A.
Conformance to applicable rules and regulations.
(1)
In
addition to the requirements established in these regulations, all
subdivision plans shall comply with the following laws, rules, and
regulations:
(a)
All applicable statutory provisions.
(b)
The Groveland Zoning Bylaw, Massachusetts Building and Housing
Codes, and all other applicable laws of the appropriate jurisdictions.
(c)
The Official Master Plan, Official Map, Public Utilities Plan,
and Capital Improvements Program of the Town of Groveland, including
all streets, drainage systems, and parks shown on the Official Map
or Master Plan as adopted.
(d)
The special requirements of these regulations and any rules
of the Board of Health or appropriate state agencies.
(e)
The rules of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation,
if the subdivision or any lot contained therein abuts a state highway
or connecting street, and the rules and requirements of the Groveland
Road Commissioner/Public Works Director.
(f)
The standards, regulations, or bylaws adopted by the Town of
Groveland and all boards, commissions, agencies, and officials of
the Town of Groveland.
(2)
Plan approval may be denied if a subdivision is not in conformity
with the above laws, regulations, guidelines, and policies as well
as the purposes of these regulations.
B.
Adequate public facilities. No plans shall be approved unless the
Planning Board determines that public facilities will be adequate
to support and service the area of the proposed subdivision. The developer
shall, at the request of the Planning Board, submit sufficient information
and data on the proposed subdivision to demonstrate the expected impact
on and use of public facilities by possible uses of said subdivision.
Public facilities and services to be examined for adequacy will include
roads, drainage facilities, sewerage, and water service; refer to
Schedule A attached.[1]
(1)
Periodically, the Town of Groveland will establish by resolution,
after public hearing, guidelines for the determination of the adequacy
of public facilities and services. To provide the basis for the guidelines,
the Planning Board must prepare an analysis of current growth and
the amount of additional growth that can be accommodated by future
public facilities and services. The Planning Board must also recommend
any changes in preliminary/definitive plan approval criteria it finds
appropriate in the light of its experience in administering these
regulations.
(2)
The applicant for a preliminary/definitive plan must, at the request
of the Planning Board, submit sufficient information and data on the
proposed subdivision to demonstrate the expected impact on and use
of public facilities and services by possible uses of said subdivision.
(3)
Proposed public improvements shall conform to and be properly related
to the Groveland Master Plan and all applicable capital improvements
plans.
(4)
All habitable buildings and buildable lots will be connected to a
public water system capable of providing water for health and emergency
purposes, including adequate fire protection. However, if municipal
water connection is not possible, individual on-site wells, as approved
by the local Board of Health, and fire storage facilities as approved
by the local Fire Department, may be constructed.
(5)
All habitable buildings and buildable lots will be served by an approved
means of wastewater collection and treatment, either by extension
of the municipal system as approved by the Groveland Water and Sewer
Boards and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP/WPC), or a subsurface absorption system (SAS) approved by the
local Board of Health.
(6)
Drainage improvements shall accommodate potential runoff from the
entire upstream drainage area and shall be designed to prevent increases
in downstream flooding. The Planning Board shall require the use of
control methods such as retention or detention, and/or the construction
of off-site drainage improvements to mitigate the impacts of the proposed
development in accordance with the Massachusetts Stormwater Policy
Act, best management practices (BMPs), and the Town Stormwater Management
Bylaw and regulations.
(7)
Proposed roads shall provide a safe, convenient, and functional system
for vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle circulation; shall be properly
related to the Master Plan; and shall be appropriate for the particular
traffic characteristics of each proposed development.
(8)
All public improvements and required easements shall be extended
through the parcel on which new development is proposed. Streets,
water lines, wastewater systems, drainage facilities, electric lines,
and telecommunications lines shall be constructed through the new
development to promote the logical extension of public infrastructure.
The Planning Board may require the developer of a subdivision to extend
off-site improvements to reach the subdivision and/or oversize required
public facilities to serve anticipated future development as a condition
of plan approval.
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is available from the Town offices
and on the Town website, www.grovelandma.com.
C.
Self-imposed restrictions. If the developer places restrictions on
any of the land contained in the subdivision greater than those required
by the Zoning Bylaw or these regulations, such restrictions or reference
to those restrictions shall be required to be indicated on the subdivision
plans. The Planning Board shall require that restrictive covenants
be recorded with the Essex County Registry of Deeds in a form to be
approved by the Town of Groveland. When allowed by law, the subdivider
shall grant to the Town of Groveland the right to enforce the restrictive
covenants.
D.
Plans straddling municipal boundaries. Whenever access to the subdivision
is required across land in another town or city, the Planning Board
may request assurance from Town Counsel that access is legally established,
and from the Road Commissioner/Public Works Director that the access
road is adequately improved, or that a guarantee has been duly executed
and is sufficient in an amount to assure the construction of the access
road. In general, lot lines should be laid out so as not to cross
municipal boundary lines.
E.
Monuments. The applicant shall place permanent reference monuments
in the subdivision as required in these regulations and as certified
in place by a professional land surveyor.
(1)
Monuments shall be located on street right-of-way lines, at street
intersections, angle points of curves, and front lot corners. They
shall be spaced so as to be within sight of each other, the sight
lines being contained wholly within the street limits.
(2)
The subdivision shall be monumented in the field by monuments of
granite, not less than 36 inches in length, not less than four inches
square, and marked on top with a brass plug securely imbedded in lead.
(3)
All internal boundaries and those corners and points not referred
to in the preceding subsection shall be monumented in the field by
iron rods at least 30 inches long and 5/8 inch in diameter.
(4)
All monuments required by these regulations shall be set flush with
the ground and set in such a manner that they will not be removed
by frost.
(5)
All monuments shall be properly set in the ground and certified by
a professional land surveyor prior to the time the Planning Board
recommends acceptance of the roads and release of surety.
F.
Character of the land. Land that the Planning Board finds to be unsuitable
for subdivision or development due to flooding, improper drainage,
steep slopes, rock formations, adverse earth formations, topography,
utility easements, or other features that will reasonably be harmful
to the safety, health, and general welfare of the present or future
inhabitants of the subdivision and/or its surrounding areas shall
not be subdivided or developed unless adequate methods are formulated
by the developer and approved by the Planning Board, upon recommendation
of the Planning Board's consulting engineer, to solve the problems
created by the unsuitable land conditions. Such land shall be set
aside for uses as shall not involve any danger to public health, safety,
and welfare.
G.
Subdivision name and street names. The proposed name of the subdivision
and street names shall not duplicate, or too closely approximate phonetically,
the name of any other subdivision or street in the area covered by
these regulations. The Board of Selectman shall have final authority
to designate the name of the subdivision and streets, which shall
be determined at definitive plan approval.
A.
Lot arrangement. The lot arrangement shall be such that there will
be no foreseeable difficulties, for reasons of topography or other
conditions, in securing building permits to build on all lots in compliance
with the Zoning Bylaws and Health Regulations and in providing driveway
access to buildings on the lots from an approved street.
B.
Lot dimensions. Lot dimensions shall comply with the minimum standards
of the Zoning Bylaw. Where lots are more than double the minimum required
dimensions for the zoning district, the Planning Board may require
that those lots be arranged so as to allow further subdivision and
the opening of future streets where they would be necessary to serve
potential lots, all in compliance with the Zoning Bylaw and these
regulations. In general, side lot lines shall be at right angles to
street lines (or radial to curving street lines) unless a variation
from this rule will give a better street or lot plan. Dimensions of
corner lots shall be large enough to allow for erection of buildings,
observing the minimum front yard setback from both streets. Depth
and width of properties reserved or laid out for business, commercial,
or industrial purposes shall be adequate to provide for the off-street
parking and loading facilities required for the type of use and development
contemplated, as established in the Zoning Bylaws.
C.
Lot orientation. The lot line common to the street right-of-way shall
be the front line. All lots shall face the front line and a similar
line across the street. Wherever feasible, lots shall be arranged
so that the rear line does not abut the side line of an adjacent lot.
D.
Soil preservation, grading, and seeding. No certificate of occupancy
shall be issued until final grading has been completed in accordance
with the approved final subdivision plan and the lot pre-covered with
topsoil with an average depth of at least six inches which shall contain
no particles more than two inches in diameter over the entire area
of the lot, except that portion covered by buildings or included in
streets, or where the grade has not been changed or natural vegetation
seriously damaged. Topsoil shall not be removed from residential lots
or used as spoil, but shall be redistributed so as to provide at least
six inches of cover on the lots and between the sidewalks and curbs,
and shall be stabilized by seeding or planting.
(1)
Lots shall be laid out so as to provide positive drainage away from
all buildings, and individual lot drainage shall be coordinated with
the general storm drainage pattern for the area. Drainage shall be
designed so as to avoid concentration of storm drainage water from
each lot to adjacent lots.
(2)
Lawn-grass seed shall be sown at not less than four pounds to each
1,000 square feet of land area. In the spring, the seed shall be sown
between March 15 and May 14; and in the fall, the seed shall be sown
between August 15 and September 30. The seed shall consist of a maximum
of 10% rye grass by weight and minimum of 90% of permanent bluegrass
and/or fescue grass by weight. All seed shall have been tested for
germination within one year of the date of seeding, and the date of
testing shall be on the label containing the seed analysis. All disturbed
areas of the lot not dedicated to building footprint; access walks
and drives, ornamental shrub, flower, or vegetable gardens will be
planted with grass. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until
respreading of soil and seeding of lawn has been completed; except
that between October 1 and March 15, and between May 15 and August
15, the applicant shall submit an agreement in writing to the Planning
Board signed by the developer and the property owner, with a copy
to the Building Inspector, that respreading of soil and seeding of
the lawn will be done during the immediate following planting season
as set forth in this section, and leave a cash escrow for performance
in an amount determined by the Planning Board or its agent. Sod may
be used to comply with any requirement of seeding set forth herein.
E.
Debris and waste. No cut trees, timber, debris, earth, rocks, stones,
soil, junk, rubbish, or other waste materials of any kind shall be
buried in any land, or left or deposited on any lot or street at the
time of the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, and removal of
those items and materials shall be required prior to issuance of any
certificate of occupancy on a subdivision. No items and materials
as described in the preceding sentence shall be left or deposited
in any area of the subdivision at the time of expiration of any subdivision
improvement agreement or dedication of public improvements, whichever
is sooner.
F.
Water bodies and watercourses. If a tract being subdivided contains
a water body, or portion thereof, lot lines shall be so drawn as to
distribute the entire ownership of the water body among the interior
lots adjacent to the water body. The Planning Board may approve an
alternative plan whereby the ownership of and responsibility for safe
maintenance of the water body is so placed that it will not become
a municipal responsibility. Where a watercourse separates the buildable
area of a lot from the street by which it has access, provisions shall
be made for installation of a culvert or other structure, of design
approved by the Conservation Commission and Planning Board.
G.
Subdivision improvement agreement and security to include lot improvement.
The developer shall enter into a separate subdivision improvement
agreement secured by a cash escrow to guarantee completion of all
lot improvement requirements, including, but not limited to, soil
preservation, final grading, lot drainage, lawn-grass seeding, removal
of debris and waste, fencing, and all other lot improvements required
by the Planning Board. Whether or not a certificate of occupancy has
been issued, the Planning Board may enforce the provisions of the
subdivision improvement agreement where the provisions of this section
or any other applicable law, bylaw, or regulation have not been met.
A.
Level of service. No development shall be approved if such development,
at full occupancy, will result in or increase traffic on a street
so that the street does not function at a level of service of C or
better. The applicant may propose and construct approved traffic mitigation
measures to provide adequate roadway capacity for the proposed development.
B.
Classification. All roads shall be classified as either major or
minor streets. In classifying streets, the Planning Board shall consider
projected traffic demands at full build-out of abutting undeveloped
properties.
C.
Topography and arrangement. Streets shall be related appropriately
to the topography. Streets shall be curved wherever possible to avoid
conformity of lot appearance. All streets shall be arranged so as
to obtain as many building sites as possible at, or above, the grades
of the streets. Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible
to the original topography. A combination of steep grades and curves
shall be avoided. Specific standards are contained in the design standards
of these regulations.
(1)
All streets shall be properly integrated with the existing and proposed
system of dedicated rights-of-way as established on the Official Map
and/or Master Plan.
(2)
Minor streets shall be laid out to conform as much as possible to
the topography to discourage use by through traffic, to permit efficient
drainage and utility systems, and to require the minimum number of
streets necessary to provide convenient and safe access to property.
(3)
Proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the parcel
to be subdivided, unless prevented by topography or other physical
conditions, or unless in the opinion of the Planning Board such extension
is not necessary or desirable for the coordination of the layout of
the subdivision with the existing layout or the most advantageous
future development of adjacent parcels.
(4)
In business and industrial developments, the streets and other accessways
shall be planned in connection with the grouping of buildings, and
the provision of access roads, truck loading and maneuvering areas,
walks, and parking areas so as to minimize conflict of movement between
the various types of traffic, including pedestrian.
D.
Street regulatory signs. Street name signs are to placed at all intersections
within or abutting the subdivision, the type and location of which
to be approved by the Road Commissioner/Public Works Director.
E.
Streetlights. Installation of streetlights shall be required in accordance
with design and specification standards approved by the Planning Board
and Municipal Light Department.
F.
Reserve strips. The creation of reserve strips shall not be permitted
adjacent to a proposed street in such a manner as to deny access from
adjacent property to the street.
G.
Construction of streets.
(1)
The arrangement of streets shall provide for the continuation of
major streets between adjacent properties when the continuation is
necessary for convenient movement of traffic, effective fire protection,
and for efficient provision of utilities. If the adjacent property
is undeveloped and the street must temporarily be a cul-de-sac, the
right-of-way shall be extended to the property line. A temporary cul-de-sac
shall be provided, with the notation on the subdivision plan that
land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to abutters
whenever the street is continued. The Planning Board may limit the
length of temporary culs-de-sac in accordance with the design standards
of these regulations.
(2)
Where a street does not extend beyond the boundary of the subdivision
and its continuation is not required by the Planning Board for access
to adjoining property, its length shall not be greater than 750 feet.
However, the Planning Board may require the reservation of an appropriate
easement to accommodate drainage facilities, pedestrian traffic, or
utilities. A cul-de-sac turnaround shall be provided at the end of
the street in accordance with these construction standards and specifications.
For greater convenience to traffic and more effective police and fire
protection, permanent cul-de-sac streets shall, in general, be limited
in length to 750 feet.
H.
Design standards. In order to provide for streets of suitable location,
width, and improvement to accommodate prospective traffic and afford
satisfactory access to police, firefighting, snow removal, sanitation,
and road-maintenance equipment, and to coordinate roads so as to compose
a convenient system and avoid undue hardships to adjoining properties,
the following design standards for streets are hereby required:
(1)
Street jogs with center-line offsets of less than 150 feet shall
not be permitted.
(3)
A tangent at least 150 feet in length shall separate all reverse curves on major and minor streets except where at least one radius is 1,000 feet or more or where the radius of both the curves is in excess of two times the minimum specified in Subsection H(2).
(4)
Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible
at right angles. A proposed intersection of two streets at an angle
of less than 75° shall not be acceptable. An oblique street should
be curved approaching an intersection and should be approximately
at right angles for at least 100 feet therefrom. Not more than two
streets shall intersect at any one point unless specifically approved
by the Planning Board.
(5)
Proposed new intersections along one side of an existing street shall,
wherever practicable, coincide with any existing intersections on
the opposite side of such street. Where streets intersect major streets,
their alignment shall be continuous. Intersections of major streets
shall be at least 800 feet apart, and minor streets shall be at least
400 feet apart.
(6)
Minimum curb radius at the intersection of two streets shall be at
least 30 feet; and minimum curb radius at an intersection involving
a major street shall be at least 40 feet.
(7)
Intersections shall be designed with a flat grade wherever practical.
In hilly or rolling areas, at the approach to an intersection, a leveling
area shall be provided having not greater than a 2% rate at a distance
of 75 feet, measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting
street.
(8)
Where any street intersection will involve earth banks or existing
vegetation inside any lot corner that would create a traffic hazard
by limiting visibility, the developer shall cut such ground and/or
vegetation (including trees) in connection with the grading of the
public right-of-way to the extent deemed necessary to provide an adequate
sight distance.
(9)
Property lines at street intersections shall be rounded or cut back
to provide for a radius of 25 feet minimum in a residential subdivision
and 50 feet minimum in a nonresidential subdivision.
(10)
Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect with adjacent streets
or adjacent unsubdivided land at intervals as determined suitable
by the Planning Board.
I.
Width.
(2)
When a minor street will provide the only access for lots fronting
on a length in excess of 1,000 feet or where traffic volumes on a
secondary street warrant, the Planning Board may require a greater
right-of-way than that specified above.
(3)
Under certain circumstances the Board may require an increase in
the right-of-way widths by up to 10 feet to accommodate walkway construction
and preserve natural features.
J.
Grades. The minimum center-line grade for any street shall not be
less than 1%.
(1)
The maximum center-line grade for streets shall be as follows:
|
Low-Density Area*
|
High-Density and Nonresidential Area*
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Minor streets
|
10%
|
8%
|
|
Major streets
|
8%
|
5%
|
|
*
|
As determined by the Planning Board.
|
(2)
Where changes in grade exceed 0.8%, a vertical curve shall be provided.
(a)
The minimum length of vertical curves shall be designed in accordance
with the following:
|
L = K(G1% - G2%)
|
|
G = Grade
|
|
L = Length
|
(b)
The values for K are listed below:
|
Crests
|
Sags
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Minor streets (30 miles per hour)
|
30
|
36
|
|
Major streets and streets in a high-density and nonresidential
area, as determined by the Planning Board (40 miles per hour)
|
80
|
70
|
(c)
Roadways shall have a center line to side of road slope of 3/8
foot per foot (0.375 ft./ft.), minimum.
(3)
Where horizontal and vertical curves combine to create potentially
dangerous driving conditions, the Board may require a suitable amount
of superelevation of the curves or other projections.
(4)
At approaches to intersections, the maximum allowable center-line
profile grade shall be 2% for 75 feet.
(5)
The grade of any street, except in special instances, shall be so
designed that the surface runoff of water shall be from the center
line of the street to the edge of the street.
(6)
No cut or fill in excess of 10 feet of the natural topography shall
be allowed within the limits of the roadway right-of-way, unless a
slope stabilization and revegetation plan design by a landscape architect
is approved by the Planning Board.
K.
Cul-de-sac streets. For the purposes of this section, a cul-de-sac
street is a street, extension of a street, or system of streets connected
to a through way at a single point. Any proposed street which intersects
only with a cul-de-sac street shall be deemed to be an extension of
the cul-de-sac street.
(1)
Cul-de-sac streets and their extensions, if any, shall not be longer
than 750 feet from their origin to the furthest point.
(2)
Cul-de-sac streets shall be provided with a turnaround at the closed
end. The minimum paved roadway diameter of turnarounds shall be 110
feet with an outside diameter roadway dedication of 130 feet. The
Planning Board may require, at its option, because of topographic
or other considerations, a larger turnaround with a natural traffic
island.
(3)
The Board may require a roadway easement from the end of the cul-de-sac
street to adjacent property. If a cul-de-sac street is subsequently
extended beyond the required turnaround, any easement other than land
required for the extension of the roadway may be relinquished to the
adjacent properties.
(4)
If a cul-de-sac street is later extended, the turnaround pavement
shall be removed and a uniform pavement width provided to match the
extension pavement width.
L.
Widening and realignment of existing roads. Where a subdivision borders
an existing narrow road or when the Master Plan, Official Map, or
zoning setback regulations indicate plans for realignment or widening
a road that would require use of some of the land in the subdivision,
the applicant shall be required to improve and dedicate at its expense
those areas for widening or realignment of those roads. The roadway
shall be improved and dedicated by the applicant at its own expense
to the full width as required by these subdivision regulations when
the applicant's development activities contribute to the need for
the road expansion. Land reserved for any road purposes may not be
counted in satisfying yard or area requirements of the Zoning Bylaw,
whether the land is to be dedicated to the municipality, in fee simple,
or an easement is granted to the Town of Groveland.
A.
General requirements. The Planning Board shall not approve any subdivision
that does not make adequate provision for the control of storm and
flood water runoff quantity and quality.
(1)
The Planning Board requires that the drainage systems for all subdivisions
meet all requirements of the Massachusetts Stormwater Policy Act and
the Town Stormwater Management Bylaw and regulations. Therefore, the
following technical publications, latest edition, are adopted as part
of these regulations:
(2)
Hydraulic and hydrologic calculations shall be based on the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Conservation Service
Release TR-20.
B.
Drainage design methodology.
(1)
The design storm for the drainage stormwater system shall be based
upon the SCS Type III, twenty-four-hour storm.
|
Design Storm
|
Rainfall Depth
(inches)
|
|---|---|
|
2-year
|
3.1
|
|
10-year
|
4.8
|
|
25-year
|
5.3
|
|
100-year
|
7.0
|
(2)
Total peak runoff figures for pre- and post-development conditions,
at each discharge point, shall be obtained by combining hydrographs,
not by direct addition of peak flows.
(3)
Time of concentration values shall be determined by calculating overland
flow travel time for each sub-catchment area. A minimum time of 10
minutes shall be used for developed conditions.
(5)
A copy of the design computations shall be submitted along with the
subdivision plans. Inlet capacity analysis shall be computed for each
catch basin and gutter flow analysis shall be computed for each gutter
line reach between catch basins. When calculations indicate that gutter
or inlet capacities are exceeded at a point, no further allowance
shall be made for flow beyond that point; and additional catch basins
shall be designed to intercept flow at that point.
(6)
Surface water drainage patterns shall be shown for each lot and drainage
sub-catchment area.
(7)
Accommodation of upstream drainage areas. A culvert or other drainage
system shall, in each case, be large enough to accommodate potential
runoff from its entire upstream drainage area, whether inside or outside
the subdivision. The drainage computations shall determine the necessary
size of the system, based on the provisions of these regulations,
assuming conditions of maximum potential watershed development permitted
by the Zoning Bylaw.
(8)
Effect on downstream drainage areas. The drainage design report shall
also study the effect of each subdivision on existing downstream drainage
systems outside the area of the subdivision. Where it is anticipated
that the additional runoff incident to the development of the subdivision
will overload an existing downstream drainage system, the Planning
Board shall withhold approval of the subdivision until provision has
been made for the expansion of the existing downstream drainage facility,
at the developer's expense. No subdivision shall be approved unless
adequate drainage will be provided to an adequate watercourse or system.
(9)
Areas of poor drainage. Whenever a plan is submitted for an area
that is subject to flooding, the Planning Board may approve such subdivision,
provided that the applicant constructs the subdivision to an elevation
sufficient to place the elevation of streets and lots at a minimum
of 12 inches above the elevation of the 100-year floodplain, as determined
by watershed analysis. The plan of the subdivision shall provide for
an overflow zone along the bank of any stream or watercourse, in a
width that shall be sufficient in times of high water to contain or
move the water, and no fill shall be placed in the overflow zone nor
shall any structure be erected or placed in the overflow zone. The
boundaries of the overflow zone shall be subject to approval by the
Planning Board and Conservation Commission. The Planning Board may
deny subdivision approval for areas of extremely poor drainage.
(10)
Floodplain areas. The Planning Board may, when it deems it necessary
for the health, safety, or welfare of the present and future population
of the area and necessary to the conservation of water and drainage,
prohibit the subdivision of any portion of the property that lies
within the floodplain of any stream or drainage course. These floodplain
areas shall be preserved from any and all destruction or damage resulting
from clearing, grading, or dumping of earth, waste material, or stumps,
except at the discretion of the Planning Board and Conservation Commission.
C.
Dedication of drainage easements. When a subdivision is traversed
by a watercourse, drainage way, channel, or stream, there shall be
provided a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way conforming
substantially to the lines of such watercourse, and of such width
and construction as will be adequate for the purpose. Wherever possible,
it is desirable that the drainage be maintained by an open channel
with landscaped banks and adequate width for maximum potential volume
flow.
(1)
Where topography or other conditions are such as to make impractical
the inclusion of drainage facilities within road rights-of-way, perpetual
and unobstructed easements at least 30 feet in width for drainage
facilities shall be provided across property outside the road lines
and with satisfactory access to the road. Easements shall be indicated
on the plan. Drainage easements shall extend from the road to a natural
watercourse or to other drainage facilities.
(2)
When a proposed drainage system will carry water across private land
outside the subdivision, appropriate drainage rights must be secured
and indicated on the plan.
(3)
The applicant shall dedicate, either in fee or by a drainage or conservation
easement, land on both sides of existing watercourses to a distance
to be determined by the Planning Board.
(4)
Low-lying lands along watercourses subject to flooding or overflowing
during storm periods, whether or not included in areas for dedication,
shall be preserved and retained in their natural state as drainage
ways.
A.
Municipal sewer extensions. The developer shall install sanitary
sewer facilities in a manner prescribed by the Planning Board, Water
and Sewer Board, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP), Water Pollution Control Division (WPC) regulations
for municipal sewers. Sewer extensions are required when the municipal
sewer is within 1,000 feet of the property to be subdivided.
(1)
All plans shall be designed and approved in accordance with the Subdivision
Rules and Regulations, the requirements of the Sewer Board, and the
Massachusetts DEP/WPC requirements for sewer extensions.
(2)
Before construction of the sewer system can begin, the developer
shall provide a copy of the approved sewer system extension permit
from DEP to the Planning Board and Sewer Board.
(3)
The plans and construction shall meet all requirements of the Groveland
Sewer Board Rules and Regulations.
(4)
Plans shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer familiar
with state sewer design and construction requirements.
(5)
Plans shall be submitted for review and approval by the Groveland
Sewer Board prior to the approval of the definitive plan.
(6)
The calculations used in designing the sewerage system, including
the method of estimating average flows (including infiltration allowances),
the peaking factor used, the hydraulic design of the system, including
quantity and velocity of flow under both average and peak flow conditions,
shall be submitted with the definitive plans. Design sketches showing
the hydraulic gradient and the energy gradient for each run of pipe
shall be included. Calculations of flows shall be based upon 314 CMR
7.00.
B.
Subsurface absorption systems. In locations where extension of the
municipal sewer system is not possible, individual subsurface absorption
systems (SAS) shall be installed to serve each lot, individually.
(1)
SAS systems shall be designed in accordance with the requirements
of Title 5 of the Massachusetts Environmental Code and the requirements
of the Groveland Board of Health.
(2)
Soil and percolation tests for each lot shall be successfully completed
before submission of the definitive plan.
(3)
A report of test results, including unsatisfactory tests, shall be
submitted to the Planning Board and shall include the following:
(a)
Lot number.
(b)
Soil tests numbered sequentially using the following system:
|
PT or SO
|
98
|
01
|
02
|
|
Perc or Soil
|
year
|
Lot #
|
Consecutive test on each lot
|
(c)
MassDEP standard test sheets.
(d)
Location map of all soil and percolation tests at a scale of
one inch to 40 feet.
(e)
Seasonal high groundwater elevation.
(f)
Special design requirements for every lot.
(4)
The definitive site plans (40 scale) shall show the location and
grading of each SAS system as follows:
(5)
Upon approval of an SAS construction permit from the Board of Health,
a copy of each individual lot permit and SAS design plan shall be
submitted to the Planning Board.
A.
General requirements. When the municipal water main is within 1,000
feet of the land to be developed, the developer shall extend the municipal
water system subject to the requirements and specifications of the
Planning Board and the Water Board.
B.
Municipal water. Water mains shall meet all requirements of the Groveland
Water Board Rules and Regulations.
(1)
Hydrants shall be installed at locations approved by the Groveland
Fire Department and shall be a maximum of 500 feet apart.
(2)
Gate valves shall be installed along the distribution system at an
interval not to exceed 1,000 feet apart, and all intersections shall
be properly valved so that system isolation can be achieved.
(3)
Water mains shall be buried with a minimum cover of five feet.
C.
Individual wells. In areas where the municipal water system is not
available, individual on-site wells shall be installed to serve each
lot.
(1)
The construction of individual lot wells shall be in strict conformance
to the regulations and requirements of the Groveland Board of Health.
(2)
The Planning Board shall not release any lot, in a subdivision, for
a building permit until the developer provides the Planning Board
with a copy of the approval of test results for an individual lot
well from the Board of Health.
D.
Water holding tanks. If approved by the Fire Department and the Planning
Board, a 25,000-gallon minimum water holding tank may be installed
as a supplemental fire-fighting water source for a subdivision.
(1)
The developer shall provide the Fire Department with proper documentation
to illustrate that the proposed tank is approved and proven by past
installations for this type of application by the manufacturer.
(2)
The developer shall also provide a written eighteen-month guarantee
that the tank shall retain its designated water capacity.
(3)
The tank shall be reinforced for standard H-20 loading to meet weight
requirements of the Town of Groveland.
(4)
The tank shall have one six-inch dry hydrant installed per the Dry
Hydrant Requirements.
(5)
The tank shall have one 2 1/2-inch fill pipe with a NST (National
Standard Thread) male thread. This fill pipe shall be located next
to but not obstructing the dry hydrant. The discharge of this fill
pipe shall be designed so as to create as little tank disturbance
as possible.
(6)
Each tank shall have a least one manhole with grade access. This
manhole access shall be located on the tank which has the dry hydrant
installed. The manhole cover shall be rendered tamperproof and have
a six-inch by six-inch hinged and lockable inspection cover. A master
padlock will be provided by the Fire Department, at the developer's
expense.
(7)
All vents from the tank(s) shall be at least six-inch in diameter
and shall have tamperproof screening.
(8)
The hydrant placement for these tanks shall be not more than 75 feet
from the intersection of the new and existing roadways.
(9)
Tanks shall be filled with clean water after installation by the
developer. Refilling after the Fire Department acceptance testing
also shall be provided by the developer.
(10)
Each tank must have shop drawings identifying all the specifics
of the tank. These drawings and the installation location must be
approved by the Fire Department before the actual installation can
begin.
E.
Dry hydrant requirements. All piping associated with a dry hydrant
installation shall be composed of accepted material and be at least
six inches in diameter. All piping and fittings above grade shall
not be PVC.
(1)
Not more than two 90° elbows will be permitted, without approval
by the Fire Department.
(2)
All pipe connections and fittings shall be made water and air tight.
(3)
All dry hydrant supply piping shall be installed to a minimum depth
of 48 inches.
(4)
The depth of the hydrant piping shall be installed to the depth of
the water source in order to provide quick and easy priming.
(5)
The inlet fitting of a dry hydrant shall be a minimum of two feet
from the bottom of the water source and a minimum of two feet from
the surface of the water source at its minimum water level.
(6)
The inlet fitting of a dry hydrant shall be of an approved strainer
design, made of stainless steel. The total area of strainer holes
must exceed four times the area of the diameter of the pipe.
(7)
The maximum head (lift) from the surface of the water resource to
the top of the hydrant shall be 13 feet.
(8)
The dry hydrant fittings shall be 4-1/2-inch NST (National Standard
Thread) male thread, and the cap shall have a chain attached to prevent
its loss upon removal.
(9)
The dry hydrant shall be 36 inches from the middle of the cap to
grade.
(10)
All dry hydrants shall be installed six feet from the edge of
the paved roadway, free from all obstructions and hazards, protected
by two concrete-filled steel structural columns that are at least
six inches in diameter and four feet in height. These protective columns
shall be secured in concrete and spaced four feet apart and two feet
in front of the dry hydrant.
(11)
All exposed piping, fittings, and protective columns shall be
painted red in color with two coats of rustproof type paint.
(12)
The Groveland Fire Department shall provide a "Water Source"
sign to be installed as specified with each dry hydrant, at the developer's
expense.
A.
All public utilities, including but not limited to gas, electric
power, telephone and CATV cable, shall be located underground throughout
the subdivision.
B.
Utility lines shall be installed in accordance with the requirements
of each utility. However, all utilities and the services to each lot
shall be installed prior to the road gravel base being installed.
C.
Streetlights shall be installed to the requirements of the Municipal
Light Department at locations approved by the Planning Board and the
Municipal Light Department.
D.
As-built drawings shall indicate all underground utility lines and
surface components such as valves, shutoffs, transformers, poles,
distribution and junction boxes as constructed. All valves and shutoffs
shall be shown with a minimum of three ties to physical permanent
objects.
See also § 70-5.9 of these regulations.
A.
Sidewalk design shall be varied in horizontal layout and location
to enhance aesthetic value. When located within the street right-of-way,
sidewalks shall be located no closer than within six inches of the
outside of the layout, when possible, with a maximum of pedestrian-vehicular
separation. Where sidewalks are located outside of the right-of-way,
the developer shall reserve suitable easement therefor. Sidewalks
shall be a minimum of five feet in width. There shall be a minimum
of five feet between sidewalk and roadway. The area between the sidewalk
and the roadway shall be appropriately landscaped.
B.
Bituminous concrete sidewalks shall conform to the material and construction
methods as specified in Section 701 of the MassDOT Standard Specifications.
C.
Sidewalks shall be constructed on one side of the roadway in a subdivision
of 10 or less homes. Sidewalks shall be constructed on both sides
of the roadway in a subdivision of 11 or more homes. The Board may
waive the sidewalk requirement entirely, but grass strips shall be
extended in their place. Sidewalks shall be constructed on both sides
of the roadway in all planned unit developments.
D.
Bituminous concrete sidewalks shall:
(1)
Be laid in two courses of 1 1/2 inches each to a depth after
rolling of three inches, compacted thickness.
(2)
Conform to the material requirements of M3.11.00 of the Standard
Specifications for Class I, Bituminous Concrete Pavement.
(3)
Be placed on an eight-inch gravel base, except at driveways where
they shall be 12 inches, compacted to 95% (ASTM Designation 1557-70,
Method D) conforming to M1.03.0 Type C of the Standard Specifications.
E.
Cement concrete sidewalks may be required in business and industrial
use subdivisions. The Planning Board may require that the sidewalks
be constructed for the total width from the curbline to the ROW line
if, in the opinion of the Planning Board, it is warranted by the character
of the area and pedestrian traffic.
F.
Cement concrete sidewalks shall:
(1)
Have a finished thickness of four inches except at driveways where
it shall be six inches;
(2)
Be an air-entrained Portland cement mix producing from 6% to 8% air
and developing a minimum twenty-eight-day compressive strength of
2,500 psi;
(3)
Be placed on an eight-inch gravel base compacted to 95% (ASTM Designation
1557-70, Method D) conforming to M1.03.0 Type C of the MassDOT Standard
Specifications;
(4)
Be placed in alternate slabs of 30 feet in length which shall be
separated by a transverse expansion joint;
(5)
Be uniformly scored into block units of not more than 35 square feet
in area to a depth of at least one inch;
(6)
Be reinforced with 6/6 x 10/10 welded steel wire fabric conforming
to ASTM Designation A185-70; or microfibers may be substituted for
wire mesh reinforcing in concrete sidewalk paving. Fibers shall be
3/4 inch (20 mm) multifilament polypropylene fibers as supplied by
Grace Construction Products, 62 Whittemore Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140.
One pound (450 grams) of fibers shall contain no less than 50 million
individual fibers. Required dosage rate shall be a minimum of one
pound of fibers per cubic yard of concrete. Grace MicroFiber shall
be used in strict accordance with the supplier's recommendations and
within time as specified in ASTM C94. The fiber shall comply with
ASTM Designation C1116-91 Type III 4.1.3. Standard ACI 302 procedures
for placing, finishing and curing shall be followed when using Grace
Microfiber.
A.
Grass strips shall be provided between the curb and the sidewalks,
where sidewalks are required.
B.
The finished grade of such grass strips shall be a slope of 1/2 inch/foot
toward the roadway. Where unusual physical land characteristics or
topographic conditions exist, the Planning Board may approve the construction
of a grass strip of a greater slope, with the finished slope not projecting
above a plane sloped four horizontal to one vertical upward from the
back of the curb or below a plane sloped four horizontal to one vertical
downward from the back of the curb.
C.
Immediately following the completion of construction of the sidewalks,
shade trees of a species to be approved by the Planning Board shall
be planted along the sidelines of the streets, at the location and
intervals to be determined by the Planning Board. Trees shall be protected
by suitable boxes, fenders, or wells as appropriate. The developer
shall be responsible for the health and erectness of these trees until
the ways have been accepted by the Town. In the event of a waiver
of the sidewalk requirement, shade trees shall be planted immediately
upon the completion of laying the binder course.
D.
The top six inches of grass strips shall consist of good quality
loam extending to the right-of-way, screened, raked, and rolled with
at least a 100-pound roller to grade. The loam shall be seeded with
lawn grass seed applied in sufficient quantity to assure 100% coverage,
rolled when the loam is moist. Loaming and seeding shall be in accordance
with Sections 751 and 765 of the MassDOT Standard Specifications.
A.
The area in back of the required grass strips, where no sidewalk
is constructed, or in back of the sidewalk, where sidewalks are constructed,
shall be graded to a point where it coincides with the finished grade
of abutting lots in such a manner that no portion thereof will project
above a plane sloped four horizontal to one vertical.
B.
If approved by the Planning Board, this area may be graded in such
manner that no portion shall project above a plane sloped three horizontal
to one vertical; however, whenever the depth of cut in the area exceeds
eight feet, or when, in the opinion of the Planning Board, soil conditions
warrant special considerations, slope flattening methods such as benching
shall be employed and terraced areas provided to intercept runoff.
Drainage shall be toward the roadway where possible.
C.
No slope below 3 to 1 is allowed.
Street name signs shall be the standard Groveland street name
signs provided at the developer's expense. Signs showing names of
both intersecting streets shall be erected by the developer at each
street intersection near the inside curb edge. The type and location
of street name signs shall be subject to the approval of the Road
Commissioner/Public Works Director.
A.
Public bicycle paths may be required by the Planning Board to provide
circulation or access to schools, recreational areas, retail facilities,
transportation, and community facilities, or where, in the opinion
of the Planning Board, bicycle travel in the streets would be dangerous.
These paths may or may not be part of the normal sidewalk provisions.
B.
Bicycle paths shall be designed with a minimum ten-foot right-of-way,
four-foot to six-foot paved width, and a maximum gradient of 5%, except
for segments of less than 200 feet, where a maximum gradient of 10%
will be allowed, and a minimum center-line radius of 25 feet.
A.
General. Existing features that would add value to residential development
or to the Town of Groveland as a whole, such as trees, as herein defined,
watercourses and falls, beaches, historic spots, and similar irreplaceable
assets, shall be preserved in the design of the subdivision. No tree
shall be removed from any subdivision nor any change of grade of the
land effected until approval of the definitive plan has been granted.
All trees on the land required to be retained shall be preserved;
and all trees, where required, shall be welled and protected against
change of grade. The definitive plan shall show the number and location
of existing trees as required by these regulations and shall further
indicate all those marked for retention and the location of all proposed
shade trees required along the street side of each lot as required
by these regulations.
B.
Landscaping by developer. As a requirement of subdivision approval,
the developer shall plant shade trees on the property of the subdivision.
Such trees are to be planted within five feet of the right-of-way
of the streets or streets within and abutting the subdivision or,
at the discretion of the Planning Board, within the right-of-way of
such streets.
(1)
One tree shall be planted for every 50 feet of frontage along
each road unless the Planning Board shall grant a waiver. The waiver
shall be granted only if there are trees growing along the right-of-way
or on the abutting property which, in the opinion of the Planning
Board, comply with these regulations.
(2)
New trees to be provided pursuant to these regulations shall
be approved by the Planning Board and Road Commissioner/Public Works
Director. They shall be planted in accordance with the definitive
plan as prepared by a registered landscape architect. The trees shall
have a minimum trunk diameter (measured four feet above ground level)
of not less than three inches. Only Oak, Honey Locust, Hard Maples,
Ginkgo, or other long-lived shade trees acceptable to the Road Commissioner/Public
Works Director and to the Planning Board shall be planted.
(3)
The developer will be responsible for all trees so planted as
to their erectness and good health after planting and until the release
of all guarantees. Trees shall be properly planted, wrapped, and guyed
to insure their survival.
(4)
Except as otherwise provided, all cut bankings shall be planted
with a low-growing shrub or vine and wood chips or bark mulch, to
a minimum depth of six inches, or seeded with a deep-rooted perennial
grass to prevent erosion, or other accepted low-maintenance slope
stabilization methods.
(5)
Other landscaping along ways may be required by the Planning
Board.
(6)
The landscape plan shall be prepared and stamped by a registered
landscape architect and the landscape plan shall be submitted as part
of the definitive plans.
A.
General requirements.
(1)
The Planning Board may require that land be reserved for parks
and playgrounds or other recreation purposes in locations designated
on the Master Plan or otherwise where such reservations would be appropriate.
Each reservation shall be of suitable size, dimension, topography,
and general character and shall have adequate road access for the
particular purposes envisioned by the Planning Board. The area shall
be shown and marked on the definitive plan, "Reserved for Park and/or
Recreation Purposes."
(2)
When recreation areas are required, the Planning Board shall
determine the number of acres to be reserved from the following table,
which has been prepared on the basis of providing three acres of recreation
area for every 50 dwelling units. The Planning Board may refer such
proposed reservations to the board or department in charge of parks
and recreation for recommendations. The developer shall dedicate all
such recreation areas to the Town of Groveland as a condition of final
subdivision plan approval.
B.
Table of Recreation Requirements.
|
Single-Family Lots
Size of Lot
(square feet)
|
Percentage of Total Land in Subdivision to be Reserved for Recreation
Purposes
|
|---|---|
|
43,560
|
6%
|
|
20,000
|
10%
|
C.
Minimum size of park and playground reservations. In general, land reserved for recreation purposes shall have an area of at least four acres. When the percentages from the Table of Recreation Requirements would create less than four acres, the Planning Board may require that the recreation area be located at a suitable place on the edge of the subdivision so that additional land may be added at such time as the adjacent land is subdivided. In no case shall an area of less than two acres be reserved for recreation purposes if it will be impractical or impossible to secure additional lands in order to increase its area. Where recreation land in any subdivision is not reserved, or the land reserved is less than the percentage in Subsection B, the provisions of Subsection E shall be applicable.
D.
Recreation sites. Land reserved for recreation purposes shall be
of a character and location suitable for use as a playground, playfield,
or for other recreation purposes, and shall be relatively level and
dry; and shall be improved by the developer to the standards required
by the Planning Board, which improvements shall be included in the
subdivision improvement agreement and security. A recreation site
shall have a total frontage on one or more streets of at least 200
feet, and no other dimension of the site shall be less than 200 feet.
E.
Alternative procedure. Where, with respect to a particular subdivision, the reservation of land required pursuant to this section does not equal the percentage of total land required to be reserved in Subsection B, the Planning Board shall require, prior to final approval of the subdivision plan, that the applicant deposit with the Town of Groveland a cash payment in lieu of land reservation. Such deposit shall be placed in a Groveland Town Park and Recreation Improvement Fund to be established by the Town of Groveland. The deposit shall be used by the Town of Groveland for improvement of a neighborhood park, playground, or recreation area, including the acquisition of property. The deposit must be used for facilities that actually will be available to and benefit the persons in the subdivision for which payment was made and be located in the general neighborhood of the subdivision, if possible. The Planning Board shall determine the amount to be deposited, based on the following formula: 200 multiplied by the number of times that the total area of the subdivision is divisible by the required minimum lot size of the zoning district in which it is located, less a credit, as determined by the Planning Board, for the amount of land actually reserved for recreation purposes, if any, as the land reserved bears in proportion to the land required for reservation in Subsection B, but not including any lands reserved through density zoning.
A.
General requirements. Driveways shall be located and constructed
in accordance with the following regulations and the requirements
of the Road Commissioner, Planning Board, and the Planning Board engineer.
B.
Driveway shall not enter a street within 10 feet of a utility structure
such as a catch basin or within 50 feet of an intersection.
C.
Driveways shall be constructed with a leveling area of not greater
than 4% grade from the edge of roadway to a distance of 40 feet from
the edge of street pavement.
D.
Driveways shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide and a maximum of 16
feet wide.
E.
Driveways shall be constructed at a maximum grade of 12%.
