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Township of Butler, PA
Butler County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
A. 
The developer shall install, at no expense to the Township, all the improvements shown on the final plat and required by this chapter or any condition attached to the Township's approval in accordance with the standards outlined in Article IV and with the requirements of this article.
B. 
The Board of Commissioners, at its discretion, may modify the improvements required of the developer, in accordance with the procedures outlined in Article VII of this chapter for granting modifications, where unusual conditions are present and where normal application of the requirements would jeopardize the public safety or the safety of any occupants of the plan or subdivision or abutting properties.
A. 
Monuments shall be set permanently at the intersections of all lines forming angles in the boundary of any subdivision, land development or mobile home park, at the points of crossing of all rights-of-way of streets and any boundary, and at the intersections of all interior street rights-of-way to be recorded.
B. 
Markers shall be set permanently at all points of tangent and points of curvature along interior streets to be recorded, at all lot corners or points of changes of direction along lot lines and at points where lot lines intersect street curves.
C. 
Monuments shall be made of precast concrete 30 inches long by six inches square in cross section and shall be set flush with the ground level. A brass pin shall be set in the top of each monument and scored or marked to indicate the exact point of crossing of the intersection lines.
D. 
Markers shall be of solid metal at least 30 inches long and 3/4 of an inch in outside diameter and shall be driven into the ground to finished grade. They shall be scored to indicate the exact point of crossing of intersecting lines.
E. 
Any monuments or markers that are removed shall be replaced by a registered surveyor at the developer's expense until such time as the developer's involvement in the subdivision or land development plan ceases, after which abutting property owners shall share the expense.
A. 
Streets shall be graded, surfaced and improved to the widths and dimensions detailed in the Township Street Standards. All paving materials and installation shall be in conformance with PennDOT Publication 408 (latest edition).
B. 
Subsurface drainage. Prior to placing the street surface, adequate subsurface drainage for the streets and all subsurface utilities acceptable to the Township Engineer shall be provided or installed by the developer. The size of the storm drainage structures shall be as approved by the Township Engineer.
C. 
Changes in street grades exceeding a two-percent algebraic difference in slope shall be accompanied by vertical curves. The length of curves shall be as required to provide adequate sight distance and transition at intersections.
D. 
In no case shall surface drainage be permitted to drain onto existing Township roads without provisions for surface water collection.
A. 
Street name signs shall be placed at all street intersections within the plan and at the intersections of all existing and proposed streets.
B. 
Stop signs, speed limit signs and any other necessary traffic control signs shall be installed by the developer.
C. 
Signs and supports may be provided by the municipality at the developer's expense and installed by the developer, although the municipality and developer may mutually agree on an alternative sign type.
A. 
Streetlights shall be provided by the developer in all subdivisions, land development plans or mobile home parks where the density of development warrants them in the opinion of the Planning Commission after recommendation of the Township Engineer. Streetlights shall also be provided where the Planning Commission determines that lighting will improve a dangerous traffic situation, and in other locations at the discretion of the developer.
B. 
Lights shall be on their own standards and shall be served from an underground source. The developer shall be responsible for payment of the installation as determined by the electric utility.
C. 
Lights and standards shall be mutually acceptable to the municipality, the developer and the electric company.
D. 
The Township shall assume the costs of electric power after installation, except that owners of subdivision, land developments or mobile home parks in which streets remain as private thoroughfares shall bear the costs of electric power.
A. 
All streets shall be curbed.
B. 
Every street shall be crowned to create gutter lines on each side.
C. 
Curbs shall be bituminous wedge as detailed in the Township Street Standards.
D. 
All curb material and installation shall be in conformance with PennDOT Publication 408 (latest edition).
A. 
Every structure in any subdivision, land development plan or mobile home park connected to a water supply shall also be connected to a public sanitary sewage disposal system, when available.
B. 
A public system shall be considered available where adjacent to, or within a reasonable distance of, the proposed plan and all necessary rights-of-way can be obtained.
C. 
When the plan is proposed in an area that has been designated by the Township, or by the authority serving it, as an area to be connected to the public system in the future, the developer may elect to construct, in accordance with the authority's standards, the necessary interceptors, collectors and laterals connecting to the then-existing public system.
D. 
Where a plan is proposed beyond the likely future reach of the public sewage collection system in the municipality, the developer shall provide individual on-lot septic systems, or a disposal system acceptable to the State Department of Environmental Resources in the case of a land development plan or mobile home park, if permitted by Chapter 300, Zoning.
E. 
Before any sewer interceptor, collector or lateral which will become a part of an existing public sewage disposal system is covered, it shall be inspected by the engineer for the public system and shall not be covered until authorized by the said engineer. On-lot septic systems shall be inspected before covering by the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer, and he shall authorize covering of such system.
F. 
Storm sewers, footing drains and downspouts shall not be connected to the sanitary sewers.
G. 
Sanitary sewers shall be not less than eight inches inside diameter, and lateral lines shall be not less than four inches inside diameter, unless a lesser dimension is approved by the serving authority.
A. 
The developer shall provide within his subdivision, land development plan or mobile home park a complete water supply system acceptable to the authority or company providing service in the area, when available. A water supply system shall be considered available where adjacent to, or within a reasonable distance of, the proposed plan and all necessary rights-of-way can be obtained.
B. 
Where the plan is proposed in an area that has been designated by the municipality or by the authority or company serving it as an area to be connected in the future, the developer may elect to construct the necessary water distribution system to meet the authority or company standards and connect to the then-existing public system.
C. 
Where a plan is proposed beyond the likely future reach of the public water supply system, the developer shall provide individual systems on each lot or a supply system acceptable to the State Department of Environmental Resources in the case of a development plan or mobile home park, if permitted by Chapter 300, Zoning.
D. 
Before any water line is covered it shall be inspected by the authority or company which will supply the water. No line shall be covered until directed by the authority or company.
E. 
All water supply systems shall meet the requirements of the State Department of Environmental Resources as to quality, quantity and pressure.
F. 
Where connection has been or will be made to a public system, the installation shall include fire hydrants at street intersections or at a reasonable distance from all existing structures, measured along the most likely route that the fire company would utilize to lay its lines, following established roadways or other reasonable means of access. The location of fire hydrants shall be reviewed by the fire company in whose coverage the plan lies, and its recommendations shall guide approval of the location of hydrants. The installation of hydrants, where required, shall be guaranteed to the Township under the bond covering installation of other improvements in the plan or by a separate surety bond or certified check. The type of hydrant shall be subject to approval by the Township.
G. 
Water distribution lines shall be not less than eight inches inside diameter.
H. 
Water supply shall be adequate for the size of the structures proposed as specified by the Insurance Service Office (ISO) Standards for required fire flows.
I. 
Waterlines shall be installed outside the edge of curbs within the street right-of-way.
A. 
All electric and telephone lines serving any subdivision, land development plan or mobile home park not in the rights-of-way of streets existing prior to the development shall be placed underground in street rights-of-way or other recorded easements, in accordance with P.U.C. Order of July 8, 1970. Any exceptions shall be made only after successful appeal to the P.U.C.
B. 
Where easements or rights-of-way are shared by several utilities, each shall be placed with respect to the requirements of the others relative to separation, depth, etc.
C. 
Transformers, switch gear and other appurtenances to electric and telephone systems shall be placed either in secured vaults in the ground or pad-mounted in secured steel containers made as inconspicuous as possible by landscaping.
D. 
The developer shall submit his utility plans to each utility involved. No final approval for a subdivision or land development plan may be given until written approval has been received from each utility.
E. 
New utilities shall be installed outside the edge of curbs and within the street right-of-way.
In any areas of the Township where maps or data prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Flood Insurance Administration (Flood Hazard Area Maps), indicate a floodplain exists, development of any kind proposed to take place within or adjacent to such floodplain shall not be approved, and no building permits for construction shall be issued, until the requirements of Chapter 183, Floodplain Management, have been met.
A. 
Where a subdivision, land development or mobile home park plan includes earth disturbance, the developer shall obtain a land disturbance permit from the Butler County Conservation District or Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (DER), whichever is applicable, prior to final approval by the Township.
B. 
Before final approval of any subdivision, land development or mobile home park plan can be given, an erosion and sedimentation control plan approved by the Butler County Conservation District shall be presented showing, at a minimum:
(1) 
The topography of the project area;
(2) 
Types, depth, slope and area extent of the soils throughout the project area.
(3) 
Proposed alteration of the area.
(4) 
The amount of runoff from the project area and the upstream watershed.
(5) 
The proposed construction sequence.
(6) 
Temporary and permanent control measures and facilities for use while earthmoving is in progress and after work is completed as permanent installation.
C. 
The preparer of the erosion and sedimentation control plan shall use as a guide the Standards and Specifications of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Program Manual, dated October 1991, as amended, to prepare the plan.
D. 
The developer shall be responsible for the following:
(1) 
Restoration of disturbed area, including off-site borrow areas until surface stabilization is accomplished. Restoration shall include maintenance of sedimentation control facilities during the stabilization period and removal of unnecessary control facilities at the end of the stabilization period with planting of disturbed areas resulting from such removal;
(2) 
Removal of sedimentation created by his project from all adjoining surfaces, drainage systems and watercourses and repair of damage thus created;
(3) 
Maintenance of all watercourses and drainage facilities within his development until stabilization of surfaces is achieved;
(4) 
Prevention of any alteration of flow in established water sources crossing his development unless approved by the Department of Environmental Resources; and
(5) 
Provision of drainage easements or rights-of-way to contain watercourses crossing his development in approximately the existing alignment of such watercourses and of sufficient width to preserve natural drainage.
E. 
Where a developer proposes to alter the land surface drainage patterns, he shall:
(1) 
Collect runoff from the development for discharge at stabilized points entering the natural watercourse of the drainage area;
(2) 
Design his drainage system to accommodate stormwater runoff generated from the potential full development of the area upstream from his property; and
(3) 
Provide and install all erosion and sedimentation control measures and facilities at his expense in accordance with the approved erosion and sedimentation control plan.
[Amended 5-16-2011 by Ord. No. 855]
A. 
All subdivisions and plans shall comply with Chapter 242, Stormwater Management, of the Code of the Township of Butler.
B. 
Graded areas shall be stabilized with erosion-resisting plantings placed immediately after the completion of grading. Graded slopes produced by placing fill earth over the preexisting surface shall be keyed in accordance with sound geotechnical practices.
C. 
Grades of embankments resulting from preparation of building lots or sites shall not exceed one-foot vertical rise for every two feet of horizontal run for fill slopes or one-foot vertical rise for every 1 1/2 feet horizontal run for slopes created by excavating in areas that have lain dormant for at least two years, except that steeper slopes may be permitted in areas where, in the opinion of a professional engineer, as evidenced in a written report concurred in by the Township Engineer, conditions are such as to allow slopes up to a maximum grade determined by the engineers.
D. 
No grading shall occur within five feet of any subdivision or development plan boundary, except as is needed for the entrance of streets or to grade off land immediately adjacent to a street to the street's elevation.
E. 
All persons, partnerships or corporations intending to excavate, fill or grade land in the Township shall be required to apply for a grading permit under the terms of Chapter 188, Grading and Excavating, of the Code of the Township of Butler, as amended, and shall have a valid grading permit in their possession prior to the start of any grading work. Work shall be undertaken in conformance with the requirements of this chapter and applicable regulations of Butler County.
In addition to all applicable standards specified in §§ 252-26 through 252-37, land developments, as defined herein, which propose multifamily dwelling units or any nonresidential development, constructing a new building or buildings, enlarging an existing building, altering access points from public streets or rearranging or enlarging parking shall comply with the following standards:
A. 
Coverage of the property by building. The property shall contain adequate space for required off-street parking, truck servicing and landscaping, but shall be covered by structures no more than required by the Table of Bulk and Dimensional Requirements specified in § 300-22B of Chapter 300, Zoning.
B. 
Setbacks of building.
(1) 
Buildings shall be set back as required by the Table of Bulk and Dimensional Requirements in Chapter 300, Zoning.
(2) 
When several commercial or industrial structures share the same property, they shall be separated by at least 20 feet, whether or not an open canopy may connect them.
C. 
Parking on the property. Automobile parking spaces on the property shall be provided as required by § 300-25 of Chapter 300, Zoning. Circulation into and through the parking area shall be the simplest possible, given the property size and shape. Advantage within the parking area shall be given the pedestrian. A fire lane, as approved by the Township Fire Marshal, shall be maintained around those sides of the building abutting the parking areas. Where the ground beyond the edge of the parking area slopes downward and cars are to be parked at right angles to the slope, wheel stops or a curb shall be provided at the edge of the pavement. Parking spaces shall be marked off in traffic paint with lines not less than six inches wide.
D. 
Access into the property.
(1) 
Access into the property shall only be made at curb cut locations approved by the Board of Commissioners. Not more than two such access points shall be permitted if the property frontage is less than 300 feet on one street, nor more than three access points if frontage length is greater than 300 feet. Where a property fronts on two or more streets, one access point may be permitted on each secondary street in addition to those on the principal access street.
(2) 
Access points shall be located to provide maximum sight distances for car drivers leaving the property and those on the abutting street. A sight distance of not less than 200 feet in each direction along the street at each access point shall be considered an optimum condition, measured between three feet six inches and eight feet above the pavement at the access point. Obstructions on the property reducing sight distances shall be removed.
(3) 
Developers shall be responsible for providing permanent structures, in the form of curbs, landscaped areas or other barriers to limit access to the approved locations. Access points shall be not less than 20 feet nor more than 35 feet wide. Where curbing is employed, a curb radius of not less than 20 feet shall be provided at the intersection of the public street and access drive. The Board of Commissioners may require, at its option, that certain access points be limited to specific movements into or out of the property in order to assure maximum public safety. Further, the Board may require, in the case of large parking areas, that entering traffic must proceed at least 60 feet along the access drive into the property before turning into a parking lane.
E. 
Truck loading areas. When businesses receive and/or ship goods on the property, a loading area or areas for that purpose shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of § 300-26 of Chapter 300, Zoning. Loading areas shall be set aside independent of off-street parking areas and arranged so that delivery vehicles may enter and leave the servicing area moving in a forward direction. Loading areas shall be to the side or rear of the commercial or industrial building.
F. 
Pedestrian walkways. Where parking spaces on a property are located in excess of 140 feet from the building they are designed to serve, a pedestrian walkway shall be provided in the parking area not less than four feet in width connecting the parking spaces to the entrances to the building. Such pedestrian walkways may occur between rows of parking spaces where the spaces are at right angles to the building or along the ends of rows where the spaces are arranged parallel to the building. A walkway along the edge of the parking area adjacent to the building, raised six inches above the parking area, shall be provided, connecting to the building entrances. A handicapped ramp or ramps shall be constructed between the parking area and raised walkway adjacent to the building.
G. 
Stormwater. All plans shall comply with Chapter 242, Stormwater Management, of the Code of the Township of Butler.
[Amended 5-16-2011 by Ord. No. 855]
H. 
Lighting of property.
[Amended 12-21-2009 by Ord. No. 846]
(1) 
Parking and pedestrian areas on the property shall be lighted to create a level of not less than one footcandle when measured three feet above the pavement throughout the paved areas on the property. Such lighting may be from freestanding lampposts within the parking areas, from nearby street lights or from lights mounted on buildings.
(2) 
Lighting shall be shielded or aimed so as not to create glare conditions on adjacent streets or properties. The provisions of Article VI, Generally Applicable Provisions, § 300-28, Performance standards, Subsection G, Glare, of Chapter 300, Zoning, shall be applicable to all exterior lighting.
(3) 
Light standards in parking areas shall be protected from accidental damage by vehicles through the installation of concrete-filled bollards, raised islands or planted areas.
I. 
Landscaping.
(1) 
All areas of the property not paved or occupied by buildings shall be landscaped and maintained. At least 5% of the area of the property lying between the abutting street and the principal building or buildings on the property shall be set aside for landscaping. Where the property abuts two streets, at least 8% of the area between the streets and principal building or buildings shall be set aside for landscaping. Lot areas not covered by buildings, sidewalks, pavement or other improvements shall be seeded with grass or other appropriate ground cover material compatible with the landscape and architectural design and condition of the surrounding areas.
(2) 
Landscaping may take the form of grassed areas, shrubbery, trees, ground cover, mulching materials, boulders or other features in combination and shall conform to accepted minimum standards. Landscaping materials shall not obstruct sight distances at access points to the property. Existing vegetation shall be considered as meeting the minimum standards for planted materials in this subsection when identified on the site plan.
[Amended 12-21-2009 by Ord. No. 846]
(3) 
Where properties abut residentially zoned lots, the following requirements shall apply:
(a) 
All sites in a "C" classified zone having a common boundary with an "R" classified property shall erect and maintain a view-obscuring fence or dense coniferous hedge to a height of not less than six feet along such common boundary for purpose of controlling access and providing visual and noise buffers between the dissimilar uses.
(b) 
All sites in an "M" classified zone having a common boundary with an "R" classified property shall have planted and maintained along such common boundary a view-obscuring coniferous greenbelt of shrubs, trees and native vegetation not less than eight feet in height nor less than 10 feet in width, for screening purposes and controlling access.
(c) 
In any zoning district, sites approved for development of nonresidential uses, whether permitted as uses by right, conditional uses or special exceptions, and which share common boundaries with residentially zoned lots, shall be required to erect and maintain a view-obscuring fence or dense coniferous hedge to a height of not less than six feet along such common boundary for purposes of controlling access and providing visual and noise buffers between the dissimilar uses.
(4) 
Where plantings are used as a screen, they shall be not less than three feet in height above ground level when planted and arranged to create a dense hedge when mature. The Board of Commissioners may modify these requirements where topography or existing natural growth to remain on the property after development will serve the purpose of a screen.
(5) 
The developer shall post a performance bond and a maintenance bond or other security satisfactory to the Township Solicitor in an amount approved by the Township Engineer, equal to the estimated cost of the landscaping to guarantee implementation of the landscaping bond to be held for two complete growing seasons to assure stabilization and growth of the landscaping materials.
J. 
Garbage and trash containers. All organic rubbish and discarded materials shall be placed in tight vermin-proof containers on the property and shall be secured in side or rear yards screened from public view by means of a solid-face fence or wall. Containers shall be emptied not less frequently than once a week. On properties where food is served in paper containers, covered waste receptacles shall be conspicuously located on the premises for use by patrons. The management shall be responsible for maintaining the property free of litter.
K. 
Appearance of buildings. Where several commercial or industrial buildings occupy the same property or several commercial or industrial enterprises occupy the same building, there shall be an architectural continuity in the design of the facades of the building or buildings facing the street or streets to which the property has access. Evidence of continuity may be shown by the use of a common wall finishing material, common size, height and lettering style of signs, and similar window and door sizes, heights and arrangements. Unpainted concrete block walls will be permitted only where they are hidden from public view and from the view from nearby residential properties.
L. 
Use of trailers on a commercial or industrial property. No vehicle towed to a site or driven there shall be used for purposes of storage or materials or goods, for temporary expansion of a business or for sales or display of goods.