[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Lowville
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 6-8-1971 by L.L. No. 2-1971 (Ch. 162 of the 1994
Code); amended in its entirety 6-17-2004 by L.L. No. 1-2004]
All new public roads (sometimes referred to herein as "public
highways") in the Town of Lowville, prior to being accepted by the
Town Board of the Town of Lowville, must comply with the provisions
of this article and the laws, and rules and regulations of the State
of New York, and consistent with generally accepted engineering standards.
A.
The following minimum specifications shall be applicable to any said
road:
(1)
The deed and/or right-of-way shall be at least 60 feet wide.
(2)
The traveled portion shall be at least 20 feet wide with five-foot
shoulders on either side of the traveled part.
(3)
The roadbed shall have not less than one foot of gravel base topped
by six inches of crushed gravel or stone, for the entire width of
said road.
(4)
The road shall be so constructed with said suitable materials as
to provide adequate drainage and shall be built up to facilitate snow
removal.
(5)
All brush along said road shall be removed and back slopes graded.
(6)
Ditches and pipes or sluices shall be installed whenever essential.
(7)
The road must have a bituminous (or other approved material) surface
(top) at least 20 feet wide for the traveled part or portion thereof.
There shall be a minimum of 3.5 inches Type 3 binder, and 1.5 inches
Type 6 or 7 top.
(8)
Before acceptance of said road, it must be approved by the Town Board
and its Highway Superintendent.
B.
Hereafter said specifications may be changed as travel warrants and
deemed necessary by the Town Board and the Highway Superintendent.
The design of a proposed public highway shall bear a reasonable
relationship to the topography of the area, and all roads shall be
arranged so as to obtain as many of the building sites as possible
at or above the grade of the roads.
To the greatest extent possible, the arrangement of roads in
a subdivision shall provide for the continuation of roads of adjoining
subdivisions, and for proper projection of roads into adjoining properties
which are not yet subdivided, in order to make possible necessary
fire protection, movement of traffic and the construction or extension
of future utilities and public services such as sewers, water and
drainage facilities.
Whenever a proposed public highway abuts or contains an existing
or proposed major arterial road, the Planning Board may require marginal
access roads, reverse lot frontage with a screen planting contained
in a nonaccess reservation along the rear property line or such other
treatment as may be necessary for adequate protection of residential
properties and to afford separation of through and local traffic.
Minor roads shall be so laid out that their use by through traffic
will be discouraged.
A.
The creation of dead-end or loop residential roads will be allowed
whenever such type of development will not interfere with normal traffic
circulation or highway maintenance and snow removal.
B.
A twenty-foot-wide easement may be required to provide for the continuation
of pedestrian traffic and utilities beyond the dead end to the next
road, where necessary.
C.
Subdivisions containing 20 lots or more shall have at least two road
outlets.
D.
No culs-de-sac shall be permitted.
E.
Roads designed to be temporarily dead-ended shall terminate in a
circular turnaround having a minimum pavement radius of 40 feet, with
an additional right-of-way that extends 10 feet from the pavement.
Provided further, that any such temporary dead end shall be removed
or reconfigured so as to eliminate the dead end within 24 months of
installation.
A.
Road grades shall conform in general to the terrain and shall not
be less than 0.5% nor more than 6% for collector roads, or 10% for
minor roads. No grade shall be more than 2% within 50 feet of any
intersection.
B.
All changes in grade shall be connected by vertical curves of length
and radius such that clear visibility shall be provided for a safe
distance.
C.
A combination of steep grades and curves shall be avoided.
A.
All roads shall join each other so that for a distance of at least
100 feet the road is approximately at right angles to the road it
joins, and no road shall intersect any other roads at less than a
sixty-degree angle.
B.
Intersections of minor roads with collector or major roads shall,
in general, be at least 500 feet apart.
C.
Road jogs with center-line offsets of less than 125 feet shall be
avoided.
D.
All road rights-of-ways at intersections shall be rounded by curves
of at least a twenty-foot radius.
E.
All corner lots shall be cleared of all growth and other obstructions,
except for isolated trees, a level of three feet or higher above the
center line of the road, so as to achieve safe visibility for traffic
entering the intersection.
All roads shall be named and the names placed on the plat. Road
names shall not be numbers or letters. Road names shall be selected
so as not to be confused in sound or spelling with existing road names.
Roads that join or align with roads of an abutting or neighboring
property shall bear the same name. Generally, no road should change
direction by more than 90° without a change in name. Signs bearing
road names shall be erected by the subdivider at all intersections.
A.
Underground utilities shall be placed, wherever possible, in the
road right-of-way between the paved roadway and the road line to simplify
location and repair of utilities. Underground service connections
shall be installed to the lot line of each lot for all required utilities
prior to road pavement.
B.
Where topography is such as to make impractical the inclusion of
utilities within road rights-of-way, perpetual unobstructed easements
at least 20 feet in width shall be provided with satisfactory access
to the road. Such easements shall be cleared and graded where required.
C.
Fire hydrants shall be spaced and installed in conformity with all
requirements of the New York State Fire and Building Code and Insurance
Services Organization.
D.
Road lighting shall be in conformance with the lighting system of
the Town.
