In considering applications for subdivision of land, the Planning Board shall be guided by the standards set forth hereinafter. These standards shall be considered to be minimum requirements and may be waived by the Board only under circumstances set forth in Article VI herein.
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 Master Plan. Subdivisions shall conform to the Official Map of the Town, and with the Town Master Plan, if any.
C. 
Specifications for required improvements. All required improvements shall be constructed or installed to conform to any applicable Town specifications.
A. 
Width, location and construction. Streets shall be of sufficient width, suitably located and adequately constructed to conform to the Master Plan, if any, and to accommodate the prospective traffic and afford access for fire fighting, snow removal and other road maintenance equipment. The arrangement of streets shall not cause undue hardship to adjoining properties and shall be coordinated to provide a convenient system.
B. 
Arrangement. The arrangement of streets in the subdivision shall provide for the continuation of principal streets of adjoining subdivisions and for proper projection of principal streets into adjoining properties which are not yet subdivided, in order to make possible necessary fire protection, movement of traffic and the construction or extension, presently or when later required, of needed utilities and public services, such as sewers, water and drainage facilities. Where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, topographic or other conditions make such continuance undesirable or impracticable, the above conditions may be modified.
C. 
Minor streets. Minor streets shall be so laid out that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.
D. 
Special treatment along major arterial streets. When a subdivider abuts or contains an existing or proposed major arterial street, the Board may require marginal access streets, reverse frontage with screen planting contained in a nonaccess reservation along the rear property lines, deep lots with rear service alleys or such other treatment as may be necessary for adequate protection of residential properties and to afford separation of through and local traffic.
E. 
Provision for future resubdivision. Where a tract is subdivided into lots substantially larger than the minimum size required in the zoning district in which a subdivision is located, the Board may require that streets and lots be laid out so as to permit future resubdivision in accordance with the requirements contained in this chapter.
F. 
Dead-end street. The creation of dead-end or loop residential streets will be encouraged wherever the Board finds that such type of development will not interfere with normal traffic circulation in the area. In the case of dead-end streets, where needed or desirable, the Board may require the reservation of a twenty-foot wide easement to provide for continuation of pedestrian traffic and utilities to the next street. Subdivisions containing 20 lots or more shall have at least two street connections with existing public streets or streets shown on the Official Map, if any, or streets on an approved subdivision plat for which a bond has been filed.
G. 
Block size. Blocks generally shall not exceed 800 feet in length. In general, no block width shall be less than twice the normal lot depth.
H. 
Intersections with collector or major arterial roads. Minor or secondary street openings into such roads shall, in general, be at least 500 feet apart.
I. 
Street jogs. Street jogs with center-line offsets of less than 125 feet shall be avoided.
J. 
Angle of intersection. In general, all streets shall join each other so that for a distance of at least 100 feet the street is approximately at right angles to the street it joins.
K. 
Relation to topography. The street plan of a proposed subdivision shall bear a logical relationship to the topography of the property. All streets shall be arranged so as to maintain as many of the building sites as possible at or above the grade of the streets. Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible to the original topography.
L. 
Other required streets. Where a subdivision borders on or contains a railroad right-of-way or limited access highway right-of-way, the Planning Board may require a street approximately parallel to and on each side of such right-of-way, at a distance suitable for the appropriate use of the intervening land (as for park purposes in residential districts or for commercial or industrial purposes in appropriate districts). Such distances shall also be determined with due regard for the requirements of approach grades and future grade separations.
A. 
Widths of rights-of-way. Streets shall have the following widths:
Type of Street
Minimum Right-of-Way
(feet)
Minimum Pavement
(feet)
Major
50
30
Collector
50
26
Local
50
24
B. 
Improvements. Streets shall be graded and improved with pavement, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, storm drainage facilities, water mains, sewers, streetlights and signs, street trees and fire hydrants, except where waivers may be requested. The Planning Board may waive, subject to appropriate conditions, those improvements which it considers may be omitted without jeopardy to the public health, safety and general welfare. Pedestrian easements shall be improved as required by the Town Engineer. Such grading and improvements shall be approved as to design and specifications by the Town Engineer.
C. 
Fire hydrants. Installation of fire hydrants shall be in conformity with all requirements of standard thread and nut, as specified in Chapter 145, Water.
D. 
Utilities in streets. The Planning Board shall, wherever possible, require that underground utilities be placed in the street right-of-way between the paved roadway and street line to simplify location and repair of lines when they require attention. The subdivider shall install underground service connections to the property line of each lot within the subdivision for such required utilities before the street is paved.
E. 
Utility easements. Where topography is such as to make impractical the inclusion of utilities within the street rights-of-way, perpetual unobstructed easements, at least 20 feet in width, shall be otherwise provided with satisfactory access to the street. Wherever possible, easements shall be continuous from block to block and shall present as few irregularities as possible. Such easements shall be cleared and graded where required.
F. 
Grades. Grades of all streets shall conform in general to the terrain and shall not be less than 1/2% nor more than 6% for major or collector streets or 10% for minor streets in residential zones, but in no case more than 3% within 50 feet of any intersection.
G. 
Changes in grade. All changes in grade shall be connected by vertical curves of such length and radius as is approved by the Town Engineer in order to provide clear visibility for a safe distance.
H. 
Curve radii at street intersections. All street right-of-way lines at intersections shall be rounded by curves of a radius of at least 20 feet. Curbs shall be adjusted accordingly and curb cuts shall comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
I. 
Steep grades; curves; visibility of intersections. A combination of steep grades and curves shall be avoided. In order to provide visibility for traffic safety, that portion of any corner lot (whether at an intersection entirely within the subdivision or at an intersection of a new street with an existing street) which is shown shaded on Sketch A[1] shall be cleared of all growth (except isolated trees) and obstructions above a level three feet higher than the center line of the street. If directed, the ground shall be excavated to achieve visibility.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said Sketch A is on file in the Town Offices.
J. 
Dead-end streets (culs-de-sac). Where dead-end streets are designed to be so permanently, they should, in general, not exceed 500 feet in length and should terminate in a circular turnaround having a minimum right-of-way radius of 50 feet and pavement radius of 24 feet. At the end of temporary dead-end streets, a temporary turnaround with a right-of-way radius of 50 feet shall be provided, unless the Planning Board approves an alternate arrangement.
K. 
Watercourses.
(1) 
Where a watercourse separates a proposed street from abutting property, provision shall be made for access to all lots by means of culverts or other structures of a design approved by the Town Engineer.
(2) 
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainage way, channel or stream, there shall be provided a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way as required by the Town Engineer and in no case less than 20 feet in width.
L. 
Curve radii. In general, street lines within a block deflecting from each other at any one point by more than 10° shall be connected with a curve, the radius of which for the center line of street shall not be less than 400 feet on major streets, 250 feet on collector streets and 100 feet on minor streets.
M. 
Service street or loading space in commercial development. Paved rear service streets of not less than 20 feet in width or, in lieu thereof, adequate off-street loading space, suitably surfaced, shall be provided in connection with lots designed for commercial use. In addition, a subdivision shall meet the off-street parking and loading provisions of Chapter 150, Zoning, of the Town of Fenton, unless varied or modified in accordance with law.
N. 
Free flow of vehicular traffic abutting commercial developments. In front of areas zoned and designed for commercial use (or in areas where a change of zoning to permit commercial use is contemplated) the street width shall be increased by such amount on each side as is deemed necessary by the Planning 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 such commercial or business districts.
A. 
Type of name. All street names shown on a preliminary plat or subdivision plat shall be approved by the Planning Board. In general, streets shall have names and not numbers or letters.
B. 
Names to be substantially different. Proposed street names shall be substantially different to avoid confusion in sound or spelling with present names. Streets that join or are in alignment with streets of an abutting or neighboring property shall bear the same name. Generally, no street should change directions by more than 90° without a change in street name.
A. 
Lots to be buildable. The lot arrangement shall be such that in constructing a building in compliance with Chapter 150, Zoning, there will be no foreseeable difficulty for reasons of topography or other natural conditions. Lots should not be of such depth as to encourage the later creation of a second building lot at the front or rear.
B. 
Side lines. All side lines of lots shall be at right angles to straight street lines and radial to curved street lines, unless a variance from this rule will give a better street or lot plan.
C. 
Corner lots. In general, corner lots should be larger than interior lots to provide a desirable building site and to provide for proper building setback from each street.
D. 
Driveway access. Driveway grades between a street and the setback line shall not exceed 10%.
E. 
Access from private streets. Access from private streets shall be deemed acceptable only if such streets are designed and improved in accordance with this chapter.
F. 
Monuments and lot corner markers.
(1) 
Permanent monuments meeting survey and mapping requirements of New York State Department of Transportation as to size, type and installation shall be set at lot corners, angle points, points of curves and streets and such other points as the Town Engineer may require. In addition, distinctive permanent monuments marking the subdivision boundaries shall be set at each of its corners.
(2) 
All lot corner markers shall be of metal, three-fourth (3/4) inches in diameter and at least 24 inches in length, shown thus "O," and located in the ground to existing grade.
(3) 
Monuments of a type approved by the Planning Board shall be set at all corners and angle points of the boundaries of the original tract to be subdivided and at all points of curve and such intermediate points as shall be required by the Planning Board.
A. 
Removal of spring and surface water. The subdivider may be required by the Planning Board to provide for the removal by pipe or open ditch of any spring or surface water that may exist either previous to or as a result of the subdivision. Such drainage facilities shall be located in the street rights-of-way, where feasible, or in perpetual unobstructed easements of appropriate width.
B. 
Drainage structure to accommodate potential development upstream. A culvert or other drainage facility shall, in each case, be large enough to accommodate potential runoff from its entire upstream drainage area, whether inside or outside the subdivision. The Town Engineer shall approve the design and size of the facility based on anticipated runoff from a twenty-five-year storm under conditions of total potential development permitted by Chapter 150, Zoning, in the watershed.
C. 
Responsibility from drainage downstream. The subdivider's engineer shall also study the effect of each subdivision on the existing downstream drainage facilities outside the area of the subdivision; this study shall be reviewed by the Town Engineer. Where it is anticipated that the additional runoff incident to the development of the subdivision will overload an existing downstream drainage facility during a five-year storm, the Planning Board shall notify the Town Board of such potential condition. In such case, the Planning Board shall not approve the subdivision until provision has been made for the improvement of said condition.
D. 
Land subject to flooding. Land subject to flooding or land deemed by the Planning Board to be uninhabitable shall not be platted for residential occupancy, nor for such other uses as may increase the danger to health, life or property or that may aggravate the flood hazard. Such land within the plat shall be set aside for such uses as shall not be endangered by periodic or occasional inundation. Such land may be improved only in such a manner as the Planning Board shall reasonably deem necessary to remedy such hazardous conditions.
A. 
Park and playground sites.
(1) 
Before the approval by the Planning Board of a plat showing lots, blocks or sites, with or without streets or highways, or the approval of a plat already filed in the Broome County Clerk's Office, if such plat is entirely or partially undeveloped, such plat shall also show in proper cases and when required by the Planning Board a park or parks suitably located for playground or other recreational purposes.
(2) 
Areas for parks and playgrounds shall be of a reasonable size for neighborhood playgrounds or other recreational uses. No arbitrary percentage of the subdivided area need be required for park and/or playground purposes, but in general, developers should set aside not less than 10% of the area for such purposes.
B. 
Reserve strips prohibited. Reserve strips of land which might be used to control access from the proposed subdivision to any neighboring property or to any land within the subdivision itself shall be prohibited.
C. 
Preservation of natural features. The Planning Board shall, wherever possible, establish the preservation of all natural features, such as large trees or groves, watercourses and falls, beaches, historic spots, vistas and similar irreplaceable assets, which add value to residential developments and to the community.