Town of Charlton, MA Required Improvements

The entire area within the exterior street lines shall be cleared, excavated or filled as necessary, and graded in accordance with the then-standard specifications of the Town Engineer (or, if none, of the Board).

All roadways, all areas between the roadway and sidewalk lines and curblines, and all slopes outside exterior street lines shall be constructed to finished transverse grades parallel to those shown on the then-current standard cross-section plans of the Town Engineer (or, if none, of the Board) as specified on the definitive subdivision plan. Any deviation necessitated by unusual topographic conditions must have the specific approval of the Town Engineer (or, if none, of the Board).

Subgrade. The subgrade surface, fifteen and one-half (15 1/2) inches below the finished surface grade in all streets, shall be prepared true to the location and grades and cross sections given and rolled with not less than a ten-ton roller. All soft or spongy material below the subgrade shall be removed and replaced with gravel borrow conforming to MassDOT spec. M 1.02.0 Type a containing no stones over six (6) inches in diameter.

M 1.03.0	Sieve Designation	Percent Passing
Type a	6 inches	100%
	1/2 inches	50% to 80%
	No. 4	40% to 75%
	No. 50	8% to 28%
	No. 200	0% to 10%

Gravel subbase.

(a)

The gravel subbase shall be spread in one (1) layer. The layer shall be twelve (12) inches in depth compacted measurement and shall conform to MassDOT spec. M 1.03 Type b with no stone larger than three (3) inches. Gravel shall be compacted to not less than ninety-five percent (95%) of the maximum dry density of the material as determined by the Modified AASHTO Compaction Test Method at optimum moisture content.

(b)

The subgrade and subbase shall contain no loam, soft yielding material, clay, organic or other unsuitable material. All unsuitable material shall be removed and replaced with compacted gravel conforming with the above specifications.

Over the top layer of the gravel subbase shall be laid in two (2) separate courses a base course of Class I bituminous concrete Type I-1 and a surface course of Class I Type I-1 both in accordance with Section 460 of the state standards specified above or of any successor publication. The finished surface must be level and even and is to form and close, even union around all curbs and projecting frames. It is the subdivider's responsibility to see that all manhole frames, gate boxes and catch basin frames are at street grade and accessible for their intended use. The depth of each course shall be:

	Base Course	Surface Course
Minor streets	2"	1 1/2"
Flexible development minor streets	2"	1 1/2"
Collector streets	3"	1 1/2"
Major streets	3"	1 1/2"

(6)

The roadway area within the frontage of a lot shall have all utilities and the bituminous concrete base installed and approved by the appropriate agency before said lot can be released or built upon.

(7)

Before application of the finish coat, the bituminous concrete base shall have been in place for a minimum of twelve (12) months or for a lesser period as may be determined by the Board.

(8)

Immediately before application of the finish coat, the bituminous concrete base shall be swept clean and a tack coat applied mechanically (by truck or trailer with spreader bar), evenly, and at application rates in accordance with MassDOT.

Underground structures and facilities.

All storm drains, sewers, water mains, related installations, and service connections to be placed within the exterior lines of a street shall be installed, and approved as herein required, and all gas pipes and other underground utilities shall be installed prior to completion of the roadway foundation.

All electric, telephone, cable television, and other utility installations, including wiring, shall be placed underground in all subdivisions. All such utilities serving a subdivision must be installed underground, starting at the point where a subdivision road intersects with an existing public way or other subdivision road, and must be placed within the required right-of-way for the subdivision roadway.

Conduit (including wiring) fire alarm and terminal boxes with appurtenances as required shall be installed for the fire alarm system in accordance with the standard specifications of the Fire Department.

All installations shall be to the specifications of the utility company concerned and of the Town of Charlton.

The subdivider shall be responsible for all trenching, backfilling, and paving for the installation of the necessary appurtenances for streetlighting.

(6)

An as-built (supplementary) plan showing the locations of all underground wiring, transformers, poles and streetlighting (including type of fixture and lumens) shall be submitted to the Planning Board before the definitive plan of the subdivision has been recorded in the Registry of Deeds, or, as applicable, with the recorder of the Land Court.

(7)

Definitive plan approval shall be subject to said plans being approved by the concerned utility company and the Planning Board. No installation of any utilities shall commence until the Town has received and approved said plans.

(8)

New electric streetlighting and light standards approved by the Board shall be installed at each intersection of streets (including cul-de-sac) and/or ways.

(9)

Streetlighting will be consistent with the neighborhood and surroundings and the safety of the traveling public. The subdivider will be responsible for all trenching, backfilling and paving in connection with the installation of all necessary cables for streetlighting. The developer will be required to provide, at his/her expense, underground conduits for police and fire communications.

Roadways.

Roadways shall be constructed for the full length of all streets shown on the plan. The center lines of such roadways shall coincide with the center line of the street rights-of-way unless a minor variance is specifically authorized by the Town Engineer (or, if none, by the Board).

(a)

The minimum width of roadways, between curblines, shall be as follows:

[1]

Minor streets: twenty-eight (28) feet.

[2]

Collector streets: thirty-five (35) feet.

[3]

Major streets: forty-five (45) feet.

(b)

The minimum outside diameter of roadways within permanent turnarounds shall be one hundred twenty (120) feet.

(c)

Greater width, and/or greater outside diameter of roadways within permanent turnarounds, shall be required by the Board when deemed necessary for present and future vehicular travel.

Where a temporary dead-end street extends one hundred fifty (150) feet or more beyond an intersection, there shall be constructed as part of the roadway a temporary cul-de-sac extending across the full width of the street right-of-way, and having a minimum length of fifty (50) feet.

Sloping at roadway intersections shall conform to the Town Bylaw on Vision Clearance, if any.

Dwelling unit access. Dwelling units shall not be given direct driveway access to major streets, except: (a) where existing lots of record abut on major streets; (b) in subdivisions which front on an existing major street; and (c) in special instances where the configuration of the tract prevents the construction of an access road or an interior roadway, after review and approval by the Board and by the Highway Department[1] of the Town of Charlton.

Minor streets shall not connect two (2) or more major streets, or a major street and a collector street. Residential streets which connect higher-order streets often become shortcuts, thereby increasing the traffic load on purely residential streets and endangering the health and safety of pedestrians and residents thereon.

Subdivisions containing ten (10) or more lots shall provide a minimum of two (2) means of vehicular access to and from the subdivision onto previously existing public ways.

The Board may disapprove a plan where it determines that dangerous traffic conditions may result due to inadequacy of the proposed access or of the proposed ways within the subdivision or of any of the ways adjacent to or providing access to the subdivision.

Alternatively, where the street system within a subdivision does not connect with or have, in the opinion of the Board, adequate access from a public way, the Board may require, as a condition of approval of a plan, that such adequate access by provided by the subdivider, and/or that the subdivider make physical improvements to and within such a way of access, in accordance with these Rules and Regulations and the recommendations of the Board, from the boundary of the subdivision to a public way. All costs of any such improvements or construction shall be done by the subdivider.

Where the physical condition or width of a public way from which a subdivision has its access is considered by the Board to be inadequate to carry the traffic expected to be generated by such subdivision, the Board may require the subdivider to dedicate a strip of land for the purpose of widening the abutting public way to a width at least commensurate with that required within the subdivision, and to make physical improvements to and within such public way to the same standards required within the subdivision. Any such dedication of land for the purpose of way and any such work performed within such public way shall be made only with permission of the governmental agency having jurisdiction over such way, and all costs of any such widening or construction shall be borne by the subdivider.

[1]

Editor’s Note: The title “Highway Superintendent” was changed to “Public Works Superintendent” 5-20-2019 ATM by Art. 12.

Curbs. In all subdivisions, curbing shall be installed along the gutter line of both sides in all streets. The curbing shall be standard granite, sloped granite, or precast reinforced concrete, or asphalt berm, as designated by the Board. On all curbs having a radius of eighty-five (85) feet or less at the street line, the gutter line shall be curbed with circular granite curbing, or, with Board approval, circular precast reinforced concrete curbing, cut to fit the curve. On all curbs having a radius of more than eighty-five (85) feet, up to and including a radius of one hundred fifty (150) feet, the gutter line shall be curbed with straight sections of granite curbing or, with Board approval, precast reinforced concrete curbing, not more than six (6) feet long. The ends of each curve shall be extended by a straight section of granite curbing, or, with Board approval, precast reinforced concrete curbing, not less than twelve (12) feet long.

Sidewalks.

Sidewalks, having a width of not less than five (5) feet, shall be constructed within the subdivision on both sides of all major and collector streets. They shall be constructed on minor streets having a width of not less than four (4) feet on one (1) side of the street. The sidewalks shall be constructed of brick, or concrete cement, or, subject to approval of the Board, bituminous concrete pavement or any other acceptable material. Curb cuts, where applicable, shall be installed.

Sidewalks shall have a finished grade of two percent (2%) sloping towards the roadway. When unusual physical land characteristics or topographic conditions require, the Board may approve the placement of a sidewalk at a greater distance from the roadway or at a higher or lower level in relation thereto, provided such variation is indicated in the definitive plan.

In constructing all sidewalks, excavated material shall be removed for the full width of the sidewalk to a subgrade at least ten (10) inches below the approved finished grade, and also all soft spots and other undesirable material below such subgrade shall be replaced with a binding material reasonably acceptable to the Board and rolled with a two-ton roller or equivalent. If the Board permits the applicant to install a bituminous concrete pavement sidewalk, the excavated area shall first be filled with at least eight (8) inches of select gravel containing some binding material and compressed and rolled to a surface slope of two percent (2%). Sidewalks shall then be paved to a thickness of three (3) inches with bituminous concrete pavement, applied in two (2) one and one-half (1 1/2) inch courses. Said select gravel shall conform to MassDOT spec. M 1.03.0 Type b with no stone larger than three (3) inches.

Sidewalks shall be built and installed according to specifications of the MassDOT, insofar as consistent herewith.

Planting strips.

All areas between the exterior street lines and the curblines of the roadways thereon which are not occupied by approved sidewalks shall be loamed, rolled, and seeded in accordance with the specifications of the Town Engineer (or, if none, of the Board).

The finished grade of such planting strips shall be two percent (2%), sloping toward the roadway. Where unusual physical land characteristics or topographic conditions exist, the Board may approve the construction of a planting strip at a slope greater than two percent (2%), provided the finished slope will not project above or below a plane sloped two (2) horizontal units to one (1) vertical unit upward or downward from the edge of the pavement.

No trees or other obstructions shall be placed or retained within the planting strip so as to be closer than two (2) feet from the edge of the pavement unless so approved and authorized by the Board.

The top six (6) inches of planting strips shall consist of a sandy loam, or a fine sandy loam, per USDA-NRCS Soil Classification, with a minimum seventy percent (70%) sand content by weight, not to contain materials harmful to plant life, to be clean, fertile, friable, and well draining. All topsoil to be free of any subsoil earth clods, sod, stones over three-fourths (3/4) inch in any dimension, sticks, roots, weeds, litter, and other deleterious material. Topsoil shall be uniform in quality and texture and contain organic matter and mineral elements necessary for sustaining healthy plant growth. Topsoil shall have an organic matter content between three percent (3%) to seven percent (7%) by weight and a pH of 5.5 to 7.4.

Grass seed shall be fresh, clean, new crop seed sown at the rate of five (5) pounds per one thousand (1,000) square feet of area and composed of the following varieties specified, mixed in the proportions by weight shown and testing the minimum percentages of purity and germination:

	Proportion	Germination Minimum	Purity Minimum
Creeping Red Fescue	50%	85%	95%
Kentucky Blue	25%	85%	90%
Domestic Rye	10%	90%	98%
Red Top	10%	85%	92%
Ladino Clover	5%	85%	96%

Street trees.

Trees, of a size and species approved by the Tree Warden and the Planning Board, shall be installed at an average spacing of fifty (50) feet on both sides of the proposed roadway. They shall be located within the planting strips and no less than two (2) feet from the traveled way. All trees must be a minimum two (2) inches in caliper as measured at six (6) inches above finish grade with a minimum height of twelve (12) feet, with straight trunks.

The planting cavity shall be of sufficient depth and width to accommodate the root system without cramping. A minimum of one (1) foot of loam and sufficient peat moss shall be placed at each planting, and a circle of wood chip mulch, at least three (3) feet in diameter and four (4) inches deep, shall surround each tree at the surface. The trees shall be well watered when planted.

Each tree shall be supported with two (2) two-inch by two-inch by eight-inch (2" x 2" x 8") stakes made of pressure-treated wood and shall be fastened at the top with a loop of rubber or suitable fabric hosing. The supports shall be removed after one full growing season.

All trees shall be subject to a one-year guarantee for one (1) year or, if less, for one (1) full growing season.

Street signs. Street signs, which, in the opinion of the Town Engineer (or, if none, of the Board) are of the type commonly used in the Town, and bearing the name of the street as indicated on the definitive plan, shall be erected at all intersections of streets in the subdivision as to each and every street which forms the intersection. At least two (2) such street signs shall be erected diagonally opposite one another at each road cross intersection, each at the inside curb edge. At all points at which a private street within the subdivision intersects with an existing public way, there shall also be erected on the same standard and immediately below the street sign, a sign, of such size as the Town Engineer (or, if none, as the Board) may deem necessary, reading "Private Way-Dangerous Passing."

Monuments. Granite monuments shall be installed on the exterior street lines at all angle points, at the beginning and end of all curves, at all intersections, and at other points where, in the opinion of the Board, permanent monuments are necessary. Such monuments shall conform to the standard specifications of county regulations and shall be set according to such specifications. If no such specifications exist, the monuments shall be set in bank gravel with their tops at the proposed finished surface grade, and they shall otherwise conform to the specifications of the Board. No permanent monuments shall be installed until all construction which would destroy or disturb the monuments is completed. Provisions for curbing, gutters, street signs, trees and cleaning-up operations will be included if necessitated by future local requirements or deemed advisable by the Board. All monuments must be installed prior to Town acceptance of the roadway.

§ 210-5.3 Drainage system.

The drainage system within the subdivision shall be laid out to the satisfaction of the Board, acting on the recommendation of the Town Engineer (or, if none, of the Board), which will require provision of such facilities and arrangement thereof as, in its opinion, are necessary to:

Permit unimpeded flow of all natural watercourses;

Insure adequate drainage of all low points along all streets;

Intercept excessive groundwater in all the subsoil along all streets;

Intercept stormwater runoff along all streets at intervals reasonably related to the extent and grade of the area drained;

Assure that the post-development rate of runoff is less than or equal to the pre-development rate; and

(6)

Create no adverse downstream effects.

(7)

When applicable, all subdivisions shall comply with the current MassDEP Stormwater Management Policy, as amended.

Generally, catch basins will be required on both sides of the roadway on continuous grades at intervals of not more than four hundred (400) feet, at all low points in the grade, at all depressions or sags in the roadway, and near the corners of the roadway at intersecting streets. All catch basins shall be connected to a manhole. All catch basins must have a four-foot-deep sump and oil/gas hood. All drain manholes shall have an invert constructed of either poured concrete or red sewer brick and mortar.

All drain pipes shall be in a straight line and grade. At every change in direction or grade, a manhole shall be provided. Drainage pipes shall be either reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) or smooth-interior high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe.

Provision for the adequate disposal of surface water intercepted or collected by catch basins shall be made in such manner that no flow will be conducted over Town ways, or over the land of others unless an easement in proper form is obtained permitting such drainage.

Proper connections shall be made with the existing public drainage system. Where adjacent property is not subdivided, provision shall be made for extension of the system by continuing appropriate drains to the exterior boundaries of the subdivision, at such size and grade as will allow for their proper projection.

The Board, acting on the recommendation of the Town Engineer, if any, may also require provision for subsoil drains, along or near the edge of the traveled way (in addition to the trunk line system), wherever, in its opinion, groundwater conditions in the subsoil warrant such drains.

The Planning Board or its agent(s) shall inspect and approve all drainage pipes prior to backfilling.

Test pits shall be performed at all proposed stormwater management basins and/or best management practices (BMPs) as required by the MassDEP Stormwater Handbook, as amended. Such test pits shall be witnessed by the Planning Board or its designated agent.

§ 210-5.4 Water and sewer facilities.

Water mains, with hydrants, valves and other fittings, and sanitary sewers, with manholes and other appurtenances, shall be installed within the subdivision as necessary to provide to all lots therein adequate water supply for domestic and fire protection use and adequate sewage disposal.

Water mains shall be tested by the subdivider and approved by the Town Engineer (or, if none, by the Sewer Commissioner) before the bituminous concrete base is installed.

A hydrant connected to any public water system shall be in satisfactory working order.