A definitive subdivision plan shall conform to all of the following design standards requirements, unless an express, written waiver is granted by the Planning Board under MGL c. 41, § 81R.
All streets shall be designed and located so as to be continuous and in alignment with existing streets and with other proposed streets and so as to provide adequate access to all lots in the subdivision via ways that are safe and convenient for travel and so as to satisfy all of the purposes set forth under MGL c. 41, § 81M. No grant of approval for any definitive subdivision shall occur unless the Planning Board first determines that the adjacent private and public ways to which the subdivision streets are proposed to connect will provide adequate access that is safe and convenient for travel and satisfy all of the purposes set forth under MGL c. 41, § 81M, and § 302-3.11.
A. 
General. Streets shall be designed and constructed so as to be continuous, of uniform width, and in alignment with existing streets and shall conform to the following specific requirements.
B. 
Typical street cross section. Street and roadway construction shall conform to the typical street cross sections and details shown in Appendices II and II to the Regulations, which shall be considered part of the Regulations.
C. 
Street width of right-of-way. The minimum width of a street right-of-way shall be 50 feet. A greater width may be required for streets that serve commercial or industrial uses. Width of street right-of-way within an industrial park or area shall be 70 feet.
D. 
Street width of pavement. Streets shall be constructed in the manner described herein with a minimum paved surface width of 26 feet for all residential streets and a minimum paved surface width of 40 feet for all commercial and industrial streets. Each street shall be constructed on the center line of the way. The Planning Board may require, for commercial and industrial development, that the traveled way shall be separated by a raised median strip with a width to be determined by the Planning Board. In this case, the traveled way shall consist of two roadways each with a minimum width of 20 feet or such greater width as the Planning Board may specify.
E. 
Projection of streets and easements. Provision satisfactory to the Planning Board shall be made for the proper projection of streets or for access to adjoining property that is not yet subdivided, including a condition that such a through connection shall not occur without further subdivision approval, including modification of the original subdivision. If such a projection is required, then, except as otherwise provided by law, projection of streets shall be included within the street layout and provision made to deed an easement interest to the Town at the time of street acceptance although not constructed. (See Appendix VI.) Sufficient easements for construction of the way(s) shall be included in the plans and deeds for abutting lots. Easements shall be located to the property boundary for future utility connections, water main looping, etc., to the satisfaction of the Planning Board and applicable utility purveyors. Alignment for roadways across the street shall be provided.
F. 
Reserve strips prohibited. Reserve strips prohibiting access to streets or adjoining property shall not be permitted except where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, such strips shall be in the public interest.
G. 
Street intersection design. Street intersections shall be laid out either directly opposite one another or be separated by a minimum offset of 200 feet from center line to center line, unless otherwise specified by the Planning Board. Streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. No street shall intersect any other street at less than 60°. Street intersections on the same side of the roadway shall be separated by a minimum of 350 feet from center line to center line.
H. 
Driveway intersections. The center line of new subdivision way intersections shall be separated from all existing and proposed driveways (both within and outside of the subdivision) by a minimum of 75 feet.
I. 
Curb radius. Street right-of-way lines at intersections shall have a minimum curb radius of not less than 30 feet. Where the angle of intersection between two streets varies more than 10° from a right angle, the radius of the curve at the gutter line curblines at the obtuse angle shall be less and at the acute angle shall be correspondingly greater than the radius specified herein to the extent approved by the Planning Board.
J. 
Minimum center line radii. The minimum center line radii of curved streets shall be 150 feet for minor streets, 500 feet for secondary streets and 1,000 feet for major streets. All curved streets shall be designed to ensure safe vehicular travel.
K. 
Minimum length of tangent between reverse curbs. The minimum length of the tangent between reverse curves shall not be less than 100 feet radii.
L. 
Minimum center-line grade. The center-line grade of any street shall not be less than 1%.
M. 
Maximum center-line grade. The maximum center-line grade shall not exceed 6%.
N. 
Vertical curves. All changes in grade exceeding 0.5% shall be connected by vertical curves of sufficient length to afford a sight distance of 200 feet. For purpose of design calculations a minimum K value of 30 on a crest curve and 35 on a sag curve shall be provided.
O. 
Leveling area and maximum gradient at intersections. A profile shall be provided for a distance of 200 feet on each side of layout lines. Where the gradient of any street is 5% or greater within 150 feet of the intersection of street right-of-way lines, a leveling area of at least 75 feet with a maximum gradient of 3% shall be provided. No street shall intersect another street at a gradient in excess of 3%.
P. 
Maximum gradient on curves. No center-line gradient shall exceed 6% on any curve.
Q. 
Maximum gradient on dead-ends. No center-line gradient shall exceed 6% within 500 feet of a dead end.
R. 
Retaining walls, guard fences and slopes. Whenever the approved street grade differs substantially from the grade of adjacent land, or where otherwise determined by the Planning Board to be reasonably necessary for public safety, the applicant shall be required to erect retaining walls and guardrail fences or provide slopes with proper plantings to retain the slope, not steeper than 3:1. The Planning Board shall approve the type and dimensions of such retaining walls, fences or slopes and all work shall conform to the standard specifications of the Town of Norwell. Construction of retaining walls shall conform to the standards established by the Massachusetts Highway Department. No work shall be performed in the right-of-way to a public way other than to tie the pavement of a new subdivision way into the public way at grade level without obtaining the necessary easement interest to do so from Town Meeting. No work shall be performed in the right of to a private way other than to tie the pavement of a new subdivision way into the private way at grade level without providing evidence of the legal right to do so.
S. 
Shoulders. Improved shoulders shall slope toward the paved surface at 1 1/2% slope. They shall be covered with six inches of loam and shall be raked, seeded and rolled. Deviation from the above shall occur only with the written approval of the Planning Board. Improved shoulders on all roads shall be a minimum of four feet wide. In the event that the sidewalk requirement is waived, the improved shoulder shall be a minimum of five feet in width.
T. 
Curbs/berms.
(1) 
Curbing or berming shall be required throughout the subdivision. Granite curbing or Cape Cod berm shall be installed at such points as required by the Planning Board. Vertical granite curbing shall be required at all street corners along the circumference of the roadway for the full length of the rounded curve plus a straight section at each end of the curve for at least six feet in length. Vertical granite curbing may also be required on both sides of streets where the grade exceeds 3%. Additional areas may require vertical granite curbing if, in the opinion of the Planning Board, it would contribute to the proper control of drainage, traffic or pedestrian safety. Driveway cuts shall be at least eight feet wide and have a curb return at the roadway of three feet in radius. Vertical granite curbing shall be installed at the edge of the pavement wherever the street side line is laid out on a curve of 60 feet or less radius and at all drain catch basin inlets as specified in Appendix II. Sloped granite curbing shall be allowed for cul-de-sac islands.
(2) 
Granite curbing shall be cut to the following dimensions:
(a) 
Minimum length: six feet.
(b) 
Width at top: six inches.
(c) 
Depth: 17 inches to 19 inches.
(d) 
Minimum width at bottom: four inches.
(e) 
Projection above pavement: seven inches.
U. 
Way lines parallel. Way lines shall be parallel.
V. 
Free flow of traffic. At principal intersections, extra space shall be required to allow for traffic circles and other devices to expedite the free flow of traffic and to provide for adequate sight distance at the proposed curb cut.
W. 
Traffic standard. New development shall be permitted only when the projected traffic that would be generated by the proposed development can be accommodated either by existing roadway capacity or proposed improvements that will ensure public safety.
X. 
Extension of streets. Subdivision streets shall be laid out so as to safely connect to existing ways. No subdivision shall be approved unless the proposed streets connect to and are accessible from a public way or a private way that is open and dedicated to public use, having in the opinion of the Planning Board adequate construction, width and grades.
Y. 
Intersection sight distance. Adequate sight distance shall be provided at all intersections with existing and proposed roadways and as set forth below.
(1) 
Required stopping distance. The required stopping sight distance shall be calculated under the stopping sight distance of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 2001, 4th edition, based on the 85th percentile speed of the major roadway. The 85th percentile speed shall be determined from an acceptable engineering speed study with a minimum of 20 speed observations in each direction.
(2) 
Calculation of sight distance. Available intersection sight distance shall be measured a minimum of 15 feet from the edge of pavement along the center line of the proposed roadway. For all calculations, the height of the driver's eye shall be considered to be 3.75 feet above the road surface and the height of the object shall be considered to be 0.50 foot above the road surface in accordance with AASHTO policy.
(3) 
Required plan details to allow sight distance evaluation. The definitive plan shall detail existing trees (of a caliper greater than six inches), stone walls, fences, topography, driveways and streets within 350 feet and pavement limits so as to allow the Planning Board's technical consultant to adequately evaluate intersection sight distance. The definitive plan shall include the measured sight distance triangles and any applicable approach grades. Sufficient sight easements shall be provided before a plan is approved.
A dead-end street shall mean any street that is closed to through traffic at one end and shall adhere to the following requirements:
A. 
Maximum length of dead-end streets. No dead-end street shall exceed 550 feet in length. The length of a dead-end street shall be measured from the center line of the nearest intersecting through street to the end of the subdivision way. A cul-de-sac shall be deemed a dead-end street. A hammerhead or T-shaped arrangement of streets shall not be considered an "intersecting through street" for purposes of this section.
B. 
Turnaround dimensions. A dead-end street shall be designed and constructed with a turnaround at the closed end that has an outside roadway diameter of at least 100 feet and a property line diameter of at least 124 feet. A fifty-foot minimum island diameter shall be provided in the center of the turnaround.
C. 
Fire lane. A dead-end street having in the opinion of the Planning Board a potential hazard to public safety shall have a fire lane easement for the travel of emergency vehicles connecting the dead-end street with the nearest possible way in existence. The fire lane shall be kept clear of all obstructions and shall be properly graded for its intended use.
D. 
Grade. The last 100 feet of a dead-end street shall not have a grade greater than 3%.
E. 
Termination of dead-end turnaround. Upon construction of an extension to a dead-end street that makes it a through way, the easement for the existing turnaround shall terminate and the turnaround shall be removed by the applicant extending the street as a condition of subdivision approval.
All drainage systems, including but not limited to storm drains, culverts, swales, paved waterways, ditches, ponds, basins, check dams, drainage systems, and related construction, grading and installation, including but not limited to riprap, forebays, catch basins, gutters, manholes and drainpipes, shall be designed, installed, maintained and replaced in accordance with the Regulations herein and the regulations of the Permanent Drainage Committee in effect at the date of the adoption of the Regulations as revised through November 1970 and printed in Chapter 308 of the Town Code in order to provide adequate disposal of surface and subsurface water, including control of erosion, flooding, and standing water from or in the subdivision and adjacent land. All drainage systems shall adhere to the standards set forth below.
A. 
General.
(1) 
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection stormwater standards. All stormwater management systems shall be designed to meet the performance standards of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, known as Stormwater Phase II, as in effect on June 15, 2006, except as set forth below.
(2) 
American Society of Civil Engineers standards. All stormwater management systems shall be designed to be consistent with the most recent technical references published by the American Society of Civil Engineers, as of June 15, 2006, as applicable. The design of every stormwater management system shall demonstrate that no increase in off-site runoff rate or flooding for the one-, two-, ten-, twenty-five- and one-hundred-year storm events shall occur. Every stormwater management system shall demonstrate that it shall provide 80% total suspended solids (TSS) removal in a ten-year storm event.
(3) 
Hydrologic design: Cornell stormwater standard, not TP40. Hydrologic designs shall be based on NRCS TR55 and TR20 methodology, except that the Northeast Regional Climate Center's Atlas of Precipitation Extremes for the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada, Publication No. RR 93-5 (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, September 1993) (the "Cornell Standard") shall be used for rainfall, not the Technical Paper 40 Standard ("TP40").
(4) 
Emergency overflow requirements for systems that use infiltration. All stormwater management systems which are designed to rely upon infiltration shall be designed to provide safe and controlled emergency overflow in a one-hundred-year storm event, as defined under the Cornell Standard, when Antecedent Moisture Condition III (i.e., saturated surface and groundwater conditions) exists. Safe and controlled emergency overflow shall mean that no increase in off-site runoff rate or flooding shall occur, post-construction.
B. 
Data submission. An applicant shall provide four copies of the following data to the Planning Board and to the Permanent Drainage Committee to allow the Planning Board's engineer and the Permanent Drainage Committee to evaluate the proposed stormwater runoff designs:
(1) 
Subarea delineation at a minimum scale of one inch equals 100 feet. A minimum scale of one inch equals 40 feet shall be required for smaller sites or if plans are unclear at one inch equals 100 feet.
(2) 
The subarea plan shall include any off-site area which flows onto the site and shall include a downstream area to a defined control point.
(3) 
Pre- and post-construction cover types shall be identified on the subarea plan.
(4) 
Post-construction site design shall be indicated on the post-construction subarea plan.
(5) 
The plan shall indicate conceptual proposed buildings, drives, grading, clearing limits, etc., for the maximum buildout of the lots.
(6) 
Test pit logs and test pit locations shall be provided.
(7) 
Test pits shall be required at the location of stormwater management systems to determine seasonal high groundwater and soil type.
(8) 
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil types shall be identified on the subarea plan.
(9) 
Soil type divides shall be modified if appropriate based on actual field test data.
(10) 
Pre- and post-development runoff flow paths and control points shall be indicated on the subarea plans.
(11) 
Drainage reports shall be provided as follows:
(a) 
Reports shall be bound and clearly present all assumptions used to develop the data together with final results.
(b) 
References used to develop the report and justify assumptions used shall be included in the report.
(c) 
Runoff hydrographs together with input data shall be provided for both pre- and post-construction.
(d) 
Routing hydrographs with all structure data (i.e., stage, storage and discharge) shall be provided to justify the assumptions for structures.
(e) 
A summary table indicating pre- and post-development peak discharge rates and total volume of runoff at each control point and flood elevations as applicable shall be included in the report.
(f) 
Total suspended solids (TSS) form.
(12) 
Eight copies of the proposed operations and maintenance plan for the proposed stormwater drainage system shall be provided by the applicant with the drainage report.
C. 
Minimum design criteria for stormwater basins. The minimum design and construction requirements for stormwater basins shall be as follows:
(1) 
Side slopes for stormwater basins shall be constructed with 4:1 side slopes per ASCE Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Management.
(2) 
No subsurface infiltration systems shall be allowed.
(3) 
The top of the berm width shall be eight feet per ASCE Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Management.
(4) 
Clogging protection. Trash grates per ASCE Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Management shall be used and no outlet smaller than two inches shall be used.
(5) 
Maximum depth in a two-year storm event shall not exceed two feet.
(6) 
Maximum depth in a one-hundred-year storm event shall not exceed four feet.
(7) 
Berms shall be built into natural landscape if possible and as much as possible.
(8) 
Excavation shall be prohibited if the water table is within two feet of existing grade.
(9) 
An interim as-built of drainage system, including basins, shall be completed prior to the subbase for the roadway being laid.
D. 
Minimum design criteria for drainage pipes. The minimum design and construction requirements for drainage pipes shall be as follows:
(1) 
Cover. Shall be a minimum of 2.5 feet and have a maximum depth of eight feet.
(2) 
Slope. Shall have a minimum slope of 0.5% and not exceed a maximum velocity of 15 feet per second.
(3) 
Design calculations. No surcharge in system shall be allowed.
(4) 
Downstream system determination shall be made and reviewed and approved by the Planning Board's engineer. If the downstream system is inadequate to handle the proposed runoff or the existing runoff, the system shall be upgraded.
(5) 
Minimum actual velocity in trunk lines shall be two feet per second.
(6) 
Maximum actual velocity in pipes shall not exceed 12 feet per second.
E. 
Drainage easements. Easements for all surface and subsurface drainage structures shall be provided, as necessary and in a form that is acceptable to the Planning Board in consultation with Town Counsel, and shall be recorded prior to or simultaneously with the endorsed definitive plan to ensure that individual lot owners shall properly maintain or allow proper maintenance, repair and replacement of said structures and shall run to a homeowners' association.
F. 
Homeowners' association required to own, maintain, repair and replace drainage systems. If any drainage structures are to be installed within the subdivision, then a homeowners' association shall be created and satisfy the following minimum requirements:
(1) 
Membership shall be mandatory. All owners of land within the subdivision shall be required to be members as a condition of subdivision approval.
(2) 
Ownership of drainage improvements. The homeowners' association shall be the owner of the drainage structures and shall hold all of the necessary easements and fees to all of the drainage structures, including detention basins or ponds, retention basins or ponds, combination detention/retention basins or ponds, catch basins, pipes, swales, berms, riprap, check dams, drainage catchment areas and other drainage structures and equipment, and to all areas that must be used to access the drainage systems and equipment to effect maintenance, repairs and replacement.
(3) 
Management of drainage. The homeowners' association shall be responsible for repairing, maintaining and replacing the drainage systems within a subdivision. As a condition of approval, the homeowners' association, in the opinion of the Planning Board, shall be sufficiently funded initially and then require monthly or yearly funding by individual lot owners to allow for sufficient funding of initial and projected repair, maintenance and replacement costs.
(4) 
Status reports. The homeowners' association shall be responsible for writing to the individual lot owners twice per year to provide a report on the status of drainage funding, including: the yearly cost of drainage maintenance and repairs for that calendar year; the yearly cost of drainage maintenance and repairs projected for the following 10 calendar years; and the projected date for replacement of drainage systems and the projected cost of the same. In addition, at the same time, the homeowners' association shall write to the individual lot owners and remind the individual lots owners of any obligations that the owners may have to maintain drainage swales or berms or other structures located on their individual lots, whether by periodic mowing or clean outs and by not planting trees and other landscaping in drainage swales. Individual lot owners shall also be instructed as to best management practices that require the subdivision streets to be maintained in a clear, swept condition to avoid damage to drainage structures.
(5) 
Installation. Installation of drainage shall be under the supervision of the Planning Board engineer.
(6) 
Gas and sand traps. Gas and sand traps shall be required by the Planning Board to prevent pollution of ponds, lakes, rivers, and/or streams.
G. 
Excavation. No excavation or removal of gravel, topsoil, or other matter shall take place within a subdivision except:
(1) 
Within the right-of-way for normal roadway construction.
(2) 
For the digging of a cellar hole, water well, or trench for normal utility installation.
(3) 
Normal grading and filling around the houses to beautify the lot or to satisfy Board of Health requirements.
H. 
Gravel removal permit. No gravel or other earth materials shall be removed from any site without a gravel removal permit under Chapter 62, Soil, Loam, Sand or Gravel Removal, except as specified in Chapter 62.
An adequate supply of water, via water mains and related equipment such as hydrants, main shutoff valves and other fittings, shall be installed in all streets within the subdivision as necessary to provide adequate water supply for domestic use and fire protection.
A. 
Connection to public water system. Proper connections shall be made with the existing public water system whenever available. Where a public water system is not reasonably accessible, the applicant shall install water mains and hydrants or provide easements to allow for future connections, at the Planning Board's election.
B. 
Design and installation. The design and installation of the water system shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Board of Water Commissioners of the Town of Norwell, as revised through November 1970 and printed in Chapter 305 of the Town Code. In no case shall a water main be within three feet of a catch basin.
C. 
Fire Chief approval. The hydrant locations shall be approved by the Norwell Fire Chief prior to approval of the definitive plan.
D. 
Dead-end water mains. Dead-end water mains shall be avoided and all water mains shall be looped to eliminate standing water, except upon the express written recommendation of the Board of Water Commissioners. Easements for future extension or looping of the water system shall be provided, except upon the express written recommendation of the Board of Water Commissioners.
E. 
Supervision of installation. Installation of water mains shall be under the supervision of the Board of Water Commissioners.
All other utilities shall conform to the following requirements:
A. 
Utilities shall be underground. Utility poles, aboveground wires and guy wires shall not be permitted in subdivisions. All utilities, including but not limited to waterlines, drainage, fire alarm, electricity, gas, computer cables, telephone and cable television, shall be installed underground, including service to the individual dwellings. Placement of utilities in streets and roadways shall be installed as shown on the typical street cross sections set forth in Appendix II. The location of transformers, switches, and other such equipment shall be approved by the Planning Board and shown on the definitive plan.
B. 
Primary and secondary electric lines. Primary and secondary lines shall run on the same side of the road. All road crossings shall be in conduit and shall be perpendicular to the road center line at that point. Location of telephone cables and primary and secondary power lines shall be approved by the Wiring Inspector and a copy of the definitive plan so endorsed and provided to the Planning Board.
C. 
Warning strips. All electrical cable shall be protected with a safety located strip or warning tape.
D. 
Gas pressure reducers and meters. If a dwelling is served by gas, then pressure reducers and meters shall be installed outside the dwelling. A dresser-type connection shall be placed in the gas line outside of the dwelling, but within six feet of it.
E. 
Standards. Minimum standards for installation of utilities shall be those prescribed by nationally recognized authorities such as the National Electric Corporation (NEC), American Water Works Association (AWWA), and American Gas Association (AGA). Requirements of local inspectors, if more strict than the aforementioned sources, shall prevail.
F. 
Installation and inspection. Installation and inspection of all underground utilities shall be performed and written approval obtained before construction of the roadway base course begins.
The necessary easements to support utilities that are to be installed in a subdivision shall be provided as follows:
A. 
Location. Easements shall not be permitted to straddle lot lines but should be located along the lines.
B. 
Width. Easements shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width.
C. 
Recording. Easements shall be recorded before deeds for individual lots are conveyed and shall run initially to the homeowners' association and then be conveyed to lot owners as necessary.
D. 
Watercourses and drainageways. Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway, channel or stream, the applicant shall provide to the homeowners' association a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way of adequate width to conform substantially to the lines of such watercourse, drainageway, channel or stream and to provide for construction or other necessary activities. The necessary fee and easement interests in drainage structures shall be conveyed to and held by the homeowners' association. Large drainage structures such as detention or retention basins or ponds shall be segregated on separate parcels that are owned by the homeowners' association.
E. 
Easements for maintenance. Adequate easements for the maintenance of slopes, bodies of water or land-locked areas shall be provided to allow for mowing, tree maintenance and other landscaping needs and mosquito and pest control.
A. 
Streetlights shall be provided by the applicant at street intersections, dead-ends or turnarounds and at all vertical and/or horizontal curves as may be required by the Planning Board.
B. 
Streetlight standard. Streetlights shall be Town and Country luminaire lights, or equivalent, mounted on wood laminated poles with extension and decorative fixture, unless otherwise approved by the Planning Board. All lighting shall be controlled so as to be directed down and prevent light pollution.
Sidewalks and plantings shall be required in all subdivisions on both sides of every subdivision way as follows:
A. 
Sidewalks. Sidewalks shall be a minimum of five feet wide and located along the side line of the roadway layout in such a manner as to blend in with the natural land features and terrain. The areas between the sidewalk and the road surface shall be finished as directed by the Planning Board so as to maintain a natural appearance.
B. 
Pedestrianways/walkways. Pedestrianways or walkways shall be provided to allow convenient circulation or access within the subdivision to area schools, playgrounds, shopping, churches, transportation, parks, conservation areas and/or other facilities. An easement of proper width and length shall be provided.
C. 
Construction requirements. Construction shall consist of 12 inches of gravel that is consistent with the roadway cross section and, after having been brought to subgrade by the necessary excavation and filling, shall receive two inches, compacted depth, of approved bituminous concrete. The areas between the sidewalk and the roadway, if to be loamed, shall have at least six inches of screened loam. The loam shall be spread to grade, seeded and rolled. Once gravel is laid for a sidewalk it shall remain undisturbed, (i.e., utility crossings should be installed prior to laying of subbase). Sidewalk construction shall be inspected by the Planning Board's engineer at each stage of construction.
D. 
Sidewalks along existing highways. Sidewalk construction shall be required along existing highways when adjacent land is subdivided.
E. 
Trees and plantings. Existing trees and shrubs, and the limbs of existing trees and shrubs, standing within the limits of any proposed way or public way, which, because of their location, species and/or condition, are suitable for preservation shall be shown on the definitive plan and shall be preserved by the applicant, provided that to do so shall not interfere with installation and future maintenance of underground utilities. Furthermore, all sight line requirements shall prevail over preservation of existing trees and vegetation. The definitive plan shall adhere to the following requirements:
(1) 
Trees shall be planted by the applicant along subdivision streets at intervals of 50 feet, subject to the location of proposed driveways, street intersections or other features of the subdivision, and shall be planted so that they will not interfere as they grow with proposed utility services and sidewalk construction.
(2) 
New trees shall be nursery grown and comply with the Association of American Nurseries specifications and be at least three inches in caliper.
(3) 
The preservation of existing trees and the varieties of new trees for planting shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board which shall be guided by the recommendations of the Town's Director of Lands and Natural Resources as to the number, location, condition and species of such trees and under Appendix III, Detail B.
(4) 
No tree shall be allowed within four feet of the edge of pavement for a way, nor shall a tree be allowed within five feet from the edge of an underground utility that exists or is to be installed.
(5) 
The applicant shall show on the definitive plan the placement and type of trees to be preserved and planted as set forth in this section of the Regulations and under Appendix III, Detail B.
F. 
Grass plots and slopes. Embankments outside the shoulders shall be evenly graded and pitched at a rate not steeper than 3:1. The Planning Board may require such banks and all other disturbed areas adjacent to the traveled way to be loamed and seeded with grass. It is recommended that consideration be given to the surrounding growth and terrain. Roadsides should be made to blend with the woods or natural surroundings that exist and plantings in such areas should be chosen accordingly.
G. 
Parks and open spaces. Before approval of a definitive plan, the Planning Board may also, in proper cases, under MGL c. 41, § 81U, Paragraph 13, require that the plan show a park or parks suitably located for playground or recreation purposes or for providing light and air. The park or parks shall not be unreasonable in area in relation to the land being subdivided and the prospective uses of such land. The Planning Board may, by appropriate endorsement on the plan, require that no buildings be erected upon such park or parks without its approval for a period of not more than three years. Such action is to be taken in accordance with that portion of MGL c. 41, § 81Q, which states that: "No rule or regulation shall require, and no planning board shall impose, as a condition for the approval of a plan of a subdivision, that any of the land within said subdivision be dedicated to the public use, or conveyed or released to the Commonwealth or to the county, city or town in which the subdivision is located, for use as a public way, public park or playground, or for any other public purpose, without just compensation to the owner thereof."
H. 
Use of conservation grants and easements. The Planning Board encourages applicants to investigate and make use of conservation grants and easements, particularly in wet areas. Information can be obtained from the Conservation Commission.