Borough of East Stroudsburg, PA Article IV Design Standards

§ 140-10 Incorporation of standards.

[Amended 6-16-2020 by Ord. No. 1363, approved 6-19-2020]

The design standards listed below and in Table 1[1] shall be incorporated in all proposed plans.

[1] Editor's Note: Table 1 is included as an attachment to this chapter.

§ 140-11 Land requirements.

A. Land shall be suited to the purposes for which it is to be subdivided. In general, the Commission shall take the following factors into consideration before the approval of any subdivision plan.

(1) Subdivisions laid out on land subject to periodic flooding shall not be approved unless adequate safeguards against such hazards are provided by the plan and the plan meets the regulations in the Borough's Floodplain Ordinance.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See Ch. 82, Flood-Prone Areas.

(2) Areas characterized by steep slopes, rock formations or other features shall not be subdivided into residential lots.

§ 140-12 Street system layout.

A. Street dimensions and design standards shall be according to Table 3.[1]

[Amended 6-16-2020 by Ord. No. 1363, approved 6-19-2020]

[1] Editor's Note: Table 3 is included as an attachment to this chapter.

B. The location of all major streets in the proposed subdivision shall conform in general alignment to the Traffic Plan, adopted by the Borough Planning Commission.

C. 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.

D. Streets shall be logically related to the topography to produce usable lots and reasonable grades.

E. Minor streets shall be laid out to discourage through traffic, but provision for street connection into and from adjacent areas will generally be required.

F. Proposed streets shall be extended to provide access to adjoining property where necessary.

G. 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.

H. 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.

I. New 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.

J. Wherever a tract to be subdivided borders an existing half or partial street, the other part of the street can be secured.

K. Dead-end streets shall be prohibited except as stubs to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts or when designed as culs-de-sac.

L. New reserve strips, including those controlling access to streets, shall be avoided.

M. Sidewalks.

[Amended 6-1-1999 by Ord. No. 1086, approved 6-1-1999; 6-16-2020 by Ord. No. 1363, approved 6-19-2020]

(1) Sidewalks shall be required along all streets and sidewalks shall be provided internal to the site as necessary to provide safe and convenient pedestrian access in accordance with Chapter 136, titled "Streets and Sidewalks," § 157-100 and § 157-65 for all projects requiring land development and/or subdivision applications.

(2) Sidewalks shall be located outside of the existing road right-of-way in the C-1B zoning district to provide for future roadway improvements and utilities. Council may provide/allow required sidewalks to be installed in the road right-of-way when the developer provides justification acceptable to the Borough that the sidewalks can be installed in the existing road right-of-way without occupying area required for future road improvements or utility relocations.

§ 140-13 Street intersections.

A. 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 60º.

B. Multiple intersections involving junction of more than two streets shall be avoided. Where this proves impossible, such intersections shall be designed with extreme care for both pedestrian and vehicular safety.

C. 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.

D. To the fullest extent possible, intersections with major traffic streets shall be located not less than 800 feet apart, measured from center line to center line.

E. 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 center lines.

F. Minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be 15 feet for intersections involving only minor streets, 25 feet for intersections involving other type streets or such greater radius as is suited to the specific intersection.

G. Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate right-of-way width, additional right-of-way width in conformance with Table 3[1] will be required.

[1] Editor's Note: Table 3 is included at the end of this chapter.

H. Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than four-percent grades for a distance of 25 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.

§ 140-14 Cul-de-sac streets.

A. 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.

B. 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 curbline of 40 feet.

C. 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 line in such a way as to permit future extension of the street into the adjoining tract.

§ 140-15 Driveways in new subdivisions.

A. Driveways accessing lots shall not have a grade greater than 20% for a distance not to exceed 100 feet.

B. Driveways for private homes shall be between 15 and 20 feet wide.

C. Driveways shall be no closer than five feet to the side lot line.

D. Driveways shall be no closer than 50 feet to a street intersection.

§ 140-16 Lots and lot sizes.

A. Lot sizes and dimensions shall be according to Table 1.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Table 1 is included at the end of this chapter.

B. Where evidence indicates that minimum lot requirements shown in Table 1[2] are not adequate to permit the installation of individual on-lot water supply and/or sewage disposal facilities, the Commission may require the developer to undertake tests prescribed by the Department of Environmental Resources to determine the adequacy of the proposed facilities in relation to the proposed lot size, existing grade and soil conditions. Where tests indicate a larger lot size to be necessary, the Commission may employ the services of a registered and qualified independent sanitary engineer for advice as to the minimum lot size and/or facilities necessary to prevent unsanitary conditions and hazards to the public. The cost of retaining the services of such an engineer shall be borne by the developer.

[2] Editor's Note: Table 1 is included at the end of this chapter.

C. All lots shall front upon a publicly ordained street.

[Amended 10-19-2004 by Ord. No. 1152, approved 10-19-2004]

D. The ratio of the depth of any lot to its width shall not be greater than 2 1/2: 1, except as may be specified in Chapter 157, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough of East Stroudsburg. Except for lots on cul-de-sacs, lots shall have their entire required frontage along a publicly ordained street. Cul-de-sac lots shall have at least 75% of the required frontage along a publicly ordained street.

[Amended 10-19-2004 by Ord. No. 1152, approved 10-19-2004]

E. Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to street lines.

F. 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.

G. Double frontage lots are prohibited, except where employed to prevent vehicular access to major traffic streets.

H. 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 as required by the provisions of Chapter 157, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough of East Stroudsburg.

§ 140-17 Easements.

A. Easements with a minimum width of 20 feet plus the width of any required pipe or other improvement shall be provided as necessary for utilities.

B. To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be centered on or adjacent to rear or side lot lines.

C. Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a drainage easement or right-of-way conforming substantially to the line of such watercourse and of such width as will be adequate to preserve natural drainage.

D. All power and telephone lines in new subdivisions must run along the rear property lines.

§ 140-18 Blocks.

A. The length, width and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to the following:

(1) Provision of adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed.

(2) Zoning requirements.

(3) Topography.

(4) Requirements for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation.

B. Blocks shall have a minimum length of 750 feet and a maximum length of 1,200 feet. In the design of blocks longer than 1,000 feet, special consideration shall be given to the requirements of satisfactory fire protection.

C. 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.

D. 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 10 feet and a paved walk of not less than four feet.

§ 140-19 Storm drainage.

A. Lots shall be laid out and graded to provide positive drainage away from buildings.

B. Storm sewers, culverts and related installations shall be provided:

(1) To permit unimpeded flow of natural watercourses.

(2) To ensure adequate drainage of all low points along the line of streets.

(3) To intercept stormwater runoff along streets at the intervals reasonably related to the extent and grade of the area drained.

C. Storm drainage pipe size and material shall be approved for use by the Borough Engineer. Storm drainage inlets and grating types shall also be approved by the Borough Engineer and/or Public Works Director.

D. In the design of storm sewerage installations, special consideration shall be given to avoidance of problems that may arise from concentration of stormwater runoff over adjacent properties.

E. All connections to the Borough of East Stroudsburg stormwater collection system shall be by a concrete inlet. The inlet shall have a sump created by the outlet pipe, being a minimum of eight inches off the bottom.

§ 140-20 Community facilities and Master Plan requirements.

A. In reviewing subdivision plans, the Commission will consider the adequacy of existing or proposed community facilities to serve the additional dwellings proposed by the subdivision.

B. Where a proposed park, playground, school or other public use shown in the Master Plan is located, in whole or in part, in a subdivision, the Commission may require the reservation of such area as may be deemed reasonable. Where said area is not dedicated, it shall be reserved for acquisition by the Borough for a period of three years.

C. 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.

D. The layout of the proposed subdivision shall be in general conformity with the features of developments proposed in the Master Plan of the Borough.