Twenty-five-percent requirement. Each section in any residential
subdivision or land development, except for the last phase, shall
contain a minimum of 25% of the total number of dwelling units as
depicted on the preliminary plan. Provided that the landowner has
not defaulted with regard to or violated any of the conditions of
the preliminary plat approval, including compliance with the landowner's
aforesaid schedule of submission of final plats for the various sections,
then the protections afforded by substantially completing the improvements
depicted upon the final plat within five years of the preliminary
plat approval or the aforesaid schedule shall apply. For any section
or sections beyond the initial section in which the required improvements
have not been substantially completed within said five-year period,
the aforesaid protections shall apply for an additional term or terms
of three years from the date of final plat approval for each section.
A.
Lots shall be designed in a manner which accommodates driveway access
from a street commensurate with the requirements of this chapter without
excessive grading accomplished by a driveway not exceeding 10% of
elevation with reasonable transition areas thereto from the street
to the proposed building or structure.
B.
Lots shall be designed in a manner which permits a reasonable building
area, determined by the setbacks and related zoning requirements of
the district in which the lot lies, outside of existing steep slopes.
C.
No block shall be longer than 2,000 feet nor less than 500 feet,
except in unusual circumstances or where comparable levels of safety
are assured. Where a loop street exists, the street or block length
shall bear a minimum of 500 feet and a maximum of 4,000 feet, where
the two-thousand-foot maximum is measured from each intersection.
D.
Where a subdivision adjoins a major highway the greater dimension
of the block shall front along such major highway to minimize the
number of ingress or egress.
E.
Lots shall be so designed that access to said lots is made to the
furthest extent possible, in consideration of street construction
and design standards, through the natural or existing grades and topography.
F.
Where not prohibited by this or any other laws or ordinances, land
located in any designated floodplain district may be platted for development
with the provision that the developer construct all buildings and
structures to preclude flood damage in accordance with this and any
other laws and ordinances regulating such development.[1]
G.
Proposed lots shall bear a reasonable building area in consideration
of disturbance limits placed upon areas of steep slopes, wetlands,
floodplains, and watercourses.
H.
Building sites for residences or any other type of dwelling or accommodation
shall not be permitted in any designated floodway district. Sites
for these uses may be permitted outside the floodway district if the
sites or dwelling units are elevated up to the regulatory flood elevation.
If fill is used to raise the elevation of a site, the fill area shall
extend out laterally for a distance of at least 15 feet beyond the
limits of the proposed structures.
I.
Building sites for structures or buildings other than for residential
uses shall also not be permitted in any designated flood district.
Also, such sites for structures or buildings outside the floodway
shall be protected as provided for above. However, the Township may
allow the subdivision and/or development of areas or sites for commercial
and industrial uses at an elevation below the regulatory flood elevation
if the developer otherwise protects the area to that height or assures
that the buildings or structures will be floodproofed at least up
to that height.
J.
No structure, street, access drive, or parking facility shall be
constructed in a manner which disturbs areas of steep slopes, wetlands,
floodplains, and watercourses, other than in a manner expressly permitted
by this chapter.
K.
Through lots, namely in residential areas, shall be discouraged.
L.
Pedestrian easements within a ten-foot easement may be required by
the Board of Commissioners for pedestrian circulation through blocks
of over 800 feet in length and shall be integrated into open space
areas, where applicable. The Board may require improvement of said
area as sidewalks according to Township specifications.
M.
Flag lots. Flag lots are permitted under the following circumstances:
(1)
One flag lot is permitted per existing or proposed block.
(2)
The strip accessing the portion of the lot, the width of which
is less than the minimum lot width at the building line, shall not
extend more than 500 feet from the right-of-way from which it is accessed.
(3)
The access strip, as described, shall be subject to all site
distance requirements otherwise applicable to the respective type
of access proposed.
A.
The arrangement of streets shall be in compliance with the Township's
Official Map, where said map exists.
B.
In general all streets shall be continuous and in alignment with
existing streets and shall compose a convenient system to insure circulation
of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, with exception that local streets
shall be laid out to include the use of loop and cul-de-sac streets,
such that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.
C.
All streets shall be graded to the full right-of-way width thereof
to grades established by the plan. All fills shall be thoroughly compacted
by approved methods to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer and
completely settled before any paving is placed thereon.
D.
Where in the judgment of the Township Engineer pipe and/or stone
underdrains are required, the developer shall construct such underdrains
under the direction of the Township Engineer.
E.
Streets, including access drives and alleys, shall have a grade not
to exceed 7% for a distance within 25 feet of the right-of-way line
of any intersecting street.
F.
Intersections of more than two streets shall be avoided. Where this
proves impossible, such intersection shall be designed with care for
safety, and suitable curbs, barriers, signs and other devices in accordance
with PennDOT standards may be required.
G.
Streets entering opposite sides of another street shall be laid out
either directly opposite one another or else shall have a minimum
offset of 150 feet between the center lines of said opposite streets.
H.
Where a proposed development abuts or encompasses an existing or
proposed collector or arterial street, marginal access streets, reverse
frontage lots with buffer yards, or deep lots with rear service alleys
may be required in order to protect properties and provide separation
of through and local traffic.
I.
Major street standards. All land developments and subdivisions bearing
frontage on State Route 30 shall be limited to one access per the
parcel existing at the time of approval, in recognition of the following
standards.
(1)
Access drives or streets proposed within 400 feet of existing
streets and access drives shall be located the greatest distance from
said intersections given site distance requirements relating to the
proposed access, greatest distance possible from public street intersections,
and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation highway occupancy permit
requirements.
(2)
In cases where a subdivision of a parcel bearing frontage on
Route 30 is proposed, the applicant shall provide an access easement,
in consideration of all standards outlined in this chapter, which
demonstrates one point of access and provides for a marginal access
street to all parcels involved.
(3)
The Board may require similar easements and access limitations
on other arterials within the Township based upon findings of required
traffic studies, known safety issues and accident histories, the Official
Map, and the reasonable ability to utilize existing marginal access
streets.
J.
Private street maintenance. Where private streets are proposed, maintenance
shall be demonstrated through homeowner's or condominium association
declaration documents or covenants in a form acceptable to the Township
Solicitor as a means of providing maintenance of the streets as proposed
and approved, including winter maintenance. Where no such association
is proposed, namely in minor plans, a note shall be affixed to the
final plat giving notice to all owners of lots within the plan that
each shall share equitably in the aforesaid maintenance. Association
documents, as required, shall be recorded with the final plat.
K.
Where the grade of the street is above or below the grade of the
adjacent land, walls or slopes shall be constructed in a manner satisfactory
to the Board of Commissioners and shall be sufficient to support the
street or adjacent lands, as may be the case. Such walls or slopes
shall be outside the required right-of-way, except that slopes may
extend not more than five feet in the right-of-way, with the prior
written approval of the Board of Commissioners.
L.
Guide rails shall be required by the Township Engineer where PennDOT
standards require the installation of guide rails or where other compelling
safety factors exist.
M.
Street shoulders and all filled areas within street right-of-way
shall be constructed with suitable materials from roadway or structure
excavation supplemented by additional suitable material, if directed
from borrowed excavation; the entire fill area shall be uniformly
and thoroughly compacted to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer
and shall be performed in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation Specifications Form 408. Embankments at the sides
of streets and cross sections of drainage ditches shall not exceed
a maximum slope of one foot vertically to two feet horizontally in
a cut section and one foot vertically to two feet horizontally in
a fill section; shoulders shall slope upward from the back of the
curb a distance of seven feet at approximately 1.5 inches per foot
but not exceeding 12 inches. On low side lots one inch per foot for
seven feet shall slope downwards from the back of the curbs.
N.
All streets shall be constructed on a prepared subgrade conforming
to Section 210 of the publication of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
Department of Transportation, Form 408, Specifications (latest edition).
O.
Before any paving, placing of base material or finish grading of
subgrade is performed in a new plan of lots, all underground utilities
within the right-of-way should be in place and properly backfilled.
"Utilities" includes water and gas lines and house connections laid
in trenches under the pavement; manholes, storm sewers, catch basins;
subgrade drains; and any other utility line laid in a trench or located
under the pavement. "Utilities" does not include those lines which
are jacked or drilled under the pavement. "Utilities" does not include
those water and gas house connections and those sewer laterals and
house connections which do not cross under the pavement.
P.
Generally, all private streets shall be held to the same standards
as public streets.
Q.
Deceleration, turning or merging lanes maybe required by the Township
along existing and proposed collector or arterial roads.
R.
A temporary turnaround shall be provided at the end of dead-end streets
which are intended to be extended as through streets in the future.
If the length of a dead-end street exceeds the depth of one lot, the
temporary turnaround shall be constructed with an all-weather surface
and a minimum cartway radius of 25 feet, and its use shall be guaranteed
to the public.
Street curb radii shall be as follows:
A.
Twenty-five
feet for local and collector street intersections with collector streets,
other local streets, and alleys.
B.
Up to
50 feet for arterials streets and streets intersecting arterial streets,
depending upon projected trips and overall proposed functionality
as evaluated by the Township Engineer.
Design speeds shall be as follows:
A.
The entire width of the right-of-way of each street in a proposed
subdivision shall be graded, except where areas of steep slope or
landslide prone soils are unavoidably present within the right-of-way.
B.
Minimum permitted street grade for all streets shall be 1%.
D.
Street grades shall be measured along the center line of the street.
E.
Center-line grade on the head of a cul-de-sac or hammerhead shall
not exceed 5%.
A.
Minimum safe stopping sight distances on all vertical and horizontal
curves shall as follows:
C.
For other than local streets, a minimum tangent of 100 feet between reverse curves shall be provided. For local streets a lesser tangent may be acceptable, provided safe stopping distances are maintained as per Subsection A. Broken-back curves shall be avoided; however, when they must be used, a minimum tangent of 150 feet shall be provided.
D.
Vertical curves shall be provided for all changes in grade exceeding
1%. For each 1% of algebraic difference between tangent grades over
3%, at least 15 feet of vertical curve length shall be provided. Minimum
vertical curve lengths shall be as follows:
A.
The following standards shall supersede or withstand those standards
otherwise applied within this chapter.
B.
Culs-de-sac shall have a right-of-way width of no less than 32 feet
and shall have provision at the dead-end for a turnaround. The turnaround
shall be either a circle with a diameter of at least 80 feet or a
tee, the arms of which shall extend at least 15 feet on each side
beyond the normal right-of-way width. No street grade shall be steeper
than 10%.
C.
Culs-de-sac may end in a turnaround which has a paved cartway not
less than 20 feet in width, surrounding a landscaped island with a
minimum radius of 24 feet or a cul-de-sac head with a radius of 40
feet and a cartway width of 14 feet surrounding a landscaped island,
which shall be acceptable for one-way circulation.
D.
Hammerhead turnarounds may be used, if the cul-de-sac street does
not provide access for more than eight dwelling units. The long dimension
of the turnaround head shall be not less than 50 feet.
A.
The Board may approve marginal access streets as private access drives subject to the standards of access drives specified in § 265-911.
B.
The Board may require the dedication of right-of-way up to 50 feet,
at a minimum sufficient to accommodate utilities and stormwater facilities
associated, where future access and trip levels warrant said development.
C.
In such a case, the street shall otherwise meet those street standards,
typically local or collector, as defined by ADT.
D.
Access drives shall meet the grading requirements as applied to minor
collector streets.
A.
No driveway or access drive shall enter a public street closer to
an existing intersection than 50 feet, and a reasonable safe sight
distance shall be provided.
B.
The maximum permitted grade on residential driveways shall be 14%.
C.
A leveling area for all driveways shall be provided for a minimum
distance of 12 feet, measured from the edge of the pavement of the
intersecting street, at a maximum grade of 5%.
D.
Shared driveways for up to four single-family homes shall be permitted
and may have a maximum grade of 14%, provided that safe sight stopping
distances are provided the length of the driveway. Pavement width
may vary, but shall be appropriate to the length, width and gradient
of the proposed driveway. The Township Engineer may require shoulders
or guide rail, if deemed necessary for safety. Said driveways shall
be discouraged in preliminary or final subdivisions of greater than
four lots, including those party to a site approved as a major plan
within five years of said approval.
A.
An adequate supply of potable water shall be provided for every building
to be used for human occupancy or habitation in a subdivision or land
development.
B.
Where an existing public water system is accessible to or can be
extended to the proposed development site, the applicant shall provide
a complete on-site system with connections to such public water system
in conformance with the standards and requirements of DEP and the
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. Feasibility and accessibility
shall be determined the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County
and the Township Engineer.
C.
Where an existing public water system is not accessible to the proposed
development, water may be supplied by a new public water system, subject
to the approval of DEP and the Allegheny County Health Department.
D.
In the case of Subsection B or C, the applicant shall present evidence to the Department that the subdivision or development is to be supplied with water by a certificated public utility, a bona fide cooperative association of lot owners, or by a municipal corporation, authority or utility. A copy of a certificate of public convenience from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission or an application for such certificate, a cooperative agreement or a commitment or agreement to serve the area, whichever is appropriate, shall be acceptable evidence.
E.
Subdivisions and land developments to be served by public water systems
shall be provided with fire hydrants that meet all reasonable specifications
of the Township and fire company that will serve the development,
including the spacing of hydrants such that all structures proposed
lie within 1,000 linear feet of a hydrant. Hydrants shall be delineated
on the construction drawings submitted.
F.
Where public water supply systems, as defined in the Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations, Article XV, Plumbing and Building Drainage, Chapter 17 (Chapter 5, Part 15), are inaccessible and cannot be extended to the proposed development site, the applicant may provide potable water through individual water supplies, designed and constructed in conformance with the standards and requirements of the Health Department.
G.
The use of private water systems shall not be permitted in any subdivision
or land development with more than 10 lots, unless the applicant provides
hydrogeologic data, acceptable to the Health Department, assuring
that adequate quantity and quality of water are available.
H.
Private water systems and individual water supplies may be permitted
to be located off-site, provided that a permanent easement is recorded
on the final plan, a legal agreement that sets forth clearly all of
the rights and responsibilities of all affected parties is executed,
and all other applicable provisions of this section are met.
I.
The Township may require easements, commensurate with Municipal Authority
of Westmoreland County standards, where an accessible water supply
is deemed to be feasible at some future date, based upon plans, topography
and elevations, and development patterns.
A.
Sanitary sewage facilities required. All subdivisions and land developments, unless excepted in Subsection E below, shall be provided with sanitary sewage facilities which are in accordance with the North Versailles Act 537 Plan[1] and North Versailles Township Sanitary Authority and which
have been approved by the Allegheny County Health Department, the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Township,
authority or other public agency responsible for the collection, conveyance
and treatment of sanitary sewage in the Township in which the development
is located.
(1)
No
plat shall be finally approved or recorded until the plans and specifications
for sanitary sewage facilities have been approved and permits issued,
as required, by the Health Department and/or the DEP.
(a)
Conditional final approval may be granted, however, provided that
the complete sewage facilities planning module, as required for the
proposed development, has been approved by the Township in which the
proposed development is located, and transmitted by the Township to
the Allegheny County Health Department and/or Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection, together with a resolution adopting the
revision to its sewage facilities plan, if required.
[1]
Editor's Note: Act 537 refers to the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities
Act; see 35 P.S. § 750.1 et seq.
B.
All sanitary sewers and related facilities shall be constructed in accordance with requirements of DEP, the construction standards of the Township, and the Allegheny County Health Department, Rules and Regulations, Article XV, Plumbing and Building Drainage (Chapter 5, Part 15).
C.
If the subdivision can reasonably be served by the extension of an
existing public sanitary sewer, as determined by the Township Engineer
and the North Versailles Township Sanitary Authority, the developer
shall be required to provide a system of sanitary sewer mains and
shall provide lateral connections for each lot.
D.
Private sanitary sewer systems may be permitted to be located off
site, provided that a permanent easement is recorded on the final
plan, a legal agreement that sets forth clearly all of the rights
and responsibilities of all affected parties is executed, and all
other applicable provisions of this section are met.
E.
Exceptions.
(1)
Administrative approvals, revisions, or lot line revisions.
Sewage facilities shall not be required for the aforesaid subdivisions
that are classified as such in this chapter, that is, where no new
lots are created or the expansion of facilities requires no additional
equivalency dwelling units.
(2)
Plans with no new development. Subdivisions and land developments
in which no development of buildings or improvement of land for purposes
requiring sewage facilities is proposed need not provide sanitary
sewage facilities, provided a properly executed "Form B — Request
for Non-Building Waiver" (PA DEP Bureau of Water Quality Management
form ER-BWQ-349:6/92) has been submitted to and approved by DEP. Where
a waiver is approved by DEP, the final plan for recording shall include
the notation specified in Appendix 2(7)(A).[2] The Board may require the additional recording of covenants
or plan notes to ensure the proper notice and utilization of the subject
lot for the purposes stated by the developer, where the Board deems
such requirement(s) appropriate.
[2]
Editor's Note: Said reference to "Appendix 2" refers to such
document included with Ch. 780, Subdivision and Land Development,
of the Code of Allegheny County. See now Appendix 3.
F.
The Township may require easements, commensurate with North Versailles
Sanitary Authority standards, where accessible sewers are deemed to
be feasible at some future date, based upon plans, topography and
elevations, and development patterns.
A.
General requirement. Subdivisions and land developments shall be
served by gas, electric, cable television, and telephone service distribution
systems, where these systems are accessible to the development.
B.
Easements. Easements for public and private utilities shall comply
with the requirements of the utility providers and with the following
standards:
C.
Underground wiring.
(1)
Electric, telephone, television and other communication service
lines shall be provided by wiring placed underground within easements
or dedicated rights-of-way, installed in accordance with the prevailing
standards and practices of the utility or other companies providing
such services unless the applicant demonstrates to the Public Utilities
Commission that physical conditions render such underground installation
infeasible.
(2)
If a lot abuts an easement or right-of-way with existing overhead
electrical, telephone, television or other service lines, the lot
may utilize the overhead lines, but service connections shall be installed
underground. Where a subdivision or land development requires a road
widening or service, extension that necessitates the replacement or
relocation of overhead lines, replacement or relocation may be underground,
in accordance with the requirements of the Public Utilities Commission.
(3)
Where overhead lines are permitted, the placement and alignment
of poles shall be designed to lessen the visual impact of overhead
lines as follows: Alignments and pole locations should be routed to
avoid locations along horizons. Poles should be located so that the
need to clear swaths through treed areas is avoided or mitigated.
Trees should be planted in open areas and at key locations to minimize
the view of the poles and lines. Alignments should generally follow
rear lot lines.
D.
Utility apparatus placed above ground, other than utility poles,
shall be screened with plant materials.
