City of Beverly, MA Purpose and Authority

These subdivision regulations are adopted for the purpose of protecting the safety, convenience, and welfare of the inhabitants of the City of Beverly by regulating the laying out and construction of ways in subdivisions providing access to the lots therein, but which have not become public ways, and ensuring sanitary conditions in subdivisions and, in proper cases, parks and open areas. The powers of the Beverly Planning Board and the Board of Appeals, under the Subdivision Control Law, shall be exercised with due regard for the provision of adequate access to all of the lots in a subdivision by ways that will be safe and convenient for travel; for lessening congestion in such ways and in the adjacent public ways; for reducing danger of life and limb in the operation of motor vehicles; for securing safety in case of fire, flood, panic, and other emergencies; for ensuring compliance with the applicable zoning ordinances; for securing adequate provision for water, sewerage, drainage, underground utility services, fire, police, and other similar municipal equipment, and streetlighting and other requirements where necessary in a subdivision; and for coordinating the ways in a subdivision with each other and with the public ways in the City and with the ways in neighboring subdivisions. It is the intent of the Subdivision Control Law (under which these regulations are adopted) that any subdivision plan filed with the Beverly Planning Board shall receive the approval of such Board if said plan conforms to the recommendations of the Board of Health and to the reasonable rules and regulations of the Beverly Planning Board pertaining to subdivisions of land; provided, however, that such Board may, when appropriate, waive, as provided for in MGL c. 41, § 81R, such portions of the rules and regulations as is deemed advisable.