From and after the passage of Part
2 of this chapter, upon the opening and adopting of any street as a part of the highway system of Penn Township, there shall be assigned to each such street by the Commissioners a proper grade, which said grade shall be established for the center line of said street. The surface of each such street shall slope therefrom in either direction at right angles so that the grade at the curbline shall be three inches lower than the grade established for the center line.
Streets hereafter opened and adopted shall be of the widths
of either 50 feet or 60 feet, as assigned by the Commissioners at
the time of their opening by the Township.
A. On all such streets of the width of 50 feet, there shall be a central
roadway of 34 feet, being 17 feet on either side of the center line,
on each side of which there shall be a seven-inch curb, constructed
as hereinafter provided, then on each side a three-foot-five-inch
grass plot, then on each side a four-foot-wide sidewalk.
B. On all such streets of the width of 60 feet, there shall be a central
roadway of 40 feet, being 20 feet on each side of the center line,
on each side of which there shall be a seven-inch curb, constructed
as hereinafter provided, then on each side a five-foot-wide grass
plot, then on each side a four-foot-wide sidewalk.
C. The construction of curbs and sidewalks shall be done under the direction
of the Township Manager.
[Added 4-20-1977 by Ord. No. 212]
[Amended 2-20-1974 by Ord. No. 154]
A. All curbs shall be constructed of concrete only. All expansion joints
in curbing shall be 1/2 inch in thickness. Expansion joints are required
at all inlets and at the end of a day's work. In lieu of expansion
joints, curbs may be sawed to a depth of two inches with a three-sixteenths-inch
saw groove and filled with a bituminous caulking with prior approval
of the Township Manager.
[Amended 4-20-1977 by Ord. No. 212; 8-20-1979 by Ord. No. 233; 6-15-1981 by Ord. No. 254]
(1)Â Vertical curbs shall extend in depth 18 inches from top to bottom.
Curb thickness shall be eight inches at the finished grade of the
street and thence downward the entire depth. The thickness shall taper
from the grade of the street toward the property line so that at its
top the curb shall be seven inches thick. The height of the curb above
the street grade at the curbline shall be eight inches. There shall
be a three-fourths-inch radius on top of the curb facing the street
and a one-fourth-inch radius on the top of the curb toward the property.
The front face of the curb shall have a smooth rubbed finish to the
street grade line. Expansion joints shall be placed approximately
every 20 feet; however, no expansion joints shall be placed in any
driveway depression. In case of private driveways crossing any sidewalk
the curb may be depressed across the entire width of the driveway
by providing a sloping section at either side with a slope of five
inches per foot. Residential driveway depressions shall be not less
than 10 feet nor greater than 20 feet. The depressed portion of the
curb shall maintain a full 18 inches of concrete. All curb construction
shall comply with PennDOT Form 408 and drawings pertaining thereto
in design, materials, construction and workmanship. In cases where
downspout water is discharged at the curb, a four-inch pipe must be
placed under the sidewalk and a four-inch plastic insert through the
entire thickness of the curb. This will outlet the water into the
gutter. Outlet openings shall be placed three inches from the top
of the curb in areas designated by the Township Manager. Curb radii
of less than fifty-foot are and all driveway curb depressions shall
be reinforced with a minimum of two one-half-inch reinforcement rods.
Reinforcement rods shall be constructed in a manner acceptable to
the Township Manager.
(2)Â Slant curb shall extend in depth 16 inches from top to bottom on
the property side of the curb and 12 inches in depth on the front
face of the curb thus allowing for a four-inch slant from the front
of the curb to the property side of the curb. All slant curb shall
be 14 inches in thickness. Expansion joints shall be placed approximately
every 60 feet. There shall be a three-fourths-inch radius on the top
of the curb facing the street and a three-fourths-inch radius on top
of the curb toward the property. The front face of the curb shall
have a smooth finish to the street grade line.
(3)Â Curb types, designs and styles other than slant and vertical as described
herein are prohibited in Penn Township.
B. Where underground utilities have been installed to service property
adjacent to the street where curb is installed, the location of such
underground utilities shall be indicated on the top of the horizontal
surface of such curb either by a metal marker or by a depressed letter
at least one inch in height using the following symbols: W-water;
G-gas; S-sewer; E-electricity; T-telephone and U-all other utilities.
[Amended 4-20-1977 by Ord. No. 212]
A. Every owner of property in the Township of Penn shall, on 60 days'
notice from the Township Commissioners, through its agent, servant
or employee, construct or reconstruct either a sidewalk or curb, or
both, as specified in the notice, which shall conform to all applicable
requirements of this section or any previous ordinance, in front of
or alongside of such property.
B. Every owner of property in the Township shall have 30 days' notice
from the Township Commissioners to repair the sidewalk or curbing,
or both, in the manner stipulated in such notice, in front of or alongside
of such property.
C. All sidewalks and curbing shall be constructed, reconstructed and
repaired in accordance with the ordinance and according to the following
specifications:
[Amended 8-20-1979 by Ord. No. 233]
(1)Â New sidewalks constructed on streets of the Township of Penn shall
be of concrete construction and shall comply with PennDOT Form 408.
Sidewalks shall be scored in general in four-foot sections and in
no case shall scored section be more than six feet in length. A one-half-inch
bituminous expansion joint shall be provided at least once in every
fifth section length of sidewalks. A one-half-inch bituminous expansion
joint shall be provided where the sidewalk meets a curb, driveway,
concrete private walkway and buildings, and at such other places as
may be directed by the Township Manager. All utility poles, traffic
posts, water hydrants, fire hydrants, sign posts and any other object
positioned within the sidewalk must be separated with a one-half-inch
bituminous expansion joint providing a clearance of six inches.
(2)Â The thickness of all finished walks shall be at least four inches
laid on an approved five- to eight-inch stone base. All sidewalks
shall maintain a one-fourth-inch per foot slope toward the curb. The
front edge of the sidewalk shall be elevated one inch above the top
of the curb and the back edge shall be one inch higher than the front
edge. Finished sidewalks shall have a broomed abrasive surface.
(3)Â Sidewalks shall not be constructed with a curb as a single integral
unit.
D. Where sidewalks are a part of the driveway, the sidewalk shall maintain
grade, with no depression, as to provide a safe and easy walkway.
That portion of the driveway that provides access to private property
between the curb and the sidewalk shall be constructed of concrete
with a minimum thickness of six inches reinforced with wire mesh.
A one-half-inch bituminous expansion joint shall be provided where
the driveway abuts the sidewalk and/or curb. That portion of the sidewalk
that constitutes the driveway shall be six inches in thickness and
reinforced with wire mesh. Driveways shall be installed as directed
in the Penn Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.
[Amended 8-20-1979 by Ord. No. 233]
E. All details of construction not mentioned in this section shall be
in accordance with approved engineering specifications.
[Amended 8-20-1979 by Ord. No. 233]
[Amended 4-8-1963 by Ord. No. 26; 3-19-1975 by Ord. No. 178; 6-15-1981 by Ord. No. 254]
The standard composition of all streets shall be as specified
by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Publication 70,
as amended.
[Added 10-22-1968 by Ord. No. 95]
Where streets are constructed or paved by the Township, in whole
or in part, where by appropriate action the Township assesses the
costs or a part of the costs thereof against owners of real estate
abutting on the improvement where any property shall be situate at
the intersection of or adjacent to or adjoining more than one street
so improved against which such assessments are levied within five
years, the total assessable foot frontage shall be the sum of the
length of the longest side plus such part only of the length of the
other side or sides as may exceed 50 feet.
[Added 11-17-1976 by Ord. No. 204]
As provided for in Section 2501 of the First Class Township
Code, payment for streets paved, widened or otherwise improved
as provided for in Sections 2050 and 2060 of said code and subsequently assessed in accordance with Sections
2055, 2062 and 2063 of said code may be authorized to be made in annual installments when
so requested in writing by owners of property abutting the improvement.
When so authorized, 1/5 of the payment of the total amount of the
assessment shall be made within 30 days of delivery of the assessment
notice to such owners with not less than 1/5 of the original assessment,
plus interest as provided for in Section 2056 of the First Class Township
Code, to be paid on or before each annual anniversary date of
the delivery of the assessment notice until the full assessment shall
have been paid.
[Added 4-20-1977 by Ord. No. 212]
A. Exceptions to the current street and sidewalk ordinance shall be
given detailed consideration by the Board of Commissioners who may,
at its discretion, give a limited variance to that part of the ordinance
(streets and sidewalks) when it creates a hardship on the Township,
property owner and/or community. The Board of Commissioners shall
consider variances on insufficient right-of-way on streets and/or
roads, permanent existing structures or trees and excessive slope
to the natural terrain as they pertain to the streets and sidewalks.
Variances to correct insufficient rights-of-way may be to modify grass
plots, diversify sidewalks and to deviate on the slope of the natural
terrain.
B. When a variance is requested by the property owner or community,
a written statement shall be made at least 30 days prior to the oral
request at a regularly scheduled Township meeting.