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DESIGN STANDARDS
In all land developments and subdivisions developed after the effective date of this chapter, certain improvements shall be installed in accordance with design specifications set forth herein. Whenever the township standards, in applicable zoning ordinances, building codes, road ordinances or other ordinances, resolutions or regulations require standards that exceed these minimum standards, those township standards shall apply. Whenever the standards of this chapter exceed those of the other municipal ordinances, the standards of this chapter shall apply.
(Ord. 2-2011, passed 10-6-2011)
The following general standards shall apply to all types of development; the township will study the following factors affecting the suitability of a proposed subdivision or land development.
(A) Land subject to flooding and land deemed by the township to be uninhabitable for other reasons shall not be platted for residential occupancy, nor for such other uses as may increase danger to health, life, property, groundwater or aggravate the flood hazard; but such land within a plan shall be set aside for such uses as will not be endangered by periodic or occasional inundation or as will not endanger life, property or further aggravate or increase the existing menace. Any development within a floodway shall be in accordance with the applicable DEP permit.
(B) Areas characterized by steep slopes (slopes greater than 15%), geologic formations, sink holes, wetlands or other such features which restrict the usability of the land shall not be subdivided or developed.
(C) In determining the suitability of land for subdivision, the township shall refer to applicable studies by the County Planning Commission, state and federal agencies, including the soil survey prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
(D) The layout or arrangement of the subdivision or land development shall conform to the County Comprehensive Plan, the Township Comprehensive Development Plan and to any regulations or maps adopted in furtherance thereof; in addition, the layout or arrangement of the subdivision or land development shall conform to any local level Comprehensive Plan or other applicable ordinances which may exist.
(E) Where evidence indicates that the minimum lot size requirements specified in other sections of this chapter or in any applicable zoning ordinance are not adequate to permit the installation of individual on-lot water and/or sewage disposal facilities, along with an area to be set aside for a replacement sewage absorption bed, the township shall require that the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) or the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) make such tests as are necessary to determine the adequacy of the proposed facilities in relation to the provisions of the State Sewage Facilities Act 537, 35 P.S. §§ 750.1 et seq., as amended, plus other applicable state or local regulations. The township shall review and shall make a final determination on the adequacy of the proposed facility.
(F) No subdivision showing reserve strips controlling the access to public ways will be approved, except where the control and disposal of the land comprising such strips are definitely placed within the jurisdiction of the township under agreement meeting the approval of the township.
(G) Lot lines shall, where possible, follow municipal and county boundary lines rather than cross them.
(H) All subdivision and land developments shall be designed and constructed in accordance with recommendations received from the Township Engineer.
(Ord. 2-2011, passed 10-6-2011)
(A) The following general standards shall apply to all streets within a subdivision.
(1) The location and width of all streets shall conform to the county and local level Comprehensive Plans or to such parts thereof as may have been adopted by the county or township.
(2) The proposed street system shall extend existing or recorded streets with the same width or larger but in no case less than the required minimum width.
(3) Where, in the opinion of the Township Supervisors and/or Planning Commission, it is desirable to provide for street access to adjoining property, street stubs shall be extended by dedication to the boundary of such property. In addition, at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors, at least two points of ingress and egress must be provided to the subdivision or land development. Typically, a second ingress/egress point will be required for all subdivisions of 20 lots or more.
(4) New minor streets shall be so designed as to discourage through traffic, but the subdivides shall give adequate consideration to provision for the extension and continuation of major arterial and collector streets into and from adjoining properties.
(5) Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of improper width or alignment, the township may require the dedication of land sufficient to widen the street or correct the alignment.
(6) Private streets (streets not to be offered for dedication) are discouraged. Private streets will be approved only if they meet the design standards of this chapter except pervious pavement is allowable for private streets. Private streets are prohibited in major subdivisions.
(7) Street pavement design shall conform with the following.
(a) The road construction standards contained herein are minimum standards. These standards are adequate to provide safe, durable roads for all streets within the township. In no case should a proposed design provide for less than these standards require. Designs in excess of these standards may be required when conditions warrant. Design criteria to be used shall be State Department of Transportation Design Manual, Part 2, Highway Design. Material and construction methods shall comply with the latest edition of PennDOT Specification, Publication 408, and Standards for Roadway Construction, PennDOT Publication 72.
(b) The township reserves the right to approve alternate designs for material type, depth and width when sound engineering analysis proves the acceptability of the alternate. In no instance shall a proposed alternate design be less than the minimum requirement contained herein.
(c) Roads on the state or federal system must be designed to the specifications required by the above-mentioned agencies, these standards notwithstanding.
(d) All pavements shall be designed for a 20-year service life.
(e) Where it is proposed to use a road prior to the placement of the wearing course, the base course of the road must be structurally designed to support all anticipated loads.
(f) Parking lanes shall be provided where required by the township. Thickness requirements for parking lanes shall be the same as the thickness requirements for the cartway.
(g) Temporary turnarounds meeting the dimensional requirements contained herein for a cul-de-sac shall be installed when streets are designed for future extension to adjoining properties or future extension to subsequent phases of a development. Temporary turnarounds shall be provided with easement meeting the right-of-way requirements herein for cul-de-sacs. Temporary turnarounds shall be constructed of a minimum of six inches of well compacted gravel.
(h) All construction materials, equipment, procedures and methods shall conform to the requirements of the State Department of Transportation Specifications, Publication 408, most recent edition, unless specifically stated otherwise in this chapter.
(i) Subgrade: in accordance with the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 408, § 210. The subgrade shall be approved by the township prior to placing of subbase.
(j) Subbase: in accordance with the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 408, § 350. The subbase shall be approved by the township prior to placement of base material.
(k) Bituminous concrete base course: in accordance with the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 408, § 305. The bituminous concrete base course shall be approved by the township prior to the placing of the wearing course.
(l) ID-2 bituminous wearing course: in accordance with the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 408, § 420. Material shall conform to the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 408, § 420.2 a, b and c. Skid resistance level shall be as required by the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 242. A tack coat shall be applied to the surface of any pavement that has been in place for more than seven days prior to placement of subsequent course.
(m) Plain cement concrete curb (where required): in accordance with the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 408, § 630. Curbing shall be plain cement concrete curb as shown in PennDOT Standards for Roadway Construction, Publication 72, RC-64. At the discretion of the township, low profile (mountable) curbing may be acceptable.
(n) Shoulders: in accordance with the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 408, § 653; shall be Type 3 as shown in PennDOT Standards for Roadway Construction, Publication 72, RC-25, and as specified in PennDOT Publication 408, § 653.2, except bituminous surface treatment is not required. Shoulders less than six feet in width will not be required to use full depth asphalt.
(o) Pavement structures shall be as follows:
Depth of Courses | |||
Classification of Street | Base | Subbase | |
Arterial | 3.5 inches* | 4.5 inches | 6 inches |
Collector | 3.5 inches* | 4.5 inches | 6 inches |
Local (minor) | 1.5 inches | 4.5 inches | 6 inches |
*Consists of wearing and binder courses | |||
(p) Street cross slopes shall be at a rate of one-fourth inch per foot for tangent alignments and shall be sloped in accordance with the super elevation requirements of the latest edition of the PennDOT Design Manual, Part 2. Shoulder cross slopes shall be a minimum of one-half inch per foot and a maximum of three-fourths inch per foot.
(q) Adequate measures shall be provided to fully drain the subbase whether it be by placement of pie underdrain, pavement base drain, subgrade drain, combination storm sewer and underdrain, or outletting subbase drainage into parallel ditches. Subsurface drains to be in accordance with current PennDOT Publication 72.
(8) Stormwater conveyance systems shall be designed in accordance with the approval of the Township Engineer and the township stormwater management ordinance (Chapter 53). All stormwater conveyance systems within rights-of-way to be dedicated to the township shall conform with the following.
(a) Endwalls and inlets shall be as per the latest editions of the PennDOT Publication 408, § 605, and PennDOT Publication 72, RC-31 and RC-34. Pipe outlets shall be equipped with end treatments to prevent scour and erosion.
(b) Pipe culverts shall be as per the latest edition of PennDOT Publication 408, §§ 601, 602 and 603. Corrugated polyethylene culvert pipe is acceptable up to and including 24-inch outside diameter. The minimum size of culvert pipes shall be 15-inch outside diameter.
(9) Guide rail and median barrier requirements and design shall be as per PennDOT Publication 13, Design Manual Part 2, Chapter 12. Material and construction shall be as specified in PennDOT Publication 408, § 1109, and PennDOT Publication 72, RC-50, 52, 53, 54 and 55.
(10) All street construction shall be inspected by the township. The contractor shall notify the township 14 days prior to the time when inspection is required. The contractor may not under any circumstances proceed with subsequent stages until authorization to proceed is given by the township.
(B) Width. Minimum street right-of-way and pavement widths, shall be as set forth in the following table:
Street Type | Street Width or Length | Shoulder Width | Minimum Grade | Maximum Grade |
Street Type | Street Width or Length | Shoulder Width | Minimum Grade | Maximum Grade |
Arterial (Major) | ||||
Cartway* | 44 feet | 10 feet | 1% | 5% |
Right-of-way* | 80 feet | |||
Collector | ||||
Cartway* | 24 feet | 6 feet | 1% | 10% |
Right-of-way* | 60 feet | |||
Local (Minor) | ||||
Cartway | 18 feet | 4 feet | 1% | 10% |
Right-of-way | 50 feet | |||
Turnaround of Cul-De-Sac | ||||
Cartway (diameter) | 80 feet | 4 feet | 1% | 5% |
Length (maximum) | 800 feet | |||
Length (minimum) | 250 feet | |||
Right-of-way (diameter) | 100 feet | |||
*Note: the Board of Supervisors reserves the option to allow the determination of right-of-way width, cartway width, shoulder width and minimum and maximum grades, of collector and arterial streets to be determined on the basis of a traffic study furnished by the applicant, and reviewed and accepted by the Township Engineer | ||||
(C) Alignment. Minimum street alignment standards shall conform with the horizontal curvature requirements of the Rural Design Criteria as per the Design Manual Part 2 Highway Design, Publication 13, PennDOT Bureau of Design, latest edition. Proper sight distance shall be provided with respect to both horizontal and vertical alignment in accordance with A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Chapter IX, latest edition.
(D) Grades. Minimum street grade standards shall conform with the vertical grade requirements of the Rural Design Criteria as per the Design Manual Part 2 Highway Design, Publication 13, PennDOT Bureau of Design, latest edition, up to a maximum grade of 10%.
(E) Horizontal curves. Minimum horizontal curves shall conform with the horizontal curvature requirements of the Rural Design Criteria as per the Design Manual Part 2 Highway Design, Publication 13, PennDOT Bureau of Design, latest edition.
(F) Vertical curves. Vertical curves shall be provided of sufficient length to provide the safe sight distance for the design speed in accordance with A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Chapter IX, latest edition.
(G) Intersections. The following standards shall apply to all street intersections.
(1) Streets shall intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. No street shall intersect another at an angle less than 75 degrees or more than 105 degrees.
(2) No more than two streets shall intersect at the same point.
(3) Streets intersecting another street shall either intersect directly opposite to each other or shall be separated by at least 125 feet between centerlines measured along the centerline of the street being intersected.
(4) Intersections with major streets shall be located not less than 1,000 feet apart measured from centerline to centerline along the centerline of the major street.
(5) Street curb intersections shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a minimum radius of:
(a) Twenty feet for intersections involving only minor streets;
(b) Thirty feet for all intersections involving a collector street; and
(c) Forty feet for all intersections involving a major street.
(6) Street right-of-way lines shall be parallel to (concentric with) curb arcs at intersections.
(7) Clear sight triangles shall be provided at all street intersections. No buildings or obstructions are permitted in the area and such triangles shall be established from a distance of 15 feet behind the edge of pavement to the point:
(a) Seventy-five feet from the intersection of centerline for minor streets; and
(b) One hundred fifty feet from the intersection of centerline for all intersection with major streets.
(8) Minimum sight distance shall be provided at all street intersection in accordance with the State Code, Title 67, Chapter 441, § 8(h).
(9) Leveling areas shall be provided at all street intersections having not greater than three percent grades for a distance of 50 feet measured from the nearest cartway edge of the intersecting streets.
(H) Alleys. Alleys shall not be permitted in residential subdivisions except in cases where other methods of entrance and exit are impractical. In other types of development, where permitted, their design standards shall be determined by the township.
(I) Names. The subdivider may choose street names subject to the approval of the township. Proposed streets which are in alignment with others already existing and named shall be assigned the names of the existing streets. In no case shall the name of a proposed street duplicate or confuse an existing street name in the township, irrespective of the use of the suffix street, road, avenue, boulevard, driveway, place, court, lane and the like.
(Ord. 2-2011, passed 10-6-2011)
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