The improvements which follow are necessary
to assure that all lots in subdivisions are adequately and properly
served with utilities, sanitation features which provide a healthy
and safe environment and other safeguards which assure property is
properly identified, accessible to pedestrians and to vehicles and
safeguarded against dangers such as flooding and erosion. Improvements
are required to preserve, to the greatest extent possible, the natural
features of the land and to make the subdivision an attractive and
desirable place to live.
Wherever practical, natural features of the
property being subdivided shall be preserved.
A. To the fullest extent possible, all existing trees
and shrubbery shall be preserved by the subdivider. The subdivision
should be designed with consideration being given to the preservation
of natural features. Precautions also shall be taken to protect existing
trees and shrubbery during the process of grading the lots and roads.
Where any land other than that included in public rights-of-way is
to be dedicated to the public use, the developer shall not remove
any trees from the site without written Planning Board approval.
B. Where a subdivision is traversed by natural surface
water, the boundaries and alignment of the body of water shall be
preserved unless the Planning Board finds that a change would be ecologically
sound and would enhance the development and beauty of the project.
C. Every effort should be taken by the subdivider in
designing a project to preserve unique physical features, such as
historic landmarks and sites, rock outcroppings, hilltop lookouts,
desirable natural contours and similar natural features.
Utilities are required to assure that the property
is adequately served by water, sewer and drainage systems and by electric
power and other fuel-distribution systems. To assure that these systems
are properly installed and easily repaired, inspection of the installation
of these improvements is required.
A. Water distribution. A system of transmitting potable
water to the subdivision and appurtenances in adequate amounts for
the normal use of each lot in the proposed subdivision is required.
Two systems of water distribution are possible.
(1) Public water supply systems. Public water supply shall
be provided wherever existing water mains are reasonably accessible
in the opinion of the Planning Board. The system must be approved
by the New York State Department of Health and must conform to Design
and Constructions Standards of the Town of Geneva.
(2) Individual water systems (wells). A well is a deep
hole or shaft dug or drilled in the ground to obtain potable water
and bring it to the surface for an individual lot. Only those developments
which cannot be served by extension of public water systems may be
designed with individual water systems.
B. Sanitary sewer systems.
(1) Sanitary sewage is the combination of human and household
wastes with water. These sewer systems are used to dispose of sanitary
sewage from individual lots in a subdivision. Two types of sanitary
sewer systems are permitted: public sanitary sewer systems and individual
sewage disposal systems. All public and selected individual sanitary
sewer systems must be approved by the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation and/or the New York State Department of
Health, whichever is applicable.
(2) Public sanitary sewers shall be provided whenever
existing sanitary sewers are reasonably accessible, in the opinion
of the Planning Board. These systems also must conform to the Design
and Construction Standards of the Town of Geneva.
C. Drainage systems. These are a combination of natural
watercourses and man-made facilities intended to convey stormwater
runoff and shall conform to the Design and Construction Standards
of the Planning Board of the Town of Geneva.
(1) Adequate and comprehensive drainage systems shall
be provided in accordance with the natural direction of runoff for
the total upland watershed area affecting the subdivision. Such drainage
systems shall have sufficient capacity to accommodate the potential
future runoff based upon the probable land use and ultimate development
of the total watershed area upland of the subdivision.
(2) In general, the preservation of natural watercourses
is preferable to the construction of drainage channels and, wherever
practicable, such natural watercourses should be preserved and utilized.
D. Easements. Utility and drainage easements are required
for all proposed subdivisions.
(1) Utility easements. An easement shall be provided for
all utility lines wherever those utility lines do not fall within
a dedicated right-of-way. All utility easements shall be plotted on
both the preliminary and final subdivision plat. The developer must
identify all easements in deeds for each lot affected. Utility easements
shall have a minimum width of 10 feet. 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 risk of interruption of services.
(2) Drainage easements. Drainage easements shall be provided
for all natural and man-made drainageways which do not fall within
a dedicated right-of-way. All drainage easements shall be plotted
on the preliminary and final plats. The town shall be provided with
a metes and bounds description of all proposed easements prior to
final plat approval. These descriptions will be used by the Engineer
for the town and the Attorney for the town in creating or extending
special districts.
(3) The Planning Board reserves the right to require additional
easements when the purposes of the easements are found to be in the
public interest.
E. Inspection. The installation of improvements shall
be subject to inspection at all stages by the appropriate Inspector
of the Town of Geneva. For this purpose, free access shall be afforded
and requested information shall be promptly submitted. The cost of
such inspections shall be approved by the Engineer for the town and
included in the value of the surety submitted for the project.
Site surface improvements are required to ensure
that the ecology of the subdivision is not disturbed adversely, that
the subdivision presents an attractive appearance, that it is properly
paved and monumented and that all improvements are recorded on the
final plat for approval by the Town Board.
A. Erosion control. Every effort should be taken by the
subdivider in designing a project to preserve unique physical features,
such as historic landmarks and sites, rock outcroppings, hilltop lookouts,
desirable natural contours and similar natural features. Erosion and
sedimentation control shall conform to the Design and Construction
Standards for the Planning Board of the Town of Geneva.
(1) During the development process, the developer shall
expose the smallest practical area of land at any one time. Proper
erosion control measures shall be in place prior to any area being
distributed. Examples of normal erosion control are straw baling,
silt dams made of synthetic materials and siltation collection depressions.
(a)
Topsoil moved during the course of construction
should be stored in such a manner as to allow for minimum volume to
be stacked or stored at any one time. The stacking or storage period
should be kept as short as possible.
(b)
Removal, storage and redistribution of topsoil
should be consistent with the phasing of construction for the purpose
of reducing the need for the storage of large volumes of soil over
a lengthy period. Soil shall be redistributed so as to cover all areas
of the subdivision adequately and shall be stabilized by seeding or
planting. Topsoil which is stored shall be stabilized by seeding.
(c)
Removal of any topsoil from the site must be
approved by the Planning Board.
(2) Temporary vegetation and/or mulching should be provided
to prevent potential erosion problems during construction.
(3) Upon completion of the project, the subdivider shall
not be permitted to leave any hills or mounds of dirt around the tract.
All surfaces should be restored within six months of the time of the
completion of the section of the subdivision.
(4) Upon completion of the project, the subdivider shall
not be permitted to leave any surface depressions which will collect
pools of water except as may be required for retention of stormwater
runoff.
B. Landscaping. Landscaping is the improvement of land
by contouring and decorative planting which includes vegetative ground
cover.
(1) All lots which are disturbed during the course of
construction and which are not covered by structures or paving shall
be properly landscaped by the developer.
(2) Individual homeowners, by written agreement with developer,
subdivider or builder, may landscape their yards independently.
(3) Additional landscaping may be required by the Planning
Board to screen or buffer the subdivision from a visually noncompatible
use.
C. Street signs. Permanent street signs of the same type
and design in general use throughout the town, showing the names of
intersecting streets, shall be erected at each intersection. Signs
at private road intersections shall contain the designation "drive."
D. Monuments. Permanent reference monuments shall be
set at critical corners and angle points of the boundaries within
the subdivision. Generally, critical corners and angle points shall
be deemed to mean boundary corners and angle points in the boundaries
of the parcel being subdivided and in street right-of-way boundaries
at all street intersections. Variations to this general rule shall
be permitted with Planning Board approval. Requests for deviations
shall be made prior to preliminary plat approval. Agreements on monumentation
shall be incorporated into the subdivision plan of the final plat.
E. Roads and streets. All dedicated roads and sidewalks
shall be constructed in conformance to specifications set forth by
the Town of Geneva.
F. Sidewalks. The policy of the Town of Geneva is to
encourage the building of sidewalks wherever appropriate. The need
for sidewalks in major subdivisions shall be determined by the Planning
Board. Location of sidewalks generally shall be within the road right-of-way
and any pedestrian access easements. Sidewalks shall conform to Town
of Geneva regulations.
G. Planting. Adequate tree planting shall be completed
by the developer. Street trees shall be not less than 40 feet nor
more than 50 feet apart. Tentative tree species will be indicated
on the preliminary plat. Generally, trees shall not be less than two
inches to 2 1/2 inches in diameter at the base at the time of
planting. They may be planted on either side of the sidewalk unless
the planting strip is less than eight feet, in which case they should
be planted in the lawn area. Trees must be adequately supported by
guy wires until firmly rooted.
Flood hazard prevention shall conform to the provisions of Chapter
80, Flood Damage Prevention, of the Code of the Town of Geneva.