All streets proposed to be constructed within the Township shall conform to the following general design requirements:
A. Proposed streets shall be planned with regard to the existing street system, public convenience in terms of fire protection and pedestrian traffic, projected volumes of traffic, existing and proposed use of land on abutting properties and future development extensions of the street systems.
B. Residential streets shall be so laid out as to discourage through traffic; however, the arrangement of streets shall provide for continuation of existing or platted streets and for proper access to adjoining undeveloped tracts suitable for future development.
C. Proposed streets, which are aligned with existing streets, shall bear the name of the existing street. In the event a proposed street is not aligned with an existing street, it shall not bear a name similar to any existing street located within the Township and/or the same postal service area, regardless of the suffix street, avenue, boulevard, drive, place, court, etc.
D. Streets shall be logically related to topography so as to produce reasonable grades, satisfactory drainage and suitable building sites. A drawing of the same scale as the subdivision plan shall be provided showing topography and street profile as it relates to any proposed street(s) whether proposed for dedication or to be held in private right.
E. The streets must be properly located and built with regard to the proposed traffic functions as shown in the Dover Township Comprehensive Plan, including the minimizing of through-traffic on minor streets and the protection of major street capacities from excessive marginal access.
F. The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade, and location of all streets and highways must conform to their functional classification as identified in the Dover Township Comprehensive Plan, and as defined herein.
G. Reverse frontage shall be provided on all subdivisions abutting an arterial, except minor subdivisions.
H. Streets are generally described below. For design of streets, the Dover Township Comprehensive Plan (August 22, 1994, Addendum, or as amended) should be consulted to obtain the functional classification of a particular street and to determine whether the street is located in the urban or rural area. The arterial and collector streets are further classified as principal, major or minor based on the State classification system. Again these classifications are further identified in the Township Comprehensive Plan.
(1) Urban Street. The term “urban” indicates that the street is located in the Urban Growth Area as identified in the Township Comprehensive Plan referenced above. Such streets will normally include curbs and sidewalks and are generally wide enough to allow for on-street parking.
(2) Rural Street. The term “rural” indicates that the street is located outside the Urban Growth Area in the Resource Protection Area or the Reserve Area identified in the above-referenced Comprehensive Plan. These streets may or may not have curbs and sidewalks. The streets are generally designed to provide two travel lanes and adequate shoulders for emergency stopping.
(3) Arterial. A higher order, interregional road in the street hierarchy. Arterial roads are intended to carry large traffic volumes at steady speeds with minimum interruptions to traffic flow.
(4) Collector. This classification includes highways that provide connections with local access roads, arterials and State highways. They may serve a traffic corridor connecting villages, small boroughs, shipping points, mining and agricultural areas on an intra-county or township basis. Many trips destined to such points originate in widely diffused locations and a highway in this class function is considered a collector. Traffic volumes and trip lengths vary greatly depending upon size and distance between localities.
(5) Local. This classification is intended to include streets that provide direct access to abutting land and includes connections from farms, individual residences and commercial properties to higher classes of roadways. Trip lengths are short and operating speeds are low. Spacing between roads of this classification and traffic volumes vary widely depending upon the intensity of land development and the distance to population centers. In general, this classification includes all public roads which are not included in higher classifications.
(6) Alley and Service Drive. This classification is intended to include minor streets which provide secondary access to the back or side of properties abutting a street. These streets should be designed for operating speeds of 15 miles per hour or under.
(7) Cul-de-Sac. This classification is intended to include streets which have a turn-around area at their termini. Use of cul-de-sacs and will not be permitted when other layout options are available. Use of cul-de-sacs require specific authorization from the Board of Supervisors. Alternative designs to the circular cul-de-sac will be considered only if they meet the requirements of the Liquid Fuels Tax Municipal Allocation Law, 72 P.S. § 2615.1 et seq., for obtaining liquid fuels tax allocations. Standards presume light traffic at speeds under 25 miles per hour. Cul-de-sac snow storage areas shall be required where directed by the Township Engineer. Signs to designate storage areas shall be installed by the developer prior to street adoption.
(8) Dead-End Streets. Shall be prohibited, except when designed as temporary cul-de-sac streets by the developer on his own land in order to permit future street extensions into adjoining tracts. These temporary dead end streets must be approved by the Township and indicated on the plans. Also, they must be constructed with a stabilized all weather turnaround of the same radius as that which would be required for a permanent street; the turnaround to be removed when the street is continued.
(9) Half-streets will not be permitted except where dedication is for widening of an existing publicly maintained road and the remaining half of such ad to the full width of right-of-way required is free and clear of existing buildings or other structures to the required setback line and the dedication or acquisition of the remaining half street is otherwise possible. Whenever there is an existing half-street adjacent to a tract to be developed, then the other half of the street shall be platted and dedicated with such tract unless otherwise determined by the Board of Supervisors.
(10) Private streets shall be permitted only in the agriculture and conservation zones and shall provide access to no more than three residential units. Such private streets shall be constructed with a minimum cartway width of 16 feet and shall have a paved or gravel surface. Otherwise private streets are not permitted unless they conform to the specifications and requirements of local streets as specified in this Chapter or by approval of the Board of Supervisors and designated as “open for public access to adjacent property.” A legal agreement shall be established to ensure access to all properties and to guarantee maintenance of the street. Such agreement shall be filed and recorded with the approved plans.
(Ord. 2011-05, 3/14/2011, § 703)