Town of Medfield, MA Streets and Improvements

Streets in the subdivision shall be coordinated with each other and with the existing-street system in a manner satisfactory to the Board, with due regard to securing safety and convenience of travel. Due consideration shall also be given by the subdivider to the attractiveness of the street layout in order to obtain the maximum livability and amenity of the subdivision.

Provision satisfactory to the Board shall be made for the proper extension of streets, or for access to adjoining property which is not yet subdivided.

Reserve strips prohibiting access to streets or adjoining property shall not be permitted, except where, in the opinion of the Board, such strips shall be in the public interest.

Safe and adequate access from public way.

Public ways must provide safe and adequate access to a subdivision. If in the opinion of the Board this condition has not been met, then the Board may require physical improvements within such public ways, such improvements to be completed at the applicant's expense.

Where the physical condition or width of public ways from which a subdivision has its access is considered by the Board to be inadequate to carry the traffic expected to be generated by such subdivision, the Board may require the subdivider to dedicate a strip of land for the purpose of widening the abutting public ways to a width at least commensurate with that required within the subdivision, and to make physical improvements to and within such public ways to the same standards required within the subdivision. Any such dedication of land for the purpose of such way and any such work performed within such public way shall be made only with permission of the Board of Selectmen, and all costs of such widening or construction shall be borne by the subdivider.

Access streets.

Not more than one building designed or available for use for any purpose shall be erected or placed or converted to use as such on any lot in a subdivision, or elsewhere in the Town, without the consent of the Board, and such consent will be conditional upon the providing of adequate ways furnishing access to each building site in the same manner as otherwise required for lots in a subdivision.

Plans for such access shall be furnished in the same manner as for ways in a subdivision.

§ 310-5.2 Design standards.

Roads.

Width. Street layouts shall not be less than 50 feet in width. (See Plates 3A, 3B and 4 and Table 1.[1])

[1]

Editor's Note: Plates 3A, 3B and 4 and Table 1 are included as attachments to this chapter.

Grades. Grades of less than 1% or more than 6% shall be approved only under exceptional circumstances by the Board.

Cross section. Streets shall be constructed in accordance with the standards as shown on the Typical Roadway Cross Sections. (See Plates 3A, 3B and 4 and Table 1.)

(4)

Non-through streets. Any proposed street that intersects solely with a non-through street shall be deemed to be an extension of the non-through street. Where a non-through street is shown as part of an approved subdivision plan, it shall be constructed in its entirety in the normal course of construction of the subdivision. Non-through streets and their extensions, if any, shall not be longer than 500 feet (measured between the sideline of the first through street and the center line of the turnaround) unless, in the opinion of the Board, a greater length is necessitated by topography or other local conditions. The non-through street shall be covered by a bond, deposit of money or negotiable securities as described in § 310-3.2B.

Maximum length. The maximum length of a non-through street and its extension shall be 500 feet, including turnaround.

Rotary circles or culs-de-sac. Rotary circles shall be constructed at the terminus of non-through streets. (See Plates 5A, 5B and 7.[2])

[2]

Editor's Note: Plates 5 and 7 are included as attachments to this chapter.

Temporary rotary circles or culs-de-sac. Temporary rotary circles on non-through streets shall be constructed where possible extension into adjacent land is anticipated. (See Plates 6 and 8.[3])

[3]

Editor's Note: Plates 6 and 8 are included as attachments to this chapter.

Cross sections. Cross sections shall be in accordance with the standards as shown on the Typical Roadway Cross Sections which are herewith made a part of these rules and regulations. (See Plates 3A, 3B and 4.[4])

[4]

Editor's Note: Plates 3A, 3B and 4 are included as attachments to this chapter.

Alignment, grade, dead-ends and intersections. Where streets are to be constructed beyond an existing turnaround, it is a condition of subdivision approval that the turnaround surface be removed and the street constructed in accordance with Table 1.[5]

[5]

Editor's Note: Table 1 is included as an attachment to this chapter.

(5)

Curbing.

Curbing required shall be sloped granite curbing with appropriate transition pieces to the granite inlet stones as shown on Plate 9A.[6]

[6]

Editor's Note: Plate 9A is included as an attachment to this chapter.

Granite curbing on a radius connecting to an existing street edge which has no berm must have a tapered end piece.

(6)

Driveway openings.

Curb openings for driveways shall be prohibited within 20 feet of any catch basin or hydrant. Curb roundings shall be provided at driveway openings.

Radii for driveway openings shall be the same as the width of the sidewalk. On the side of the street where the sidewalk is not required, the same radii are required.

The driveway opening shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide and shall be approved only on streets which are bonded or otherwise released from the subdivision covenant.

The pitch of the sidewalk on either side of the driveway for a distance of 20 feet shall be gradually and consistently reduced so that at the driveway it is flat. By smoothly working the mix, the sidewalk shall be gradually lowered two additional inches at the driveway.

(7)

Access for handicapped. The construction of ramps and curb cuts to facilitate the use of the project by the physically and visually disabled/impaired is required. Ramps shall be located at intersections, crosswalks and other locations as required by the Board. Design and construction shall conform to Medfield's Rules and Regulations Relating to the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board, 2006, or as last amended, and/or the U.S. Department of Justice Standards for Accessible Design as last amended.

[Amended 7-16-2019]

(8)

Planting strips.

Grass strips of a width required by the Typical Roadway Cross Sections, and so shown on the definitive plan, shall be provided on each side of the roadway. The finished grade of such grass strips in relation to the finished grade of the roadway shall be as shown on the applicable cross section plan.

Where the planting strip is not on the sidewalk side of the street, an alternative ground cover such as a native seed mix may be preferred to lawn grass, subject to approval by the Director of Public Works.

[Amended 7-16-2019]

(9)

Side slopes.

The areas in back of the sidewalk where slope is required shall be graded to a slope of four feet horizontal to one foot vertical as shown on the Typical Cross Section.

Any ledge at the edge of the street layout shall be cut back to a slope not exceeding one foot horizontal to four feet vertical.

Fieldstone retaining walls may be used to reduce the sloping limits, but not the sloping rate. The exposed face of the wall shall not exceed four feet in height.

Slope limits shall be shown on the plan and easements shall be granted to the Town for construction of all slopes and/or retaining walls. [See § 310-3.1D(4).]

(10)

Loaming and seeding. The top six inches of lawn grass areas and side slopes shall consist of loam meeting the requirements of MassDOT M1.05.0, fine sandy loam or sandy loam with a pH of 5.5 to 7.6 and between 4% and 8% organics. Loam shall be screened, with 100% passing the one-inch screen, raked, and rolled with a hand roller to grade. The loam shall be seeded with lawn grass seed applied in sufficient quantity to assure adequate coverage and shall be rolled.

[Amended 7-16-2019]

Lawn grass seed shall be a multi-fescue and perennial rye mix.

Native seed mix for non-lawn areas shall be a conservation/wildlife mix for New England.

(11)

Tree planting.

[Amended 7-16-2019]

Healthy trees shall be properly planted within tree planting easements at an average of forty-foot intervals as shown on the typical roadway cross-sections, except that no tree shall be within 20 feet of an intersection or a driveway, 15 feet of a street light or utility pole, or 10 feet from a fire hydrant. Trees shall have a caliper of two to 2 1/2 inches measured at six inches above the ground at the time of planting, and shall have a one-year warranty for survival or replacement from the provider. The following types are encouraged but are not limited to and are subject to the Tree Warden's approval:

Street Tree Species
Small – Medium Trees (overhead utility wires above)
	Carpinus (Hornbeam)
	Cercis canadensis (Redbud)
	Crataegus (various Hawthorn species)
	Malus (various Crabapples)
	Prunus "Okame" (Okame Cherry)
	Syringa Reticulata "Ivory Silk" Japanese Tree Lilac
	Stewartia Pseudocamellia Japanese or Korean Stewartia
Large Trees
	Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
	Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)
	Cladrastis kentukea (American Yellowwood)
	Gleditsia (various seedless Locust species)
	Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)
	Nyssa Sylvatica (Tupelo)
	Quercus (Oak)
	Tilia (Linden)
	Ulmus (Elm)
	Zelkova serrata (Zelkova)

The Board may approve other suitable plant species and cultivars.

Planting season shall be April 1 to May 31 for spring planting and September 15 to November 1 for fall planting.

Planting soil for trees and shrubs shall be a mixture of one part loam and one part existing subsoils.

The Board, with the advice of the Tree Warden, reserves the right to identify existing trees within the layout which shall be left in place.

(12)

Monuments and markers.

Monuments shall be installed at all street intersections, at all points of change in direction or curvature of streets and at other points as shown on the definitive plan.

Granite or concrete monuments not less than four feet in length dressed to six inches by six inches in section at the top, and not less than six inches by six inches in section at the bottom, shall be provided and shall be set to finish grade as shown on the plans. The exact location point shall be indicated by a hole having a diameter of 1/4 inch. After the bound has been permanently set, the hole shall be drilled into the top of the bound to a depth of 1/2 inch.

No permanent monuments shall be installed until all construction which could destroy or disturb the monument is completed. After the bounds have been set, bituminous concrete shall be placed around the bounds and compacted to the specified thickness.

A certification shall be made to the Board by the engineer or land surveyor that the bounds have been set as shown on the definitive plan.

(13)

Street signs.

Street signs shall be approved by the Director of Public Works and the Board. They shall bear the names of the streets as indicated on the definitive plan and shall be erected by the subdivider at all intersections of streets within the subdivision and the intersection of any street of the subdivision with a public way. These signs normally will be placed at the midpoint of the arc and at the back of the sidewalk. The names of both streets shall appear on the sign post at street intersections.

[Amended 7-16-2019]

Temporary street signs shall be erected as soon as rough grading is completed. These street signs shall also bear the legend "PRIVATE WAY."

(14)

Street name guidelines.

Street names for new streets shall be selected from the official street list comprised by the Committee to Study Memorials unless an unusual situation warrants otherwise. In such unusual situations, names not listed in the official street listing may be approved if deemed suitable by a vote of the Board. Copies of the list as it may be updated from time to time are available at the office of the Planning Board. Street names for new streets are developed from the five categories listed:

Local historical names.

Geographical names.

(iii)

Plant life or wildlife names.

(iv)

Memorial names.

(v)

Names significant to a particular property.

The Committee to Study Memorials is available to research names for specific sites in Town.

(15)

Streetlights. Streetlights shall be required at all intersections. They shall be as specified in Plate 22, and located as shown on the Typical Roadway Cross Sections.[7]

[7]

Editor's Note: Plate 22 and the roadway cross-section diagrams are included as attachments to this chapter.

Bridges. Bridges shall be designed in accordance with Massachusetts Department of Transportation Bridge Design Standards in force at the time of filing of the application. Design of bridges shall be approved by the Hydraulic Engineer of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation where required.

Drainage.

General requirements.

Drainage shall be designed to take care of the surface and subsurface water of roadways and adjoining land.

Street drainage designs shall be of the type known as a "manhole system." The "manhole system" is one in which the water collected in the catch basins empties into an intermediate manhole in a main drain laid in the street. (See Plates 9 through 19.[8]) All water easements shall have a 12-inch gravel base and six inches of loam and seed for cover over the full width of the easement.

[8]

Editor's Note: Plates 9 through 19 are included as attachments to this chapter.

Where groundwater is encountered at an elevation of less than four feet below the proposed subgrade of the street, drainage piping and/or subdrains shall be installed as shown on Plate 20[9] and shall meet the approval of the Director of Public Works.

[Amended 7-16-2019]

[9]

Editor's Note: Plate 20 is included as an attachment to this chapter.

At the request of the Board, a drainage system to eliminate or remove any other water or waters within the subdivision limits and not designated as roadway or subsurface water, and which is otherwise not taken care of, shall be designed in a manner approved by the Board.

Private drains may be installed to connect to the public stormwater drainage system. Design and installation shall be by agreement with the Town. A plan of the private drain shall be furnished to the Board for approval.

(f)

Private drains shall be so located on the lot and so constructed that no seepage from any on-lot sewerage system shall enter the private drain.

(g)

All drainage easements shall have a 12-inch gravel base and six inches of loam and seed for cover over the full width of the easement.

(h)

All drainage basins, including but not limited to detention basins, or retention basins, or enclosed leaching systems shall have a no-disturb buffer zone extending 100 feet from the maximum high water contour.

Drainage design standards.

Design criteria. The quantity of stormwater carried by drains shall be determined by the Rational Method, and the design of storm drainage shall be 10 years and for bridges and culverts 50 years.

FORMULA

Q=ciA

Where:
	Q	=	runoff, cubic feet per second
	i	=	intensity of rainfall, inches per hour for duration equal to time of concentration
	c	=	runoff coefficient expressing the ratio of rate of runoff to rate of rainfall
	A	=	area of watershed in acres
	The average rainfall intensity in inches per hour shall be obtained from Plate 2.[10]

The runoff coefficients shall reflect developed conditions. The following composite values may be used:

Residential Areas (lot size in square feet)	Roof and Pavements %	Coefficient of Runoff
12,000	30	0.44
20,000	26	0.42
40,000	22	0.40
80,000	16	0.35
Business areas	70	0.80
Industrial areas	50	0.58
Schools	10	0.32
Multiple-family	60	0.70

The time of concentration (t) shall be the total of overland flow, channel flow and pipe flow. The Kutter and Manning formula shall be standard for channel flow and pipe flow and the overland flow time shall be determined from standard MDOT or Elwyn Seelye's nomograph considering the factors of length of slope, including slope and type of service. Minimum time of concentration will be 10 minutes.

[10]

Editor's Note: Plate 2 is included as an attachment to this chapter.

Drain and channel sizes. Pipe drains, where used, shall be reinforced concrete Class III unless otherwise approved by the Board and shall have a minimum diameter of 12 inches. In general, they should be designed to flow full with the hydraulic gradient at the crown. In determining the capacity of concrete pipe drains, the Manning formula should be used with the coefficient of friction "an" equal to 0.013. The minimum velocity at design flow should be 2.5 fops and the maximum 12 fops, unless otherwise approved by the Board.

Connection to public system.

Stormwater shall be directed to enter and discharge into the nearest natural watercourse. If necessary, proper easements must be secured by the applicant in the name of the Town of Medfield. (See § 310-3.1D.)

Within the subdivision, stormwater runoff shall not be permitted to flow upon the surface for a longer distance than 300 feet before it enters the underground system. Catch basins shall be located on both sides of the roadway on continuous grades at intervals of not more than 300 feet and at all low points in the roadway. The subdivision drainage system shall be extended into existing intersecting streets, with a catch basin installed at the upstream side of the existing street.

(iii)

Where public drainage systems exist with adequate reserve capacity, connection thereto may be made, subject to the approval of the Board of Selectmen.

Manholes. All catch basins shall be set at the binder level and finished surface shall be feathered down. All catch basins shall be connected to the drainage system through manholes. Manholes shall be provided at all changes in alignment, grade or drain pipe size. The maximum distance between manholes shall not exceed 300 feet.

Invert grades. A plan shall be submitted to the Board by the engineer or land surveyor, indicating thereon the invert grades of all storm drainage at all catch basins and manholes within the subdivision. He or she shall certify that the grades shown on this plan represent the grades as constructed.

Water supply.

General requirements.

Public water supply.

No subdivision of land shall be approved by the Planning Board unless all lots therein are provided with water by connection to the Town of Medfield's public water supply system. Water mains and their appurtenances must be installed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Medfield Water and Sewerage Board and approved by the Planning Board. Size of water mains shall be as recommended by the Medfield Water and Sewerage Board and as required by the Planning Board.

Connection to the public water supply shall be made at no cost to the Town.

(iii)

The applicant shall include with his or her application a certificate that arrangements have been made with the Medfield Water and Sewerage Board for supplying water to every lot in the subdivision.

Connection to public system. Water mains and their appurtenances must be connected to the Town water system and shall be installed in accordance with the definitive plan and with the rules of the Water and Sewerage Board and approved by them.

Design and installation of water system.

Mains. The diameter of public water mains shall be determined by the Water and Sewerage Board.

Mains and laterals. All water mains and laterals within the exterior lines of the street shall be installed not less than five feet below the finished grade of the street.

Hydrants. There shall be a hydrant within 500 feet of any existing or potentially existing building.

In residential and industrial streets, all hydrants shall be installed so that the center line of the hydrant is as shown on Plates 3A, 3B, and 4.[11]

[11]

Editor's Note: Plates 3A, 3B and 4 are included as attachments to this chapter.

Each hydrant shall be served directly from the water main through a six-inch lateral connection. It shall be gated with a five-inch bottom valve and shall have two 2 1/2 inch hose outlets and one 4 1/2 inch pump outlet. Valves shall be located in such number and locations that lines by individual block maybe isolated for maintenance purposes. Flanges of hydrants shall be level with the finished sidewalk surface.

Water service box castings. Water service box castings shall be set in a full bed of mortar for a minimum of 12 inches around the casting and to a minimum depth of nine inches.

Sewers.

Public sewers.

Connection to public sewers is required if any portion of the subdivision is within 500 feet of the public sewerage system or when required by the Board of Health.

The applicant shall include with his or her application a certificate that arrangements have been made with the Medfield Water and Sewerage Board for supplying sewer to every lot in the subdivision if Subsection E(1)(a) is applicable.

The sewer system shall be installed in accordance with the definitive plan and shall conform with the rules of the Water and Sewerage Board and shall be installed under their direction. Connection to the public sewer system shall be made at no cost to the Town.

Public sewers shall be not less than eight inches in diameter.

Lateral sewer connections shall be provided to all lots fronting on the street.

Manholes shall be located at every change in grade, change in alignment, and change in pipe size and not more than 300 feet apart. Ejector pumps may be permitted at the discretion of the Water and Sewerage Board.

All sewer easements shall have a twelve-inch gravel base and six inches of loam and seed for cover over the width of the easement. Loam and seed shall be in accordance with § 310-5.2A(10).

[Amended 7-16-2019]

Private on-lot sewerage systems.

Where a public sewerage system is located at a greater distance from any portion of the subdivision than 500 feet and connection to it is not required by the Board of Health, the subdivider may install private on-lot sewerage systems.

Where private on-lot sewerage systems are installed, such systems shall be designed in accordance with the Board of Health, Town of Medfield, Massachusetts, Rules and Regulations and the Environmental Code, Title 5, Minimum Requirements for the Subsurface Disposal of Sanitary Sewage or amended code of the Department of Environmental Protection, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Health.

Utilities.

Electricity.

Electrical power lines shall be installed underground in PVC conduit as shown on diagrams entitled Typical Roadway Cross Sections, Plates 3A, 3B and 4,[12] in accordance with the requirements of the electrical company serving Medfield. Service shall be provided in conduit to each lot fronting on the street layout.

[12]

Editor's Note: Plates 3A, 3B and 4 are included as attachments to this chapter.

Electric service shall be supplied to proposed light installations as shown on the approved plan.

At least two ties shall be shown to each electric service lot connection and streetlight service.

Telephone. Telephone lines shall be installed underground as shown on diagrams entitled Typical Roadway Cross Sections, Plates 3A, 3B and 4,[13] in accordance with the requirements of the telephone company serving Medfield. Service shall be provided to each lot fronting on the street.

[13]

Editor's Note: Plates 3A, 3B and 4 are included as attachments to this chapter.

Gas. Gas supply lines shall be installed underground and in accordance with the requirements of the gas company serving Medfield and as shown on the Typical Roadway Cross Sections, Plates 3A, 3B and 4.[14]

[14]

Editor's Note: Plates 3A, 3B and 4 are included as attachments to this chapter.

(4)

Cable. Cable television lines shall be installed underground as shown on diagrams entitled Typical Roadway Cross Sections, Plates 3A, 3B and 4,[15] in accordance with the requirements of the cable company serving Medfield. Service shall be provided to each lot fronting on the street.

[15]

Editor's Note: Plates 3A, 3B and 4 are included as attachments to this chapter.

§ 310-5.3 Construction requirements.

Sidewalk construction requirements. The gravel base shall be laid in two lifts of four inches each and compacted with a mechanical compactor with a minimum centrifugal force of 2,500 pounds.

Inspection and control.

[Amended 7-16-2019]

The applicant shall employ, at his or her own expense, an engineer to set all lines and grades in a manner satisfactory to the Director of Public Works and the Board.

The contractor shall notify the Director of Public Works when each stage of construction is completed and ready for inspection.

No succeeding operation shall be started until the prior operation has been approved by the Director of Public Works or the Board. The contractor shall give the Director of Public Works a twenty-four-hour written notice in hand when an inspection is required.

(4)

The applicant shall employ, at his or her own expense, a recognized testing laboratory, acceptable to the Director of Public Works and the Board, to design, test and certify in writing to the Director of Public Works and to the Board that the following materials, the aggregate base course, the binder course, the surface course, the sidewalk course, and the curbing mixture are in conformance and are installed as specified in these rules and regulations.

(5)

The applicant shall, at his or her own expense, perform routine soil analysis and soil organic matter testing on existing topsoil and new loam. Tests shall be performed by the UMass Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory in Amherst, MA.

(6)

The Board may, at the applicant's expense, require core tests to assure itself that the minimum amount of bituminous concrete has been uniformly spread through the roadway.

At intervals of 50 feet or less, tests shall be made in the area of both gutters and the crown. It shall be the applicant's contractor's responsibility to provide suitable and acceptable coring equipment.

The Board or its representative shall be present when the sampling is made.

It is the applicant's responsibility to collect the weight slips and turn them over to the Director of Public Works for computation.

(7)

Damage to pavement. If upon the completion of the top course the surface is marred, gouged, cut or otherwise damaged, a minimum of 1/2 inch of "surface treatment" mix shall be evenly spread over the damaged area to provide a smooth surface as directed by the Planning Board or its agent.

Temporary barriers. During construction of streets, temporary street barriers of a form acceptable to the Fire and Police Chiefs shall be erected and maintained to prevent public vehicular access to portions of streets where no occupied structure is present.

Cleaning up.

The entire area within the street layout and required slopes and easements must be cleaned up so as to leave a neat and orderly appearance free from debris and other objectionable materials.