A.
The following subdivision and land development principles, standards
and requirements will be applied by the Borough Council in evaluating
plans for proposed subdivisions and land developments.
B.
The standards and requirements outlined herein shall be considered
minimum standards and requirements for the promotion of the public
health, safety, morals and general welfare.
C.
Where literal compliance with the standards specified herein is clearly
impractical, the Borough Council may modify or adjust the standards
to permit reasonable utilization of property while securing substantial
conformance with the objectives of these regulations. All requests
for a modification shall be in writing and shall accompany and be
a part of the application for development. The request shall state
in full the grounds and facts of unreasonableness or hardship on which
the request is based, the provision or provisions of the ordinance
involved, and the minimum modification necessary. The request for
modification may be referred to the Planning Commission for advisory
comments.
A.
All portions of a tract being subdivided or developed shall be taken
up in lots, streets, public lands or other proposed uses so that remnants
and landlocked areas shall not be created.
B.
Reserve strips controlling access to lots, public rights-of-way,
public lands or adjacent private lands are prohibited.
C.
Lot lines shall follow municipal boundary lines rather than cross
them.
D.
Developers are required to preserve trees, groves, waterways, scenic
points, historic spots and other community assets and landmarks.
E.
Subdivisions and land developments shall be laid out so as to avoid
the necessity for excessive cut or fill.
F.
Improvement construction requirements shall be completed under the
construction specifications of the Borough of New Britain, the specifications
of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental
Protection, the Bucks County Conservation District, or other appropriate
agencies or specifications included herein, whichever shall result
in the most restrictive interpretation of this chapter and which standard
exacts the highest quality.
A.
General standards.
(1)
Proposed streets shall conform in all respects to the Official Map
of the Borough of New Britain, or to such other street plans or parts
thereof as have been officially prepared and adopted.
(2)
Proposed streets shall conform to such county and state street and
highway plans as have been prepared, adopted or filed as prescribed
by law and to the requirements of a general plan of the area as developed.
(3)
Streets shall be logically related to topography so as to produce
reasonable grades, satisfactory drainage and suitable building sites.
(4)
If lots resulting from original subdivision are large enough to permit
further subdivision or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided
or proposed for development, adequate street rights-of-way to permit
further subdivision or development shall be provided.
(5)
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited except as stubs to permit future
street extension into adjoining tracts or when designed as culs-de-sac.
(6)
Stub streets greater in length than one lot depth shall be provided
with a temporary turnaround to the standards required for culs-de-sac
or shall be paved to the full width of the right-of-way for the last
75 feet of their length.
(7)
Streets that are extensions of or obviously in alignment with existing
streets shall bear the names of the existing streets. Street names
shall not be repeated within the Borough or adjacent areas, and all
street names shall be subject to the approval of the Borough Council.
(8)
Private streets are prohibited unless they meet Borough standards
as approved by the Borough Engineer.
B.
Cul-de-sac streets.
(1)
A permanent or temporary cul-de-sac shall not exceed 500 feet in
length, as measured from the intersecting street right-of-way to the
center line of the cul-de-sac.
[Amended 5-8-2018 by Ord.
No. 387]
(2)
Culs-de-sac shall have at the closed end a turnaround with a right-of-way
having a minimum outside radius of not less than 60 feet and shall
be paved to a radius of not less than 48 feet.
(3)
Culs-de-sac shall have a minimum length of 250 feet.
(4)
Drainage of culs-de-sac shall be toward the open end.
C.
Street standards.
(1)
Street right-of-way widths and cartway widths shall have a minimum
of a fifty-foot right-of-way and a twenty-six-foot paved cartway where
on-street parking is prohibited and a thirty-six-foot cartway where
on-street parking is permitted.
(2)
Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate
right-of-way width, additional right-of-way width shall be dedicated
to conform to the standards set by the Borough.
D.
Street alignment.
(1)
Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of 5°, connection
shall be made by horizontal curves.
(2)
To ensure adequate sight distances, minimum center-line radii for
horizontal curves shall be 150 feet.
(3)
A long radius curve shall be preferred in all cases to a series of
curves and tangents.
(4)
The approaches to an intersection shall follow a straight course
for at least 50 feet.
(5)
Any applicant who encroaches within the legal right-of-way of a state
highway is required to obtain a highway occupancy permit from the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Permits Office, Doylestown,
Pennsylvania. No plan which will require access to a highway under
the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
shall be finally approved unless the plan contains a notice that a
highway occupancy permit is required pursuant to section 420 of the
Act of June 1, 1945 (P.L. 1242, No. 428) known as the "State Highway
Law"[1] before driveway access to a state highway is permitted.
The plan shall be marked to indicate that access to the state highway
shall be only as authorized by a highway occupancy permit. The Borough
shall not be held liable for damages to persons or property arising
out of the issuance or denial of a driveway permit by PennDOT. The
applicant shall obtain a letter from the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation indicating that the plan has been reviewed and approved
in concept and that traffic considerations, driveways and the discharge
of water on the road right-of-way have been approved.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 36 P.S. § 670-101 et seq.
E.
Street grades.
(1)
Center-line grades shall not be less than 1.0%.
(2)
Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade exceeding 1% and
shall be designed in relation to the extent of the grade change and
to provide the following adequate sight distances:
(3)
Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection
exceeds 4%, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than
4% for a distance of 40 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way
in the intersecting street.
(4)
Maximum grade within any intersection shall not exceed 1% on the
stop street.
F.
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°.
(2)
Multiple intersections involving junction of more than two streets
shall be avoided.
(3)
Clear sight triangles shall conform to the following regulations:
(a)
On any corner lot, no wall, fence or other structure shall be erected
or altered and no hedge, trees, shrubs or other growth shall be maintained
which may cause danger to traffic on a street or public road by obscuring
the view. A clear sight triangle of 25 feet, measured along the right-of-way
lines of intersecting streets, shall be maintained, within which such
structures or planting shall be limited to a height of not more than
two feet above the street grade, except that tree branches may fall
in the clear sight triangle, provided that they are either lower than
two feet or higher than eight feet above grade level.
(4)
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.
(5)
Minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be 25 feet.
G.
Street access.
[Amended 3-12-2002 by Ord. No. 289]
(2)
Driveways for multiple-dwelling developments and nonresidential developments
shall be located on the site where necessary for convenient access
to parking areas, service entrances to buildings, collection of refuse
and all other necessary services. Driveways shall enter public streets
at safe locations and shall be planned for convenient circulation
suitable for traffic needs and safety.
(3)
Driveways for private use shall be located not less than 40 feet,
measured along the right-of-way line, from the street intersection
to the edge of the driveway and shall provide access to the street
of lower classification in the street hierarchy when these are streets
of different classifications. The minimum driveway width shall be
10 feet.
(4)
Driveways shall be located at least 10 feet from any side or rear
lot line for single-family detached developments and five feet for
other uses.
(5)
Driveways shall be constructed to a maximum grade of 8% and shall
provide a leveling area of four-percent maximum grade within 20 feet
of the garage entrance. Grades (including concrete aprons) shall also
conform to the requirements of PennDOT Chapter 441, Section 441.8.
(6)
All driveways shall be designed and constructed in a manner such
as not to interfere or be inconsistent with the design, maintenance
or drainage of the highway. Any driveway accessing a state route will
require a PennDOT permit.
(7)
Where curbing is required, an eighteen-inch depressed curb with a
one-inch reveal shall be provided at the driveway entrance.
(8)
Where sidewalks are required, the driveway apron and the sidewalk
shall be constructed of a minimum of six inches of concrete (4,000
psi) with six-inches-by-six-inches 9-gauge WWF (welded wire fabric)
on six inches of PennDOT 2A stone, on suitable compacted subgrade.
The thickness of concrete shall be a minimum of eight inches in commercial
areas and 10 inches in industrial areas.
(9)
Driveways shall be constructed of one-and-one-half-inch ID-2 wearing
course, on two inches of bituminous concrete base course, on six inches
of PennDOT 2A crushed stone, on compacted subgrade.
(10)
The owner and successors of any property shall be fully responsible
for the construction of the permanent improvements and the maintenance
thereof in good and safe conditions in accordance with the Borough
standards.
(11)
A driveway permit is required for all new driveways and for
existing driveway widening and reconstruction. A permit is not required
for overlays.
(12)
All excavated material and stone, topsoil, etc., is absolutely not
permitted to be dumped on the street. All work and machines must be
on the owner's property.
[Added 4-14-2015 by Ord.
No. 361]
H.
Sight distance. Whenever a proposed street intersects a major street
which carries more traffic than the proposed street, the lower traffic
street shall be made a stop street. The stop street shall also be
designed to provide a minimum corner sight distance of 10 feet for
every mile per hour of design speed on the major road. If the design
speed on the major road is 35 miles per hour, then the sight distance
shall be 350 feet, measured from the center of the intersection of
the two streets.
A.
Blocks and lots shall be graded to secure proper drainage away from
buildings and to prevent the collection of stormwater in pools.
B.
All drainage provisions shall be of such design as to carry surface
water to the nearest practical and adequate street, storm drain or
natural watercourse. Developers must carry surface waters to the nearest
practical storm drain or natural watercourse.
C.
The developer shall construct and/or install such drainage structures
and/or pipes as are necessary to prevent erosion damage and to satisfactorily
carry off surface waters.
D.
No excavation shall be made with a cut face steeper than 4:1 except
where a concrete or stone masonry wall, constructed in accordance
with approved standards, is proved to support the face of the excavation.
Any proposed concrete or stone masonry wall with a height greater
than 3.5 feet shall be designed by a professional engineer licensed
in the State of Pennsylvania, who shall sign and seal the design plans/details
for the wall.
[Amended 5-8-2018 by Ord.
No. 387]
E.
No fill shall be made which creates any exposed surface steeper in
slope than four horizontal to one vertical except when a concrete
or stone masonry wall, constructed in accordance with approved standards,
is provided to support the face of the embankment.
F.
The top or bottom edge of the slopes shall be a minimum of five feet
from property or right-of-way lines of streets or alleys in order
to permit the normal rounding of the edge without encroaching on the
abutting property.
G.
In the design of storm sewerage systems, the future use of undeveloped
areas upstream shall be taken into account in calculating pipe size.
A.
The landowner or applicant shall not modify, fill, excavate or regrade
land in any manner so close to a property line as to endanger or damage
any adjoining public street, sidewalk, alley or any other public or
private property without supporting and protecting such property from
settling, cracking, erosion, sediment, or from other physical damage
or personal injury that might result.
[Amended 5-8-2018 by Ord.
No. 387]
B.
No material shall be placed in any drainage structure in such a manner
as to obstruct free flow.
C.
All plans and specifications accompanying applications shall include
provisions for both interim (temporary) and ultimate (permanent) erosion
and sediment control. No subdivision or land development plan which
involves earthmoving shall be approved unless there has been an erosion
and sedimentation plan approved by the Borough Engineer and the Bucks
County Conservation District that provides for minimizing erosion
and sedimentation and an improvement bond or other acceptable security
is deposited with the Borough in the form of an escrow guaranty which
will ensure installation and completion of the required improvements.
(1)
The design, installation and maintenance of erosion and sediment
controls shall be accomplished in accordance with the rules as contained
in the standards and specification of the Bucks County Conservation
District, the local designee for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection, Bureau of Soil and Water Conservation. No earthmoving
or other land-shaping operations shall commence prior to the construction
of erosion and sediment control protection in accordance with the
recommendations and approval of the Bucks County Conservation District
and the Borough.
(2)
All graded surfaces shall be seeded, sodded and/or planted or otherwise
protected from erosion within 20 days of breaking ground and shall
be watered, tended and maintained until growth is well-established
at time of completion and final inspection.
A.
Lot dimensions and areas shall not be less than specified by the provisions of Chapter 450, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough of New Britain.
B.
Residential lots shall front on a public street, existing or proposed.
C.
Double-frontage lots are prohibited, except where employed to prevent
vehicular access to major traffic streets.
D.
Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to
street lines.
E.
No remnants of land shall remain after subdivision.
F.
A subdivision of a tract which creates nonconforming side and rear
yard requirements for existing buildings will not be approved.
G.
No subdivision will be approved if it creates lots that cannot be
developed or built upon under the terms of this or other Borough ordinances.
A.
Easements with a minimum width of 20 feet shall be provided as necessary
for utilities. If a wider easement is required by the utility provider,
then the wider dimension shall be provided.
B.
To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be centered on or
adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
C.
Nothing shall be permitted to be placed, planted, set or constructed
within the area of an easement. The area shall be kept as lawn.
D.
Where a subdivision or land development 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, but not less than
20 feet on either side of the watercourse, or as may be required or
directed by the Borough Council.
E.
All easements shall be defined by metes and bounds.
A.
Curbs shall be provided along all streets.
B.
Along the existing street on which a subdivision or land development
abuts, curbs shall be constructed and the existing paved cartway shall
be widened to the curb. The location of curbing along a street shall
be determined by the width of the required cartway of the road as
established by the Borough.
[Amended 5-8-2018 by Ord.
No. 387]
D.
Curbs shall be provided within and around all proposed parking lots.
[Added 5-8-2018 by Ord.
No. 387]
A.
Automobile parking facilities shall be provided off street in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 450, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough of New Britain.
B.
At no time shall angle or perpendicular parking be permitted along
public streets. All parking lots and bays permitting parking other
than parallel shall be physically separated from the street and confined
by curbing or other suitable separating device.
C.
No less than 10% of a nonresidential or multifamily parking area
shall consist of landscaped areas within the parking lot limits.
D.
Three feet of open space shall be provided between the edge of any
parking area and the outside wall of the nearest building.
E.
Parking area dimensions shall be in accordance with those listed
in the following table. Handicapped parking spaces shall be designed
in accordance with the most current federal and state regulations
for handicapped parking.
|
Parking Stall
|
Driveway Width
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Angle of Parking
(degrees)
|
Width
(feet)
|
Depth
(feet)
|
One-Way
(feet)
|
Two-Way
(feet)
| |
|
90°
|
10
|
20
|
20
|
24
| |
|
60°
|
10
|
21
|
18
|
21
| |
|
Parallel
|
8
|
22
|
12
|
18
| |
F.
Parking lots shall be designed to provide backup area for the end
stalls of the parking area.
G.
Parking areas shall be designed so that each motor vehicle may proceed
to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring the
moving of any other motor vehicle.
H.
No less than five-foot radius of curvature shall be permitted for
all curblines in all parking areas.
I.
Except at entrance and exit drives, all parking areas shall be set back from the future right-of-way line and from all property lines a distance which conforms to the requirements of Chapter 450, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough of New Britain. The distance between this required setback and the future cartway shall be maintained as a planting strip. The phrase "parking area" includes parking spaces as well as the areas used to access and exit parking spaces, as well as aisles or traffic ways along parking spaces that are used to access parking spaces and to access any driveway extending to the parking spaces.
[Amended 5-8-2018 by Ord.
No. 387]
J.
All automobile parking areas shall be surfaced and constructed in
accordance with the standards established by New Britain Borough.
K.
The depth and width of lots reserved or laid out for commercial and
industrial uses shall be adequate to provide for the off-street parking
generated by the use.
L.
The layout of every parking area shall be such as to permit safe
and efficient internal circulation in accordance with accepted traffic
engineering principles and standards.
M.
Entrances and exits to and from off-street parking areas shall be
located so as to minimize interference with street traffic.
N.
Pedestrian crosswalks and refuge islands shall be provided at intervals
along the length of each parking area as specified by Borough Council.
O.
All public parking areas shall be adequately lighted during after-dark
operating hours. All light standards shall be located on the raised
parking islands or around the perimeter and not on the parking surfaces.
P.
Parking lot paving standards. Paving shall be in accordance with
the street paving standards indicated in the Appendix to this chapter.
[Amended 5-8-2018 by Ord.
No. 387]
A.
Sidewalks shall be provided along all new and existing streets.
B.
The minimum width of sidewalks shall be four feet, except that the
minimum width of sidewalks shall be six feet in commercial districts
or in commercial areas with adjacent parking. There shall be a planting
strip between the curb and the sidewalk, which can be used for the
location of underground utilities. Width, alignment and gradient of
walks shall provide safety, convenience and appearance for pedestrian
traffic. Where there is no planting strip provided between the curb
and sidewalk because the circumstances do not allow for it, the sidewalk
shall be five feet in width.
[Amended 5-8-2018 by Ord.
No. 387]
C.
The grades and paving of the sidewalks shall be continuous across
driveways except where heavy traffic dictates otherwise.
D.
The materials to be used for sidewalks shall be determined on the
basis of the sidewalk materials on adjacent properties and may be
concrete, slate or brick. The thickness and type of construction of
all sidewalks shall be in accordance with the standards established
by New Britain Borough Council and as illustrated in the Appendix
to this chapter.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Appendix is an attachment to the chapter.
E.
Sidewalks shall be laterally pitched toward the street at a slope
not less than 1/4 inch per foot to provide for adequate drainage.
The alignment and gradient of walks shall be coordinated with the
grading plan to prevent passage of concentrated surface water on or
across the walk and to prevent the pocketing of surface water by walks.
F.
At corners and pedestrian street crossing points, sidewalks shall
be extended to the curbline and shall be constructed with curb depressions
to allow for handicapped access.
A.
Street trees shall be provided and placed behind the right-of-way
line of the streets so as not to interfere with the installation and
maintenance of sidewalks and utilities, unless otherwise specified
by Borough Council. Trees shall be a minimum of two-and-one-half-inch
caliper and at intervals not to exceed 40 feet.
B.
Where buffers are required along two different land uses and along the rear of reverse-frontage lots, an evergreen planting screen shall be used to provide an adequate visual barrier. The plant material used shall be a minimum height as specified in Chapter 450, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough of New Britain at the time of planting and shall be planted in an arrangement to provide an immediate screening effect. Deciduous and semideciduous shrubs and trees may be used with evergreens to provide an immediate effect and to provide accent and color. The plant materials list in Chapter 450, Zoning, shall be used as a basis for plant selection. It is recommended that a landscape architect licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania be employed to ensure the proper use and arrangement of plant material and to provide an aesthetically pleasing effect.
C.
Street trees and other required plant material shall not be planted
until the finished grading of the subdivision or land development
has been completed.
Existing trees, shrubs and plants shall be retained wherever feasible in subdivisions or land developments. Additional trees and new plant material shall be added for privacy, shade and appearance. Areas meeting the definition of "woodlands" and large trees standing alone with a diameter of 16 inches or more shall be preserved. During construction, the tree protection area, as defined in Article III of this chapter, shall be protected in the following manner:
A.
Protection from mechanical injury. Prior to construction, the tree
protection area shall be delineated by the following methods:
(1)
The tree protection area that is delineated on the site prior to
construction shall conform to the approved development plans.
(2)
All trees scheduled to remain shall be marked; where groups of trees
exist, only the trees on the edge need to be marked.
(3)
A forty-eight-inch-high snow fence or other suitable fence, mounted
on steel posts located eight feet on center, shall be placed along
the boundary of the tree protection area, which shall be maintained
until all work and construction has been completed. Any damages to
the protective fencing shall be replaced and repaired before further
construction shall begin.
(4)
Trees being removed shall not be felled, pushed or pulled into a
tree protection area or into trees that are to be retained.
(5)
Grade changes and excavations shall not encroach upon the tree protection
area.
(6)
No toxic materials shall be stored within 100 feet of a tree protection
area, including petroleum-based or -derived products.
(7)
The area within the tree protection area shall not be built upon
nor shall any materials be stored there either temporarily or permanently.
Vehicles and equipment shall not be parked in the tree protection
area.
(8)
When tree stumps are located within 10 feet of the tree protection
area, the stumps shall be removed by means of a stump grinder to minimize
the effect on surrounding root systems.
(9)
Following any severance of roots, all tree roots that have been exposed
or damaged shall be trimmed cleanly and covered temporarily with moist
peat moss, burlap or other biodegradable material to keep them from
drying out until permanent cover can be installed.
(10)
Sediment, retention and detention basins shall not be located
in or discharge into the tree protection area.
(11)
Trees shall not be used for roping, cables, signs or fencing.
Nails and spikes shall not be driven into trees.
B.
Protection from grade change.
(1)
When the original grade cannot be retained at the tree protection
area line, a retaining wall shall be constructed outside the tree
protection area.
(a)
The top of the wall shall be four inches above the finished
grade level.
(b)
The wall shall be constructed of large stones, brick, building
tile, concrete blocks or treated wood beams not less than six inches
by six inches. A means for drainage through the wall shall be provided
so water will not accumulate on either side of the wall.
(c)
Any severed roots as a result of excavation shall be trimmed
so that their edges are smooth and are cut back to a lateral root
if exposed.
A.
Topsoil. Topsoil may be stockpiled during construction but shall
be retained and replaced on the site rather than removed.
B.
Construction material and debris. All construction waste and debris
must be removed from the site and may not be buried on the site where
the land development or subdivision is taking place.
