Driveways constructed within street rights-of-way shall be subject to the following requirements:

A. Private driveways for residences, except for townhouses, apartments and mobile home parks, shall be located at least 60 feet from the point of intersection of the nearest street right-of-way lines and at least five feet from every property line.

B. Private driveways in commercial, industrial and business park zoning districts and for townhouses, mobile home parks and apartments shall be located at least 100 feet from the point of intersection of the nearest street right-of-way lines and at least 10 feet from every property line.

C. Where driveways are used jointly by more than one property owner, they may straddle the property line. The appropriate easement restrictions. shall be noted on the final plan.

D. Construction.

(1) Grade. The driveway within the right-of-way of the road shall not have a grade in excess of 5%. That portion of the driveway that extends from the right-of-way for a distance of 25 feet shall not have a grade exceeding IO%.

(2) Material. The driveway within the legal right-of-way of the public road, township or state shall be constructed with a base of Pennsylvania 3A stone compacted to six inches and a surface of a minimum of 1 1/2 inches ID-2A bituminous concrete.

(3) Width. No driveway shall be less than 12 feet wide within the limits of the right-of-way.

(4) Sight distance. Sight distance, in accordance with PADOT standards, shall be provided.

A. In reviewing subdivision and land development plans, the Township Planning Commission shall consider whether community facilities, including schools, in the area are adequate to serve the needs of the additional dwellings proposed by the development and shall make such report thereon as it deems necessary in the public interest.

B. The applicant shall give consideration to the desirability of providing or reserving areas for facilities normally required in residential neighborhoods such as schools and/or other public buildings parks, playgrounds and playfields. Areas provided or reserved for such community facilities shall be adequate to provide for building sites, landscaping and off-street parking as appropriate to the use proposed.

C. For subdivisions that are to be developed under the single-family cluster or planned residential development sections of Chapter 240, Zoning, the Township Planning Commission shall take the following into consideration:

(1) Designated open space areas shall be consistent with the township's Comprehensive Plan or, where applicable, open space plan.

(2) Open space areas shall be consistent with the needs of the future residents of the proposed subdivision and/or land development and shall be located so as to be easily accessible by said residents.

(3) Open space areas shall include land suitable for active and passive recreation for all age groups. Passive recreation areas where the site includes a watercourse, steep slope or wooded area shall be left in their natural state.

(4) The ownership or type of restrictions for the open space shall be approved by the Township Board of Supervisors and be in accordance with Chapter 240, Zoning.

Consideration will be shown for all natural features, such as large trees, watercourses, steep slopes, historic areas and structures and similar community assets which, if preserved, will add value to the remainder of the development. Trees shall be preserved whenever possible.

A. The buffer yard shall be a landscaped area free of structures, materials and vehicular parking. No driveways or streets shall be permitted in the buffer yard except at points of ingress or egress.

B. All buffer yards shall include a completely planted visual barrier or landscape screen. Such visual barrier shall be fully attainable within a three-year period.

(1) Existing tree masses shall be retained wherever possible and at the township's discretion, cleared of any undesirable flora (vines, etc. ) under tree and shrub growth.

(2) Where the existing tree masses do not fully screen the area or where there are no existing tree masses, plantings shall be added to complete the visual barrier within the prescribed time period.

(3) The landscape screen shall be composed of both high-level and low-level plantings.

(a) The high-level screen shall consist of a combination of evergreen trees (initially not less than eight feet in height) and deciduous trees (initially with caliper of not less than 2 1/2 inches (measured one foot from ground level) . Trees shall be planted in staggered rows and centered no more than 18 feet apart.

(b) The low-level screen shall consist of evergreen shrubs (initially not less than three feet in height) . Shrubs shall be spaced in staggered rows and centered no more than five feet apart.

C. Plantings shall not be: [Amended 3-18-2003 by Ord. No. 129-D-03]

(1) Disease-prone.

(2) Insect-prone.

(3) Short-lived.

D. In all buffer yards, the exterior width beyond the planting screen shall be planted with grass seed, sod or ground cover and shall be maintained and kept clean of all debris, rubbish, weeds and tall grass (no more than 12 inches) .

E. Planted areas shall be irrigated either by a permanent water system or by hose. Irrigation plans, including pipe size, length, layout and type of head shall be approved by the township.

F. The applicant shall guarantee required plantings in the buffer yard for 18 months from the date of dedication or closeout of the escrow account.

G. The applicant shall post a maintenance bond for 18 months in the amount of 15% of the actual cost of the installed plantings.

H. Care and maintenance of buffer yard, including plantings, shall be the sole responsibility of the property owner.

**Webmasters Note: The previous section has been amended as per Ordinance No. 129-D-04.

A. Neither portions of tree masses nor specimen trees shall be cleared unless absolutely necessary. Applicants shall make all reasonable efforts to harmonize their plans in order to preserve these existing trees.

B. When effectuation of a proposed subdivision and/or land development necessitates the clearing of trees or portions of tree masses, applicants shall be guided by the following criteria in selecting trees and ornamentals for retention or clearing:

(1) Aesthetic values (autumn coloration, type of flowers and fruit, bark and crown characteristics and amount of dieback present) .

(2) Susceptibility of tree to insect and disease attack and to air pollution.

(3) Species longevity.

(4) Wind firmness and characteristic of soil to hold trees.

(5) Wildlife values (e. g. , oak, hickory, pine, walnut, and dogwood have high food value) .

(6) Comfort to surroundings (e. g. , hardwoods reduce summer temperatures to surroundings more effectively than pines or cedars) .

(7) Existence of disease, rot or other damage to the tree.

(8) Protection of buildings (e. g. , dead and large limbs hanging over buildings shall be removed).

(9) The size of the tree at maturity.

C. Applicants shall exercise care to protect trees which remain from damage during construction. The following procedures and those in § 218-4, Protection of existing trees during construction, of the Township Code shall be adhered to in order to preserve the remaining trees and shall be noted on the plan. All remedial work shall be performed by qualified personnel. [Amended 3-18-2003 by Ord. No. 129-D-03]

(1) Where existing ground levels are raised, drainage tile will be placed at the old soil level and open into a well built around the base of the tree. Such wells may be left open or can be filled with coarse stones or gravel. Tiles may be installed in a radiating pattern or laid in parallel lines. Where existing ground levels are to be lowered, a retaining wall must be built around the tree.

(2) Those trees or tree masses which have been delineated on the plans and are within 25 feet of proposed building excavation or other locations designated by the Township Engineer shall be protected by installing and maintaining a fence to the dripline.

(3) No boards or other material shall be nailed to trees during construction.

(4) Heavy equipment operators shall not damage existing tree trunks and roots with their equipment. Feeder roots shall not be cut closer than 25 feet to tree trunks.

(5) Exposed roots damaged during construction shall be protected from further damage and cleanly pruned.

(6) Tree limbs damaged during construction shall be properly pruned and treated immediately.

(7) Construction debris shall not be disposed of near or around the bases of such trees.

(8) Trenching and root pruning shall not take place within the fenced area at the tree drip line.

(9) Root pruning should not be done on more than one side of the root system in a given year. Delay additional pruning for at least two years following initial pruning. Optimum timing is autumn.

D. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, no more than 20% of the trees on any wooded lot may be cleared or removed and the remaining 80% shall be retained.

E. Up to a maximum of 50% of the trees on a wooded lot may be cleared or developed if the following requirements are met:

(1) The trees removed from a wooded lot cleared or developed shall be replaced on a tree-for-tree basis. Replanting shall be done in accordance with a plan prepared by a licensed landscape architect and approved by East Goshen Township.

(2) All replacement trees shall be a minimum three-inch caliper and the township will select the type of tree to be used for replacement.

(3) Plantings required pursuant to the buffer yard and landscaping requirements of this chapter may not be considered in calculating the replanting requirements of this section.

(4) Replanting shall occur on the wooded lot that is being developed or at another location within East Goshen Township designated by and acceptable to the Township Board of Supervisors.

F. List of species that are recommended for planting:

(1) Deciduous canopy trees.

(a) Acer rubrum, saccaharum (maple: red, sugar) .

(b) Catalpa speciosa (catalpa) .

(c) Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) .

(d) Larix laricina (tamarack) .

(e) Liquidambar styracifera (sweet-gum) .

(f) Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree) .

(g) Magnolia acuminata (cucumber tree) .

(h) Nyssa sylvatica (sourgum or tupelo) .

(i) Populus deltoides (poplar) .

(j) Quercus coccinea, imbricaria, phellos, rubra (oak: scarlet, laurel, willow, red) .

(k) Tilia americana, cordata (linden: american, littleleaf) .

(2) Understory trees.

(a) Amelanchier species (serviceberry or shadbush) .

(b) Asimina triloba (pawpaw) .

(c) Betula lenta (cherry or sweet birch) .

(d) Betula nigra (river birch) .

(e) Betula papyrifera (paper birch) .

(f) Celtis occidentalis (hackberry) .

(g) Cercis canadensis (redbud) .

(h) Chionanthus virginicus (fringe tree) .

(i) Cornus florida, alternifolis (dogwood: flowering, pagoda) .

(j) Crataegus species (hawthorns) .

(k) Diospyros virginiana (common persimmon) .

(l) Halesia carolina (carolina silverbell) .

(m) Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay and other magnolias) .

(n) Malus species (crabapple) .

(o) Oxydendron arboreum (sourwood) .

(p) Sassafras albidum (sassafras) .

(q) Stewartia ovata f. grandiflora (mountain stewartia) .

(r) Styrax obassia (fragrant snowbell) .

(s) Viburnum prunifolium (black haw) .

(t) Abies concolor (white or concolor fir) .

(u) Tsunga canadensis (canadian hemlock) .

**Webmasters Note: The previous section has been amended as per Ordinance No. 129-D-04.