Town of Northbridge, MA Design Standards

All streets in the subdivision shall be designed so that, in the opinion of the Planning Board, they will provide safe vehicular traffic and an attractive street layout in order to obtain the maximum safety and amenity for future residents of the subdivision, and they shall be in accord with the rules and regulations of the Board of Selectmen and the Director of Public Works.

The proposed streets shall conform in location, so far as practical, to any existing plans of the Planning Board, to the Master Plan or parts thereof adopted by the Planning Board and, where required by the Planning Board, to the existing street system.

Provision satisfactory to the Board shall be made for the proper projection of streets or for the access to adjoining property, whether or not subdivided.

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.

(5)

Any subdivision consisting of more than 18 units shall have two points of access and egress.

Adequate access from public way.

All streets in a subdivision wholly or partially in the Town of Northbridge must be accessible directly (without leaving Northbridge) from a public way or ways in the Town of Northbridge.

Where the street system within a subdivision does not connect with or have, in the opinion of the Board, adequate access from an existing public way, the Board may require as a condition of approval of a plan that such adequate access be provided by the subdivider and/or that the subdivider make physical improvements to and within such a way of access, in accord with these regulations, from a street within the subdivision to an existing public way.

Where the physical condition of pavement width of a public way from which a subdivision has its access is considered by the Board to be inadequate to carry the traffic expected to be generated by such subdivision, the Board may require that the subdivider dedicate a strip of land for the purpose of widening the abutting public way to a width at lease commensurate with that required within the subdivision and to make physical improvements to and within the subdivision. Any such dedication of land for the public way and any such work performed within such public way shall be made only with permission of the governmental agency having jurisdiction over such way, and all costs of such widening or construction shall be borne by the subdivider.

Street design tables.

Table I, Street Design Standards, and Table II, Standards for Cul-de-Sacs, are included at the end of this chapter.

Dead-ends and cul-de-sacs.

(a)

For the purposes of this subsection, any proposed street, which intersects, solely with a dead-end street shall be deemed to be an extension of the dead-end street. Dead-end streets shall be measured from the right-of-way line of the intersecting street. A dead end street in a nonresidential subdivision that is longer than 1,000 feet shall be a divided roadway.

(b)

When a future street is projected beyond the circle, the circle shall be designed in relation to such extension. The turnaround or stub shall be located on the property line of the subdivision, unless the Planning Board approves otherwise.

(c)

The Board may require a roadway easement from the end of the dead-end street to the adjacent property. If the dead-end street is subsequently extended beyond the required turnaround, an easement appurtenant to a lot not abutting the turnaround, except that portion of the turnaround included in said extension, shall terminate upon the approval and recording of a certificate by the Planning Board of the construction of said extension, at which time additional land used for the circle may be relinquished to the adjacent property.

Street names.

To provide names in keeping with the character of the town, street names shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board. Proposed street names shall not duplicate nor bear phonetic resemblance to the name of the existing public ways, paper streets or any other way qualified to afford frontage under MGL c. 41, § 81-L. A proposed street, which is in alignment with an existing street, shall bear the same name as the existing street.

Street names must be approved by the Police Chief and Fire Chief.

Streets in more than one town.

(a)

Each lot in a subdivision must be served by an approved way lying within the town bounds.

(b)

If a subdivision is divided by a town boundary, the Planning Board shall condition approval of the definitive plan on approval of the remaining portion of the plan by the Planning Board of the town in which it is located.

Street trees. Street trees shall be planted on both sides of roadway at regular intervals within the right-of-way along the backside of sidewalk, as shown on Figure 1 entitled Roadway Cross-Section -Minor/Secondary Street. A minimum of two trees per lot frontage shall be planted. No street tree shall be planted less than 12 feet from the back of curb in a manner that will not obstruct sight distance nor impede street maintenance. Each street shall be planted with a single species of trees having a caliper of three inches or larger measured at breast height and not less than ten-feet in overall height at the time of planting. The tree species shall be selected from the Planning Board's list of approved street trees on the basis of site conditions. Reference is made to Northbridge's "Best Development Practices Guidebook" dated December 2009.

Driveways and curb cuts.

Driveways in subdivisions containing one and/or two-family dwellings only shall be at least 10 feet wide and have a curb return at the roadway of two feet in radius and shall have an opening of at least 14 feet at the gutter line.

Driveways for nonresidential uses shall be at least 16 feet wide and have a curb return at the roadway of two feet in radius and shall have an opening of at least 20 feet at the gutter line.

Where rolled curbs or no curbs exist, the driveway flare should have a three foot radius. Driveway cuts shall not be within 65 feet of the intersection of the center line of intersecting streets.

If driveways slope from the edge of the street right-of-way to the edge of the pavement, there shall be a grade of not less than 1% but more than 8%, but the grade between the sidewalk and the right-of-way shall be only as shown on the cross sections.

(5)

At every intersection, ramps three feet wide shall be provided, adjacent to the curb sections required in § 222-27, to allow for accessibility by the handicapped.

§ 222-11 Storm drainage.

The drainage system shall include facilities arranged to:

Permit unimpeded flow of all natural watercourses.

Ensure adequate drainage of all low points along streets.

Intercept excessive groundwater in the subsoil along the streets.

Intercept stormwater runoff along streets at intervals reasonable related to the extent and grade of the area drained.

Catch basins will be required on both sides of the roadway on continuous grades at intervals of not more than 300 feet, at all low points in the grade and near the corners of the roadway at intersecting streets. Not more than two catch basins shall be connected together before entering a manhole.

Cascade grates shall be provided in areas where the grades exceed 7%.

All drain pipes shall be laid in a straight line and grade. At every change in direction or grade, a manhole will be provided.

Proper connections shall be made with the existing public drainage system. Where adjacent property is not subdivided, provision shall be made for extension of the system by continuing appropriate drains to the exterior boundaries of the subdivision, at such size and grade will allow for their proper projection.

The Board may also require provision of subsoil drains, along or near the edge of the traveled way, in addition to the trunk line system, wherever, in its opinion, groundwater conditions in the subsoil warrant such drains.

Catch basins shall not be located at driveway entrances under any circumstances.

Lots shall be prepared and graded in such a manner that development of one shall not cause detrimental drainage on another; if provision is necessary to carry drainage to or across a lot, an easement or drainage right-of-way of adequate width and proper side slope shall be provided. The Board may require that the applicant provide evidence as to any lot or lots that adequate provision has been made for the proper drainage of surface and underground waters from such lot or lots.

§ 222-12 Utilities.

Required utilities include water, sewer, storm drainage system, telephone, electricity, gas, streetlights, and cable television, unless otherwise specified by the Planning Board. The applicant shall submit evidence of complete financial arrangements with private utility companies prior to approval.

All utilities shall be placed underground at the time of initial construction. The Planning Board may permit transformers, switches and other such equipment to be placed on the ground in approved locations, screened from view with evergreen shrubbery.

Where adjacent property is not subdivided or where all the property of the applicant is not being subdivided a the same time, provision shall be made for the extension of the utility system by continuing the mains the full length of the streets and to the exterior limits of the subdivision, at such grade and size as will permit their proper extension at the later date.

§ 222-12.1 Sewerage.

If a public sewerage system is located within 2,000 feet down slope from a nonresidential subdivision or a subdivision of multifamily units or within 1,000 feet of a subdivision of single- or two-family units, and it has been determined by engineering analysis that there is sufficient excess capacity in the existing downstream collection system, including receiving pumping stations, to accept the additional flow, all lots in the subdivision shall be connected to the public sewerage system by the developer.

If a public sewerage system is planned to be installed within 1,000 feet down slope of any subdivision within three years of the date of submission of the definitive plan as indicated by prior Town Meeting action, the sewer system shall be installed by the developer in the street and to every lot in the subdivision which can be connected later to the public sewerage system.

If the public sewerage connections are not required according to the above or if the planned public sewerage system has not yet been installed to within the required distance of the proposed subdivision, private on-lot or communal sewerage systems, as approved by the Board of Health, shall be installed.

Manholes shall be located at every exchange in grade or horizontal alignment but not more than 300 feet apart.

If a sewer line is installed on an existing town road, laterals will be provided to each existing house lot along its route.

Subdivision developments requiring the installation of a sewer pump station(s) shall be required to provide a one-time monetary contribution of $1.50 per gallon of average daily design flow. Monetary contribution for expanded pump station shall be based upon the net increase in average daily flow. Such contribution shall be deposited into a maintenance account and shall be drawn upon from time to time by the Department of Public Works, after acceptance by the town and Planning Board release of municipal interest. Maintenance contribution shall be satisfied prior to initial lot release within the subdivision development.

Operation and maintenance of sewer pump stations, including utilities and other associated costs, shall remain the responsibility of the owner/developer until such time as all subdivision roadways and infrastructure improvements are completed, formally accepted by the Town and recorded with the Registry of Deeds. Pump stations wholly serving private developments shall remain the property of the developer and/or homeowners' association which shall be responsible for all costs associated with the operation maintenance and repairs of the station.

When existing pump stations are proposed to accept additional flows from new or expanded developments, developer shall be responsible for all required upgrades to the station to accept the additional flows and shall additionally be responsible for operations, maintenance and repairs to the modified pump station until such time as the new/expanded development has been completed and all improvements have been accepted by the town.

Sewer pump stations, ownership of which will be conveyed to the Town, shall be sited on a separate lot of a minimum of 20,000 square-feet with a minimum of 50 feet of frontage on an existing public way or proposed subdivision roadway. The design and construction of the sewer pump station(s) shall be approved by the Department of Public Works and built in accordance to town specifications.

§ 222-12.2 Water.

Every subdivision shall be connected to the public water supply of the Whitinsville Water Company or the Northbridge water system unless otherwise approved by the Planning Board and the Board of Health.

Where water systems are required, pipes and related equipment such as hydrants and main shutoff valves shall be installed within the subdivision as necessary to provide all lots on each street with adequate water supply and pressure for domestic use and adequate fire protection.

A separate metered service connection is required for each housing unit. Service connections shall be installed in accordance with the requirements of the Whitinsville Water Company and/or the Northbridge Water System.

Subdivision developments requiring the installation of a water booster pump station(s) shall be required to provide the Town with a one-time monetary contribution of $1.50 per gallon of average daily design flow. Such contribution shall be deposited into a maintenance account and shall be drawn upon from time to time by the Department of Public Works, after acceptance by the town and Planning Board release of municipal interest. Maintenance contribution shall be satisfied prior to initial lot release within the subdivision development.

Operation and maintenance of water booster pump stations, including utilities and other associated costs shall remain the responsibility of the owner/developer until such time as all subdivision roadways and infrastructure improvements are completed, formally accepted by the Town and recorded with the Registry of Deeds. Booster pump stations wholly serving private developments shall remain the property of the developer and/or homeowners' association, which shall be responsible for all costs associated with the operation maintenance and repairs of the station.