[Adopted 3-8-1972 (Ch. 77 of the 1974 Township Code)]
This article shall be known as the "Road Acceptance
Ordinance of Oxford Township."
A.
Upon petition to the Township Committee by a two-thirds
majority of the owners of property fronting on an existing private
road, the Committee may elect to accept the dedication of such road
as a Township road in accordance with the provisions of this article,
provided that such request is in writing and accompanied by an agreement
to bear the cost of such improvements and other directly related costs,
such as legal and engineering fees, as are required through local
assessment, and provided further that, where abutting owners have
no interest in the road, the consent of the owner of the road must
be obtained in writing on said petition.
B.
The petition for acceptance shall include:
(1)
Signatures of the owners, together with the printed
or typed full name of each petitioner.
(2)
The petitioner's address.
(3)
The petitioner's block and lot number in accordance
with the current Tax Map of Oxford Township.
(4)
The road frontage of the petitioner's property, specified
in terms of footage.
(5)
A final plan of the survey suitable for filing and
certified by a licensed New Jersey engineer or surveyor, showing the
following:
(a)
The location of all individual lots abutting
the proposed road.
(b)
The road front footage of such lots.
(c)
The tax block and lot number.
(d)
The names of the respective owners indicated
on each lot.
(e)
The length and width of the proposed street
and rights-of-way.
(f)
The proposed name of said street.
(6)
The name and address of a person who has been designated
by the petitioners as their agent to receive notifications, communications,
etc., on their behalf from the Township Committee or Engineer.
(7)
A metes-and-bounds description of the petitioner's
property and of the total property area being dedicated for use as
a Township road.
(8)
Such other pertinent information as may be required
by either the Township Committee or Engineer.
C.
The Township Engineer shall certify that the above-referred-to
two-thirds-ownership criterion of the petitioners has been met.
D.
In the event that the two-thirds criterion is not
satisfied, the Township Committee shall take no further action until
the required number of property owners have joined in the petition
and have resubmitted it in accordance with the above procedures.
E.
If the two-thirds criterion is satisfied, the Township Engineer shall submit a report as to the condition of the street under consideration to determine if improvements thereto are necessary and, if so, a preliminary cost estimate of such improvements. If the street under consideration meets the standards set forth herein, the Township Committee shall accept the street in accordance with § 294-6 of this article. If improvements are required, they shall be borne by the owners of the property affected, as local improvements. The Township Committee shall set a meeting date with the petitioners to present the preliminary cost estimate of the Engineer, such meeting to be held within 30 days after the Engineer's report, referred to above, is received by the Township Committee.
F.
If, after two weeks from the meeting referred to in Subsection B, there still exists the two-thirds criterion, the Township Committee shall proceed as follows:
(1)
Authorize the Engineer to prepare plans and specifications.
(2)
Authorize the procurement of the necessary rights-of-way.
(3)
Appropriate the necessary moneys.
(4)
Advertise for bids, award the contracts and proceed
with construction.
(5)
Procure a project costs certificate from the Township
Engineer.
(6)
Proceed with assessment of costs for local improvements.
[Amended 10-21-1993 by Ord. No. 93-11]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any presently existing street, road, lane, alley or any other
way or means designed for vehicular traffic, however designated, not
previously intended for public use or accepted as such by the Township
Committee.
Those streets which are used primarily for access to abutting
properties and protection from through traffic.
Those streets which are used primarily for fast or heavy
traffic.
Streets which are parallel to and adjacent to major collector
streets and highways and which provide access to abutting properties
from through traffic.
Those streets which carry traffic from local streets to the
system of major collector streets, including the principal entrance
streets of a residential development.
A.
The width of the right-of-way shall be at least 80
feet on major collector streets, 60 feet on minor collector streets
and 50 feet on local or marginal-access streets.
[Amended 10-21-1993 by Ord. No. 93-11]
B.
Rights-of-way shall be fully graded for their entire
width, with all slopes being formed on the outside of the right-of-way.
No slopes shall be steeper than 3:1 horizontal to vertical.
C.
The minimum paved width shall be 40 feet for major
collector streets, 36 feet for minor collector streets and 32 feet
for local and marginal-access streets.
[Amended 10-21-1993 by Ord. No. 93-11]
D.
All street grades shall conform to the vertical alignment specifications in Chapter 298, Subdivision of Land, § 298-13B(2)(a).
[Amended 10-21-1993 by Ord. No. 93-11]
A.
All proposed streets will be provided with sufficient
catch basins, storm sewers, culverts and other drainage appurtenances
for the proper drainage of the area. The entire storm sewer installation
shall be in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the
Township Engineer. All streets and materials used shall be in accordance
with New Jersey Department of Transportation specifications and addenda
thereto.
B.
Under no condition shall drainpipes or any other pipes
with less than an eighteen-inch diameter be placed without the express
approval of the Township Engineer.
C.
Embankments shall be thoroughly compacted so that
settlement will be reduced to a minimum.
D.
The topsoil shall be stripped, and any stumps, logs
or spongy material shall be removed. All boulders shall be removed
or broken off at least six inches below the surface of the subgrade.
E.
Any proposed street which shall contain a dead end, that is, which shall stop at the property of another or terminate in such a manner as to prevent the street from being continued, shall be provided with a cul-de-sac, whose length, radius and other characteristics shall conform to Chapter 298, Subdivision of Land, § 298-12C(6).
[Amended 10-21-1993 by Ord. No. 93-11]
F.
Guardrails will be installed at locations recommended
by the Township Engineer and deemed necessary by the Township Committee.
G.
All streets as shown on the approved map shall be
fully curbed. All curbing shall be constructed of concrete. Belgian
block may be used; however, the design must be approved by the Engineer.
Minimum size blocks shall be four inches by four inches by 10 inches
in length. This shall include any short or stub streets to the outside
tract line.
H.
Pavement specifications. The construction of pavements
shall be divided into three separate parts.
(1)
Subgrade.
(a)
Subgrade shall include the preparation of the
surface upon which pavements are to be constructed.
(b)
Method of construction.
[1]
The subgrade shall be prepared after the underlying
drains and other subsurface structures have been placed and the backfill
therefor has been properly consolidated.
[2]
The subgrade shall not be prepared during freezing
weather, when frozen nor when it is unstable because of excessive
moisture.
[3]
When finished, the subgrade shall be at the
proper grade and contour, firm, even and free from depressions that
may form water pockets and shall be so maintained until the pavement
is placed thereon.
(2)
The base course shall be constructed of four inches,
compacted depth, of either bituminous stone mix No. 1 or lime fly
ash stabilized base, placed on a previously prepared and compacted
subgrade.
(3)
A tack coat shall be applied to the base course if,
in the opinion of the Engineer, the surface has become coated with
dust, dirt or foreign material which would prevent a good bond between
this course and the surface course.
(4)
The surface course shall consist of two inches, compacted
thickness, of bituminous concrete mix No. 4 or No. 5 and shall not
be placed until all the work of site grading and the necessity of
delivery of heavy construction materials has been completed.
(5)
In the event that cores are required by the Engineer
to determine thickness or composition, all work shall be done by a
qualified laboratory and at the expense of the contractor.
A.
No proposed street shall become or will be accepted
by Oxford Township to be maintained by Oxford Township unless each
and every one of the provisions of this article, as well as of any
other applicable Township ordinance, have been complied with and ownership
of the fee title thereto shall, in the opinion of the Municipal Attorney,
be vested in the Township of Oxford.
B.
Road acceptance shall not be granted for any street
unless the street connects directly with a street which has been accepted
by either the Township of Oxford, the County of Warren or the State
of New Jersey.
C.
Each road acceptance shall include a written statement
from the Township Engineer certifying that the street has been constructed
in accordance with and meets the applicable road acceptance standards.
The above certification shall be submitted to the Township Committee
together with a statement of costs.
D.
Final approval of the road acceptance shall be contingent
upon the submission by the petitioners of any and all necessary deeds
granting the street premises to the Township of Oxford. The above
deeds must be approved by the Municipal Attorney of the Township of
Oxford.
E.
In front of areas zoned and designed for commercial
use or where a change of zoning to a zone which permits commercial
use is contemplated to permit such use, the street width shall be
increased by such amount on each side as may be deemed necessary by
the Land Use Board to assure the free flow of through traffic without
interference by parked or parking vehicles and to provide adequate
and safe parking space for a commercial or business district.
F.
Prior to the acceptance of any street by the Township,
an as-built drawing, in ink on reproducible tracing line, shall be
furnished the Township, reflecting the exact location of all underground
utilities, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, etc. All elevations shown
thereon are to be as in United States Geological Survey datum and
so certified by a professional engineer and further shall reflect
the location of at least two permanent benchmarks for the purpose
of verifying the construction of improvements in the Township.
G.
The Township Engineer is to be notified, in writing,
at least 72 hours in advance of placing the base course and surface
course.
These rules, regulations and standards shall
be considered the minimum requirements for the protection of the public
health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Township of Oxford.
Where, by virtue of particular topographical or other features, the
application of the literal standards of this article would, in the
opinion of the Township Engineer, be insufficient or inappropriate,
the Township Committee may, upon the written recommendation of the
Township Engineer setting forth the reasons therefor, permit the modification
of any of the provisions of this article.
