§ 26-85. Location and alignment of streets.

(a)

Generally. All streets in a subdivision shall be designed so that, in the opinion of the board, they will provide vehicular travel, afford access of police, firefighting, snow removal, and other road maintenance equipment and shall be coordinated so as to compose a convenient system. Due consideration shall also be given by the subdivider to the attractiveness of the street layout and its adapting to the existing topography in order to obtain the maximum livability and amenity of the subdivision. Curvilinear street design will be encouraged. All streets shall be arranged to ensure that as many of the building sites as possible are at or above the grade of the streets.

(b)

Block lengths. Arrangement of streets shall provide for 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. In general, block lengths between streets shall not be less than 300 feet nor exceed 1,200 feet; however, the board of selectmen shall take into consideration overall density, terrain and lot frontage when varying the requirement of block lengths.

(c)

Reserve strips. Reserve strips prohibiting access to streets or adjoining property shall not be permitted, except where, in the opinion of the board of selectmen, such strips shall be in the public interest.

(d)

Minimum radius of centerline curvature. The minimum radii of the centerline curvature for streets shall be as follows:

(1)

Type I street minimum radius will be 400 feet.

(2)

Type II street minimum radius will be 300 feet.

(3)

Types III and IV street minimum radii will be 250 feet.

A minimum 50-foot tangent shall be utilized between reverse curves.

(e)

Angle and distance for street intersections. Except where deemed impractical by the planning board, all streets shall intersect so that for a distance of at least 100 feet, the street is approximately at a right angle to the street it intersects. No street, as a general rule, shall intersect any other street at less than a 60 degree angle.

(f)

Corner sight distance and visibility. Corner sight distances shall be a minimum of 350 feet as measured from a point in the minor road at least 15 feet from the edge of the major road pavement and measured from an eye height of 3.75 feet on the minor road to an object height of 4.5 feet on the major road. No structure, planting, embankment, etc., shall obstruct corner visibility. A sight line easement and/or deed restriction may be imposed on the corner lots controlled by the subdivider adjacent to the intersection to preserve the safe sight distances of this subsection. The easement and/or deed restriction shall provide the town the right to trim back or remove any impairment to the required visibility at the lot owner's expense.

(g)

Curb radius. Property lines at street intersection of 90 degrees shall be rounded or cut back to provide for a curb radius of not less than 30 feet. Where the street intersection is sharper than 90 degrees, the board of selectmen may require a greater radius.

(h)

Cross street intersection. Cross street intersections, e.g., four-cornered, shall be avoided where possible, with the exception of arterial street crossing. If not directly opposite, street intersections shall be a minimum distance of 125 feet from each other.

(i)

Setback. There shall be a setback as required by the zoning ordinance between a road right-of-way or lot line and any building. A larger setback may be required if the additional width is warranted in the opinion of the planning board.

(Comp. 1988, § 10-51; Ord. of 11-7-1988, § 1(A); Ord. of 10-7-1991, § 10-51)