The following rules and regulations shall from and after the
effective date thereof govern the subdivision of land within the Town
of Southwick, and no person shall subdivide land in the Town of Southwick
after such effective date without first obtaining from the Planning
Board approval of the plan for the proposed subdivision or endorsement
upon such plan "Approval Under the Subdivision Control Law Not Required."
The General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Chapter
41, § 81-M, as amended, provide as follows: "The subdivision
control law has been enacted for the purpose of protecting the safety,
convenience and welfare of the inhabitants of the cities and towns
in which it is, or may hereafter be, put in effect by regulating the
laying out and construction of ways in subdivisions providing access
to the several lots therein, but which have not become public ways,
and ensuring sanitary conditions in subdivisions and in proper cases
parks and open areas. The powers of a planning board and of a board
of appeals under the subdivision control law shall be exercised with
due regard for the provision of adequate access to all of the lots
in a subdivision by ways that will be safe and convenient for travel;
for lessening congestion in such ways and in the adjacent public ways;
for reducing danger to life and limb in the operation of motor vehicles;
for securing safety in the case of fire, flood, panic and other emergencies;
for ensuring compliance with the applicable zoning ordinances or bylaws;
for securing adequate provision for water, sewerage, drainage and
other requirements where necessary in a subdivision; and for coordinating
the ways in a subdivision with each other and with the public ways
in the city or town in which it is located and with the ways in neighboring
subdivisions."
[Amended 4-30-2002; 6-23-2009]
Under the authority vested in the Planning Board of the Town
of Southwick by MGL c. 41, § 81Q, said Board hereby adopts
these rules and regulations governing the subdivision of land in the
Town of Southwick. Such rules and regulations shall be effective on
and after March 1972 and as amended on December 4, 1996; May 2, 2002,
and April 30, 2002.
[Amended 5-2-2000]
Strict compliance with the requirements of these rules and regulations
may be waived when, in the judgment of the Board, such action is in
the public interest and not inconsistent with the Subdivision Control
Law.[1] Any such requests for waivers from Chapter 315 must be submitted by the applicant to the Planning Board in writing.
[1]
Editor's Note: See MGL c. 41, § 81K et seq.
For matters not covered by these rules and regulations, reference
is made to MGL c. 41, §§ 81-K to 81-GG, inclusive,
as amended, hereafter referred to as the "Subdivision Control Law."
These regulations shall be considered as revised to conform
to any amendment of Chapter 41 of the Massachusetts General Laws made
after January 1, 1960.
