§ 22-419. Sidewalks and Planting Strips.

Sidewalks shall be installed along all existing and proposed public and private streets, common driveways, and common parking areas.

1. 

General.

A. 

Sidewalks and planting strips shall be placed in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance (§ 27-401).

B. 

Proposed sidewalks shall maintain the width, pattern and style of the Borough's sidewalk network. Where proposed sidewalks meet existing sidewalks which have a different width, a tapered transition shall be constructed.

2. 

Design and Layout.

A. 

Layout of sidewalk and planting strips shall be in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance (§ 27-401).

(1) 

The planting strip between sidewalks and the curb may contain streetlights, trees, benches, trash cans, mailboxes, or newspaper boxes. No obstacle in the planting strip may reduce the required sidewalk width for use by pedestrian traffic.

(2) 

Planting strips shall be maintained as a grass strip between the sidewalk and the curb. If the grass is impractical at the site, brick pavers or similar surface may be used at the discretion of the Borough Council upon recommendation of the Borough Planning Commission and Engineer. In this case, a wider sidewalk may be necessary in place of a border area to create a safer pedestrian environment.

B. 

The Borough Council may require additional sidewalk width in areas where higher volumes of pedestrian traffic are anticipated. The minimum width is governed by the Zoning Ordinance (§ 27-401).

C. 

All sidewalk widths are exclusive of any obstacle. Sidewalk areas containing streetlights, trees, benches, doors, trash cans, mailboxes, newspaper boxes, or similar feature are required to have additional width to satisfy the minimum requirement.

D. 

Additional sidewalks or paved trails shall be required where deemed necessary by the Borough Council to provide access to schools, religious institutions, parks, community facilities, trails, and commercial or employment centers and to provide necessary pedestrian circulation within land developments where otherwise required sidewalks would not be sufficient for public safety and convenience.

E. 

Sidewalks shall be designed to facilitate access and use by persons who are physically disabled, in compliance with the ADA and to the satisfaction of the Borough Engineer.

F. 

If the provision of sidewalks requires the destruction or removal of valuable trees, consideration shall be given to the retention of such valuable trees.

G. 

Conflicts arising from the placement of street trees, utilities, and planting strips should be discussed with the Borough Planning Commission to determine appropriate placement and alignment.

3. 

Sidewalk Construction.

A. 

Sidewalks shall be constructed in accordance with the Borough Standard Construction Details.

B. 

Gradient, cross slope and paving of all sidewalks shall be continuous across all private driveways.

C. 

Handicap ramps shall be provided for sidewalks of all new street intersections and where curbs and/or sidewalks are replaced at existing intersections. Ramps shall be placed in line of travel, to the greatest extent practical. Handicap ramps shall be constructed to standards set forth in the ADA and further detailed in PennDOT Publication 72M, RC-67M.

Ord. 2016-2267, 10/11/2016