The Planning Board in considering an application for the subdivision of land shall be guided by the policy specified in § 131-2 of Article I of these regulations and the following criteria. The subdivider shall observe the following requirements and principles of land subdivision in the design of each subdivision.
Existing natural features which would enhance the quality and value of developments, such as large trees, wooded areas, places and properties of historic and/or architectural importance, watercourses and similar irreplaceable environmental assets should be preserved insofar as is possible through careful design of the subdivision. Proposed subdivisions and their related improvements shall also be in conformance with all applicable Town laws or ordinances, including the Town of Carmel Wetlands Ordinance.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 89, Freshwater Wetlands.
A. 
Layout. The streets, drainage rights-of-way, school sites, public parks and other recreation sites shown on the Town Plan or Official Map shall be considered during the approval of a subdivision plat for an adjoining location. Where no Master Plan or Official Map exists, the street layout shall be such as to lend itself to the harmonious development of the Town of Carmel and to enhance the public safety and welfare. Streets shall be so aligned as to relate and to conform insofar as possible to the original topography of the site being subdivided. The subdivision shall be laid out so as to minimize the amount of land used for streets and the minimum number of intersections. The street layout shall be prepared to maximize the safety of the users and of the residents whose properties have access from them and to result in the maximum number of building sites at or above the grade of the street. A combination of steep grades and sharp curves shall be avoided. Minor residential streets shall be so laid out to discourage through traffic.
B. 
Continuation of streets. The arrangement of streets shall be such as to provide for the appropriate extension of existing streets and their continuation between adjacent properties for safe and convenient movement of traffic, effective access for fire trucks, ambulances or other emergency vehicles, efficient provision of utilities and general neighborhood amenities.
C. 
Intersections. Street intersections shall be as nearly at right angles (90°) as is possible and in no case less than 75°. A street approaching an intersection at an angle other than 90° shall be curved so as to be at approximately right angles for at least 100 feet therefrom. Where three or more streets intersect, a turning circle or other special treatment may be required by the Planning Board. A distance of at least 150 feet shall be maintained between center-line offset intersections. All street intersection corners shall be rounded by curves of at least 25 feet in radius at the property line.
D. 
Visibility at intersections. Within the triangular area formed at corners by the intersecting street lines, for a distance of 30 feet from their intersection and the diagonal connecting the end points of these lines, visibility for traffic safety shall be provided by excavating, if necessary. Fences, walls, signs, hedges, trees or other landscaping shall not be permitted to obstruct such visibility.
E. 
Permanent dead-end streets (culs-de-sac). Where a street does not extend to the boundary of the subdivision and its continuation is not needed for access to adjoining property, it shall be separate from such boundary by a distance of not less than 100 feet. Reserve strips of land shall not be left between the end of a proposed street and an adjacent piece of property; however, the Planning Board may require the reservation of a twenty-foot-wide easement to accommodate pedestrian traffic and utilities. A circular turnaround with a paved unobstructed turning diameter of at least 90 feet shall be provided at the end of a permanent dead-end street. For greater convenience to traffic and more effective police and fire protection, permanent dead-end streets shall be limited in length generally to a maximum of 2,000 feet along center line from intersection of street center lines to center of circular turnaround.
[Amended 10-6-1999 by L.L. No. 4-1999]
F. 
Temporary dead-end streets. If the adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must be a dead-end street temporarily, the right-of-way and improvements shall be extended to the property line. A temporary circular turnaround, paved to Town road standards, with a paved unobstructed turning diameter of at least 90 feet, shall be provided on all temporary dead-end streets, with the notation on the plat that land outside the street right-of-way shall revert to abutting owners when the street is continued.
[Amended 10-6-1999 by L.L. No. 4-1999]
G. 
Realignment or widening of existing streets. Where the subdivision borders an existing street, the Planning Board may require that an additional right-of-way for widening be dedicated to the appropriate municipality and the deed of dedication of the same be delivered prior to the granting of final plat approval.
H. 
Right-of-way width. The right-of-way width on all streets shall be measured from lot line to lot line and shall not be less than the following:
(1) 
Major arterial: one-hundred-foot right-of-way.
(2) 
Minor arterial: eighty-foot right-of-way.
(3) 
Collector: sixty-six-foot right-of-way.
(4) 
Residential-service: fifty-foot right-of-way.
I. 
Grades of arterial and collector streets. Grades shall not exceed 6% and on other streets shall not exceed 10%. No street shall have a minimum grade of less than 1%.
J. 
A tangent at least 100 feet long shall be introduced between reverse curves on arterial and collector streets.
K. 
When connecting street lines deflect from each other at any one point by more than 10° and not more than 45°, they shall be connected by a curb with a radius of not less than 100 feet for residential-service streets and 300 feet for arterial and collector streets.
L. 
All changes in grade where the grade is 1% or greater shall be connected by vertical curves of sufficient radius to provide sight distance. Sight distance shall be at least 500 feet for arterial and collector streets and 200 feet for residential-service streets.
M. 
Street names. All streets shall be named, and such names shall be subject to the approval of the Town Planning Board. Names shall be sufficiently different in sound and spelling from other street names in the Town so as not to cause confusion. A mapped street which will be a continuation of an existing street shall bear the same name.
N. 
Street jogs with center-line offsets of less than 150 feet shall be prohibited.
O. 
Improvement of streets.
(1) 
Streets shall be graded and improved with pavement, street signs, sidewalks, streetlighting, curbs, gutters, trees, water mains, sanitary sewers, storm drains and fire hydrants, except where the Planning Board may waive, subject to appropriate conditions, such improvements as it considers are not requisite in the interest of public health, safety and general welfare.
(2) 
Underground utilities required by the Planning Board shall be located outside of the traveled way of a street to simplify location and repair of the lines. The subdivider shall install underground service connections, where required, to the property line of each lot before the street is paved. Where topography or other conditions are such as to make impractical the inclusion of utilities or drainage facilities within the street right-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.
(3) 
Grading and improvements shall conform to Town road specifications and shall be approved as to design and specifications by the Town Engineer.
(4) 
Standard Town road signs shall be provided by the developer and placed at all intersections in locations approved by the Superintendent of Highways, within the right-of-way.
(5) 
The Planning Board may require streetlighting; its design and location shall be subject to Planning Board approval.
(6) 
The Planning Board may require the planting of street trees in subdivisions in accordance with the Town of Carmel Tree Conservation Law.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 142, Trees.
(7) 
Where required by the Planning Board, the applicant shall install sanitary sewers and/or mains, fire hydrants and fire alarm signal devices in accordance with the regulations of the appropriate district or agency having jurisdiction.
A. 
Arrangement. The arrangement of lots shall be such that there is compliance with the applicable zoning regulations and such that there will be no foreseeable difficulties in locating a building on each lot, in providing access to said buildings on said lots and such that said lots shall be adequately drained to ensure the safety, health and general welfare of residents or other users of the subdivided land.
B. 
Access across a watercourse. Where a watercourse separates the buildable area of a lot from the access street, a culvert or other structure shall be required, of a design approved by the Town Engineer.
C. 
Lot dimensions. Lot dimensions shall comply with the minimum standards of the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Carmel.[1] Where new lots will be of a size that could enable future resubdivision, the Planning Board may require that such lots be arranged so as to allow further subdivision and the opening of future streets where they would be necessary to serve such potential lots. In such cases, the Planning Board may require a sketch layout showing such future resubdivision of the entire parcel under consideration.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 156, Zoning.
D. 
Each lot shall front on an approved street having a right-of-way of at least 50 feet in a residential subdivision.
E. 
Side lot lines. In general, side lot lines shall be at right angles to street lines.
F. 
Access from major streets. Residential lots generally shall not derive access from a major street. Where driveway access from a major street may be necessary for some lots, the Planning Board may require that such lots be served by a combined access drive in order to limit possible traffic hazards on such street.
G. 
Flag lots. Irregularly shaped lots having narrow access lanes as part of the lot shape, resembling a flag shape rather than having a more conventional design with regular dimensions, shall be prohibited unless the physical characteristics of the property make such delineation unavoidable. In such cases, the subdivider shall first submit a sketch map showing the subdivision of the entire area of the property which will be served by such access, regardless of the number of lots applied for at the time.
H. 
Dimensions of corner lots should be large enough to allow for the construction of buildings meeting the minimum front yard setback from each street.
I. 
Appropriate driveway locations shall be shown on construction plans. The maximum driveway gradient to the building site shall not exceed 15%. Driveways shall have maximum grades of 6% for 15 feet from roadways and 7% for 30 feet from the house. The Town Engineer shall require profiles and grading plans of such driveways.
[Amended 6-10-1998 by L.L. No. 4-1998]
J. 
Pedestrian crosswalks may be required by the Planning Board in long blocks. A twenty-foot wide easement shall be provided to accommodate pedestrians and/or utilities.
A. 
Parks and playgrounds.
(1) 
In subdivisions proposed for residential development, a park or parks suitably located for playgrounds or other recreational purposes may be required by the Planning Board. Park, playground or recreational land shall equal at least 10% of the area of the subdivision. The minimum area of any park shall be two acres, unless the proposed parkland is to serve as a contiguous addition to an existing park or unless a lesser area is approved by the Planning Board as appropriate for the park purposes intended. Land for a park or other recreational use shall be shown accurately, drawn to scale, on the subdivision plat and shall be of such size, location, shape, topography and general character as to be useful to satisfy the recreation purposes determined by the Planning Board. Any park shall be accessible from each lot in the subdivision by street or pedestrian easement. Proper provisions, approved by the Town Board, shall be made for permanent reservation, operation and maintenance of the park, including but not limited to one or more of the following:
(a) 
Establishment of a neighborhood association to own, operate and maintain the park.
(b) 
Conveyance to the Town of Carmel.
(c) 
Establishment of a special park district.
(d) 
Establishment of suitable restrictive covenants.
(2) 
Unless otherwise approved by the Town Board, the provisions for permanent reservation, operation and maintenance shall be completed or implemented prior to or simultaneously with filing of the plat with the County Clerk.
(3) 
Payment in lieu of reservation. If the Planning Board determines that a suitable park or other recreation facility of appropriate size, location, shape, topography or general character cannot be properly located in the subdivision or that the minimum park area of two acres equals more than 10% of the area of the subdivision or that the provision of a park in the subdivision will not be appropriate or is otherwise not practical, the subdivider shall pay to the Town a fee for each lot shown on the subdivision plat, which amount shall be determined annually by the Town Board and shall be on file in the office of the Town Clerk.
[Amended 11-26-1986]
(4) 
Alternate. In addition if a park has been provided in the subdivision but equals less than 10% of the area of the subdivision, the subdivider, in lieu of such full reservation, shall pay to the Town a fee times the number of lots by which the parkland reservation is less than 10% of the area of the subdivision. Said fee shall be established annually by the Town Board and shall be on file in the office of the Town Clerk.
[Amended 11-26-1986]
(5) 
The recording fee as outlined in this section shall be established annually by the Town Board and shall be on file in the office of the Town Clerk.
[Added 11-26-1986]
B. 
Easements for pedestrian access. The Planning Board may require perpetual unobstructed easements at least 20 feet wide in order to facilitate pedestrian access from streets to schools, parks, playgrounds or other nearby streets.
C. 
On final subdivision plats where a park or other recreation area is designated and not to be conveyed to the Town of Carmel, the following shall be endorsed:
"All conveyances to contain the following deed clause; Together with an undivided (fraction indicating one part of the total number of lots in the subdivision) interest in and to the area designated as park or recreation on said map."