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.
A.
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.
B.
Conformity to Official Map and Comprehensive Plan.
Subdivisions shall conform to the Official Map of the Town and shall
be in harmony with the Comprehensive Plan.
C.
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.
A.
Width, location and construction. Streets shall be
of sufficient width, suitably located and adequately constructed to
conform with the Comprehensive 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 in
harmony with surrounding areas and streets.
B.
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.
C.
Minor streets. Minor streets shall be so laid out
that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.
D.
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.
E.
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,
if any, 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.
[Amended 8-21-1995 by L.L. No. 5-1995]
F.
Dead-end streets. The creation of dead-end or loop
residential streets will be encouraged wherever the Board finds that
such type of development will not interfere with normal traffic circulation
in the area. In the case of dead-end streets, where needed or desirable,
the Board may require the reservation of a twenty-foot-wide easement
to provide for continuation of pedestrian traffic and utilities to
the next street or public property. Subdivisions containing 20 lots
or more shall have at least two street connections with existing public
streets or streets shown on the Official Map, if such exists, or streets
on an approved subdivision plat for which a bond has been filed.
G.
Block size. Blocks generally shall not be less than
400 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.
H.
Intersections with collector of major arterial roads.
Minor or secondary street openings into such road shall, in general,
be at least 500 feet apart.
I.
Street jogs. Street jogs with center-line offsets
of less than 125 feet shall be avoided.
J.
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.
K.
Relation to topography. 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 streets.
Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible to the original
topography.
A.
Widths of rights-of-way. When not indicated on the
Comprehensive Plan or Official Map, the classification of streets
shall be determined by the Board. Streets shall have the following
widths:
|
Type of Street
|
Minimum Right-of-Way
(feet)
|
Minimum Pavement
(feet)
|
|---|---|---|
|
Major
|
70
|
36
|
|
Collector
|
60
|
36
|
|
Local
|
50
|
30
|
B.
Improvements. Streets shall be constructed in accordance
with standards established by the Town Highway Superintendent with
regards to pavement types, sewers, gutters, curbs, lighting and fire
hydrants, provided that such standards have been approved by the Planning
Board.
C.
Utility easements. Where topography is such as to
make impractical the inclusion of utilities within the street right-of-way,
perpetual unobstructed easements at least 20 feet in width shall 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.
D.
Grades. Grades of all streets shall conform in general
to the terrain and shall not be less than 1/2% nor more than 6% for
major or collector streets or 10% for minor streets in residential
areas, but in no case more than 3% within 50 feet of any intersection.
F.
Curve radii at street. All street right-of-way lines
at intersections shall be rounded by curves of at least 20 feet radius,
and curbs shall be adjusted accordingly.
G.
Steep grades and curves; visibility at intersections.
A combination of steep grades and curves shall be avoided. If directed,
ground shall be excavated to achieve better visibility.
H.
Dead-end streets (culs-de-sac). Where dead-end streets
are designed to be so permanently, they should, in general, not exceed
1,000 feet in length and shall terminate in a circular turnaround
having a minimum right-of-way radius of 60 feet and pavement radius
of 50 feet. At the end of temporary dead-end streets, a temporary
turnaround with a pavement radius of 50 feet shall be provided, unless
the Planning Board approves an alternate arrangement.
I.
Watercourses. 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
and in no case less than 20 feet width.
J.
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 the street shall not be less than 400 feet on major streets, 200
feet on collector streets and 100 feet on minor streets.
No street shall have a name which will duplicate,
or so nearly duplicate as to be confused with, the names of existing
streets in the area. A continuation of an existing street shall have
the same name. Generally, streets shall have names and not numbers
or letters.
A.
Lots to be buildable. The lot arrangement shall be
such that in constructing a building in compliance with the Zoning
Ordinance, if any, there will be no foreseeable difficulties for reasons
of topography or 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.
[Amended 8-21-1995 by L.L. No. 5-1995]
B.
Street frontage. All lots shall front on a public
or private street.
C.
Lot ratios. The ratio of the depth of any lot to its
width should not be greater than three to one.
D.
Side lines. All side lines of lots shall be 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.
E.
Corner lots. In general, corner lots should be larger
than interior lots to provide for proper building setback from each
street or to a private street which conforms to Town right-of-way
and construction specifications. In general, this access must provide
at least 30 feet of frontage at the right-of-way line of said public
or private street.
F.
Monuments and lot corner markers. Permanent monuments
of rebar a minimum of 30 inches in length with a minimum diameter
of 1/2 inch shall be set at such block corners, angle points, points
of curves in streets and other points as the Town Engineer may require,
and their location shall be shown on the subdivision plat.
A.
Removal of spring and surface water. The subdivider
may be required by the Planning Board to carry away by pipe or open
width any spring or surface water that may exist either previous to
or as a result of the subdivision. Such drainage facilities shall
be located in the street right-of-way, where feasible, or in perpetual
unobstructed easements of appropriate width.
B.
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 subdivision. The Town
Engineer shall approve the design and size of facility based on anticipated
runoff from a ten-year storm under conditions of total potential development
permitted by the Zoning Ordinance, if any, in the watershed.
[Amended 8-21-1995 by L.L. No. 5-1995]
C.
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.
A.
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.
(1)
Natural terrain. Subdivision design shall preserve,
so for as possible, the natural terrain and natural watercourses,
improvements and drainage areas. Subdivision design shall include
a conscious effort to preserve all worthwhile trees and shrubs which
exist on the site. On individual lots or parcels, care shall be taken
to preserve selected trees to enhance the landscape treatment of the
development. 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 eight inches or more as measured three feet above
the base of the trunk be removed without prior approval by the Planning
Board.
(2)
Soil. Natural fertility of the soil shall be preserved
by disturbing it as little as possible, and no topsoil shall be removed
from the site.
B.
Flood areas. Land subject to serious or regular flooding
shall not be subdivided for residential occupancy or for such other
uses as may increase danger to life or property or aggravate the flood
hazard, but such land may be used for such uses, subject to any zoning
regulations, if any, or in such a way, that the flood danger to this
property and other upstream or downstream properties will not be increased
and periodic or occasional inundation will not be a substantial threat
to life or property. The provisions of this section shall apply to
all land falling within the 100-year flood limit as shown on maps
prepared and amended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[Amended 8-21-1995 by L.L. No. 5-1995]
C.
Steep slopes. Development of steep slope, over 12%,
sites will be conditionally acceptable only if there is no prudent
or feasible alternative site and erosion and sedimentation control
measures are incorporated in the design, construction and operation
of the development according to standards set by the United States
Soil Conservation Service.
D.
Vegetation. Coastal development shall preserve, to
the maximum extent practicable, existing vegetation within a development
site. This includes, where necessary, planting of appropriate native
coastal species.
E.
Sediment control. The subdivider shall provide effective
sediment control measures for planning and construction of subdivisions.
Use of the following technical principles shall be applied as deemed
appropriate by the County Soil and Water Conservation District.
(1)
The smallest practical area of land shall be exposed
at any one time during the development.
(2)
When land is exposed during development, the exposure
shall be kept to the shortest practical period of time.
(3)
Temporary vegetation and/or emulsion shall be used
to protect critical areas exposed during development.
(4)
Sediment basins, debris basins, silting basins and/or
silt traps shall be installed and maintained to remove sediment from
runoff waters on land undergoing development.
(5)
Provision shall be made to effectively accommodate
the increased runoff caused by changing soils and surface conditions
during and after development.
(6)
Permanent final vegetation and structures should be
installed as soon as practical in the development.
(7)
The development plan should be fitted to the type
of topography and soils so as to create the least erosion potential.
(8)
Wherever feasible, natural vegetation should be retained
and protected.
F.
Performance standards. The interpretation and regulations
of this chapter will be guided by the following performance criteria:
(1)
Will not result in undue water or air pollution.
(2)
Has sufficient water available for the reasonably
foreseeable needs of the subdivision or development.
(3)
Will not cause unreasonable burden on an existing
water supply if one is to be utilized.
(4)
Will not cause unreasonable soil erosion or reduction
in the capacity of the land to hold water so that a dangerous or unhealthy
condition may result.
(5)
Will not cause unreasonable highway congestion or
unsafe condition with respect to use of the highway, existing or proposed.
(6)
Will not cause an unreasonable burden on the ability
of a municipality to provide educational services.
(7)
Will not place unreasonable burden on the ability
of the local governmental services.
(8)
Will not have an undue adverse effect on the scenic
or natural beauty of the area, aesthetic, historic sites or irreplaceable
natural areas.
(9)
Is in conformance with a duly adopted development
plan, land use plan or land capability plan (statewide plans required
by the law).
(10)
Is in conformance with any duly adopted local
or regional plan.
