[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3]
The final responsibility for the installation of the improvements required by this chapter shall lie with the developer. Upon installation of these improvements by the developer and subsequent inspection by the Engineer, the developer shall take final steps to dedicate these improvements and have them accepted by Jefferson Borough.
Recording the final plan after approval of the Borough Council has the effect of an irrevocable offer to:
A. 
Dedicate all streets and other public ways to public use.
B. 
Dedicate all neighborhood parks and other public areas to public use.
C. 
Reserve for possible future public acquisition such additional areas as may be required by the Borough.
[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3]
The offer to dedicate streets, parks or other areas or portions of them does not impose any duty upon the Borough concerning maintenance or improvement until the proper authorities of the Borough have made actual appropriation by ordinance or resolution or by entry or improvement. If land is dedicated for a public site and its use for this purpose is not imminent, the developer may be permitted to dedicate the land with the privilege of using the surface rights until the Borough is ready to use the land. Such dedication with the temporary privilege of use must be noted on the final plan.
[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3]
On sites reserved for eventual public acquisition, no building development is permitted during the period of reservation. The Borough may require the reservation of such sites in addition to or in lieu of land to be dedicated for public use. The reservation period must not be longer than 18 months unless with the consent of the developer. Land so reserved must be indicated on the final plan.
[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3]
Where a proposed park, playground, open space, school, library or other neighborhood recreation or public site is shown on the Comprehensive Plan or where the Borough considers that a particular site is necessary to carry out the purpose of this chapter, the Borough may require the dedication of all or a portion of such site in accordance with the following standards:
A. 
The amount of land so required for this purpose shall be 0.02 acres per dwelling unit of the proposed development.
B. 
The recreation site shall be located and designed so that safe and convenient access shall be provided to all existing and proposed inhabitants. Additionally, each recreation site shall have at least one area available for vehicular access that is not less than 24 feet in width (road frontage).
C. 
The parkland site shall be sized and configured so as to accommodate its intended uses. Sufficient lot width/depth dimension shall be provided so as to accommodate ball fields, courts and other open play areas. Furthermore, should a development be proposed at a location contiguous to an existing park, parklands should be provided, where practical, as an expansion of the existing facility.
D. 
At least 50% of the recreation site shall have suitable topography and soil conditions for use and development as active play areas and shall, after grading by the developer, not contain slopes exceeding 3%.
E. 
No more than 25% of the recreation site shall be comprised of floodplains or stormwater management facilities. Any unimproved site which is not wooded shall be provided with a healthy and vibrant grass ground cover.
F. 
The recreation site shall be located and designed to conveniently access proximate public utilities (e.g., sewer, water, power, etc.). However, no part of any overhead utility easement, nor any aboveground protrusion of an underground utility should be permitted in active play areas of the site.
[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3]
Where the Borough feels such a public site is necessary, but the application of the area standards set forth in § 158-31 of this chapter would result in an open space or recreation site too small to be usable, or if a suitable local recreation site cannot be properly located in the subdivision, as determined by the Borough, a payment of a fee in lieu of dedication of such land may be required. The following procedures must be followed:
A. 
The amount of the fee must be substantially equal to the value of the land that would be set aside if the standards specified above were to be applied.
B. 
The fee must be paid to the Borough prior to approval of the final plan.
C. 
All moneys paid to the Borough in this manner must be kept in a capital reserve fund established as provided by law. Moneys in such capital reserve fund must be used only for the acquisition of land, equipment, or improvements for park and recreation or open space purposes.
The Borough may permit a private recreation or park site to be used if:
A. 
In its judgment the purposes of these regulations regarding recreation and park sites will be accomplished.
B. 
The private site is permanently devoted to recreation and park use and adequately secured for such use by deed covenants or other private restrictions.
C. 
The Borough obtains a written guarantee from the subdivider that such a private site will be adequately equipped and maintained.
[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3]
A plan for the ownership and maintenance of the common open space, including the pedestrian path system, must be submitted for approval by the Borough Council. Such ownership, administration and maintenance shall be arranged to be in accordance with one or more of the following methods:
A. 
An offer of dedication to the Borough; however, the Borough shall not be obligated to accept dedication of the recreational area/common open space. Generally, the Borough will only accept those areas which will benefit the recreation/park system and which will be practical for the Borough to maintain.
B. 
With permission of the Borough and with appropriate deed restrictions in favor of the Borough and in language acceptable to the Solicitor, the developer may transfer ownership of the common open space, or a portion thereof, to a private, nonprofit organization among whose purposes is the preservation of open space land and/or natural resources. The organization shall be a bona fide conservation organization with a perpetual existence; the conveyance must contain appropriate provision for reverter or retransfer if the organization is unable to carry out its functions, and the organization must enter into a maintenance agreement with the Borough.
C. 
Alternatively, the developer may provide for and establish an automatic membership property owners' association made up of the owners of property in the open space development, as a nonprofit corporation to have primary responsibility for the ownership, administration and maintenance of the common open space, with each lot owner within the open space development to have secondary responsibility for such maintenance. Such organizations shall generally be consistent with the requirements for unit owners' associations found in the Pennsylvania Uniform Condominium Act, 68 Pa.C.S.A. § 3101 et seq. If such an organization is formed, the developer must submit a detailed statement including covenants, agreements or the specific documents indicating the ownership, method of maintenance and utilization of the open space area(s) with the development. The provisions of all such covenants, agreements and documents insofar as they relate to the maintenance of the common open space must be reviewed and approved as adequate by the Borough Solicitor. The covenants and agreements shall be perpetual and shall be recorded prior to or simultaneous with the approved plan.
D. 
If a portion of the common open space is to be used for agricultural purposes, the plan may propose that such portion of the common open space be transferred to a person or other entity who will farm the land for crops. Prior to the transfer of any recreational area/common open space for agricultural purposes, a permanent conservation easement in favor of the Borough, in language acceptable to the Borough Solicitor, shall be imposed against such lands. The conveyance shall contain appropriate provisions for the retransfer or reverter to the Borough or any association or trustee holding the remainder of the common open space in the event the land ceases to be used for agricultural purposes.
E. 
In the event the organization established to own and maintain the recreational area/common open space or any successor organization shall at any time after the establishment of residential development fail to maintain the recreational area/common open space in reasonable order and condition in accordance with the development plan, the Borough shall inform such organization, utilizing the name and address as set forth in the records contained in the York County Court House utilized for the assessment of real estate taxes, either personally or by certified mail, of the inadequate maintenance and the steps needed to correct the deficiencies. In addition, the Borough shall inform, either personally or by certified mail, one or more owners of lots within the cluster residential development of the inadequate maintenance and the action needed to correct such inadequate maintenance.
(1) 
The organization established to own and maintain the recreational area/common open space or successor organization and/or the individual lot owners informed of such inadequate maintenance shall cause such maintenance as is necessary to correct the deficiencies set forth by the Borough to be completed within 60 days from the date such notices are sent. Upon failure to do so, the Borough shall have right of entry onto the recreational area/common open space with the purpose of performing the maintenance found necessary to correct the stated deficiencies.
(2) 
In the event the Borough performs maintenance of the recreational area/common open space, the owner or owners of the land where such maintenance is performed shall indemnify and save the Borough harmless of any and all claims for damages to persons or property arising from its activities in maintaining such common open space or successor organization for its costs in performing the aforesaid maintenance. In the event such assessments are not paid within 30 days from the date of such notice, Borough shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to levy assessments against any one or more (up to all) of the residential lots within such cluster residential development, with no obligation to apportion, in a total amount not to exceed the costs of maintenance of the common open space together with costs of collection incurred by the Borough including attorney's commission in the amount of 25% of such assessment, giving notice to the owner or owners of such lots intended to be assessed by sending written notices thereof addressed to such owner or owners at the address set forth in the records utilized for the assessment of real estate taxes by certified mail; provided, however, the Borough may levy assessments only against the owners of lots which it notified of the inadequate maintenance pursuant to the above paragraph. If such assessments are not paid within 30 days after the sending of such notice, such assessments may be entered as liens against the lot or lots in the Office of the Prothonotary of York County or such other office which may at that time be responsible for maintenance of records of municipal liens, and the Borough shall have the right to collect such sums in a manner provided by law for the collection of municipal liens.
[Added 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3]
A. 
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, stream, channel or other drainageway, the subdivider must provide a drainage easement conforming substantially to the existing alignment of the drainageway. The easement must be a width adequate to:
(1) 
Preserve the unimpeded flow of natural drainage.
(2) 
Widen, deepen, relocate, improve or protect the drainageway.
(3) 
Install a stormwater sewer.
B. 
Any changes in the existing drainageway and surrounding wetland shall require permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection prior to alterations of, or construction, grading, or the operation of equipment in such areas.