construction of any such widening shall
be as directed by the Township Engineer.
|
(a)
The minimum right-of-way width for development
along existing streets will correspond with the ultimate right-of-way
for these streets.
(b)
Islands and medial strips may be permitted in
streets immediately adjacent and in commercial zones. However, no
circles or circular segments shall be permitted on any street.
D.
Street paving. All street paving must conform to the
specifications incorporated in this section of the standards and be
approved by the Township Engineer prior to acceptance by the Board.
All grades, horizontal curves intersections, sight distances and tangents
shall conform to the requirements established by this chapter and
shall be subject to the approval of the Township Engineer.
(1)
Subgrade.
(a)
The bottom of the excavation and the top of
the fill between the outer limits of the paving or base course, when
completed, will be known as the "subgrade" and shall conform to the
lines, grade and cross sections given. The subgrade for macadam paving
shall conform to the established line, grade and cross section as
approved by the Board. The subgrade shall be solidly compacted to
a firm and unyielding state by rolling with a minimum of a ten-ton
power roller. Unstable areas shall be removed and replaced with suitable
fill and then rerolled as required to provide a uniform even surface.
(b)
After the excavation or rough grading has been
performed and all drains have been constructed, the subgrade will
be fine graded and shaped to the proper cross section. It shall be
brought to a firm unyielding surface by rolling the entire area with
an approved three-wheel power roller having a metal weight of not
less than 10 tons. Solid rock, boulders, soft clay and all spongy
materials which will not consolidate under the roller shall be removed
from the subgrade to a depth to be determined by the Township Engineer
or other person designated by the Board. The space shall be filled
with suitable material from the excavation and the subgrade rerolled
until it presents a smooth and firm surface of the proper shape and
cross section. Crown board and straight edge shall be used for checking
road and street construction. Maximum deviation shall not exceed 1/4
inch.
(2)
Shoulder.
(a)
Supporting shoulder shall be constructed on
all sections of projects where a base course or pavement is to be
constructed without other permanent support along the sides. All shoulder
shall be thoroughly compacted and graded to provide drainage from
the macadam surface.
(b)
Where concrete curbing is not to be constructed,
shoulders are to be constructed adjacent to the paving of the proposed
road. The width and type of construction, grade and construction methods
of these shoulders is to be determined by or must meet the approval
of the Township Engineer or other person designated by the Board.
(3)
Paving base course. The base course shall be bituminous
concrete base course.
(a)
Bituminous concrete base course. Bituminous
concrete base course shall have a compressed thickness after compaction
of six inches, except in the case of roadway construction in the Industrial
or Limited Industrial Zoning Districts, where the bituminous concrete
base course shall have a compressed thickness after compaction of
eight inches and shall be constructed in two four-inch layers. In
all cases, the bituminous concrete base course shall be constructed
on a four-inch layer of compacted 2A modified stone. The bituminous
concrete base course shall conform to the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation Specifications Form 408, latest edition.
(b)
Materials. Materials meeting the requirements
as specified in Section 305.2 of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Specifications Form 408, latest edition, shall be used.
(4)
Bituminous surface course ID-2. This surface course
shall consist of two courses, the binder course and the wearing course,
of hot-mixed, hot-laid asphaltic concrete, constructed on a prepared
base course. The bituminous surface course shall have a total thickness
after final compaction of not less than 3 1/2 inches. The binder
course shall have a minimum thickness after compaction of two inches.
The wearing course shall have a minimum thickness after compaction
of 1 1/2 inches. All street pavement cross sections, except where
superelevated for curves, will be a minimum slope from the center
of the road to the gutter of 1/4 inch per foot to a maximum of 1/2
inch per foot.
(a)
Materials. The materials for the bituminous
wearing course and the bituminous binder course shall conform to the
requirements as given in Sections 420 and 421, respectively, of the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Specifications Form 408,
latest edition.
(b)
Construction methods. The bituminous binder
and bituminous wearing course shall be Type ID-2 as specified in Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation Specifications Form 408, latest edition,
and shall be applied in strict accordance therewith. No visible moisture
shall be present prior to the laying of each course. Road surface
temperature shall be 50° F. or greater prior to laying of
a bituminous surface. The air temperature shall be 40° F.
or greater with the temperature rising. All bituminous surface courses
shall have a total thickness after compression of 3 1/2 inches
minimum. All edges shall be kept straight and sharp forming a clean-cut
line between finished road and gravel shoulder where shoulder construction
is used.
(c)
East Norriton Township will require delivery
slips for all materials used in the construction of streets.
E.
Street intersections.
(1)
Number of intersections. No more than two streets
shall cross at the same point. Four-way intersections are to be avoided
in the layout when three-way or T-intersections can be utilized. When
existing streets intersect at odd angles or have more than four approaches,
the subdivider, developer or builder shall be required to make corrective
changes to eliminate the odd angle or reduce the number of approaches
to the intersection by curving the lesser street.
(2)
Minimum angle of intersection. Right-angle intersections
shall be used whenever practicable, especially when local streets
empty into major or secondary streets. There shall be no intersection
angle, measured at the center line, of less than 60° minimum.
(3)
Center lines. Where center lines of residential or
secondary streets open into opposite sides of a major street within
100 feet of each other, they shall be made to coincide by curving
the minor street or streets.
(4)
Primary thoroughfares. Wherever practicable, intersections
with through highways shall be kept to a minimum and shall be located
at least 1,200 feet apart.
(5)
Sight distance. Proper sight lines, as provided in § 175-18B(1) of this chapter, shall be maintained at all intersections of streets. There shall be measured along the center line a minimum clear sight triangle of 75 feet from the point of intersection. No building, trees, hedge, shrubbery or other obstruction whatsoever will be permitted in this area. Any obstruction to sight shall be removed at the time the street is graded or at the time a building or structure is erected, whichever shall first occur.
(6)
Maximum grade. Maximum grade within any intersection
shall not exceed 1%, and approaches to an intersection shall follow
a straight horizontal course for 100 feet.
(7)
Approach grades. All approaches to an intersection
shall not exceed 3% for a distance of 50 feet measured from the nearest
right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
(8)
Radii of pavement and right-of-way at intersections.
Street intersections shall be rounded with tangential arcs at the
pavement edge (curbline) and right-of-way lines as listed below. Where
two streets of different right-of-way widths intersect, the radii
of curvature for the widest street shall apply.
|
Type of Street
|
Minimum Radius of Arc at Intersection
of Pavement Edge or Curbline
(feet)
|
Minimum Radius of Arc at Intersection
of Right-of-Way Line
(feet)
| |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Major
|
40 (or more as may be required)
|
20 (or more as may be required)
| |
|
Secondary
|
30
|
20
| |
|
Residential
|
25
|
15
| |
|
Cul-de-sac
|
25
|
15
|
A.
General provisions. All alleys, driveways and parking
areas shall be constructed in accordance with the following provisions:
(1)
Paving.
(a)
All driveways for single-family units must use
the following minimum standards:
(b)
Alleys, driveways and parking areas for uses
other than single-family units must use the following minimum standards:
[1]
A crushed aggregate base course should be compacted
to a depth of eight inches. The base course shall be choked at both
the top and the bottom with fines.
[2]
A bituminous concrete base course (ID-2) to
a compacted depth of two inches. A bituminastic tack coat shall be
applied to the binder course prior to the final paving.
[3]
A bituminous wearing course (ID-2) to a compacted
depth of one inch.
(2)
Intersections of right-of-way lines shall be rounded
by a tangential arc, the minimum radius of which shall be 10 feet;
and the edge of the paving at intersections shall be rounded by a
tangential arc, the minimum radius of which shall be 15 feet.
(3)
Obstructions. No fences, hedges, trees, shrubbery, walls, plantings or other obstructions shall be located within the right-of-way. Sight distance requirements as provided in Article V, § 175-18E(5) of this chapter shall be provided at intersections with streets.
B.
Driveways.
(1)
Location. Except for common or shared driveways, all
driveways to single-family lots shall be located at least five feet
from any side or rear property lot line. All driveways shall be designed
and constructed to provide sight distance in accordance with the following
minimum sight distance diagram charts:
(a)
Table 1. Safe sight distance for passenger cars
and single-unit trucks exiting from driveways onto two-lane roads
shall be as follows:
|
Posted
Speed
(mph)
|
Safe Sight Distance, Left*
(feet)
|
Safe Sight Distance, Right*
(feet)
|
|---|---|---|
|
25
|
250
|
195
|
|
35
|
440
|
350
|
|
45
|
635
|
570
|
|
55
|
845
|
875
|
|
*NOTE: Measured from a vehicle
10 feet back from the pavement edge.
|
(b)
Table 2. Safe sight distance for buses and combinations
exiting from driveways onto two-lane roads shall be as follows:
|
Posted
Speed
(mph)
|
Safe Sight Distance, Left*
(feet)
|
Safe Sight Distance, Right*
(feet)
|
|---|---|---|
|
25
|
400
|
300
|
|
35
|
675
|
625
|
|
45
|
1,225
|
1,225
|
|
55
|
2,050
|
2,050
|
|
*NOTE: Measured from a vehicle
10 feet back from the pavement edge.
|
(c)
Table 3. Safe sight distance for passenger cars
and single-unit trucks exiting from driveways onto four- and six-lane
roads shall be as follows:
|
Posted
Speed
(mph)
|
Safe Sight Distance, Left*
(feet)
|
Safe Sight Distance, Right**
(feet)
|
|---|---|---|
|
25
|
175
|
195
|
|
35
|
300
|
350
|
|
45
|
500
|
570
|
|
55
|
785
|
875
|
|
NOTES:
| ||
|
*
|
Measured from a vehicle 10 feet back from the
pavement edge to a vehicle approaching in the outside lane.
| |
|
**
|
Measured from a vehicle 10 feet back from the
pavement edge to a vehicle approaching in the median lane.
| |
(d)
Table 4. Safe sight distance for buses and combinations
exiting from driveways onto four- and six-lane roads shall be as follows:
|
Posted
Speed
(mph)
|
Safe Sight Distance, Left*
(feet)
|
Safe Sight Distance, Right**
(feet)
|
|---|---|---|
|
25
|
300
|
300
|
|
35
|
625
|
625
|
|
45
|
1,225
|
1,225
|
|
55
|
2,050
|
2,050
|
|
NOTES:
| ||
|
*
|
Measured from a vehicle 10 feet back from the
pavement edge to a vehicle approaching in the outside lane.
| |
|
**
|
Measured from a vehicle 10 feet back from the
pavement edge to a vehicle approaching in the median lane.
| |
(e)
Table 5. Safe sight distance for passenger cars
and single-unit trucks entering driveways by left turns shall be as
follows:
|
Safe Distance*
(feet)
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Posted
Speed
(mph)
|
Two-Lane Roads
|
Four-Lane Roads
|
Six-Lane Roads
|
|
25
|
190
|
205
|
220
|
|
35
|
300
|
320
|
345
|
|
45
|
445
|
470
|
500
|
|
55
|
610
|
645
|
680
|
|
*NOTE: Measured from the point
where a left-turning vehicle stops to the vehicle in the outside lane.
|
(f)
Table 6. Safe sight distance for buses and combinations
entering driveways by left turns shall be as follows:
|
Safe Distance*
(feet)
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Posted
Speed
(mph)
|
Two-Lane Roads
|
Four-Lane Roads
|
Six-Lane Roads
|
|
25
|
330
|
360
|
390
|
|
35
|
485
|
530
|
575
|
|
45
|
690
|
750
|
810
|
|
55
|
905
|
990
|
1,075
|
|
*NOTE: Measured from the point
where a left-turning vehicle stops to a vehicle in the outside lane.
|
(g)
In using Tables 1 through 6, the following additional
requirements shall apply:
[1]
Tables 2, 4 and 6 shall be used in lieu of Tables
1, 3 and 5 only when combination traffic exceeds 5.0% of the total
traffic using the proposed driveway.
[2]
Posted speeds shall be used unless operating
speeds vary from the posted speed by more than 10 miles per hour,
in which case the Township may require that operating speeds be used.
[3]
The sight distances in Tables 1 through 4 apply
only when highway grades are 0% to 3.0%, either up or down.
[a]
When the highway grade in the section
to be used for acceleration, after leaving the driveway, ascends at
3.0% to 5.0%, the sight distance in the direction of approaching ascending
traffic may be increased by a factor of 1.4.
[b]
When the highway grade ascends
at greater than 5.0%, the sight distance may be increased by a factor
of 1.7.
[c]
When the highway grade in the section
to be used for acceleration after leaving the driveway descends at
3.0% to 5.0%, the sight distance in the direction of approaching descending
highway traffic may be reduced by a factor of 0.6.
[d]
When the road descends at greater
than 5.0%, the sight distance may be reduced by a factor of 0.5.
[4]
The sight distance values in Tables 1 through
6 are desirable for the safe operation of the driveway. Sight distance
values less than desirable will be accepted only if it is impossible
to achieve the desirable value by locating the driveway at any point
within the property frontage boundaries. The minimum acceptable sight
distance values shall be computed from the following formula:
 |
|
SSSD
|
=
|
Minimum safe stopping sight distance (feet)
| |
|
V
|
Velocity of vehicle (miles per hour)
| ||
|
T
|
=
|
Perception time of motorist (average = 2.5 seconds)
| |
|
f
|
=
|
Wet friction of pavement (average = 0.30)
| |
|
g
|
=
|
Percent grade of roadway divided by 100
|
(h)
If sight distance requirements as specified
in this chapter cannot be met, the Township may:
[1]
Prohibit left turns by exiting vehicles;
[2]
Restrict turning movements to right turns in
and out of a driveway;
[3]
Require the installation of a right-turn acceleration
lane or deceleration lane;
[4]
Require the installation of a separate left-run
standby lane;
[5]
Alter the horizontal or vertical geometry of
the roadway; or
[6]
Deny access to the highway.
(i)
Grade of access driveway. The grade of the access
driveway shall be constructed in the following manner:
[1]
All driveways shall be constructed so as not
to impair drainage within the right-of-way, alter the stability of
the improved area or change the drainage of adjacent areas.
[2]
Where a drainage ditch or swale exists, the
permittee shall install adequate pipe under the driveway in accordance
with Form 408. Drainage pipe installed under driveways shall be at
least 15 inches in diameter.
(2)
Intersections. Driveways shall be located not less
than 40 feet from the street intersection and shall provide access
to the street of a lesser classification when there are streets of
different classes involved.
(3)
Pavement widths and grade. Driveway paving widths
and grades shall be as follows:
|
Land Use
|
Minimum Paving Width
(feet)
|
Maximum Paving Width at Entrance
(feet)
|
Minimum Radius at Curb
(feet)
|
Maximum Grade
(percent)
|
Maximum of Grade per 10 Feet
(percent)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Single-family residential
|
10
|
18
|
5
|
8
|
10
|
|
Multifamily residential
|
12 (1-way)
|
15 (1-way)
|
10
|
8
|
10
|
|
24 (2-way)
|
30 (2-way)
|
10
|
8
|
10
| |
|
Commercial and industrial
|
12 (1-way)
|
15 (1-way)
|
15
|
5
|
7
|
|
24 (2-way)
|
30 (2-way)
|
15
|
5
|
7
|
(4)
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.
(6)
All frontages of 200 feet or less shall be limited
to one driveway. For multifamily residential and all nonresidential
driveways, not more than two driveways shall be permitted for any
single property or business establishment except where the frontage
exceeds 300 feet in length on any one street. Exceptions to the above
may be considered if the applicant demonstrates that there is a clear
need for additional points of access and the additional driveway will
not compromise the safe and free movement of traffic within the property
or on adjacent streets.
C.
Driveways for land developments.
(1)
The Board shall have the authority to approve driveways
intended for the use of two or more families, apartment developments
and/or commercial and industrial projects where usage by the occupants
constitutes essentially a private street. Driveways constituting private
streets are those accessways used by two or more families daily or
10 or more workers daily for vehicular circulation. Driveways serving
as private streets shall not be dedicated to the Township, nor does
the Township assume the responsibility for their maintenance.
(2)
Construction of driveways to be used as private streets
shall conform to minimum design standards for public streets, other
than those applicable to rights-of-way, width, curbing and shoulder
grading; provided, however, that the width of the cartway shall not
be, in any event, less than 24 feet.
(3)
Location and placement of driveways serving as private streets shall comply with Subsection B, Driveways. Additionally, provisions for drainage and stormwater runoff shall be approved by the Township Engineer.
(4)
The owner, and all successors, of any property which
is to abut any driveway serving as a private street shall be fully
responsible for the permanent improvement of the driveway(s) and for
the maintenance thereof in a good and safe condition.
(5)
The Board shall evaluate the location, placement and
alignment of driveways serving as private streets based upon the ease
of accessibility to and efficient maneuverability through the development
for protective services of fire and police.
(6)
Individual lots or buildings which constitute a portion
of an overall shopping center or industrial development or subdivision
shall not have direct driveway access onto any existing public street
but rather must have access to the interior driveway system of the
shopping center development or the industrial development or must
have access to an interior street to be created at the time of subdivision
and/or land development.
D.
Parking area construction.
(1)
Automobile parking facilities shall be provided off street in accordance with requirements of Chapter 205, Zoning, and this chapter.
(2)
Neither angle nor perpendicular parking along the
curbs of local, public or private access roads or streets shall be
permitted, except in the case of a CR Residential District, where
off-street parking is permitted in accordance with the provisions
of that article.[3] All parking lots and bays allowing any parking other than
parallel shall be physically separated from the cartway by a minimum
of seven feet and confined by barrier curbing.
(3)
(Reserved)
(4)
No less than 12 feet of open space shall be provided between the
curbline of any parking area and the outside wall of any structure.
[Amended 12-12-2017 by Ord. No.
575]
(5)
Parking may be permitted within side and/or rear yards
when the side and/or rear yards abut a district zoned industrial and/or
commercial. However, no parking shall be permitted within five feet
of a side or rear property line unless formal arrangements, satisfactory
to the Township, have been made for the establishment of common parking
facilities.
(6)
In commercial and industrial districts, provisions
for common parking facilities are hereby encouraged in recognition
of their increased flexibility and efficiency. Subject to formal arrangements
between the proposed users of the common parking facilities, satisfactory
to the Township, the Zoning Hearing Board may reduce the aggregate
amount of required space upon determination that greater efficiency
is effected by joint use of the common parking area. When common parking
facilities are approved, side and/or rear yard parking requirements
may be waived in order to establish unified and continuous parking
areas. In such cases, access drives and sidewalks shall be so aligned
as to maximize parking efficiency and minimize traffic congestion.
Entrances and exits must have good visibility so that, both going
in and coming out, drivers can see and cars can be seen.
(7)
Parking:
[Amended 2-28-2017 by Ord. No. 571]
(a)
Nonresidential: Parking stall dimensions shall be not less than
nine feet in width and 18 feet in depth and shall be marked and striped.
(b)
Residential parking stalls shall consist of a reasonably level
space available for parking of one motor vehicle, not less than 10
feet wide and having an area of not less than 200 square feet exclusive
of passageways, driveways or other means of circulation or access.
The area of each parking space shall be computed net of any required
street line or, in the case of a private street without a designated
right-of-way, shall be calculated net of an assumed street line established
seven feet behind the edge of the cartway or face of curb.
(8)
(Reserved)
(9)
All dead-end parking lots shall be designed to provide
sufficient backup area for the end stalls.
(10)
No less than a five-foot radius of curvature
shall be permitted for all curblines in all parking areas.
(11)
Parking lot dimensions shall be no less than
those listed in the following table:
|
Parking Stall
|
Aisle Width
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Angle of Parking
(degrees)
|
Depth
(feet)
|
Width
(feet)
|
1-way
(feet)
|
2-way
(feet)
| |
|
90
|
18
|
9
|
25
|
25
| |
|
60
|
21
|
10
|
18
|
20
| |
|
45
|
19
|
10
|
15
|
18
| |
(12)
No more than 15 parking spaces shall be permitted
in a continuous row without being interrupted by a ten-foot-wide landscape
island. This island shall be planted with either shrubs or appropriate
buffer planting.
(13)
All dead-end parking areas shall be designed
to provide sufficient area for vehicles to back up out of parking
within the end stalls of the parking area.
(14)
All public parking areas shall be well-lighted
during the after-dark operating hours. All light standards shall be
located on the raised parking islands on pedestals and not on the
parking surface.
(15)
All artificial lighting used to illuminate any
parking space or spaces shall be arranged so that direct glare from
any such light shall not fall upon any neighboring property or streets,
nor shall any high-brightness surface of the luminaries be visible
from neighboring residential properties or from any public street.
E.
Parking area landscaping. Parking lot landscaping
required by this article is intended to promote the public health,
safety and welfare by providing minimum requirements for installation
of landscaped areas in connection with parking lots and other vehicular
use areas; 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.
(1)
All parking lots with 10 or more stalls shall provide
at least 10% of the internal area as planting islands or planting
strips.
(2)
Planting islands shall be provided at least every
15 adjacent parking stalls.
(a)
At least one canopy tree shall be planted in
each required planting island.
(b)
The end of all parking rows shall be divided
from drives by planting islands.
(c)
Islands shall be uniformly elevated with topsoil
so that the center shall be crowned at least six inches above the
adjoining top of curb elevation.
(3)
Planting strips shall divide large parking lots into
smaller areas according to the following:
(4)
Plant material shall not obstruct proper lighting,
nor interfere with clear sight triangles.
(5)
Perimeters of parking lots shall follow the landscape
regulations for site element screens.
F.
Alleys. Alleys are prohibited in residential developments,
except as the completion extension of one in existence. In commercial
or industrial districts without expressly designated loading areas,
alleys with a minimum width of 25 feet shall be required. Where such
alleys dead-end, they shall be provided with a turnaround having a
radius of not less than 25 feet. The cartway shall be a minimum of
20 feet.
A.
Sidewalks.
(1)
Where required. Sidewalks shall be provided along
all streets except where, in the opinion of the Board, they are unnecessary
for the public safety and convenience.
(2)
Width and thickness. Sidewalks shall not be less than
four feet in width in residential areas. A greater width may be required
in areas in which apartments or business buildings are located or
as deemed necessary at the discretion of the Board.
(3)
Sidewalks shall be located between the curb and right-of-way
line five feet from the curbline. The grade and paving of the sidewalk
shall be continuous across driveways, except in certain cases where
heavy traffic volume dictates special treatment.
(4)
Construction methods.
(a)
Sidewalks shall be constructed so as to discharge
drainage to the street, the grade of which shall not be less than
1/4 inch per foot. The finished grade between the outside of the sidewalk
to the curbline (edge of the cartway) shall never exceed a total vertical
elevation change of one foot.
(b)
Sidewalks shall be constructed of concrete to
a width as indicated for the various classifications of the street.
(c)
Concrete used in sidewalk work shall be 3,300
pounds per square inch at 28 days with certification of the mix furnished
to the Township Engineer. Concrete shall be placed in forms that are
straight and securely braced. Care shall be taken to control the water
content to prevent a separation of the aggregates. The concrete shall
have a broom finish, and the edges shall be finished with an approved
edging tool.
(d)
All concrete sidewalks shall be constructed
on a four-inch crushed-stone or gravel base to ensure proper drainage.
The concrete shall be placed so that there is a separate joint every
five feet and shall be so constructed so that the five-foot sections
are completely separated from adjacent sections. One-half-inch premolded
expansion joints shall be placed every 20 feet and between all points
where the concrete sidewalk abuts a concrete curb.
(e)
All concrete sidewalks shall have a minimum
thickness of four inches, except under driveways, where they shall
have a minimum thickness of six inches. The concrete apron in the
driveway area shall be reinforced with wire six inches by six inches,
No. 9 wire (minimum). Two layers of this wire shall be utilized, with
a minimum of two-inch spacing between layers. The wire shall be installed
so that it is not closer than 1/2 inch from the top or bottom surfaces
of the driveway.
(5)
Where a sidewalk does not parallel a street, it may
be constructed of materials other than concrete, such as a pozzolan
base with a bituminous wearing surface, a bituminous base with a bituminous
wearing surface, flagstone or any similar type of material; provided,
however, that specifications for such materials must be submitted
to the Engineer for his review and be subject to his approval.
B.
Curbs.
(1)
Concrete curbs shall be installed along each side
of every residential, secondary or commercial street or road. Concrete
curbs shall be 18 inches deep, seven inches wide at the top and eight
inches wide at the base. The nominal distance from the top of the
curb to the flow line of the gutter shall be eight inches on secondary,
commercial, primary and residential streets. Curbing shall be built
in ten-foot lengths, and an approved expansion joint of one-fourth-inch
minimum thickness shall be used at each joint. A combination curb
and gutter may be used at the option of the developer when approved
by the Township Engineer. Where combination curb and gutter is used,
it must be placed on a minimum of four inches of crushed stone or
gravel to provide adequate drainage beneath the curb.
(2)
All concrete used in the construction of improvements
shall be certified to develop a compressive stress of at least 3,300
pounds per square inch at 28 days with certification of the mix furnished
to the Township Engineer.
(3)
Concrete shall be placed in forms that are straight
and securely braced. Care shall be taken to control the water content
to prevent separation of the aggregates. All concrete shall be thoroughly
tamped into the forms. After the concrete has set sufficiently, the
form shall be removed and the exposed surface shall be rubbed to provide
an even finish. All edges shall be finished with an approved edging
tool. To provide for driveways, depressions in the curbing may be
constructed and finished during the time of pouring.
C.
Handicap requirements. In all areas where sidewalks
are required, handicap ramps will be provided wherever an accessible
route crosses a curb subject to the following requirements:
(1)
The least possible slope shall be used with a maximum
slope of 1:12. In areas where space limitations prohibit the use of
the one-to-twelve ramp, the following slopes are acceptable:
(2)
Transitions shall be flush and free of abrupt changes.
(3)
The maximum slope of adjacent surfaces shall be one-to-twenty.
(4)
The minimum clear width shall be 36 inches.
(5)
The surface must be firm, stable and slip-resistant.
(6)
In all areas where pedestrians may walk across the
ramp, the sides of the ramp shall be flared, with a maximum slope
of 1:10.
(7)
If the width of the walking surface at the top of
the ramp is less than 48 inches wide, the flared sides shall have
a maximum slope of 1:12.
(8)
Returned curbs may be used only where pedestrians
would not normally walk across the ramp.
(9)
Built-up curb ramps shall be located so they do not
project into traffic lanes.
(10)
Detectable warnings are required for the full
width and depth of the ramp. The surface shall consist of raised truncated
domes with the following features:
(11)
Ramps shall be so located to prevent obstruction
by parked vehicles.
(12)
Ramps located at marked crossings shall be fully
contained within the marked area excluding any flared sides.
A.
Length. In general, all blocks in a subdivision shall
have a minimum length of 500 feet and a maximum length of 1,200 feet
unless special conditions warrant a variance.
B.
Width. Whenever practicable, blocks shall be of such
width as to provide two tiers of lots of the minimum size permitted
under the applicable zoning classification, except in the case of
lots along major thoroughfares where the lot fronts on an interior
street.
C.
Through lots. Double frontage lots are to be avoided
and generally will not be permitted except where reversed frontage
is desired away from a major thoroughfare to a street of lesser traffic
volume.
D.
Crosswalk. Crosswalks not less than 10 feet wide,
and with concrete paving not less than four feet wide, may be required
where necessary to provide access to schools, churches, parks and
commercial areas. They shall be maintained by the abutting property
owners in the same manner as sidewalks on public streets.
E.
Blocks. Blocks for commercial and industrial areas
may vary from the elements of design contained in this section if
the nature of the use requires other treatment. In such cases, off-street
parking for employees and customers may be required along with safe
and convenient limited access to the street system. Space for off-street
loading may also be required with similar access. Extension of streets,
railroad access rights-of-way and utilities shall be provided. The
amount of parking space shall be as required by the Zoning Ordinance.[1]
A.
Lots in residential areas.
(1)
Area. All lots shall be no smaller than the minimum
lot area requirements of the applicable zoning classification.
(2)
Depth. Lots excessively deep in relation to width
are to be avoided.
(3)
Width. The minimum width of a lot shall be that width
which is measured along the building setback line, in feet, specified
for the applicable zoning district.
(4)
Corner lots. All corner lots shall be a minimum of
1 1/2 times the minimum width of the interior lots of the same
block.
(5)
Frontage. Every lot shall have frontage along the
ultimate right-of-way line of a street unless specifically not required
by the East Norriton Township Zoning Ordinance. Double frontage lots
are prohibited except along major streets. The frontage shall not
be less than the minimum requirements of the Zoning Ordinance.[1]
(6)
Side lines. Whenever practicable, the side lines of
a lot shall be set at right angles or radial to the right-of-way line.
(7)
Building lines. Building line for all lots shall be
in conformance with the minimum front, side and rear yard line requirements
of the applicable zoning district.
(8)
Lot numbers. For the purpose of development, each
subdivision may have an overall system of lot numbers, the number
one being assigned to a lot in the first section to be developed.
(Such systems of lot numbers shall not be confused with the regular
house or building numbers system based on a Township-wide plan.)
(9)
Building numbers. House or building numbers shall
be assigned by the Township based on an overall street plan. Numbers
will be assigned in such a way as to allow for vacant parcels and
future development.
B.
Lot grading for subdivisions and land developments.
(1)
Blocks and lots. Blocks and lots shall be graded to
secure proper drainage away from buildings and to prevent the collection
of stormwater in pools. Minimum slopes of 2% away from structures
shall be required.
(2)
Design. All drainage provisions shall be of such design
as to carry surface waters to the nearest practical street, storm
drain or natural watercourse. Where drainage swales are used to deliver
surface waters away from buildings, they shall not be less than 1%
nor more than 4%. The swales shall be sodded or planted as required
and shall be of such shape and size to conform to specifications of
the Township Engineer.
(3)
Concentration. The concentration of storm drainage
in a swale along the rear or side of lot lines is strictly forbidden.
(4)
Construction. The subdivider or developer shall construct
and/or install such drainage structures and/or pipe which are necessary
to prevent erosion damage and to satisfactorily carry off such surface
waters to the nearest practical street, storm drain or natural watercourse.
(5)
Excavation. No excavation shall be made with a cut
face steeper in slope than two horizontal to one vertical, except
under one or more of the following conditions:
(a)
The excavation is located so that a line having
a slope of two horizontal to one vertical and passing through any
portion of the cut face will be entirely within the property lines
of the property on which the excavation is made.
(b)
The material from which the excavation is made
is sufficiently stable to sustain a slope steeper than two horizontal
to one vertical, and a written statement from a civil engineer, licensed
by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and experienced in erosion control,
to that effect is submitted to and approved by the Township Engineer.
The statement shall set forth that the site has been inspected and
that the deviation from the slope specified hereinbefore will not
result in injury to persons or damage to property.
(c)
A concrete or stone masonry wall constructed
according to present or future designs of the Township of East Norriton
is provided to support the face of the excavation.
(6)
Fill. No fill shall be made which creates any exposed
surface steeper in slope than two horizontal to one vertical except
under one or more of the following conditions: of the following conditions:
(a)
The fill is located so that settlement, sliding
or erosion will not result in property damage or be a hazard to adjoining
property, streets, alleys or buildings.
(b)
A written statement from a civil engineer, licensed
by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and experienced in erosion control,
certifying that he has inspected the site and that the proposed deviation
from the slope specified above will not endanger any property or result
in property damage, is submitted to and approved by the Township Engineer.
(c)
A concrete or stone masonry wall constructed
according to present or future designs of the Township of East Norriton
is provided to support the face of the excavation.
(7)
Slopes and fences. The top or bottom edge of slopes
shall be a minimum of three feet from property right-of-way line of
streets or alleys in order to permit the normal rounding of the edge
without encroaching on the abutting property. All property lines where
walls or slopes are steeper than one horizontal to one vertical and
five feet or more in height shall be protected by a fence approved
by the Board.
(8)
Cleanup. All lots must be kept free of any debris
or nuisances whatsoever.
(9)
Roof drainage. Roof drainages shall be conveyed by
downspouts constructed under the sidewalk and through the curb or
to a storm sewer or natural watercourse if available. In no case shall
sump pump connection through a curb be allowed.
(10)
Site grading plan. The Township Engineer shall require a site grading plan in conjunction with a plan of subdivision or land development in order to ensure compliance with the standards contained in this § 175-22.
(a)
In addition to the above-listed standards, it
shall be the responsibility of the applicant or developer to submit
a detailed site grading plan showing at least the following information:
[1]
An area plan or plans describing existing and
proposed features of the 100 feet surrounding the site of the work,
including topography, existing vegetation, watercourses, man-made
features and the effects of watersheds and other important natural
features.
[2]
A topographic survey of the site at a suitable
scale of no less than one inch equals 40 feet and a contour interval
of no more than two feet, prepared by a registered surveyor or engineer,
including a boundary line survey, the location and a description of
vegetative cover, including trees over 10 inches in diameter, two
feet above the ground, and other natural and man-made features. This
plan shall be a minimum size of 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches.
[3]
An improvement plan of the same size and scale as set forth in Subsection B(10)(a)[2] above, showing and describing all proposed changes to the site, including but not limited to cuts, fills, structures, paving, a description of all trees to be removed and utilities (this may be combined with a topographical survey for simple projects upon request to and approval by the Township).
[4]
A grading plan of the same scale as Subsection B(10)(a)[2] above, showing and describing all proposed changes to the site, including but not limited to cuts, fills, structures, paving, utilities and rights-of-way of easements.
(b)
The Township Engineer shall inspect grading
activities. Inspections shall be carried out on a random basis, except
as stated hereafter. A final inspection shall be conducted by the
Township Engineer to certify compliance with this chapter. The applicant
or developer shall notify the Township Engineer and submit an as-built
grading plan, showing all changes in the final grading plan, within
14 days of the completion of all activities for which a permit was
issued thereunder. The Township Engineer shall then conduct an inspection
to ensure that satisfactory compliance with requirements has been
accomplished. If the subject property, as finally graded and constructed,
does not satisfactorily conform to the final grading plan filed with
the permit applications hereunder, then the Township Engineer shall
note changes required on the as-built grading plan. The applicant
or developer shall correct all noted deficiencies and submit a revised
as-built grading plan for reinspection. When the Township Engineer
is satisfied that the finally graded parcel of real property complies
with all Township requirements, he shall notify the Township Zoning
Officer, or such other authorized personnel as the Township shall
from time to time designate, that the subject lot is in compliance
with this section. No occupancy permit (temporary or permanent) shall
be issued until such time as the Township Engineer certifies that
all grading and/or stabilization has been completed in accordance
with the final grading plan.
(11)
Sump pumps. Sump pumps shall be installed in
all below grade basements unless the basement area is drained by a
gravity line. All sump pumps must discharge into the underground storm
drainage system.
C.
Lot siting, planting and beautification for subdivision
and land developments. In the interest of providing for the protection
and preservation of natural resources, the provisions of this article
are intended to preserve the natural amenities of the Township; protect
the public health and welfare by helping to control soil erosion and
reduce sedimentation, by providing shade from the summer sun and by
providing wind breaks from the winter winds; and encourage landowners
to develop their properties in such a way as to minimize destruction
of existing trees.
(1)
Limit of contract. Where the applicant is offering
for dedication or is required by ordinance to establish a reservation
of open space or preserve an area of scenic or historic importance,
a limit of contract, which will confine excavation, earthmoving procedures
and other changes to the landscape, may be required to ensure preservation
and prevent despoliation of the character of the area in open space.
(2)
Tree preservation. The plan shall minimize the loss
of trees over six inches in caliper, tree masses and woodlands to
buildings, clearing and/or grading.
(3)
Topsoil preservation. No topsoil shall be removed
from the site or used as spoil. Topsoil must be removed from the areas
of construction and stored separately. Upon completion of the construction,
the topsoil must be redistributed on the site uniformly. All areas
of the site shall be stabilized by seeding or planting on slopes of
less than 10% and shall be stabilized by sodding on slopes 10% or
more and planted in ground cover on slopes 20%, provided that riprap
shall be utilized for banks exceeding 25%.
(4)
(Reserved)
(5)
(Reserved)
(6)
Preserved landscaping. Trees of six inches caliper
or greater, tree masses and woodlands preserved and protected in a
living condition may be used to fulfill the other landscape planting
requirements of this section, i.e., buffering and parking lot landscaping
and street trees, thereby reducing the amount of new plant material
required, as determined by the Township.
(7)
Preservation of existing vegetation. Each mature tree
over six inches in caliper, tree mass or woodland on the site shall
be designated "to remain" or "to be removed" depending on the following
criteria:
(a)
A mature tree over six inches in caliper, tree
mass or woodland shall be considered to remain only if it meets the
following criteria:
[1]
The outermost branches of the tree(s) are at
least two feet from any proposed buildings, structures, paving, parking
areas or utilities (above the ground or underground).
[2]
The outermost branches of the tree(s) are at
least two feet from any proposed changes in grade or drainage such
as excavations, mounding or impoundments.
[3]
The tree(s) are clear of any proposed sight
triangles and do not, by their location or health, pose any undue
threat to the health, safety and welfare of the community.
[4]
When approved by the Board of Supervisors, trees
which have a ground area protected from any disturbance or regrading
equal to 70% of the existing canopy measured in plan view. Roots exposed
during construction must be backfilled with clean topsoil within 24
hours.
[5]
When approved by the Board of Supervisors, trees
which are transplanted using direct planting methods including a root
ball of not less than 60 inches in diameter and installation and guying
techniques in accordance with American Association of Nurserymen (AAN)
standards and the following schedule:
|
Type
|
Season
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Oaks
|
Spring only
| |
|
Maples
|
Spring or fall
| |
|
Sweet gums
|
Spring only
| |
|
Pines/spruces
|
Spring, fall or winter
|
(b)
A mature tree over six inches in caliper, tree
mass or woodland which does not fit the above criteria shall be designated
to be removed according to the following standards:
[1]
The plan shall minimize removal of existing
vegetation.
[2]
It shall be incumbent on the applicant to prove
that vegetation loss is minimized by showing that no alternative layouts
are possible and that no alternative clearing or grading plan would
reduce the loss of mature trees over six inches in caliper, tree masses
and woodlands.
[3]
Trees designated to be removed shall not receive
credit for trees to remain but need not be removed if it is determined
by the applicant that special precautions/alterations to plans can
be taken during construction to save the trees.
(8)
Preservation of existing vegetation during construction.
Existing vegetation shown to remain as part of the landscape plan
for a land development shall be identified in the field prior to any
clearing of the tract and physically protected throughout the construction
process. A temporary physical barrier, such as a snow fence, shall
be erected a minimum of one foot from the dripline or 15 feet from
the trunk(s), whichever is greater, on all sides of stands of vegetation,
individual mature trees over six inches in caliper and/or woodlands
shown to remain prior to major clearing or construction. No disturbance,
such as grading, dumping, storage, parking or traffic, shall be allowed
within the fence line, and the fence shall remain until construction
is complete. The specific method of preserving existing vegetation
shall be noted on the landscape plan.
(9)
Post construction impact. The existing natural drainage
pattern, lighting or other environmental factors shall not be altered
to seriously damage the remaining trees as determined by the Township
Engineer, Arborist or Landscape Architect.
A.
Intent. The planting requirements in this section
are intended to promote the public health, safety and welfare by providing
certain minimum standards for installation of landscaped areas in
connection with new construction or reconstruction; to conserve the
value of land and buildings on surrounding properties and neighborhoods
by mitigating the visual impact of structures and other site elements;
to protect the character and stability of residential, business, institutional
and industrial areas; and to improve the microclimate of built areas.
B.
General requirements.
(1)
Any plantings required herein shall have two
components:
(2)
An on-site investigation by the applicant shall
determine the adjacent land uses along each property boundary or road
classification for each existing right-of-way. In the case of vacant
land, the existing zoning district shall be used. These existing or
zoned uses shall be noted on the plan.
(3)
Property line buffers shall be required on the applicant's property for all nonresidential and single-family attached or multifamily (including high-rise) residential land developments. The amount and type of plant material required shall be determined by the intensity of the proposed land use and the existing adjacent land use (or adjacent zoning district for vacant land). Subsection C below shall apply.
(4)
Screening of site elements shall be required in all proposed land developments around certain site elements as specified in this section which are located partially or fully within 100 feet of the property line or existing road right-of-way. The type of site element screen shall be determined by the site element and the adjacent land use(s) or zoning district for vacant land. Subsection C below shall apply.
(5)
Existing healthy trees, shrubs or woodlands
shall be inventoried and noted on the landscape plan and may be substituted
for part or all of the required property line buffers or site element
screens at the discretion of the Township Supervisors upon the recommendation
of the Township Landscape Architect, Engineer or Arborist. The minimum
quantity and visual effect of the existing vegetation shall be equal
to or exceed that of the required buffer or screen. If the effect
of the existing vegetation does not equal or exceed that of the required
buffer or screen, additional plantings shall be required according
to the provisions of this section.
(6)
Existing topographic conditions, such as cliffs
or berms, may be substituted for part or all of the required property
line buffers or site element screens with the approval of the Township
Supervisors upon the recommendation of the Township Landscape Architect,
Engineer or Arborist. The minimum visual effect of the existing topographical
conditions shall be equal to or exceed that of the required buffers
or screens. If the effect of the existing topographical conditions
does not equal or exceed that of the required buffer or screen, additional
plantings shall be required according to the provisions of this section.
C.
Property line buffers.
(1)
Buffer yard location and dimensions.
(a)
A buffer yard shall be established along all
property lines of not less than 25 feet nor more than 50 feet in width.
In zoning districts where the required setback is less than 25 feet,
the buffer yard shall be the entire width of the required setback
yard.
(b)
The buffer yard shall be a continuous pervious
planting bed consisting of grass, ground cover, trees and/or shrubs.
(c)
Parking is not allowed in the buffer yard, except
in the case of joint or common parking areas between two adjacent
lots.
(d)
Site element screens are allowed within the
buffer yard.
(e)
Stormwater basins are allowed within the buffer
yard.
(f)
Buffer yards may be included in the front, side
or rear yard setback areas.
(2)
Nonresidential property line buffer requirements.
Proposed developments shall have property line buffers determined
by adjacent land uses in accordance with the following charts. For
vacant land, the adjacent zoning district shall determine the category
of use. In the case of several permitted uses the most restrictive
shall apply.
(a)
Proposed office or institutional uses.
|
Uses Abutting Property Line
|
Required Buffer Type
| |
|---|---|---|
|
All nonresidential
|
Low
| |
|
Multifamily or attached residential
|
Medium
| |
|
Single-family detached residential
|
High
|
(b)
Proposed commercial, industrial, laboratory
and all other nonresidential uses.
|
Uses Abutting Property Line
|
Required Buffer Type
| |
|
Office or institutional, nonresidential
|
Medium
| |
|
Other nonresidential
|
Low
| |
|
All residential
|
High
|
(3)
Residential property line buffer requirements.
All developments with multifamily and/or single-family attached dwellings
shall have property line buffers according to the following requirements
(no buffers are required for single-family detached proposals):
|
Uses Abutting Property Line
|
Required Buffer Type
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Office or institutional, nonresidential
|
Low
| |
|
All other nonresidential
|
Medium
| |
|
Multifamily or attached residential
|
Low
| |
|
Single-family detached
|
Medium
|
(4)
Plant material quantities and types. For every
100 linear feet of property line to be buffered, the following minimum
quantities and types of plant material shall be required:
|
Buffer Type
|
Plant Requirements
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Low intensity
|
1 canopy tree,
| |
|
2 ornamental trees
| ||
|
Medium intensity
|
1 canopy tree,
| |
|
2 ornamental trees,
| ||
|
2 evergreen trees
| ||
|
High intensity
|
5 evergreen trees,
| |
|
2 ornamental trees,
| ||
|
1 canopy tree
|
(5)
Property line buffers design criteria.
(a)
The required plant material shall be distributed
over the entire length and width of the buffer yard.
(b)
Plant material may be grouped to form clusters
within open grassed areas. Plant materials shall not be concentrated
but shall be evenly distributed along each property boundary.
(c)
Buffer plant material may be arranged symmetrically
(formally) or asymmetrically (informally). However, linear or repetitive
arrangements are discouraged.
(d)
A range of plant species is required, according
to the following table:
|
Trees and/or Large Shrubs
|
Minimum Tree Species
|
Maximum of Any One Species
| |
|---|---|---|---|
|
0 to 5
|
1
|
100%
| |
|
6 to 15
|
2
|
50%
| |
|
16 to 30
|
3
|
40%
| |
|
31 to 50
|
4
|
30%
| |
|
51 and over
|
6
|
20%
|
(e)
Plant material shall be spaced to provide optimum
growing conditions for each plant.
D.
Site element screens.
(1)
Site elements.
(a)
Screens shall be required in all proposed land
developments around the following site elements, when these elements
are located partially or fully within 100 feet of any property line
or existing road right-of-way. Screens shall be selected based on
the adjoining property's land use or, in the case of vacant land,
its zoning district.
[1]
Parking lots.
[2]
Dumpsters, trash or recycling areas.
[3]
Service or loading docks.
[4]
Outdoor storage or sales yards.
[5]
Vehicle storage or sales areas.
[6]
Single-family attached dwellings' rear yards.
[7]
Multifamily (including high-rise) dwellings'
rear yards.
[8]
Active recreation facilities.
[9]
Fenced detention basins.
[10]
Sewage treatment plants or pump
stations.
(b)
Site elements not included in the above list
but of a similar character, use or visual impact shall be screened
according to the requirements for the most similar elements, as determined
by the Township.
(2)
Screen location. The site element screen shall
be placed between the site element and the property line and shall
be designed to block views to the maximum extent possible. The screen
shall be located as close as possible to the site element and shall
surround the element without impeding function or encroaching on sight
triangles.
(3)
Screening material specifications and design
criteria. The following specifications and criteria define the required
Screen Type Nos. 1 through 8 as indicated in Chart 1, Site Element
Screening.[1]
(a)
Screen Type No. 1: evergreen or deciduous shrubs.
Shrubs shall be placed three feet on center in a minimum five-foot
wide bed surrounding the site element and arranged to provide a continuous
hedge-like screen with a minimum height of 3 1/2 feet and a maximum
height of five feet at maturity. Shrubs may be clipped to form a hedge
or left in natural habit.
(b)
Screen Type No. 2: double row of evergreen trees.
A double row of evergreen trees having a minimum height of six feet
at planting shall be placed 10 feet on center and offset 10 feet to
provide a continuous screen with a minimum height of 12 feet at maturity.
(c)
Screen Type No. 3: opaque fence. An opaque fence
with a minimum height of six feet surrounding the site element on
at least three sides. Finished side shall face out toward perimeter
of property.
(d)
Screen Type No. 4: opaque fence with ornamental
trees and shrubs. An opaque fence with a minimum height of six feet
surrounding the site element on at least three sides, with plantings
at the minimum rate of three shrubs with a minimum height of 2 1/2
feet at planting and two ornamental trees having a minimum height
of eight feet at planting or large shrubs having a minimum height
of 3 1/2 feet at planting for each 10 linear feet of proposed
fence, arranged formally or informally along the exterior side of
the fence.
(e)
Screen Type No. 5: architectural extension of
the building. An architectural extension of the building (such as
a wing wall) with a minimum height of eight feet shall screen the
site element. The extension shall be consistent in building materials
and style with the main building.
(f)
Screen Type No. 6: berm with ornamental trees.
A continuous curvilinear berm with a minimum height of two feet to
three feet, plus ornamental trees having a minimum height of eight
feet at planting at the minimum rate of one tree for every 20 linear
feet, clustered or arranged informally. The maximum slope shall be
3:1.
(g)
Screen Type No. 7: berm. A continuous curvilinear
berm with a minimum height of 3 1/2 feet to four feet, with grass
alone. The maximum slope shall be 3:1.
(h)
Screen Type No. 8: evergreen hedge. An evergreen
hedge (such as arborvitae, chionanthus, etc.) with a minimum height
at planting of six feet, planted three feet on center maximum.
[1]
Editor's Note: Chart 1 is included at the
end of this chapter.
E.
Specifications, maintenance and guaranty.
(1)
Plant specifications.
(a)
All plants shall meet the minimum standards
for health form and root condition as outlined in the American Association
of Nurserymen (AAN) standards.
(b)
All plant material shall be hardy within the
USDA Hardiness Zone 6 applicable to East Norriton Township.
(c)
Canopy trees shall reach a minimum height and
spread of 30 feet at maturity as determined by the AAN standards and
shall be deciduous. New trees shall have a minimum caliper of 2 1/2
inches at planting.
(d)
Ornamental trees or large shrubs shall reach
a typical minimum height of 10 feet at maturity based on AAN standards
and may be deciduous or evergreen. They shall have a distinctive ornamental
character, such as showy flowers, fruit, habit, foliage or bark. New
ornamental trees shall have a minimum height of six feet or one-and-one-half-inch
caliper. New large shrubs shall have a minimum size of 2 1/2
feet to three feet.
(e)
Small shrubs may be evergreen or deciduous and
shall have a minimum height at maturity of four feet based on AAN
standards for that species. New shrubs shall have a minimum size of
18 inches at time of planting.
(f)
Evergreen trees shall reach a typical minimum
height of 20 feet at maturity based on AAN standards for that species
and shall remain evergreen throughout the year. New evergreens shall
have a minimum height at planting of six feet.
(2)
Maintenance.
(a)
Required plant material shall be maintained
for the life of the project to achieve the required visual effect
of the buffer or screen. It shall be the ultimate responsibility of
successive property owners to ensure that the required plantings are
properly maintained.
(b)
Required plant material shall not be removed
without replacement except in the case of dead, diseased or hazardous
plant material. Dead, diseased or hazardous plant material shall be
removed promptly by the property owner and replaced at the next growing
season.
(c)
Maintenance guidelines for the plantings are
encouraged to be published by the planting plan designer to be used
by grounds maintenance personnel to ensure that the design's visual
buffering and screening concepts are continued.
A.
Community assets. In commercial, industrial and business/professional
areas, provisions shall be made for suitable areas for walkways (connecting
parking facilities with the respective structures, malls, sitting
areas, bus stops and other amenities). Due consideration shall be
given to the preservation of natural features, including large trees,
graves, waterways, scenic points, historical spots and other community
assets.
B.
Dedication of land suitable for park and recreational
use to the Township or payment of fees in lieu thereof.
(1)
The applicant shall dedicate land suitable for park or recreational use to East Norriton Township, unless one of the alternatives set forth in § 175-23B(5) is agreed to by the Township and the applicant. The land shall be dedicated to the Township as a condition of final plan approval, and no lots shall be sold or built upon until and unless the actual transfer of title has been completed or guaranteed to the satisfaction of the Board.
(2)
The amount and location of land to be dedicated to
the Township shall be 10% of the total lot area of a proposed subdivision
or land development.
(a)
The land dedicated to the Township for park
and recreation purposes need not be a part of the land development
or subdivision. It may be located on a separate parcel of land, provided
that, in the sole discretion of the Board of Supervisors, it is convenient
to the future inhabitants of the subdivision or land development.
In addition, the applicant, with the approval of the Township, may
dedicate land or construct park and recreation facilities at the Township
facilities, a public school situated within East Norriton Township,
county-owned parkland or the facilities of another developer to satisfy
the requirements of this section.
(b)
No more than 25% of the minimum land area required
for park and recreation land may consist of floodplain areas, wetlands
or areas with slopes in excess of 8%. Floodplains, wetlands and steep
slopes may not be used for active recreation.
(c)
The minimum land area required for park and
recreation shall not include land designed for retention/detention
basins in connection with required stormwater management nor contain
fuel, power or other transmission lines, whether underground or overhead.
(d)
The land to be dedicated must be suitable for
active or passive recreation by reason of its size, shape, location
and topography and shall be provided with safe and direct access,
either by adjoining public road frontage or public easements, which
shall be no less than 25 feet in width.
(e)
Areas shall comprise a single parcel of land
except where the Board shall determine that two or more parcels would
be in the public interest.
(f)
The area dedicated may not be used in calculating
density.
(3)
Any land dedicated to the Township shall be used only
for the purpose of providing park and recreational facilities.
(4)
When land is dedicated, acceptance by the Township
shall be by means of a signed resolution to which a property description
of the dedicated recreational area shall be attached. All changes
and agreements should eventually be listed directly on the signed
drawing linens of the final plans. A fee simple warranty deed conveying
the property shall be delivered to the Township with title free and
clear of all liens and encumbrances except for public utility easements.
In no event shall the Township be required to accept dedication of
park and recreational areas.
(5)
Alternatives to dedication of land.
(a)
Fee in lieu of dedication.
[1]
The Board of Supervisors and the applicant may
agree to the payment of a fee in lieu of dedication of land.
[2]
Where the Board and the applicant agree that
a fee is to be contributed in lieu of the dedication of land, the
amount of the fee shall be equal to the fair market value of the raw
undeveloped land that otherwise would have been required to be dedicated.
[3]
Fair market value of the land in lieu of which
the fee is paid shall be determined by agreement of the Board and
the applicant. In the event that the Board and applicant cannot agree
upon the fair market value of the land, then an appraisal shall be
supplied and paid for by the applicant and reviewed by the Board.
The appraisal required by this subsection shall be prepared by a recognized,
competent real estate appraiser with no interest, financial or otherwise,
in the affected property or application.
[4]
The Board shall reserve the right to obtain
its own appraisal, and, in the event that the Township appraisal is
valued at less than 10% greater than the applicant's appraisal, the
value shall be the difference between the two appraisals; in the event
that the Township appraisal is valued 10% greater than that of the
applicant, then a third appraiser shall be selected by agreement of
both the Board and applicant to be paid for by the applicant to resolve
the difference.
[5]
Any fee in lieu of dedication which is collected
by the Township shall be used only for the purpose of providing park
and recreational facilities within East Norriton Township.
[6]
A fee authorized under this subsection shall,
upon its receipt by the Township, be deposited in an interest-bearing
account, designated as the East Norriton Township Parks and Recreation
Fund. Interest earned on such accounts shall become funds of that
account. Funds from such accounts shall be expended only on the design,
construction or acquisition of specific recreation facilities approved
by the Board of Supervisors.
[7]
Upon request of any person who paid fees under
this subsection, the Township shall refund such fee, plus interest
accumulated thereon from the date of payment, if the Township had
failed to utilize the fee paid for recreation purposes within three
years from the date such fee was paid unless return of the fee has
been waived by agreement between the applicant and the Township.
(b)
Use of land and fees. The types of recreational
facilities shall be designed and constructed as provided in the Township
Park and Recreation Plan and be deemed to include but not be limited
to:
[1]
Playground equipment and surfaces.
[2]
Playfields (baseball fields, football fields,
soccer fields or the like, designed for active recreation).
[3]
Tennis courts.
[4]
Tot lots (small playgrounds especially designed
for young children).
[5]
Basketball courts.
[6]
Paddle tennis courts.
[7]
Jogging paths with exercise stations.
[8]
Bicycle and walking trails.
[9]
Parking lot facilities.
[10]
Utility services (electric water fountains and
toilet facilities).
[11]
Landscaping, earth shaping and plant materials.
[12]
Picnic facilities and benches.
[13]
Swimming pools.
[14]
Lighting facilities related to park and recreation
facilities.
(c)
Combination.
[1]
Where the applicant and the Township agree,
the applicant may utilize any combination of the aforementioned techniques
to satisfy the applicant's park and recreation obligation.
[2]
Credit for the cost of construction of any park
and recreation facility shall be subject to the review and approval
of the Township Engineer as determined by prevailing costs for labor,
structures and materials associated with the facility.
(6)
Parks and recreation plan. The Board of Supervisors
shall adopt a formal parks and recreation plan for East Norriton Township
by resolution. Future park and recreational facilities proposed within
East Norriton Township shall be in accordance with principles and
standards contained in the plan. The plan may be amended from time
to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
A.
Reserve strips controlling access to streets, alleys,
subdivisions or adjacent areas are prohibited.
B.
Rights-of-way and/or easements for sanitary utilities,
road construction or maintenance or for drainage purposes or public
utilities or for any specific purpose shall be required by the Board
as needed. The location and width in each case shall be as determined
by that body.
(1)
Nothing shall be permitted to be placed, planted,
set or put within the area of an easement.
(2)
The owner of any lot, upon written request by the
Township and at the owner's sole expense, shall remove anything placed,
planted, set or put (with or without knowledge for this regulation)
within the area of any easement.
(3)
To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be
adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
C.
No right-of-way or easements, for any purpose whatsoever,
shall be recited or described in any deed unless the same has been
shown on the approved plan. Any error found in a deed shall be immediately
corrected and rerecorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds for
Montgomery County at Norristown, Pennsylvania, at the sole expense
of the subdivider or developer.
D.
Easements.
(1)
Utility. Easements with a minimum width of 20 feet
shall be provided for common utilities and drainage when provided
in undedicated land. Nothing shall be permitted to be placed, planted,
set or put within the area of an easement.
(2)
Drainage. Drainage easements shall be required along
natural watercourses to a minimum width of 25 feet from the center
line and may be used for storm and sanitary sewers and as open space.
Where conditions warrant, such as in floodplains, additional width
shall be required in such cases where runoff treatment requires a
wider easement. Runoff studies must prove such requirements beyond
the floodplain.
(3)
Dedication. Where stormwater or surface water will
be gathered within the subdivision or land development 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 such discharge of drainage and
for carrying off of such water and for the maintenance, repair and
reconstruction of the same, including the right of passage over, including
vehicles, machinery and other equipment for such purposes, and such
easements shall be sufficient width for such passage and work. The
subdivider, developer or builder shall convey, at no cost, the easement
to the Township upon demand.
A.
Monuments shall be of stone or concrete and located
on the right-of-way lines at corners, angle points, beginning and
end of curves and as otherwise required. Monuments shall be indicated
on all plans. They shall be placed after a new street has been completed.
The center line of all new streets shall be marked with spikes and
referenced to permanent monuments or structures. A certified copy
of this reference information shall be given to the Township Engineer.
Permanent reference monuments of case concrete or durable stone 20
inches by four inches by four inches, with forty-five-degree beveled
edges, shall be set by the subdivider, developer or builder at all
corners and angle points of the boundaries of the original tract to
be subdivided or developed and at intermediate points as may be required.
B.
Bench marks. The Township elevations are based on
the Township sanitary sewer system datum. Location and elevation is
available to all engineers and surveyors upon request to the Engineer's
office. All contours and elevations shown on plans must be based on
this system.
C.
Staking requirements. All lots shall be staked by
the registered engineer or surveyor for the subdivider or developer
when final grading has been completed. This stakeout shall be visible
and completed before an owner or occupant moves into the property.
All lot corner markers shall be permanently located and shall be at
least a five-eighths-inch metal pin with a minimum length of 24 inches,
located in the ground to existing grade.
[Amended 8-26-2014 by Ord. No. 556]
See Chapter 166.
A.
Bridges and culverts shall be designed to meet current
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards to support expected
loads and to carry expected flows. They shall be constructed to the
full width of the right-of-way.
B.
Approval of the Water and Power Resources Board of
the Commonwealth, or its successor, is required when the area drained
upstream of the point under consideration exceeds an area of 1/2 square
mile.
A.
Sewers. Wherever practicable, sanitary sewers shall
be installed and connected to the Township sanitary sewer system.
In areas not presently served by public sanitary sewers, the Township
shall require, according to Act No. 537 passed by the General Assembly
of Pennsylvania (1965),[1] in addition to installation of temporary individual on-site
sewage disposal facilities, the installation and capping of sanitary
sewer mains and house connections, if studies by the Board indicate
that extension of public sanitary sewer trunks or lateral to serve
the property subdivided appears probable or necessary to protect public
health.
(1)
When a feasibility analysis, conducted by the Township
Engineer, local engineer and District Sanitarian, has ascertained
that sanitary sewers are practicable, then sanitary sewers, with connection
to each building in a subdivision or land development, shall be installed
at the expense of the applicant or subdivider and connected to the
Township sanitary sewer system.
(2)
If outfall sewers are not available in the vicinity
but are considered reasonably necessary in the near future by the
Township or Pennsylvania Department of Health or other appropriate
state agency for the area in question, a system of sewers, together
with all necessary laterals extending from mains to the street right-of-way
line, shall be installed at the expense of the subdivider or applicant.
The sewer lines shall be suitably capped at the limits of the subdivision
or land development, and the laterals shall be capped at the right-of-way.
The sewer installations shall include the construction within rights-of-way
or easements to bring the sewer to the future connection with the
Township sanitary sewer system.
(3)
If sanitary sewers are not to be installed at the
time of subdivision and development, subdividers shall grant, reserve
and set aside easements in streets and roads for installation and
maintenance of sewer lines at such time that the subdivision or land
development shall be a part of the Township sanitary sewer system.
(4)
A sewer shall be considered to be planned for extension
to a given area any time after preliminary engineering and related
studies have been completed and the construction of facilities adequate
to serve the area containing the subdivision has been programmed for
completion within a reasonable time.
(5)
When capped sewers are provided, on-site disposal
facilities shall also be provided.
(6)
Sanitary sewers shall have a minimum inside diameter
of eight inches and a minimum grade of 0.5% (1/2 of 1%).
(7)
Manholes shall be located at intervals of 250 feet
and at each change of line or grade. In exceptional cases, the interval
may be extended to not more than 300 feet. Manhole appurtenances shall
conform to current Township standards.
(8)
Lateral connections to each lot shown on the final
plan shall be installed to the right-of-way line of the street prior
to paving. Each building shall have a separate connection to the Township
sewer. The lowest fixture tying into the sanitary sewer line shall
be at an elevation no less than one foot above the street level and/or
the top of sanitary sewer manhole elevation.
(9)
This section shall be applicable to all subdivisions
and land developments, whether utilizing public or private streets
or driveways serving as private streets, and, in the case of a subdivision
or land development utilizing private streets, the subdivider or the
applicant shall execute recordable covenants with the Township and/or
Township authority that, for the purposes of sewer connections, assessments
and rentals, the rights and liabilities of himself and his grantees,
heirs, successors and assigns shall be the same as if his property
abutted a public street.
(10)
The specifications for the installation of a sanitary sewer and appurtenances required by this chapter shall be those set forth in Chapter 162, Sewers, Article III, Sewer Connection Regulations, § 162-31B(4), Materials and installation.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 35 P.S. § 750.1
et seq.
B.
On-lot disposal system. If public sewage disposal
is not available and the sewage treatment is on a project or individual-lot
basis, such private facilities must be installed by the subdivider,
developer or builder under the direct supervision of the Sewage Enforcement
Officer, the Department of Environmental Resources or other appropriate
official.
(1)
Necessary tests and inspections. Such officer shall
require percolation tests, soil samples and other data to determine
the size and extent of facilities needed. During installation of such
facilities, and before final coverage, the State Health Officer or
other appropriate officer shall make inspections and checks to assure
that all requirements and specifications have been met. He shall be
granted free access to the development area at all times during this
period.
(2)
Certificate of approval. After assuring that all requirements
and specifications have been met, the appropriate Board will then
issue a certificate of approval to the Secretary of the Township as
a requirement to final plan approval.
(a)
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 registered
professional engineer or other person qualified to the satisfaction
of the Board. The reports of such tests shall be required at each
disposal area. One percolation test per lot shall be required when
the subdivider is dividing ground into lots and is not building immediately.
(b)
All percolation tests shall conform to the standards
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(c)
The usable area for sewage disposal shall be
shown on the preliminary plan for each lot. The usable area shall
be suitably situated beyond the radius of the water-supply well and
shall conform to all rules and regulations or future amendments thereto
of the Pennsylvania Department of Health of other appropriate agency
and the Township of East Norriton.
(d)
Proximity of wells. In no instance shall a tile
field or other effluent-disseminating system be located uphill from
a drilled well and shall not be closer to it than 100 feet and 10
feet from any dwelling or property line. The septic tank shall be
a minimum of 50 feet from any well and a minimum of 10 feet from any
dwelling or property line.
A.
All water and gas mains and other underground facilities
shall be installed prior to the street paving at locations approved
by the Township for the full width of the right-of-way.
B.
All water and gas mains shall be installed underground.
All electric, telephone and communication services, both main and
service lines, shall be provided by underground cable, installed in
accordance with the prevailing standards and practices of the utility
or other companies providing such services, except where it is demonstrated
to the satisfaction of the Board that underground installations herein
required are not feasible because of physical conditions of the lands
involved. All main underground cables which are within the right-of-way
of a street shall be located as specified by the Board.
(1)
In order to promote and facilitate the undergrounding
of utility distribution lines, a letter of endorsement shall be required
from the suppliers of utility service (not limited to electrical,
telephone or cable television) of the developer's choice, wherein
the applicant acknowledges that underground utility service shall
be placed on the final plan as a prerequisite to final approval of
such plan.
(2)
The provisions in this chapter shall not be construed
as to limit or interfere with the construction, installation, operation
and maintenance of public utility structures or facilities which may
hereafter be located with public easements or rights-of-way designated
for such purposes.
(3)
Streetlighting.
(a)
Streetlighting shall be installed along each
street in each subdivision and along each street front abutting a
public street in each land development by the applicant and at the
expense of the applicant, unless specifically waived by the Board
of Supervisors. The applicant shall submit a plan showing the type
and location of each streetlight to be installed also specifying the
supplier and installer of the lights. The plan shall be submitted
for review and approval by the Township, and no streetlights shall
be installed prior to review and approval by the Township. Installation
of streetlighting shall include installation of all necessary lines,
wires, conduits, electrical connections and lighting facilities. The
applicant shall supply the Township with a plan and map showing completed
locations of all wires and electrical facilities. The applicant shall
arrange for the nighttime operation of streetlighting within the subdivision
or land development when 25% of the houses or construction in that
specific phase shall be occupied or constructed, as the case may be.
(b)
Upon final approval of construction and dedication
of all public improvements, the applicant shall dedicate the streetlights
to the Township and shall assign all applicable warranties to the
Township. The requirements for dedication provided elsewhere in this
chapter and in the Municipalities Planning Code[1] shall apply.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101
et seq.
(c)
All streetlights shall be mounted on metal streetlight
standards or poles designed for such purposes and shall be constructed
in accordance with the Township streetlighting specifications as may
be adopted, from time to time, by resolution of the Board.
(4)
Along arterial roads and major highways, all new electric
service should be placed underground.
The provisions of this section are intended
to provide shade from the summer sun, to promote energy conservation
by reducing the need for cooling and to enhance the aesthetic appearance
of the community.
B.
The street tree requirement may be waived by the Township
Board of Supervisors where existing vegetation is considered sufficient
or to maintain scenic views of open space, farmland or natural features.
C.
Street trees shall be provided by the applicant according
to the following standards:
(1)
Trees shall be planted a minimum distance of five
feet and a maximum distance of 15 feet from all ultimate right-of-way
lines.
(2)
In nonresidential developments, trees shall be located
within the front yard setback in a planting bed at least 10 feet in
width, planted in grass or ground cover.
(3)
Trees shall be located so as not to interfere with
the installation and maintenance of sidewalks and utilities. Trees
shall be planted a minimum distance of three feet from curbs and sidewalks,
15 feet from overhead utilities and six feet from underground utilities.
(4)
Trees shall be planted at a ratio of one tree per
50 linear feet of frontage or fraction thereof.
(5)
Trees shall be distributed along the entire frontage
of the property, although they need not be evenly spaced.
The minimum requirements for improvement shall
be contained in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Specifications
Form 408 as last revised.
A.
The subdivider or developer shall provide public water
service to provide adequate supply to each lot in a subdivision or,
as required, to a building in a development.
B.
Where no public water service is available and it
would be an undue hardship for the subdivider or developer to have
the public water service extended, the subdivider or developer may,
on approval of the Supervisors, be permitted to construct a well on
each lot. All wells shall be constructed according to present rules
and regulations, or any future amendments thereto, of the State Department
of Environmental Resources or other appropriate state agency and the
Township of East Norriton.
C.
The proposed location of the wells shall be shown
on the preliminary plan for each lot. Where there are existing wells
on the property or adjoining lots, they must also be shown.
D.
A circular area with a radius conforming to the rules
and regulations, or future amendments thereto, of the state Department
of Environmental Resources or other appropriate state agency and the
Township of East Norriton shall be shown around each well to denote
clear space in which no sewage system is to be located.
E.
Where public water service is furnished, the circles
are not necessary, with the exception of those wells lying immediately
adjacent to the subdivision. However, the usable area is limited by
a clear zone surrounding the water-service line to each house as required
by the state Department of Environmental Resources or other appropriate
state agency and the Township of East Norriton.
F.
If water is to be provided by means other than by
private wells owned and maintained by the individual owners of lots
within the subdivision or development, applicants shall present evidence
to the Township, that the subdivision or development is to be supplied
by a certificated public utility, a bona fide cooperative association
of lot owners or by a municipal corporation, authority or utility.
A copy of a certificate of public convenience from the Pennsylvania
Public Utility Commission or an application for such certificate,
a cooperative agreement or a commitment or agreement to serve the
area in question, whichever is appropriate, shall be acceptable evidence.
G.
Fire hydrants are to be installed at the expense of
the subdivider or developer in accordance with the following:
(1)
All fire hydrants shall be placed at intervals of
800 linear feet or less on any waterline on any public street and
not less than 400 feet from any proposed structure or as deemed necessary
by the Fire Marshal.
(2)
All fire hydrant installations shall be provided with
two two-and-one-half-inch male outlets National Standard Thread with
covers, in addition to a four-and-one-half-inch National Standard
Thread (outside diameter male thread 5.7609 inches, four threads per
inch) steamer connection.
(3)
All fire hydrants shall be of the safety flange protection
type.
(4)
Required fire hydrants shall be installed prior to
the framing of any structure which is to be protected by that hydrant.
A.
The regulations contained herein shall apply in those
areas identified as flood-prone in the Flood Insurance Study, Township
of East Norriton prepared by the Federal Insurance Administration
of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The Flood Boundary - Floodway Map shall be available in the East Norriton
Township Office for inspection. In regard to the adopted Floodplain
Conservation District, the regulations contained herein shall apply
to those areas defined and established as flood-prone.
B.
The regulations contained herein are intended to conform
to the requirements of Section 1910.3d of the National Flood Insurance
Program, P.L. 93-234. Furthermore, it is the purpose of these regulations
to:
(1)
Regulate the subdivision and development of flood-prone
land areas in order to promote the general health, welfare and safety
of the community.
(2)
Require that each subdivision lot or development site
in flood-prone areas be provided with a safe building site with adequate
access and that public facilities which serve such sites be designed
and installed to preclude flood damage at the time of initial construction.
(3)
Protect individuals from buying lands which are unsuitable
for use because of flood hazards by prohibiting the subdivision and
development of unprotected flood-prone areas.
(4)
Maintain the certification of East Norriton Township
and the eligibility of the property owners in the Township for the
benefits of the National Flood Insurance Program, P.L. 92-234.
C.
Prospective developers shall consult with the Zoning
Officer to make a determination as to whether or not the proposed
subdivision or land development is located within an identified flood-prone
area.
D.
Where not prohibited by this or any other codes or
ordinances, land located in flood-prone area(s) may be subdivided
or developed with the provision that the developer construct all buildings
and structures to preclude flood damage in accordance with this and
any other codes or ordinances regulating such development.
E.
The Township Supervisors may, when it is deemed necessary
for the health, comfort, safety or welfare of the present and future
population of the area and necessary facilities, restrict subdivision
or development of any portion of the property which lies within the
floodplain of any stream or drainage course.
F.
The finished elevation of proposed streets within
flood-prone areas shall be no more than two feet below the base flood
elevation. Drainage openings shall be sufficient to discharge flood
flows without unduly increasing flood heights.
G.
Storm drainage facilities shall be designed to convey
the flow of surface waters without risk to persons or property. The
drainage system shall ensure drainage at all points along streets
and ensure conveyance of drainage away from buildings. The Township
Supervisors may require an underground system to accommodate a one-hundred-year
flood and a secondary surface system to accommodate larger, less frequent
floods. Drainage plans shall be consistent with local and regional
drainage plans. The facilities shall be designed to prevent the discharge
of excess runoff onto adjacent properties.
H.
All new or replacement sanitary sewer systems, whether
public or private, located in flood-prone areas shall be floodproofed
up to a point 1 1/2 feet above the base flood elevation.
I.
All new or replacement water systems, whether public
or private, in flood-prone areas shall be floodproofed to a point
1 1/2 feet above the base flood elevation.
J.
All other new or replacement public or private utilities
and facilities in flood-prone areas shall be elevated or floodproofed
to a point 1 1/2 feet above the base flood elevation.
K.
Waivers. Guidelines for relaxation from the requirements
set forth in this section are as follows:
(1)
A waiver shall not be issued within any designated
regulatory floodway if any increase in flood levels during the base
flood discharge would result.
(2)
A waiver shall only be issued if there is:
(a)
A showing of good and sufficient cause.
(b)
A determination that failure to relax the requirements
would result in exceptional hardship to the applicant.
(c)
A determination that the relaxing of a requirement
will not result in increased flood heights, additional threats to
public safety or extraordinary public expense; create nuisances; cause
fraud on or victimization of the public; or conflict with existing
local laws or ordinances.
(3)
A waiver shall only be issued upon a determination
that the waiver is the minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard,
to afford relief.
(4)
The Township shall maintain a record of all waivers,
including justification for their issuance, and report such decisions
issued in its annual report submitted to the Federal Insurance Administrator.
(5)
If granted relief, it shall involve only the least
modification.
The federal government has adopted legislation
regulating construction in and about areas known as "wetlands." This
legislation is enforced concurrently by the United States Army Corps
of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department
of Environmental Resources. The Township of East Norriton will not
review any plans with respect to their compliance with the federal
legislation, and the individual landowner should assure himself that
his plans comply with the federal legislation.
