(A) Land requirements. Land shall be suited to the purpose for which it is to be subdivided. In general, the Commission shall take the following factors into consideration:
(1) Land subject to periodic flooding or other hazards to life, health or property shall not be subdivided for residential purposes unless adequate safeguards against such hazards are provided by the plan; and
(2) Areas characterized by steep slopes, rock formations or other such features shall not be subdivided for residential purposes.
(B) Common facilities and master plan requirements. The Commission will consider the adequacy of existing or proposed community facilities to serve the uses proposed in the subdivision. Where a proposed park, playground or other public use shown in the master plan of the borough is located in whole or in part in a subdivision, the Commission may require the provision or reservation of such area as may be deemed reasonable; provided, that such provision or reservation is acceptable to the borough.
(1) Areas provided or reserved for such community facilities should be adequate to provide for building sites, landscaping and off-street parking as appropriate to the use proposed.
(2) The layout of the proposed subdivision shall be in general conformity with the features or developments proposed in the master plan of the borough.
(C) Lots and lot sizes. Lot dimensions, areas, yards and building setback lines shall be not less than specified by the provisions of the zoning regulations (Chapter 155 of this code of ordinances), if such exists:
(1) All lots shall front upon a public street, existing or proposed;
(2) Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to street lines;
(3) If remnants of land exist after subdividing, they shall be incorporated in existing or proposed lots, or dedicated to public use, if acceptable to the borough;
(4) Double frontage lots are prohibited, except where employed to prevent vehicular access to major traffic streets; and
(5) Depth and width of parcels laid out or reserved for nonresidential use shall be sufficient to provide satisfactory space for off-street parking and unloading.
(D) Easements.
(1) Easements with a minimum width of ten feet plus the width of any required pipe or other improvements shall be provided as necessary for utilities.
(2) To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be centered on or adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
(3) Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a drainage easement or right-of-way conforming substantially with the line of such watercourse and of such width as will be adequate to preserve natural drainage.
(E) Blocks.
(1) The length, width and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to the following:
(a) Provision of adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed;
(b) Zoning requirements;
(c) Topography; and
(d) Requirements for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
(2) In the design of blocks longer than 1,000 feet, special consideration shall be given to the requirements of satisfactory fire protection.
(3) Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to accommodate two tiers of lots, except where reverse frontage lots bordering a major traffic street are used.
(4) Pedestrian interior walks may be required where necessary to assist circulation or provide access to community facilities. Such crosswalks shall have a width of not less than ten feet and a paved walk of not less than four feet.
(5) All blocks shall be designed in such a manner as to be well drained so that no lot shall have water standing thereon after any rain. When drainage courses traverse any block, due consideration shall be given to provide whatever drainage facilities and easements as may be necessary to protect the life and property of the general public.
(F) Street widths and geometric standards. Street widths shall be as in the table below.
Standards for Streets and Sidewalks | |||
Type of Street | |||
Arterial | Collector | Local | |
Standards for Streets and Sidewalks | |||
Type of Street | |||
Arterial | Collector | Local | |
Width (feet) | |||
Pavement | 40 | 36 | 33 |
Right-of-way | 80 | 66 | 50 |
Sidewalk | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Geometric Standard | |||
Maximum grade | 5% | 7% | 10% |
Minimum centerline Radium for horizontal curves1 | 500 ft. | 300 ft. | 150 ft. |
Minimum grade | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
Minimum sight distance | 600 ft. | 400 ft. | 200 ft. |
Note: All streets which are state highways shall conform to the applicable requirements of the Pennsylvania State Department of Transportation. | |||
1 Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of five degrees, connection shall be made by horizontal curves, and a tangent shall be required between reverse horizontal curves. | |||
(G) Street system layout.
(1) Proposed streets shall be properly related to such street plans or parts thereof as have been officially prepared and adopted by the borough, and they shall further conform to such county and state road and highway plans as have been prepared, adopted and/or filed as prescribed by law.
(2) The proposed street layout shall provide for the continuation or projection of existing streets in the surrounding area unless the Commission deems such extension undesirable for specific reasons of topography or design.
(3) Streets shall be logically related to the topography to produce usable lots and reasonable grades.
(4) Minor streets shall be laid out to discourage through traffic, but provision for street connections into and from adjacent areas will generally be required.
(5) Proposed streets shall be extended to provide access to adjoining property where necessary.
(6) Adequate street rights-of-way shall be provided as necessary where lots in the proposal are large enough to permit resubdivision or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided.
(7) Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed major traffic street, the Commission may require marginal access streets, rear service alleys, reverse frontage lots or such other treatment as will provide protection for abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections with the major street, and separation of local and through traffic.
(8) New alleys, half or partial streets will not be permitted, except where essential to reasonable subdivision of a tract in conformance with the other requirements and standards contained herein and where, in addition, satisfactory assurance for dedication of the remaining part of the street can be secured.
(9) Wherever subdivision or land development abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate right-of-way width and/or cartway width, additional right-of-way width and/or cartway width shall be constructed/dedicated to conform with the standards of this chapter.
(10) Dead-end streets shall be prohibited, except as stubs to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, or when designed as cul-de-sacs.
(11) New reserve strips, including those controlling access to streets, shall be avoided.
(12) Wherever a subdivision or land development abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate horizontal and/or vertical alignment, the borough may require additional right-of-way width or cartway width along the existing street frontage in order to improve public safety.
(13) Wherever a subdivision or land development abuts or contains an existing street without curb and sidewalk, such improvements shall be constructed in accordance with the standards of this chapter along the existing street frontage of the property being subdivided/developed.
(14) All proposed streets shall be designed and constructed in accordance to the standards of this chapter with respect to right-of-way width, cartway width, horizontal and vertical curves, street grades, curbs and sidewalks.
(H) Street intersections.
(1) Streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. No street shall intersect another at an angle of less than 60 degrees.
(2) (a) Multiple intersections involving junction of more than two streets shall be avoided.
(b) Where this proves impossible, such intersections shall be designed with extreme care for both pedestrian and vehicular safety.
(3) Clear sight triangles of 30 feet measured along street lot lines from their point of junction shall be provided at all intersections, and no building shall be permitted within such sight triangles.
(4) To the fullest extent possible, intersections with major traffic streets shall be located not less than 800 feet apart, measured from centerline to centerline.
(5) Streets entering opposite sides of another street shall be laid out either directly opposite one another or with a minimum offset of 125 feet between their centerlines.
(6) Minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be 15 feet for intersections involving only minor streets, 25 feet for intersections involving other types of streets, or such greater radius as is suited to the specific intersection.
(7) Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate right-of-way width, additional right-of-way width in conformance with division (F) above will be required.
(8) Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than 4% grades for a distance of 50 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
(I) Cul-de-sac-street.
(1) Cul-de-sac streets, permanently designed as such, shall not exceed 500 feet in length, and shall furnish access to not more than 20 dwelling units.
(2) Cul-de-sac streets shall be provided at the closed end with a paved turnaround having a minimum radius to the outer pavement edge or curb line of 40 feet.
(3) Unless future extension is clearly impractical or undesirable, a turnaround right-of-way of the same width as the street shall be carried to the property street into the line in such a way as to permit future extension of the adjoining tract.
(Prior Code, Ch. 22, § 502) (Ord. 173, passed 10-5-1970, § 502; Ord. 323, passed 7-6-1998; Ord. 3-2009, passed 8-17-2009, § 1; Ord. 3-2017, passed 3-20-2017)