In considering applications for subdivision of land, the Planning Board shall be guided by the standards set forth hereinafter. Said standards shall be considered to be minimum requirements and shall be waived by the Board only under circumstances set forth in Article VI herein.
Character of land. Land to be subdivided shall be
of such character that it can be used safely for building purposes
without danger to health or peril from fire, flood or other menace.
Specifications for required improvements. All required
improvements shall be constructed or installed to conform to the Town
Specifications, which may be obtained from the Town Engineer.
Five copies of a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) will be submitted as part of the preliminary subdivision application as outlined in Chapter 180[1] of the Town Code of the Town of Niskayuna.
Streets shall be of sufficient width, suitably located
and adequately constructed to conform to the Master Plan and to accommodate
the prospective traffic and afford access for fire-fighting, snow
removal and other road maintenance equipment.
The arrangement of streets shall be such as to cause
no undue hardship to adjoining properties and shall be coordinated
so as to compose a convenient system.
Arrangement. The arrangement of streets in the subdivision
shall provide for the continuation of principal streets of adjoining
subdivisions and for proper projection of principal streets into adjoining
properties which are not yet subdivided, in order to make possible
necessary fire protection, movement of traffic and the construction
or extension, presently or when later required, of needed utilities
and public services such as sewers, water and drainage facilities.
Where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, topographic or other
conditions make such continuance undesirable or impracticable, the
above conditions may be modified.
Special treatment along major arterial streets. When
a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed major arterial
street, the Board may require marginal access streets, reverse frontage
with screen planting contained in a nonaccess reservation along the
rear property line, deep lots with rear service alleys or such other
treatment as may be necessary for adequate protection of residential
properties and to afford separation of through and local traffic.
Provision for future resubdivision. Where a tract
is subdivided into lots substantially larger than the minimum size
required in the zoning district in which a subdivision is located,
the Board may require that streets and lots be laid out so as to permit
future resubdivision in accordance with the requirements contained
in these regulations.
Block size. Blocks generally shall not be less than
600 feet nor more than 1,200 feet in length. In general, no block
width shall be less than twice the normal lot depth. In blocks exceeding
800 feet in length, the Planning Board may require the reservation
of a twenty-foot-wide easement through the block to provide for the
crossing of underground utilities and pedestrian traffic where needed
or desirable and may further specify, at its discretion, that a four-foot-wide
paved footpath be included.
Intersections with collector or major arterial roads.
Minor or secondary street openings into such roads shall, in general,
be at least 500 feet apart.
Angle of intersection. In general, all streets shall
join each other so that for a distance of at least 100 feet the street
is approximately at right angles to the street it joins.
The street plan of a proposed subdivision shall bear
a logical relationship to the topography of the property, and all
streets shall be arranged so as to obtain as many of the building
sites as possible at or above the grade of the streets.
Other required streets. Where a subdivision borders
on or contains a railroad right-of-way or limited-access highway right-of-way,
the Planning Board may require a street approximately parallel to
and on each side of such right-of-way, at a distance suitable for
the appropriate use of the intervening land (as for park purposes
in residential districts or for commercial or industrial purposes
in appropriate districts). Such distances shall also be determined
with due regard for the requirements of approach grades and future
grade separations.
The Board may require widths greater than the minimums
stated above if it determines that increased widths are required by
particular conditions associated with the proposed subdivision.
Improvements. Streets shall be graded and improved
with pavements, wings and gutters, sidewalks, storm drainage facilities,
water mains, sewers, streetlights and signs, street trees and fire
hydrants, except where waivers may be requested, and the Planning
Board may waive, subject to appropriate conditions, such improvements
as it considers may be omitted without jeopardy to the public health,
safety and general welfare. Pedestrian easements shall be improved
as required by the Town Engineer. Such grading and improvements shall
be approved as to design and specifications by the Town Engineer.
Utilities in streets. The Planning Board shall, wherever
possible, require that underground utilities be placed in the street
right-of-way between the paved roadway and street line in the manner
set forth in the Street and Roadway Ordinance of the Town of Niskayuna[1] to simplify location and repair of lines when they require
attention. The subdivider shall install underground service connections
to the property line of each lot within the subdivision for such required
utilities before the street is paved.
Utility easements. Where topography is such as to
make impractical the inclusion of utilities within street rights-of-way,
the Board may, with the concurrence of the Town Engineer, allow all
perpetual unobstructed easements at least 30 feet in width to be otherwise
provided with satisfactory access to the street. Wherever possible,
easements shall be continuous from block to block and shall present
as few irregularities as possible. Such easements shall be cleared
and graded where required.
Street grades. Street grades shall not exceed 6% nor
be less than 0.5%. Street grades in excess of 6% but at no time greater
than 14% may be constructed at the discretion of the Town Engineer,
provided that there is a second means of ingress and egress on an
accepted street with grades less than 6%. Grades at intersections
shall not exceed 3% for a distance of 150 feet from the center lines
at street intersections, and grades in excess of 6% shall not exceed
600 feet in length.
Changes in grade. All changes in grade shall be connected
by vertical curves of such length and radius as meet with the approval
of the Town Engineer so that clear visibility shall be provided for
a safe distance.
Curve radii at street intersections. All street right-of-way
lines at intersections shall be rounded by curves of at least 25 feet
radius and curbs shall be adjusted accordingly.
Corner lots. At all street intersections, no obstruction
to vision exceeding 30 inches in height above the established grade
of the street at the property line shall be maintained within a triangle
formed by the street lot lines of such lot and a line drawn between
the points along such street lines 30 feet distant from their point
of intersection. The only exceptions shall be existing buildings or
structures or trees where foliage shall be at least eight feet above
grade.
Where culs-de-sac are designed to be permanent, they
should, in general, not exceed 500 feet in length and shall terminate
in a circular turnaround having a minimum right-of-way radius of 60
feet and pavement radius of 45 feet.
At the end of temporary dead-end streets, a temporary
turnaround with a pavement radius of 45 feet shall be provided, unless
the Planning Board approves an alternative.
Where a watercourse separates a proposed street from
abutting property, provision shall be made for access to all lots
by means of culverts or other structures of design approved by the
Town Engineer.
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse,
drainageway, channel or stream, there shall be provided a stormwater
easement or drainage right-of-way, as required by the Town Engineer,
in no case less than 20 feet in width.
Curve radii. In general, street lines within a block,
deflecting from each other at any one point by more than 10°,
shall be connected with a curve, the radius of which for the center
line of street shall not be less than 400 feet on major streets and
100 feet on minor streets.
Type of name. All street names shown on a preliminary
plat or subdivision plat shall be approved by the Planning Board.
In general, streets shall have names and not numbers or letters.
Names to be substantially different. Proposed street
names shall be substantially different so as not to be confused in
sound or spelling with present names, except that streets that join
or are in alignment with streets of an abutting or neighboring property
shall bear the same name.
The lot arrangement shall be such that in constructing
a building in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance,[1] there will be no foreseeable difficulties for reasons
of topography of other natural conditions. Lots should not be of such
depth as to encourage the later creation of a second building lot
at the front or rear.
Shapes of lots shall lend themselves to utilization
of entire lots as building and yard space. Shapes such as triangles
and quadrangles with small included angles are discouraged.
Side lines. All side lines of lots shall be substantially
at right angles to straight street lines and radial to curved street
lines, unless a variance from this rule will give a better street
or lot plan.
Corner lots. In general, corner lots should be larger
than interior lots to provide for proper building setback from each
street and provide a desirable building site.
Driveway access. Driveway access and grades shall
conform to specifications as set forth by the Town Engineer. Driveway
grades between the street and the setback line shall not exceed 10%.
Access from private streets. Access from private streets
shall be deemed acceptable only if such streets are designed and improved
in accordance with these regulations.
Monuments and lot corner markers. Permanent monuments
meeting specifications approved by the Town Engineer as to size, type
and installation shall be set as such block corners, angle points,
points of curve in streets and other points as the Town Engineer may
require, and their location shall be shown on the subdivision plat.
All developers of land are required to conform to the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance, Chapter 180 of the Town Code of the Town of Niskayuna.
Drainage structure to accommodate potential development
upstream. A culvert or other drainage facility shall, in each case,
be large enough to accommodate potential runoff from its entire upstream
drainage area, whether inside or outside the development area. The
Town Engineer shall approve the design and size of facility based
on anticipated runoff from a twenty-five-year storm under conditions
of total potential development permitted by the Zoning Ordinance[1] in the watershed.
Responsibility from drainage downstream. The subdivider's
engineer shall also study the effect of each subdivision on the existing
downstream drainage facilities outside the area of the subdivision.
This study shall be reviewed by the Town Engineer. Where it is anticipated
that the additional runoff incident to the development of the subdivision
will overload an existing downstream drainage facility during a five-year
storm, the Planning Board shall notify the Town Board of such potential
condition. In such case, the Planning Board shall not approve the
subdivision until provision has been made for the improvement of said
condition.
Land subject to flooding. Land subject to flooding
or land deemed by the Planning Board to be uninhabitable shall not
be platted for residential occupancy nor for such other uses as may
increase danger to health, life or property or aggravate the flood
hazard, but such land within the plat shall be set aside for such
uses as shall not be endangered by periodic or occasional inundation
or improved in a manner satisfactory to the Planning Board to remedy
said hazardous conditions.
Recreation areas shown on Town Plan. Where a proposed park, playground or open space shown on the Town Plan is located in whole or in part in a subdivision, the Board shall require that such area or areas be shown on the plat in accordance with the requirements specified in Subsection B below. Such area or areas may be dedicated to the Town or County by the subdivider if the Town Board approves such dedication.
Parks and playgrounds not shown on Town Plan. The
subdivider shall dedicate to the Town usable land equal in size to
10% or more of the subdivider's tract. This land shall be used by
the Town for parks, playgrounds or for other specific public recreational
uses as deemed desirable by the Planning Board. Usable area or areas
bordering a stream, lake or other watercourse can be given special
consideration by the Board in excess of the ten-percent minimum.
Information to be submitted. In the event that an
area to be used for a park or playground is required to be so shown,
the subdivider shall submit, prior to final approval, to the Board,
three prints (one on cloth or other suitable material such as Mylar,
drawn in ink) showing, at a scale of not less than 30 feet to the
inch, such area and the following features thereof:
In cases where the Planning Board finds that, due to size, topography or location of subdivision, land for parks, playgrounds or other recreation purposes cannot be properly located therein or if, in the opinion of the Board, it is not desirable, the Board may waive the requirement that the plat show land for such purposes. The Board shall then require, as a condition to approval of the plan, a payment of cash or a combination of cash and land to the Town of Niskayuna in lieu of such land dedication. The amount of land which otherwise would have been acceptable as a recreation site shall be determined in accordance with the standards set forth in Subsection B above.
Such amount shall be paid to the Town at the time
of final plat approval, and no plat shall be signed by the authorized
officer of the Planning Board until such payment is made. All such
payments shall be held by the Town in a special Town Recreation Site
Acquisition and Improvement Fund to be used for the acquisition of
land that is suitable for permanent park, playground or other recreational
purpose and is so located that it will serve primarily the general
neighborhood in which the land covered by the plat lies and shall
be used only for park, playgrounds or other recreational land acquisition
or improvements. Such money may also be used for the physical improvement
of existing parks or recreation areas serving the general neighborhood
in which the land shown on the plat is situated, provided that the
Planning Board finds there is a need for such improvements.
The Planning Board may accept parkland elsewhere in
the Town of Niskayuna at least equal in size to the parkland required
by the subdivision. The land shall be at a location acceptable to
the Town of Niskayuna.
Reserve strips prohibited. Reserve strips of land
which might be used to control access from the proposed subdivision
to any neighboring property or to any land within the subdivision
itself shall be prohibited.
Preservation of natural features. The Planning Board
shall, wherever possible, establish the preservation of all natural
features which add value to residential developments and to the community,
such as large trees or groves, watercourses and falls, beaches, historic
spots, vistas and similar irreplaceable assets. No tree with a diameter
of eight inches or more as measured three feet above the base of the
trunk shall be removed unless such tree is within the right-of-way
of a street as shown on the final subdivision plat. Removal of additional
trees shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board. In no
case, however, shall a tree with a diameter of five inches or more
as measured three feet above the base of the trunk be removed without
prior approval by the Planning Board. In those areas where grade contours
are to be raised, measures should be taken to ensure against damage
or killing of trees. Such measures shall include but not be limited
to construction of wells around the bases of trees and making provision
for aeration and drainage.