The standards and requirements herein shall
be considered the minimum standards and requirements for the promotion
of the public health, safety and general welfare.
[Amended 11-24-1998 by Ord. No. 258]
A.
All portions of a tract being subdivided shall be
taken up in lots, streets, public lands or other proposed uses so
that landlocked areas shall not be created.
B.
The subdivision design and layout shall be consistent
with the Zoning Ordinance and Maps.
C.
No lot shall be created that would render any existing
structure on a lot not in compliance with the zoning regulations.
D.
Where trees, waterways, scenic points, historic sites
or other assets and landmarks are located within a proposed subdivision,
every possible means shall be provided to preserve and provide access
to these features.
E.
Burial sites. Where a burial site is located on land
subject to a subdivision plat an appropriate easement shall be provided
for ingress and egress to the site by persons related by blood or
marriage, or by persons in interest, as defined in the Real Property
Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
F.
Subdivision name. The proposed name of the subdivision
shall not duplicate, or too closely approximate phonetically, the
name of any other subdivision in the county. The Director or the Commission
shall have final authority to approve the name of the subdivision
which shall be determined at sketch plan approval. No other name may
be used for advertising or sales purpose unless an approved and amended
plat is recorded bearing the revised name. Where a subdivision name
has been changed, all subsequent plans submitted for processing shall
reference the original subdivision name.
A.
General standards. The arrangement, character and
location of all roads shall be considered in their relation to existing
and planned roads, to topographical conditions, to public convenience
and safety and in their appropriate relation to the proposed uses
of the land to be served by such roads.
(1)
(2)
Private roads.
(a)
For private roads serving a single lot, there
are no minimum requirements.
(b)
Private roads serving more than one lot shall
meet the same design standards for public roads as established in
the regulations and standards for the acceptance of subdivision roads
in the county road system.
(c)
Two lots may be permitted to have a shared driveway
if the Commission, or the Chairman in the case of a minor subdivision,
finds that this will further the intent of these regulations.
(d)
A mechanism or entity shall be created to provide
for the maintenance of a private road until or unless the road is
converted to a public road and accepted into the county system.
B.
Conformity with planned roads.
(1)
Proposed roads shall conform to plans for roads and
highways that have been prepared and officially filed with the Clerk
of the Court of Dorchester County pursuant to Article 66B, § 6.
(2)
Where such proposed roads are not in the Highway or
Transportation Plan, they shall be continuous in grade and alignment
with existing, planned or platted roads with which they are to connect.
(3)
Proposed roads accessing state roads shall conform
to the standards of the State Highway Administration. Proposed roads
accessing county roads must meet county standards.
(4)
If a portion of a lot or parcel is not subdivided,
sufficient right-of-way for future access shall be retained along
the road for eventual subdivision of the entire tract.
(5)
Where stub roads are provided abutting unsubdivided
acreage, temporary easements for turnarounds shall be provided at
the boundary lines. All stub-road lines shall extend to the property
line. Stub roads shall be built to county road specifications.
(6)
An adequate right-of-way, not to exceed 25 feet from
the center of an existing county road, shall be required as a condition
of the subdivision of land under this chapter. Additional width may
be required for collector roads.
C.
Access onto roads from lots and parcels.
(1)
General.
(a)
There are four classes of roads in the county
pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan: limited access roads, major collector
roads, minor collector roads and local roads. The term "local roads"
includes rural section roads and private roads.
(b)
Limited access roads are the highest classification,
and local roads are the lowest classification.
(c)
Roads with their classifications are on a list
amended from time to time by the Commissioners.
(d)
The road classification governs the number of
road access points per parcel or lot that are permitted on that road.
(e)
Where a proposed subdivision involves frontage
on a major or minor collector road, the street layout shall, where
possible, provide vehicular access to the subdivision by lower classification
road.
(f)
A single interior lot that does not front on
a road may take access via an easement or, if approved by the Commission,
via a shared driveway. Additional interior lots shall be served by
a public or private road.
(g)
The statement "vehicular egress and ingress
is restricted" shall be shown with limits and explanation, if needed,
on a final subdivision plat to prevent additional roads or driveways
from accessing roads.
(2)
Limited access roads. Access onto limited access roads
shall conform to the standards of the State Highway Administration.
(3)
Major collector roads.
(a)
Existing recorded lots and parcels recorded
as of October 1, 1996, are permitted a single direct access onto major
collector roads, provided the Commission determines that alternate
access is not reasonably possible or feasible.
(b)
All lots created after October 1, 1996, must
access a major collector road by a minor collector or local road.
(4)
Minor collector roads.
(a)
Existing recorded lots and parcels recorded
as of October 1, 1996, and two new lots per lot or parcel are permitted
individual direct access onto a minor collector road.
(b)
The third new lot and any additional lots created
after October 1, 1996, must access the minor collector via a local
road.
(5)
Local roads.
D.
Other standards. Roads that are extensions of or obviously
in alignment with existing roads shall bear the names of existing
roads, where possible.
Wherever individual water supply and sewage
disposal are proposed for a subdivision, they shall meet the requirements
of the Health Department.
Wherever a community or shared water and/or
sewerage system is proposed to serve the proposed subdivision, it
shall meet the design criteria of the Health Department and/or other
appropriate authority, such as the Dorchester Sanitary Commission,
the Municipal Utilities Commission or the Cambridge Department of
Public Works. Provisions for maintenance, administration and ownership
shall be in accordance with the policies and procedures of the appropriate
authority.
All proposed subdivisions in the one-hundred-year
floodplain shall include the following on the plat:
A.
The minimum elevation for the one-hundred-year base
flood, referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929,
referenced to as "Sea Level Datum 1929."
B.
The location and elevation of at least one bench mark
within the subdivision, referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical
Datum of 1929, unless the Commission requires additional bench marks.
Provisions for a coordinated storm drainage
system shall be designed in accordance with the Dorchester County
Stormwater Management Ordinance.[1]
