§ 22-702. General Standards .

   1.   Land. No land shall be subdivided or developed for any purposes unless adequate safeguards against flood, fire and disease have been taken to minimize hazards to life, health, or property.

   2.   Use. The proposed use of the land in any land development must conform to the Township Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27].

   3.   Development. Proposed projects shall be integrated with existing and proposed neighborhoods so that the community as a whole may develop harmoniously and no development is to occur until a building permit is obtained from the Building Code Official.

   4.   Natural and Historic Features. Reasonable measures shall be taken to ensure the preservation of natural and historic features, areas and structures as determined by Dover Township to be worthy of such preservation and to ensure public access to such features, areas and structures, where appropriate.

   5.   Source Water Protection. Reasonable measures shall be taken to ensure the protection of the groundwater supply within the wellhead protection area.

   6.   Conformance with Comprehensive Plan. The layout or arrangement of the subdivision or land development shall conform to the Dover Township Comprehensive Plan and subsequent updates and any regulations or maps adopted in furtherance thereof.

(Ord. 2011-05, 3/14/2011, § 702)

§ 22-703. Street Systems; General .

   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)

§ 22-704. Street Design Criteria .

   Streets shall be designed in accordance with Guidelines for Design of Local Streets and Roads (Publication 70), as amended, of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Dover Township Construction Specifications, latest edition; and the following criteria, whichever is more stringent:

      A.   Streets shall be laid out according to the requirements shown in Table 22-7-1; however, additional street width may be required as determined by the Board to insure public safety and convenience in accordance with the purposes of this Chapter.

      B.   Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street, the developer shall be required to:

         (1)   Provide sufficient additional right-of-way and cartway widths to meet the above standards.

         (2)   Mill and provide new wearing course to centerline of existing cartway.

         (3)   Provide leveling course/milling to correct street cross slope to current standards (2% minimum).

      C.   Street Construction. Streets must be constructed to the grades and dimensions drawn on the plans, profiles, and cross-sections submitted by the applicant and approved by the Board of Township Supervisors. Before paving the street surface, the applicant must install the required utilities and provide, where necessary, adequate stormwater drainage for the street acceptable to the Supervisors. The pavement base, wearing surface, and shoulders must be constructed according to Dover Township construction specifications.

      D.   Curves (Horizontal). Where connecting street lines deflect from each other at any one point, the line must be connected with a true, circular curve.

         (1)   The minimum radius of the center line for the curve must be as shown in Table 22-7-1.

         (2)   Straight portions of the street must be tangent to the beginning or end of curves.

      E.   Curves (Vertical). Vertical curves shall be used in changes of grade when the algebraic difference exceeds 1%. Crest and sag curves shall be designed in accordance with the following:

		Minimum Rate of vertical curvature, Ka (ft/%)
Posted Speed Limit (mph)	Design Stopping Sight Distance (ft)	Crest	Sag
15	80	3	10
20	115	7	17
25	155	12	26
30	200	19	37
35	250	29	49
40	305	44	64
45	360	61	79
50	425	84	96
55	495	114	115
60	570	151	136

 

      F.   Slope of Banks Along Streets. The slope of banks along streets measured perpendicular to the street center line shall be no steeper than the following:

         (1)   One foot of vertical measurement for 3 feet of horizontal measurement for fills.

         (2)   One foot of vertical measurement for 2 feet of horizontal measurement for cuts.

      G.   Crown. The crown shall be as required in Dover Township construction specifications.

      H.   Shoulders. Shoulders shall be provided as required in Table 22-7-1 and shall be constructed of the same materials as the cartway.

      I.   Intersections. Intersections shall be designed in accordance with the criteria shown in Table 22-7-2, and the following:

         (1)   Clear Sight Triangle. Proper sight lines must be maintained at all street intersections. Measured along the center line, there must be a clear sight triangle of 75 feet (150 feet for arterial streets) from the point of intersection of the two street lines, and no buildings or, obstructions or plantings which could grow higher than 3 feet above the grade of the center line of the streets shall be permitted in this area. Where not located within a public right-of-way, the area shall be recorded as an easement on the plat at the time of subdivision and/or land development.

         (2)   Maximum grade within any intersection shall not exceed 4% in any direction, and approaches to any intersection shall follow a straight course for the length specified in Table 22-7-2.

      J.   Radius corners or diagonal cutoffs must be provided on the property/right of way lines substantially concentric with, or parallel, to the cord of the curb/paving radius.

      K.   Sight Distance. Sight distance must be provided with respect to both horizontal and vertical alignment. Passing sight distance and stopping sight distance shall comply with the minimum requirements of PennDOT Publication 70, based on highway classification and speed limit.

      L.   Alleys and Service Drives. The following standards shall apply to the design and location of alleys and service drives:

         (1)   Alleys shall not be permitted in residential developments except by the permission of the Board of Township Supervisors. All buildings or other structures adjacent to any alley must comply with the side or rear yard setbacks from the alley right-of-way line as included in the appropriate district regulations in the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27].

         (2)   Alleys or secondary service drives serving nonresidential establish ments are required unless other provisions for service are provided.

      M.   Lots Abutting Arterial Roads. In a subdivision or land development abutting an arterial street, one of the following may be required:

         (1)   The frontage shall be reversed so that the lots contiguous to such roadways will front on a minor collector or local street, with an additional lot depth of 20 feet as an easement exclusively for planting and screening to be provided by the developer along the arterial street.

         (2)   A service road shall be provided along such arterial street and shall be separated from it by a landscaped berm. The berm shall have a minimum bottom width of 20 feet, a maximum slope of 2 to 1 and a minimum height of 3 feet.

         (3)   Such other means of separating through and local traffic and of providing a suitable buffer shall be provided as the Board of Supervisors may determine to be appropriate.

         (4)   The side yard of a lot abutting a designated arterial roadway shall be increased by an additional width of 20 feet as an easement exclusively for planting and screening to be provided by the developer along the arterial street.

(Ord. 2011-05, 3/14/2011, § 704)