Subdivisions shall be designed to conform to the current Comprehensive
Plan of Development, adopted by the Commission for the Town or the neighborhood
encompassing the subdivision, particularly in regard to streets, drainage
and reservation of land for parks, recreation and open space. Subdivisions
proposed in areas of special flood hazard, including their utilities and drainage
facilities, shall be located and designed to be consistent with the need to
minimize flood damage. Proposed subdivisions and resubdivisions and all street,
drainage and other improvements required by those regulations shall be designed
and constructed in accordance with the standards hereinafter specified and
in accordance with the applicable ordinance of the Town of Branford.
Proposed building lots shall be of such shape, size, location, topography
and character that buildings can be reasonably constructed thereon and that
they can be occupied and used for building purposes without danger to the
health and safety of the occupants and the public. Any lot which is found
to be unsuitable for occupancy and buildings by reason of water or flooding
conditions, unsuitable soil, topography, ledge rock or other conditions shall
be combined with another contiguous lot that is suitable or shall be marked
"this is not an approved lot" on the subdivision map, until necessary improvements
to the lot have been made and approved by the Commission and a revised subdivision
map has been submitted to and approved by the Commission. Proposed building
lots shall be designed and arranged to make best use of the natural terrain,
avoiding unnecessary regrading, and to preserve substantial trees and woods.
A.
Lot size. Each lot shall conform to the Zoning Ordinance
applicable to the area of the subdivision. In addition, where the lot is not
to be served by public water supply and/or sanitary sewers, each lot shall
have sufficient area and suitable dimensions to provide ample space to accommodate
a private water supply system (where adequate public water supply is not available)
and/or to accommodate the proper layout, installation and future extension
of a private sewage disposal system (where sanitary sewers are not available),
both as needed by the intended use of the lot and both in accordance with
good engineering practice and the applicable requirements of the Connecticut
State Department of Health and the Director of Health of the Town of Branford.
B.
Lot numbers. All lots shall be numbered beginning with
the numeral one and shall continue consecutively throughout the entire subdivision
with no omissions or duplications. No fractions or letters shall be used unless
necessary for clarity in a resubdivision. Adjoining subdivisions and sections
of a subdivision having the same title shall not duplicate numbers but shall
continue the sequence of numbers used previously for the adjoining land. All
lot numbers shall be conspicuous and noted on the map in the approximate center
of the lots.
C.
Lot lines. Insofar as practicable, the side lot lines
of all lots shall be at right angles to the street on which the lot faces
or shall be radial to the street line. It shall be the discretion of the Commission
to refuse to permit municipal boundary lines to cross any lot, and in the
event of such refusal, such boundary line shall be made to constitute one
of the lot lines.
Streets shall be planned and designed for acceptance by the Town of
Branford, and to conform to the following standards:
A.
Classification. All proposed streets in the subdivision
shall be classified by the Commission as one of the following:
(1)
Major street: a street of considerable existing or potential
continuity on which traffic past abutting lots will be dominant and serving
as an artery for intercommunication among large areas of the Town.
(2)
Secondary street: a street serving as a feeder to a neighborhood
or a collector of several local streets, including commercial streets, primarily
providing access to abutting lots used for commercial, business and industrial
purposes or providing circulation within commercial, business and industrial
areas.
(3)
Local street: a street primarily providing access to
abutting lots used for residential purposes.
B.
Street planning. Proposed streets and rights-of-way shall
be planned in such manner as to provide safe and convenient access to proposed
lots and safe and convenient circulation for present and prospective traffic
within the neighborhood in which the subdivision is located. In planning streets,
due consideration shall be given to accomplishing an attractive layout and
development of the land. Streets should, in general, follow the contour of
the land and should have a location and grade which preserves natural terrain,
substantial trees, woods and other natural features and which enhances property
values in the subdivision. Permanent dead-end streets shall be avoided unless
connecting streets are impractical. Proposed streets which may be projected
into adjoining properties shall be carried to the boundary line; no reserve
strips will be permitted. Streets shall be planned in accordance with the
following additional standards:
(1)
Major street. Major streets shall be provided as indicated
on any Comprehensive Plan of Development adopted by the Commission and where
necessary to connect major areas of Town or to serve a major commercial or
industrial area.
(2)
Secondary street. Secondary streets shall be planned
as a logical system of feeders and collectors connected to the major street
system and shall be planned to accommodate the volume, type and concentration
of traffic anticipated in the commercial, business or industrial areas.
(3)
Local street. Local streets shall provide for continuation
of existing streets in adjoining areas and for projection into adjoining properties
when subdivided.
E.
Alignment. Connecting curves between tangents shall be
provided for all deflection angles in excess of 5°. Suitable tangents
shall be provided between curves. A minimum tangent length of 300 feet shall
be provided between reverse curves. The minimum radius of curvature at the
center line of streets shall be as follows:
F.
Grade. The minimum grade for any street shall be 1.0%,
except that a minimum grade of from 0.5% to 1.0% may be established for 100
feet or less and as tangents of vertical curves. The maximum grade for any
street shall not exceed the following according to its classification:
G.
Vertical curves: Appropriate vertical curves shall be
established on all streets and at street intersections to ensure adequate
sight distance in accordance with the classification of the street and good
engineering practice. Where any street approaches an intersection at a grade
of 4% or more, a transition area, having a maximum grade of 2%, shall be provided
for a minimum of 50 feet measured from the right-of-way line of the street
intersected. The following minimum stopping sight distances shall be provided:
H.
Intersections. The following standards shall apply to
street intersections:
(1)
No more than two streets shall intersect at one point.
In general, intersections shall be spaced not less than 200 feet apart.
(2)
Streets shall intersect one another at as near to a right
angle as is practical. No intersection shall be at an angle of less than 60°.
(3)
At street intersections, property line corners shall
be rounded by an arc having a minimum radius of 25 feet.
(4)
The distance between intersections and connecting streets
shall not be less than 200 feet nor more than 1200 feet to avoid excessively
long blocks and unnecessary circuitous travel on streets.
I.
Street lines. Street lines on each side of a proposed
street shall be parallel or shall be concentric arcs, except at intersections
and turnarounds designed in accordance with these regulations. No street right-of-way
shall be widened beyond the minimum width specified in these regulations for
the purpose of securing additional street frontage for proposed lots. The
boundary line between a private street and public street shall be clearly
delineated.
J.
Dead-end streets. No permanent dead-end street shall
be planned except when topography or physical conditions make it impractical
to extend it or connect it with another proposed or existing street. No permanent
dead-end street shall exceed in length the frontage of six lots per side;
temporary dead-end streets may exceed such length but shall not exceed a reasonable
interim length for safe and convenient vehicular access, including emergency
vehicles, as determined by the Commission.
K.
Turnarounds. A turnaround with a minimum diameter of
120 feet for the right-of-way shall be provided at the closed end of a cul-de-sac
or dead-end street which may be projected into adjoining property at some
future date and which provides sole access to one or more building lots. Land
for a turnaround on a temporary deadend street, which may at some future date
be projected into adjoining property, shall be provided in the form of a temporary
easement bearing a note on the map, "easement for temporary turnaround which
automatically terminates upon extension of street."
L.
Existing streets. Proposed subdivisions abutting an existing
Town street or state highway shall provide for proper widening of the right-of-way
of such street or highway to the width appropriate for the classification
indicated for such street or highway in the Zoning Regulations of the Town
of Branford.
M.
Street names. All proposed streets serving one or more
lots shall be named and shall bear names which are appropriate to the character
of the Town and which do not duplicate or too closely approximate in spelling
or sound existing street names in Branford or any adjoining municipality.
All street names shall be subject to the approval of the Commission.
N.
Cross section. The street cross section shall be designed
with a cross section in accordance with the classification of the street and
the standard construction details of the Town of Branford.
Monuments shall be located at all intersections and at all angles and
points of curve or other critical points on street lines to enable a land
surveyor to correctly stake out any lot or street in the subdivision.
Storm drainage shall be provided and designed in accordance with the
following standards:
A.
Pipe and ditches. Sufficient pipe shall be installed
within the subdivision to carry existing watercourses, other than rivers and
large streams, and to drain the proposed streets and streets which may reasonably
be expected to be constructed at some future date on adjoining land which
normally drains across the area of the proposed subdivision. If in its judgment
there will be no substantial danger from soil erosion or danger to health
and safety, the Commission may permit on lots of one acre or larger the continuance
of existing watercourses in their established courses and may permit the discharge
of stormwater in open ditches. Ditches and open watercourses shall not be
planned in the portion of the lot customarily used for front and side yards
or the portion which might be used for private sewage disposal and/or water
supply systems. In general, the storm drainage system shall be piped to 50
feet beyond the rear of proposed houses before being allowed to discharge
into open channels. All ditches shall be of such size and all pipe shall be
of such diameter (not less than 15 inches) as will, in the judgment of the
Town Engineer, be sufficient to carry properly the stormwater expected to
enter the ditch or pipe from the proposed subdivision and from other properties
when developed which normally drain across the area of the proposed subdivision.
The design of all storm drainage facilities shall be subject to the approval
of the Town Engineer. A minimum rate of rainfall of two inches per hour shall
be used in the design of roadway storm drainage facilities, and four inches
per hour shall be used in the design of culverts under roads at brooks and
watercourses. Design of all pipe sizes shall give due consideration to the
entire drainage area, whether on-site or off-site. The minimum slope for fifteen-inch
pipe shall be 1.0%. The minimum cover over pipe shall be four feet from the
invert but in no case shall be less than two feet over the top of the pipe.
B.
Manholes. Manholes shall be provided at each change in
direction or grade of the pipe and shall not be spaced more than 400 feet
apart.
C.
Catch basins. Catch basins shall be provided in order
that surface water will travel without interception not more than 300 feet.
D.
Discharge. The discharge of all stormwater from the subdivision
shall be into suitable streams or rivers or into Town drains, ditches or other
Town drainage facilities with adequate capacity to carry the additional water.
Where the discharge shall be into private property adjoining the proposed
subdivision, proper easements and discharge rights shall be secured by the
applicant for the Town before approval of the record subdivision map and acceptance
of the drainage plan. No stormwater shall be diverted from one watershed to
another.
E.
Headwalls and culverts. Suitable headwalls shall be provided
at the open end of any pipe. Culverts under streets shall be extended to the
edge of the right-of-way of the street and shall have a minimum diameter of
18 inches.
Bridges, box culverts, deep manholes and other special structures shall
be designed in accordance with good engineering practice. Bridges and box
culverts shall be designed to carry the full width of required street pavement
and at least a four-foot sidewalk on each side.
Sanitary sewers shall be installed in or near areas served by Town sanitary
sewers. Plans shall be submitted to and approved by the Sewer Authority, and
the design and installation of sanitary sewers shall be in accordance with
good engineering and construction practice and in accordance with the design
standards of the Branford sanitary sewer system and the Town Engineer. In
areas of special flood hazard, sanitary sewers shall be located and designed
to avoid impairment and to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters
into the system and discharge from the system into floodwaters.
Public water supply shall be provided to lots in any subdivision located
within any area served by public water supply. In addition, for areas in proximity
to public water supply service, when it is deemed by the Commission to be
practicable, convenient and economically feasible to do so, public water supply
shall be extended to serve the subdivision. The applicant shall obtain from
the water company the location and size of the nearest water main and shall
indicate or note this information on the site development plan. The decision
by the Commission to require extension of the public water supply system to
serve the subdivision will be based upon the location of the nearest main,
the adequacy of pressure and service, the proposed layout of the subdivision,
the nature of the terrain of the subdivision and such other additional information
as the Commission may deem pertinent. In areas of special flood hazard, water
supply systems shall be located and designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration
of floodwaters into the systems.
Portland cement concrete curbing shall be installed along the edge of
all permanent street pavement. Bituminous curbs may be used along the edge
of pavement of a temporary turnaround that is to be eliminated upon extension
of the street.
At the request of the Commission, sidewalks shall be installed on major
and secondary streets, in pedestrian easements, on local streets in the vicinity
of schools and playgrounds and in other places deemed necessary by the Commission
for the public necessity and safety.
Channel and building lines shall be provided along any major stream
or river for the purpose of preventing encroachment upon and constriction
of the natural water channel by buildings, filling operations or other facilities
and construction. The width of the channel shall be based on sound engineering
calculations anticipating long-range storms and flow potentials and recognizing
proper alignment and gradients of the channel. A note shall be placed on the
record subdivision map explaining the channel and building lines and stating
the restrictions against encroachment upon the channel in a manner approved
by the Town Counsel.
In areas where the proposed street system does not conform to a convenient
pattern of pedestrian circulation, particularly in the vicinity of parks,
schools, playgrounds or other public or semipublic places, the Commission
may require the provision of twenty-foot easements for the establishment of
pedestrianways.
Easements, having a minimum width of 20 feet or such greater width as
may be required by the Town Engineer, shall be provided for all stormwater
and sanitary sewer pipes which will not be installed in streets to be dedicated
to the Town. The easement shall be located so that the pipe is positioned
five feet from the boundary of such easement. Easements at least 20 feet in
width shall also be provided for the full width of the channel of any stream
or drainage ditch which will carry drainage runoff from any proposed street,
existing street or streets which may be constructed in the future on unsubdivided
land within the watershed. Easements shall also be provided, in locations
deemed proper by the Commission or the Town Engineer, for stormwater and sanitary
sewer pipes, water mains or other utility lines that may need to be installed
in the future.
No reserved strips shall be provided in any subdivision.
In subdivisions proposed for residential development, open spaces for parks and playgrounds shall be provided in places deemed proper by the Commission. In requiring the provision of such open spaces, the Commission shall be guided by a minimum standard of 10% of the area of the subdivision. The minimum area for any open space shall be one acre unless the area is an addition to an existing or proposed park, playground, open space or public land or unless a lesser area is approved by the Commission as appropriate for the open space purposes intended. Land shown on the subdivision plan as open space for parks and playgrounds shall be of such size, location, shape, topography and general character as to be suitable to satisfy the needs determined by the Commission. The open spaces provided shall conform to any Town Master Plan pertaining to parks, playgrounds, recreation areas and open spaces. The Commission, in requiring the provision of open space, shall give due consideration to the proper development of the Town, the density of population, the existing public open spaces in the vicinity of the subdivision and the preservation and potential enhancement of existing natural features, large trees and other scenic points. Proper pedestrian and vehicular access shall be made, approved by the Commission, to ensure continued responsibility for long-term reservation and maintenance of the open spaces by convenant in the deed, by neighborhood association or other suitable means, unless the open spaces are offered to and accepted by the Town. If the open spaces are offered to the Town, a warranty deed and title certificate as provided in § 228-10E shall be submitted and if said land is not accepted by the Town within 180 days of the date of filing of the record subdivision map with the Town Clerk, said deed shall be returned to the applicant. The applicant shall then make other arrangements, approved by the Commission, for the preservation of the open spaces. When a subdivision plan is submitted in sections, a proportionate part of the total open space area proposed and approved on the overall site development plan shall be established in the first section submitted, including suitable access to such land. Action under this section by the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be taken after consultation with the Recreation Commission and the Conservation Commission.
