[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 501]
The following principles, standards and requirements will be applied by the Borough Council and Planning Commission to evaluate plans for proposed subdivision or land developments. The standards are the requirements for the promotion of the public health, safety, morals and general welfare.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 502]
1. 
Land shall be suited to the purposes for which it is to be subdivided or developed.
2. 
Land which is unsuitable for development because of hazards to life, safety, health, or property, shall not be subdivided or developed until such hazards have been eliminated or unless adequate safeguards against such hazards are provided for in the subdivision or land development plan.
3. 
No plan of subdivision or land development shall be approved which would result in lots or land use, or which would in any other way be inconsistent with the Borough Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27] then in effect for the zoning district in which the land to be developed or subdivided is located.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 503]
1. 
Proposed streets shall be properly related to such street plans or parts thereof as have been officially prepared and adopted by Akron Borough and shall be coordinated with existing or proposed streets in adjoining subdivisions or land developments.
2. 
Proposed streets shall further conform to such county and state road and highway plans as have been prepared, adopted or filed as prescribed by law.
3. 
Streets shall be related to the topography so as to produce usable lots and acceptable grades.
4. 
Access shall be given to all lots and portions of the tract in the subdivisions or land development and to adjacent unsubdivided territory unless the topography clearly indicates that such connection is not feasible. Streets giving such access shall be improved to the limits of the subdivision or land development and shall be improved to Akron Borough's specifications. Reserve strips and land locked areas shall not be created.
5. 
Streets shall be laid out to preserve the integrity of their design. Local access streets shall be laid out to discourage their use by through traffic and, where possible, arterial streets shall be designed for use by through traffic.
6. 
Half or partial streets will not be permitted in new subdivisions or land developments except where essential to reasonable subdivision or development of a tract in conformance with the other requirements and standards of this chapter and where, in addition, satisfactory assurance for dedication of the remaining part of the street can be secured.
7. 
Wherever a tract to be subdivided or developed borders an existing half or partial street, the entire street shall be shown on the plan.
8. 
Dead-end streets shall be prohibited, except as stubs (with adequate turning capability) to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, or when designed as culs-de-sac.
9. 
New reserve strips, including those controlling access to streets, shall be forbidden.
10. 
Where adjoining areas are not subdivided, the arrangement of streets in a proposed subdivision or land development shall be made to provide for the proper projection of streets into the unsubdivided land.
11. 
Street names shall be coordinated with existing or platted street names, and if a new street is a continuation of or is aligned with an existing or platted street, it shall bear the same name as the existing or platted street.
12. 
All streets shall have a uniform width throughout their respective lengths except where otherwise required by Borough Council.
13. 
All streets shall also be constructed to comply with requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation so that the Borough can receive liquid fuel tax reimbursements from the department for any such dedicated streets.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 504]
1. 
Street Classification. Six functional classifications are hereby established for the streets and roads in Akron Borough:
A. 
Arterial. This classification includes highways which provide intracounty or intermunicipal traffic of substantial volumes where the average trip lengths are usually five miles or greater. Generally, these highways should accommodate operating speeds of 35 to 55 miles per hour. Arterial streets include: 7th Street (also designated Rt. 272), Main Street and Rothsville Road.
B. 
Collector. This classification is intended to include those highways which connect local access highways to arterial highways. They may serve as traffic corridors connecting residential areas industrial, shopping and other service areas. They may penetrate residential areas. Generally, these highways will accommodate operating speeds of 35 miles per hour. Collector streets include: Fulton Street, 3rd Street, 9th Street, 11th Street, Diamond Street.
C. 
Local Access. This classification is intended to include streets and roads that provide direct access to abutting land and connections to higher classes of roadways. Traffic volumes will be low and travel distances generally short. These streets and roads should be designed for operating speeds of 25 miles per hour or under. Local access streets include all others as listed on the Official Zoning Map.
D. 
Private Street. A local access street serving only abutting lots, that is not offered or required to be offered for dedication.
E. 
Cul-de-sac Street. A local access street intersecting another street at one end, and terminating at the other end by a permanent vehicular turnaround.
F. 
Alley. A public or private right-of-way width of 20 feet or less, which affords secondary means of access to the rear or side of abutting commercial or industrial property and is not intended for general traffic circulation. Regardless of whether an alley is given a street name, no principal building shall have its frontage on an alley.
G. 
New Roads. The classifications for new roads shall be set, from time to time, by resolution of Borough Council.
2. 
Right-of-Way Widths.
A. 
Minimum widths for each type of street shall be as follows:
Type of Street
Right-of-Way Width
Cart-way Width
Access
0 feet
Two-way - 24 feet
One-way - 14 feet
Arterial
PennDOT Standard
PennDOT Standard
Collector
60 feet
38 feet
Local Access
50 feet
34 feet
Private
50 feet
20 feet
Alley
20 feet
16 feet
B. 
Where a proposed subdivision abuts or contains an existing public street or road having a right-of-way width less than would be required if said street or road were created under this chapter, sufficient additional width for right-of-way shall be provided and dedicated to meet the forgoing standards.
C. 
Additional right-of-way and cartway widths may be required by the Borough Council to promote public safety and convenience when special conditions require it and to provide parking space in areas of intensive use.
3. 
Cul-de-Sac Streets.
A. 
Cul-de-sac streets, whether permanent or temporary, shall be provided at the closed end with a turnaround having a minimum radius to the edge of the finished street or curbline of not less than 50 feet. The right-of-way of a cul-de-sac shall be 10 feet greater than the radius of the street.
B. 
Unless future extension is clearly impractical or undesirable, the turnaround right-of-way shall be placed adjacent to a property line and a right-of-way of the same width as the street shall be carried to the property line in such a way as to permit future extension of the street into the adjoining tract. At such time as such a street is extended, the overage created by the turnaround outside the boundaries of the extended street shall revert in ownership to the property owners fronting on the cul-de-sac turnaround.
C. 
All commercial and industrial culs-de-sac shall be reviewed for adequacy by the Akron Borough Engineer. His recommendations will be given to the Borough Council who shall have final authority in this matter.
D. 
Permanent cul-de-sac streets shall have a minimum length of 250 feet and shall not exceed 500 feet in length, measured from the edge of the road/curbline of the intersected street to the curb of the end of the cul-de-sac.
4. 
Street Alignment.
A. 
Whenever street lines are deflected by more than 1°, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.
B. 
The minimum radius at the center line for horizontal curves on collector streets shall be 300 feet, and for local streets the minimum radius shall be 150 feet.
C. 
On local access streets, the minimum tangent between reverse curves shall be at least 100 feet; on collector and arterial streets, the minimum tangent shall be at least 250 feet.
D. 
Minimum vertical site distance shall be measured and shall comply with the currently applicable Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards.
5. 
Street Grades.
A. 
The minimum grade on all streets shall be 1%.
B. 
The maximum grade on collector or arterial streets shall be 7% and on local access streets 10%.
C. 
Vertical curves shall be used in changes of grade exceeding 1% and shall provide proper sight distances as specified herein above.
D. 
The standard cross slope for all streets to establish a crown shall be 2%.
6. 
Street Intersections.
A. 
Local streets shall not intersect with collector or arterial streets on the same side at intervals of less than 800 feet as measured from center line to center line.
B. 
The distance between center lines of streets opening onto the opposite side of a proposed or existing street shall be not less than 150 feet unless the streets are directly opposite each other.
C. 
Intersections involving the junction of more than two streets shall be prohibited.
D. 
Streets shall be all laid out to intersect at right angles.
E. 
Minimum curb radius at the intersection of two local streets shall be at least 20 feet; and minimum curb radius at an intersection of a local street and a collector street shall be at least 25 feet.
F. 
There shall be provided and maintained at all intersections clear sight triangles of 75 feet in all directions measured along the center line from the point of intersection. Nothing which obstructs the vision of a motorist shall be permitted in this area between 24 inches and 10 feet.
G. 
Intersections shall be designed with a flat grade wherever practical. Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 7%, a leveling area shall be provided having a grade of not greater than 4% for a distance of 75 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
7. 
Pavement Design.
A. 
All components of the pavement structure shall be designed and constructed in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Specifications, Form 408, or any successor thereto.
B. 
Minimum Requirements. The following shall be considered to be minimum standards for street construction in Akron Borough:
Alternatives Flexible Pavement
Type
Local Access/ Private Streets
Collector Streets
Surface
ID-2 wearing course
1-1/2"
1-1/2"
Base
Bituminous concrete base course
4"
6"
Subbase
2A aggregate
6"
6"
Surface
ID-2 wearing course
1-1/2"
1-1/2"
Binder
ID-2 binder course
3"
4"
Base
3A Crushed Aggregate
8"
10"
Rigid Pavement
Reinforced Cement Concrete
6"
6"
Subbase
2A Aggregate
6"
6"
C. 
All arterial streets shall also meet PennDOT specifications.
8. 
Alleys and Driveways.
A. 
Alleys are prohibited in residential developments.
B. 
Alleys and driveways shall contain a straight length of at least 40 feet or a distance of not less than the building setback on the lot providing access, measured from the cartway edge of the intersecting street and extending inside the lot. The full length shall be paved with a base of 2A stone compacted to six inches and a compacted depth of two inches of ID-2 wearing material.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 505]
1. 
Curbs.
A. 
Curbs shall be provided along all streets, and at intersections.
B. 
All curbs shall be constructed of concrete in accordance with applicable standards and specifications of the Borough for construction of concrete curbs.
C. 
Rolled or slanted curbs are prohibited.
2. 
Sidewalks.
A. 
Sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of all streets located within any subdivision or land development plan.
B. 
All sidewalks shall be constructed of concrete in accordance with applicable standards and specifications of the Borough for construction of sidewalks.
C. 
All sidewalks shall be five feet in width.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 506; as amended by Ord. 00077, 4/14/2014, § 11]
The subdivider or developer, and each person, corporation, or other entity, which makes any surface changes shall comply with all of the SWMO [Chapter 17] requirements and the Lancaster County Conservation District, where applicable.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 507; as amended by Ord. 00077, 4/14/2014, § 12]
1. 
Where any excavation or grading is proposed or where any existing trees, shrubs or other vegetative cover will be removed, the developer shall consult the Lancaster County Conservation District representative concerning plans for erosion and sediment control and to also obtain a report on the soil characteristics of the site may accommodate. Before undertaking any excavation or grading, the developer shall obtain a grading and excavation permit.
A. 
Blocks and lots shall be designed and graded to provide proper drainage away from buildings and to prevent the pooling of stormwater. Minimum 2% slopes away from structures shall be required.
B. 
Lot grading shall be of such design as to carry surface waters to the nearest practical street, storm drain, or natural watercourse. Where drainage swales are used to deliver surface waters away from buildings, their grade shall not be less than 1% nor more than 4%. The swales shall be sodded, planted or lined as required. A grading and drainage plan shall be required for all subdivisions and land developments.
C. 
No final grading shall be permitted with a cut face steeper in slope than three horizontal to one vertical except under one or more of the following conditions:
The material in which the excavation is made is sufficiently stable to sustain a slope of steeper than three horizontal to one vertical, and a written statement of a civil engineer, licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and experienced in erosion control, to that effect is submitted to the Akron Borough Engineer and approved by him. The statement shall state that the site has been inspected and that the deviation from the slope specified herein before will not result in injury to persons or damage to property.
D. 
All lots must be maintained free from debris or nuisances.
E. 
To the extent that anything herein is inconsistent with the SWMO [Chapter 17], the more restrictive of the two shall prevail.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 508]
1. 
The length, width, shape, and design of blocks shall be determined with due regard to the provision of adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed, to the land use and/or zoning requirements of Akron Borough, the topography of the land being subdivided, and the requirements for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
2. 
Unless the topography of the land being subdivided or the existing pattern of development in the immediately adjacent area shall be otherwise than herein required, the following minimum standards for the design and size of blocks and lots shall prevail:
A. 
Blocks shall not exceed 1,600 feet in length, nor be less than 500 feet in length.
B. 
Residential blocks shall generally be of sufficient depth to accommodate two tiers of lots, except where reverse frontage lots bordering an arterial or collector street are used, or where due to the contour of the land, or the necessary layout of the subdivision, there is insufficient depth between intersecting streets for such two-tier design.
C. 
Blocks for commercial and industrial areas may vary from the elements of design contained in this section if the nature of the use requires other treatment. In such cases, off-street parking for employees and customers shall be provided along with safe and convenient limited access to the street system. Space for off-street loading shall also be provided with limited access to the street system. Extension of streets, railroad access, right-of-way, and utilities shall be provided as necessary.
D. 
Lot lines intersecting street lines shall be at right angles or radial to street lines.
E. 
Lots shall, in general, front on a street which has already been dedicated to Akron Borough, or which the subdivider or developer proposes to dedicate to Akron Borough in connection with approval of the final plan. In commercial or industrial subdivisions or land developments, where access is proposed to be provided by private streets within the subdivision or land development, this requirement may be waived by the Borough Council.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 509]
No subdivision will be approved on a private street or road if more than two lots already front on such street or road or if after subdivision more than two lots will front on such private street or road.
[Ord. 00030, 7/11/2005, § 510]
The installation and design of the required erosion and sediment control measures shall be in accordance with standards and specifications of the Lancaster County Conservation District.