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 Town Development Plan. Subdivisions
shall conform to the Official Map of the Town and Ulster County and
shall be in harmony with the Town Development Plan, if such exists.
C.
Preservation of natural cover. Land to be subdivided shall be laid
out and improved in reasonable conformity to existing topography,
in order to minimize grading, cut and fill and to retain, insofar
as possible, the natural contours, limit stormwater runoff, and conserve
the natural cover and soil. No topsoil, sand or gravel shall be removed
from any lots shown on any subdivision plat, except for the purpose
of improving such lots and for the laying out of streets shown thereon.
Topsoil so removed shall be restored to a depth of six inches and
properly seeded and fertilized on areas of such lots not occupied
by buildings or structures. No excess topsoil so removed shall be
disposed of outside of the boundaries of the Town, except upon approval
of the Town Board.
D.
Preservation of existing features. Existing features which would
enhance the attractiveness of the site or the community as a whole,
such as trees, watercourses, ponds, historic places, and similar irreplaceable
assets, shall be preserved insofar as possible through harmonious
design of the subdivision.
E.
Specifications for required improvements. All streets and other required
improvements shall be constructed or installed to conform to Town
specifications.
A.
General requirements. New streets shall be suitably located, of sufficient
width, and adequately improved to accommodate the prospective traffic
and to afford satisfactory access to police, firefighting, ambulances
and other emergency vehicles, snow removal or other road maintenance
equipment and shall be coordinated so as to compose a convenient system.
Local streets shall have a minimum right-of-way width of 50 feet;
commercial or business streets shall have a minimum right-of-way width
of 60 feet. All streets shall be properly related to the Town Development
Plan and in conformance in location and design to the Official Map,
if such exists.
B.
Relation to topography. Streets shall be logically related and conform
insofar as possible to the original topography. They shall be arranged
so as to obtain as many building sites as possible at or above the
grade of the street. A combination of steep grades and sharp curves
shall be avoided.
C.
Continuation of streets into adjacent property. Streets shall be
arranged to provide for the continuation of commercial or business
streets between adjacent properties where such continuation is necessary
for convenient movement of traffic, effective fire protection, and
efficient provision of utilities. Reserve strips, controlling access
to streets, shall be prohibited except where their control is placed
with the Town under conditions recommended by the Planning Board and
approved by the Town Board. If adjacent property is undeveloped and
the street must temporarily be a dead-end street, the right-of-way
and improvements shall be extended to the property line. A temporary
circular turnaround with pavement radius of at least 50 feet shall
be provided on all temporary dead-end streets, with the notation on
the plat that land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert
to abutting properties.
D.
Treatment of streets.
(1)
In residential areas. Where a subdivision abuts or contains existing
or proposed commercial or business streets, the Planning Board may
require treatments as may be necessary (desirable) for adequate protection
of residential properties and to afford separation of through and
local traffic.
(2)
In business areas. In areas zoned or designated as MU-1 or MU-2,
the Planning Board may require that the street width be increased
or that a service road be constructed, 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
area. The Planning Board may reject a plat plan on the basis that
the projected increase in traffic would make the existing roadway
inadequate.
E.
Dead-end streets. Permanent dead-end streets shall normally not exceed
1,200 feet in length in order to provide convenience of traffic movement
and facilitate more effective police and fire protection. A depth
suitable for an adequate building lot may be required to be retained
between the terminus of the road and adjoining property. The Planning
Board may require the reservation of a twenty-foot-wide easement through
this property to facilitate pedestrian traffic or utilities. No permanent
dead-end streets may be constructed having more than 20 building lots.
A circular turnaround with a minimum right-of-way radius of 60 feet
and a pavement radius of 50 feet shall be provided at the end of permanent
dead-end streets.
F.
Street names; new addresses. All streets shall be named, and such
names shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board. Names
shall be sufficiently different in sound and spelling from other street
names in the Town to avoid confusion. A street which is a continuation
of an existing street shall bear the same name. As general policy,
the use of personal names for new roads is discouraged. Historical
names are preferred or names appropriate to the particular development
or general neighborhood. New addresses shall be obtained from the
Town Assessor.
G.
Intersections.
(1)
Design. Intersections of commercial or business streets by other
streets shall be at least 800 feet apart. Cross-street (four-cornered)
intersections shall be avoided, except at important traffic intersections.
A distance of at least 150 feet shall be maintained between offset
intersections. Within 40 feet of an intersection, streets shall be
approximately at right angles, and grades shall be limited to 1 1/2%.
All street intersection corners shall be rounded by curves of at least
25 feet in radius at the property line.
(2)
Visibility. Within the triangular area formed at corners by the intersecting street pavement lines, for a distance of 75 feet from their intersection and diagonal connecting the end points of these lines, visibility for traffic safety shall be provided by excavating, if necessary. Nothing in the way of fences, walls, hedges or other landscaping shall be permitted to obstruct such visibility. An easement for the enforcement of this provision shall be granted by the owner of the street and notation to this effect made on the subdivision plat. [See § 350-19D(19)(c)].
H.
Provision for future resubdivision. Where a tract is subdivided into
larger parcels than ordinary building lots, such parcels shall be
arranged to allow the provision of future streets and logical further
subdivision.
I.
Design standards. Note: Design standards will vary considerably from
one community to another because of differences in topography, density
of development, and desired character. For example, in rural areas,
parking for guests will normally be provided on each individual property,
and therefore a pavement width of 20 feet should suffice. In more
densely populated areas, guest parking is generally in the street,
and therefore the pavement should be wider. If paths were to be developed
for walking or bicycling, the pavement might be narrower than if pedestrian
movement were not separated. Therefore, there is no model which can
be adapted to all circumstances. These details should be decided upon
by the Planning Board after consulting with the Town Board, the Town
Highway Department, and the Town Engineer, engineering consultant
or other authorized person. Factors to be considered are:
(1)
Different standards for different types of streets: for example,
commercial or business, local, and minor streets.
(2)
Minimum width of streets: no less than 50 feet, 60 feet or more for
local, commercial or business roads.
(3)
Minimum width of pavement: The standard to be used is nine to ten-foot
lanes for moving traffic, except for commercial or business streets,
and eight-foot lanes for parking.
(4)
Minimum radius of horizontal curves: The standard to be used is 400
feet on commercial or business roads, 200 feet on local, 100 feet
on minor streets, measured at the center line.
(5)
Minimum length of vertical curves: The standard to be used is 300
feet on a commercial or business streets, 200 feet on a local but
not less than 40 feet for each one-percent algebraic difference in
grade, 100 feet but not less than 20 feet for each one-percent algebraic
difference in grade for a minor street.
(6)
Minimum length of tangents between reverse curves: The standard to
be used is 300 feet on a commercial or business streets, 200 feet
on a local, 100 feet on a minor street.
(7)
Maximum grade: The standard to be used is no more than 10% for minor
streets; 6% to 8% for others.
(8)
Minimum grade: The standard to be used is 1% to assure proper drainage.
(9)
Minimum sight distance: should be no less than 150 feet for minor
streets.
Block dimensions shall not be less than 1,200 feet nor more
than 1,200 feet in length. In general, block width should not be less
than twice the normal lot depth. In blocks longer than 1,200 feet,
the Planning Board may require the establishment of easements or public
ways through the block to accommodate utilities or pedestrian access.
B.
Side lot lines. Side lot lines shall be at right angles to street
lines unless a variation from this rule will give, for good reason
shown, a better street or lot plan. Lot lines shall coincide with
municipal boundaries rather than cross them.
C.
Access from commercial or business streets. Lots shall not have their vehicular access from a commercial or business street, except for good cause shown. Where driveway access from a commercial or business street may be necessary for several adjoining lots, the Planning Board may, except for good cause shown, require that such lots be served by a combined access drive in order to limit possible traffic hazards on such street. (See § 350-11C, Maintenance of roads and other facilities, and § 350-13D, Treatment of streets.)
D.
Access across watercourse. Where a watercourse separates the buildable
area of a lot from street, provision shall be made for the installation
of a culvert or other structure, of a design approved by the Town
Engineer or other authorized person.
E.
Water bodies. If a tract being subdivided contains a water body or
portion thereof, lot lines shall be so drawn as to distribute the
ownership of the water body among the fees of the adjacent lots. The
Planning Board may approve an alternate plan whereby the ownership
of and responsibility for safe maintenance of the water body is so
placed that it will not become a Town responsibility. No more than
25% of the minimum lot area required under zoning regulations, if
such exist, may be satisfied by land under water.
A.
General requirements. In accordance with § 277 of the Town
Law, the Planning Board may require either the reservation of land
for park or recreational purpose or payment of a fee to a trust fund
to be used for recreation purposes in the area of the subdivision.
(1)
Reservation of land. The Planning Board may require the reservation
of land for a park or recreational purposes to be reserved on the
plat, but in no case to be more than 10% of the gross area of the
subdivision. The location of such reservation shall be in accordance
with the Town Development Plan or Official Map, if such exist, or
otherwise where the Planning Board shall deem such reservation to
be appropriate. In general, such reservations should have an area
of at least two acres and have adequate street access.
(2)
Payment of money in lieu of land. Where the Planning Board determines
that a suitable park or parks of adequate size cannot be properly
located in any such plat or are otherwise not practical, the Planning
Board may waive the requirement of land reservation, on the condition
that the subdivider deposit a cash payment with the Town Clerk in
lieu of land reservation. Such payment shall be placed in a trust
fund to be used exclusively for the purchase and development of neighborhood
sites for parks, playgrounds, or other recreational purposes. The
amount of such payment shall be 10% of the individual lot value for
each lot approved on the plat.
B.
Widening or realignment of existing streets. Where the subdivision
borders an existing street and additional land is required for realignment
or widening of such street as indicated on the Official Map or Town
Development Plan, if such exist, or where the Planning Board deems
such reservation necessary, the Planning Board may require that such
areas be indicated on the plat and marked "Reserved for Street Realignment
(or Widening) Purposes."
C.
Easements for utilities and drainage. Where topography or other conditions
are such as to make impractical the inclusion of utilities or drainage
facilities within street rights-of-way, perpetual unobstructed easements
at least 20 feet in width for such utilities shall be provided across
property outside the street lines and with satisfactory access to
the street. Such easements shall be centered on rear or side lot lines.
D.
Easements for pedestrian access. The Planning Board may require,
in order to facilitate pedestrian access from streets to schools,
parks, playgrounds, or other nearby streets, perpetual unobstructed
easements at least 20 feet in width.
E.
Easements for maintenance of slopes. Where steep slopes beyond the
street right-of-way may require maintenance, an easement may be required
for such purpose.
F.
Responsibility for ownership of reservations. Title to all reservations,
if vested in interests other than the subdivider, shall be clearly
indicated on the plat.
G.
Improvements.
(1)
Monuments and markers. Permanent monuments shall be placed at all
block corners, angle points, points of curvature and points of tangency
in streets and intermediate points as required by the Town Engineer
or other authorized person. In no case shall there be fewer than four
permanent monuments per block. Monuments shall be set so as to prevent
movement by frost upheaval and other pressures. Markers of a material,
size, and length suitable to the Town Engineer or other authorized
person shall be placed at all points where road lines intersect plat
boundaries and at all lot corners.
(2)
Street improvements. Streets shall be graded and improved with pavement,
street signs, sidewalks, streetlighting standards, curbs, gutters,
street trees, water mains, sanitary sewers, storm drains, and fire
hydrants, except where waivers may be requested, and the Planning
Board may waive, subject to appropriate conditions, such improvements
as it considers are not requisite in the interest of the public health,
safety and general welfare or may result in unnecessary hardship.
If underground utilities are required by the Planning Board, they
shall be placed between the paved roadway and street right-of-way
line, where possible, to simplify location and repair of the lines.
The subdivider shall install underground service connections to the
property line of each lot before the street is paved. Such grading
and improvements shall be approved as to design and specifications
by the Town Engineer or other authorized person, who shall require
that all pertinent Town standards and specifications shall be met.
(3)
Water and sewerage facilities. All facilities for water and sewerage
must meet all Ulster County Board of Health requirements.
(4)
Storm drainage facilities. Storm drainage facilities shall provide
a clear and protected channel fully adequate to handle runoff from
a five-year storm and designed so that heavy runoffs which exceed
the capacity of the channels can be handled with least possible damage
to improvements and structures.
(5)
Public utilities. The Planning Board may accept assurance from each
public utility company whose facilities are proposed to be installed.
Such assurance shall be in writing, addressed to the Planning Board,
stating that such public utility company will make the installations
necessary for the furnishing of its services within a specified time,
in accordance with the approved subdivision plat.
