Subdivision Sketch Plan Application and Checklist

TOWN OF DURHAM
630 Hallowell Road
Durham, Maine 04222
Office of Code Enforcement               Tel. (207) 376-6558
and Planning                             Fax: (207) 353-5367

SUBDIVISION SKETCH PLAN REVIEW APPLICATION AND CHECKLIST

A. Owner & Developer

Is applicant owner of the property? ______YES _____NO (If no, letter of owner authorization is required)

Property owner: _______________________________Property developer: ________________________

Address __________________________________             Address: ________________________________

__________________________________                   __________________________________

__________________________________                   __________________________________

Telephone number:__________________________             Telephone number: ______________________

Email address: _____________________________            Email address: __________________________

B. General Property Information

Property location: _____________________________________________________________________

Tax Map/Lot numbers: _________________________________________________________________

Current zoning: ______________________________________________________________________

Is all of the property being considered for development? ______ YES ______ NO

C. Development Information

Name of proposed development: _________________________________________________________

Number of proposed lots:______________________ Acreage of parcel to be developed: ____________

When is construction being considered (year & season)? ______________________________________

*SUBMISSIONS CHECKLIST ON REVERSE SIDE*

Sketch Plan Review Application & Checklist

D. Submissions Checklist

X

This sketch plan application form;

A copy of a portion of the USGS topographic map of the area showing the outline of the proposed subdivision;

A copy of that portion of the Androscoggin County Soil Survey covering the proposed subdivision, showing the outline of the proposed subdivision;

A copy of the relevant Assessor’s Map(s) showing the outline of the proposed subdivision;

A map drawn to scale showing site conditions such as steep slopes, wet areas and vegetative cover in a general manner.

A map drawn to scale showing the proposed layout of streets, lots, buildings, other improvements, and any proposed common areas in relation to existing conditions; and,

A written project narrative report with general information to describe or outline the existing conditions of the site, development constraints and opportunities, and a full description of the proposed development.

Will this be a cluster subdivision under Section 6.33? _______ YES ______ NO

E. Cluster subdivision additional requirements:

The sketch plan submission includes a conceptual site plan meeting the requirements of Section 6.33.B.1.

Each specific home site is shown on the site plan to be an element of an overall plan for site development.

The conceptual site plan illustrates the placement of buildings and their relationship to open spaces, pedestrian paths, and roads.

The conceptual site plan illustrates where open space will serve the multiple purposes of:

Preserving natural features of the land;

Providing recreational opportunities; and,

Maximizing the value and enjoyment of homes in the subdivision.

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Sketch Plan Review Application & Checklist

Section 6.5 PRE-APPLICATION SKETCH PLAN PHASE

A. Purpose: The purpose of the sketch plan meeting and onsite inspection is for the applicant to present general information regarding a contemplated subdivision to the Board and receive the Board’s comments prior to the expenditure of substantial sums of money on surveying, soils identification, and engineering by the applicant.

B. Procedure: The applicant shall present the pre-application sketch Plan and make a verbal presentation regarding the site and the proposed subdivision. Following the applicant’s presentation, the Board may ask questions, point out potential problems or issues for future discussions, and make suggestions to be incorporated by the applicant into the subsequent application. Substantive, lengthy discussions about compliance with review standards shall be postponed until the subsequent review of the full application. The applicant should state any anticipated requests for waiver of submissions and the justification for requesting them. As with determination of compliance with review standards, any formal decision on granting waivers of submission requirements must wait until Board formal action on a preliminary plan application.

C. Sketch Plan Submissions: Ten (10) copies of the sketch plan and all supporting materials must be submitted fourteen (14) days prior to a regularly scheduled Planning Board meeting, in order to be placed on the Board’s agenda. The sketch plan does not need to be prepared by a registered professional engineer but must be accurate and contain all the following information submittals to help the Board and applicant fully understand the project site and issues related to it:

1. A sketch plan application form;

2. A copy of a portion of the USGS topographic map of the area showing the outline of the proposed subdivision;

3. A copy of that portion of the Androscoggin County Soil Survey covering the proposed subdivision, showing the outline of the proposed subdivision;

4. A copy of the relevant Assessor’s Map(s) showing the outline of the proposed subdivision;

5. A map drawn to scale showing site conditions such as steep slopes, wet areas and vegetative cover in a general manner.

6. A map drawn to scale showing the proposed layout of streets, lots, buildings, other improvements, and any proposed common areas in relation to existing conditions; and,

7. A written project narrative report with general information to describe or outline the existing conditions of the site, development constraints and opportunities, and a full description of the proposed development.

D. Site Plan Required for Cluster Subdivisions: If the applicant intends to file a request for approval of a cluster subdivision plan under Section 6.33, a conceptual site plan meeting the requirements of Section 6.33.B.1 must be submitted at sketch plan review. The Planning Board will conduct a site walk for cluster subdivisions at pre-application stage following the requirements of Section 6.6.I.

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Sketch Plan Review Application & Checklist

Section 6.1. CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVE

A. Purpose of Clustering: The purpose of these provisions is to allow for flexibility in the design of subdivisions to allow for the creation of open space which provides recreational opportunities or protects important natural features from the adverse impacts of development, provided that the net residential density shall be no greater than is permitted in the district in which the development is proposed. Notwithstanding provisions of Article 4 relating to dimensional requirements, the Board, in reviewing and approving proposed residential subdivisions, may modify the provisions related to dimensional requirements to permit flexibility in approaches to housing and environmental design in accordance with the following guidelines. This shall not be construed as granting variances to relieve hardship, and action of the Zoning Board of Appeals shall not be required.

B. Standards for Cluster Developments: Cluster developments shall meet all of the following requirements:

1. Required Site Plan: Each home site shall be an element of an overall plan for site development. Only developments having a total site plan for specific home sites will be considered. The application shall illustrate the placement of buildings and their relationship to open spaces, pedestrian paths, and roads. Although reduced road and utility construction costs are a benefit of clustering, of equal importance is designing a subdivision where open space serves the multiple purposes of preserving natural features of the land and providing recreational opportunities while maximizing the value and enjoyment of homes in the subdivision. Although not a requirement, applicants seeking approval of a cluster subdivision are advised to seek the services of a landscape architect in laying out the site plan before engineering plans for roads are prepared and before a surveyor lays out proposed lot lines. This site plan should be presented at the pre-application, sketch plan stage if cluster approval is desired. The Planning Board will not approve a cluster subdivision that creates open space from left over land or strips that do not positively relate to natural features of the site and do not orient home sites to take maximum advantage of those open spaces. Cluster approval is optional and should only be pursued to create true open space subdivisions.

2. Allowable Reduction of Lot Size & Street Frontage: The Planning Board may allow lots within cluster developments to be reduced in lot size and street frontage by up to fifty (50%) percent of the minimum required by Article 4 in return for provision of common open space, as long as the maximum number of dwelling units is not exceeded according to the calculations in Section 6.33.B.3 below.

3. Maximum Number of Lots: In order to determine the maximum number of lots permitted in a cluster subdivision on a tract of land, the net residential acreage as determined in Section 6.33.B.4 below shall be divided by the minimum lot size in the district, as required by Article 4. Recognizing the substantial community benefits of open space preservation, the Planning Board and these regulations acknowledge that the greater efficiency of cluster design may result in a slight increase in the number of lots over a conventional subdivision layout. Any cluster subdivision meeting the net residential acreage, cluster design, and all other subdivision standards shall be deemed to be the functional equivalent of a conventional subdivision design in terms of neighborhood and community impact, and no further documentation shall be required to establish that equity.

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Sketch Plan Review Application & Checklist

4. Net Residential Acreage: The net residential acreage shall be calculated by taking the total area of the lot and subtracting, in order, the following:

a. Fifteen (15%) percent of the area of the tract for roads and easements.

b. Portions of the tract shown on the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Administration for Durham.

c. Portions of the lot which are unsuitable for development in their natural state due to topographical, drainage or subsoil conditions such as, but not limited to:

1) Slopes greater than twenty (20%) percent;

2) Wetland soils;

3) Portions of the tract subject to existing easements;

4) Portions of the tract located in the Resource Protection District; and,

5) Portions of the tract covered by surface waters.

5. Required Open Space: The total area of reserved open space within the development shall equal or exceed the sum of the areas by which any building lots are reduced below the minimum lot area normally required by Article 4. However, at least fifty (50%) percent of the area of the entire parcel or tract shall be included as common open space. Common open space shall not include road rights of way. No more than fifty (50%) percent of the common open space shall consist of wetlands.

6. Shore Frontage: Shore frontage for each lot shall not be reduced below the minimum normally required by shoreland zoning.

7. Shoreline Access: Where a cluster development abuts a body of water, a usable portion of the shoreline, as well as reasonable access to it, shall be a part of the common land.

8. Suitable Building Sites: No building site in the cluster development shall be located on slopes steeper than twenty (20%), within one hundred (100’) feet of any water body or fifty (50’) feet of any wetland, or on soil classified as being very poorly drained.

9. Common Open Space Management: The common open space shall be owned and managed according to the standards of Section 6.32.

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