Borough of Boyertown, PA Design Standards

All design elements of all streets, including horizontal and vertical alignment, sight distance, and super-elevation, are subject to review and approval by the Borough Council. When reviewing the design of streets, in addition to the standards in this chapter, the rural design criteria in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Design Manual Part 2, Highway Design, January 1990 edition, and A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, AASHTO, 1984 edition, as from time to time amended and supplemented, shall be consulted to assure that the road design is in accordance with acceptable engineering practice.

For certain aspects of vertical and horizontal alignment discussed below, standards are determined by design speed of the street involved. For all proposed streets, the developer shall indicate the proposed design speed. The designated design speed is subject to the approval of the Borough Council. In general, the design speed on arterial streets shall be considered as 55 mph (to be determined in each individual case), on collector streets a minimum of 35 mph (to be determined in each individual case) and on minor streets 35 mph unless a lesser design speed is permitted by the Borough Council.

The speed limit proposed to be posted for streets shall not exceed the design speed.

Streets in and bordering a subdivision or land development shall be coordinated, and be of such widths and grades and in such locations as deemed necessary to accommodate prospective traffic, and facilitate fire protection.

The location and width of all proposed streets shall conform to the official plans which have been adopted by the Borough and shall be properly related to all existing streets, recorded streets, and official plans which have been adopted or approved by the Borough, county, or state.

Streets within the subdivision or land development and adjacent roads which will receive traffic from and distribute traffic to the subdivision or land development shall be adequate in construction, grade, width and capacity to accommodate traffic generated by the subdivision or land development.

The proposed street system shall extend existing or recorded streets at the same width as the existing or recorded street if these streets meet or exceed the standards of § 171-19C(1). If the existing or recorded streets do not meet or exceed the standards of § 171-19C(1), the proposed street extensions shall meet the standards of § 171-19C(1).

Where, in the opinion of the Borough Council, it is desirable to provide for street access to adjoining property, streets shall be extended by dedication to the boundary of such property. The location and number of access points to adjoining properties are subject to Borough Council approval.

When streets will be extended to the boundaries of the subdivision or land development to provide for access to potentially developable tracts and sanitary sewer and/or water lines will be constructed in the streets within the developer's tract, the Borough Council may require extension of the sanitary sewer and/or water lines to the tract boundary in order to facilitate future extensions to abutting land.

(10)

If a subdivision proposes lots, all of which front on existing public streets, the Borough Council may require the developer to reserve land adequate to provide for future street access from the public streets on which the lots front to the land to the rear of the proposed lots. Such reserved areas shall be of such dimensions to permit the construction of streets meeting the standards of this chapter.

When reservations for future streets will adjoin lots to be developed prior to the construction of the streets, the developer shall establish the proposed grades of the future streets and the extent of the area necessary for the construction of those streets. If the area necessary for the construction of the streets extends beyond the proposed street right-of-way lines, all excavation and grading necessary for the streets beyond the right-of-way lines shall be done as required improvements in conjunction with the subdivision which contains the adjoining lots or else construction easements shall be provided on the adjoining lots, sufficient to permit construction of the future street.

Where reservations for future streets intersect existing streets, radii shall be provided for the reservations such that the requirements of § 171-19H(6) and (7) of this chapter could be met for a street to be constructed in the future.

(11)

If lots or parcels in the subdivision are large enough for resubdivision, or if a portion of the developer's property is not proposed to be subdivided but could be subdivided in the future, the Borough Council may require the reservation of land adequate to provide for future street access to land which could be resubdivided or subdivided in the future and require that the location of land reserved for future streets be coordinated with the street system shown on the subdivision plan.

(12)

Connections shall be provided between streets within the subdivision or land development to provide adequate access for emergency vehicles, other vehicles, and pedestrians.

(13)

New minor streets shall be so designed as to discourage through traffic, but the developer shall provide for the extension and continuation of arterial and collector streets into and from adjoining properties when required by the Borough Council. Minor streets shall be extended and continued into and from adjoining properties when necessary for the proper development of and traffic circulation in the Borough.

(14)

Where a subdivision or land development abuts an existing street which does not meet the standards of this chapter, the Borough Council may require the dedication of land sufficient to widen the street to meet the standards of this chapter.

(15)

Where a subdivision or land development fronts on and will provide for vehicular access to and from an existing Borough street which does not meet the minimum cartway width requirements of this chapter, the Borough Council may require the developer to improve at his expense the Borough street cartway to meet those requirements. Pavement shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. In addition, provision shall be made for adequate drainage along the sides of the streets. Such drainage provisions shall be approved by the Borough Council.

(16)

Private streets (streets not to be offered for dedication) shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and other Borough regulations.

Private streets need not conform in width to the requirements of § 171-19C(1) of this chapter; provided, however, that private streets shall have a cartway of not less than 24 feet unless a greater width is required by the Borough Zoning Ordinance[1]; and provided further, that no parking shall be permitted on any private street that does not contain the width requirements of § 171-19C(1) of this chapter.

Editor's Note: See Ch. 196, Zoning.

Private streets shall only be permitted in those subdivisions or land developments intended to remain under single ownership.

(17)

Where streets and other public improvements continue into adjoining municipalities, evidence of compatibility of design, particularly with regard to street widths, shall be submitted. The applicant shall coordinate such design with both municipalities to avoid abrupt changes in cartway width or in improvements provided.

(18)

The street system shall be designed with regard to:

Consideration of existing topographical considerations.

Providing buildable lots, or in the case of a mobile home park, lots on which a mobile home can be placed in accordance with all applicable requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance.

Minimizing the number of street intersections, through encouraging the use of three-way rather than four-way intersections when intersections of minor streets are involved.

Avoiding excessive lineal footage of street.

(19)

All drives within multiple-family and nonresidential developments which are intended for circulation within the development shall be designed to the horizontal and vertical alignment standards for streets contained within this chapter.

Partial and half streets.

New half or partial streets will not be permitted, but wherever a tract to be subdivided borders an existing recorded half or partial street, the Borough Council may require the developer to provide adjacent to such half or partial street a reservation of land adequate to allow the construction of a street meeting the standards of this chapter.

Street widths.

Minimum street right-of-way and cartway (pavement) widths shall be as follows:

Street Type		Required Widths (in feet)
Minor streets and permanent culs-de-sac
	Right-of-way	56
	Cartway	36
Collector street
	Right-of-way	60
	Cartway	40
Arterial street
	Right-of-way	As specified in the official plans or as determined after consultation with the Borough and PennDOT
	Cartway
Marginal access street
	Right-of-way	As determined after consultation with the Borough and PennDOT, but not less than 33
	Cartway	24
Service street
	Right-of-way	24
	Cartway	24

Additional right-of-way widths may be required by the Borough Council for the purpose of promoting the public safety and convenience and for providing for proposed traffic volumes.

The designation of streets as "minor", "collector," and "arterial" is subject to Borough Council approval. The Borough Council may prohibit parking along collector streets.

Restriction of access.

Whenever a subdivision or land development abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial or collector street, the Borough Council may require restriction of access to the street by:

Provision of reverse frontage lots; or

Provision of service streets along the rear of the abutting lots, together with prohibition of private driveways intersecting the arterial or collector street; or

Provision of marginal access streets, provided that the reserve strips establishing such marginal access streets shall be placed within the jurisdiction of the Borough under an agreement meeting the approval of the Borough; or

Provision of a system of minor streets which intersect the arterial or collector street and on which lots would front.

Except as specified by § 171-19D(1)(c), reserve strips shall be prohibited.

Street grades.

There shall be a minimum center line grade of 0.75%.

Center-line grades shall not exceed the following:

Minor street or service street: 10%.

Collector street: 6%.

Arterial street: 6%.

Street intersection: 5%.

Grades up to 12% may be permitted by the Borough Council on minor streets, except culs-de-sac, if the Council at its discretion deems that unsafe conditions will not result from the increase in grade.

Horizontal curves.

Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of 5°, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.

Minimum center-line radii for horizontal curves shall be as follows:

	Design Speed (in miles per hours)	Minimum Center line Radius (in feet)
	20	100
	25	150
	30	230
	35	310
	40	430
	45	550
	50	700
	55	850

A straight section of road of at least 100 feet shall be provided between all horizontal curves on collector streets. A straight section of road of at least 200 feet shall be provided between all horizontal curves on arterial streets.

Combinations of the minimum radius and maximum grade are prohibited.

Vertical curves.

At all changes in street grades where the algebraic difference in grade exceeds 1%, vertical curves shall be provided. The minimum sight distance provided shall be as follows for both crest and sag vertical curves.

	Design Speed (in miles per hours)	Minimum Sight Distance (in feet)
	20	125
	25	150
	30	200
	35	250
	40	325
	45	400
	50	475
	55	550

Intersections.

Streets shall intersect as nearly as possible at right angles, and no street shall intersect another at an angle of less than 75° (measured at the intersection of the street center lines) nor more than 105°. The angle of intersection with an arterial street shall be 90°.

No more than two streets geometrically shall intersect at the same point.

Streets intersecting another street shall either intersect directly opposite to each other or be separated by at least 150 feet between center lines, measured along the center line of the street being intersected.

Intersections shall be approached on all sides by a straight area at least 50 feet in length, the grade of which shall not exceed 5% within 50 feet of the intersection of the nearest right-of-way lines.

Intersections with arterial streets shall be located not less than 500 feet apart, measured from center line to center line along the center line of the arterial streets.

Street curb intersections shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a minimum radius of:

Twenty feet for all intersections involving only minor streets or service streets;

Thirty feet for all intersections involving a collector street;

Forty feet for all intersections involving an arterial street.

Street right-of-way lines shall be parallel to (concentric with) curb arcs at intersections.

Sight distances at intersections.

Clear sight triangles shall be provided at all street intersections, shall be reserved as such, and shall be drawn on the plan. Within such triangles, no vision-obstructing object shall be permitted which obscures vision above the height of 30 inches and below the height of 10 feet, measured from the center-line grade of intersecting streets. For triangles created after the effective date of this chapter, such triangles shall be established, at a minimum, from a distance as given below. For street intersections existing at the effective date of this chapter, the clear sight triangle requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance[2] shall apply.

Seventy-five feet from the point of intersection of the center lines; except that.

Clear Sight Triangles of 100 feet shall be provided for all intersections involving collector streets; and

Clear Sight Triangles of 150 feet shall be provided for all intersections involving arterial streets.

Editor's Note: See Ch. 196, Zoning.

Whenever a portion of the line of such clear sight triangles occurs behind the required building setback line, such portion shall be considered a building setback line.

Sight distance at street intersections shall be such to provide the following minimum stopping distance for a vehicle traveling on an approaching street which has no stop or signal control:

Design Speed of Approaching Street with No Stop or Signal Control (in miles per hour)	Minimum Stopping Distance (in feet) Required Unless Alternative permitted by Borough Council	Alternative Stopping Distance (in feet) Permissible at discretion of Borough Council only on lightly travelled highways where the removal of sight obstructions would be costly
20	125	90
25	150	110
30	200	130
35	250	155
40	325	180
45	400	200
50	475	220
55	550	240

Street intersections shall be located and designed to provide the following minimum sight distance for a vehicle traveling on an approaching street which has a stop control:

	Design Speed of Street being Approached by Vehicle on Stop Control Street (in miles per hour)	Minimum Sight Distance Required (in feet)
	20	200
	25	250
	30	300
	35	350
	40	400
	45	450
	50	500
	55	550

For calculating sight distance, refer to A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, AASHTO, 1984 edition.

Cul-de-sac streets.

Dead-end streets are prohibited unless designed as cul-de-sac streets, provided that in the case of streets which are planned for future extension into adjoining tracts and will not be the primary means of access to any lot or dwelling unit, a turnaround is not required.

General requirements.

Except as provided in § 171-19J(1), any street dead-ended for access to an adjoining property or because of authorized stage development shall be provided with a turnaround within the subdivision or land development, and the use of such turnaround shall be guaranteed to the public until such time as the street is extended.

If a cul-de-sac turnaround is offset, it shall not be offset to the right.

Should a temporary cul-de-sac be proposed, arrangements satisfactory to the Borough Council and Borough Solicitor shall be made for construction and installation responsibilities of all improvements when the temporary cul-de-sac is abandoned and the street is extended.

In the event that the Borough Council shall not consider development of adjoining property to be imminent, the Council may require that a permanent curbed cul-de-sac be constructed.

Length; dwelling unit access.

Cul-de-sac streets shall be at least 250 feet from the right-of-way of the street intersected to the end of the turnaround. Cul-de-sac streets shall not exceed 500 feet in length as defined in this chapter and shall not furnish access to more than 20 dwelling units.

The Borough Council may permit temporary culs-de-sac longer than 500 feet at its discretion if future extension of the cul-de-sac is likely in the opinion of the Council. At its discretion, the Council may permit culs-de-sac to serve more than 20 dwelling units when it believes adequate provision will be made for vehicular circulation and parking.

Unless future extension is clearly impractical or undesirable, the turnaround right-of-way shall be placed adjacent to the tract boundary with sufficient additional right-of-way width provided along the boundary line to permit extension of the street at full width.

All cul-de-sac streets, whether permanently or temporarily designed as such, shall be provided at the closed end with a fully paved turnaround. Minimum radius to the pavement edge or curbline shall be 50 feet, and minimum radius to the right-of-way line shall be 60 feet.

Drainage of cul-de-sac streets shall preferably be toward the open end. If drainage is toward the closed end, water shall be conducted away in an underground storm sewer or by other means approved by the Borough Council.

The center-line grade on a cul-de-sac street shall not exceed 10% and the grade and cross-slope of the turnaround shall not exceed 5%.

Street names.

Proposed streets which are in alignment with others already existing and named shall bear the names of the existing streets.

In no case shall the name of a proposed street duplicate an existing street name in the Borough, irrespective of the use of the suffix street, road, avenue, boulevard, drive, way, place, court, lane, etc.

All street names shall be subject to the approval of the Borough Council.

Service street (alleys).

Service streets are prohibited in residential subdivisions except where required by the Borough Council to avoid direct driveway access to arterial or collector streets.

Service streets may be permitted by the Borough Council in other types of development, provided that the developer produces evidence satisfactory to the Council of the need for such service streets, and provided that the service streets are not the primary means of access.

Dead-end service streets are prohibited unless permitted at the discretion of the Borough Council. Dead-end service streets shall be terminated with a paved circular turnaround with a minimum radius to the outer pavement edge (curbline) of 50 feet.

Parking is prohibited along service streets.

Street construction standards. All street pavements shall comply with the provisions of this section, except that PennDOT shall determine the construction standard for a state road.

All materials, construction procedures and other specifications shall be in conformance with the PennDOT Publication 408.

A six-inch minimum compacted depth stable subbase shall be provided, using PennDOT Type 2A aggregate or better, unless the Borough preapproves an alternative subbase. The subgrade shall be properly rolled and crowned.

The Borough may require a greater depth where necessary considering the conditions of the subgrade. Materials that are unsuitable, wet soils and soils subject to frost-heave shall be removed and replaced, drained or otherwise stabilized to handle anticipated loads.

The Borough may require field and/or laboratory testing of the subgrade, particularly if on-site materials are proposed to be used.

The Borough may require compaction tests, with the Borough's costs reimbursed by the developer.

A four-inch minimum compacted depth 25 mm superpave hot mix asphalt base course shall be provided. This depth may be decreased to three inches if the depth of the subbase is increased to eight inches.

A 1.5-inch minimum depth 9.5 mm superpave hot mix asphalt wearing course or Borough-approved equivalent shall be provided. Such depth shall be two inches for a collector street and three inches for an arterial street.

Where shoulders are required, PennDOT Type 3 or better shoulders shall be provided on each side of the travelway.

§ 171-20 Guide rail.

Streets shall be designed to preclude or minimize the need for guide rail. The Borough Council may require guide rail to be placed for protection on embankments when a barrier is required in Design Manual Part 2 Highway Design by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, January 1990 edition.

Fixed obstructions along streets which would require guide rail shall be precluded or minimized. The Borough Council may require guide rail to be placed when a barrier is required for fixed objects in Design Manual Part 2 Highway Design by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, January 1990 edition.

The design and selection of guide rail shall be in accordance with the standards in Design Manual Part 2 Highway Design, January 1990 edition, however, the Borough Council shall approve all guide rail systems.

§ 171-21 Blocks.

Layout. The length, width and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to the provision of adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed, zoning requirements, topography, and requirements for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation, including the reduction of intersections with arterial and collector streets.

Length. Blocks shall have a maximum length of 1,600 feet and a minimum length of 500 feet. The Borough Council may decrease the permitted maximum and/or minimum lengths of blocks if the topography of land, proposed lot sizes, or surface water drainage conditions warrant such a decrease. Blocks along arterial streets shall not be less than 1,000 feet.

Depth. Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to accommodate two tiers of lots, except where reverse frontage lots are required or where prevented by the size, topographical conditions or other inherent conditions of the property.

Nonresidential blocks. Blocks in nonresidential areas may vary from the elements of design detailed above if required by the nature of the use. In all cases, however, adequate provisions shall be made for off-street parking and loading areas and pedestrian and vehicular circulation.

Crosswalks. Crosswalks may be required by the Borough Council whenever necessary to facilitate pedestrian circulation and to give access to community facilities. Such crosswalks shall have a minimum width of 10 feet and contain a walkway, constructed of a material approved by the Borough Council, with a minimum width of four feet.

§ 171-22 Lots and parcels.

General standards.

The size, shape and orientation of lots shall be appropriate for the type of development and use contemplated, and be in accordance with the provisions of the Borough Zoning Ordinance.[1] Lots shall be capable of being built upon, or in the case of a mobile home park, on which a mobile home can be placed, in accordance with all applicable requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance.

Editor's Note: See Ch. 196, Zoning.

Side lot lines shall be at right angles to straight street lines and radial to curved street lines. Lot lines shall follow municipal boundaries rather than cross them.

The depth of lots for single-family detached dwellings shall not be less than one nor more than three times their width at the street line.

Depth and width of parcels intended for nonresidential uses shall be adequate for the use proposed and sufficient to provide satisfactory space for on-site parking, loading and unloading, setbacks, buffer yards and landscaping, etc.

Subdivisions shall be designed to avoid the creation of remnants of land. If remnants of land would result after subdividing, adequate provision, which shall be approved by the Borough, shall be made for the disposition and maintenance of those remnants.

Flag lots are prohibited, unless permission is granted by the Borough Council upon recommendation of the Borough Planning Commission. The Council may grant permission to utilize flag lots when it deems flag lots appropriate because of topographical or other conditions unique to the site. The access strip portions of a flag lot must be wide enough to permit the construction of a street with a right-of-way meeting the requirements of this chapter and shall not be used for building purposes.

In granting permission to use flag lots, the Borough Council shall find:

That the use of flag lots will not result in conditions which will cause increased interruptions to traffic flow, accident hazards and sedimentation and runoff problems onto public streets.

That the use of an internal street system or marginal access streets on which lots would front will not be more appropriate for development of the tract than the use of flag lots.

That the use of flag lots is necessary to permit utilization of a tract of ground, otherwise not feasible to utilize under the applicable standards for lots found in this chapter.

No more than one flag lot shall be created from the original tract of land for each 10 lots created from the original tract of land which meet the requirements of this chapter for lot configuration.

Should a flag lot be divided into two or more lots, the access strip shall be constructed into a street complying with the specifications of this chapter.

All structures shall be located on the flag lot so as to provide the required setback should the access strip be used for construction of a street.

Where an ultimate right-of-way line has been provided, all setbacks and lot areas shall be measured from such ultimate right-of-way line.

Wherever feasible, lots shall be designed so that buildings can be constructed above street grade. Where this is not possible, the developer shall indicate what measures are to be taken to assure proper drainage away from the buildings.

When only a portion of a tract is designed at a time and there exists the potential for development of the remainder of the tract, lots shall be designed such that they do not restrict access to the remainder of the tract, do not unduly restrict the potential development of the remainder of the tract, nor result in the creation of awkward or difficult-to-develop parcels in the remainder of the tract.

(10)

The maximum slope utilized when grading lots or streets along an adjoining tract of land not owned by the developer shall be a three to one slope ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance.

Lot frontage and access.

All lots shall abut and have direct driveway access to an existing or proposed public street or private street meeting the requirements of this chapter.

Reverse frontage lots shall be avoided except where required by the Borough Council to restrict access to existing streets or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography or orientation. All residential reverse frontage lots shall contain a landscape screen, fence, earth mounding, or similar screening device and barrier to vehicular access subject to Borough Council approval within the rear yard.

Where access to land within a subdivision or land development will be solely by proposed roads within an adjoining municipality, the Borough Council may require assurance from the adjoining municipality that adequate provisions have been made to insure construction of the proposed access roads.

When the rear wall of a building will face a public street, the Borough Council may require a landscape screen, fence, earth mounding, or similar screening device subject to Borough Council approval between the building and the public street.

Acceleration or deceleration lane.

After consideration of street speeds, traffic volumes, projected traffic generated at a proposed land use, and the location and arrangement of existing and proposed driveways and intersections, the Borough Council may require the developer to install at his expense an acceleration or deceleration lane, or both, to serve a proposed driveway or street. If additional street right-of-way is required to construct the acceleration or deceleration lane, the additional right-of-way shall be provided by the developer.

When required by the Borough Council, the developer shall furnish a study to the Borough which will provide the information necessary to permit the determination as to whether an acceleration or deceleration lane is required.

Lot size. The minimum lot size and width requirements set forth in the Borough Zoning Ordinance shall be met.

Off-street parking. Each proposed dwelling unit in a subdivision or land development shall meet the off-street parking requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance.

In the case of single-family or two-family dwelling and townhouses with on-lot parking, such off-street parking spaces shall be provided behind the street right-of-way line and may be provided in an attached or separate garage, carport, or driveway. The spaces shall not be located within any clear sight triangle required by this chapter.

In the case of multiple-family dwellings, such off-street parking spaces shall be provided in common parking areas located adjacent to, within or near the multiple-family dwellings. Spaces shall not be located within a street right-of-way nor within any clear sight triangle required by this chapter. The size of parking spaces and the width of aisles shall be in accordance with the Borough Zoning Ordinance. The grade of areas used for parking shall not exceed 6%. The grade of areas used only for access shall not exceed 10%.

Nonresidential development shall meet the off-street parking requirements of the Borough Zoning Ordinance.

Driveways.

Subdivisions and land developments shall be provided with internal streets to which the lots will have driveway access in order to minimize the number of driveway intersections with existing public streets. This reduction in driveway intersections will lessen interruptions to traffic flow and accident hazards and minimize sedimentation and runoff problems onto existing public streets. The Borough Council may require the use of common driveways for abutting lots.

All driveways which provide access to arterial and collector streets, if such driveways are permitted by the Borough Council, shall be designed with turnaround areas so that cars will not back onto the arterial and collector streets.

Stormwater drainage and erosion and sediment control.

Provision shall be made at all intersections of driveways with streets to ensure adequate stormwater drainage and erosion and sediment control.

The Borough Council may require subdivision and land development plans to show a typical treatment of the construction of driveways and handling of storm drainage where the driveways intersect a street. The Council may require as a condition to approval of a plan that prior to the issuance of zoning or building permits the specific proposals for the construction of a driveway and treatment of storm drainage and erosion and sediment control for that driveway be submitted to the Borough for approval.

Placement.

Driveways shall be placed at locations at which sight distance is adequate to safely allow each permitted movement to be made into or out of the driveways; such that the free movement of normal street traffic is not impaired; such that the driveways will not create a hazard; and such that the driveways will not create an area of undue traffic congestion on streets. Applicable safe sight distance as established in the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shall be provided.

The Borough Council may require the driveway to a lot which abuts two or more streets to be restricted to that street which can more safely accommodate its traffic. The Borough Council may also require a driveway to be located directly across from a street or driveway on the opposite side of the street the driveway intersects if the Council judges that offset driveways will create a safety hazard.

The Borough Council may require the permissible location of a driveway for a lot to be shown on the subdivision or land development plan, and further require that driveway locations be subject to approval of the Council.

At driveway intersections with streets, an isosceles triangle shall be established for a distance of 20 feet at each side of the point of intersection of the cartway lines. Within such clear sight triangles, no vision-obstructing object shall be permitted which obscures vision above the height of 30 inches and below the height of 10 feet, measured from the center-line grades of the intersecting driveway and street.

Width.

Entrances to private driveways serving multiple-family dwellings shall be rounded at a minimum radius of 10 feet. The maximum radius shall be 30 feet.

Entrances to private driveways serving one- and two-family dwellings shall be rounded at a maximum radius of four feet eight inches.

For nonresidential driveways, the width, excluding radii, of driveways shall conform to the following:

		Width in Feet Minimum	Maximum
	1-Way	12	24
	2-Way	24	36

Each lane provided shall be a minimum of 12 feet in width.

The radius of the edge of the driveway apron shall be at least 15 feet and no more than 35 feet.

Angle.

The angle of a driveway as it intersects a street shall be such that a vehicle entering the driveway may do so in an orderly and safe manner with a minimum of interference to through street traffic and such that a vehicle leaving the driveway may enter safely into the lane of traffic moving in the desired direction.

Driveways shall intersect streets as nearly as possible at right angles, and in no case at an angle of less than 75° or more than 105°; provided, however, that the Borough Council may permit the use of one-way driveways on a property, and such one-way driveways may intersect streets at an angle of not less than 45°.

Grade.

Private driveways shall have such grades as to furnish safe and convenient parking spaces and to provide a safe and convenient means of access. The grades and construction materials of driveways shall be such that the materials of the driveway will not wash onto public streets. The maximum permissible grade shall be 7% on all driveways, except that driveway grades shall not exceed 5% within 20 feet of street cartway lines. The area between the right-of-way line of the street and the cartway shall be paved.

The Borough Council may require the developer to submit with his subdivision or land development plans evidence that the above, and the other standards for driveways established in this section, can be met for each lot where doubt exists as to the feasibility of meeting the standards.

The center line of entrances to private driveways serving one- and two-family dwellings shall be located at least 40 feet from the point of intersection of the nearest street cartway lines if only minor streets are involved, at least 80 feet if a collector street is involved, and at least 120 feet if an arterial street is involved. The center line of entrances to private driveways serving multiple-family dwellings or nonresidential building shall be located at least 60 feet from the point of intersection of the neatest street cartway lines if only minor streets are involved, at least 120 feet if a collector street is involved, and at least 160 feet if any arterial street is involved.

The standards for driveway widths shall be as established in this chapter unless a more restrictive standard is established by other Borough regulations, in which case the more restrictive standard shall apply.

§ 171-23 Sanitary sewage disposal.

Each property shall connect to a public sanitary sewer system.

All sanitary sewer facilities shall conform in all respects to the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Borough.

Whenever approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is required for the sanitary sewer system for a proposed subdivision or land development, the developer shall submit a copy of such approval to the Borough prior to approval of the final plan.

New and replacement sanitary sewer systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the systems and discharges from the systems into floodwaters.

§ 171-24 Water supply.

New subdivisions and land developments shall incorporate adequate provisions for a reliable, safe and adequate water supply to support intended uses within the capacity of available resources.

Each property shall connect to a public water supply.

All water supply and distribution facilities shall be constructed in full compliance with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection specifications, and all ordinances, rules, and regulations of the Borough. Minimum water supply recognized by the Insurance Services Office shall be provided.

Applicants shall present evidence to the Borough Council at preliminary plan stage that the subdivision or land development is to be supplied by the Borough Water Department.

Whenever approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is required for the water supply and distribution system for a proposed subdivision or land development, the developer shall submit a copy of such approval to the Borough prior to approval of a final plan.

New and replacement water supply systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate in infiltration of floodwaters into the systems.

§ 171-25 Stormwater management standards and design.

General principles for storm drainage systems. Storm sewers, culverts, endwalls, inlets, and related installations and improvements shall be provided in order to:

Permit unimpeded flow of natural watercourses;

Ensure adequate drainage of all streets;

Intercept stormwater runoff along streets at intervals related to the extent and grade of the area drained;

Provide positive drainage away from on-site sewage disposal facilities and buildings;

Accommodate runoff so that there shall be no increase in rate of stormwater peak discharge leaving the subdivision or land development during or after construction based on the design rainfall frequency established in this chapter. Pre- and post-development runoff shall be evaluated for all drainage areas discharging from the site.

Ensure adequate drainage at intersections of driveways with streets.

Provide that where existing storm sewers are reasonably accessible and of adequate capacity, subdivisions and land developments shall connect to the existing storm sewers.

Provide that when no existing storm sewer system is accessible and of adequate capacity, stormwater runoff shall discharge to an existing watercourse with defined bed and barriers. Runoff shall not be increased or concentrated onto adjacent properties, nor shall the velocity of flow be increased beyond that existing prior to subdivision or land development unless written approval is given by the adjacent property owners to the proposed discharge of surface runoff and the written agreements are approved by the Borough Council.

Provide that when storm drainage will be directed into an adjacent municipality, all provisions for accommodating such storm drainage shall be submitted to the governing body of that municipality for review.

Design of storm drainage systems.

Complete stormwater calculations in accordance with the design standards and appendices of this chapter and all designs for drainage facilities shall be submitted to the Borough for review.

Where a subdivision or land development is traversed by or contains a pond, lake, watercourse, drainageway, channel, storm drainage system, or stream, there shall be provided a drainage easement that conforms substantially with the line of such pond, lake, watercourse, drainageway, channel, storm drainage system, or stream of such widths as will be adequate to preserve the unimpeded flow of drainage facilities. Minimum easement width shall be 10 feet from each side of the watercourse, water body, stream, pond, lake or drainage facility, but the Borough may require a greater easement when necessary. Bearings and distances shall be provided for the boundaries of easements.

Any changes in an existing drainageway shall be subject to the approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Army Corps of Engineers, and/or the Federal Emergency Management Agency when each or all have jurisdiction. All permits and approvals shall be issued prior to construction of storm drainage-related improvements.

The developer shall properly grade and seed slopes, and fence open ditches when a safety hazard can result. Areas within easements shall be kept as lawn or in natural conditions to allow maintenance and entrance.

All drainage facilities shall be designed to adequately handle surface runoff and carry it to suitable outlets and shall be designed in accordance with the minimum design standards in the appendices of this chapter.

Subsurface drainage systems shall have manholes spaced at intervals not exceeding 400 feet and located wherever branches are connected or sizes are changed and wherever there is a change in alignment or grade. Inlets or other means of interconnection may be used instead of manholes when approved by the Borough Council.

For drainage lines of 36 inches diameter or greater, manholes may be spaced at intervals greater than 400 feet with the approval of the Borough Council.

Storm sewer lines within street rights-of-way shall be placed immediately in front of the curb when parallel to the right-of-way. Locating storm sewers under curbs in curves or at street intersections will not be permitted.

Drainage structures that are to be located within state highway rights-of-way shall be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and a letter from that Department indicating such approval shall be submitted to the Borough.

Subsurface storm drainage systems shall have PennDOT-approved inlets located as required by this chapter to intercept runoff. Inlets shall be designed and located to prevent hazards to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians.

PennDOT-approved endwalls or end sections shall be used in lieu of inlets where feasible to minimize clogging of grates with leaves, debris, etc.

Reinforced concrete pipe shall be used for all storm sewer lines, including retention/detention facilities. Alternate pipe materials may be used with Borough Council approval; however, alternate materials shall be backfilled with select granular PennDOT (2-RC) material, solidly compacted in six-inch lifts. All pipe materials shall meet PennDOT requirements, and shall have a minimum diameter of 15 inches.

Provisions shall be made to minimize erosion within watercourses and at points of discharge from storm drainage facilities through the use of proper ground cover, rip-rap, or root-reinforcing systems.

Where there is a change in pipe size through an inlet, the top inside elevation of the outlet pipe shall be at or below the elevations of all incoming pipes.

Storm sewers, culverts, swales, channels, and related facilities shall be designed to accommodate and discharge all runoff from adjacent upstream drainage areas, assuming the upstream area is fully developed.

Standards for drainage of streets.

All streets shall be designed to provide for the discharge of surface water from their rights-of-way. The design storm shall be a ten-year frequency for residential subdivisions with a gross density less than six units per acre, and a twenty-five-year frequency for all other subdivisions or land developments. The design storm shall be a one-hundred-year frequency for sections conveying runoff directly to detention facilities and in other instances when required by the Borough.

The pavement cross slope on streets and the slope of sidewalk areas shall be no less than 3/8 inch per foot.

Surface cross drainage at intersections or other roadway sections will not be permitted.

Inlets shall be spaced to limit the gutter flow spread into the travel lanes to 1/2 the lane width during the design storm.

Inlet efficiency and bypass flows, per PennDOT design charts, shall be considered in the design of storm sewer systems.

To ensure adequate drainage at low points along the line of streets, overflow swales shall be designed to convey the full one-hundred-year storm flows away from all street low points. These swales shall be located to prevent flooding of the downslope lots.

Design of retention and detention facilities.

General requirements.

Where retention (permanent pool) and detention (dry bottom) basins are required by the Borough Council, adequate assurances of maintenance, indemnification, liability insurance, and security shall be provided and approved by the Council.

Retention and detention facilities shall be designed and located so as to not present a hazard to the public health or safety. Their design shall be approved by the Borough Council.

Such facilities shall be designed so that no adverse effects will result from backwater flooding.

General design considerations.

The number and location of retention/detention facilities are subject to the approval of the Borough Council.

For detention basins, a method of carrying low flow through the basin area shall be provided and the basin shall be provided with a positive gravity outlet to a natural channel or storm sewer of adequate capacity.

If percolation of runoff is considered as a method of runoff abatement, percolation tests shall be taken at the site of the proposed detention facilities and the results submitted to the Borough for review. At the discretion of the Borough Council, percolation facilities may be prohibited.

The storage duration of stormwater runoff shall not exceed 24 hours after rainfall has ceased. The Borough Council may require the fencing of retention/detention basins when deemed necessary for the public safety.

The pipe spillway outletting from the retention/detention basin shall be designed on the basis of a rainfall frequency that is consistent with the requirements of this chapter. Basin discharge velocities and quantities shall be consistent with the need to protect the public health, safety, and welfare and to prevent turbulent conditions and erosive velocities in a receiving watercourse.

Minimum grades for turf areas inside detention basins shall be 1% and maximum side slopes of retention/detention basins shall be 33% (three units horizontally to one unit vertically). Depending upon the location and the intended use of the detention facilities during nonfunctioning times, a side slope of less than 33% for one or both slopes may be required by the Borough Council. Side slopes shall be kept as close to the natural land contours as practical, but when a detention basin is to be maintained by a future residential lot owner, the maximum side slope shall be 25% (four units horizontally to one unit vertically).

Paved surfaces that are to serve as stormwater storage areas shall have minimum grades of 1/2% and shall be restricted to storage depths of six inches maximum.

If a portion of an area within a stormwater storage area is to be paved for parking or recreational purposes, the paved surface shall be placed at the highest elevation possible within the storage area.

The following additional conditions shall be complied with for retention basins:

Water surface area shall not exceed 1/10 of the tributary drainage area.

Shoreline protection shall be provided to prevent erosion from wave action.

Facilities shall be provided to allow the pond level to be lowered by gravity flow for cleaning purposes and shoreline maintenance.

Aeration facilities as may be required to prevent pond stagnation shall be provided. Design calculations to substantiate the effectiveness of these aeration facilities shall be submitted with final engineering plans. Agreements for the perpetual operation and maintenance of aeration facilities shall be prepared to the satisfaction of the Borough Council.

Specific design considerations for retention/detention basins.

Retention/detention basins shall be designed according to the methods outlined in United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service Technical Release No. 55, "Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds", latest edition.

Design storm.

Storage volume for all subdivision and land development retention/detention facilities shall be based on a twenty-five-year storm event.

Where deemed necessary in the public interest and for the public safety by the Borough Council, the Council may require volume and allowable discharge to be calculated based on a fifty- or one-hundred-year storm.

Design storm rainfall. Stormwater runoff shall be based on the following twenty-four-hour Type II distribution storm events:

	Storm Event	Inches Rainfall
	2-year	3.0
	10-year	4.6
	25-year	5.6
	50-year	6.6
	100-year	7.5

The facilities shall be designed such that the peak discharge from the site after development to all points of discharge does not exceed the peak predevelopment discharge for the two-, ten-, and twenty-five-year storm events.

The predevelopment ground condition for all lands within the subject property which are farm fields shall be considered as pasture with good ground cover.

Retention/detention basins shall be designed to safely discharge the peak discharge of a post-development one-hundred-year frequency storm event through an emergency spillway in a manner which will not damage the integrity of the basin or the downstream drainage area. The emergency spillway shall be designed by routing the one-hundred-year inflow hydrograph through the spillway assuming no storage volume below the spillway invert.

Retention/detention basins which are designed as earth fill dams shall incorporate the following minimum standards:

The height of the dam shall not exceed 15 feet, unless approved by the Borough Council and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The minimum top width of dams up to 15 feet in height shall be equal to 3/4 of the dam height, but in no case shall the top width be less than eight feet.

The side slopes of the settled earth rill shall not be steeper than three horizontal to one vertical.

A key trench at least two feet deep, or extending down to stable subgrade, whichever is deeper, of compacted relatively impervious material (Unified Soil Classification CL or ML). Minimum bottom width for the key trench shall be four feet. Maximum side slopes for the key trench shall be one horizontal to one vertical. A compacted impervious core at least eight feet wide at the top, having a maximum side slope of one horizontal to one vertical, shall extend for the full length of the embankment, and the top elevation shall be set at the twenty-five-year design water surface elevation.

All pipes and culverts through dams shall have properly spaced concrete antiseep collars (minimum six inches thick). Design calculations shall be submitted for review.

The top of berm shall be constructed at least six inches above the design elevations to allow for settlement of the embankment.

[7]

The emergency spillway shall be constructed in undisturbed earth, or be of concrete construction along its bottom and sides.

[8]

Whenever a basin will be located in an area underlain by limestone, a geological evaluation of the proposed location shall be conducted to determine susceptibility to sinkhole formations. The design of all facilities over limestone formations shall include measures to prevent groundwater contamination and, where necessary, sinkhole formation. Soils used for the construction of basins shall have low erodibility factors (K factors). The Borough may require the installation of an impermeable liner in detention basins.

Design submission requirements. The following stormwater management data are required submittals:

All calculations, assumptions, and criteria used in the design of stormwater management facilities and in the establishment of the calculated predevelopment and post-development peak discharge.

All plans and profiles (including cross-country systems) of proposed stormwater management facilities (storm sewers, swales, etc.) including horizontal and vertical location, size, and type of material. This information shall provide sufficient information required for the construction of all facilities.

A map(s) clearly delineating and labeling all drainage areas used in the design of stormwater management facilities.

For all retention/detention basins, a plotting or tabulation of storage volumes with corresponding water surface elevations and outflow rates for those water surfaces.

For all retention/detention basins, the design inflow and outflow hydrographs and routing calculations to determine the function of the basin. The storage-indication routing method shall be used.

For all retention basins which hold 2 1/2 acre feet or more of water during the twenty-five-year design storm and have an embankment that is 10 feet or more in height, soil structures and characteristics shall be investigated. Plans and data prepared by a registered professional, experienced and educated in soil mechanics, shall be submitted.

Wetlands.

A map(s) clearly delineating any existing wetlands as classified by a qualified environmental scientist experienced in wetland determination. Wetland determination shall be performed in accordance with the Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands (Manual) by the Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation.

No construction or development shall be permitted in wetlands without approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Dams and Waterway Management.

Maintenance of stormwater management facilities. Proposals for the ownership and maintenance responsibilities for all proposed storm drainage facilities shall be submitted to the Borough for review and approval at preliminary plan stage. The Borough Council shall be satisfied that sufficient provision has been made for adequate and perpetual maintenance of all such facilities. All drainage facilities to be owned by the developer or his assigns shall be maintained to retain their design capacity.

Groundwater recharge. The ability to retain and maximize the groundwater recharge capacity of the area being developed is encouraged. Design of the stormwater management facilities shall give consideration to providing groundwater recharge to compensate for the reduction in the percolation that occurs when the ground surface is paved and roofed over. A detailed geologic evaluation of the project site shall be performed to determine the suitability of recharge facilities. The evaluation shall be performed by a qualified geologist and/or soil scientist, and at a minimum, address soil permeability, depth to bedrock, susceptibility to sinkhole formation, and subgrade stability. Where pervious pavement is permitted for parking lots, recreational facilities, nondedicated streets, or other areas, pavement construction specifications shall be noted on the plan.

Erosion and sediment controls and plan requirements.

Land shall not be developed or changed by grading, excavation or the removal or destruction of natural topsoil, trees or other vegetative cover unless adequate provisions for minimizing erosion and sedimentation are provided.

A plan for erosion and sediment control shall be prepared and submitted to the Borough as required by this section of this chapter. The plan shall meet all requirements and be approved by the County Conservation District, the Borough, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (Chapter 102 of Title 25; latest revision), when applicable.

The erosion and sediment control plan shall be submitted at final plan submission for a subdivision or land development. The plan shall contain two parts: 1) a map(s) describing the topography of the area within the subdivision or land development, the proposed alterations of the area, and the erosion and sediment control measures and facilities which are proposed; and 2) a narrative report describing the project and giving the purpose, engineering assumptions, and calculations for control measures and facilities.

The map(s) shall show:

The types, depth, slope, and areal extent of the soils on the site.

The proposed alteration to the area, including:

Arrows indicating existing and proposed runoff flow direction when contours do not adequately describe flow paths.

Areas of cuts and fills exceeding five feet in vertical difference.

Structures, road, paved areas, buildings.

Stormwater and erosion and sediment control facilities.

[e]

Existing contours on the site (including individual lots) at intervals required by this chapter and finished contours at the same interval.

The following certification statements:

	1.	"I CERTIFY THAT THE PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT AND THE PLAN FOR SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS OF THE COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT."
		Engineer for developer	Date

	2.	"I CERTIFY THAT ALL CONSTRUCTION AND/OR DEVELOPMENT WILL BE DONE AS DESCRIBED BY THIS PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT AND THE PLAN FOR SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL, INCLUDING THE NARRATIVE REPORT."
		Developer	Date

The narrative report shall contain:

A general statement of the project which shall contain:

A general description of the project.

A general description of stormwater control methods.

A general description of accelerated erosion control.

A general description of sedimentation control.

The staging of earthmoving activities, including cover removal, control facility installation, installation of improvements, and program of operations.

A maintenance program for the control facilities, including:

Frequency of inspection of control facilities.

Method of disposal of materials removed from the control facilities of the project area.

The methods, frequency, and ultimate disposal site for solid waste material. Construction waste shall be removed from the site and disposed of in an approved landfill. Construction waste shall not be buried on the site.

A specification for both temporary and permanent seeding, including preparation of the seed bed. Application rates for seed, fertilizer and mulch shall be provided, and shall comply with the specifications and standards established by the County Conservation District.

The following items shall be shown on a map and also described in the narrative report:

Temporary control measures and facilities for use during earthmoving, including:

Purpose.

Types of measures and facilities.

Location of measures and facilities.

Dimensioned construction details of the facilities.

Permanent control measures and facilities for site restoration and long-term protection, including:

Purpose.

Types of measures and facilities.

Location of measures and facilities.

Dimensioned construction details of the facilities.

[e]

Design considerations and calculations.

All erosion and sediment control facilities shall be periodically inspected and checked for adequacy and compliance with the approved erosion and sediment control plan by the Borough. The approved erosion and sediment control plan shall be maintained at the site of earthmoving at all times.

All control facilities shall be maintained for their designed operation to ensure adequate performance.

The following guidelines shall be followed as needed in developing erosion and sediment control measures:

Stripping of vegetation, grading, filling, excavating or other alteration of the landscape shall be kept to a minimum and shall be done in such a way that will minimize erosion.

Whenever feasible, natural vegetation shall be retained, protected, and supplemented.

The disturbed area and the duration of exposure shall not exceed 20 days, except in the case of building construction.

Disturbed soils shall be stabilized as quickly as practicable.

Temporary vegetation and/or mulching shall be used to protect exposed critical areas during development.

Erosion control and drainage measures shall be installed prior to earthmoving activities.

Both permanent and temporary provisions shall be made to effectively accommodate the increased runoff caused by changed soil and surface conditions during and after development. Where necessary, the rate of surface water runoff shall be mechanically retarded.

Until disturbed areas are stabilized, sediment in runoff water shall be trapped by the use of debris basins, sediment basins, silt traps, or other similar approved measures.

Provision shall be made to protect existing water supplies and geologic structures with water supply potential from contamination.

The following guidelines shall be applied as needed in excavation and fills as part of erosion and sediment controls:

All lots, tracts, or parcels shall be graded to provide positive drainage away from buildings, without ponding.

Grading and cut-fill operations shall be kept to a minimum to ensure conformity with the natural topography, to minimize the erosion hazard, and to adequately handle surface runoff.

Natural drainage patterns shall be preserved wherever possible and desirable.

Adequate provisions shall be made to prevent surface water from damaging the cut face of excavations and the sloping surfaces of fills.

Cut and fill shall not endanger adjoining property.

Fill shall be placed and mechanically compacted to minimize sliding and erosion of the soil.

Fills shall not encroach on natural watercourses, floodplains, or constructed channels.

During grading operations, necessary measures for dust control shall be exercised.

Grading equipment shall not cross live streams. Provisions must be made for the installation of culverts or bridges.

Whenever sedimentation is caused by stripping vegetation, regrading, or other development or earthmoving, it shall be the responsibility of the person, corporation, or other entity causing such sedimentation, at his expense, to remove it from all adjoining surfaces, drainage systems, and watercourses and to repair any damage which was caused within 72 hours of such sedimentation or damage. The Borough Council may require a note to this effect to be placed on the final plan.

§ 171-26 Natural features.

Subdivision and land developments shall be designed to preserve natural features such as trees greater than one foot in diameter, watercourses, rock outcroppings, wooded areas, natural watercourses and bodies of water.

Topsoil shall not be removed from the subdivision or land development site nor used as structural rill without the permission of the Borough Council. Topsoil may be removed from areas of earthmoving activity, but shall be stored elsewhere within the subdivision or land development and stabilized to minimize erosion. Upon completion of construction, the topsoil shall be redistributed on the site.

Street and lot designs of tract shall minimize alterations of the natural landscape.

Creek buffers.

This subsection shall apply where a subdivision or land development plan is submitted after the effective date of this subsection and is proposed to include or result in a new or expanded impervious coverage. No more than 300 square feet of new or expanded building space on a lot shall not be constructed or placed within 25 feet from the center line of the Ironstone or Minister Creeks. No more than 300 square feet of new or expanded impervious coverage shall be developed on a lot within 25 feet from the center line of the Ironstone or Minister Creeks.

In case of doubt about the location of such creeks, this subsection shall apply to creek segments designated on United States Geological Survey topographic maps by a blue line to show perennial waterways.

Steep slope conservation.

This § 171-26E shall apply where a subdivision or land development plan is submitted after the effective date of this subsection. These steep slope regulations shall not apply to:

Slopes that the applicant proves were clearly man-made prior to the effective date of this subsection;

The placement of cemetery monuments, gravesites and related driveways.

Applications involving less than 1,000 square feet of new or expanded impervious surfaces on a lot.

A maximum of 50% of land areas with a slope of greater than 15% but less than 25% on each lot shall be developed with new or expanded impervious surfaces.

A maximum of 25% of land areas with a slope of greater than 25% on each lot shall be developed with new or expanded impervious surfaces.

A grading plan shall be provided identifying the existing contours of the site, proposed finished grades, areas of woodlands proposed to be removed or preserved, and the proposed location of all buildings and impervious surfaces.

§ 171-27 Floodplains.

Floodplains shall be calculated using the method established in Appendix IV[1] of this chapter and shown on all subdivision and land development plans. The floodplain controls established within Chapter 104 of the Code of the Borough of Boyertown shall be applied to those floodplains.

Editor's Note: Appendix IV is included as an attachment to this chapter.

The Borough Council may require that vehicular access be provided to each dwelling unit within a subdivision or land development over a street or other approved means of access which is elevated above the level of the one-hundred-year flood.

The following controls shall apply to the floodplains:

No watercourse shall be altered or relocated unless approved by the Borough Council and, where applicable, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Dams and Waterway Management and FEMA.

No watercourse shall be altered or relocated unless the person proposing the alteration or relocation submits calculations assuring that the flood-carrying capacity within the altered or relocated portion of the watercourse shall be designed to be not less than the flood-carrying capacity of the watercourse prior to the proposed alteration or relocation.

No encroachment shall be made on a floodplain or watercourse which will increase flood levels within the Borough during the occurrence of the one-hundred-year flood discharge. With any proposal for an encroachment, calculations which will indicate compliance with this requirement shall be submitted to the Borough. All encroachments are subject to Borough Council approval. Encroachments into the one-hundred-year floodway must be reviewed and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and FEMA. The placement of a mobile home within the floodways as shown on the most current Flood Hazard Boundary Map or Flood Insurance Rate Map prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the Borough of Boyertown is prohibited.

No construction or development shall be permitted within the floodplain without approval from the Unites States Army Corps of Engineers and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

§ 171-28 Utilities and easements.

Easements shall be provided for electric, telephone, and television cables, wires and conduits, storm and sanitary sewers, drainage swales, gas, water and heat mains and other utility lines. No structures shall be placed within such easements. No trees or shrubs shall be placed within easements unless approved by the Borough Council. The Borough and local utility companies shall be consulted when locating utilities and easements, and all utilities and easements shall be located in accordance with their standards.

Easements abutting street rights-of-way shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width. Other easements shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width.

There shall be a minimum distance of 50 feet, measured in the shortest distance, between any proposed dwelling unit and any petroleum products or natural gas transmission line which traverses the subdivision or land development.

Where gas or petroleum transmission lines are a part of the proposed development, either proposed or requiring relocation, construction of the transmission line shall occur within an easement of 50 feet minimum and shall comply with the applicable requirements of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission.

When possible and feasible, all utilities shall be underground and installed under the supervision of the Borough Engineer or the Borough Manager.

Underground electric distribution lines shall be installed in all new subdivisions and land developments of more than three dwelling units. In existing subdivisions with four or more unimproved lots any extensions of the electric distribution lines shall be placed underground.

All telephone and television distribution lines shall be placed underground when electric distribution lines are placed underground.

When required by the Borough Council, the location of utility easements shall be marked in the field.

§ 171-29 Compliance with Borough Zoning Ordinance.

All subdivisions and land developments shall be designed to meet the requirements of the Borough's Zoning Ordinance,[1] except as may be otherwise provided in this chapter.

Editor's Note: See Ch. 196, Zoning.

§ 171-30 Access to subdivision or land development.

The location and number of access points to a subdivision or land development shall be adequate for and appropriate to the size and nature of the development and surrounding roads and land uses.

All subdivisions and land developments containing more than 20 dwelling units shall have at least two means of ingress and egress via streets or access drives meeting the design and construction standards of the Borough.

For all subdivisions and land developments for which only one means of ingress and egress is proposed, the Borough Council may require, where deemed necessary in the public interest and for the public safety, the provision of additional street or access drive meeting Borough standards or the provision of an alternate means of ingress and egress meeting Borough standards which could be used by emergency vehicles if the primary means of ingress and egress were rendered unusable. Such alternate means of ingress and egress shall be of such width and improved to such an extent to be usable by emergency vehicles, and shall not be used for structures, trees, or similar obstructions.

§ 171-31 Solid waste management.

Provision shall be made in developments containing apartments and townhouses and in nonresidential developments to adequately store within containers all solid waste generated between collections.

All storage containers shall be located to permit efficient depositing of wastes in the containers and efficient collection from the containers.

Debris, rubbish, or other waste material resulting from grading or construction activities on the lot shall be removed from the lot prior to the issuance of a certificate of use and occupancy for the lot. No debris, rubbish, or waste material shall remain within the area of an improvement covered by a performance guarantee upon expiration of the guarantee or completion of the improvements, whichever is sooner.

§ 171-32 Considerations for solar access.

When maximal provision is to be made for the use of solar energy by structures, in general streets toward which buildings are to be oriented should run in an east-west direction.

Section 171-22A(2) requires that side lot lines shall be at right angles to straight street lines and radial to curved street lines. The Borough Council may allow variation from this requirement where provision is to be made for maximal use of solar energy, in which case side lot lines generally may run from due north to due south or with slight variation east or west of this axis.

When lot lines will not be provided, consideration should be given to orienting buildings to maximize solar access. Generally, buildings should be located with their long axes running east to west, though in some high density or townhouse developments a north-south orientation for the long axes may be desirable.

Consideration should be given to locating structures and open spaces such that buildings will not cast shadows on other buildings.

Consideration should be given to reserving solar easements within lots for protection of solar access.

§ 171-33 Carbonate areas.

Designation of area.

Areas subject to this section shall include all areas of Duffield (DfA and DfB2), Duffield and Hagerstown (DhC3 and DhE3), Fogelsville (FoA and FoB2), Hagerstown (HaB2 and HaC2) and Washington (WaA2 and WaB20) soils.

In carbonate areas, alteration and development of land may be hazardous with respect to foundation safety of structures, the creation of unstable land as a result of changes in drainage, and the contamination of groundwater and surface waters. Within the limitation of the information available at the time of review of individual applications, the Borough shall attempt to make reasonable judgments as to the applicant's compliance with the standards of § 171-33B. Under no circumstances shall the Borough or any officer or employee of the Borough assume any liability for any damages that may result from an applicant's or any interested party's reliance upon the regulations of § 171-33B or any decisions made by the Borough in the administration of such regulations.

Standards.

Land grading or construction of buildings or other site improvements shall not directly or indirectly diminish the flow of natural springs or contaminate existing or potential water supplies. If warranted, as determined by the Borough Council, water table data from observation wells shall be provided by the applicant.

All buildings, structures, roads and other impervious surfaces and storm drainage facilities and other utilities shall be so situated, designed and constructed as to minimize the risk of structural damage from existing or future sinkholes. A recognized professional with competence in the field shall demonstrate that a minimal risk of structural damage due to sinkholes will exist or indicate mitigating measures to be taken to minimize the risk of structural damage.

Whenever a detention or retention basin for the control of stormwater will be located in a carbonate area, a geological evaluation of the proposed location shall be conducted to determine susceptibility to sinkhole formation. The design of all facilities over limestone formations shall include measures to prevent groundwater contamination and, where necessary, sinkhole formation. Soils used for the construction of basins shall have low-erodibility factors (K factors). The Borough may require the installation of an impermeable liner in basins. All detention facilities shall be above ground unless otherwise approved by the Borough Council.

The following guidelines shall be considered during construction activities.

Care should be taken to prevent collection and drainage of surface water into excavated or low lying areas of the site during excavation and construction.

Soft and wet conditions should be located wherever they may exist or be encountered.

Soft areas should be removed and replaced with suitable fill compacted in accordance with recognized standards, such as ASTM.

The bottom of all excavations should be inspected for soft or unusually moist conditions. A visual inspection of the excavated bearing surface, together with soundings or probes of the soil at regular intervals, should be done. Any soft or unusually moist soil should be further excavated and a determination made of the extent of the problem. Remedial measures should be adopted as necessary.

The low points of swales and outlet locations for drainage pipes should be lined with impermeable liners instead of stone rip-rap in order to prevent infiltration of runoff.

Excavation should be kept to a practical minimum.

Water from roof drains or other drainage systems should be collected and conveyed away from structures to prevent infiltration near foundations. If possible, roof drains should discharge directly into a storm sewer system or the street gutter.

Watertight pipe connections should be used for storm sewers.

Subsoil erosion/sinkholes that occur during the construction of a project should be corrected as quickly as possible under the supervision of a qualified geotechnical engineer.

(j)

Blasting should be avoided.

Should the Borough Council find that an applicant may create a significant risk to the public's health or safety, in spite of taking all reasonable action to minimize such risks, or should the Council determine that the applicant has not taken all reasonable actions to minimize such risks, the Council may deny the application.

Submission requirements.

The following information shall be submitted:

For areas proposed for grading, construction of buildings and other improvements, the applicant shall indicate the presence of any of the following carbonate features:

Depressions.

Fissures, lineaments, faults or air photo fracture traces.

Ghost lakes occurring after rainfall events.

Outcrops of bedrock.

Seasonal high water tables.

Sinkholes.

[7]

Soil mottling, as defined by a soil scientist.

[8]

Springs.

[9]

Surface drainage entering the ground.

[10]

Such information shall be supported by an explanation of its source, including the qualifications of the individuals directly responsible for preparing such information.

The applicant shall furnish a plan indicating existing and proposed drainage conditions, existing and proposed grading, the locations of existing private and public wells on adjoining properties and the locations and extent of all proposed uses and improvements.

An environmental assessment report containing the following information:

Description of existing conditions. This section shall present a description of existing characteristics of the property with respect to geology, topography, ground and surface water hydrology, soils, vegetation, and existing improvements and uses.

Description of the proposed action. This section shall describe the proposed action including: types, locations and phasing of proposed site disturbances and construction, as well as proposed future ownership and maintenance of the property and the proposed improvements.

Proposed measures to control potential adverse environmental impacts. This section shall describe all measures proposed by the applicant to control all adverse impacts which may occur as a result of the proposed action.

List and qualifications of preparers. The names, addresses, telephone numbers and qualifications of persons directly responsible for preparing the environmental assessment shall be provided.

§ 171-34 Required studies to be submitted by developer.

Traffic impact study.

A traffic impact study shall be submitted in the following instances:

A residential subdivision or land development of 50 or more lots and/or dwelling units.

A nonresidential subdivision of five or more lots.

A nonresidential land development containing 40,000 square feet or more of gross floor area.

Any nonresidential land development within 1/4 mile of an intersection involving an arterial street or two collector streets.

Provided, however, that the Borough Council reserves the right to require a traffic study for any subdivision or land development other than a minor residential subdivision, lot annexation, abbreviated residential subdivision, and plan for revision to lot lines when the Borough Council deems such a study necessary to adequately review the impact of the subdivision or land development on existing and proposed streets in accordance with § 171-19A(4) and (6).

The traffic impact study shall be prepared by a qualified professional traffic engineer or traffic planner with verifiable experience in preparing such studies.

The study area for the traffic study shall be based on engineering judgment and an understanding of existing traffic conditions at the site and represent the area which is likely to be affected by the development. The study limits shall be initially agreed upon by the developer, his engineer, and the Borough.

The traffic impact study shall contain the following elements:

The study area boundary and identification of the roadways included within the study area.

A general site description, including:

Size, location, existing and proposed land uses and dwelling types, construction staging, and completion date of the proposed development.

Existing land uses, approved and recorded subdivision and land developments and subdivisions and land developments proposed but not yet approved and recorded in the study area that are agreed upon by the Borough, developer, and traffic engineer as having bearing on the development's likely impact shall be described and considered.

Within the study area, the applicant must describe existing roadways and intersections (geometrics and traffic signal control) as well as improvements contemplated by government agencies or private parties.

Analysis of existing conditions, including:

Daily and peak hour(s) traffic volumes. Schematic diagrams depicting daily and peak hour(s) traffic volumes shall be presented for roadways within the study area. Turning movement and mainline volumes shall be presented for the three peak hour conditions (AM, PM and site generated) while only mainline volumes are required to reflect daily traffic volumes. The source and/or method of computation for all traffic volumes shall be included.

Volume/capacity analyses at critical points. Utilizing techniques described in the Highway Capacity Manual Transportation Research Board Special Report 209 (1985 or latest edition) or derivative nomographs, an assessment of the relative balance between roadway volumes and capacity are to be described. The analysis shall be performed for existing conditions (roadway geometry and traffic signal control) for the appropriate peak hours.

Level of service at critical points. Based on the results obtained in the previous section, levels of service (A through F) shall be computed and presented. Included in this section shall also be a description of typical operating conditions at each level of service.

A tabulation of accident locations during the most recent three-year period shall be provided.

Analysis of future conditions without the proposed development. The future year(s) for which projections are made will be specified by the Borough and will be dependent on the timing of the proposed development. The following information shall be included:

Daily and peak hour(s) traffic volumes. This section shall clearly indicate the method and assumptions used to forecast future traffic volumes. The schematic diagrams depicting future traffic volumes shall be similar to those described in § 171-34A(5)(c)[1] in terms of location and times (daily and peak hours).

Volume/capacity analyses at critical locations. The ability of the existing roadway system to accommodate future traffic (without site development) shall be described in this section. If roadway improvements or modifications are committed for implementation the volume/capacity analysis shall be presented for these conditions.

Levels of service at critical points. Based on the results obtained in the previous section, levels of service (A through F) shall be determined.

Trip generation. The amount of traffic generated by the site shall be presented in this section for daily and the three peak hour conditions. The trip generation rates used in this phase of the analysis shall be justified and documented to the satisfaction of the Borough Council. Trip Generation (Fourth or latest edition) published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers shall be used unless the Borough Council approves other studies.

Trip distribution. The direction of approach for site generated traffic shall be presented in this section for the appropriate time periods. As with all technical analysis steps, the basic method and assumptions used in this work shall be clearly stated in order that the Borough can replicate these results.

Traffic assignment. This section shall describe the utilization of study area roadways by site generated traffic. The proposed traffic volumes shall then be combined with anticipated traffic volumes from § 171-34A(5)(e) to described mainline and turning movement volumes for future conditions with the site developed as the applicant proposes.

Analysis of future conditions with development. This section shall describe the adequacy of the roadway system to accommodate future traffic with development of the site. Any unique characteristics of the site or within the study area (i.e., weekend tourists and antique sales, or holiday shopping) affecting traffic shall be considered. If staging of the proposed development is anticipated, analysis for each stage of completion shall be made. The following information shall be included:

Daily and peak hour(s) traffic volumes, mainline and turning movement volumes shall be presented for the highway network in the study area as well as driveways and internal circulation roadways for the appropriate time periods.

Volume/capacity analysis at critical points. Similar to § 171-34A(5)(c)[2]and (d)[2], a volume/capacity analysis shall be performed for the appropriate peak hours for future conditions with the site developed as proposed.

Levels of service at critical points. As a result of the volume/capacity analysis, the level of service on the study area roadway system shall be computed and described in this section.

Recommended improvements. In the event that the analysis indicates unsatisfactory levels of service (levels of service D, E or F) as described in Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board Special Report 209 (1985 or latest edition) will occur on study area roadways, a description of proposed improvements to remedy deficiencies shall be included in this section. These proposals would not include committed projects by the Borough and State which were described in § 171-34A(5)(b)[3] and reflected in the analysis contained in § 171-34A(5)(c) and (d). The following information shall be included:

Proposed recommended improvements. This section shall describe the location, nature and extent of proposed improvements to assure sufficient roadway capacity. Accompanying this list of improvements shall be preliminary cost estimates.

Volume/capacity analysis at critical points. Another iteration of the volume/capacity analysis shall be described which demonstrates the anticipated results of making these improvements.

Levels of service at critical points. As a result of the revised volume/capacity analysis presented in the previous subsection, levels of service for the highway system with improvements shall be presented.

(j)

Conclusion. The last section of the report shall be a clear concise description of the study findings. This concluding section shall serve as an executive summary.

Impact studies.

The impact studies listed below shall be submitted to the Borough in the following instances:

A residential subdivision or land development of 50 or more lots and/or dwelling units.

A nonresidential subdivision of five or more lots.

A nonresidential land development containing 40,000 square feet or more of gross floor area.

Provided, however, that the Borough Council reserves the right to require impact studies for any subdivision or land development other than a minor residential subdivision, lot annexation, abbreviated residential subdivision, and plan for revision to lot lines when the Borough Council deemed such a study necessary to adequately review the impact of the subdivision or land development.

Utilities impact study. A study shall be prepared by an engineer indicating the impact of the proposed development on the existing sanitary sewer, water, solid waste, and drainage systems serving the Borough. Said impact analysis shall identify the existing capacity of facilities which would serve the development, the prospects of those facilities which would serve the development, the prospects of those facilities being able to provide service to it, any improvements that might be required as a direct result of the proposed development and the improvements the developer intends to make if capacity does not exist to serve the proposed development. Additionally, the study shall identify the likely ability of sanitary sewer, water, solid waste, and drainage systems to continue to provide efficient and economic service to existing residents and businesses within the Borough considering added service requirements of the proposed development.

Recreation impact study. The study shall analyze the demand for recreational facilities which the proposed development will generate and determine whether adequate facilities exist or are planned or proposed. As a minimum, the study shall include the following:

A description of the projected age breakdown of the residents of the proposed development.

A description of any recreational facilities to be provided by the developer.

A description of existing municipal recreational facilities and the impact of the proposed development on these facilities. Accepted national standards for required recreation shall be used in the analysis.

Discussion of potential for any recreational facilities to be provided by the developer to compensate for any anticipated deficiencies of the Borough's recreational facilities.

A description of any contributions the developer plans to make for Borough recreation to compensate for expected impacts.

Fiscal impact analysis. A fiscal impact analysis shall be prepared identifying the likely impact of the development on the Borough and Boyertown Area School District's tax structure and expenditure patterns. Included shall be a determination of the revenues to accrue to the Borough and Boyertown Area School District as a result of a proposed development, as well as an identification of the costs associated with delivering services to the proposed development. The fiscal impact analysis shall deal with the impact of the proposed development on the ability of the Borough to deliver fire, police, administration, public works and utility services to the development and on the Borough's economy. In order to prepare the analysis, the applicant shall utilize a methodology from The New Guide to Fiscal Impact Analysis (Rutgers Center for Urban Policy Research, 1985, as modified from time to time), adapted as appropriate and to the Borough satisfaction. Particular aspects of the Borough's service delivery capability to be analyzed shall include:

Public works. This includes potential effects on the maintenance, repair and upkeep of roads, signal systems, sanitary sewer, water and drainage systems, open space and recreation areas or any other applicable function. This study shall address projected cost increases for the above-mentioned items in terms of administration, personnel, equipment and materials.

Administration. This includes time that would be required by the Borough Council, Borough Secretary, Borough Manager and other staff to process the application and handle the project during construction, as well as long-term administration demands. This should include, but not be limited to, the handling of: plans, contracts, various legal instruments or agreements, permits, special problems, and escrow. Added demands on the code administration staff also shall be projected.

Fire and emergency services. The analysis shall incorporate the development's impact on fire company capabilities, including, but not limited to, municipal water supply, pumping capacity, specialized equipment and training requirements.

Police. The study shall project the overall effects of the proposed development on existing Borough police personnel numbers, equipment, vehicles and working space. The study shall include whatever facilities or assistance the development will provide to handle emergencies, criminal investigation, armed robbery, or other security-related problems.

Historic and archeological resources impact study. All historic and archaeological resources which have been identified and/or inventoried by the Borough, the Berks County Planning Commission, and/or the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission located within the tract shall be identified and the impact on such resources detailed. The study shall contain as a minimum the following information:

Background information.

If not otherwise provided by the applicant, a general site description, including topography, watercourses, vegetation, landscaping, existing drives, etc.

General description and classification of all historic resources located on the subject tract, on tracts immediately adjacent to the subject tract or road, or within 100 feet of the subject tract or road.

Physical description of all historic resources identified in Subsection B(6)(a)[2] above.

Statement of the significance of each historic resource, both relative to the Borough and region in general.

Sufficient number of black and white eight-inch by ten-inch photographs to show every historic resource identified in Subsection B(6)(a)[2] above, in its setting.

Narrative description of the historical development of the subject tract or road.

Proposed change.

General description of project, including time table or phases.

Description of impact on each historic resource identified in Subsection B(6)(a)[2] above, with regard to architectural integrity, historic setting, and future use.

General description of effect of noise and traffic and any other impacts generated by the proposed change on each historic resource.

Mitigation measures. Recommendations for mitigating the project's impact on historic resources, including design alternatives, buffering, landscaping, and any other appropriate measures.

Environmental impact study. The study shall include the following impacts:

Habitats of threatened and endangered species of special concern in Pennsylvania within the tract, as established by the Pennsylvania Biological Survey and/or Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory, shall be identified and the impact on such resources detailed. If such habitats exist on the tract, the measures proposed to protect the habitats shall be indicated;

The suitability of the site for the intensity of use proposed by the site's soils, slopes, woodlands, wetlands, floodplains, aquifers, natural resources and other natural features;

The impact of the proposed use on the site's soils, slopes, woodlands, wetlands, floodplains, natural resources and natural features the degree to which these are protected or destroyed, the tolerance of the resources to development and any adverse environmental impacts; and

The impact of the proposal on the preservation of agriculture and other land uses which are essential to public health and welfare.

The information specified in Appendix VI.[1]