Town of Southold, NY Design Standards

All building lots shall at least comply with the requirements of the Zoning Regulations of the Town, except for lots in open space subdivisions.

Each lot shall, where possible, abut a secondary street or an existing dedicated street.

Corner lots shall be of sufficient size to meet the minimum building line, lot width and yard setbacks of the Zoning Regulations for each street, except for lots in a cluster subdivision.

(4)

Where extra width has been provided to widen existing streets, lots shall begin at such extra width line, and all setbacks shall be measured from such line.

(5)

Side lines of lots shall be at right angles to straight streets, and radial to curved streets.

(6)

Where factors such as rock formations, flood conditions or similar circumstances affect the suitability of a lot or lots for their intended use, the Planning Board may deny approval of such lots.

(7)

Block length and width, or acreage within boundary roads, shall be sufficient to meet the lot area requirements of the Zoning Regulations and to provide for convenient access, circulation control and safety of street traffic.

(8)

Lots intended for commercial or industrial use shall be designed specifically for such purposes with adequate space set aside for off-street parking and delivery facilities.

(9)

Lots shall be designated to avoid regulated areas under the jurisdiction of the Town Board of Trustees, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Town Zoning Board of Appeals.

Streets. Streets shall meet Town Highway Specifications. Where appropriate, the Planning Board shall work with the Highway Superintendent and Town Engineering Office to ensure that the Town of Southold's Highway Specifications do not impact or detract from the rural and environmental character of a standard, conservation or cluster subdivision. The Highway Superintendent and the Town Engineering Office may provide an interpretation of any part of the Highway Specifications and modify such requirements under § 161-47 of the Town Code.

The design of the street pattern shall be based upon consideration of factors such as topography, design of proximate streets, ease of access to intermodal transportation hubs, access to existing sidewalks, trails, bicycle paths and public transit, traffic calming measures, and other traffic safety considerations.

The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions shall make provision for the continuation of existing streets in adjoining areas, or their proper extension where adjoining land is not subdivided, as may be deemed necessary for public requirements.

Public right-of-way street widths shall be measured at right angles or radial to the center line of the street and shall be 50 feet in width. Actual roadway widths shall be determined by Chapter 161, Highway Specifications. Roadways shall have a minimum of two lanes.

(4)

Whenever possible, streets should intersect at right angles, but in any event not at angles of less than 60°.

(5)

Cul-de-sac streets:

(a)

Unless there is the expectation of extending the street through to the adjoining property, a cul-de-sac street shall not be placed so that it ends on the property line of the subdivision.

(b)

A cul-de-sac should not exceed 800 in length, as measured from the center line of the street at the open end to the radius point of the turnaround.

(c)

All residential culs-de-sac shall have a turnaround at the end of the street which shall have a right-of-way radius of 50 feet. The curb at the turn shall have a minimum radius of 44 feet.

(d)

In a commercial or industrial subdivision, a cul-de-sac should be avoided whenever possible unless the right-of-way radius is designed at a minimum of 75 feet and the curb radius is designed at 65 feet.

(6)

If a dead-end street is of a temporary nature, a turnaround shall be provided and provision made for future extension of the street and the reversion of the excess right-of-way of such temporary turnaround to the adjoining properties.

(7)

Streets and rights-of-way less than the required minimum of 50 feet shall not be permitted, except that wherever a proposed subdivision borders an existing street or right-of-way less than the required minimum width, the Planning Board shall require that the other part of the street or right-of-way be platted in the proposed tract if it is found that such a requirement would increase the effectiveness of the circulation system in the area.

(8)

Multiple intersections involving a junction of more than two streets shall be prohibited.

(9)

Arterial streets shall not intersect with local residential streets and residential collector streets less than 800 feet apart, measured from center line to center line.

(10)

To avoid confusion, no street shall have a name which will duplicate or nearly duplicate the names of existing streets within the Town. The continuation of an existing street shall have the same name. All proposed street names are subject to approval of the Town Engineering Office and/or the Highway Superintendent.

(11)

The minimum radius of horizontal curve, minimum length of vertical curves, and minimum length of tangents between reverse curves shall be in accordance with specifications established by the Town Highway Superintendent and/or Town Engineering Office, and shall be approved prior to final approval of the final plat by the Planning Board.

(12)

New streets shall be located to provide adequate sight distance on any adjacent public road in both directions from the interior road in accordance with the current edition of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

(13)

New streets shall not be placed so as to intersect another street directly opposite an existing or proposed residence.

(14)

Any crossing of the Long Island Rail Road right-of-way within a subdivision will not be permitted.

(15)

Except in a conservation subdivision or open development area, subdivisions where more than 300 feet of land fronts on a public street shall provide access to proposed lots by way of a new street. Multiple building lots and fronting of more than two building lots on a existing street shall be prohibited. From an aesthetic and speed control perspective, curving roads are preferred in an informal rural cluster to avoid long straight segments. Shorter straight segments connected by ninety-degree and one-hundred-thirty-five-degree bends are preferred in a more formal or traditional arrangement.

(16)

Whenever appropriate, street systems should produce vistas of open space.

(17)

The use of reverse curves should be considered for local access streets in cluster development subdivisions in conjunction with long horizontal curve radii (at least 250 feet) and where traffic speeds will not exceed 30 miles per hour.

Common driveways.

Common driveway access may be provided and shall be required where street safety and traffic management goals would be served.

The maximum number of lots using a proposed common driveway shall be two if the common driveway has one entrance on a public road. Each lot shall have their access on the common driveway, regardless of the potential for access onto an existing Town, county or state road.

The boundary of each lot served by a common driveway shall extend to the center line of the common driveway with the right-of-way for ingress and egress across the common driveway granted to each lot served by such common driveway.

(4)

In the case of a conservation subdivision, the Planning Board may, in its discretion, require professional engineer's drawings showing the exact location, dimensions and grade of the common driveway and specifications for its composition. The Planning Board may refer these drawings to the Town Engineering Office for review and comment.

(5)

The subdivision plat shall show the road clearly labeled as "common driveway."

(6)

The common driveway may not be offered for dedication to the Town of Southold.

(7)

The Planning Board shall require a recorded maintenance agreement executed by the applicant as a condition of subdivision approval.

Flag lots. The Planning Board may permit a limited number of flag lots in a residential subdivision plat, provided that they are well shaped, they are generally larger than usual lots, their accessway is essentially straight and not excessive in length and their arrangement will not create traffic difficulties on the street system and would not be a means to circumvent a standard lot and street arrangement which might otherwise result in a generally better platting of the subdivision and adjacent lands.

To assure that the flag lot is of adequate size and shape, a flag lot located within the residential zones shall contain at least the minimum lot area of the applicable zoning district in which it is situated, within the bulk of the lot, exclusive of the area contained in the flagpole access strip.

In allowing flag lot arrangements in subdivision, the Planning Board may require either a formal private lane or common access driveway to service such lots and may require that such lanes or common access driveways be made part of the improvements to be undertaken and made part of a performance bond.