In considering applications for the subdivision of land, the Planning Board shall be guided by the general subdivision requirements set forth hereinafter. Said general subdivision requirements shall be considered to be minimum requirements and shall be waived by the Board only under circumstances set forth in Article VI herein.
A.
Character of land. Land to be subdivided shall be
of such character that it can be used safely for building purposes
without danger to health or peril from fire, flood or other menace.
B.
Conformity to Official Map and Master Plan. Subdivisions
shall conform to the Official Map of the town and shall be in harmony
with the Master Plan, if such exists.
C.
Specifications for required improvements. All required
improvements shall be constructed or installed to conform to Part
2, Design and Construction Standards.
A.
Width, location and construction. Streets shall be
of sufficient width, suitably located and adequately constructed to
conform to the Master Plan, if such exists, and to accommodate the
prospective traffic and afford access for fire-fighting, snowremoval
and other road-maintenance equipment. The arrangement of streets shall
be such as to cause no undue hardship to adjoining properties and
shall be coordinated so as to compose a convenient system.
B.
Arrangement. The arrangement of streets in the subdivision
shall provide for the continuation of principal streets of adjoining
subdivisions and for proper projection of principal streets into adjoining
properties which are not yet subdivided, in order to make possible
necessary fire protection, movement of traffic and the construction
or extension, presently or when later required, of needed utilities
and public services such as sewers and water and drainage facilities.
Where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, topographic or other
conditions make such continuance undesirable or impracticable, the
above conditions may be modified.
C.
Minor streets. Minor streets shall be so laid out
that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.
D.
Special treatment along major arterial streets. When
a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed major arterial
street, the Board may require marginal access streets, reverse frontage
with screen planting contained in a nonaccess reservation along the
rear property line, deep lots with rear service alleys or such other
treatment as may be necessary for adequate protection of residential
properties and to afford separation of through and local traffic.
E.
Provision for future resubdivision. Where a tract
is subdivided into lots substantially larger than the minimum size
required in the zoning district in which a subdivision is located,
the Board may require that streets and lots be laid out so as to permit
future resubdivision in accordance with the requirements contained
in these regulations.
F.
Dead-end streets. The creation of dead-end or loop
residential streets will be encouraged, although generally limited
to 600 feet or 1,200 feet with a boulevard, wherever the Board finds
that such type of development will not interfere with normal traffic
circulation in the area. In the case of dead-end streets, where needed
or desirable, the Board may require an extension of the right-of-way
to provide for continuation of pedestrian traffic and utilities to
the next street. Subdivisions containing 20 lots or more shall have
at least two street connections with existing public streets or streets
shown on the Official Map, if such exists, or streets on an approved
subdivision plat for which a bond has been filed. Water distribution
mains shall be looped to avoid dead-end conditions.
G.
Block size. Blocks generally shall not be less than
400 feet nor more than 1,200 feet in length. In general, no block
width shall be less than twice the normal lot in depth. In blocks
exceeding 800 feet in length, the Planning Board may require the reservation
of a twenty-foot wide easement through the block to provide for the
crossing of underground utilities and pedestrian traffic, where needed
or desirable, and may further specify, at its discretion, that a four-foot-wide
paved footpath be included.
H.
Intersections with collector or major arterial roads.
Minor or secondary street openings into such roads shall, in general,
be at least 500 feet apart.
I.
Street jogs. Street jogs with center-line offsets
of less than 125 feet shall be avoided.
J.
Angle of intersection. In general, all streets shall
join each other so that, for a distance of at least 100 feet, the
street is approximately at right angles to the street it joins.
K.
Relation to topography. The street plan of a proposed
subdivision shall bear a logical relationship to the topography of
the property, and all streets shall be arranged so as to obtain as
many of the building sites as possible at or above the grade of the
streets. Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible to
the original topography.
L.
Other required streets. Where a subdivision borders
on or contains a railroad right-of-way, the Planning Board may require
a street approximately parallel to and on each side of such right-of-way
at a distance suitable for the appropriate use of the intervening
land (such as for park purposes in residential districts or for commercial
or industrial purposes in appropriate districts). Such distances shall
also be determined with due regard for the requirements of approach
grades and future grade separations.
M.
Utilities in streets. All utilities shall be placed
underground unless a waiver is granted by the Planning Board. The
Planning Board shall, wherever possible, require that underground
utilities be placed in the street right-of-way between the paved roadway
and street line to simplify location and repair of lines when they
require attention. The subdivider shall install underground service
connections to the property line of each lot within the subdivision
for each required utility before the street is paved.
N.
Utility easements. Where topography is such as to
make impractical the inclusion of utilities within the street rights-of-way,
perpetual unobstructed easements at least 20 feet in width shall be
otherwise provided with satisfactory access to the street. Wherever
possible, easements shall be continuous from block to block and shall
present as few irregularities as possible. Such easements shall be
cleared and graded where required.
O.
Watercourses. Where a watercourse separates a proposed
street from abutting property, provision shall be made for access
to all lots by means of culverts or other structures of design approved
by the Town Engineer.
P.
Free flow of vehicular traffic abutting commercial
developments. In front of areas zoned and designed for commercial
use or where a change of zoning to a zone which permits commercial
use is contemplated, the street width shall be increased by such amount
on each side as may be deemed necessary by the Planning Board to assure
the free flow of through traffic without interference by parked or
parking vehicles and to provide adequate and safe parking space for
such commercial or business district.
Q.
Sidewalks. Unless determined not to be appropriate
by the Planning Board, provision shall be made for sidewalks.
A.
Type of name. All street names shown on a preliminary
plat or subdivision plat shall be approved by the Planning Board.
In general, streets shall have names and not numbers or letters.
B.
Names to be substantially different. Proposed street
names shall be substantially different so as not to be confused in
sound or spelling with present names, except that streets that join
or are in alignment with streets of an abutting or neighboring property
shall bear the same name. Generally, no street should change direction
by more than 90° without a change in street name.
A.
Lots to be buildable. The lot arrangement shall be
such that, in constructing a building in compliance with the Zoning
Ordinance,[1] there will be no foreseeable difficulties for reasons
of topography or other natural conditions. Lots should not be of such
depth as to encourage the later creation of a second building lot
at the front or rear.
B.
Side lines. All side lines of lots shall be at right
angles to straight street lines and radial to curved street lines,
unless a variance from this rule will give a better street or lot
plan.
C.
Corner lots. In general, corner lots should be larger
than interior lots to provide for proper building setback from each
street and provide a desirable building site.
D.
Driveway access. Driveway access and grades shall
conform to specifications contained in Part 2, Design and Construction
Standards.
E.
Access from private roads/driveways. Access from private
roads/driveways shall be deemed acceptable only if such roads/driveways
are designed and improved in accordance with these regulations.
F.
Monuments and lot corner markers. Permanent monuments
meeting specifications approved by the Town Engineer as to size, type
and installation shall be set at such block corners, angle points,
points of curves in streets and other points as the Town Engineer
may require, and their location shall be shown on the subdivision
plat.
A.
Removal of spring- and surface water. The subdivider
may be required by the Planning Board to carry away by pipe or open
ditch any spring- or surface water that may exist either previous
to or as a result of the subdivision. Such drainage facilities shall
be located in the street right-of-way where feasible or in perpetual
unobstructed easements of appropriate width.
B.
Drainage structure to accommodate potential development
upstream. A culvert or other drainage facility shall, in each case,
be large enough to accommodate potential runoff from its entire upstream
drainage area, whether inside or outside the subdivision. The Town
Engineer shall approve the design and size of facility under conditions
of total potential development permitted by the Zoning Ordinance in
the watershed.[1]
C.
Responsibility for drainage downstream. The subdivider's
engineer shall also study the effect of each subdivision on the existing
downstream drainage facilities outside the area of the subdivision,
and this study shall be reviewed by the Town Engineer. Where it is
anticipated that the additional runoff incident to the development
of the subdivision will overload an existing downstream drainage facility,
the Planning Board shall notify the Town Board of such potential condition.
In such case, the Planning Board shall not approve the subdivision
until provision has been made for the improvement of said condition.
D.
Land subject to flooding. Land subject to flooding
or land deemed by the Planning Board to be uninhabitable shall not
be platted for residential occupancy nor for such other uses as may
increase danger to health, life or property or aggravate the flood
hazard, but such land within the plat shall be set aside for such
uses as shall not be endangered by periodic or occasional inundation
or be improved in a manner satisfactory to the Planning Board to remedy
said hazardous conditions.
A.
Recreation areas shown on the plan. Where a proposed park, playground or open space shown on the Town Plan is located in whole or in part in a subdivision, the Board shall require that such area or areas be shown on the plat in accordance with the requirements specified in Subsection B below. Such area or areas may be dedicated to the town or county by the subdivider if the Town Board approves such dedication.
B.
Parks and playgrounds not shown on Town Plan.
(1)
For subdivisions of 50 or more lots, the Planning
Board shall require that the plat show sites of a character, extent
and location suitable for the development of a park, playground or
other recreation purpose. The Planning Board may require that the
developer satisfactorily grade and make required improvements of any
such recreation areas shown on the plat.
(2)
The Board shall require that no less than three acres
of recreation space be provided per 50 dwelling units shown on the
plat. However, in no case shall the amount be less than 5% or more
than 10% of the total area of the subdivision. To further the goal
of establishing three acres of recreation space per 50 dwelling units,
the Planning Board shall have the discretion to require a proportionate
amount of recreation space for subdivisions of fewer than 50 dwelling
units. Such area or areas may be dedicated to the town by the subdivider
if the Town Board approves such dedication. Appropriate legal conditions
will be attached to ensure that such land can never be developed for
other than recreational purposes.
C.
Information to be submitted. In the event that an
area to be used for a park or playground is required to be so shown,
the subdivider shall submit, prior to final approval, to the Board
three prints [one on Mylar] drawn in ink showing, at a scale of not
less than 30 feet to the inch, such area and the following features
thereof:
(1)
The boundaries of said area, giving lengths and bearings
of all straight lines and radii, lengths, central angles and tangent
distances of all curves.
(2)
Existing features such as brooks, ponds, clusters
of trees, rock outcrops and structures.
(3)
Existing and, if applicable, proposed changes in the
grade and contours of said area and of areas immediately adjacent.
D.
Park fees. The Board shall require as a condition
to approval of the plat a payment of parkland fees as established
from time to time by resolution of the Town Board and filed in the
offices of the Town Clerk and Director of the Planning Board. Such
amount shall be paid to the town at the time of final plat approval,
and no plat shall be signed by the authorized officer of the Planning
Board until such payment is made. All such payments shall be held
by the Town Board in a special Town Recreation Site Acquisition and
Improvement Fund, to be used for the acquisition of land that is suitable
for permanent park, playground or other recreational purposes and
is so located that it will serve the general neighborhood in which
the land covered by the plat lies and which shall be used only for
park, playground or other recreational land acquisition or improvements.
Such money may also be used for serving the general neighborhood in
which the land shown on the plat is situated, provided that the Planning
Board finds that there is a need for such improvements. For purposes
of determining the number of lots in a subdivision in order to compute
the amount due the town for payment, the number of lots subdivided
by a single owner on one tract or parcel within a five-year period
shall be added together to determine said amount due.
E.
Reserve strips prohibited. Reserve strips of land,
which might be used to control access from the proposed subdivision
to any neighboring property or to any land within the subdivision
itself, shall be prohibited.
F.
Preservation of natural features. The Planning Board
shall, wherever possible, establish the preservation of all natural
features which add value to residential developments and to the community,
such as large trees or groves, watercourses and falls, beaches, historic
spots, vistas and similar irreplaceable assets. No tree with a diameter
of eight inches or more, as measured three feet above the base of
the trunk, shall be removed unless such tree is within the right-of-way
of a street or grading limit line as shown on the final subdivision
plat. Removal of additional trees shall be subject to the approval
of the Planning Board. In no case, however, shall a tree with a diameter
of eight inches or more, as measured three feet above the base of
the trunk, be removed without prior approval of the Planning Board.
