[Ord. of 6-20-1995; Ord. No. 2003.33, 3-18-2003]
(a) 
The City Engineer, or any professional engineer retained by the City, or the Planning Board as a consultant, shall make a recommendation to the Planning Board with respect to the grades, drainage, sewage and road surfacing of a proposed subdivision before such subdivision may be finally approved.
(b) 
The subdivider shall provide plans that meet the following requirements:
(1) 
Grades: A detailed plan sheet showing pre- and post-development grades. Building envelopes shall not include any areas with a slope of more than 25%; areas with a slope greater than 33% shall be clearly indicated on the development plan.
(2) 
Drainage:
a. 
Drainage courses shall be clearly shown on the development plan. In no case will the post-development off-site drainage rate exceed the predevelopment rate, unless reviewed by the City Engineering Department and specifically approved by the Planning Board upon the Department's recommendation.
b. 
Wherever practical, subsurface drainage shall be used, and directed to a satisfactory drainage collection point. Detailed plans for drainage lines, catch basins, retention or detention ponds shall be made part of the plans. Easements for drainage ways shall be indicated on the plans.
c. 
Where sheet drainage is proposed, the subdivider shall show the effect that all construction shall have on the drainage plan and it will not increase the rate of flow onto abutting properties.
d. 
Plans for erosion and sediment control shall be provided in accordance with details based upon the Maine Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook for Construction: Best Management Practices, as amended.
(3) 
Sewage:
a. 
Where connection to public sewer is proposed, detailed plans shall be provided for all lines, connection and pump or lift stations. In addition, the City's Engineering Department shall review all such plans and shall provide a written report to the Board.
b. 
Where septic systems are proposed, a complete HHE-200 Form for each lot shall be provided to include a certification by the City's Plumbing Inspector.
(4) 
Roads: Detailed cross sections for all roadways shall be included in the plans for any proposed roadway. Road design and construction shall be specified in detail and shall meet the standards specified in Chapter 62 (Streets and Sidewalks) of the Biddeford Code of Ordinances.
(c) 
Any report and recommendation submitted by the City Engineer or consulting professional engineer shall be considered by the Board. The recommendations and findings of the report may be made part of the basis for the Board's final decision.
[Ord. of 6-20-1995]
(a) 
Land susceptible to flooding and land not suitable for development, which may also be hazardous to life, health or property, shall not be accepted as part of a proposed subdivision, in terms of buildable lots, but may be used, subject to approval by the Board and other pertinent authorities, for open space purposes, public or otherwise.
(b) 
Land susceptible to flooding and land not suitable for development shall be calculated in accordance with the formula established in Article VI, Section 44, Lot calculations, of the Biddeford Zoning Ordinance for considering subdivision development.
(c) 
Land fitting this criteria shall include areas indicated as being in the one-hundred-year flood zone; wetland soils as defined in Article II, Definitions, of the Biddeford Zoning Ordinance; and groundwater aquifers or recharge areas as depicted in the Maine Geological Survey Map series; steeply sloped land (slope in excess of 33%).
[Ord. of 6-20-1995]
Land designated for public use in subdivision shall not be subdivided for any other purpose. Land to be conveyed for public use shall be conveyed by deed to the City of Biddeford, subject to approval by the City Council, or other public nonprofit organization approved by the Planning Board.
[Ord. of 6-20-1995]
(a) 
The plans for the installation of new water mains, surface drains and new sewage facilities and the construction of new streets and sidewalks in subdivision shall be approved by the Board before any construction begins.
(b) 
No approval shall be granted until final detailed plans have been reviewed by the various technical departments of the City.
[Ord. of 6-20-1995; Ord. No. 2003.33, 3-18-2003]
(a) 
Any proposed subdivision shall be designed so that it has access to a public street. See Chapter 62, Street, Sidewalks and other Public Places, or Article VI, Section 51, Private ways and road, for right-of-way width requirements.
(b) 
Lots within the proposed subdivision shall meet the required street frontage for the specific zone or district as specified in the Biddeford Zoning Ordinance.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 66-75, adopted 6-20-1995, which contained provisions on drainageways and easements, was repealed 3-18-2003 by Ord. No. 2003.33.
[Ord. of 6-20-1995]
(a) 
The Board may require that a proposed subdivision design show respect for such natural features as trees, streams, topography and other site assets.
(b) 
As much as practicable, mature trees of twenty-four-inch caliper, or more, shall be indicated on plans. Trees to be cut shall be indicated on the plan. In cases where this is impractical, the limits of tree cutting will be indicated.
[Ord. of 6-20-1995]
(a) 
Street trees, esplanades and open spaces may, at the discretion of the Board, be required in subdivisions.
(b) 
The preservation of natural vegetation is strongly encouraged; landscaping of individual lots and public areas may be required. Where necessary to provide present or future shading, or required by the Board, trees of no less than one inch caliper and four feet in height shall be planted.
(c) 
Plantings shall also be considered effective erosion control measures if certified by a qualified expert.
(d) 
When required by the Board, plans shall be provided showing landscaping measures for each lot in the proposed development. In cases where major subdivisions are involved, separate landscaping plans shall be provided. Landscaping shall be completed and sealed by a registered landscape architect.
[Ord. of 6-20-1995; Ord. No. 2003.33, 3-18-2003]
The details of cul-de-sac islands are stated in Chapter 62, Street, Sidewalks, and Other Public Places, Article IV, Streets, Division 2, Design Standards.
[Ord. No. 2001.26, 4-17-2001]
Subdivisions in the RF Zone shall maintain or establish a buffer along existing roads in order to reduce the visual impact of new development.
(1) 
Existing trees and undergrowth on a parcel proposed for subdivision development shall be maintained as a seventy-five-foot wide vegetated buffer strip for the entire length of the parcel's frontage along an existing public road.
(2) 
Setbacks for those lots adjacent to a public road shall be measured from the edge of the vegetated buffer furthest from the road.
(3) 
In the event that a parcel proposed for subdivision development has no existing trees or undergrowth on that side of the parcel which fronts on a public road, than a landscaping plan prepared by a qualified professional shall be submitted.
a. 
The landscaping plan shall incorporate the planting of a mix of native coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs with the intent of providing a visual screen at maturity.
b. 
The width of said landscaped buffer strip shall be no less than 50 feet.
c. 
The landscaped buffer strip shall run the entire length of the parcel's frontage along a public road.
(4) 
No cutting of trees or clearing of vegetation shall be permitted in the vegetated buffer strip, whether preexisting or created as part of an approved landscaping plan, unless otherwise committed by a hazardous situation.
a. 
The vegetated buffer strip shall be shown on the subdivision plan and clearly labeled as such.
b. 
The vegetated buffer strip may be part of the open space of a clustered subdivision, or may be owned in fee as part of the lot(s) adjacent to a public road. In the latter case, a deed or deeds with reference to the vegetated buffer strip shall be submitted prior to review of the final plan.
(5) 
Openings in the vegetated buffer strip shall be limited to the subdivision access road. Individual lots shall be accessed from the subdivision access road only.
[Ord. of 6-20-1995; Ord. No. 2003.33, 3-18-2003]
(a) 
No person, firm, corporation or other legal entity shall sell or convey any land in an approved subdivision unless at least one permanent marker is set at one lot corner of lot sold or conveyed. The term "permanent marker" includes, but is not limited to, the following: a granite monument, a concrete monument, an iron pin or a drill hole in ledge.
(b) 
Sewer and water line connections shall be clearly and separately marked. Such tie markings and plans shall be reviewed by the Engineering Department and shall be kept on file by the Engineering Department.
(c) 
The location and description of permanent markers shall be included on the final plans submitted to the Board.