The following fees shall be charged by the Planning Board:
These Rules & Regulations are adopted by the Northbridge
Planning Board, hereinafter called the Board, as the Permit Granting
Authority as provided for in M.G.L., c. 40, § 15C and Section
6-200 [Scenic Roads] of the Code of the Town of Northbridge, for the
purpose of establishing uniform rules and procedures for the regulation
of certain types of work within the public right-of-way of designated
Scenic Roads.
The purpose of these Rules & Regulations is to ensure that
roads designated as Scenic Roads will not be altered without following
proper procedures and without adherence to proper consideration.
In the absence of contrary meaning established through legislative
or judicial action pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40,
Section 15C, the following terms shall be defined as follows:
3.1 CUTTING OR REMOVAL OF TREES -shall mean
the removal of one or more trees and/or the removal of tree limbs
having a diameter greater than four inches.
3.2 REPAIR, MAINTENANCE, RECONSTRUCTION,
OR PAVING WORK -shall mean any work done within the right-of-way of
a road by any person, or public or private agency. This definition
includes the construction of new driveways or alteration of existing
driveways that takes place within the right-of-way.
3.3 ROAD -shall mean any way used and maintained
as a public way including the vehicular traveled way plus necessary
appurtenances within the right-of-way such as bridge structures, drainage
systems, retaining walls, traffic control devices, and sidewalks.
When the boundary of the road is in question, the trees and stone
walls shall be presumed to be within the way until the contrary is
shown.
3.4 TEARING DOWN OR DESTRUCTION OF STONE
WALLS -shall mean the destruction of more than 15 linear feet of stone
wall involving more than one cubic foot of wall material per linear
foot above existing grade. Tearing down or destruction of stone walls
shall not be construed to include temporary removal and replacement
of walls at the same location with the same materials. Reconstructed
portions of stone walls shall match the existing wall.
3.5 TREES -shall include any living tree
whose trunk has a diameter of four inches or more as measured one
foot above the ground level.
In some cases, the Planning Board may request a site visit to
the site in which the work is proposed. The date and time for such
visit shall be satisfactory to both the Planning Board and applicant.
The Planning Board may request that any work subject to these Rules
& Regulations be clearly flagged or otherwise delineated prior
to the scheduled site visit.
Application fee of $100.00 shall be required. All expenses for
advertising, publication of notices, engineering, professional planning
review, legal review, plans, inspection of construction, recording
and filing of documents required by the Planning Board or its agent
shall be the responsibility of the applicant. The Board, at its discretion
may waive certain fees.
The Planning Board may transmit copies of the application, together
with such information as the Board deems appropriate, to the Tree
Warden, Highway Department, Police Department, Fire Department, Conservation
Commission, Historical Commission and Board of Selectmen for their
review and recommendation within twenty-one (21) days of the filing
of the application.
The Planning Board may also transmit copies of the application
to other Boards and Departments as it deems appropriate. Copies of
such reviews and recommendations shall be sent to the Planning Board,
provided however failure of any such Board or Department to make recommendations
prior to/or at the public hearing shall be deemed a lack of opposition.
These Rules & Regulations do not preclude compliance with
any other local, state or federal laws. Scenic Road applications may
require engineering review, engineer to be specified by the Planning
Board and fees to be borne by the applicant.
The following lists of roads have been designated Scenic Roads
within the Town of Northbridge pursuant to MGL. CH. 40 Sec. 15C:
11.1 Castle Hill Road (May 13, 1975);
11.2 Fletcher Street /portion of (May 16,
1984); Fletcher Street -from the point 1,000 feet easterly of the
most easterly line at Elm Street and the westerly line of Keeler Road
11.3 Hill Street (January 28, 1986);
11.4 Cooper Road (January 28, 1986);
11.5 Kelly Road (January 28, 1986);
11.6 Old Quaker Street (January 28, 1986).