[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Belle Terre 11-16-1993 as L.L. No. 3-1993. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Coastal erosion hazard areas — See Ch. 63.
Excavations — See Ch. 70.
Fire prevention and building construction — See Ch. 78.
Flood damage prevention — See Ch. 86.
Land clearing, tree preservation and grading — See Ch. 99.
Streets — See Ch. 136.
Zoning — See Ch. 170.
Fees — See Ch. A175.
The procedure for subdivision of land shall be as follows:
A. 
Prepare a preliminary map and file with the Village Clerk six paper prints, together with application forms filled out and acknowledged at least two weeks prior to the regular meeting of the Planning Board. The acreage should be computed to two decimal places in all instances.
B. 
The application form shall be accompanied by a fee as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 138, Fees.
C. 
Upon receipt of this information, a tentative report will be prepared as a result of a field inspection. This report will contain recommendations and information relative to whether the preliminary map meets with all the requirements of the rules and regulations.
D. 
At a meeting, the Planning Board will review the report, consider all phases of the proposed subdivision and either approve or disapprove the preliminary map, whereupon the developer will be notified in writing.
E. 
If approved, the developer can then proceed with the staking of the center lines, taking all necessary profiles and establishing road grades as recommended by the Planning Board, computing the map, preparing the final map and other details as outlined in the rules and regulations. The developer will also submit the cloth original to the New York State Department of Health for its approval.
F. 
When all of the above has been complied with and at least 15 days before a meeting of the Planning Board, the developer will file with the Planning Board a finished cloth original and prints with the approval of the New York State Department of Health, together with all necessary details requested by the Planning Board.
G. 
When the Planning Board receives this information, a field inspection of the proposed subdivision will be made, and the Planning Board will compile a final report, which may include, among other things, a detailed list of all improvements and construction items and also an estimate of the cost of construction; whereupon a notice of hearing will be inserted in a newspaper in general circulation in the location of the proposed subdivision.
H. 
At a meeting of the Planning Board, as stated in the notice of public hearing, the subdivision will, by resolution, be approved or disapproved in its final phase. A copy of this resolution and report will be forwarded immediately to the Village Board of Trustees in connection with the approval of the bond, if any, and all other items over which it has control, as provided in the Village Law.
The application for approval of a subdivision shall be as follows:
To the Planning Board of the Village of Belle Terre:
The undersigned applicant hereby applied for (tentative) (final) approval of a subdivision map in accordance with § 7-728 of the Village Law and the rules and regulations of your Board and represents and states as follows:
A. 
The applicant is the owner of record of the land under application.
B. 
The name of the subdivision is to be: ..........
C. 
The entire land under application is described in Exhibit A hereto annexed (copy of deed or lawful proof of title).
D. 
The land is held by the applicant under deeds recorded in Suffolk County Clerk's office as follows:
Liber ..........,
Page .......... ;
on .......... .
Liber ..........,
Page .......... ;
on .......... .
Liber ..........,
Page .......... ;
on .......... .
E. 
The area of land is .......... acres.
F. 
All taxes which are liens on the land at the date hereof have been paid.
G. 
The land is encumbered by .......... mortgage(s) as follows:
Mortgage recorded in Liber ........, Page ........ in
original amount of $ ........, unpaid amount $ ..........,
held by .........., address .......... .
Mortgage recorded in Liber ........, Page ........ in
original amount of $ ........, unpaid amount $ ..........,
held by .........., address .......... .
Mortgage recorded in Liber ........, Page ........ in
original amount of $ ........, unpaid amount $ ..........,
held by .........., address .......... .
H. 
There are no other encumbrances or liens against the land.
I. 
The land lies in the following zoning use districts: .......... .
J. 
No part of the land lies under water, whether tidewaters, stream, pondwater or otherwise, except .......... .
K. 
The applicant will at his own expense install the required public improvements in accordance with standards and specifications adopted by the Village and/or Planning Board.
L. 
Water mains will be laid by .........., and (a) (no) charge will be made for installing said mains. A letter from the public utility must accompany this application stating a definite time when water service will be made available to the subdivision (Exhibit B).
M. 
Electric lines and standards will be installed by .........., and (a) (no) charge will be made for installing said mains. A letter from the public utility must accompany this application stating a definite time when electric service will be made available to the subdivision (Exhibit C).
N. 
Gas mains will be installed by .........., and (a) (no) charge will be made for installing said mains. A letter from the public utility must accompany this application stating a definite time when gas service will be made available to the subdivision (Exhibit D).
O. 
Telephone lines and standards will be installed by .........., and (a) (no) charge will be made for installing said lines. A letter from the public utility must accompany this application stating a definite time when telephone service will be made available to the subdivision (Exhibit E).
P. 
If roads shown on the map are claimed by the applicant to be existing public roads in the Village highway system, annex Exhibit F hereto to show the same.
It is further understood and agreed that by filing the final application and map it will serve as an irrevocable deed of dedication to the town of all roads, parks and all other areas to be used by the public in this subdivision. All necessary deeds, covenants and other papers in this connection are to be annexed to this application, prior to final approval of the proposed subdivision.
Q. 
There are no existing buildings or structures on the land which are not located and shown on the map.
R. 
Submit a copy of proposed deeds for building sites showing all restrictions, covenants, etc. (Exhibit G).
S. 
The applicant estimates that the cost of grading and required public improvements will be $ .......... as itemized in Exhibit H hereto annexed and requests that the maturity of the performance bond be fixed at .......... years. The performance bond will be written by a licensed surety company unless otherwise shown on Exhibit I.
Date
.........., 20......
.............................
(Name of Applicant)
By
.................................
(Signature and Title)
...............................
(Address)
...............................
(Telephone)
STATE OF NEW YORK, ss.: ...............................
County of .....................
......................., being duly sworn, deposes and says:
That he resided at .............., State of .............. ;that he has signed the foregoing application as the applicant or the duly authorized officer of the applicant; that the statements in the said application contained are true.
..................................
(Applicant or Officer)
Sworn to before me, this
......... day of ............, 20......
Notary Public # ............
...............
............... County, New York
My commission expires ..........., 20......
Initial fee paid: Amount $ ..........
Date ..........., 20......
[Amended 9-20-2016 by L.L. No. 2-2016]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
BUILDING SITE
A portion of a subdivision or other parcel of land intended as a unit for transfer of ownership or for development.
CUL-DE-SAC
A minor road having one end open to traffic and being permanently terminated by a vehicle turnaround. It shall have a minimum diameter of turnaround of 100 feet.
EASEMENT
A grant by the property owner of the use of a strip of land by the public, a corporation or persons for specific purposes.
IMPROVEMENTS
Road pavements, with or without curbs or gutters, sidewalks, water mains, sanitary and storm sewers, roadside trees and plantings, lighting standards and other appropriate items.
MAJOR ROAD
A road which serves or is intended to serve as an approved major trafficway within the Village.
MASTER PLAN
A comprehensive plan which has been adopted by the Planning Board indicating the general locations for the roads, parks, public buildings, zoning districts and other public improvements that may be indicated on a map or series of maps.
MINOR ROAD
A public road supplementary to a major road and of limited continuity which serves or is intended to serve the local needs of a neighborhood or section.
PLANNING BOARD
The official Planning Board of the Village of Belle Terre shall consist of five members appointed by the Mayor to advise the Trustees on matters relating to the general welfare of the Village.
[Amended 1-20-2004 by L.L. No. 1-2004]
ROAD
A right-of-way dedicated to public use, subject to Village ordinances.
SUBDIVISION
A division of a tract or parcel of land into two or more lots or other divisions of land for the purpose, immediate or future, of transferring ownership or development, including all changes in roads or building sites.
A. 
SUBDIVISIONAny division of land which creates two or more lots, with or without new streets.
B. 
RESUBDIVISIONAny alteration of lot lines or dimensions of lots previously created, including lots shown on a subdivision map previously approved by the Planning Board and lots created prior to the requirement of Planning Board approval.
TRUSTEE
The Board of Trustees of the Village.
VILLAGE
The Incorporated Village of Belle Terre, Suffolk County, New York.
A. 
No person, firm or corporation proposing to make or have made a subdivision within the territorial limits of the Village shall make any contract for the sale of or shall offer to sell said subdivision or any part thereof or shall proceed with any construction work of any kind on the proposed subdivision which may affect the arrangement of roads, including clearing, grubbing, grading or other works, until he or it has obtained from the Planning Board the approval of the final map and the approval of the Trustees.
B. 
It is suggested that the subdivider or his engineer consult with the Planning Board while the map is in sketch form and before the preliminary map is prepared to ascertain the location of proposed thoroughfares, zoning use districts and other planned projects and relative developments.
C. 
The tentative approval of the preliminary map by the Planning Board is revocable and does not constitute acceptance of the subdivision. It is to be considered only as approval of the design, with the understanding that the New York State Department of Health and all other proper administrative officials will examine the layout and, if necessary, make all field inspections and other investigations, including the grades of all roads, the type of improvements and the layout of the drainage, sewerage and water system, as proposed, and may modify any planning or construction details whenever the protection of the public interest may so require.
D. 
Tentative approval of a preliminary map is to be effective for one month unless extended by the Planning Board. No tentative approval may extend beyond a period of six months.
E. 
The final map of any portion of a larger subdivision, the preliminary map of which has been tentatively approved, may be submitted for final approval.
F. 
The subdivision and improvements shall conform in all respects to all of the ordinances of the Village.
G. 
The horizontal scale of maps shall be 100 feet or less to the inch, and the plans and profiles in connection with road grades and all other contingencies shall be on appropriate scales to report the true condition with the minimum of distortion.
H. 
Maps and other submissions shall be clearly identified with the name of the subdivision, the location of the property, the name and address of the developer and the organization preparing the submissions. All maps shall have the scale indicated, be dated and indicate true and magnetic meridians.
I. 
All road construction shall conform to the specifications of the Suffolk County Highway Department.
A. 
Roads shall conform in effect to the Master Plan.
B. 
The proposed subdivision and its ultimate use shall be in the best interests of the public welfare and the neighborhood development of the area, and the subdivider shall present evidence to this effect when and if requested by the Planning Board.
C. 
The tract to be subdivided should not be a part of or encroach upon an area or areas designated in the Master Plan for future public facilities.
D. 
Major roads shall be provided with parallel roads or such other medium of access as may be appropriate to the conditions.
E. 
The right-of-way for major roads shall be 100 feet; for minor roads 50 feet and for pedestrian passways 10 feet, if required.
F. 
Side lines of building sites shall be approximately at right angles or radial to the road line.
G. 
Narrow building sites are not desirable.
H. 
Trees, natural growth and topography must be preserved. Approved trees and other planting where none now exist shall be provided.
I. 
The Planning Board may specify, to the extent required, the allocation of playfields, parks and other open public spaces that may be essential to a proper development of the areas or neighborhood.
J. 
In any particular case where because of topographic or other conditions compliance with the foregoing provisions would cause practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship, the Planning Board may vary these provisions, provided that it can be done in such a way as to grant relief and at the same time to carry out the intent of these regulations in harmony with existing conditions in the Village.
A. 
Requirements for all improvements, including paved area, storm drainage, water supply, fire hydrants, sewerage disposal, lighting standards, road signs and all other types of improvements shall be as specified by the Planning Board.
B. 
Approval of the final map is contingent on evidence that the improvements as required have been made or that sufficient surety to completely cover the same has been approved by the Trustees as provided in the Village Law.
C. 
In lieu of making the improvements as specified by the Planning Board, the subdivider may present to the Trustees a performance bond sufficient to cover the full cost of all the improvements as estimated by the Planning Board. Such performance bond shall be issued by a bonding or surety company, approved by the Village Attorney as to form, sufficiency and manner of execution. Such performance bond shall run for a period of not more than two years; provided, however, that the term of such performance bond may be extended by the Trustees with the consent of the parties thereto. If the Trustees shall decide at any time during the term of the performance bond that the extent of building development that has taken place in the subdivision is not sufficient to warrant all the improvements covered by such performance bond or that required improvements have been installed as provided in the Village Law in sufficient amount to warrant reduction in the face amount of said bond, the Trustees may modify its requirements for any or all such improvements and the face value of such performance bond shall thereupon be reduced by an appropriate amount so that the new face value will cover the cost in full of the amended list of improvements required by the Planning Board, and any security deposited with the bond may be reduced proportionately. In the event that any required improvements have not been installed as provided in the Village Law and as requested by the Planning Board within the term of such performance bond, the Trustees may thereupon declare the performance bond to be in default and collect the sum remaining payable thereunder, and upon the receipt of the proceeds thereof, the Village shall install such improvements as are covered by such performance bond and are commensurate with the extent of building development that has taken place in the subdivision but not exceeding in cost the amount of such proceeds.
A. 
The preliminary map shall consist of a complete and accurate survey of the entire property involved in the subdivision. This survey shall give the courses and distances of all boundaries; the grades and lines of adjoining roads, pavements and adjoining properties; all structures, the rights, restrictions, easements and boundaries and contours of the property at five-foot intervals and full information as to sewer, water, gas, telephone and electric service which may exist. It shall also show wooded areas.
B. 
Upon this survey or on a separate map, if desired, the complete development of the property, including proposed roads, building sites, changes in topography and full information as to public utilities and other improvements, shall be indicated. Zoning requirements shall also be indicated.
C. 
Where the property owned by the developer extends beyond the corporate limits of the Village, the preliminary map shall show the entire property, with the Village limits clearly indicated.
A. 
After approval of the preliminary map by the Planning Board and the fulfillment of the requirements of these regulations and any other requirements specified by the Planning Board, then the original map together with the necessary prints for filing shall be submitted to the Planning Board for final approval and signatures.
B. 
Action must be taken by the Planning Board within two months after submission of the map.
C. 
Upon approval by the Planning Board, the developer shall record the map with the County Clerk within three months. If not recorded within this time, said approval of the Planning Board shall be null and void.
D. 
A true mechanical copy of the final map to be recorded shall be made on tracing cloth for the files of the Planning Board.
E. 
The final map shall contain the following:
(1) 
The exact location, width and name of all roads within and adjoining the map. The name of a road shall not duplicate that of any existing road. Proposed road names shall be checked with the proper authorities.
(2) 
True angles and distances to the nearest established road lines or official monuments (not less than three) which shall be accurately described on the map.
(3) 
Village lines accurately tied to the lines of the subdivision by distances and angles.
(4) 
Radii, internal angles, points of curvature, tangent bearings and lengths of all arcs.
(5) 
All easements for rights-of-way provided for public services or utilities.
(6) 
All building site numbers and lines, with accurate dimensions in feet and hundredths.
(7) 
An accurate location of all monuments, which shall be concrete six inches by six inches by 30 inches. One such monument shall be placed at each corner and at each change in direction of the boundary; and two such monuments shall be placed at each road intersection and at the beginning and end of curves on one side of the road.
(8) 
Accurate outlines and legal descriptions of any areas to be dedicated or reserved for public use, with the purposes indicated thereon, and of any area to be reserved by deed covenant for common uses of all property owners.
(9) 
Building setback lines accurately shown with dimensions.
(10) 
Protective covenants, which shall be recorded with the final map.
(11) 
Certification by registered surveyor to the effect that the map represents a survey made by him and that the monuments shown thereon exist as located and that all dimensional and geodetic details are correct, guaranteed to the Village of Belle Terre.
(12) 
The proper form for the approval of the Planning Board with space for its signatures and other official's.
A. 
Poles for electric light or telephone lines should be placed along rear lot lines, wherever practicable.
B. 
Where planting of trees is required, it shall be done to the approval of the Planning Board.
C. 
Major roads shall be planned with pavement 20 feet wide, two shoulders totaling eight feet wide and two planting strips totaling 72 feet wide. Minor roads shall be planned with pavement 18 feet wide, two shoulders totaling six feet wide and two planting strips totaling 26 feet wide.
D. 
Pavement shall be constructed as follows:
(1) 
Remove all loose and spongy material and replace with load-bearing material. Grade, align and carefully smooth and roll subgrade to a good load-bearing surface.
(2) 
Lay 21/2 inches of coarse asphaltic concrete by mechanical means to a smooth even surface.
(3) 
Provide two sealing coats of asphalt and fine stone.
[Added 6-17-1997 by L.L. No. 1-1997]
Land may be required to be reserved for park and recreation purposes in locations where the Planning Board deems such reservation to be appropriate, with the approval of the Village Board of Trustees. Each reservation shall be of suitable size, dimensions, topography and general character and shall have adequate street access for that purpose. No more than 10% of the gross land area in a subdivision may be required for such purposes, with a desirable minimum of five acres to be reserved. Alternatively, in cases where a reservation of land would be inadequate in size or otherwise inappropriate for such use, the Planning Board shall waive the requirements for such reservation and shall require that the applicant deposit with the Village Clerk a cash payment in lieu of land reservation. Such deposit shall be in an amount established by resolution of the Village Board and shall be placed in a trust fund to be used for the purchase and development of park and recreation areas serving the neighborhood encompassed by the Village.
[Added 9-20-2016 by L.L. No. 2-2016]
A. 
Alteration of lot lines.
(1) 
In the case of a resubdivision which would alter lot lines or dimensions of lots previously created. the Planning Board may modify or waive any provision of these subdivision regulations. including the provisions related to submission. approval and filing of a final plat. provided that:
(a) 
The resubdivision would not create any additional lots;
(b) 
Each of the involved lots have been in single and separate ownership in accordance with said definition contained in § 170-1 herein;
(c) 
The resubdivision would not cause any existing lots to become nonconforming or substandard;
(d) 
The resubdivision would not cause any existing structures on any lot to now require a variance;
(e) 
The resubdivision would not alter any street;
(f) 
The proposed alteration of lot lines shall be reviewed by a licensed engineer or other acceptable planning professional (at owner's expense) who shall submit a letter to the Planning Board stating that the proposed alteration:
[1] 
Shall have no significant environmental effect;
[2] 
Will not make future planning, or building upon, either of the affected parcels more difficult or impossible: and
[3] 
Poses no other immediate or potential problem which would justify a more thorough review by the Planning Board.
(g) 
The sketch plan submission shall include an accurate survey of the existing lots, the proposed alteration thereof and the lots resulting from such alteration including the building envelope of each; and
(h) 
Prior to granting sketch plan approval, the Planning Board shall hold a public hearing on the proposed alteration if there was a previous subdivision related to either involved lot granted by the Planning Board.
(2) 
If the Planning Board waives the provisions relating to submission, approval and filing of a final plat:
(a) 
The sketch plan approval shall constitute the basis for the approved alteration of the lot line; and
(b) 
The sketch plan approval shall expire six months after the date of such approval, unless within such time the subdivider shall have recorded in the Office of the Suffolk County Clerk a deed or deeds transferring the land area or areas involved in the alteration to or among the appropriate existing lot or lots, such that any land area being transferred shall merge of record in the same ownership with the appropriate existing lot, and such that each lot resulting from the alteration shall be placed of record in single and separate ownership.
B. 
Fees. In the case of a resubdivision which involves a request for a waiver in accordance with § 138-11, Waivers, the application fee to be paid at the time of the sketch plan submission shall be as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Village Board of Trustees.