A. 
Character of land. Land to be subdivided shall be of such character that it can be used safely for building purposes without danger to health or peril from fire, flood or other menace.
B. 
Conformity to Official Map and Town Development Plan. Subdivisions shall conform to the Official Map of the town and Ulster County and shall be in harmony with the Town Development Plan, if such exist.
C. 
Preservation of natural cover. Land to be subdivided shall be laid out and improved in reasonable conformity to existing topography in order to minimize grading, cut and fill and to retain, insofar as possible, the natural contours, limit stormwater runoff and conserve the natural cover and soil. No topsoil, sand or gravel shall be removed from any lots shown on any subdivision plat except for the purpose of improving such lots and for the laying out of streets shown thereon. Topsoil so removed shall be restored to a depth of six inches and properly seeded and fertilized on areas of such lots not occupied by buildings or structures. No excess topsoil so removed shall be disposed of outside of the boundaries of the town except upon the approval of the Town Board.
D. 
Preservation of existing features. Existing features which would enhance the attractiveness of the site or the community as a whole, such as trees, watercourses, ponds, historic places and similar irreplaceable assets, shall be preserved insofar as possible through harmonious design of the subdivision.
E. 
Specifications for required improvements. All streets and other required improvements shall be constructed or installed to conform to the town specifications.
A. 
General. Streets shall be suitably located, of sufficient width and adequately improved to accommodate the prospective traffic and to afford satisfactory access to police, fire-fighting, snow removal or other road maintenance equipment and shall be coordinated so as to compose a convenient system. All streets shall be properly related to the Town Development Plan and in conformance in location and design to the Official Map, if such exist.
B. 
Relation to topography. Streets shall be logically related and conform insofar as possible to the original topography. They shall be arranged so as to obtain as many building sites as possible at or above the grade of the street. A combination of steep grades and sharp curves shall be avoided.
C. 
Continuation of streets into adjacent property. Streets shall be arranged to provide for the continuation of principal streets between adjacent properties where such continuation is necessary for convenient movement of traffic, effective fire protection, efficient provision of utilities and particularly where such continuation is in accordance with the Town Development Plan, as it may be adopted. Reserve strips controlling access to streets shall be prohibited except where their control is placed with the town under conditions approved by the Planning Board. If adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must temporarily be a dead-end street, the right-of-way and improvements shall be extended to the property line. A temporary circular turnaround with pavement radius of at least 50 feet shall be provided on all temporary dead-end streets, with the notation on the plat that land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to abutting properties.
D. 
Treatment of major streets.
(1) 
In residential areas. Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed major street, the Planning Board may require marginal access streets, reverse frontage with 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.
(2) 
In business areas. In areas zoned or designed for commercial use or where a change of zoning is contemplated for commercial use, the Planning Board may require that the street width be increased or that a service road be constructed to assure the free flow of through traffic without interference by parked or parking vehicles and to provide adequate and safe parking space for such commercial area.
E. 
Dead-end streets. Permanent dead-end streets shall normally not exceed 1,200 feet in length in order to provide for convenience of traffic movement and facilitate more effective police and fire protection. A depth suitable for an adequate building lot may be required to be retained between the terminus of the road and adjoining property. The Planning Board may require the reservation of a twenty-foot-wide easement through this property to facilitate pedestrian traffic or utilities. No permanent dead-end streets may be constructed having more than 20 building lots. A circular turnaround with a minimum right-of-way radius of 60 feet and a pavement radius of 50 feet shall be provided at the end of permanent dead-end streets.
F. 
Street names. All streets shall be named and such names shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board. Names shall be sufficiently different in sound and spelling from other street names in the town to avoid confusion. A street which is a continuation of an existing street shall bear the same name. As general policy, the use of personal names for new roads is discouraged. Historical names are preferred or names appropriate to the particular development or general neighborhood.
G. 
Intersections.
(1) 
Design. Intersections of major streets by other streets shall be at least 800 feet apart. Cross (four-cornered) street intersections shall be avoided, except at important traffic intersections. A distance of at least 150 feet shall be maintained between offset intersections. Within 40 feet of an intersection, streets shall be approximately at right angles and grades shall be limited to 1 1/2%. All street intersection corners shall be rounded by curves of at least 25 feet in radius at the property line.
(2) 
Visibility at intersections. Within the triangular area formed at corners by the intersecting street pavement lines, for a distance of 75 feet from their intersection, and a diagonal connecting the end points of these lines, visibility for traffic safety shall be provided by excavating, if necessary. Nothing in the way of fences, walls, hedges or other landscaping shall be permitted to obstruct such visibility. An easement for the enforcement of this provision shall be granted to the owner of the street and notation to this effect made on the subdivision plat [see § 105-24D(19)(c)].
H. 
Provision for future resubdivision. Where a tract is subdivided into larger parcels than ordinary building lots, such parcels shall be arranged to allow the provision of future streets and logical further subdivision.
I. 
Design standards for streets. Design standards will vary considerably from one community to another because of differences in topography, density of development and desired character. For example, in rural areas parking for guests will normally be provided on each individual property and therefore a pavement width of 20 feet should suffice. In more densely populated areas, guest parking is generally in the street and therefore the pavement should be wider. If paths were to be developed for walking or bicycling, the pavement might be narrower than if pedestrian movement were not separated. Therefore, there is no model which can be adapted to all circumstances. These details should be decided upon by the Town Board, Planning Board and the Town Highway Superintendent. Factors to be considered are:
(1) 
Different standards for different types of streets, e.g., major, collector, minor streets.
(2) 
Minimum width of right-of-way: no less than 50 feet; 60 feet or more for collector or major roads.
(3) 
Minimum width of pavement: generally nine-to-ten-foot lanes for moving traffic, except for higher speed roads, and eight-foot lanes for parking.
(4) 
Minimum radius of horizontal curves. Common standards used are 400 feet on major roads, 200 feet on collector, 100 feet on minor streets, measured at the center line.
(5) 
Minimum length of vertical curves. An example would be 300 feet on a major street, 200 feet on a collector but not less than 40 feet for each 1% of algebraic difference in grade, 100 feet but not less than 20 feet for each 1% of algebraic difference in grade for a minor street.
(6) 
Minimum length of tangents between reverse curves. An example would be 300 feet on a major street, 200 feet on a collector, 100 feet on a minor street.
(7) 
Maximum grade: generally no more than 10% for minor streets, 6% to 8% for others.
(8) 
Minimum grade: generally 1% to assure proper drainage.
(9) 
Minimum sight distance: depends upon intended speed of traffic; should be no less than 150 feet for minor streets.
Block dimensions shall generally not be less than 400 feet nor more than 1,200 feet in length. In general, block width should not be less than twice the normal lot depth. In long blocks, the Planning Board may require the establishment of easements or public ways through the block to accommodate utilities or pedestrian access.
A. 
Lots to be buildable. The lot size, width, depth, shape and arrangement shall be appropriate for the type of development and use contemplated and shall be such that there will be no foreseeable difficulties, for reasons of topography or other conditions, in securing building permits to build on all lots in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance, as it may be adopted,[1] or in providing access to buildings on such lots from an approved street. Dimensions of corner lots shall be large enough to allow for the erection of buildings, observing the minimum front yard setback from both streets.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 116, Zoning.
B. 
Side lot lines. Side lot lines shall be at right angles to street lines unless a variation from this rule will give, in the opinion of the Planning Board, a better street or lot plan. Lot lines shall coincide with municipal boundaries rather than cross them. Where extra width has been dedicated for widening an existing street, lot lines shall begin at such extra-width line.
C. 
Access from major streets. Lots shall generally not have their vehicular access from a major street. Where driveway access from a major street may be necessary for several adjoining lots, the Planning Board may require that such lots be served by a combined access drive in order to limit possible traffic hazard on such street. (See § 105-18D, Treatment of major streets.)
D. 
Access across a watercourse. Where a watercourse separates the buildable area of a lot from the access street, provision shall be made for the installation of a culvert or other structure, of a design approved by the Town Engineer.
E. 
Water bodies. If a tract being subdivided contains a water body or portion thereof, lot lines shall be so drawn as to distribute the ownership of the water body among the fees of the adjacent lots. The Planning Board may approve an alternate plan whereby the ownership of and responsibility for safe maintenance of the water body is so placed that it will not become a town responsibility. No more than 25% of the minimum lot area required under zoning regulations, if such exist,[2] may be satisfied by land under water.
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 116, Zoning.
A. 
Land for recreational purposes.
(1) 
General. In accordance with § 277 of the Town Law, the Planning Board may require either the reservation of land for park or recreational purpose or the payment of a fee to a trust fund to be used for recreation purposes in the area of the subdivision.
(2) 
Reservation of land. The Planning Board may require the reservation of land for a park or recreational purposes to be reserved on the plat, but in no case to be more than 10% of the gross area of the subdivision. The location of such reservation shall be in accordance with the Town Development Plan or Official Map, if such exist, or otherwise where the Planning Board shall deem such reservation to be appropriate. In general, such reservations should have an area of at least two acres and have adequate street access.
(3) 
Payment of money in lieu of land. Where the Planning Board determines that a suitable park or parks of adequate size cannot be properly located in any such plat or is otherwise not practical, the Planning Board may waive the requirement of land reservation on the condition that the subdivider deposit a cash payment with the Town Clerk in lieu of land reservation. Such payment shall be placed in a trust fund to be used exclusively for the purchase and development of neighborhood sites for parks, playgrounds or other recreational purposes. The amount of such payment shall be $25 for each lot approved on the plat.
B. 
Widening or realignment of existing streets. Where the subdivision borders an existing street and additional land is required for realignment or widening of such street as indicated on the Official Map or Town Development Plan, if such exist, or where the Planning Board deems such reservation necessary, the Planning Board may require that such areas be indicated on the plat and marked "Reserved for Street Realignment (or Widening) Purposes."
C. 
Easements for utilities and drainage. Where topography or other conditions are such as to make impractical the inclusion of utilities or drainage facilities within street rights-of-way, perpetual unobstructed easements at least 20 feet in width for such utilities shall be provided across property outside the street lines and with satisfactory access to the street. Such easements shall be centered on rear or side lot lines.
D. 
Easements for pedestrian access. The Planning Board may require, in order to facilitate pedestrian access from streets to schools, parks, playgrounds or other nearby streets, perpetual unobstructed easements at least 20 feet in width.
E. 
Easements for maintenance of slopes. Where steep slopes beyond the street right-of-way may require maintenance, an easement may be required for such purpose.
F. 
Responsibility for ownership of reservations. Title to all reservations, if vested in interests other than the subdivider, shall be clearly indicated on the plat.
G. 
Improvements.
(1) 
Monuments and markers. Permanent monuments shall be placed at all block corners, angle points, points of curvature and points of tangency in streets and intermediate points as required by the Town Engineer. In no case shall there be less than four permanent monuments per block. Monuments shall be set so as to prevent movement by frost upheaval and other pressures. Markers of a material, size and length suitable to the Town Engineer shall be placed at all points where road lines intersect plat boundaries and at all lot corners.
(2) 
Street improvements. Streets shall be graded and improved with pavement, street signs, sidewalks, street lighting standards, curbs, gutters, street trees, water mains, sanitary sewers, storm drains and fire hydrants, except where waivers may be requested, and the Planning Board may waive, subject to appropriate conditions, such improvements as it considers are not requisite in the interest of the public health, safety and general welfare or may result in unnecessary hardship. If underground utilities are required by the Planning Board, they shall be placed between the paved roadway and street right-of-way line, where possible, to simplify location and repair of the lines. The subdivider shall install underground service connections to the property line of each lot before the street is paved. Such grading and improvements shall be approved as to design and specifications by the Town Engineer, who shall require that all pertinent town standards and specifications shall be met.
(3) 
Water and sewerage facilities. Facilities for water and sewerage shall be provided in each new subdivision in accordance with the requirements of the appropriate agency having jurisdiction over the planning and installation of these in the area of the subdivision; however, the following minimum requirements of the town shall be met:
(a) 
Central water supply systems shall be designed with adequate pressures, mains and fire hydrants to meet Association of Fire Underwriters' specifications for a Class C protected area.
(b) 
All water mains shall be at least six inches in diameter.
(c) 
Sanitary sewers shall not be used for stormwater drainage.
(d) 
Central sewerage systems shall provide a four-inch minimum size connection to each lot.
(e) 
Any subdivision contiguous to an existing water or sewer district or contiguous to or within a planned expansion of an existing water or sewer district shall make application to become a part of or to be serviced by the existing district. No subdivision shall be approved where it is intended to use individual wells and/or septic tanks where the facilities of an existing water or sewer district may be utilized.
(4) 
Storm drainage facilities. Storm drainage facilities shall provide a clear and protected channel fully adequate to handle runoff from a five-year storm and designed so that heavy runoffs which exceed the capacity of the channels can be handled with least possible damage to improvements and structures.
(5) 
Public utilities. The Board may accept assurance from each public utility company whose facilities are proposed to be installed. Such assurance shall be in writing, addressed to the Board, stating that such public utility company will make the installations necessary for the furnishing of its services within a specified time, in accordance with the approved subdivision plat.