Appendix 1 ~ Street Standards

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DURHAM LAND USE CODE – ADOPTED JUNE 13, 2026 APPENDIX 1: STREET STANDARDS

Section 1.1. ROAD CLASSIFICATION AND CONSTRUCTION

A. Road Classifications: Road classification shall be based on the road’s ultimate purpose or use as determined by the Planning Board after considering the location of the proposed road and the number and the nature of the uses to be served by the proposed road, both within and outside the proposed subdivision and any anticipated traffic resulting from interconnection with other streets. Dwelling unit figures are provided as an aid to the Planning Board:

1. Major Collectors – Roads that serve significant traffic volumes and provide regional connectivity between towns or major destinations. These roads are part of the State Aid Highway system and maintained year-round by Maine DOT (Route 9 and 136).

2. Minor Collector – Roads that collect traffic from local roads and channel it to Major Collectors. These roads also fall under the State Aid Highway system and are maintained by MaineDOT (Route 125).

3. Local Collector – A Road maintained by the Town of Durham that functions as a collector within the local street network. It connects subcollectors and local roads to State collectors and supports intra-town circulation. Local Collectors generally serve over 100 dwelling units for direct access and carry over 1000 daily trips.

4. Subcollector – A road maintained by the Town of Durham whose principal function is to provide access to abutting properties, but is also designed to be used or is used to connect local and minor local roads with collector roads. Including residences indirectly served through connecting roads, it serves or is designed to serve at least twenty-six (26) but not more than one hundred (100) dwelling units, and is expected to, or does handle, between two hundred and sixty (260) and one thousand (1000) trips per day.

5. Local – A road maintained by the Town of Durham or by a homeowner or road association whose sole function is to provide access to abutting properties. It serves or is designed to serve at least ten (10) but no more than twenty-five (25) dwelling units, and is expected to, or does handle, between one hundred (100) and two hundred and fifty (250) trips per day.

6. Minor Local – A road maintained by a homeowner or road association whose sole function is to provide access to abutting properties. It serves or is designed to serve not more than nine (9) dwelling units, and is expected to, or does handle, up to ninety-nine (99) trips per day.

7. Road classifications for non-residential uses are determined by trip generation figures for various uses indicated in the most current edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual.

8. In determining the classification of roads where a loop configuration is formed, the classification should be based on an analysis of routes and destinations on individual road segments rather than the full road length.

B. Road right-of-way shall be a minimum of fifty (50') feet wide for minor local and local roads, and sixty (60’) wide for subcollector roads. Road dimensions, geometry, and materials shall conform to the requirements shown in Section 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4, Figures 1 through 6.

C. All newly constructed roads shall be paved to Town standards. Pavement width shall be a minimum of twenty-four (24’) feet for subcollector roads, twenty-two (22’) feet for all local roads, and twenty (20’) feet for all minor local roads. The road must be complete up to and along the entire frontage of the lot, except for paving, prior to the issuance of a building permit for a structure or residence on such lots. Issuance of said building permit shall require written confirmation from the Fire Chief that the road is accessible by public safety vehicles.

D. Minor local roads serving no more than three (3) dwelling units may be left unpaved so long as they meet the base and subbase standards for gravel, and other applicable requirements listed below. In the event of the road being extended beyond the first three (3) dwelling units, the road shall be paved over its entire length, including the first section serving the first (3) three dwelling units.

E. The standards for gravel are as follows:

1. Surface Gravel: Surface gravel material shall be screened or crushed gravel of hard durable particle, free from vegetable matter, lumps or balls of clay and other deleterious substances. The gradation of the part that passes a three (3 “) inch square mesh sieve shall meet the following requirements:

Sieve Designation                  % By Weight Passing Square Mesh
                                               Sieves
     1/2 inch                                      45-70%
     1/4 inch                                      30-55%
      No. 40                                       0-20%
     No. 200                                        0-6%

*Aggregate for the surface gravel shall contain no particles of rock exceeding four (4”) inches in any dimension.

2. Base Gravel: Aggregate base shall be sand or gravel of hard durable particles free from vegetable matter, lumps or balls of clay or other deleterious matter. The gradation of the part that passes a four (4”) inch square mesh sieve shall meet the following grading requirements:

Sieve Designation % By Weight Passing Square Mesh Sieves 1/2 inch 35-80% 1/4 inch 25-65% No. 40 0-30% No. 200 0-7% *Aggregate base shall contain no particles of rock exceeding six (6”) inches in any dimension.

3. Surface Leveling Material: If required shall conform to the gradation requirements of surface gravel above but shall not contain particles of rock which will not pass the 3/4" sieve.

4. Bituminous Pavement: Pavement shall be constructed of two courses of bituminous. Pavement shall be Maine DOT Hot Mix Asphalt pavement as specified in Section 401 conforming to the latest revisions of the Maine Department of Transportation "Standard Specifications For Highways and Bridges":

a. Compacted Binder Course – 2" Grading 19.5mm hot mix asphalt

b. Compacted Surface Course – 1 1/2" Grading 12.5mm or 9.5mm hot mix asphalt

c. Pavement width shall be a minimum of twenty-four (24’) feet for subcollector roads, twenty-two (22’) feet for local roads and twenty (20’) feet for minor local roads.

F. Culverts: Culverts shall be High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), or other pipe approved by the Planning Board or Road Commissioner. Culverts shall be sized and located as determined by drainage calculation, but in no case shall be smaller than fifteen (15”) inch diameter.

G. Signs: Signs required by the Board such as "SPEED LIMIT", "STOP", "CURVE", etc. shall be constructed and located so as to conform with the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Street and Highways", published by the United States Department of Transportation, 2025 or most recent revision.

H. Sidewalks: Sidewalks if proposed shall be a minimum of five (5') feet in width and shall be constructed of two (2) one-inch (1") thick courses of bituminous pavement over a minimum eight-inch (8") thick gravel base. Base shall conform to the requirement listed for roadway surface gravel stated in paragraph E.1 above.

I. Curbs: Curbs, if proposed shall as a minimum be designed in accordance with Maine Department of Transportation standard details for bituminous curb and shall be constructed as outlined in Maine Department of Transportation Standard Specifications, Section 609.04.

J. Construction requirements: Gravel base shall be compacted over the full width and length of road bed including shoulders to a minimum of ninety-five (95%) percent of proctor density in accordance with American Society for Testing Materials Standard, ASTM D1556 and D1557. Bituminous pavement shall be compacted to a minimum of 92% of the theoretical maximum density as established in accordance with AASHTO Test T209, ASTM D2950 and ASTM D2726. No bituminous paving shall be placed between November 15 and April 15 or when the temperature is below forty (40ᵒ) degrees or when the gravel base is frozen. Bituminous shall also be rolled with a pneumatic tire roller in addition to steel rollers. The Road Commissioner and the Code Enforcement Officer shall be notified when road construction is to begin, at the completion of the gravel base, and when paving is to begin. The finished surface of the pavement shall be smooth and tightly compacted with no loose or poorly embedded stone evident. A sixteen-foot (16’) straight-edge or string line when placed parallel to the centerline of the pavement and a ten-foot (10’) straightedge or string line when placed transverse to the centerline shall not show a variation exceeding one-quarter (1/4”) inch.

K. Provisions shall be made for vehicular access to the development and circulation lot in such a manner as to safeguard against hazards to traffic congestion on any street and to provide safe and convenient circulation on public streets and within the development. More specifically, access and circulation shall also conform to the following standards and the design criteria below:

1. The road giving access to the lot and neighboring roads which can be expected to carry traffic to and from the development shall have traffic carrying capacity and be suitably improved to accommodate the amount and types of traffic generated by the proposed use.

2. Where necessary to safeguard against hazards to traffic and pedestrians and/or avoid traffic congestion, provision shall be made for turning lanes, traffic directional islands, frontage roads, driveways and traffic controls within public streets based on engineering study and conforming to Maine DOT policies and practices.

3. Access ways shall be of a design and have sufficient capacity to avoid queuing of entering vehicles on any road.

Section 1.2. TYPICAL ROAD SECTION & TURNAROUND DESIGNS -

LOCAL ROAD

Road geometry requirements shall conform to the recommendations outlined in AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (The AASHTO Green Book) most recent edition, excepted that in no case shall grades be greater than eight (8%) percent, curve radii be less than one hundred (100’) feet, or vertical sight distance be less than two hundred (200’) feet.

Figure 1 – Cross Section

(Not to Scale)

Section 1.3. TYPICAL ROAD SECTION & TURNAROUND DESIGNS -

MINOR LOCAL ROAD

Figure 3 – Cross Section

(Not to Scale)

Section 1.4. TYPICAL ROAD SECTION & TURNAROUND DESIGNS -

SUBCOLLECTOR ROAD

Road geometry requirements shall conform to the recommendations outlined in (AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (The AASHTO Green Book) most recent edition , excepted that in no case shall grades be greater than eight (8%) percent, curve radii be less than one hundred (100’) feet, or vertical sight distance be less than two hundred (200’) feet. Figure 5 – Cross Section

(Not to Scale)

Section 1.5. SAFE ENTRANCE SIGHT DISTANCES

A. Sight Distances: Driveways shall be designed in profile and grading and located to provide the required sight distance measured in each direction. Sight distances shall be measured from the driver's seat of a vehicle standing on that portion of the exit driveway with the front of the vehicle a minimum of ten (10’) feet behind the curb line or edge of shoulder, with the height of the eye three and one half (3 ½’) feet, to the top of an object four and one-half (4 ½’) feet above the pavement. The required sight distances are listed below for various posted speed limits:

Posted Speed (MPH)                         Sight Distance (Feet)
          20                                        155
          25                                        200
          30                                        250
          35                                        305
          40                                        360
          45                                        425
          50                                        495
          55                                        570
          60                                        645

The minimum allowable sight distances listed above for all accesses, may require up to fifty (50%) percent greater sight distances when at least thirty (30%) percent of the traffic using the driveway will be larger vehicles

B. All commercial entrances regardless of traffic volume may be required by the Planning Board to be paved with bituminous concrete pavement within thirty (30’) feet of the road right-of-way if anticipated traffic volume requires an assured smooth surface to facilitate exit and entry without risk of sudden stop due to rutting.

C. No development shall increase the volume capacity ratio of any road above 0.8 nor reduce the road’s Level of Service to “D” or below as determined by using the capacity analysis procedures set forth in the 2022 Highway Capacity Manual, Special Report 290 as published by the Transportation Research Board.

Section 1.6. ROAD MAINTENANCE

In determining whether this standard has been met, the Board must find that the maintenance agreement for any private road meets the following criteria:

A. Unless or until a road is accepted for maintenance by a Town Meeting vote, a maintenance agreement shall be executed by the owners of the lots containing the dwelling units or structures using the private road, in registry recordable form, which agreement provides for the obligations of each owner of the lots on which such dwelling units or structures are located with respect to the maintenance, repair and snow plowing of such road. The applicant shall prepare and submit for approval of the Planning Board a maintenance agreement which shall specify the rights and responsibilities of the owners of the lots on the road in question among themselves with respect to responsibility for the costs of construction, maintenance, repair and plowing.

B. The maintenance agreement shall also include and the Planning Board will consider in granting approval the following factors:

1. A detailed statement of how the ownership interests in the private road will be structured (i.e., whether ownership will be single or joint, whether lot owners will own the fee or have easements, etc.).

2. A statement that in the event any of the lots shown on the plan are divided or in the event any remaining land of the declarant is subsequently divided into lots which are served by the private road, then such resulting lot or lots shall become subject to the maintenance agreement and to any modifications to the maintenance agreement advisable to adjust the duties and responsibilities equitably among the owners of all the lots served by the private road way.

3. An acknowledgment by the declarant and any other persons signing the maintenance agreement that the Town of Durham is not responsible for the construction, maintenance, repair or plowing of the private road.

4. A statement that the duties and obligations imposed by the maintenance agreement run with the land and shall be transferred to donees, purchasers or other transferees of any portion of the real estate subject to the maintenance agreement. All changes to the maintenance agreement, other than changing or adding parties to the agreement, are subject to review and approval by the Planning Board.

5. A requirement that the maintenance agreement be referenced in all deeds to any lots served by the private road.

6. If the private road subject to the maintenance agreement is an extension of an existing private road, a statement that the applicant for private road approval has contacted the owners of such lots, has offered them the opportunity to make their properties subject to the maintenance agreement and that they have either accepted or declined that offer; and that the Declarant has submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer a notarized affidavit confirming the Declarant’s compliance with this paragraph. All parties with lots served by the extension of the private road must be subject to the maintenance agreement for that extension.

7. An agreement which permits the other signatories of the maintenance agreement to place a lien on the property of any signatory who has not paid the share of expenses allocated to them in the amount of the unpaid assessment for costs for the private way.

8. Upon approval of the agreement by Planning Board, the person or persons submitting the agreement shall record it in the Androscoggin County Registry of Deeds so that the obligations therein shall be covenants that run with the land upon which the dwelling units or structures are located. No building permit or other approval required by this Ordinance for the dwelling units or structure to be served by such road shall be issued or approved unless this provision has been complied with.

Source: appendix_1_2026.pdf on durhammaine.gov. Text extracted with pdftotext; no wording has been corrected.