Borough of Hightstown, NJ Article 17-3 Acceptance of Streets

§ 17-3-1 Conditions for Acceptance.

[1991 Code § 181-17]

Prior to acceptance of any street, the person petitioning the Mayor and Council to accept such street shall install all street and drainage facilities and required underground facilities, street signs, shade trees, monuments and streetlighting.

A. Streets. The petitioner shall, at his own expense, grade streets for their full width in conformity with the terrain and good engineering practices, shall have all underground utilities installed prior to any street paving construction, shall construct adequate underground pipe drainage systems to carry off surface waters, shall construct streets in accordance with specifications shown below and shall submit plans, profiles, cross sections and designs for the work to the Borough Engineer for approval prior to the start of any construction.

(1) All streets shall have a minimum width of 50 feet between property lines unless shown on a Master Plan or Official Map to be of greater width.

(2) Streets of fifty-foot width shall be divided into a minimum paved roadway area of 30 feet with a graded sidewalk area on each side. The crown of the paved roadway shall be six inches. The sidewalk area shall be graded to an elevation of two inches above the finished center-line grade.

(3) Streets of width greater than 50 feet shall be improved for their full roadway width under the following formula: 3/5 of the street width for roadway area and 1/5 of the street width for sidewalk area on each side of the street, unless greater pavement width is required by the Borough Council.

(4) The street roadway area shall be constructed for its full width in accordance with plans filed in the office of the Borough Engineer, which plans have been approved by resolution of the Borough Council.

(5) Name signs and regulatory and cautionary signs shall be of metal, reflectorized and of design standardized with other signs in the Borough. All signs shall be mounted on two-inch diameter pipe posts embedded in concrete.

(6) Shade trees, if required, shall be of the size, variety and spacing determined by the Mayor and Council and shall be planted on the property and back of the street line in such manner so as not to interfere with sidewalks or utilities.

B. Monuments. Monuments shall be of the size and shape required by N.J.S. 46:23-9.9 et seq. and shall be placed in accordance therewith.

C. Curbs and Gutters. The Mayor and Council may require, among other conditions in the public interest and for the protection of persons, that the petitioner install curbs and gutters as a supplement to the pipe drainage and concrete sidewalks. When required, they shall be constructed in accordance with plans filed in the office of the Borough Engineer, which plans have been approved by resolution of the Council. The Mayor and Council may also require the installation of water mains, sanitary sewers and streetlighting standards, all properly connected to an approved system and adequate to handle all present and probable future development and subject to specification standards set up by the Borough Engineer.

D. Water Mains. Water mains shall be installed in accordance with the following:

(1) Engineering requirements for all water main installations shall comply with the rules and regulations of the New Jersey State Department of Health and any Borough ordinances concerning the Water Department.

(2) All pipe shall be not less than Class 150 cast-iron pipe of the size determined by the Borough Engineer, but in no case less than six inches in diameter, and meeting the current specifications of the American Water Works Association.

(3) All joints shall be mechanical joint or Tyton joint, or equal.

(4) The depth of pipe from the finished surface of roadway or grade shall be not less than four feet from the top of the pipe.

(5) Fire hydrants shall be installed not greater than 1,000 feet apart at locations approved by the Borough Engineer and shall conform to the Borough Water Department standard.

(6) Valves shall be installed with all fire hydrants and at such other locations in the lines as directed by the Borough Engineer.

(7) House service connections, from the main to the curb stop and box, shall be installed at all lots prior to placing any foundation or surface on the roadway.

(8) No installation shall be covered until inspected and approved by the Borough Engineer.

E. Water Utility Improvements. The owner shall, at the time he deeds the streets within the Borough, give a bill of sale to the Borough transferring title to all water utility improvements, absolutely free, to the Borough Engineer.

F. Inspections. All required improvements shall be subject to inspection and approval by the Borough Engineer, who shall be notified by the petitioner's engineer at least 72 hours prior to the start of construction. The petitioner's engineer shall certify to the Borough Engineer when work is ready for inspection. No underground installations shall be covered until inspected and approved by the Borough Engineer. The following minimum number of inspections shall be made by the Borough Engineer.

(1) The roadway subgrade prior to placing subbase material or base course material.

(2) The base course after complete compaction and prior to applying the bituminous concrete surface course.

(3) The bituminous concrete surface course material while it is being laid.

(4) The finished bituminous concrete surface course pavement.

(5) The concrete curb and sidewalks, when the forms are laid and the subgrade is leveled and tamped prior to placing concrete, and also during the placing and finishing of the concrete.

(6) Pipe drains, inlets, municipal utility lines and appurtenances, etc., while pipes, etc., are being laid and prior to backfilling trenches, inlets and manholes while being constructed.

G. Fees. Prior to starting construction of any street and required improvements, the petitioner shall deposit with the Borough Treasurer, through the Borough Clerk, by cash or certified check, sufficient funds to pay all costs of inspection by the Borough Engineer.

(1) The amount of the deposit shall be based upon the estimated cost of the street and required improvements at the rate of 6% up to $100,000 and 3 1/2% on all estimated costs in excess of $100,000.

(2) The estimated deposit shall be calculated by the Borough Engineer, based on current competitive bid prices received for similar contract work in the area.

(3) The petitioner shall be responsible for all costs of inspection by the Borough Engineer, and if the sum deposited shall be insufficient to pay all of the costs of inspection, the petitioner shall pay the additional costs upon demand and prior to the acceptance of the street and required improvements by the Borough.

§ 17-3-2 Maintenance Guaranty.

[1991 Code § 181-18]

No street or related required improvements shall be accepted by the Borough until the petitioner shall have submitted a maintenance guaranty in an amount not to exceed 15% of the cost of the street and required improvements to protect the Borough against all defects of material or workmanship in such work arising within two years of final acceptance of the street and required improvements. Such maintenance guaranty shall be in the form of cash or a certified check, together with an appropriate agreement approved by the Borough Attorney.

§ 17-3-3 Survey.

[1991 Code § 181-19]

A. As condition precedent to acceptance of any street, the person petitioning the Borough Council to accept the street shall provide a survey prepared, sealed and signed by a licensed New Jersey engineer and land surveyor showing the extent of the street proposed to be dedicated to the Borough. The owner shall provide the Borough with the original tracing of the proposed street drawings and two black-and-white copies thereof. Drawings shall be 24 inches by 36 inches and shall be drawn to a horizontal scale of one inch equals five feet. The name of the proposed street shall be clearly indicated.

B. The survey shall be drawn so as to disclose the location, elevations, sizes and materials of drains, culverts or other structures designed to accomplish the proper drainage of the street.

C. The survey shall also show the finished profile and typical cross section of the street and the location of intersecting streets. The survey shall be drawn in the manner usually established for the preparation of surveys by licensed professionals.

D. The length of all street lines, radii and curve data shall be given, as well as all bearings, to define the property lines of the street. At street intersections, each curb shall be rounded by an arc, the minimum radius of which shall be 35 feet, and each property line shall be connected at the corner by a straight line forming a triangle with the extension of the two property line whose two equal legs are a minimum of 25 feet in length.

§ 17-3-4 Metes and Bounds Description; Certificate of Title.

[1991 Code § 181-20]

A. A proper metes and bounds description of the street to be offered the Mayor and Council for acceptance shall be prepared and submitted, together with the survey. A certificate of title acceptable to the Borough Attorney as to the ownership of the land embraced in the proposed street shall be submitted to the Borough.

B. Before an ordinance accepting a street is introduced, the Borough Engineer shall certify by letter to the Mayor and Council that the construction conforms in all respects to the provisions set forth in this article.