In considering applications for subdivision of land, the Planning Board shall be guided by the standards set forth hereinafter. Said standards shall be considered to be minimum requirements and shall be waived by the Board only under circumstances set forth in Article XI herein.
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 with official map and master plan. Subdivisions shall conform to the Official Map of the Town and shall be in harmony with the Master Plan, if such exists.
C. 
Specifications for required improvements. All required improvements shall be constructed or installed to conform to the Town specifications, which may be obtained from the Town Engineer.
Streets shall be of sufficient width, suitably located, and adequately constructed to conform to the Master Plan, if such exists, and to accommodate the prospective traffic and afford access for fire-fighting, snow removal and other road maintenance equipment. The arrangement of streets shall be such as to cause no undue hardship to adjoining properties and shall be coordinated so as to compose a convenient system.
The arrangement of streets in the subdivision shall provide for the continuation of principal streets of adjoining subdivisions and for proper projection of principal streets into adjoining properties which are not yet subdivided, in order to make possible necessary fire protection, movement of traffic and the construction or extension, presently or when later required, of needed utilities and public services such as sewers and water and drainage facilities. Where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, topographic or other conditions make such continuance undesirable or impracticable, the above conditions may be modified.
Minor streets shall be so laid out that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.
When a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed major arterial street, the Board may require marginal access streets, reverse frontage with screen planting contained in a nonaccess reservation along the rear property line, deep lots with rear service alleys or such other treatment as may be necessary for adequate protection of residential properties and to afford separation of through and local traffic.
Where a tract is subdivided into lots substantially larger than the minimum size required in the zoning district in which a subdivision is located, the Board may require that streets and lots be laid out so as to permit future resubdivision in accordance with the requirements contained in these regulations.
The creation of dead-end or loop residential streets will be encouraged wherever the Board finds that such type of development will not interfere with normal traffic circulation in the area. In the case of dead-end streets, where needed or desirable, the Board may require the reservation of a twenty-foot wide easement to provide for continuation of pedestrian traffic and utilities to the next street Subdivisions containing 20 lots or more shall have at least two street connections with existing public streets or streets shown on the Official Map, if such exists, or streets on an approved subdivision plat for which a bond has been filed.
Blocks generally shall not be less than 400 feet nor more than 1,200 feet in length. In general, no block width shall be less than twice the normal lot depth. In blocks exceeding 800 feet in length, the Planning Board may require the reservation of a twenty-foot wide easement through the block to provide for the crossing of underground utilities and pedestrian traffic where needed or desirable and may further specify, at its discretion, that a four-foot wide paved footpath be included.
Minor or secondary street openings into such roads shall, in general, be at least 500 feet apart.
Street jogs with center-line offsets of less than 125 feet shall be avoided.
In general, all streets shall join each other so that for a distance of at least 100 feet the street is approximately at right angles to the street it joins.
The street plan of a proposed subdivision shall bear a logical relationship to the topography of the property, and all streets shall be arranged so as to obtain as many of the building sites as possible at or above the grade of the streets. Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible to the original topography.
Where a subdivision borders on or contains a railroad right-of-way or limited access highway right-of-way, the Planning Board may require a street approximately parallel to and on each side of such right-of-way at a distance suitable for the appropriate use of the intervening land (as for park purposes in residential districts or for commercial or industrial purposes in appropriate districts). Such distances shall also be determined with due regard for the requirements of approach grades and future grade separations.
[Amended 5-14-1991 by L.L. No. 4-1991]
A. 
Streets shall have the following widths. (When not indicated on the Master Plan or Official Map, if such exits, the classification of streets shall be determined by the Board.)
Type of Street
Minimum Rights-of-way
(feet)
Major streets
66
Collector streets
60
Local streets
50
Rural streets
50
B. 
The minimum width of street pavement shall be in conformance with Chapter 170, Article II, Street Specifications.
[Amended 6-17-2008 by L.L. No. 6-2008]
Streets shall be graded and improved with pavements, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, storm drainage facilities, water mains, sewers, streetlights and signs, street trees and fire hydrants, except where waivers may be requested, and the Planning Board may waive, subject to appropriate conditions, such improvements as it considers may be omitted without jeopardy to the public health, safety and general welfare. Pedestrian easements shall be improved as required by the Town Engineer and/or Town Superintendent of Highways. Such grading and improvements shall be approved as to design and specifications by the Town Engineer and/or Town Superintendent of Highways.
A. 
Fire hydrants. Installation of fire hydrants shall be in conformity with all requirements of standard thread and nut as specified by the New York Fire Insurance Rating Organization and the Division of Fire Safety of the State of New York.
B. 
Streetlighting facilities. Lighting facilities shall be in conformance with the lighting system of the Town. Such lighting standards and fixtures shall be installed after approval by the appropriate power company.
C. 
Sidewalks shall be installed at a minimum width of five feet.
D. 
Fire hydrants. Installation of fire hydrants shall be in conformity with all requirements of standard thread and nut as specified by the New York Fire Insurance Rating Organization and the Division of Fire Safety of the State of New York.
E. 
Streetlighting facilities. Lighting facilities shall be in conformance with the lighting system of the Town. Such lighting standards and fixtures shall be installed after approval by the appropriate power company.
A. 
Utilities in streets. The Planning Board shall, whenever possible, require that underground utilities be placed in the street right-of-way between the paved roadway and street line to simplify location and repair of lines when they require attention. The subdivider shall install underground service connections to the property line of each lot within the subdivision for each required utility before the street is paved.
B. 
Utility easements. Where topography is such as to make impractical the inclusion of utilities within the right-of-way, perpetual unobstructed easements at least 20 feet in width shall be otherwise provided with satisfactory access to the street. Wherever possible, easements shall be continuous from block to block and shall present as few irregularities as possible. Such easements shall be cleared and graded where required.
A. 
General. Grades of all streets shall conform in general to the terrain and shall not be less than 1/2 nor more than 6% for major or collector streets or 10% for minor streets in residential zones, but in no case more than 3% within 50 feet of any intersection.
B. 
Changes in grade. All changes in grade shall be connected by vertical curves of such length and radius as meet with the approval of the Town Engineer so that clear visibility shall be provided for a safe distance.
All street pavement lines at intersections shall be rounded by curves of at least a twenty-foot radius and curbs shall be adjusted accordingly.
A combination of steep grades and curves shall be avoided. In order to provide visibility for traffic safety, that portion of any corner lot (whether at an intersection entirely within the subdivision or of a new street with an existing street) which may obscure good and free visibility shall be cleared of all growth (except isolated trees) and obstructions above the level three feet higher than the center line of the street. If directed, ground shall be excavated to achieve visibility.
Where dead-end streets are designed to be so permanently, they should, in general, not exceed 500 feet in length, and shall terminate in a circular turnaround having a minimum right-of-way radius of 60 feet and a pavement radius of 50 feet. At the end of temporary dead-end streets, a temporary turnaround with a pavement radius of 50 feet shall be provided, unless the Planning Board approves an alternate arrangement.
A. 
Where a watercourse separates a proposed street from abutting property, provision shall be made for access to all lots by means of culverts or other structures of design approved by the Town Engineer.
B. 
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainage-way, channel or stream, there shall be provided a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way as required by the Town Engineer and in no case less than 20 feet in width.
In general, street lines within a block, deflecting from each other at any one point by more than 10°, shall be connected with a curve, the radius of which for the center line of street shall not be less than 400 feet on major streets, 200 feet on collector streets and 100 feet on minor streets.
Paved rear service streets of not less than 20 feet in width or, in lieu thereof, adequate off-street loading space, suitably surfaced, shall be profiled in connection with lots designed for commercial use.
In front of areas zoned and designed for commercial use or where a change of zoning to a zone which permits commercial use in contemplated, the street width shall be increased by such amount on each side as may be deemed necessary by the Planning Board 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 or business district.
A. 
Type of name. All street names shown on a preliminary plat or subdivision plat shall be approved by the Planning Board. In general, streets shall have names and not numbers or letters.
B. 
Names to be substantially different. Proposed street names shall be substantially different so as not to be confused in sound or spelling with present names, except that streets that join or are in alignment with streets of an abutting or neighboring property shall bear the same name. Generally, no street should change direction by more than 90° without a change in street name.
A. 
Lots to be buildable. The lot arrangement shall be such that in constructing a building in compliance with the Chapter 201, Zoning, there will be no foreseeable difficulties for reasons of topography or other natural conditions. Lots should not be of such depth as to encourage the later creation of a second building lot at the front or rear.
B. 
Side lines. All side lines of lots shall be at right angles to straight street lines and radial to curved street lines, unless a variance from this rule will give a better street or lot plan.
C. 
Corner lots. In general, corner lots should be larger than interior lots to provide for proper building setback from each street and to provide a desirable building site.
A. 
Driveway access. Driveway access and grades shall conform to specifications of Chapter 85, Driveways, of the Code of the Town of Coxsackie, if one exists. Driveway grades between the street and the setback line shall not exceed 10%.
B. 
Access from private streets. Access from private streets shall be deemed acceptable only if such streets are designed and improved in accordance with these regulations.
A. 
Permanent monuments meeting specifications approved by the Town Engineer as to size, type and installation shall be set at such block corners, angle points, points of curves in streets and other points as the Town Engineer may require and their location shall be shown on the subdivision plat.
B. 
All lot corner markers shall be permanently located satisfactorily to the Town Engineer, be at least 3/4 inch (if metal) in diameter and at least 24 inches in length and located in the ground to existing grade.
C. 
Monuments of a type approved by the Town Engineer shall be set at all corners and angle points of the boundaries of the original tract to be subdivided; and at all street intersections, angle points in street lines, points of curve and such intermediate points as shall be required by the Town Engineer.
A. 
Removal of spring and surface water. The subdivider may be required by the Planning Board to carry away by pipe or open ditch any spring or surface water that may exist either previous to or as a result of the subdivision. Such drainage facilities shall be located in the street right-of-way, where feasible, or in perpetual unobstructed easements of appropriate width.
B. 
Drainage structure to accommodate potential development upstream. A culvert or other drainage facility shall, in each case, be large enough to accommodate potential runoff from its entire upstream drainage area, whether inside or outside the subdivision. The Town Engineer shall approve the design and size of the facility based on anticipated runoff from a ten-year storm under conditions of total potential development permitted by Ch. 201, Zoning, in the watershed.
C. 
Responsibility from drainage downstream. The subdivider's engineer shall also study the effect of each subdivision on the existing downstream drainage facilities outside the area of the subdivision; this study shall be reviewed by the Town Engineer. Where it is anticipated that the additional runoff incident to the development of the subdivision will overload an existing downstream drainage facility during a 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 subdivision until provision has been made for the improvement of said condition.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Section 6D of Article IV, which dealt with land subject to flooding and which immediately followed this subsection, was deleted 5-14-1991 by L.L. No. 4-1991. See now Ch. 108, Flood Damage Prevention.
Where a proposed park, playground or open space shown on the Town Plan is located in whole or in part in a subdivision, the Board shall require that such area or areas may be dedicated to the Town or county by the subdivider if the Town Board approves such dedication.
A. 
The Planning Board shall require that the plat show sites of a character, extent and location suitable for the development of a park, playground or other recreation purpose. The Planning Board may require that the developer satisfactorily grade any such recreation areas shown on the plat.
B. 
The Board shall require that not less than three acres of recreation space be provided per 100 dwelling units shown on the plat. However, in no case shall the amount be more than 10% of the total area of the subdivision. Such area or areas may be dedicated to the Town or county by the subdivider if the Town Board approves such dedication.
In the event that an area to be used for a park or playground is required to be so shown, the subdivider shall submit, prior to final approval, to the Board three prints [one on permanent reproducible material] drawn in ink showing, at a scale of not less than 30 feet to the inch, such area and the following features thereof:
A. 
The boundaries of said area, giving lengths and bearings of all straight lines; radii, lengths, central angles and tangent distances of all curves.
B. 
Existing features such as brooks, ponds, clusters of trees, rock outcrops and structures.
C. 
Existing and, if applicable, proposed changes in grade and contours of said area and of area immediately adjacent.
A. 
In cases where the Planning Board finds that due to the size, topography or location of the subdivision, land for park, playground or other recreation purpose cannot be properly located therein or if, in the opinion of the Board, it is not desirable, the Board may waive the requirement that the plat show land for such purposes. The Board shall then require as a condition to approval of the plat a payment to the Town of fair market value per gross acre of land which otherwise would have been acceptable as a recreation site. The amount of land which otherwise would have been acceptable as a recreation site shall be determined in accordance with the standards set forth in § 174-65.
B. 
Such amount shall be paid to the Town Board at the time of final plat approval, and no plat shall be signed by the authorized officer of the Planning Board until such payment is made. All such payments shall be held by the Town Board in a special Town Recreation Site Acquisition and Improvement Fund to be used for the acquisition of land that is suitable for permanent park, playground or other recreational purposes; and so located that it will serve primarily the general neighborhood in which the land covered by the plat lies; and shall be used only for park, playground or other recreational land acquisition or improvements. Such money may also be used for the physical improvement of existing parks or recreation areas serving the general neighborhood in which the land shown on the plat is situated, provided that the Planning Board finds there is a need for such improvements.
Reserve strips of land which might be used to control access from the proposed subdivision to any neighboring property or to any land within the subdivision itself shall be prohibited.
The Planning Board shall, wherever possible, establish the preservation of natural features, including but not limited to large trees or groves, watercourses and falls, wetlands, beaches, unique and interesting geological formations, historic or archaeological sites, vistas and similar irreplaceable assets. The following standards shall be adhered to:
A. 
Vegetation. No tree with a diameter of eight inches or more as measured three feet above the base of the trunk shall be removed unless such tree is within the right-of-way of a street as shown on the final subdivision plat. Removal of additional trees shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board. In no case, however, shall a tree with a diameter of eight inches or more as measured three feet above the base of the trunk be removed without prior approval by the Planning Board.
B. 
Erosion, sediment and runoff. Sediment and runoff are to be no greater than that normally expected from watershed when under an effective management system acceptable to the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District with significant runoff to be confined to natural watercourses.
C. 
Soil limitations. When land with moderate and severe soil limitations is subdivided, such subdivision must be carried out in such a way so that no detrimental effect will occur to local units of government or future owners.
D. 
Soil stability. Building or other permanent facilities are to be confined to soils that are not subject to slippage or other conditions of soil instability.
E. 
Flooding. Floodplains are to be reserved for uses that are consistent with their natural functions, thereby minimizing the danger to life and property.
F. 
Water resource areas. Environmental quality of water, lakeshores and streambanks is to be conserved.
G. 
Groundwater resources. Lane use is to be planned so as to maintain or enhance the quality and quantity of groundwater resources. Significant recharge areas must be protected.
H. 
Wetlands. Marshlands are to be preserved in their natural state.
I. 
Open space. Open space which results from either a cluster or PUD type development or from reservation of floodplains, preservation of wetlands or other natural feature areas or sites shall be integrated, wherever possible, into a connected open space system. Areas developed as parks or playgrounds according to § 174-65 of this chapter may be developed in conjunction with the open space system described above, provided that land suitable for park or playground use is contained therein. When land other than land contained in the open space system is dedicated for park or playground purposes, this land shall, wherever possible, be connected to the open space system.
[Added 8-23-1988; amended 5-9-2006 by L.L. No. 5-2006]
A. 
A right-of-way shall be permitted in all zoning districts.
B. 
A right-of-way shall be at least 50 feet in width.
C. 
A right-of-way shall be improved with a subbase of eight inches of coarse shale or similar appropriate material, 15 feet in width, which shall be located in the center of the right-of-way. A right-of-way shall be improved with ditches and culverts as may be reasonably necessary with regard to the nature and topography of the terrain and the extent and type of traffic using such right-of-way, at such time as the lot/parcel is improved.