A.
Design guidelines. All subdivisions shall be designed, and improvements made by the developer, consistent with the requirements of Article IV, Required Improvements, and shall be designed to do the following:
(1)
Reduce, to the extent possible:
(a)
The volume of cut and fill;
(b)
Area over which existing vegetation will be disturbed, particularly
in those areas within 200 feet of a water body, having a slope of
more than 15%, or overlying easily eroded soils;
(c)
Number of mature trees removed;
(d)
Extent of waterways altered or relocated;
(e)
Visual prominence of man-made structures or uses not necessary
for safety or orientation;
(f)
Erosion and siltation;
(g)
Flood damage;
(h)
Number of driveways exiting onto existing streets;
(i)
Disturbance of important wildlife habitats, outstanding botanical
features, and scenic or historic environs.
(3)
The location of proposed streets, parks and open spaces shall be
designed so as to minimize the number of probable house sites located
within 500 feet of any property valued under the provisions of MGL
c. 61A. Where reasonable designs could substantially reduce the proximity
of house sites to agricultural land but are not employed, an explanation
for failure to do so shall be provided to the Planning Board by the
applicant.
C.
Access to subdivisions. A way providing access to any subdivision
must be within the Town limits, without requiring municipal service
vehicles (including, but not limited to, fire vehicles, police vehicles,
plows, school buses, emergency vehicles, and maintenance vehicles)
to exit the Town in order to enter the subdivision. Any other access
to a subdivision through another town requires certification by that
town that the way in question is in accordance with the subdivision
rules and regulations of the Planning Board of that town, that any
bond posted for construction in that town is adequate, and that the
way provides adequate access for police, fire, and emergency vehicles
as well as the expected traffic generated by the subdivision. The
Planning Board may require, as a condition of approval, written agreements
indicating, if applicable, the services to be provided to the subdivision
by the adjacent town.
D.
Open spaces.
(1)
Before approval of a plan, the Planning Board may require the plan
to show a park or parks suitably located for playground or recreation
purposes or for providing light and air. The park or parks shall be
of reasonable size, but generally not less than 5% of the area of
the land to be subdivided, after considering the location and quality
of the land to be set aside. The minimum area acceptable for later
public acquisition shall be three acres. The Planning Board may, by
appropriate endorsement on the plan, require that no building be erected
on such park or parks without the approval of the Planning Board for
a period of three years.
(2)
Land designated for park or playground use shall not include wetlands,
ledge, or other land unsuitable for recreation purposes.
(3)
Any open space, park, or playground shall provide at least 50 feet
of continuous frontage on a street. Pedestrian ways may be required
by the Planning Board to provide access from nearby streets on which
the open space, park, or playground has no frontage. Such parks or
playgrounds may be required to have maintenance provided by covenants
and agreements acceptable to the Planning Board, until public acquisition
is completed, but in no case longer than three years.
E.
Wetlands protection. The Planning Board may condition its approval
of a definitive plan upon the issuance of an order of conditions by
the Conservation Commission of the Town, pursuant to the Wetlands
Protection Act, MGL c. 131, § 40.
F.
General construction standards.
(1)
All streets, street drains, catch basins, and appurtenances thereto
shall be installed without expense to the Town.
(2)
All right-of-way lines, drain lines, and underground municipal services
shall be laid out as to line and grade by a registered professional
engineer or a registered land surveyor.
(3)
All construction details, materials, methods, and specifications
shall conform to the current requirements of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges, Boston, Massachusetts,
as supplemented.
(4)
Areas within the subdivision used previously for the extraction of
gravel or borrow shall be regraded, loamed, and in sod before final
release of the performance guarantee is authorized by the Planning
Board. All construction debris, refuse, and other solid waste shall
be removed from the site, and all surplus construction material, before
final release of the performance guarantee is authorized by the Planning
Board.
A.
Location.
(1)
All streets in the subdivision shall be designed so that, in the
opinion of the Planning Board, they will provide safe vehicular travel
and natural drainage with no drainage pockets, and that they are adjusted
to the topography and provide the minimum number of intersections
with existing and collector streets. Streets shall be continuous and
in alignment with existing streets as far as is practicable. Due regard
shall also be given by the applicant to the attractiveness of the
street layout so as to promote the maximum livability and amenities
in the subdivision.
(2)
Provision shall be made by the applicant, satisfactory to the Planning
Board, for the proper projection of streets, or for access to adjoining
property, if any, which has not yet been subdivided. In the alternative,
the Planning Board may limit or prohibit the projection of streets
to adjoining property where such action is in the public interest.
(3)
Subdivisions containing 10 or more lots shall have at least two noncontiguous
street connections with a street or streets either existing or shown
on an approved subdivision plan for which a performance guarantee
has been filed.
(4)
Streets will ordinarily be required adjacent to parks, playgrounds,
and schools, to provide proper access and policing of such areas.
B.
Alignment.
(1)
Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible
at right angles. No street shall intersect any other street at an
angle less than 60°.
(2)
Intersections shall be separated by not less than 600 feet on collector
streets, and 400 feet elsewhere.
(3)
Center-line offsets for intersecting streets shall not be less than
150 feet.
(4)
All intersections and approaches to intersections shall be cleared
of any obstructions to the motorist's view and so maintained.
(6)
Sight distances of at least 200 feet in each direction shall be provided
at intersections, except that 300 feet shall be provided at intersections
with state-numbered highways or collector streets or other streets
having a speed limit of 40 miles per hour or greater. At such intersections,
the Planning Board may require intersection designs with longer turning
radii and safe acceleration and deceleration features, including increased
street width, increased curb radii, and use of traffic islands for
channelization.
(7)
All reverse curves on collector streets shall be separated by a tangent
at least 100 feet in length.
(8)
Property lines at street intersections shall be rounded or cut back
to provide for a curb radius of not less than 25 feet, except that
a curb radius of not less than 15 feet may be allowed at intersections
of lanes with minor streets.
D.
Grades.
(1)
The center-line grade for any street shall not be less than 0.75
of 1%.
(3)
On any street where the grade exceeds 6% on the approach to an intersection,
a staging area with a slope of not more than 4% shall be provided
for a distance of at least 40 feet from the nearest edge of the travelled
intersecting way.
(4)
The proposed center-line grade shall not be more than 10% above or
below existing center-line grade unless the Planning Board specifically
waives this provision due to unusual topographic circumstances.
(5)
To the extent feasible, street grades shall be designed in relation
to existing grades so as to approximately balance the volume of cut
and fill made within the rights-of-way, except to offset peat, boulders,
or other unusable material required to be removed.
E.
Dead-end streets.
(1)
A dead-end street, whether temporary or permanent, shall not have
a center-line length in excess of 800 feet from the traveled edge
of the intersecting street to the furthest traveled edge of the dead-end
street, unless the Planning Board specifically waives this provision
due to unusual topography or other conditions.
(2)
A dead-end street shall not have a grade in excess of 3% for the
last 100 feet of its closed end.
(3)
Dead-end streets shall be provided at the closed end with a cul-de-sac
having a minimum radius of 57 feet of black top and a maximum radius
of 68 feet of a property line.
(4)
Temporary dead-end streets shall also provide the turnaround set forth in Subsection E(3), which may be located in part on easements over lots, so long as contractual assurance is provided that, upon extension of the street in question, the turnaround shall be removed and replaced with proper plantings and landscaping. Turnarounds shall permit maneuvering without backing.
(5)
Only lanes may be permitted to be dead-end streets.
(6)
Permanent dead-end water mains shall not be allowed. Easements shall
be provided where necessary to allow for extension or looping of mains
through subsequent development.
F.
Construction of roadways.
(1)
Each street shall be constructed on the center line of the right-of-way;
the center line of the paved surface shall coincide with the center
line of the right-of-way. Pavement specifications shall be shown on
detail plans submitted with the definitive plan.
(2)
The Planning Board may require slope easements where retention cannot
be adequately handled within the required right-of-way.
(3)
The roadway shall be cleared of all obstructions of any kind for
a distance equal to the sum of the specified width of the pavement,
plus the required shoulder, sidewalk or swale on each side of the
pavement. A greater width may be required at corners and on the inside
of curves for visibility.
(4)
At least one week prior to commencement of street construction, the
Department of Public Works shall be notified by certified mail of
the intended commencement. The Department of Public Works shall, upon
receipt of such notification, appoint an agent and instruct said agent
to make continuing inspections of the work to ensure that the requirements
listed below are adhered to. The inspecting agent shall furnish the
subdivider with a checklist of steps to be completed. The subdivider
shall not proceed with any steps until all prior steps have been signed
by the inspector as satisfactorily completed. The completed checklist
is to be returned to the Planning Board. Failure to submit the completed
checklist may be deemed sufficient cause for the Planning Board to
withhold final approval of the roadway construction.
(5)
Forming the subgrade. All topsoil, subsoil, rocks, ledge and other
unsuitable material shall be excavated to provide a gravel base depth
of at least two feet within the traveled way, 12 inches for shoulders,
and 10 inches for sidewalks. Unless a permit is granted by the Town
for the removal of loam and topsoil, said material will be stockpiled
on the premises for final landscaping of roadway shoulders and adjacent
house lots. The depth of excavation may be reduced by written authorization
of the Department of Public Works if the existing base is certified
by the plan engineer as clean gravel meeting state specifications
for construction. A greater depth of excavation may be required in
any area where the subgrade material (clay, peat, etc.) will not support
the roadway, or drainage conditions require more gravel to establish
a firm foundation. Prior to placement of the gravel base course, the
entire subgrade surface shall be thoroughly compacted by means of
a three-wheel roller weighing not less than 10 tons or equivalent
pneumatic-tired or vibratory compactors. After compacting, the surface
shall show no deviation in excess of two inches from the grades indicated
on the drawings. No gravel base course shall be placed in any subgrade
area until said area has been inspected and approved by the Department
of Public Works or its agent.
(6)
Placing and compacting base course materials. Base course gravel
shall be placed in maximum lifts of eight inches compacted depth.
The final lift is to be a finer gradation with no stones larger than
three inches in diameter. The base course gravel shall be placed not
less than two months prior to surfacing. All drainage and utilities
are to be installed prior to placing base course gravel. The base
course gravel, once approved, is not to be disturbed by digging without
written authorization of the Department of Public Works.
(7)
Conditioning of base course prior to surfacing. The surface of the
base course will be inspected and tested for tolerances by the Department
of Public Works or its agent. Any deviations in excess of the required
tolerances shall be corrected by the subdivider as directed. Any ruts
or soft yielding areas in the base course shall be corrected by removing
unsuitable material, adding suitable material, reshaping and recompacting
as directed. The base course, immediately before surfacing, shall
be fine graded to 3.5 inches below final grade as shown on the profiles
on the definitive plan, with the grades of the street further apart
than 50 feet. Grading shall be by means of a self-propelled road grader
and such hand labor as may be required.
(8)
Application on permanent surface. A permanent type pavement of Class
I bituminous concrete, Type I-1 shall be placed in strict accordance
with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Standard Specifications
for Highways, Bridges, and Waterways, Sections 460.0 through 460.62.
Said pavement shall be laid in two courses, consisting of 2.5 inches
compacted thickness of base mixture and 1.5 inches compacted thickness
of top mixture. The completed pavement shall have a uniform compacted
thickness of four inches. No permanent surface will be applied after
November 1 unless authorized in writing by the Department of Public
Works.
(9)
Drainage structure frames and utility boxes shall be set to the binder
grade. The frames and boxes shall be raised to finish grade and set
in a concrete collar just prior to final paving.
See also Chapter 235, Stormwater Management, of the Town Bylaws.
A.
General. Storm drains, culverts, swales, detention basins, and related
facilities shall be designed to permit the unimpeded flow of all natural
watercourses, to ensure adequate drainage at all low points along
streets, to control erosion, and to intercept stormwater runoff along
streets at intervals reasonably related to the extent and grade of
the area being drained. Where determined to be appropriate to the
Planning Board, stormwater may be carried on the surface of the ground
and recharged (herein, "open system") rather than piped to surface
water (herein, "closed system"). Peak storm discharge rate at the
boundaries of the subdivision in a twenty-five-year-frequency storm
shall be no higher following development than prior to development,
unless authorized by the Planning Board after consultation with the
Conservation Commission, and determination that the receiving wetlands
or water bodies may absorb the increase, or that the provision of
detention capacity is sufficient. In a floodplain, adequate drainage
systems shall be provided to reduce exposure to flood hazards.
B.
Full build-out. Stormwater run-off calculations for proposed conditions
should use general land use conditions that assume full build-out
within the existing zoning requirements. Less conservative values
may be applied to determine peak storm discharge rate when coupled
with enforceable land use restrictions.
C.
Location of detention basins. Detention basins shall not be located
on a separate parcel. No detention basin shall be located within 50
feet of any lot line. Detention ponds shall have deeded easements
to the Town. A bond shall be kept in the Town's detention ponds escrow
for upkeep in case of owner's lack of maintenance.
D.
Storm drains.
(1)
Except where drainage swales are used, catch basins will be required
on both sides of the roadway on continuous grades at intervals of
not more than 250 feet. Storm drains and culverts shall be no less
than 12 inches inside diameter and shall be of greater size if required
by design considerations. All drains shall have a minimum of three-foot
cover, except where reinforced concrete pipe is used and there the
minimum cover shall be two feet. Pipe approved by the Massachusetts
Department of Transportation (DOT) shall be installed in accordance
with DOH requirements. The subdivider shall specify the class of pipe
to be used.
(2)
Proper connections shall be made with any existing drains in adjacent
streets or easements where they may exist and prove adequate to accommodate
the drainage flow from the subdivision; and in the absence of such
facilities, or the inadequacy of the same, it shall be the responsibility
of the developer to extend drains from the subdivision as required
a manner determined by the Department of Public Works, or Planning
Board.
(3)
Side drains during construction may be required by the Department
of Public Works. Six-inch subdrains, five feet off the side line,
may be required in all cuts over three feet.
E.
Catch basins. Catch basins shall be provided with grates installed
and approved as to design by the Planning Board. Manholes shall be
provided at changes in direction, whenever there is a change in size
of pipe, and so as to eliminate the draining of one basin into another
basin. Catch basins and manholes shall be constructed with standard
concrete blocks, with brick and mortar or, if required by depth, of
reinforced concrete, and shall have a two-foot-deep sump.
F.
Certificate of occupancy. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued
for any dwelling unit in a subdivision until the stormwater management
system is fully operational.
A.
Electricity and telephone service. Electricity and telephone service
shall be provided to each lot. All electrical, telephone, and other
utility wires shall be placed below ground in conduit, unless the
Planning Board determines that such placement is not feasible or is
not in the best interests of the Town.
B.
Fire protection. Provision shall be made for fire protection in the
subdivision. The applicant shall review plans for fire protection
with the Chief of the Fire Department and reach an agreement as to
the method of providing adequate fire protection. A subdivision plan
shall be approved only upon presentation of evidence to the Planning
Board, subject to the approval of the Fire Chief, that adequate provisions
for fire protection have been made. No certificate of occupancy shall
be issued for any dwelling unit in a subdivision until all components
of the fire protection system are fully operational.
C.
Streetlighting. Streetlighting shall be provided for those locations
where the Planning Board, following consultation with the Board and
Municipal Light Board, recommends that the Town maintain lighting.
Facilities shall be provided in accordance with the Municipal Light
Department's specifications. Streetlights shall be remain lit until
Town approved. An escrow account may be required for payment of streetlights.
D.
Water. Evidence shall be submitted to satisfy the Board of Health
that adequate and potable water supply is available for each lot in
the subdivision installed under roadway from existing road.
(1)
Whenever feasible, the water supply shall be from a public water
supply system. Any subdivision with a lot boundary within 1,500 feet
of existing Town water or sewer services must tie in and extend those
services to each lot within the subdivision under the road. They shall
be constructed to the Town's Sewer and Water Departments' specifications
and shall conform to all inspections.
(2)
Where a connection to the public water system is not feasible, the
Planning Board shall approve a subdivision only upon its determination
that the following provision for fire protection shall be met:
(a)
A reliable year-round water supply readily accessible to the
Fire Department shall be provided from natural or constructed bodies
of water, such as ponds, streams or cisterns.
(b)
Design, construction and capacity of natural and constructed
bodies of water shall be approved by the Fire Department and shall
comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1231,
Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting.
(c)
Cisterns shall have a minimum capacity of 30,000, gallons available
for firefighting as provided for in NFPA 1231 (ISO requirement, Fire
Chief's Handbook, p. 601).
(d)
Cisterns shall be inspected by the Fire Department during construction.
(e)
A dry hydrant installed in conformance with NFPA 1231 is required.
The height of the suction connection must be approved by the Fire
Department.
(f)
Subdivisions in which all houses have residential sprinklers
installed in conformance with NFPA 13, 13D or 13R shall not require
additional fire protection.
(3)
Where a connection to the public water system is not feasible, the
Planning Board shall approve a subdivision only upon its determination
that the well(s) on each lot is likely to be able to provide a sustained
yield of five gallons per minute with water quality meeting DEP's
Drinking Water Regulations of Massachusetts, as may be amended from
time to time. One test well may be required of the applicant per 10
potential lots, or the Planning Board's determination may be based
upon the written statement of a hydrogeologist following his analysis
of well records on nearby premises, subsurface conditions, and potential
sources of contamination.
(4)
Subdivisions served by the Town's water system shall meet the following
specifications:
(a)
Hydrants shall be spaced no more than 500 feet apart.
(b)
Hydrant locations shall be approved by the Fire Department.
(c)
Minimum fire flow requirements (gallons per minute required
to control a fire) shall meet National Fire Protection Association
standards and be approved by the Fire Department.
A.
Sidewalks.
(2)
Width and alignment. Sidewalk pavement shall be five feet wide on
collector streets, and four feet wide elsewhere. Except at intersections,
sidewalks shall be separated from the travelled way by not less than
the required shoulder width. Pavement width may vary to reflect or
protect existing topography, trees, ledge, and other site features.
(3)
Other walkways. Public off-street walkways, bikeways, or bridle paths
may be required by the Planning Board to provide grounds, parks, shopping,
transportation, open space, or community facilities, or to break up
long blocks, or for any other reason that the Planning Board may determine.
No such walkway, bikeway, or bridle path shall be a part of any lot
in the subdivision.
(4)
Construction. Sidewalks shall have a foundation of eight inches or
more of compacted gravel. The surface shall be cement of 1 1/2
inches thickness, with a proper cross-slope.
B.
Grass plots and slopes. Embankments outside the shoulders and swales
shall be evenly graded and pitched at a rate not steeper than 2:1
in cut and 3:1 in fill. The Planning Board may require such banks
and all other disturbed areas adjacent to the traveled way to be loamed
and seeded to grass, or, after consideration of the surrounding vegetation
and terrain, to be blended with such woods or natural surroundings
as exist, with plantings chosen accordingly.
C.
Plantings.
(1)
Unpaved areas within the right-of-way which have been stripped by
the construction shall be graded to meet the adjoining property with
a slope of not more than one foot vertical to two feet horizontal
and loamed with at least four inches of good-quality topsoil. These
areas shall be thickly seeded with perennial grasses or other planting
materials approved by the Planning Board.
(2)
If the developer finds it necessary to remove any of the Town's trees,
or if the Planning Board so requires, the developer shall replace
any and all such trees at his own expense.
(3)
Before removing any tree within the existing Town right-of-way, the
Tree Warden shall be consulted and shall mark all trees that are not
to be removed.
(4)
Suitable existing trees within the right-of-way, if larger than four-inch
caliper and located outside the shoulders, shall be preserved. Trees
to be retained shall not have grade changed over their root areas
more than 12 inches.
(5)
Where suitable trees do not exist at intervals of less than 40 feet
on each side of the street, they shall be provided by the developer.
(6)
Trees to be planted shall be well-branched, nursery-grown stock with
at least 2.5-inch trunk diameter at four feet above ground, and be
free of injury, harmful insects, and diseases. They shall be long-lived
species adapted to the local environment and approved by the Planning
Board.
(7)
New plantings shall be guaranteed by the developer for a period of
one year from the date of planting.
D.
Curbing and berms. Bituminous concrete berms shall be installed on
both sides of all roadways in conformity with the Typical Roadway
Cross-Section, appended hereto,[1] except where waived by the Planning Board where open drainage
systems are being relied upon, and except at intersections with state-numbered
highways or collector streets, where sloped granite curbing will be
required.
[1]
Editor's Note: The roadway diagram is available in the Town
offices or on the Town website.
E.
Driveway entrances. Driveway entrances shall be constructed so as
to prevent drainage onto public ways. Driveways at intersections and
culs-de-sac shall be spaced so as to facilitate snow removal.
F.
Monuments.
(1)
Monuments shall be installed at all street intersections; at all
points of change in direction of curvature of the streets.
(2)
Monuments must be granite or reinforced concrete, measure a minimum
of four inches by four inches by four inches by four feet and project
four inches above finished grade. Reference points are to be drilled
in the top of each monument.
(3)
Iron rods shall be installed at each lot corner along the street
and as necessary to locate any easements to be deeded to the Town.
(4)
Four major corners of each lot shall be marked with iron rods. Iron
rods shall be 3/4-inch iron rod set to a depth of not less than four
feet below finished grade and to project not more than six inches
above finished grade.
(5)
Placement and accurate location of all monuments shall be certified
by a registered land surveyor, and indicated on the as-built plan.
G.
Signs.
(1)
Street signs. As soon as a street is paved, street signs conforming
to those placed by the Town shall be erected at each end of the through
way and intersections. The word "Private" shall be lettered on a separate
sign placed under the street sign. This separate sign shall be removed
when the street is accepted by the Town, and replaced by a sign that
says "Not a Through Way" if it is a cul-de-sac.
A.
General. The entire area of the subdivision must be cleaned up so
as to leave a neat and orderly appearance free from debris and other
objectionable materials, leaving no unfilled holes, and leaving no
other artificially created hazards. A bond may be required to secure
performance of this regulation.
B.
Right-of-way. The entire area within the right-of-way shall be properly
maintained by the developer until accepted by the Town. Immediately
prior to such acceptance, all catch basins shall be cleaned. Snow
removal and sanding of the streets shall be the responsibility of
the developer until such acceptance. An escrow account or maintenance
bond may be required to secure performance of this regulation.
A.
Fire ponds and utilities. Easements for fire ponds and utilities
across lots or centered on rear or side lines shall be provided, and
shall be at least 20 feet wide.
B.
Stormwater easement. Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse,
drainageway, stream, or channel, the Planning Board may require that
a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way be provided of adequate
width to provide for free flow of water in its natural course, for
construction, or for other necessary purposes.
In a floodplain, all public utilities and facilities such as
gas, electrical, and water systems shall be located and constructed
to minimize or eliminate flood damage.
A.
Topping. All driveways extending from the completed road surface
to the lot lines must have a topping of at least three inches of bituminous
concrete. All driveway slopes must end at the street right-of-way,
then continue forward to the completed road surface in the same grade
as the sidewalk strip and/or shoulder in order to allow proper drainage
of surface water.
B.
Curb cuts. Curb cuts for driveways shall be at least 10 feet wide
and shall have a three-foot-radius flare at the pavement, except in
nonresidential subdivisions where they shall be at least 24 feet wide
and have a thirty-foot radius or meet the requirements of Section
XI of the Massachusetts Amendments to the Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices and the Standard Municipal Traffic Code, dated January,
1987.
B.
Requirements. The requirements herein shall be modified as follows:
Roadway construction shall provide for a twenty-four-inch gravel foundation,
a base course of four-inch Asphalt Institute Type IV mix, and a one-inch
Class I-1 bituminous concrete finish course, except that this requirement
may be reduced where an alternative system is demonstrated to be adequate
for anticipated traffic, using the methods specified by the Asphalt
Institute Manual Series No. 1 (MS-1), Thickness Design.
C.
Storm drainage. Storm drainage shall be designed on the basis of
at least 80% impervious coverage on all lots, and lawns rather than
natural vegetation in buffers and other remaining areas, unless there
are land use restrictions enforceable by the Town, assuring some lower
level of impervious coverage and natural vegetation.
