[Adopted by the Board of Selectmen 9-8-1975 (Ch. 275, Art. II, of the 1995
Code); amended in its entirety at time of adoption of Code (see Ch.
1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
There being a large number of streets in Town which are not
accepted, nor acceptable, for reason of right-of-way widths and lack
of proper construction, and it being that current subdivision regulation
requirements for new streets should not be applicable to this type
of street, the Selectmen hereby adopt the following as minimum standards
for unaccepted streets that were existing at the time of adoption
of this article and that met applicable Planning Board regulations
at the time of construction.
Before any street can be considered for acceptance and improvement,
a thirty-foot right-of-way must be available for dedication to the
Town. If such right-of-way is not currently available, abutting property
owners must convey sufficient land to the Town to fulfill this requirement,
at no cost to the Town. All necessary drainage easements must be granted.
The right-of-way shall be verified on the ground by a licensed surveyor
prior to any work by the Town. All costs, including but not limited
to legal and engineering, associated with any such dedication shall
be borne by the petitioner(s).
When deemed advisable by the Director of Engineering and the
Director of Public Works, the entire width of the right-of-way shall
be cleared. All stumps, peat and other unsuitable material shall be
removed from the limits of the roadbed. The minimum roadbed width
shall be 20 feet, and the minimum pavement width shall be 16 feet.
The roadbed shall be constructed of 12 inches of bank-run gravel and
four inches of crushed gravel. Adequate drainage of the road to ensure
its preservation shall be installed. The road surface shall consist
of a minimum thickness of four inches of hot bituminous concrete,
machine placed in two courses consisting of a binder course of 2.5
inches and one-inch wearing course, or other more stringent standard
as deemed appropriate by the Engineering Department.
The street will be improved only to the limits of residency
at the time of improvement. Later improvements would be at the expense
of abutters, the work being to the above standards if done by a private
contractor. In cases where long gaps exist between residences and
improvements are made fronting vacant lots, a betterment charge per
linear foot, as determined by the Board of Selectmen, will be paid
by owners of said lots before building permits will be issued for
the same. A gap exceeding the legal zoning frontage of one lot within
the district in which the lot is located on either side of the street
shall be considered the basis for such charges.
Developers of new subdivisions which require passage over existing
substandard streets for access to the new street may be required to
improve such streets to the minimum standard specified in the Planning
Board Subdivision Regulations then in effect.
