[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of
Bethany 10-11-1988. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
The following specifications shall be adhered to in designing and
constructing all new roads which are to be accepted and maintained
by the Town of Bethany. Variations due to hardship or special circumstances
may be permitted only after approval by both the Board of Selectmen
and the Bethany Planning and Zoning Commission.
B.
These specifications are intended to establish minimum standards
for new road construction and design. The Selectmen are aware of the
State of Connecticut Department of Transportation's Guidelines
for Subdivision Streets of January 1987 and as amended, in accordance
with C.G.S. § 13b-31a, and these specifications are intended
to supersede these guidelines when addressing the same issue. Wherever
an issue is not addressed in these specifications which is addressed
in the guidelines, then reference should be made to the guidelines.[1]
C.
It is the policy of the Town of Bethany to encourage the construction
of new roads that are compatible with the rural character of the town
and to retain the rural and scenic characteristics of existing roads
whenever possible.
In accordance with C.G.S. § 1-1, defined words used in these specifications shall be according to the commonly approved usage of the language; technical words and phrases and such as have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in the law shall be construed and understood accordingly. Defined words shall be construed as defined.
Gravel which meets or exceeds the specifications set forth
in Section M.02.01 or M.02.02 of Connecticut Department of Transportation
Standard Specifications, Form 813, unless modified by the Selectmen.
A structure designed to convey surface water into a culvert.
A street which is closed at one end but usually has a circular
area for turning at that end.
A pipe of either concrete or asphalt-coated corrugated metal
which is designed to convey water under the ground.
A concrete or masonry structure at the outlet end of a culvert.
A concrete or masonry structure at the inlet end of a culvert.
As defined by C.G.S. § 14-1(35), includes any public
highway which joins another at an angle, whether or not it crosses
the other.[1]
A four-inch square concrete post with a cross in the top,
36 inches in length, containing reinforcing bars.
The title holder of the property in question or his designated
agent.
Beginning of a curve.
End of a curve.
Beginning at a vertical curve.
See Connecticut Department of Transportation Standard Specifications,
Form 813, Section M.05.01.
See Connecticut Department of Transportation Standard Specifications,
Form 813, Section M.
Lines of sight required at intersections and at changes in
grade. (See Guidelines for Subdivision Streets, Sections 16-3.10 and
16-4.02.)
The bottom section of a catch basin which is below the bottom
of the pipe which catches and retains sand.
That portion of the highway which is designed for ordinary
vehicular travel. The shoulders of a highway or road are an integral
part thereof and, while not designed for ordinary vehicular travel
as the travel portion is, are intended for use when the need arises.
A.
The Selectmen shall be notified, in writing, by certified mail, return
receipt requested, which notification shall be received at least 48
hours before work commences on any road, that the owner intends to
begin work on said road.
B.
The owner shall also convey to the Selectmen the name of the engineer
who will be responsible for inspecting the construction of said road,
preparing as-built drawings and attesting to the fact that the road
has been built in accordance with the road design as approved by the
Board of Selectmen. The owner shall be responsible for the cost of
said inspections and the preparation of said as-built drawings.
C.
If said inspections are not performed and said as-built drawings
are not prepared, the owner shall be charged for whatever tests and
inspections are required to ensure that said road conforms to these
specifications. If such inspections, or town inspections, and such
as-built drawings disclose that the roads have not been constructed
according to plan, then both the owner and engineer shall be responsible
to the town for such failure and shall be liable for correction of
such roads. Correction shall be performed by the owner or by the town
as the Board of Selectmen shall direct.
A.
The Selectmen may allow construction to commence, provided that all
three of the following conditions are met:
(1)
The owner shall submit to the Selectmen a detailed estimate of the
cost of completion of such street and improvements.
(2)
The cost estimate shall be approved by the Selectmen.
(3)
The owner shall file a bond in an amount sufficient to cover such
cost, approved as to form and sureties by the Selectmen and conditioned
on the completion of such streets and improvements within two years
of the date of said bond. The surety on said bond shall not be approved
unless it is duly licensed bonding company authorized to do business
in Connecticut.
B.
In lieu of the bond set forth in Subsection A(3), the applicant may, with the approval of the Selectmen, deposit with the Selectmen of the Town of Bethany cash or any other acceptable form of financial responsibility, in an amount equal to such detailed estimate, or offer building lots as security with a value equal to such detailed cost estimate, together with a guaranty to complete and pay for such streets and improvements within the aforesaid two-year period. Twenty percent of the security will be held for one year after acceptance of a road to guarantee performance of the road.[1]
C.
If upon inspection it is determined that road construction costs
exceed the estimate or if the posted security has experienced a reduction
in value, then the Selectmen shall have the power to require additional
security.
D.
The owner shall be responsible to oversee the actual costs of road
construction and shall advise the Selectmen further if the costs for
such construction shall be in excess of the estimate.
A.
All rights-of-way shall be a minimum of 50 feet in width. Roads in
an industrial subdivision or which may eventually become a major through
street may require a greater right-of-way. This determination shall
be made by the Selectmen upon application by the owner. Right-of-way
lines at culs-de-sac shall have a minimum radius of 60 feet, and the
pavement shall have a minimum radius of 50 feet.
B.
All construction materials (bank-run gravel, processed stone, bituminous
concrete, rip-rap, etc.) shall conform to the applicable section of
Connecticut Department of Transportation Standard Specifications,
Form 813 (or its successor).
C.
Monuments or permanent reference markers shall be shown at all street
corners, angles in street lines, points of curvature and points of
tangency and wherever such monuments are necessary to determine the
location of the road on the ground. Said monuments shall be placed
and the accuracy of their location attested to by a registered land
surveyor before final acceptance of said road.
A.
All topsoil, mud, mulch and clay shall be removed from the travel
portion of the roadbed. The roadway shall be constructed of 12 inches
of bank-run gravel, four inches of processed stone and two one-and-one-half-inch
courses of bituminous concrete. (See typical cross-section.)[1] All thicknesses shall be measured after compaction, and
cross-slopes shall be strictly adhered to.
[1]
Editor's Note: The typical cross section is on file in
the office of the Town Clerk.
B.
Bituminous concrete curbs shall be required on all new roads unless
exempted by the Board of Selectmen. Curbs shall be installed on the
first course of bituminous concrete before the installation of the
second course.
C.
The width of the traveled portion of new residential subdivision
roads shall be 22 feet, provided that if the Board of Selectmen finds
that traffic projections for the proposed road or other factors affecting
the safety of travel upon the proposed road require a wider width,
it may require that the width of the traveled portion be wider, up
to a maximum of 26 feet.
D.
The width of the traveled portion of new business and industrial
subdivision roads shall be 26 feet.
E.
The right-of-way area within five feet of the paved portion of the
new road shall be cleared of stumps, boulders, brush and other obstructions
for the safety of the traveling public. The Town of Bethany encourages
the retention of mature trees, bushes, stone walls, rock formations
and other notable features within the remainder of the right-of-way.
A.
No road grade shall exceed 8%. No road with a grade of 8% shall exceed
600 feet in length. The minimum grade shall be 1%. Vertical curves
shall be provided at all changes in grade. Sight lines shall be provided.
B.
Road grades shall not exceed 3% for a minimum length of 100 feet
from the center of each intersection.
C.
The grade across a cul-de-sac shall not exceed 3% for the entire
length of the cul-de-sac.
A.
Drainage calculations shall be submitted. Said calculations shall
include a map of the total drainage area and shall show the effect
the proposed construction will have on all downstream structures.
B.
Drainage shall be designed using the Connecticut Department of Transportation's
Drainage Manual as a guide, recognizing that drainage is to be designed
for subdivision roads built in accordance with the specifications.
Drainage calculations shall be based on the following storm frequencies:
C.
The minimum culvert size shall be 15 inches.
D.
Catch basins shall be installed a maximum of 250 feet apart and shall
be Type C where curbs are required. Roads without curbs shall have
Type CL catch basins. All catch basins shall be provided with sumps.
E.
The minimum cover for all drainage pipe shall be two feet.
F.
Headwalls, endwalls or flared ends shall be installed at the ends
of all culverts and shall be protected with rip-rap as delineated
in Connecticut Guidelines for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control.
G.
Additional drains or underdrains may be required as field conditions
warrant.
H.
Drainage rights-of-way shall be provided for all culverts or swales
crossing private land and shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width.
They shall be of such form that they may be recorded in the Town Clerk's
office.
I.
Easements shall be provided for all detention and retention ponds.
A.
Areas of cut or fill shall be cleared for a minimum distance of five
feet outside the paved portion of the roadway or to whatever distance
is required to satisfy the following specifications.
B.
Side slopes in cut or fill areas shall be graded to a slope of three
feet horizontal to one foot vertical. Rock cuts shall be graded to
a slope of one foot horizontal to six feet vertical.
C.
The Board of Selectmen may require guardrails to be installed in
areas of fill greater than four feet. Determination of such need shall
be made after the grading of the road is substantially complete.
A.
All streets shall join each other at approximate right angles for
a distance of 100 feet from the junction of the curbs at the intersection.
The minimum angle allowable shall be 75°.
B.
T-type (three-way) intersections are to be utilized wherever possible
within the proposed subdivision. Cross-type (four-way) intersections
shall be kept to a minimum. The intersection of streets with existing
roads shall be spaced at least 400 feet apart when the streets are
on the same side of the road. Streets joining the road from opposite
sides of the road shall be either directly opposite or a minimum of
125 feet apart.
C.
Intersecting streets shall be rounded at the corner, with a minimum
curb radius of 25 feet.
D.
Minimum sight lines of 310 feet shall be provided at all intersections.
However, the Selectmen may reduce or increase this standard as they
deem necessary.
A.
The approximate location of all proposed driveways shall be shown
on the map submitted to the Selectmen for approval. No more than three
driveways shall be shown entering a cul-de-sac unless specifically
approved by the Selectmen in order to facilitate snow placement and
removal.
B.
No driveway connecting with any town highway shall be constructed
or established until plans have been submitted to and approved by
the Board of Selectmen by the owner of the driveway area, which plans
shall be so designed that such construction or establishment shall
not interfere with the use and effective operation of any public drainage
system existing on or in close proximity to the intersection of such
driveway and such highway, and any such driveway shall be so maintained
so as not to cause any such interference.[1]
The Board of Selectmen may require the inclusion of suitable
access strips to adjacent properties when proposed streets do not
abut or extend to the boundaries of the subject tract. Said access
strips shall be 50 feet in width and suitable for the future construction
of a road.
Street names must be approved by the Selectmen. Proposed names
shall not duplicate or closely approximate any existing street names.
Until accepted, the road right-of-way must be marked at its entrance
with a substantial sign stating "Not a Public Road." In the event
that such a sign is not furnished, the Selectmen may install such
sign and charge the cost thereof to the road contractor or the owner
of the land. Final street signs shall also be provided by the road
builder, said signs to be similar in quality and design as those generally
determined for use by the Selectmen of the Town of Bethany.
In the event that a road is proposed as contiguous with or abutting
the boundary line of an adjoining owner or owners who may have a dwelling
or other structure within 50 feet of said proposed road, written consent
for the construction of said proposed road shall be obtained from
said adjoining owner or owners.
A.
Before the Board of Selectmen may accept any road, the following
documents shall be submitted:
(1)
Inspection report, signed and sealed by the engineer engaged by the
owner, stating that the road has been built in accordance with the
specifications of the Town of Bethany and according to the approved
plans.
B.
Said maps shall be filed with the Town Clerk after they are received
by the Board of Selectmen.
C.
A maintenance bond of 20% of the original construction bond or in
a higher amount and of the amount and type approved by the Board of
Selectmen shall remain on deposit for a period of one year or longer
to insure the performance of all roads affected by the acceptance.
A.
Nothing herein shall require the Town of Bethany to alter or improve
any existing town road or to comply with these road specifications
in making alterations or improvements to or otherwise maintaining
existing town roads.
B.
Where a proposed subdivision abuts, contains or obtains access from
an existing town road or portion of road, alterations or improvements
in the town road or portion of the town road shall not be required,
except as the Board of Selectmen determine are necessary to eliminate
a hazard to the safety of the traveling public; to permit the town
to maintain the road in good and sufficient repair; or to accommodate
projected traffic volume. Any alterations or improvements shall be
planned and implemented by the Board of Selectmen so as to maintain,
to the maximum extent possible, the rural and scenic characteristics
of the road or portion of road, including but not limited to:
These regulations shall take effect November 1, 1988.
