The Planning Board, in considering an application for the subdivision of land, shall be guided by the following considerations and standards.
A. 
Character of land. Land to be subdivided shall be of such character that in the opinion of the Planning Board it can be used safely for building purposes without danger to health or peril from fire, flood or other menace. Further, the resulting subdivision shall be carefully designed to preserve the rural character, open space, environmental features, and farmlands of the Town. The optimal use and conservation of natural and physical resources shall be the guide for determining the inherent constraints and potentials for development on the proposed site.
B. 
Conformity to Official Map and Town Comprehensive Plan. Subdivisions shall conform to the streets and parks shown on the Official Map of the Town, as and when adopted, and shall be properly related to the Town Plan as adopted by the Town Board.
A. 
Location, width and improvement of streets. 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. The arrangement of streets shall be such as to cause no undue hardship to adjoining properties. Further, all new residential streets shall be consistent with the rural character and traffic patterns of rural and low-volume roads.
B. 
Widths of right-of-way and street grades. The right-of-way of streets shall have a width of at least 50 feet. A greater width, not exceeding 70 feet, may be required by the Town Planning Board. The grade of any street shall not exceed 10% nor be less than 0.6%. The pavement width shall not exceed 18 feet for low-volume roads less than 50 to 100 cars per day. For roads having a higher volume, pavement widths shall be 20 feet.
C. 
Relation to topography. Streets shall be logically related to the topography, and all streets shall be arranged so as to obtain as many as possible of the building sites above the grades of the streets. Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible to the original topography. A combination of steep grades and sharp curves shall be avoided.
D. 
Intersections. Cross (four-cornered) street intersections shall be avoided insofar as possible, except at important traffic intersections. A distance of at least 150 feet shall be maintained between the center lines of offset intersections. Within 40 feet of an intersection, streets shall be approximately at right angles and grades shall be limited to 3%. No access shall be constructed within 10 feet of a neighboring property unless the driveway will act as a shared access.
E. 
Continuation of streets into adjacent property. The arrangement of streets shall 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 Plan. If the adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must be a dead-end street temporarily, the right-of-way and improvements shall be extended to the property line. A temporary circular turnaround of a minimum of 50 feet in radius shall be provided on all temporary dead-end streets, with the notation on the plat that land outside the street right-of-way shall revert to abutters whenever the street is continued. The Planning Board may limit temporary dead-end streets to a length of not more than double the permitted length of permanent dead-end streets.
F. 
Permanent dead-end streets. Dead-end highways are discouraged. "Ts" or "hammerheads" are required at the terminus of all dead ends. Cul-de-sac designs are discouraged but may be permitted provided the cul-de-sac has a minimum turn-around radius of 45 feet. Where a street does not extend to the boundary of the subdivision and its continuation is not needed for access to adjoining property, it shall be separated from such boundary by a distance of not less than 100 feet. Reserve strips of land shall not be left between the end of a proposed street and an adjacent piece of property. However, the Planning Board may require the reservation of a twenty-foot-wide easement to accommodate pedestrian traffic or utilities. For greater convenience to traffic and more effective police and fire protection, permanent dead-end streets shall, in general, be limited in length to 600 feet.
G. 
Street names. All streets shall be named, and such names shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board and County 911 Coordinator. Names shall be sufficiently different in sound and in spelling from other street names in the Town and vicinity so as not to cause confusion. A street which is a continuation of an existing street shall bear the same name.
A. 
Street improvements; standards for street design. Streets and street improvements shall conform to all Town ordinances and specifications and will be subject to the inspection and approval of the Town Superintendent of Highways before consideration for acceptance by the Town Board.
B. 
Monuments. Permanent concrete posts with monuments shall be set at block corners and at intervals of approximately 500 feet or such other distance as the Planning Board may determine appropriate, and their location shall be shown on the subdivision plat. Iron pipes shall not be considered permanent monuments for the purposes of this chapter.
C. 
Improvements and performance bond.
(1) 
Before the Planning Board grants final approval of the subdivision plat, the subdivider shall follow the procedure set forth in either Subsection C(1)(a) or (b) below:
(a) 
In an amount set by the Planning Board, the subdivider shall file with the Planning Board either a certified check to cover the full cost of the required improvements or a performance bond to cover the full cost of the required improvements. Any such bond shall comply with the requirements of § 277 of the Town Law and shall be satisfactory to the Town Board, Town Engineer and Town Attorney as to form, sufficiency, manner of execution and surety. A period of one year (or such other period as the Planning Board may determine appropriate, not to exceed three years) shall be set forth in the bond within which required improvements must be completed.
(b) 
The subdivider shall complete all required improvements to the satisfaction of the Town Highway Superintendent, who shall file with the Planning Board a letter signifying the satisfactory completion of all improvements required by the Board. For any required improvements not so completed, the subdivider shall file with the Planning Board a bond or certified check covering the costs of such improvements and the cost of satisfactorily installing any improvement not approved by the Town Engineer. Any such bond shall be satisfactory to the Town Engineer and Town Attorney as to form sufficiency, manner of execution and surety.
(2) 
The required improvements shall not be considered to be completed until the installation of the improvements has been approved by the Town Highway Superintendent and a map satisfactory to the Planning Board has been submitted indicating the location of monuments marking all underground utilities as actually installed. If the subdivider completes all required improvements according to Subsection C(1)(b), then said map shall be submitted prior to endorsement of the plat by the appropriate Planning Board officer. However, if the subdivider elects to provide a bond or certified check for all required improvements as specified in Subsection C(1)(a), such bond shall not be released until such a map is submitted.
D. 
Modification of design of improvements. If at any time before or during the construction of the required improvements it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Planning Board that unforeseen conditions make it necessary or preferable to modify the location or design of such required improvements, the Planning Board may authorize modifications, provided that these modifications are within the spirit and intent of the Planning Board's approval and do not extend to the waiver or substantial alteration of the function of any improvements required by the Board. The Planning Board shall issue any authorization under this subsection in writing.
E. 
Inspection of improvements. At least five days prior to commencing construction of required improvements, the subdivider shall pay to the Town Clerk the inspection fee required by the Town Board and shall notify the Town Board in writing of the time when he proposes to commence construction of such improvements so that the Town Board may cause inspection to be made to assure that all Town specifications and requirements shall be met during the construction of required improvements and to assure the satisfactory completion of improvements and utilities required by the Planning Board.
F. 
Proper installation of improvements. If the Town Highway Superintendent shall find, upon inspection of the improvements performed before the expiration date of the performance bond, that any of the required improvements have not been constructed in accordance with plans and specifications filed by the subdivider, he shall so report to the Town Board, Building Inspector and Planning Board. The Town Board then shall notify the subdivider and, if necessary, the bonding company and take all necessary steps to preserve the Town's rights under the bond. No plat shall be approved by the Planning Board as long as the subdivider is in default on a previously approved plat.
Lots shown on any approved preliminary or final plat shall comply with the zoning regulations of the Town of Schaghticoke.
A. 
Lot arrangement. The lot arrangement shall be such that there will be no foreseeable difficulties, for reasons of topography or other conditions, in building on all lots and in providing access to buildings on such lots from an approved street. Lots may be required to meet the criteria of Article V (Conservation Subdivisions).
B. 
Access across a watercourse. Where a watercourse separates the buildable area of a lot from the street by which it has access, provision shall be made for installation of a culvert or other structure, of a design approved by the Town Planning Board.
C. 
Side lot lines. Side lot lines shall be at right angles to street lines unless a variation from this rule will give a better street or lot plan.
D. 
Access from major streets. Lots shall not, in general, derive access exclusively 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.
E. 
The Planning Board shall ensure that each lot created in a minor subdivision can support water and waste treatment, and may require an on-site waste treatment system (septic) permit from the Rensselaer County Department of Health prior to final plat approval. Subdivisions creating four or more lots, or those less than five acres in size, shall require Rensselaer County Department of health septic system approval for all lots prior to final plat approval. For all other subdivisions, the Planning Board may require such prior approval.
F. 
In making a determination regarding streets, highways, parks, and other required improvements, the Planning Board shall take into consideration the prospective character of the development.
A. 
Parks and recreational areas. The Planning Board may require adequate, convenient and suitable areas for parks or other recreational purposes to be reserved on the plat, but in no case more than 10% of the gross area of any subdivision. The area shall be shown and marked on the plat as "Reserved for Park Purposes." Land for park, playground or other recreational purposes may not be required until the Planning Board has made a finding that a proper case exists for requiring that a park or parks be suitably located for playgrounds or other recreational purposes within the Town. Such findings shall include an evaluation of the present and anticipated future needs for park and recreational facilities in the Town based on projected population growth to which the proposed subdivision will contribute. In the event the Planning Board determines that the proposed subdivision presents a proper case for requiring a park or parks suitably located for playgrounds or other recreational purposes, but that a suitable park of adequate size to meet the requirement cannot be properly located on such subdivision plat, the Planning Board may require a sum of money in lieu thereof, in an amount to be established by the Town Board pursuant to Town Law § 277, Subdivision 4(c).
B. 
Widening or realignment of existing streets. Where the subdivision borders an existing street and the Official Map or Town Plan (as these may be adopted) indicates plans for realignment or widening of the street that would require reservation of some land of the subdivision, the Planning Board may require that such areas be shown and marked on the plat as "Reserved for Street Realignment (or Widening) Purposes."
C. 
Utilities and drainage easements. 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 30 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 indicated on the plat.
D. 
Easements for pedestrian access. The Planning Board, where it deems it necessary, 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. Such easements shall be indicated on the plat.
E. 
Responsibility for ownership of reservations. Ownership shall be clearly indicated on all reservations for parks.
F. 
Responsibility resulting from drainage downstream. The subdivider shall also study and report on the effect of each subdivision on the existing downstream drainage facilities outside the area of the subdivision; and this report shall be reviewed by the Planning Board. When it is anticipated that the additional runoff incident to the development of the subdivision will overload an existing downstream drainage facility during a twenty-five-year storm, the Planning Board shall notify the Town Board of such potential condition. In such case, the Planning Board shall not approve the plat until provision has been made for the improvement of said condition.
A. 
Preservation of existing features. Existing features which would add value to residential development, such as the view, large trees, watercourses and waterfalls, beaches, historic spots and similar irreplaceable assets, should be preserved, insofar as possible, through harmonious design of the subdivision.
B. 
Floodplains.
(1) 
Mapping. If any portion of the land within the subdivision is subject to periodic inundation or flood hazard by stormwater, this portion shall be clearly indicated on any submissions required by this chapter. In cases of doubt, the Planning Board may require the submission of a flood hazard study delineating the limits of the one-hundred-year floodplain, such study to be conducted by a licensed professional engineer.
(2) 
Conditions for approval. Any subdivision, including all proposed improvements and construction, must comply with all provisions of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and subsequent amendments.
C. 
Preservation of existing natural features and cover.
(1) 
Land to be subdivided and/or developed shall be laid out and improved in reasonable conformity to existing topography in order to minimize grading, cut, and fill, and to retain, to the maximum extent practicable, the natural contours and features of or on the subject land, limit stormwater runoff, and conserve the natural cover and soil. Existing natural features that enhance the attractiveness of the site, and that add value to residential or other development, or to the Town as a whole, such as trees, vegetation, stone walls, hedgerows, watercourses, ponds and similar resources, shall be preserved insofar as possible by design of the subdivision and building areas. The Planning Board may make reasonable modifications in standards for the layout and construction of streets to accomplish the preservation of existing natural features and land cover. Where practicable, the Planning Board may request that natural boundaries, i.e., watercourses, stone walls, forested edges, hedgerows, etc., be incorporated into the boundary configuration of new lots.
(2) 
All minor and major subdivisions shall meet the following standards to minimize adverse impacts on natural features.
(a) 
The proposed subdivision shall be designed to cause the least practicable disturbance to natural infiltration and percolation of precipitation to the groundwater table through careful planning of vegetation and land disturbance activities.
(b) 
Disturbance to streams, drainage swales, wetlands, and areas with seasonally high water tables shall be minimized.
(c) 
Because of their resource values, all woodlands on any parcel proposed for subdivision shall be evaluated by the applicant to determine the extent to which such woodlands should be conserved or developed. Evaluation criteria for this shall include size, present conditions, site potential, ecological functions, and relationship of woodlands on adjoining properties. Woodlands along roadways, property lines, streams, and hedgerows, shall be preserved. Lot layout should preserve the largest, unfragmented expanse of woodlands possible.
(d) 
Preferred locations for development include the nonprime agricultural soils and in a manner which permits access to active agricultural land. Prime farmland soils and soils of statewide importance shall be avoided. Where a parcel contains both open fields and woodlands, preferred locations for development are along the far edges of open fields adjacent to any woodland, so as to reduce impact on agricultural operations and enable new construction to be visually absorbed by natural landscape features.
(e) 
Preferred locations include lower topographic settings where development will be visually less intrusive. Building envelopes and structures may be placed below ridgelines so that the roof of the structure is not higher than the highest peak of the ridgeline.
(f) 
Areas of steep slope shall be preserved in accordance with the Schaghticoke Zoning Law.
(g) 
Use existing vegetation and topography to buffer and screen new buildings if possible. Group buildings in clusters or tuck them behind tree lines or knolls rather than spreading them out across the landscape in a "sprawl" pattern.
(h) 
Minimize clearing of vegetation at the edge of the road, clearing only as much as is necessary to create a driveway entrance with adequate sight distance. Use curves in the driveway to increase the screening of buildings.
(i) 
Minimize creation of new curb cuts to the maximum extent practical.
(j) 
Minimize crossing of steep slopes with roads and driveways.
(k) 
Where possible, place utility lines and driveways on less productive land and site driveways on the edge of farm fields, rather than through the middle.
(3) 
Variation of lot width and area. The Planning Board may require lot areas and lot widths to vary in order to eliminate the appearance of a standard subdivision. To the extent possible, no more than two lots in a row shall have the same width. Lots shall vary by a minimum of five-foot increments;
(4) 
To avoid monotony and similarity in major subdivisions, the Planning Board may require use of changes in facade planes, use of porches, changes in location of entryways, varying the width of the units, and varying roof orientation, roof styles, and building orientation.