The sketch plan may be drawn in ink or pencil at an appropriate
scale, on Mylar or similar material, at a size of 24 inches by 24
inches, at an appropriate scale, and will include: key map; scale;
name of subdivider; deed reference; outline of property; five-foot
contours from County topo maps, if available, or twenty-foot contours
from United States Geological Survey (USGS) maps; streams and drainage
pattern; section outlines (if applicable); existing and proposed roads
or streets (fifty-foot right-of-way required with ten-percent maximum
slope except for twelve-percent slope in any five-hundred-foot street
length), existing or proposed water and sewer lines, building setbacks
from property lines, roads and proposed lot layout. Areas exceeding
25% in grade are to be shaded and may be included in lots but are
not to be used as building sites. Areas within mapped one-hundred-year
floodplains, within 25 feet of streams, drainways or designated wetlands
or within designated habitat areas of threatened and endangered species
are to be cross-hatched and may be included in lots but not building
sites. Where stream basins are larger than 400 acres above the site
being subdivided, the stream setback is 50 feet from stream banks.
For major subdivision plats, planned developments and minor subdivision plats, when applicable, improvement plans are to be drawn in pencil or ink on Mylar or similar material, size 24 inches by 36 inches, at an appropriate scale, and are to be designed to match or overlay the preliminary plat where appropriate. Improvement plans will include cross-sections and profiles of streets and profiles of water and sewer lines as well as drainage improvements. Improvement plans must be signed by a registered engineer or, where permissible, by a registered surveyor licensed to practice in the State of Maryland and bear his seal. Where appropriate, improvement plans will conform to the requirements of maintenance authorities and to the requirements of other ordinances, including Part
3, Stormwater Management, and Part
2, Sediment and Erosion Control. Improvement plans may be prepared according to the criteria for major development plans in Part
4, Zoning, where appropriate.
A. Streets. In major subdivisions, streets shall be constructed to the current standards adopted by the County Commissioners. (See §
360-23.) In minor subdivisions, streets which are being offered for County maintenance must also be built to County standards. Street design and construction shall be approved by the County Engineer. Newly constructed streets or extensions of streets in major subdivisions will be taken into the County system for maintenance upon the recommendation of the County Engineer with final approval by the County Commissioners.
(1) Construction of roads on existing rights-of-way. In a case where
a major subdivision is created which utilizes a dedicated right-of-way
created for an approved minor subdivision or a prelaw major subdivision
or in any other situation where the proposed major subdivision does
not have frontage on a County-maintained road, it will be the subdivider's
responsibility to construct the road to County standards from the
nearest County- or state-maintained road to the property being subdivided.
(2) Construction of existing County roads. In a case where a major subdivision
is created utilizing a road in the County-maintained system which
is not hard-surfaced, it shall be the developer's responsibility to
construct this road to County standards along the frontage of the
lots being created plus a distance of 150 feet on either side of these
lots. In those instances where a hard-surfaced County or state-maintained
road is within 1,000 feet of the property being subdivided and is
being used for access to the property being subdivided, the developer
will also be required to construct this entire road segment to County
standards.
(3) Replacing an old road. When a newly dedicated right-of-way replaces
or parallels an older private right-of-way or driveway which continues
to serve preexisting lots, the new right-of-way must be used for vehicular
access to newly created lots. It is the developer's responsibility
to open and grade this right-of-way in a manner suitable for vehicular
traffic.
(4) Construction of driveway entrances. Each lot must be directly accessible
from the right-of-way which it fronts on. The transition zone from
the right-of-way to the lot is to be graded at no more than 5% for
a distance of at least 30 feet from the road shoulder. Driveway entrances
must meet County Roads Division requirements.
B. Water facilities. Major subdivisions and planned developments shall
be provided with a water supply and distribution system as defined
in COMAR 26.04.03.01. The source of supply may be a local-government-operated
water system, in which case, the local distribution system shall meet
the standards for such system and shall become a part thereof, or
it may be a community source of supply approved by the state and the
Allegany County Public Works Department, Utilities Division, in which
case, the system must be owned and operated by a public or private
utility company under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission
or by an agency of the County. The state may allow the use of private
wells in a major subdivision or planned development, provided that
a community sanitary sewer system, as defined in COMAR 26.04.03.01,
is available to all lots in the subdivision. The state may require
testing of nearby existing wells or springs in an aquifer to decide
the adequacy of proposed wells in a minor subdivision, major subdivision
or planned development.
C. Sewer facilities. Major subdivisions and planned developments shall
be provided with a complete sanitary sewer system connected to a County
or municipal system or to an adequate community sewage disposal plant
meeting the requirements of the state and Allegany County Public Works
Department, Utilities Division. If connected to a County or municipal
system, it shall be constructed to meet the standards and requirements
for such a system and shall become a part thereof. If built as an
independent system, the system must be owned and operated by a public
utility company under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission
or by an agency of the County. The state may allow the use of septic
systems in a major subdivision or planned development, provided that
a community water system, as defined in COMAR 26.04.03.01, is available
to all lots.
D. Stormwater management and drainage. Where required by the County Engineer, each subdivision and planned development shall be provided with storm drains, culverts, drainageways, ponds or other stormwater management works adequate to collect, store and dispose of all water originating on or flowing across the property, without inundating or damaging roads, lots, buildings or other properties. Such drainage works shall meet the standards and requirements of Part
3, Stormwater Management. A stabilized drainageway shall be provided outside road shoulders, conforming to the standards of cross-section and construction adopted by the County.