[Adopted 9-2-1976]
No land shall be dedicated by any owner of real estate for acceptance
as a public street or highway by the Town of Bethlehem, nor shall
any person, firm or corporation lay out or construct any street or
highway for acceptance as a public street or highway or construct
any drainage facility or other improvement in support of an existing
Town street or highway, except in accordance with the provisions of
this article. No land shall be accepted as a public street or highway
by the Town of Bethlehem, except in accordance with the provisions
of this article, nor shall any street or highway be considered accepted
unless so voted at a Town Meeting. Any street or highway so accepted
shall consist of a right-of-way in which all rights and privileges
as pertain to its use as a public highway are reserved to the Town
of Bethlehem, and the ownership of land so dedicated shall, to the
center line of the right-of-way, be recorded in the names of the adjacent
property owners.
When any person, firm or corporation shall lay out or construct
a street or highway for acceptance by the Town, or construct any drainage
facility or other improvement in support of an existing street or
highway, the following requirements shall be met:
A.
Maps and plans. A map of the right-of-way for the street or highway
and construction plans for streets, drainage and other improvements
shall be presented to and approved by the Board of Selectmen.
B.
Bond. A suitable executed agreement and bond, in form and amount
approved by the Board of Selectmen, shall be presented to the Board
to guarantee the full cost of completion of any construction that
is within or in support of any existing Town street or highway.
C.
Permit. No construction and installation of streets, drainage and
other improvements shall be commenced until a road construction permit
therefor has been issued by the Board of Selectmen.
D.
Inspection. All construction of streets, drainage and other improvements
shall be carried out subject to supervision and inspection by the
Board of Selectmen or their authorized agent.
E.
Fees. The Board of Selectmen is authorized to charge fees for a road
construction permit and for inspection of construction in such amount
that the Board deems sufficient to defray the Town's cost of
necessary map and plan approval and supervision and inspection.
The following are minimum standards applicable to the layout
and construction of streets and highways for acceptance by the Town:
A.
Right-of-way: 50 feet.
B.
Width of roadway: 24 feet of gravel width and 22 feet of paved width,
with a three-inch crown at the center line. Curbing shall be minimal,
only to control drainage, at the direction of the Public Works Director.
[Amended 4-17-1996; 9-5-1996]
C.
Maximum grade: 10%.
D.
Minimum grade: 1%.
E.
Minimum radius of curvature: 150 feet at the center line.
F.
Angle of intersection: not less than 75°.
G.
Base course: bank run gravel, 18 inches in depth after compaction,
and a finish course of processed gravel two inches thick after compaction.
H.
Surface course: three inches of bituminous concrete.
J.
Turnarounds: in the form of a hammerhead.
[Amended 4-17-1996]
K.
Cut and fill slopes: not exceeding one foot vertical for each two
feet of horizontal distance.
L.
Guide posts and wire cables: required where dropoff is greater than
four feet within 20 feet of pavement.
M.
Drainage: sufficient/required to drain pavement and prevent erosion,
with suitable permanent runoff points and easements for discharge;
minimum culvert size of 15 inches and a minimum cover of 18 inches
over the top of pipe.
The Board of Selectmen is authorized to and shall prepare and
adopt specifications and procedures for the design and construction
of streets and highways, including drainage facilities and other improvements
in support of streets and highways. The Board of Selectmen is authorized
to provide for alternate standards for layout and construction of
streets or highways that are in accord with the purpose and intent
of this article. All streets or highways to be accepted by the Town
of Bethlehem shall be designed and constructed in accordance with
such specifications and procedures.
The following procedure shall be applicable to the dedication
and acceptance of real estate as a public street or highway by the
Town of Bethlehem:
A.
Time period. The Board of Selectmen and the Town Meeting shall not
be required to consider acceptance of a street or highway until a
period of one year after completion of construction has elapsed.
B.
Filed map. There shall be on file in the office of the Bethlehem
Town Clerk a map of the right-of-way of the street or highway, as
well as any easements necessary for drainage. The map shall show the
location of permanent monuments and shall be prepared by and bear
the seal of a land surveyor licensed as such by the State of Connecticut.
C.
Petition. The owner of real estate to be dedicated as a street or
highway shall file with the Board of Selectmen a petition for such
acceptance, accompanied by the following:
(2)
Construction plans of the street or highway showing street, drainage
and other improvements, as built.
(3)
Suitable conveyances of any easements for drainage and other supporting
facilities not located in the street right-of-way.
(4)
A suitable executed agreement and bond, in form and amount approved
by the Board of Selectmen, to guarantee remedy of unforeseen deficiencies
in the construction of the street or highway for a period of one year
after the date of acceptance by the Town.
D.
Planning Commission. Prior to the date of a Town Meeting to consider
acceptance of the street or highway, the Board of Selectmen shall
refer a copy of the petition to the Bethlehem Planning Commission
for a report in accordance with C.G.S. § 8-24.
E.
Certification. After receipt of a completed petition and expiration of the one-year period specified in Subsection A, the Board of Selectmen shall certify whether or not the street or highway proposed for acceptance by the Town has been laid out and constructed in accordance with this article. The acceptance of any street or highway certified as in compliance with this article shall be presented to a Town Meeting for consideration and action.
The Board of Selectmen shall have responsibility for administration and enforcement of this article. In carrying out its duties, the Board of Selectmen is authorized to adopt procedures necessary to the conduct of its duties and the enforcement of this article and incorporating the permit and inspection fees specified in § 105-6, standards specified in § 105-7 and specifications authorized in § 105-8. Such specifications and procedures shall become effective after the Board of Selectmen has held a public hearing thereon. Notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in the form of a legal advertisement appearing in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the Town at least twice at intervals of not less than two days, the first not more than 15 days nor less than 10 days, and the last not less than two days, before such hearing, and a copy of the proposed specifications and procedures shall be filed in the office of the Bethlehem Town Clerk for public inspection at least 10 days before such hearing.
The adoption of this article shall not rescind or void the vote
of previous Town Meetings to accept specifically designated roads
or parts thereof.
The Board of Selectmen may institute any appropriate action
or proceedings to enforce the provisions of this article or to prevent,
restrain, enjoin, correct or abate any violation of this article,
as may be authorized by law. Any person, firm or corporation who shall
lay out and construct a street or highway for acceptance by the Town
of Bethlehem, or construct any drainage facility or other improvement
within or in support of an existing Town street or highway, except
under a valid road construction permit, shall be fined not more than
$250 for each day that such construction continues.
