Town of Great Barrington, MA Required Improvements for Approved Subdivision

Where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, the anticipated volume of traffic or grades of the finished traveled way or other conditions require it, roads shall be paved.

For paved roads, a bituminous, penetration-type surface shall be applied as follows: Over compacted gravel base at least 12 inches deep, spread a two-inch base course of bituminous concrete, referred to as Type I-1 in Mass Highway Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridges. Roll with a five- to eight-ton roller. Follow with a one-inch top course. Compact surface with an eight-ton roller, leaving finished pavement free from holes, rolls or other unsightly imperfections. Finished grades shall be run true and even with an instrument, and depths of materials shall be verified to the satisfaction of the Town Engineer. The Planning Board, at its discretion, may allow substitution of other suitable materials for roadway construction.

The subdivider shall repair any settlement, frost heaves, or imperfection in this work during a period of one year from the date of final release of the performance guarantee.

Curbing.

Curbing shall be installed on both sides of new roads where required based on specific roadway type selected from Tables 1.0 and 1.1. Curbing shall also be required along steep sections of roadways and where beneficial for stormwater management purposes. Curbing shall be required in all major residential subdivisions and in all nonresidential subdivisions.

Curbing materials and methods of construction shall conform to the applicable portions of the MHD Standard Specifications for the specified type of curb or berm.

Where curbing terminates at driveway entrances and like conditions, the ends shall be rounded off or tapered down in a neat, workmanlike manner.

Curbing shall be installed before the top course paving is applied.

Stormwater management.

Adequate disposal of surface water shall be provided. The Planning Board may require that catch basins and culverts shall be built on both sides of the roadway on continuous grades at intervals of not more than 400 feet, at low points and sags in the roadway and near the corners of intersections.

The Planning Board may require the subdivider to carry away by pipe or open ditch any spring or surface water that may exist previous to or as a result of land development. Such drainage facilities shall be located in the subdivision rights-of-way, where feasible, or in perpetual unobstructed easements of appropriate width, and shall be designed to prevent erosion, siltation or flooding of traveled ways or adjacent property.

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. Approval shall be based on anticipated runoff from a one-hundred-year storm under conditions of total potential development permitted by Chapter 171, Zoning, in a watershed. A schedule of numbered culverts shall be included on the definitive plan and shall clearly show size, length and material used, including culverts under driveway aprons.

Capacity.

(a)

The applicant's engineer shall design the drainage system to achieve the basic requirements stated above and to control runoff so that there is no increase in the peak rate of stormwater runoff from the fully developed subdivision compared to its predevelopment condition, for the two-year, ten-year, and twenty-five-year design storms. The development shall be analyzed for the one-hundred-year storm to demonstrate that there will not be an increase in flooding as a result of the development.

(b)

All pipes, culverts, swales and other components of the storm drainage system shall be designed with capacity to handle the twenty-five-year storm without surcharging. The design shall also provide for surface overflow conditions for excess runoff from more severe storms or in case of blockage of the closed drainage system. Limited-duration (less than 24 hours) ponding of excess runoff may be allowed to depths of up to three inches in roadways and up to six inches on lots, provided that a reasonable area for a building site will remain unflooded on each lot under all storm conditions up to and including the one-hundred-year design storm.

(5)

The subdivider's engineer shall also study the effect of each subdivision on the existing downstream drainage outside the area of the subdivision. The Town Engineer shall review this study. Where it is anticipated that the additional runoff incidental to the development of the subdivision could overload any existing downstream drainage facility or cause erosion, siltation or flooding, the Planning Board shall not approve the subdivision until provision has been made to prevent or correct said condition.

(6)

Any proposed subdivision in a Floodplain District, as delineated in § 171-37 of the Zoning Code, shall be designed to provide adequate drainage and minimize any potential flood damage. Public utilities and facilities in flood hazard areas shall be located and constructed to minimize or eliminate flood damage and avoid impairment from floodwaters. The applicant shall obtain all appropriate permits for such work in accordance with all local, state and federal regulations.

Sidewalks.

Sidewalks shall be provided as indicated on Table 1.1. Sidewalks shall be separated from the traveled way by a landscape strip of no less than three feet.

A bike lane shall be provided within the roadway or in a separate bikeway where, in the opinion of the Board, the volume of vehicular traffic and bike traffic warrants such construction.

Sidewalks shall be constructed of bituminous concrete or cement concrete and shall have a well-compacted gravel base. Sidewalks shall have a slip-resistant surface and shall have a cross slope of at least 1% and a maximum of 2%. Sidewalk construction shall conform to the applicable sections of the Mass Highway Standard Specifications and applicable accessibility laws and regulations, including the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the regulations of the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board.

Handicap access. Where sidewalks are constructed, sidewalk ramps shall be provided at each intersection and across all driveway openings to form a continuous accessible route along the sidewalk. Curb ramps shall be designed to comply with all applicable slopes, transitions, dimensions, and materials as specified in the Rules and Regulations of the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board in effect at the time of application.

Driveway aprons.

All driveways from paved roads shall be paved for at least 10 feet from the completed road surface with at least three inches of bituminous concrete pavement or at least six inches of concrete pavement, over at least 12 inches of compacted gravel.

Driveway slopes steeper than 3% shall end at the roadway right-of-way. The portion of a driveway within the street right-of-way shall be graded to be compatible with the line and grade of the sidewalk, handicap accessible sidewalk ramp, and/or shoulder.

Drainage from a driveway shall be controlled on the lot and shall not be allowed to drain directly onto the paved surface of the road.

Topsoil shall be placed to a depth of four inches and thoroughly compacted on all tree lines and side slopes within the road right-of-way and in other areas disturbed by land development activities. Topsoil, when applied, shall be loose and friable and shall be free from a mixture of subsoil, refuse, roots, weeds, stones and other deleterious matter.

Seeding. Tree lines and side slopes within the right-of-way and anywhere within the limits of disturbance shall be seeded according to standard nursery practice with fresh, clean new- crop grass seed, sown at the rate of 3.6 pounds to each 100 square feet.

§ 240-14 Monuments.

Permanent monuments shall be installed at all road intersections, at all points of change in the direction or curvature of roads and at other points no further apart than 500 feet where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, permanent monuments may be necessary.

The permanent monuments, unless otherwise specified by the Planning Board, shall be of 3,000 pounds per square inch reinforced concrete and shall measure five feet by six inches by six inches. All permanent monuments shall be set below the frost line and shall have a suitable reference marker on the top.

No permanent monuments shall be installed until all construction that might disturb them is completed. The tops of monuments shall be set relative to the established final grades. Backfill material shall be carefully placed around each monument and thoroughly tamped.

§ 240-15 Road name signs.

Posts with signs carrying the names of roads or other ways shall be installed at the beginning of all new ways and at the intersection of all ways within a subdivision. There shall be at least one such signpost at each intersection. All signs and signposts shall follow the specifications of the Town Engineer.

§ 240-16 Street trees.

General. Roads created in a subdivision shall be lined with trees on both sides at intervals of no more than 50 feet. This shall be accomplished by retaining existing healthy trees wherever possible, and by planting new trees.

Street trees shall generally be located on the lots in a tree line easement outside the roadway right-of-way. However, existing individual specimen trees may be retained within the right-of-way where approved by the Board.

Street trees shall be planted on each side of every roadway in the subdivision where, in the opinion of the Board, existing woodlands or suitable individual trees are not retained.

Trees shall be nursery grown stock, with a caliper no less than 1 1/2 inches measured one foot above the root collar.

Species shall be selected to be disease-resistant, salt-tolerant and hardy. Applicants shall show documentation that only native, noninvasive species are selected. A complete list shall be submitted to the Planning Board for approval. A mixture of species is preferred.

Trees shall be spaced no more than 50 feet apart and shall be planted within the tree line easement unless otherwise directed by the Board.

Planting season shall be March 15 to May 15 or from August 15 to October 15. The subdivider is responsible for watering and nurturing trees to maximize survival.

(5)

The subdivider shall guarantee the success of the street trees and replace any trees that do not survive within two years after planting or at the time of request for release of performance guarantees, whichever comes later.

The subdivider shall consult with the Board prior to cutting trees on the subdivision property. Existing trees should be cut only where necessary and not merely for convenience. If the Board determines that needless cutting or land scarring has taken place during construction or prior to application for approval, the Board may require the subdivider to replace trees on lots and restore land as nearly as possible to its original condition. Clearing of the subdivision property prior to submitting an application for approval of a subdivision is strongly discouraged, and may be cause for the Board to require revegetation and restoration as part of its conditions of approval.

§ 240-17 Screening.

Where residential developments abut business and industrial zones or uses and where the developments abut arterial or limited access highways, a dense evergreen buffer at least 20 feet in depth shall be planted along the common boundary. Exceptions shall be made at the intersections of roadways and driveways in accordance with corner view clearance requirements.

§ 240-18 Utility wires.

All utility wiring and other distribution and control devices shall be buried in the ground unless, in the opinion of the Planning Board, estimates made by utility companies indicate that an unreasonable cost would be imposed on the subdivider.

Utility wires or cables, other than those going across roads and those leading directly to individual consumer installations, shall be buried within the road right-of-way in a strip 4 1/2 feet wide running parallel to the edge of the right-of-way, unless soil or terrain require a different location. No wires or cables may be installed under the traveled portion of the right-of-way, except at necessary road crossings where suitable protective conduit shall be used.

Copies of all plans showing the location of all buried wires or cables shall be presented by the subdivider before any paving of roads is started. One copy shall be filed with the Planning Board, the Town Clerk, and the Department of Public Works.

If underground installation is found by the Planning Board to be unreasonably costly to the developer, all overhead utility wires and related equipment shall be centered as much as possible on rear or side lot lines, unless this provision is waived by the Board. Easements shall be provided as outlined in § 240-10.

§ 240-19 Streetlights.

Streetlighting shall be provided where the Board determines it is required for safety of vehicles or pedestrians. In general, streetlighting will be required in higher density areas in conjunction with sidewalks, and may also be required at intersections, crosswalks, culs-de-sac, or hazardous road conditions. Light poles shall not exceed 15 feet in height.

Streetlighting fixtures, unless otherwise approved, shall be fully shielded luminaires with horizontal cutoffs directing all light towards the ground. The light source, unless otherwise approved by the Planning Board, shall be high-pressure sodium.

Applicants are encouraged to consider alternative low-level lighting methods that minimize glare, skyglow, and light trespass, and that provide an attractive streetscape.

§ 240-20 Cleanup of area.

The entire area of the subdivision shall be cleaned up leaving a neat and orderly appearance, free from debris and other objectionable materials. The subdivider shall be responsible for providing thoroughly clean and unsilted storm drain lines within the subdivision.

§ 240-21 Inspections.

The subdivider shall notify the Planning Board prior to the commencement of each of the major phases of construction. As each phase is completed, it must be inspected and approved by the Planning Board before the subdivider may start work on the succeeding phase. The Planning Board may designate the Town Engineer or any other qualified person as inspector for the construction done under these regulations, including the inspection of stormwater management devices and their effectiveness for sediment and erosion control.

The Planning Board, or its representative, shall perform a milestone inspection upon completion of each of the following milestones applicable to the approved plans, and prior to the Board granting partial or final release of any performance guarantee:

(a)

Completion of clearing, grubbing and stripping.

(b)

Completion of subgrade preparation.

(c)

Installation of stormwater management system.

(d)

Installation of water and sewerage systems, as applicable.

(e)

Completion of gravel base including installation of conduit for underground wiring under and along roadway.

(f)

Base course paving and curbing as applicable.

(g)

Final paving, sidewalks, and grassed shoulders, as applicable.

(h)

Final completion including established vegetation, street trees, street signs, monuments, and other applicable required improvements.

Engineer's certificate. At each phase, prior to the Town's inspection, the subdivider's engineer shall submit a dated, stamped and signed certification that all work requested to be inspected has been personally inspected by the engineer or his representative and that all work has been done in accordance with the approved subdivision plans and specifications. Any variation from the approved drawings shall be noted in writing and called to the attention of the Planning Board.

The applicant's engineer shall prepare written records of the milestone inspections for endorsement by the Town inspection agencies and submit a copy to the Board as each milestone is reached. Work on subsequent portions of the construction shall not proceed until each milestone has been completed to the satisfaction of the Planning Board and, where applicable, other public agencies.

Record plan. The applicant's engineer shall prepare and submit to the Board and the Great Barrington DPW a reproducible copy and a digital copy, in a format acceptable to the Town Engineer, of a Record Plan showing tie measurements to all sewer service stubs, water service connections, underground electric and communication conduits, underground storm drain facilities, and other underground utilities. The Record Plan shall be filed with the Board and the Great Barrington DPW before the performance guarantee may be released.

The performance guarantee covering the improvements outlined in these regulations shall not be fully released by the Planning Board until the applicant submits a final certificate of completion, with signoffs by the Great Barrington DPW and other Town departments' representatives, as applicable. Upon final completion of the improvements, applicant's engineer shall submit an Engineer's Certificate of Final Completion (Form F[1]) to the Board prior to the final release of the performance guarantee.

[1]

Editor's Note: Form F is on file in the Town offices.

§ 240-22 Maintenance; homeowners' associations acceptance.

Maintenance responsibility. The subdivider, or successor organization, such as a homeowners' association, shall maintain all portions of the subdivision roads and utilities within the roadway right-of-way, utility easements, and common areas until and unless the Town votes to accept the subdivision roads and/or any of the utilities therein constructed. Snow removal, salting and sanding of roadway surfaces adequate for public safety shall be included in the maintenance responsibility.

Legal documents. The subdivider shall submit to the Board proposed documents for a homeowners' association, or other assurances as to the adequate provision for maintenance, either short-term or permanent, of the subdivision improvements at no expense to the Town. The documents shall be reviewed and approved by Town Counsel for adequacy and form.

Acceptance of road and improvements.

Approval of the definitive plan and release of the performance guarantee by the Board does not constitute acceptance as a town road nor imply that the Town will vote to accept the road or utilities. (Refer to the Town's General Bylaws for provisions related to road acceptance.)

Roads in subdivisions approved with waivers on the basis of private maintenance shall not be eligible for acceptance, unless the subdivision is subsequently resubmitted to the Planning Board for approval as an amended subdivision and the roads and other improvements are brought up to the current standards for a subdivision.

No road shall be eligible for acceptance by the Town as a public way unless such road, utilities and all other required improvements are in compliance with all design and construction standards in effect at the time the road is proposed for acceptance.