(A) Application. The principles, standards and requirements set forth in this section shall be applied by the commission in its review of proposed subdivision. Such principles, standards and requirements shall be deemed as minimal in nature, and whenever the principles, standards or requirements of other town codes, ordinances or regulations are higher or more restrictive, the latter shall control any application for proposed subdivision.
(B) Recommendations. In the consideration of subdivision the commission shall make such recommendations as seem necessary to preserve and enhance or produce scenic values and conditions for the improvement of subdivision or development design.
(C) Suitability of land use:
(1) Land shall be suited to the purposes for which it is to be subdivided. Land of such character that it cannot be safely used for building purposes because of exceptional danger to health or peril from fire, flood or other menace 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, until appropriate measures have been taken by the subdivider to lessen such hazards.
(2) All plans shall be in reasonable conformity to the master plan for the town as adopted by the town plan and zoning commission.
(D) Reserve strips. Reserve strips of land, which in the opinion of the commission show an intent by the subdivider to control access to land of another, are prohibited.
(E) Street system:
(1) Streets shall be logically related to the topography so as to produce reasonable grades and suitable building sites.
(2) Proposed streets shall, conform to the requirements of a general plan of the area as developed by the commission.
(3) Streets shall be constructed in accordance with the standards and requirements of the department of public works and engineering.
(4) Residential streets shall be so laid out as to discourage through traffic; however, the arrangement of streets shall provide for the continuation of existing or proposed major streets or highways.
(5) If lots resulting from original subdivision are large enough to permit resubdivision, or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided, adequate street rights-of-way to permit further subdivision shall be provided as necessary.
(6) The arrangement of streets in a subdivision shall provide for the continuation of streets as required by the commission in adjoining subdivision or for their proper future projection when adjoining property is not subdivided, and shall be of a width consistent with that of existing connecting streets, or 50 feet, whichever is greater.
(7) Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed major street or highway, the commission may require marginal access streets, driveways, reverse frontage lots or such additional treatment as will reduce the number of intersections with such street or highway, separate local and through traffic, and provide protection for abutting properties.
(8) Dead end streets shall be prohibited, except as short stubs to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, in which case they shall be provided with a temporary turnaround of standard cul-de-sac radius.
(F) Cul-de-sac streets. CuIs-de-sac, permanently designed as such, shall be of reasonable length, not exceeding 500 feet, and shall have at the closed end a turnaround containing a right-of-way having an outside radius of not less than 60 feet, which shall be paved to a radius of not less than 50 feet.
(G) Street requirements:
(1) Minimum street right-of-way and cartway widths shall conform to the town plan, and where not shown thereon shall conform to the following:
(a) A primary residential street shall have a cart-way 40 feet in width centered in a right-of-way 60 feet in width.
(b) A secondary residential street shall have a cart-way 30 feet in width centered in a right-of-way 50 feet in width.
(c) A tertiary residential street shall have a cartway 20 feet in width centered in a right-of-way 50 feet in width.
(d) A marginal access street shall have a cartway 26 feet in width included in a right-of-way which shall vary with conditions but in no case shall be less than 36 feet.
(2) Additional right-of-way and cartway requirements may be required by the commission in order to lessen congestion in the streets, to secure safety from fire, panic and other dangers, to facilitate the adequate provision for transportation and other public requirements and to promote the general welfare.
(3) Short extension of existing streets with lesser right-of-way or cartway requirements may be permitted at the discretion of the commission.
(H) Street alignment:
(1) Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of 5º, connection shall be made by a horizontal curve.
(2) To ensure adequate sight distance, center line radii for horizontal curves shall be laid out in accordance with the following standards:
(a) Primary residential street, 150 feet.
(b) Secondary residential street, 100 feet.
(c) Tertiary residential street, 100 feet.
(3) A tangent of 50 feet minimum shall be required between 2 successive curves turning in opposite directions.
(I) Street grades:
(1) Center line grades shall be not less than 0.7%.
(2) Center line grades shall not exceed the following standards:
(a) Primary and secondary residential streets, 8%.
(b) Tertiary residential street, 10%.
(3) Vertical curves shall be used at changes of grade exceeding 3% and shall be designed in relation to the extent of the grade change and to provide the following minimum sight distances:
(a) Primary residential streets, 200 feet.
(b) Secondary residential streets, 150 feet.
(c) Tertiary residential streets, 100 feet.
(4) Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds 4 %, leveling areas having a maximum grade of 2% shall be provided for a minimum distance of 25 feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
(J) Street intersections:
(1) Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. No street shall intersect another at an angle of less than 75º. In all cases intersections shall be designed so as to provide satisfactory land usage and safe traffic condition.
(2) Intersections with major streets or major highways should be reduced to a minimum.
(3) Streets entering opposite sides of another street shall be laid out either directly opposite one another or with a minimum offset of 125 feet between their center lines.
(4) Curb radii shall be provided at street intersection varying according to the types of streets intersecting and the angle at which they intersect: provided, however, that none shall be less than 15 feet.
(K) Street names:
(1) Names of new streets shall not duplicate, nor bear phonetic resemblance to, the names of existing streets within the town.
(2) Streets which join or are in alignment with streets of abutting or neighboring properties shall bear the same name.
(L) Blocks:
(1) The length, width and shape of blocks shall be designed with due regard for:
(a) Provision of suitable building sites for the type of use contemplated.
(b) Eliminating of excessive street area.
(c) Safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
(d) Topography and drainage.
(e) Requirements of the town zoning regulations.
(2) Residential blocks shall be of sufficient depth to accommodate 2 tiers of lots, except where reverse frontage lots are required.
(3) Interior walks may be required where necessary to facilitate circulation or provide access to community facilities.
(M) Lots and lot sizes:
(1) Frontage shall be measured at the building line or at the street line, whichever is larger.
(2) Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to street lines.
(3) Reverse frontage lots shall be avoided except where essential to provide separation from traffic arteries or to provide protection for abutting properties or to overcome certain conditions of topography or orientation.
(4) There shall be adequate width and area on every lot after the erection of a residence to permit the parking within the lot of at least one car for each family dwelling unit permitted under the zoning regulations.
(5) All lots shall conform to the minimum requirements of the zoning regulations of the town. The width and depth of the lots shall be exclusive of the right-of-way of any access drive.
(6) In areas where no off-lot sewerage or water facilities are available, the director of health may require lot sizes in excess of the minimum requirements of the zoning regulations. In fixing the allowable lot size, the director of health shall give consideration to the topography of the site; the location of existing and proposed buildings on the lot, and existing buildings on adjacent lots; the location of existing sewerage and water facilities on adjacent property; the water table; the geology and characteristics of the soil; the type and size of proposed sewerage and water facilities and the estimated use thereof.
(7) In areas where no off-lot sewerage or water facilities are available, it shall be the responsibility of the subdivider to provide adequate information to prove that the area of each lot is adequate to permit the installation and operation of an individual sewage disposal system (septic tank and drain field). Such in formation shall consist of the report of the director of health re garding seepage and other tests he may require. The subdivider shall provide the necessary equipment and labor for making these tests.
(8) Lots with no frontage on an accepted street or on a street proposed for acceptance shall not be permitted.
(9) All lots in a subdivision shall be numbered consecu tively with the first lot designated by the numeral one. No fraction, suffix or prefix shall be permitted. Adjoining subdivisions having the same name shall not duplicate the numbers of the previous plan, but shall continue the sequence used in the previous plan.
(N) Driveway and easements:
(1) Where permitted, access drives serving residential properties on 2 sides must have a minimum paved width of 15 feet. In cases where access drives serve properties on one side only, the commission may permit a paving of narrower width; however, in no case shall access drives be paved less than 12 feet wide.
(2) Access drives may be required in commercial and industrial subdivisions, except where other adequate, provision is made for off-street loading and parking consistent with the use proposed. Where required these access drives shall have a minimum paved width of 20 feet.
(3) Dead end and access drives shall be avoided; however, where this proves impossible, they shall be terminated with a paved, T-bar, turning area having a minimum depth of 20 feet on both sides of the access drive and a minimum width of 10 feet.
(4) Access drive intersections and sharp changes in alignment shall be avoided, and where necessary, corners shall be rounded or cut back sufficiently to permit safe vehicular circulation.
(5) Easements shall be provided as necessary for public utilities and shall have a minimum width of 10 feet.
(6) Such easement shall be located on or be adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
(7) Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be a drainage easement of right-of-way conforming substantially to the line of such watercourse and of such width as will be adequate to provide drainage and permit access for maintenance by the town.
(8) Where a subdivision adjoins a park, watercourse or other land use different from that proposed, the commission may require a setback from such park, watercourse or other land use for the protection of or separation of the several land uses; provided, such setback shall be not less than 10 feet nor more than 50 feet.
(O) Community facilities:
(1) Areas set aside for parks and playgrounds to be dedicated or to be reserved for the common use of all property owners by covenant in the deed, whether or not required by the commission, shall be of reasonable size and character for neighborhood playgrounds or other recreational uses.
(2) The commission may require that an area of reasonable size, exclusive of streets, shall be reserved or dedicated for recreational or public use.
(3) If a subdivider reserves an area for recreational or public use, the area shall be adequate for building sites for the facilities, landscaping and off-street parking as appropriate to the use proposed.
(P) Approval of appropriate departments. All improvements such as streets, driveways, water mains and sewers shall be constructed at the expense of the subdivider in accordance with the specifications set forth in the material following § 151.12.
(Q) Tree planting. The subdivider shall supply and plant, to the specifications of the director of public works for genus, size and number (depending on the width of the lot), not less than one tree per 60 foot lot.
(R) Loam. All areas excepting cartways, sidewalks and other hard-surfaced areas shall be covered with a minimum of 4 inches of loam, except the areas which are to be left in their natural condition, such as rocky outcroppings, swamps, etc., and which areas are delineated on the property data map. (See § 151.06 (A).
(S) Street signs. Street signs shall be erected by the public works and engineering department at the expense of the subdivider.
(T) Merestones. Merestones set at all control points within a subdivision shall be of the type as specified by the public works and engineering department.
(U) In matters of judgment or interpretation of the above general standards, the opinion of the commission shall prevail.
('66 Code, § 63-5)