Any application for development shall conform to the standards set forth in this article, unless a modification is granted under the provisions of Article VIII of this chapter. The standards specified in this article are minimum design requirements.
In reviewing any application for development, the Planning Commission and Township Council shall refer the application for development to the Township Engineer for a recommendation concerning technical compliance with accepted engineering practices, these design standards and the Construction Standards referred to in Article V.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Standards of Construction are on file in the office of the Township Manager and available for public inspection upon request.
A proposed subdivision or land development shall conform to the Township's Long Range Development Plan, General Plan of Streets and Highways, and General Plan of Park and Recreation Areas officially adopted by the Township.
All proposed subdivisions shall be coordinated with existing nearby neighborhoods so that the community, as a whole, may develop harmoniously.
In proposing a development, the developer shall give due consideration to preservation of natural features, including large trees, groves, waterways, scenic and historic points and other community assets and landmarks.
A. 
Slope of land. No land shall be graded, cut or filled so as to create a slope exceeding a vertical rise of one foot for each two feet of horizontal distance between adjoining lots without proper erosion control approved by the Township Engineer.
B. 
Stripping of topsoil. No person shall strip, excavate or otherwise remove topsoil, dirt or slag for sale, or for use other than on the lot from which it is taken, except in connection with the construction or alteration of a building on that lot and the excavation or grading incidental to that construction.
C. 
Major excavation grading and filling. Any major cuts, excavation, grading, and filling which materially change the drainage characteristics of the site and the site's relationship with surrounding properties shall not be permitted unless first approved by the Township Engineer in accordance with an application submitted under the provisions of the Township of Hampton Grading Ordinance, Chapter 161, Grading and Excavation. The Township Engineer shall not approve any plan in which any such excavation, grading and filling will result in a slope exceeding a vertical rise of one foot for each two feet of horizontal distance between adjoining lots or tracts of land, except where adequate provision is made to prevent slides and erosion, as approved by the Township Engineer, based on information submitted by the developer's geotechnical engineer in accordance with Chapter 161, Grading and Excavation. All lot areas which slope towards streets or adjacent lots shall be required to provide adequate and varied cover vegetation so as to prevent washing and erosion and to be aesthetically pleasing.
D. 
Removal of debris during construction. During construction, the developer shall remove and dispose of all uprooted trees, stumps, brush, rubbish, unused building materials and debris promptly in the interest of public safety.
E. 
Flood-prone areas. Land which is naturally poorly drained or subject to periodic flooding shall not be used for residential development or for any uses which may involve danger to health, safety and general welfare of the community. Land identified as flood-prone on maps issued by the Federal Insurance Administration (FIA) or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall be subject to the regulations of the National Flood Insurance Program and Chapter 155, Flood Damage Prevention, as amended.
F. 
Soil erosion control. All plans shall be submitted to the Allegheny County Conservation District, or an accepted approval agency, for review and report, to minimize erosion and sediment pollution and/or to alert the developer to any foreseeable soil and site development problems.
G. 
All unpaved or otherwise unimproved areas within the public rights-of-way, public use areas or areas of severe cut and exposure shall be graded and seeded or sodded, as determined by the Township Engineer to be necessary to retain soil and prevent damage to finished streets or lots. In all cases where sod or other natural ground cover is removed, such areas shall be reseeded immediately upon completion of grading (weather permitting) with perennial rye grass or better.
A. 
Layout. Streets shall be planned to conform with the layout of existing and planned streets and so located as to allow proper development of surrounding properties. Local streets shall be laid out so as to discourage through traffic. Collector streets should be designed to provide adequate flow of traffic from local streets to major community facilities and to arterial streets. If the subdivision abuts an existing or proposed arterial street, either marginal interceptor streets running parallel to the arterial street or reverse frontage lots shall be utilized.
B. 
Continuation of existing streets. The continuation of streets into and from adjoining areas shall be required. All existing or proposed streets shall be continued at not less than their existing or planned width. Suitable access and street openings shall be provided for adjacent undeveloped property.
C. 
Topography. Proposed streets shall be planned to conform to the contour of the land, to provide buildable lots, to have a suitable alignment and grade, and to allow proper drainage.
D. 
Grading. The shoulders shall be graded to the full width of the right-of-way, and provisions shall be made for protection of slopes beyond the right-of-way.
E. 
Street grades. Minimum grades on all streets shall be at least 1%. Center-line grades shall not exceed the following:
(1) 
Local street: 12% for a distance of no more than 1,200 feet.
(2) 
Collector street: 8%.
(3) 
Arterial street: 5%.
(4) 
Vertical curves shall be installed on all street grade changes exceeding 1%.
F. 
Right-of-way and cartway widths. Minimum street rights-of-way and cartway widths shall be as follows:
Minimum Right-of-Way
(feet)
Minimum Cartway
(feet)
Arterial street
60
24
Collector street
50
24
Local street (including marginal access streets)
50
21
Berms shall be graded to a slope of one on 10 and seeded on each side of the cartways on all types of streets.
G. 
Additional right-of-way widths. When a proposed subdivision or land development abuts an existing public street which has less than the required right-of-way width, the Township shall require the dedication of the additional right-of-way necessary to bring the existing street right-of-way width into compliance with the requirement of this chapter.
H. 
Street specifications. All streets shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the Township Construction Standards.
I. 
Intersections. Intersections involving the crossing of more than two streets or the junction of more than four streets shall be prohibited. Right-angle intersections shall be used whenever practical, particularly where local streets intersect collector or arterial streets; however, in no case, shall the angle of intersection be less than 75 1/2°. Intersections of local streets with major streets shall be kept to a minimum, and no such intersection shall be closer than 150 feet to another such intersection. Local streets shall not intersect the same side of a collector street at intervals of less than 600 feet. Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 5%, a leveling area shall be provided with a transitional grade not to exceed 3% for a distance of 50 feet from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersection. Where two collector streets or a local and collector street cross at grades in excess of 10%, the profiles of the more traveled road shall be reduced across the intersection with two vertical curves to achieve a grade of 8% or less for the width of the paving of the intersecting less traveled road. This requirement may be modified, upon approval by the Township Engineer, depending on the design speed of the involved roads. The street pavement edge shall be rounded at the intersections by an arc with a minimum radius of 25 feet on local streets intersecting with local or collector streets and 30 feet for local streets intersecting with arterial streets. Right-of-way lines shall be rounded by an arc which is concentric with the curbline.
J. 
Street alignment.
(1) 
The minimum center-line radius for horizontal curves on arterial streets shall be 700 feet; for collector streets, 250 feet; and for local streets, 125 feet. On culs-de-sac proposed for dedication, the minimum horizontal curves may be reduced, on review of the site conditions, plan and traffic flow, by the Township Engineer. Between reverse curves, a tangent of not less than the following dimensions shall be provided.
(a) 
Arterial streets: 350 feet.
(b) 
Collector streets: 150 feet.
(c) 
Minor streets: 100 feet.
(2) 
For compound circular curves, one of the following shall be provided:
(a) 
The radius of the flatter circular area should not be more than 50% greater than the radius of the sharper circular area.
(b) 
The transition to sharp curves may be attained through a several-step compound curve, such as a three-centered compound curve.
K. 
Vertical curves. Vertical curves for collector and local streets shall be as follows:
(1) 
Vertical curves shall be used in all changes of grades. The minimum vertical curve shall be 150 feet in length for arterial streets, 100 feet in length for collector streets, and 50 feet in length for local or marginal access streets. Vertical curves shall be increased 20 feet for each 1% of grade change exceeding 3%.
(2) 
Vertical sag or crest curves at intersections of local streets may be as short as 100 feet in length, provided that the construction plans show grading that provides minimum unobstructed distance in all streets as viewed from the intersection.
L. 
Culs-de-sac. A cul-de-sac will not be approved when a through street is practical and shall not be more than 800 feet in length, unless a modification or exception to this requirement is granted under Article VIII of this chapter. A cul-de-sac shall be provided at the closed end with a turnaround which has a paved inside curved diameter of 80 feet and a right-of-way diameter of 100 feet.
M. 
Dead-end streets. Dead-end streets shall be prohibited, except as streets to permit future extensions into adjoining tracts or when designed as culs-de-sac. Any road temporarily dead-ended because of approved staged development or other reasons shall provide a suitable all-weather temporary turnaround in accordance with Subsection N below.
N. 
Temporary turnarounds. An all-weather temporary turnaround shall be required where a road is constructed to an adjoining property line. The right-of-way width required for a temporary turnaround shall be a minimum of 50 feet, and the outer paving radius of the temporary turnaround shall be 20 feet. The use and maintenance of the temporary turnaround shall be guaranteed to the public by the developer until such time as the road is accepted by the Township.
O. 
Half streets. Whenever a tract to be subdivided borders on an existing half or partial street, the other part of the street shall be provided within the proposed subdivision.
P. 
Visibility. No fence, hedges, shrubbery, walls, planting (other than trees and grass), banks or similar obstructions shall be located within the right-of-way, and no such obstruction shall obscure visibility at any intersection. A clear sight triangle, as defined by this chapter, shall be maintained free of any obstructions for a height of 3 1/2 feet above the finished pavement at the center line of the right-of-way, with a minimum clear sight triangle of 75 feet measured along the center line from the points of intersection.
Q. 
Street names. All new street names shall be approved by the Township. Names of new streets shall be sufficiently different in sound and spelling from existing names of streets in the Township so as not to cause confusion. A street which is planned as a continuation of an existing street shall bear the same name. Street signs shall be provided in accordance with § 280-42 of this chapter.
R. 
Curbs. All curbs shall be constructed of wedge-type asphaltic concrete. Curbs shall be installed in accordance with the Township Construction Standards.
S. 
Sidewalks. Paved sidewalks may be required in the vicinity of schools, along heavily traveled streets, large residential developments and in other locations where the Planning Commission recommends them for public safety. The width of sidewalks shall be a minimum of four feet. Sidewalks shall be located in line with existing sidewalks on adjacent lots or, where none exists, shall be located adjacent to the curb or, where no curb exists, within one foot of the edge of paving. Sidewalks shall be constructed in accordance with the Township Construction Standards.
[Added 10-9-2002 by Ord. No. 617]
Any developer or owner of property in any commercial, office, research and development, or industrial district who proposes to construct a new building or enlarge an existing building, or any developers or owners of property situate in a commercial, office, research and development, or industrial district who desire to use a common entrance from a public street for purposes of ingress, egress and regress, may, upon the submission of an appropriate site plan in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and Chapter 310, Zoning, obtain such approval, provided that such shared access driveway shall:
A. 
Extend in length no further than 800 feet;
B. 
Be no less than 35 feet in width, containing a paved cartway of no less than 24 feet in width;
C. 
Not allow parking spaces within 10 feet of the paved cartway;
D. 
Be recorded with the appropriate irrevocable right-of-way agreement in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County; and
E. 
Meet all of the provisions of this section and of this chapter that are not in conflict with the provisions of this section.
Service streets, as defined by this chapter, shall not be permitted in residential developments. Service streets may be provided in commercial and industrial developments where needed for loading, unloading or secondary access. Where authorized, the minimum right-of-way for service streets shall be 50 feet, and the paved cartway shall be a minimum of 26 feet.
A. 
The length, width, and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to provisions of adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed, zoning requirements, and topography.
B. 
Blocks shall have a maximum length of 1,600 feet and a minimum length of 500 feet.
C. 
Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to accommodate two tiers of lots, except where reverse frontage lots are used.
D. 
Crosswalks shall be provided on blocks in excess of 1,000 feet in length or, where necessary in the judgment of the Planning Commission, to assist circulation or provide access to community facilities. Crosswalks shall have a right-of-way width of not less than 10 feet and a paved width of not less than four feet. On slopes of more than 10%, steps, step ramps, landings and suitable railings shall be provided.
If due to the topography of the ground an easement must traverse a lot, the easement shall be dimensioned with the appropriate ties, bearings and distances. Easements shown on the final plat shall note specifically the intended use for the easement (i.e., storm, sanitary, water sewer, electric, etc.).
A. 
Utility easements. Sewer and utility easements shall be required to have a minimum width of 20 feet and shall be provided either across lots or centered on rear or side lot lines.
B. 
Storm drainage easements. A storm sewer easement or drainage right-of-way shall be required where necessary for proper drainage within, through or beyond a subdivision. Where a subdivision is, or will be, traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way of a width sufficient for the purpose, but not less than 20 feet.
C. 
Transmission line easements. There shall be a minimum distance of 25 feet, measured in the shortest distance, between any proposed dwelling unit and any petroleum, petroleum products or natural gas transmission or high-pressure line which may traverse the subdivision.
D. 
Aerial easements. Aerial easements shall be a minimum of 15 feet.
The following standards shall apply to all lots proposed to be subdivided or developed in accordance with this chapter.
A. 
Area. Minimum lot areas and dimensions shall conform to the requirements of Chapter 310, Zoning. Remnants of land shall not be permitted and shall be included in the area of proposed or existing lots, if not intended for dedication as a parcel for permanent open space or parkland.
B. 
Frontage. All lots created by a subdivision shall have frontage along the right-of-way of a public street, unless approved as a planned residential development or modified under the provisions of Article VIII of this chapter. The width of the lot frontage shall conform to the requirements of Chapter 310, Zoning.
C. 
Double frontage. On arterial streets, either a marginal access street, as defined by this chapter, or double frontage lots shall be provided. Where double frontage lots are provided, a building line of 75 feet shall be required, measured from the right-of-way of the arterial street. Except along arterial streets, double frontage lots shall be avoided; however, where a double frontage lot is the only practical alternative, vehicular access shall be limited to only one street, and that street shall be the street with the lower volume of traffic, if physically feasible. The final plat shall contain a notation restricting vehicular access to one frontage.
D. 
Side lines. Whenever practicable, the side lines of a lot shall be at right angles or radial to the street right-of-way lines.
E. 
Building lines. Building lines of lots shall conform to the minimum requirements of Chapter 310, Zoning, and shall be shown on the final plat.
F. 
Division of lots. No lot shall be divided by the Township boundary line.
G. 
Grading. Lots shall be graded to provide drainage away from buildings and, where practical, water shall be drained to the street rather than to adjoining property. The developer shall be required to provide drains or other drainage facilities, as approved by the Township Engineer, to drain off surface water within the development.
H. 
Driveways. Driveways serving single-family and two-family dwellings are not required to be paved; however, in lieu of paving, the driveway shall have a covering of slag at least two inches thick for a distance of 30 feet from the right-of-way of the street. All other driveways shall be paved with a surface of at least two inches binding and wearing courses of an asphaltic mix acceptable to the Township over at least six inches of well-compacted and choked base course of crushed limestone. No driveway shall have a slope of more than 15%. Driveways may extend from the right-of-way line of the street to the cartway of the street, but shall not change the grade or contour of the street right-of-way, nor shall any person cut into, fill, or in any way alter any gutter, curbing, drainage ditch or storm sewer within the right-of-way of a street or easement for the purpose of extending a driveway or for any other purpose without first obtaining a permit therefor from the Township Building Inspector.
I. 
Accessibility. Every lot shall be accessible to emergency and public safety vehicles.
J. 
House numbers. House numbers shall be assigned by the Township Secretary or the local post office and must be posted at each house so as to be easily visible and readable from the street.
Stormwater management facilities shall be provided in all plans of subdivision and land developments in accordance with the requirements of Article VII of this chapter.
A. 
Size and grade. Storm drains shall be designed to accommodate the anticipated runoff from a twenty-five-year storm when the area is fully developed, subject to the additional requirements of Article VII of this chapter. The minimum diameter of storm sewers shall be 15 inches and the minimum grade shall be 1%, unless approved by the Township Engineer.
B. 
Manholes. For pipe sizes of 24 inches or less, manholes shall be spaced at a maximum of 400 feet, and for larger pipe sizes, the maximum distances between manholes shall be 600 feet. In addition, manholes shall be installed at all points of abrupt changes in alignment and grade. Inlets may be substituted for manholes where practical.
C. 
Inlets. Inlets of the type shown in the Township Construction Standards shall be installed. Inlets at street intersections shall be placed on the tangent and not on the curved portions. If possible, inlets shall be placed at property lines to avoid conflicts with driveways. Inlets shall be spaced at a maximum of 300 feet, with exception made based on the preceding conditions.
D. 
Castings. Manholes and inlet castings shall be as indicated in the Township Construction Standards.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Standards of Construction are on file in the office of the Township Manager and available for public inspection upon request.
E. 
Stormwater roof drains. Stormwater roof drains shall extend to the paved gutter and, where accessible, shall connect to the storm drainage system. Where the runoff from the house is not directed to a stormwater management facility, sumps shall be installed in each lot for detention of the water from roof drains.
F. 
Unnatural drainage. Whenever construction stops or concentrates the natural flow of storm drainage in such a way as to affect adjoining properties, approval of the owners shall be obtained in writing. Approval of plans by the Township does not authorize or sanction drainage affecting adjoining properties.
G. 
Watercourses. Open watercourses will not be permitted within the rights-of-way of streets. The stopping, filling up, confining or other interference with, or changing the course of, drains, ditches, streams and watercourses in the Township will not be permitted unless approval, in writing, is obtained from the Township Council. A permit must be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) for construction or changes in a watercourse which drains an area of more than 100 acres or any other cases where PA DEP requires a permit.
H. 
Bridges and culverts. All bridges and culverts shall be designed to support expected loads and to carry expected flows and shall be constructed to the full width of the right-of-way. They shall be designed to meet current standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
A. 
Installation. Installation of sanitary sewers shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Township/Environmental Services Director. All installations, including house connections, shall be made prior to the paving of the street.
[Amended 9-25-2013 by Ord. No. 764]
B. 
Minimum size and grade. The minimum diameter of sanitary sewers shall be eight inches and the minimum grade shall be 1%.
C. 
Laterals. Lateral connections, where required, shall be installed to the right-of-way line of the street prior to road paving. Each building shall have a separate connection to the Township sewer, except that garages accessory to dwellings may be connected to the dwelling line. Laterals shall not be connected to manholes.
D. 
In areas where fill exceeds 12 feet over a proposed sanitary sewer, ductile iron pipe or another pipe material approved by the Township Engineer shall be used.
A. 
Water drains. All water mains shall have a minimum diameter of six inches, unless written approval is obtained from the Hampton Township Municipal Authority. All water mains shall be extended and connected to existing water mains to provide a circulatory system where required by the Hampton Township Municipal Authority.
B. 
Installation. All installations shall be made in accordance with the requirements of the Hampton Township Municipal Authority. All water mains and house connections shall be made prior to paving the street.
C. 
Hydrants, gate valves and meters. Fire hydrants, gate valves and meters shall be of the type and design required by the Township. Fire hydrants shall be located at accessible points and located to give adequate fire protection as outlined by the Board of Underwriters. Gate valves shall be located as directed by the Hampton Township Municipal Authority.
All construction materials used in sewers, streets, sidewalks and other required improvements shall be tested by a qualified testing laboratory, if required by the Township Engineer. Required tests shall be as specified in the Township Construction Standards. The cost for such tests shall be borne by the developer.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 280-61, Forestry, as amended, was repealed 11-28-2018 by Ord. No. 816. See now Ch. 291, Tree Protection and Timber Harvesting.