A. 
A definitive plan, hereinafter referred to as "the plan," of a subdivision must be submitted to the Planning Board. Said plan shall be governed by the Subdivision Regulations in effect at the time of submission of such plan, or in effect at the time of submission of a preliminary plan, provided that a definitive plan evolved therefrom shall have been submitted to the Planning Board within seven months from the date of submission of the preliminary plan.
B. 
A definitive plan shall also be governed by the zoning in effect at the time of submission of a preliminary plan from which a definitive plan is evolved, in accordance with the appropriate provisions of Chapter 40A of the General Laws, as amended.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 171, Zoning, of the Code of Ordinances.
C. 
The center line of proposed roadways and all property lot lines shall be adequately and accurately staked or flagged on the site sufficient for identification by the Board members and Town officials when site visits are made.
A. 
The plan shall be submitted by delivery at a regular or special meeting of the Board, or by delivery or registered mail to the Board in care of the Town Clerk. If so mailed, the date of mailing (postmark) shall be the date of submission of the plan. In addition, written notice (a copy of Form C in Appendix A[1]) shall be filed by delivery or registered mail with the Town Clerk, stating the date of submission of the plan. The Town Clerk shall give a written receipt, if requested, to the person who delivers such notice.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B. 
The full submission shall consist of:
(1) 
A properly executed application (see Appendix A, Form C[2]).
[2]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(2) 
Ten prints (dark line on white background) of the definitive plan (including all plans, maps and cross sections, and documents required in §§ 215-1.24 and 215-1.25), together with all other information and documentation as required in these Rules and Regulations. The Board shall file one print with the Board of Health, one print with the Chief of the Fire Department, one print with the Conservation Commission, one print with the Water Supply Protection Committee, one print with the Department of Public Works, and one print with the Police Chief. At least three of these prints shall have the significant features illustrated according to the following color scheme:
[Amended during codification]
(a) 
Roads - dark gray;.
(b) 
Streams and water bodies - blue.
(c) 
Wetlands - solid red.
(d) 
Wetlands 100-foot buffer zone - dotted red.
(e) 
One-hundred-year floodplains - orange.
(f) 
Open space and recreation areas - green.
(g) 
Pedestrian and bicycle paths - brown.
(h) 
Subdivision boundaries - black.
The Board may request additional copies of the above to be forwarded to other Town agencies and departments for their review and comments.
(3) 
Fees:
(a) 
The required filing fee (see Fee Schedule, Appendix B[3]).
[3]
Editor's Note: Appendix B is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(b) 
The required review fee (see Fee Schedule, Appendix B).
(c) 
Said fees shall be used by the Town to pay for any additional consultants which it finds necessary to hire in order to carry out an effective review of the proposed subdivision.
(4) 
List of abutters (see Appendix A, Form D[4]): name and mailing address of all abutters as they appear in the most recent tax list, including owners of land separated from the subdivision only by a street. The applicant shall obtain a certificate of the Board of Assessors, which must be attached to this application, that all abutters are listed.
[4]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(5) 
A sketch plan showing a possible or prospective street layout for any adjacent unsubdivided land owned or controlled by the owner or applicant of the subdivision and also showing topography, unless such a plan has already been submitted to the Board.
(6) 
One set of three overlays shall be prepared on acetate at the same scale as the definitive plan map; these overlays shall illustrate the following features of the undeveloped site:
(a) 
Overlay #1 - one-hundred-year floodplains, wetlands, aquifer recharge areas.
(b) 
Overlay #2 - soils (including all soil types), and slopes greater than 25%.
(c) 
Overlay #3 - vegetation types.
(7) 
Ten copies of all additional information required in § 215-1.25.
A. 
The definitive plan shall bear the seal of a Massachusetts land surveyor and a registered professional engineer. The plan shall be at a scale of one inch equals 40 feet, unless otherwise specified by the Planning Board, and of a sheet size 24 inches by 36 inches outside dimensions. If multiple sheets are used, they shall be accompanied by an index sheet showing the entire subdivision.
B. 
All surveys must tie to the Massachusetts State Plane Coordinate System (1927 datum) (MSPCS). At least two benchmarks must be placed on site and shown on the plans prior to construction. Said benchmarks shall be tied to, and employ, U.S.G.S. 1988 Vertical Datum recommended, and the MSPCS. Every plan sheet should have at least four points tied into the MSPCS using the following, or equivalent:
(1) 
The Global Positioning System (GPS); or
(2) 
The United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) Horizontal Datum.
C. 
Whenever possible, a 3.5-inch or 5.25-inch DOS-compatible computer disk containing the property boundary lines should be provided using Drawing Interchange Files (AutoCAD Compatible DXF files), in either ASCII or binary format.
D. 
The definitive plan shall contain the following information:
(1) 
A location plan of the subdivision at a scale of one inch equals 200 feet, showing the proposed lot lines, the right-of-way lines of all proposed streets in the subdivision and their location in relation to one or more existing streets or portions thereof, shown and readily identifiable as to locus on the Town Assessors' and Topographic Maps and to such accuracy that the latter may be placed over the location plan for purposes of actual transfer to said maps. Whenever applicable, if the development falls within the limits of existing one inch equals 500 feet scale Assessor's Maps, an additional location plan at one inch equals 100 feet scale with all the above information shall be provided. An inset at a scale of one inch equals 1,200 feet shall be included on the location plan showing the location of the subdivision within the Town.
(2) 
The subdivision name, boundaries, the coordinate North arrow, date, scale, legend and title "Definitive Plan".
(3) 
The names of owners of record, the applicant and the registered land surveyor and registered professional engineer, and official seals. Certification by the surveyor that all surveying conforms to the technical standards for property surveyors of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping shall appear on the plan.
(4) 
Names and plan location of all abutters indicating limits of contiguous boundaries of the parcel/lots (within 200 feet of the boundary of the subdivision) and those owners of land separated from the subdivision only by a street. This must agree with Form D (Appendix A[1]).
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(5) 
Existing and proposed lines of streets, lots, rights-of-way, easements, and any public or common areas within the subdivision. (The proposed names of proposed streets shall be shown in pencil until they have been approved by the Board.) The purpose of easements shall be indicated.
(6) 
Location, name and present widths of streets bounding, approaching, or within 200 feet of the limits of the subdivision.
(7) 
Location of natural waterways and water bodies within and adjacent to the subdivision.
(8) 
Major site features, such as existing stone walls, fences, buildings, large trees (12 inches or greater in diameter), rock ridges and outcroppings, swamps, wetlands, floodplains, historic features, and wooded areas. The plan shall identify which of the above shall remain undisturbed.
(9) 
Sufficient data, including lengths, bearings, radii, tangent distances, and central angles to determine the exact location, direction and length of every street and way line, lot line, and boundary line, and to establish these lines on the ground.
(10) 
Location of all permanent monuments and benchmarks identified as to whether existing or proposed, and, whenever possible, identified according to the Town of Palmer survey control system. Bounds are required at all intersections of street lines, angle points and changes of curvature of street lines. All benchmarks shall be tied to and employ U.S.G.S. (United States Geological Survey) datum systems or the Town control datum.
(11) 
Boundary lines, areas in square feet, and dimensions of all proposed lots, with all lots designated numerically and in sequence.
(12) 
Suitable space to record the action of the Board and the signatures of the members of the Planning Board on each sheet of the definitive plan. Where the applicant elects to secure completion of required improvements by covenant (rather than bonds or surety), there shall be a notation above such space as follows:
Approved __________, subject to covenant conditions set forth in a covenant executed by __________, dated __________, and recorded in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Book No. _____, Page No. __________, or Document No.__________.
The remaining items shall be submitted on separate sheets.
(13) 
Existing and proposed topography (sufficiently differentiated) with two-foot contour intervals for the entire parcel, unless the Board agrees that the natural surface of the ground may be adequately represented by contours with larger intervals or by figures of elevation. Datum to be U.S.G.S. Mean Sea Level.
(14) 
Where storm drainage line discharges into a brook, stream, or drainage area, to determine condition, and proposed method of stabilization.
(15) 
A street layout plan on a separate 24-inch-by-36-inch sheet, horizontal scale of one inch equals 40 feet, for each street in the subdivision, showing exterior lines, roadway lines, partial lot lines, curblines, intersection angles, points of tangency, and radii of curves. Also included on the street layout plan shall be location, size, and type of construction, elevations and invert, whenever applicable, of all pipes and conduits of the:
(a) 
Water supply system, including pumps, valves, stubs, gates, hydrants, and similar equipment;
(b) 
Storm drainage system, including manholes, pipes, culverts, catch basins and appurtenant structures;
(c) 
Sanitary sewerage system, including piping, manholes, pumps, community septic tanks, and appurtenant equipment;
(d) 
Natural gas supply system, including pipes, pumps, valves, gates, and similar equipment;
(e) 
Electrical, telephone and cable TV supply system, including piping, handholes, transformer pad mounts, and similar equipment, all transmission lines to be shown as underground installation;
(f) 
Lighting system, including location of streetlight poles.
(16) 
A profile plan on the same sheet located directly below and coordinated with the street layout plan, indicating existing profiles on the exterior and center lines (using lightweight lines) and proposed profile on the center line (using heavyweight lines) of each proposed street, at a horizontal scale of one inch equals four feet. All elevations shall refer to U.S.G.S. Mean Sea Level datum. Profiles shall show existing and proposed street grades, rate of gradient on percentages, ground and proposed elevations at center line of each fifty-foot station, and grades of intersecting streets and ways shall be clearly indicated.
(17) 
The profile plan shall show the location of existing and proposed water drainage and sanitary sewer lines, invert, rim elevations and station of each manhole or catch basin.
(18) 
A typical cross section for the full width of the proposed right-of-way shall be shown in accordance with the "Typical Cross Section" illustrated in Appendix C,[2] showing foundation material, wearing surface, crown and width of traveled way, curbing, grass strips, sidewalks, utility locations, etc. For a no-typical cross section, see § 215-1.31F.
[2]
Editor's Note: Appendix C is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(19) 
Construction details for catch basins, manholes, endwalls, headwalls, rip-rap, energy dissipaters, etc.
(20) 
Proposed layout and design of any and all parks, pools, or similarly community improvements, including all water, drainage, and electrical layouts, if any, designed to service such community improvements.
(21) 
Locations of borings shall be shown on the plan with a numbering system corresponding to boring logs which will be submitted as part of the application (see § 215-1.25A).
(22) 
Subsurface conditions on the tract, location and results of tests made to ascertain subsurface soil, rock and groundwater conditions, depth to groundwater, and, on a separate sheet, location and results of soil percolation tests if individual sewage disposal systems are proposed. These percolation tests shall be:
(a) 
Made on each lot within the subdivision;
(b) 
Made by and at the expense of the applicant; and
(c) 
In accordance with the Board of Health regulations and the State Sanitary Codes, as applicable.
(23) 
Size and location of existing and proposed water supply facilities.
(24) 
Size and location of all fire hydrants, pumps, water lines between hydrants and pump, and source(s) of water for fire fighting.
(25) 
Legend denoting any signs and symbols used on the plan and not otherwise explained.
(26) 
Any other pertinent information which the Planning Board may request.
A. 
Borings. The purpose of borings is to assist the developer and the project's engineer in designing, and the Board in evaluating, an appropriate roadway and related utilities based on existing water table and subsurface soil conditions (i.e., a clay subsurface might necessitate extra excavation and extra depth for gravel base; a water table near ground surface might necessitate the installation of subdrains along the edge of the road, etc.). In the case of a development located within the limits of the aquifer recharging the Town's wells, borings should provide enough information to facilitate the Town's determining the development's impact on subsurface water quality. The actual location at which each boring is made shall be shown on the plans. The borings shall be certified by a Massachusetts professional engineer. Borings must be taken at the proposed roadway center line at each fifty-foot station unless otherwise specified by the Board.
B. 
Easements. All easements to be granted by the developer to the Town of Palmer shall be shown on the subdivision plans with bearings and distances, and their purpose shall be clearly stated. In addition, the applicant shall submit, as part of his application, easement documents, suitable for recording, deeding said easements to the Town. The easements shall be submitted by the Board to the Department of Public Works and the Town Counsel, and their response shall be given in writing within 30 days of the date of submittal.
[Amended during codification]
C. 
Restrictive covenants. The applicant shall submit, whenever applicable, as part of his/her/their application any and all documents, such as, but not limited to, master deeds, restrictive covenants, deed restrictions, homeowner's association rules and regulations of any commonly owned/shared land, detention pond, open space, recreation area, etc. Said documents shall be submitted by the Board to the Department of Public Works and the Town Counsel, and their response shall be given in writing within 30 days of the date of submittal.
[Amended during codification]
D. 
Construction quantities. The applicant shall submit a detailed estimate for all construction within the proposed roadway layout and/or public utility easements, certified by the project's registered professional engineer. Said estimate shall be based on the Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges, 1973 Edition, as amended, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and shall include:
(1) 
Quantity, unit price, and total amount for each construction item; and
(2) 
Total amount for cost of completion of project, including prevailing wage rates.
E. 
Lighting system. The applicant shall include a complete streetlighting system for the proposed street in the definitive plans. Said system shall compatible with existing systems in Town and be in conformance with current utility standards, as supplied by the local electric company. In addition, the applicant shall petition the Town Council to accept said system. A copy of the petition shall be included in the definitive submission.
[Amended during codification]
F. 
Development impact statement.
(1) 
A development impact statement (DIS) is a documented, written analysis of a proposed development which provides the Planning Board and Town officials with information necessary for plan review.
(2) 
It is a developer's responsibility to submit a DIS, that is prepared by a qualified professional acceptable to the Board, documented in sufficient detail to permit an adequate evaluation by the Planning Board; however, additional data may be requested in writing by the Board. This is one reason why it is to the advantage of the developer to prepare and submit to the Board a preliminary plan including a draft DIS. It is necessary to respond to all sections of the DIS form, except when a written exemption is granted by the Planning Board. (See Appendix A, Form L.[1])
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
G. 
Review by the Board of Health as to suitability of the land. The Board of Health shall, within 45 days after the filing of the plan, report to the Planning Board in writing its approval or disapproval of said plan. A copy of such report shall be sent to the applicant. If the Board of Health disapproves said plan, it shall make specific findings as to which, if any, of the lots shown on such plan cannot be used for building sites without injury to the public health, and include such specific findings and reasons therefor in such report, and, where possible, shall make recommendations for the adjustment thereof. Failure of the Board of Health to report shall be deemed approval by the Board of Health. Any approval of the plan by the Planning Board shall then only be given on condition that the designated lots or land shall not be built upon or served with any utilities (including cesspools, septic tanks, and drainage) without prior consent of the Board of Health. The Planning Board shall endorse on the plan which condition, specifying the lots or land to which such condition applies.
H. 
Wetlands protection. In accordance with MGL c. 131, § 40, no person shall remove, fill, dredge, or alter any bank, beach, dune, flat, marsh, or swamp bordering on any existing creek, river, stream, pond, lake, or any land under said waters or subject to flooding without receiving a negative determination of applicability or an order of conditions from the local Conservation Commission and/or Department of Environmental Quality Engineering.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Now the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
I. 
Water Supply Protection District. Any portion of a proposed subdivision which lies within the limits of the Town's Water Supply Protection District shall conform to the requirements of said district as stated in the appropriate sections of the Palmer Zoning Bylaws.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 171, Zoning, of the Code of Ordinances.
J. 
Hydrology study and drainage calculations. The applicant shall submit, as part of his/her/their application, calculations showing:
(1) 
That any proposed drainage system has been designed according to the standards set forth in § 215-1.63; and
(2) 
Any impact said drainage system would have on existing drainage systems downstream from the former's point of discharge.
K. 
Sanitary sewer study. The applicant shall submit, as part of his/her/their application, calculations showing:
(1) 
That any proposed sanitary sewer system has been designed according to the standards set forth in § 215-1.70; and
(2) 
Any impact said sanitary sewer system would have on existing sanitary sewer systems downflow from the former's point of discharge.
L. 
On-lot sewage disposal system. Where sewage disposal is to be by individual on-lot sewage disposal systems, the definitive plan shall be accompanied by a report, prepared by a registered civil engineer, which includes the following:
(1) 
The results of percolation and deep hole soil tests performed on each lot, in accordance with Title 5 of the State Environmental Code.
(2) 
A map which locates the soil test sites on each lot.
(3) 
Other data, including topographic conditions, natural drainage patterns, soil characteristics, maximum groundwater elevations.
(4) 
When on-site water supplies are to be used, the location of those supplies must be shown on a map, along with proposed or existing on-site sewage disposal systems on or within 100 feet of any property line.
(5) 
A statement by a registered civil engineer as to the suitability of the area for the installation of subsurface sewage disposal systems of the general type and size as indicated in the Massachusetts Environmental Code, 314 CMR Title 5, Department of Environmental Protection.
M. 
Water study. The applicant shall submit, as part of his/her/their application, a study, certified by the district's current water consultant, showing that the proposed water system will provide the development with adequate fire flows, as determined by the Fire District. The study shall also show the impact of the development on the water pressures in the surrounding area.
N. 
Erosion/Sedimentation control plan. In order to ensure, mitigate and prevent erosion/siltation of disturbed areas during and after construction activities, the developer shall submit a plan showing, in detail, what measures and when such measures will be implemented, on both a temporary and permanent basis.
A. 
Public hearing. Before approval, modification and approval, approval with conditions, or disapproval of a definitive plan is given, a public hearing shall be held by the Planning Board. Notice of the time and place of the hearing, and of the subject matter, sufficient for identification, shall be given by the Board at the expense of the applicant by advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town of Palmer once in each of two successive weeks, the first publication being not less than 14 days before the day of such hearing. A copy of said notice shall be mailed by registered mail to the applicant and to all owners of land abutting upon the subdivision or separated from such land only by a street. (See Appendix A, Form D.[1]) The applicant or his/her/their representative should be present at the hearing.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B. 
Approval, modification or disapproval.
(1) 
After the required hearing, but within the period specified in the Subdivision Control Law for the submission of the definitive plan, the Board shall take action thereon. It may approve, modify and approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove said plan, as provided by statute. Any approval of the plan by the Planning Board shall only be given on condition that the designated lots or land shall not be built upon or served with any utilities, such as septic tanks or cesspools, and drainage without prior consent of the Board of Health.
(2) 
The Planning Board shall endorse on the plan such conditions as set forth by the Board of Health and the lots and land affected by such conditions. The action of the Board with respect to such plan shall be certified and filed with the Town Clerk and sent by registered mail, postage prepaid, to the applicant at his address as stated on the application (see Appendix A, Form F[2]). Favorable action shall require a majority vote of the full Board in rendering its decision. The Board shall take into consideration:
(a) 
Completeness and technical adequacy of all submissions;
(b) 
Determination that development at this location, as proposed in the definitive plan, does not entail unwarranted hazard to the health, safety, or welfare of future residents of the subdivision or to others because of possible natural disasters, traffic hazard, or environmental degradation;
(c) 
Conformity with the design standards included in or cited by these regulations.
[2]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(3) 
If the Board modifies and disapproves such plan, it shall state with its vote the reasons for its action. Final approval, if granted, shall be endorsed on the reproducible drawing of the definitive plan by the signatures of the majority of the full Board, but not until the statutory twenty-day appeal period has elapsed following the filing of the certificate of the action of the Board with the Town Clerk and said Clerk has notified the Board that no appeal has been filed, or if appeal has been taken, not until the entry of a final decree of the court sustaining the approval of such plan.
(4) 
Final approval of the definitive plan does not constitute the laying out or acceptance by the Town of streets within a subdivision. Such laying out or acceptance shall be by action of the Town Council upon recommendation of the Planning Board and the Department of Public Works.
[Amended during codification]
(5) 
In the event of disapproval, the Planning Board shall state in detail wherein the plan does not conform to these Rules and Regulations of the Planning Board or the recommendations of the Health Board or officer and shall revoke its disapproval and approve of a plan which, as amended, conforms to these Rules and Regulations or recommendations. Any amended plans which are resubmitted for approval shall follow the same procedures as the original submission (filing fee, public hearing, etc.). Any amended plans submitted later than nine months following the date of the expiration of the appeal period or appeal(s) on the disapproval of the originally submitted plan must conform to the Subdivision Rules and Regulations and procedures (filing fee, public hearing, etc.) that are in effect at the time of the amended plan's filing.
C. 
Endorsement.
(1) 
A plan that has been approved, approved with modifications, or approved with conditions shall not be endorsed until after the mandatory twenty-day appeal period has elapsed and not until the applicant has:
(a) 
Posted the necessary performance guarantee. The monetary value of said guarantee, when using any method other than a covenant, shall be based on a revised construction quantity estimate (see § 215-1.25D) if conditional approval of the subdivision was given and if said approval changed the original quantities. In addition, the monetary value of the performance guarantee shall reflect projected construction costs of completing the project at the end of the expiration of said guarantee.
(b) 
Made the necessary corrections, whenever applicable, on the plan, easements, master deeds, restrictive covenants, etc., if conditional approval was given to the satisfaction of the Board.
(c) 
Presented to the Board, and the Board has subsequently approved, any additional information requested as part of a conditional approval.
(d) 
Paid the necessary:
[1] 
Inspection fee; and
[2] 
Registration fee (Registry of Deeds, Land Court); and
[3] 
Restoration guarantee.
(e) 
Delivered to the Board two sets of reproducible (Mylar) drawings of the definitive plan with the necessary corrections. After endorsement by the Board, the applicant shall deliver to the Board 12 sets of copies of the endorsed definitive plan.
(2) 
Failure of the applicant to meet the above requirements shall be full and sufficient reason to withhold endorsement.
(3) 
If the applicant fails to submit the required performance guarantees, easements, and other documentations and the endorsement of the plan by the Planning Board is delayed more than six months after the expiration of the twenty-day appeal period, the Planning Board, on its own motion, shall exercise its power to modify, amend, or rescind its approval of the subdivision plan or to require a change in the plan as a condition of said plan retaining the status of an approved plan.
D. 
Performance guarantee. In accepting the Board's approval of a definitive plan of a subdivision, the applicant agrees to complete the required improvements specified in Articles VII and VIII for all lots in the subdivision, such construction and installation to be secured in accordance with MGL c. 41, § 81U of the Subdivision Control Law by one, or in part by the other, of the following methods, which may from time to time be varied by the applicant:
(1) 
Approval with bonds or surety. The applicant shall either file a surety company performance bond or provide a deposit of money or negotiable securities in an amount determined by the Board, which may consult with the appropriate Town departments, to be sufficient to cover the cost of all or any part of the improvements specified in Articles VII or VIII not covered by a covenant under Subsection D(1)(b) below. Such bond, deposit of money or negotiable securities shall be approved as to form and manner of execution by the Board.
(2) 
Approval with covenant.
(a) 
Instead of filing a bond or depositing money, the applicant may fulfill a covenant executed and duly recorded by the owner of record, running with the land, that no lot in the subdivision shall be sold and no building erected thereon until such ways, services, and, whenever applicable, temporary turnarounds are constructed and installed, in accordance with these Rules and Regulations, so as to adequately serve the lots.
(b) 
Such covenant shall be inscribed on the definitive plan or on a separate document referred to on the plan and delivered to the Planning Board. The Planning Board shall turn over the covenant agreement to the Town Counsel, who shall review its contents and forward his comments in writing to the Board. Upon approval of the covenant by the Board, the applicant shall note the Board's action on the definitive plan and the Board shall record the covenant, endorsed definitive plan, and other appropriate documents at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
E. 
Completion time schedule.
(1) 
The performance guarantee, whether by bond, deposit of money, or covenant, as previously described herein, shall be contingent upon the completion of such improvements as required in these Rules and Regulations within a period of two years of the date of such bond, deposit of money, or covenant. There shall be at least a nine-month period between completion date of all improvements and the expiration date of any bond or deposit of money. Said nine-month period shall give the Town the opportunity to complete necessary improvements in case:
(a) 
The developer is unable to do so; and/or
(b) 
The Board denies any requests for an extension of time.
(2) 
Upon written request from the applicant, the Planning Board may, at its discretion, grant an extension of time, and such agreement shall be executed and affixed to the bond or covenant.
(3) 
In the case of a surety company bond, such an agreement for an extension shall not be effective until the surety delivers to the Board a written statement that the surety agrees to the proposed alteration of the completion schedule and that such alteration shall not relieve or affect the liability of the surety company.
(4) 
Failure to complete all improvements as required by these Rules and Regulations within the time allotted shall cause the Board:
(a) 
To draw upon the performance guarantee (surety bond or deposit of money) in order to complete said improvements; and/or
(b) 
To schedule a public hearing in order to rescind approval of the subdivision in accordance with appropriate sections of MGL c. 41, § 81W.
[Amended during codification]
F. 
Recording of plan. The Board, within 10 days after the definitive plan has been endorsed, shall record said plan, Form F,[3] and, whenever applicable, the Board's order of conditions, public easements (plans and documents), restrictive covenants, master deeds, etc., at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds, and in the case of registered land, with the recorder of the Land Court. The cost of said recording shall be borne by the developer. Subsequent to said recording, the Board shall file with the Building Inspector, within seven calendar days, one print of the definitive plan. Unless the Building Inspector has received such print, he shall issue no permit for a building on any lot within the subdivision. Further, in accordance with the statute, where approval with covenant is noted thereon, he shall issue no permit for the construction of a building on any lot within the subdivision except upon receipt from the Board of a copy of the certificate of performance releasing the lot in question.
[3]
Editor's Note: Form F appears in Appendix A, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
A. 
Procedures for partial release. The subdivider may, upon partial completion and installation of required improvements in a subdivision, as specified in Articles VII and VIII of these Rules and Regulations, the security for the performance of which was given by bond, deposit of money, or covenant, make formal application, in writing, to the Planning Board for partial release of his performance guarantee, in accordance with the procedures set forth herein:
(1) 
Bond or deposit of money. The penal sum of any such bond or the amount of any deposit held may, from time to time, be reduced by the Planning Board, upon formal application in the manner prescribed herein, and the obligations of the parties thereto released by said Board in part. The applicant shall present to the Board a list of all construction items performed and/or completed, said list to be based on § 215-1.25D, as well as a list of all construction items still to be performed, and the estimated costs of completing such items. The amount to be reduced by the Board, after consultation with the Department of Public Works, shall be based upon prevailing construction costs for the work remaining to be completed at the time of application for reduction is made. In addition, the Board shall withhold a 10% retainer on any reduction it approves, said retainer to be released under Subsection B below.
[Amended during codification]
(2) 
Covenant. The subdivider may request a release of conditions for designated lots where the required improvements have been completed for that section of roadway beginning at any intersection with a Town road and abutting lots up through the last lot to be released. Lots may only be released if they abut the completed portion of the road. No partial release from the covenants will be approved if the total length of roadway, including a temporary turnaround, abutting said designated lots, exceeds the Town's maximum allowable length for dead-end streets, as mentioned in § 215-1.31E, unless the Board has already approved within the limits of the development a dead-end street exceeding said limits.
B. 
Procedures for full release. The subdivider may make formal application, in writing (see Appendix A, Form G[1]), to the Planning Board for full release of his/her/their performance guarantee upon completion and installation of required improvements in a subdivision, as specified in Articles VII and VIII of these Rules and Regulations, when the performance guarantee was given by bond, deposit of money, or covenant. Before the Planning Board releases the full interest of the Town in said performance guarantee, the Planning Board shall:
(1) 
Obtain in writing from the Town engineering consultant or from a registered professional engineer chosen by the Board a certificate or statement that all work required by these Rules and Regulations has been constructed in conformance with the approved construction plans. In cases where roadways will remain under private ownership, the above-mentioned certificate or statement shall be supplied by the project's registered professional engineer.
(2) 
Obtain from the applicant a set of record construction plans. Said plans shall include, but not be limited to, all the information requested in Appendix G, Record Plans.[2] Approval of said plans by the Board shall take place after review of the former by the Town Engineer.
[2]
Editor's Note: Appendix G is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(3) 
Receive from the applicant a street acceptance plan or plans and necessary documents, as stated in Appendix H, Street Acceptance Plans.[3] Said plans and documents, after approval by the Board and the Town Engineer, shall be presented by the Planning Board to the Town Council for a formal street acceptance.
[Amended during codification]
[3]
Editor's Note: Appendix H is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(4) 
The applicant may be required to execute an instrument, in a form approved by the Board, transferring to the Town or to an approved public utility company, without cost, valid unencumbered title to all sanitary sewers, water mains, and appurtenances thereto, and other utilities constructed and installed in the subdivision or approved portion thereof, and conveying to the Town or to an approved public utility company, without cost and free of all liens and encumbrances, perpetual rights and easements to construct, inspect, repair, renew, replace, operate, and forever maintain such sanitary sewers, water mains and other utilities, with any manholes, conduits, and other appurtenances, and to do all acts incidental thereto, in, through, and under the whole of all streets in the subdivision or approved portion thereof; and if any such sewers or water mains have been constructed and installed in land not within such streets, then in, through, and under a strip of land extending 15 feet in width on each side of the center line where it deems necessary.
(5) 
If the Planning Board determines that all improvements as shown on the endorsed definitive plan have been completed satisfactorily, it shall release the interest of the Town in such performance guarantee and return the bond or deposit, including the 10% retainer, to the person who furnished the same, or release the covenant, by appropriate instrument, duly acknowledged, which may be recorded.
(6) 
If the Planning Board determines after inspection that said construction or installation has not been completed, or wherein said construction or installation fails to comply with these Rules and Regulations, the Planning Board shall send by registered mail to the applicant and deliver to the Town Clerk the details wherein said construction or installation fails to comply with its rules.
(7) 
The applicant shall have 30 days after receipt of such notice to correct all problems mentioned in the above. Failure of the applicant to finish all the necessary work within said 30 days shall cause the Board to draw upon the bond or deposit of money as mentioned below.
(8) 
Any such bond may be enforced and any such deposit may be applied by the Planning Board for the benefit of the Town of Palmer, as provided in MGL c. 41, § 81U upon failure of the performance for which any bond or deposit was given to the extent of the reasonable cost to the Town of completing such construction and installation.
[Amended during codification]
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
C. 
Release of lots from covenant in exchange for bond or deposit of money. The subdivider may request a release of lots from covenant in exchange for a bond or deposit of money, provided that:
(1) 
The lots run consecutively and are released on both sides of the road simultaneously, beginning with the lots nearest any intersection of the subdivision road and a Town road; lots across the road from each other must be released together.
(2) 
The amount of the surety bond shall be determined by the Planning Board, based on regulations as set in § 215-1.25D and § 215-1.26C(1)(a). The amount of the surety bond shall be determined on a request basis, and each request shall be judged on its own merits.
[Amended during codification]
A. 
After approval of any definitive plan, the location and width of ways shown thereon, or any street or way subject to the Subdivision Control Law, shall not be changed unless the plan is amended in accordance with the provisions set forth in MGL c. 41, § 81W, as amended, and approved by the Planning Board.
B. 
In the event the applicant desires to alter or change the grade of a street or the size, location, or layout of a storm, sanitary or water line or appurtenant structure:
(1) 
The applicant shall provide the Planning Board with a written statement requesting such alteration or change.
(2) 
The applicant shall provide the Board with three prints of the original definitive plan with the proposed changes drawn on said prints in red.
(3) 
No change or alteration shall be permitted unless such change or alteration has been approved by the Planning Board.
(4) 
After approval of a change or alteration, the applicant shall cause such approved changes to be shown on the record plans.
(5) 
Deviations from material and construction specifications shall not be allowed, except as specifically authorized by the Planning Board, upon consultation with the Town's engineering consultant.
(6) 
The Board shall have 45 days to respond to the applicant's request for said change or alteration.
A. 
Any revised plans and other additional materials submitted by the applicant after the original submission must be accompanied by a Form K[1] and the required $500 filing fee.
[1]
Editor's Note: Form K appears in Appendix A, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B. 
The Planning Board may elect not to consider such revised plans or other additional materials if such plans/materials are not filed with the Planning Board at least 14 calendar days prior to the date of the public hearing or meeting at which the developer wishes them to be considered. This is to ensure that the Town departments, consultants and the public have adequate time to review and comment on said materials.