Village of Chittenango, NY Development Standards

The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions shall make provisions for the continuation of existing streets in adjoining areas. Where adjoining land is not subdivided, right-of-way access to such land, insofar as such may be deemed, by the Planning Board, as necessary for public requirements, shall be provided.

Local streets serving residential areas shall be designed so as to discourage through traffic.

All right-of-way street widths and street pavements shall be measured at right angles, or radial, to the center line of the street and shall be consistent with any existing standards in the Village of Chittenango. In the absence of such existing standards, the following shall apply to those streets over which the village has jurisdiction:

Street Type	Right-of- Way (feet)	Roadway (feet)
Secondary regional connector	80	24; add 8 for each side used for parking
Primary local service	60	22 if no parking; add 8 for each side used for parking
Residential access	60	22 if no parking; add 6 for each side used for parking

(5)

Whenever possible, street should intersect at right angles and not intersect at angles of less than 60° unless approved by the Planning Board.

(6)

The grades of street shall be in accordance with specifications established by the village, and such grades as submitted on Subdivision Plats shall be approved by the engineer prior to final approval by the Planning Board.

(7)

The following standards shall apply to cul-de-sac streets:

(a)

A cul-de-sac should be designed and graded, if possible, so that it drains toward its entrance.

(b)

Unless there is the expectation of extending the street through to the adjoining property, a cul-de-sac street shall not be brought to the property boundary line but shall be placed so that the lots can back on the property line of the subdivision.

(c)

No cul-de-sac shall exceed 700 feet in length, as measured from the center line of the street at the open end to the radius point of the turnaround.

(d)

All culs-de-sac should have a turnaround at the end of the street which shall have a right-of-way radius of 65 feet; the outer curb at the turn shall have a minimum radius of 50 feet and a twenty-foot pavement width which will permit a turning radius of 30 feet at the inner curb.

(8)

If a dead-end street is of a temporary nature, a similar turnaround shall be provided and provisions made for the future extension of the street through to adjacent property and reversion of the excess right-of-way to the adjoining properties.

(9)

Private streets shall be prohibited unless otherwise approved by the Planning Board.

(10)

New half or partial streets shall not be permitted, except that wherever a proposed subdivision borders a half or partial street, the Planning Board may require that the other part of the street be platted in the proposed tract, if it is found that such a requirement would increase the effectiveness of the circulation system in the area.

(11)

Multiple intersections involving a junction of more than two streets shall be prohibited.

(12)

Intersections of primary local service streets with major regional connector streets shall not be less than 800 feet apart. Street classifications shall be as set forth in the Village Comprehensive Plan.

[Amended 10-26-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]

(13)

To avoid confusion, no street shall be given a name which will duplicate or nearly duplicate the names of existing streets. The continuation of an existing street shall have the same name.

(14)

The minimum radius of horizontal curves, minimum length of vertical curves, minimum length of tangents between reverse curves and other geometric standards shall be in accordance with specifications established by the village, and said items shall be approved by the appropriate official prior to final approval of the subdivision plat by the Planning Board.

Lots. The following regulations shall govern the layout of lots:

The lot size, shape, orientation and building placement shall be appropriate for the location of the subdivision and for the type of development and use contemplated, as indicated in the Village Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Law,[1] as well as the Village of Chittenango Site and Architectural Design Standards for Commercial Design Overlay Districts.

[Amended 10-26-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]

[1]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 148, Zoning.

All lots shown on the subdivision plat must conform to the minimum requirements of the Zoning Law as to area and dimensions for the zone in which the subdivision is located. However, in the event of using § 7-738 of the Village Law, the Planning Board may use its discretion in determining lot sizes. (See § 125-8F.)

Where there is a question as to the suitability of a lot or lots for their intended use due to factors such as rock formations, flood conditions or similar circumstances, the Planning Board may, after adequate investigation, withhold approval of such lots.

Unless otherwise approved by the Planning Board, each lot shall abut on a street dedicated by the final subdivision plat or an existing publicly dedicated street.

(5)

Corner lots shall have widths sufficient for the maintenance of building lines on both streets, as required by the Zoning Law.

(6)

Where extra width has been dedicated for the widening of existing streets, lots shall begin at such extra width lines, and all setbacks shall be measured from such line.

(7)

Side lines of lots shall be at right angles to straight streets and radial to curved streets, where practicable.

(8)

Double frontage lots will not, in general, be approved.

(9)

Block length and width or acreage within bounding roads shall be such as to accommodate the size of the lot required in the area by the Zoning Law and to provide for convenient access, circulation control and safety of street traffic. Long blocks may be required to have a crosswalk to facilitate pedestrian circulation to a school, park, recreation area, shopping center or other similar neighborhood facility.

(10)

Blocks intended for commercial or industrial use shall be designed specifically for such purposes, with adequate space set aside for off-street parking and service facilities as required by the Village Zoning Law.

Easements.

An easement shall be provided for all natural drainageways and all utility lines when such utility line or lines do not fall within a dedicated right-of-way. All easements shall be plotted on the preliminary and final subdivision plats. A clause shall be inserted in the deed of each lot affected by an easement indicating that the easement exists and its purpose. Except as further required in this section, easements shall have a minimum width of 10 feet. To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be centered on or adjacent to rear or side lot lines.

Where a subdivision is traversed by a drainageway, channel or stream, a drainageway easement conforming substantially to the lines of such watercourse shall be provided. The easement shall be 20 feet wide or such width as will be adequate to preserve the natural drainage and provide a sufficient width for maintenance. Where it is found that additional easement width is needed, such width shall be determined by the Planning Board in consultation with the Village Engineer.

All utility lines which are primarily intended to provide service to the lots within the subdivision shall be installed underground at a depth and at such locations as will minimize the risk of interruption of services and to the highest standards and specifications of applicable utility services and municipal authorities.

Landscaping and ground cover.

All lot areas which are not covered by structures or paving shall be properly seeded and landscaped by the developer in conformity with the planting plan of the subdivision.

Each lot shall be provided with a minimum of eight shrubs and one tree, which shall be in addition to the street shade trees. House plantings may include evergreen, broad-leaved evergreen or deciduous plants. This requirement may be waived by the Planning Board in wooded areas where the subdivider intends to preserve existing trees. The shrubs shall meet the standards of the American Association of Nurserymen.

Individual homeowners may, by written agreement with the subdivider and builder, seed and landscape their yards independently.

When a proposed subdivision borders upon an existing commercial or industrial establishment or any other use which, in the opinion of the Planning Board, may be visually detrimental to the tranquility of the future residents of the subdivision, the Planning Board may require a landscaped buffer zone to screen the subdivision from the visually noncompatible use. For property within the Design Overlay Districts, refer to Section 2.3 of the Village of Chittenango Site and Architectural Design Standards for Commercial Design Overlay Districts for appropriate fencing, screening, or buffering criteria.

[Amended 10-26-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]

Preservation of natural features.

Topsoil moved during the course of construction shall be redistributed so as to provide a minimum depth of six inches of cover to all areas of the subdivision and shall be stabilized by seeding or planting. At no time shall topsoil be removed from the subdivision without written permission from the Planning Board.

To the fullest extent possible, all existing trees and shrubbery shall be conserved by the subdivider. Special consideration shall be given to the arrangement and ultimate improvement or development of the lots to this end. Precautions shall also be taken to protect existing trees and shrubbery during the process of grading the lots and roads. Where there is a question as to the desirability of removing a group of trees, which serves to add interest and variety to the proposed subdivision, in order to allow for the use of the land for a lot or lots, the Planning Board may, after investigation, withhold approval of such lot or lots. Where any land other than that included in public rights-of-way is to be dedicated to public use, the developer shall not remove any trees from the site without written permission from the Planning Board.

Where a subdivision is traversed by a natural lake, pond or stream, the boundaries or alignment of said watercourse shall be preserved unless, in the opinion of the Planning Board, a change or realignment will enhance the development and beauty of the subdivision or the utilization of such features by the future residents of the subdivision. Proposed changes in watercourse alignment shall be acceptable to the New York State Department of Conservation.

Unique physical features, such as historic landmarks and sites, rock outcroppings, hilltop lookouts, desirable natural contours and similar features, shall be preserved, if possible.

Floodplain.

Mapping. If any portion of the land within the subdivision is within the one-hundred-year floodplain, such fact and portion shall be clearly indicated on the preliminary plat.

Use. Land subject to flooding and land deemed by the Planning Board to be otherwise uninhabitable shall not be subdivided for any uses as may increase danger to health, life or property or aggravate the flood hazard. Such land shall be subject to the provisions of § 148-26 of the Village Zoning Law.

Erosion prevention. In order to ensure that the surrounding land and watercourses will not be subject to siltation or erosion, the Planning Board shall require the implementation of certain erosion control practices as it deems necessary. The subdivider/developer shall take steps to prevent erosion of topsoil and subsoil from all areas, whether inside or outside the boundaries of the subdivision. Such steps shall include but not be limited to the following:

Revising the subdivision design to better fit the topography and soils of the site, thereby minimizing the erosion potential in areas affected by the subdivision,

Providing for adequate drainage facilities to accommodate effectively the increased runoff caused by changed soil and surface conditions during and after development, including the installation and maintenance of temporary sedimentation basins. The subdivider may be requested to show, as part of submitted plans, the interceptor swales and sedimentation basins needed to control erosion.

The retention and protection of natural vegetation whenever possible.

Seeding or sodding or the use of anti-erosion mats or spreading straw on areas where topsoil has been removed.

Surface water runoff design. While the village reserves the right to establish particular parameters for each individual subdivision, the general approach to surface water runoff control is that no developed area shall discharge significantly more stormwater into adjacent culverts and channels than would occur under a natural, undeveloped condition, unless adequate provisions are made and necessary permission is granted from downstream property owners. That is, the village generally agrees that property owners along the downstream channel should be expected to accept only a rate of discharge from upstream areas equivalent to the discharge from such upstream areas under conditions existing at the time the subdivision is submitted for approval. Conversely, if practical through downstream improvements and easements, increased runoff should be accommodated in order to reduce the need for detention basins. Engineering estimates of surface water runoff shall be based on a storm recurrence interval of 25 years or as otherwise approved by the Village Engineer.

Deed restrictions and covenants. The owner may place restrictions on the development greater than those required by the Zoning Law. Such restrictions, if any, shall be included in the final subdivision plat application.

Modification of standards. The Planning Board may modify the specified requirements in any individual case where, in the Board's judgment, such modification is in the public interest or will avoid the imposition of unnecessary individual hardship. (See § 125-20.)

Parks, playgrounds or open space.

Land shall be reserved for park, playground, open space or other recreational purposes in locations designated in the Village Comprehensive Plan or otherwise where the Planning Board deems that such reservations would be appropriate. Each reservation shall be of an area equal to up to 10% of the total net land area within the subdivision, but in no case shall a reservation be less than one acre. The area to be reserved shall possess the suitable topography, general character and adequate road access necessary for its recreational purposes.

[Amended 10-26-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]

Where a subdivision is too small to establish an adequate recreational area site or where the land in a subdivision is unsuitable in character or where the Village Comprehensive Plan or good planning judgment would not locate a recreational area, the applicant will be required to provide a cash equivalent: for individual applicants who reside on or occupy a portion of the premises to be subdivided and who subdivide such property into three or fewer parcels, such cash equivalent shall be in the amount of $50 per lot; for every additional lot so subdivided and for all other applicants, the cash equivalent shall be in the amount of $300 per lot, separate from the performance bond and deposited with the Village Clerk at the time of subdivision plat approval for the account of the Village of Chittenango Park, Playground and Open Space Trust Fund.

[Amended 10-26-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]

Where the Planning Board requires land to be set aside for parks, playgrounds or other recreational purposes, the Board may require that the site be graded, loamed and seeded and may require it to be fenced.