Any subdivider who proposes to develop a subdivision in the
Town of Red Hook shall submit plats and other documents for approval
as provided in this article.
The sketch plat initially submitted to the Planning Board shall
be based on real property Tax Map information or some similarly accurate
base map at a scale of not less than 100 feet to an inch. The entire
sketch plat shall be shown on one sheet not exceeding 36 inches by
42 inches and shall minimally present the following information:
A. The proposed subdivision name.
B. A vicinity or area map, showing the location of that portion of the
tract which is to be subdivided in relation to the entire tract and
the distance to the nearest street intersection. All streets shall
also be shown within 500 feet of the applicant's property.
C. The information required in §
120-23B(5) within the portion of the tract to be subdivided and within 200 feet thereof. All elevations are to be referred to United States Geological Survey datum, with the location and description of pertinent bench marks included.
D. The name of the owner and of all adjoining property owners and others
within 200 feet, as disclosed by the most recent Town assessment records.
Property owners across the street are also to be shown.
E. The real property Tax Map sheet, block and lot numbers, as available
from the Town Assessor's office.
F. Existing utilities and all streets, whether public or private, which
are either proposed, mapped or built.
G. The proposed pattern and number of lots, including approximate lot
areas, widths and depths; street layout; recreation areas; and systems
of drainage, sewerage and water supply within the subdivided area.
H. Information regarding all existing restrictions on the use of land,
including easements, covenants and location of zoning district boundaries.
I. Documentation regarding the presence of a certified agricultural district, a state-designated historic or scenic district or an overlay district set forth in Chapter
143, Zoning, which overlaps all or a portion of the tract.
J. Delineation of all portions of the land within the subdivision subject
to periodic inundation of flooding by stormwater, including wetlands
areas, whether or not classified as designated wetlands by the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
K. As may be applicable, a conceptual engineering report discussing
the demands of the proposed subdivision on water, sanitary sewage,
storm drainage, highways and related systems and discussing the methods
through which these demands may be accommodated and the methods through
which any potentially adverse impacts may be mitigated, including
discussion of alternatives as may be appropriate.
L. Information on all county, state or federal permits required for
subdivision plat approval.
M. Information, where pertinent, regarding the location and use of all existing buildings or other structures on the tract being subdivided and the current use of open land area to the extent necessary to establish the effect of the proposed subdivision on any building or other structures or uses that are either currently noncomplying or nonconforming under Chapter
143, Zoning, of the Town of Red Hook, or would become noncomplying or nonconforming as a result of the intended subdivision.
N. A full environmental assessment form (EAF).
A conservation subdivision plan shall include the following elements in addition to those provided for in §
120-27 above:
A. Identification of the proposed qualified easement holder, if applicable.
B. Four-step design process. All preliminary plats shall include documentation
of a four-step design process in determining the layout of proposed
greenspace, streets, house sites and lot lines, as described and illustrated
in this section and in Greenway Guide A1. Documentation of the design
process is achieved by preparing a separate sheet/plan for each step
and then preparing a plan which shows the culmination of the four
processes.
(1) Step 1. Delineation of open space. Proposed open space areas shall
be designated using the resource analysis map as a base map. The Town's
Comprehensive Plan and Open Space Plan shall also be taken into account.
(a)
Primary conservation areas shall be delineated comprising unbuildable natural features as listed in §
143-23 of the Code, as shown by example in Figure 1 in Appendix A of this chapter. For lands regulated by §
143-39.1 within the AB District, the additional siting requirements found in §
143-39.1G shall be followed in the design process.
(b)
Secondary conservation areas shall be delineated comprising
special features of the property such as important farmland, groves
of mature trees, large individual trees, woodlands along roadways
and property lines, riparian areas adjacent to streams, visually prominent
agricultural landscape features such as fields, pastures and meadows
on knolls and hilltops, stone walls, hedgerows, historic or cultural
resources, habitats of endangered or threatened species, scenic viewsheds,
trails, and similar irreplaceable assets, as shown in Figure 1. The
applicant shall prioritize natural and cultural resources on the tract
in terms of their highest to least suitability for inclusion in the
proposed open space, in consultation with the Planning Board. On the
basis of those priorities and practical considerations given to the
tract's configuration, its context in relation to resource areas
on adjoining and neighboring properties, and the applicant's
subdivision objectives, secondary conservation areas shall be delineated
to meet at least the minimum area percentage requirements for open
space lands and in a manner clearly indicating their boundaries as
well as the types of resources included within them.
(c)
Calculations shall be provided indicating the applicant's compliance with the acreage requirements for open space areas on the tract in conformance with §
143-33D of the Code.
(2) Step 2: Alignment of streets and trails. Based upon a review of the
sketch plat, the Planning Board, in consultation with the Highway
Superintendent, will decide the appropriate street type for the project.
A street plan, as shown in Figure 2 in Appendix A of this chapter,
shall be designed bearing a logical relationship to topographic conditions
and minimizing impacts on proposed open space, particularly with respect
to crossing environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands and important
farmlands, and traversing slopes exceeding 15%. Existing and future
street connections are strongly recommended to create an interconnected
street system that facilitates access to and from homes in different
parts of the tract and adjoining parcels, and to eliminate new culs-de-sac.
Culs-de-sac are not allowed unless they are required by unique natural
features on the site or they support greater open space conservation
or provide extensive pedestrian linkages. Connecting to the existing
street and sidewalk networks is of particular importance in hamlets
and adjacent to villages.
(3) Step 3: Location of house sites. Potential house sites shall next
be located, as shown in Figure 3 in Appendix A of this chapter, using
the proposed open space lands as a base map as well as other relevant
data on the resource analysis map such as topography and soils. House
sites should generally be located not closer than 100 feet from primary
conservation areas and 50 feet from secondary conservation areas,
taking into consideration the potential adverse impacts of development
on such areas as well as the potential positive benefits of such locations
to provide attractive views and visual settings for residences.
(4) Step 4: Drawing in the lot lines. Finally, lot lines are drawn as
required to delineate the boundaries of individual residential lots,
as shown in Figure 4 in Appendix A of this chapter.