San Anselmo Municipal Code Art. 3 Improvements

(a) Streets. All streets within the subdivision shall be graded, have rock base, and be paved or surfaced to widths and grades as provided by this chapter and in accordance with the approved improvement plan submitted by the subdivider. The subdivider shall improve the extension of all subdivision streets or public ways to the intercepting paving of any existing Town streets. If the lots front on an existing street, whether or not accepted for maintenance by the Town, the Town Engineer may require such street, or a part thereof, to be improved according to the standards required by this chapter.

(b) Structures. The structures required by this chapter shall be installed in accordance with the approved improvement plan.

(c) Curbs and gutters. Curbs and gutters may be required along all streets.

(d) Sidewalks. Paved sidewalks shall be constructed where required by Section 10-2.203 of Article 2 of this chapter.

(e) Retaining walls. Retaining walls may be required wherever topographic conditions warrant or where necessary to retain fill or cut slopes within the rights-of-way or slope easements.

(f) Water supply. Provisions shall be made for such potable water supply as may be necessary to protect the public health by connection to the Marin Municipal Water District system or through approval of a water well permit in accordance with Chapter 20 of Title 9, Water Wells. Unless a water well permit is issued, a letter from MMWD shall be submitted showing its ability to serve the subject property and evidence indicating that a satisfactory agreement has been entered into for the installation of such service. Should a water well permit be obtained for potable water supply, the owner shall connect to MMWD for his or her sole potable water supply as soon as water supplied by MMWD is available. Availability of water shall be based on physical or policy constraints as determined by the Director of Public Works.

Water connection for each lot shall be required.

Water storage and distribution facilities needed for fire protection, including but not limited to fire hydrants, shall be installed as required by the Fire Department in accordance with the Uniform Fire Code and NFPA Title 22 standards.

(g) Sewage disposal. Provisions shall be made for adequate sewage disposal by:

(1) Connections to the sanitary sewer system of Sanitary District No. One of Marin County when the nearest available public sewer main is not more than 600 feet, along a road or utility easement, from the nearest property line of the parcel being subdivided; or

(2) If a sanitary sewer is not available as provided in subsection (1) of this subsection, individual or community septic tanks or other approved community disposal systems may be used, in which case detailed plans shall be submitted to the Town Engineer. No construction shall be commenced upon any such system until such plans have been approved in writing by the Town Engineer, provisions have been made for future maintenance, the subdivider has given such guarantee or posted a bond as deemed necessary to insure the installation of proper facilities within the proposed subdivision, and provisions have been made for future connections to sanitary sewer lines when available.

(h) Trees, shrubs, and ground cover. Where there are insufficient natural trees, the Commission may require the planting of trees. The Commission may require shrubs and/or ground cover to protect and beautify cuts and fills.

(i) Fills. Provisions shall be made for filling lands as required by the approved improvement plans.

(j) Drainage and flood control. Provisions shall be made for drainage and flood control in accordance with the approved improvement plans.

(k) Erosion control. The faces of cut and fill slopes shall be prepared and maintained to control against erosion, both during and after construction. Such control shall consist of, but not be limited to, effective planting and may require on-site settling basins, or other means, during construction. Erosion control shall be installed as soon as practicable and, whenever possible, in sufficient time to allow plantings to become established prior to the start of any rainy season and prior to final approval.

(l) Underground utilities. All utility distribution facilities, including, but not limited to, electric, communication, and cable television lines, installed within and for the purpose of supplying service to any subdivision shall be placed underground, with the exception of equipment appurtenant to such underground facilities, such as street lights, surface-mounted transformers, switches, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes, meter cabinets, concealed ducts, and similar items.

The subdivider shall be responsible for complying with the requirements of this section and shall make the necessary arrangements for the installation of such facilities with the utility companies involved.

All underground facilities, sanitary sewers, and storm drains installed in streets or service roads shall be constructed prior to the surfacing of such streets or service roads. Service connections for all underground utilities and sanitary sewers shall be laid to such length as will obviate the necessity for disturbing the street or alley improvements when service connections thereto are made.

(m) Street name signs. Street signs shall be placed at all street intersections and shall be in accordance with specifications on file with the Town Engineer.

(Ord. 839, eff. July 14, 1983, as amended by § 1, Ord. 939, eff. February 23, 1993)

(a) Minimum standards. In all cases, the materials used, preparation of base, methods of placing materials, workmanship, grading, and tests of materials shall not be less than those standards required by the most recent Standard Specifications and Uniform Construction Standards of the Cities of Marin and County of Marin or, if not covered therein, by the current edition of Caltrans' Standard Specifications, except where special provisions are required.

(b) Roadways. The roadbed shall be designed according to soil tests of the subgrade material, and such design shall be based on the "R" value of the subgrade and base material, together with the application of the appropriate traffic index applying to the particular class of street in accordance with the standard procedure used by Caltrans in the design of roads under its jurisdiction, or by such other method as is in general use and considered sound practice.

There shall be a minimum of two (2″) inches of asphalt concrete surfacing, unless otherwise permitted by the Town Engineer.

(c) Sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and driveway entrances. Sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and the curb treatment at driveway entrances shall be constructed to the standards set forth in subsection (a) of this section.

(d) Filling. Required fill shall be of suitable material and placed in such a manner as to insure that the finished elevation of all lots and roadway areas will be adequate to protect the subdivision from floods and to provide for the passage of storm water runoff. No building or construction on filled land shall be commenced until satisfactory evidence has been submitted that the required elevation has been obtained and that the will provide a stable base for the construction proposed. Such evidence of satisfactory fill shall be submitted to the Town Engineer, and approval for the construction of improvements upon such fill shall be granted by the Town Engineer prior to construction.

(e) Drainage and flood control. Drainage channels and conduits shall be designed in accordance with the Master Drainage Plan on file with the Town Engineer, including any revisions and additions thereto, and shall be constructed to the standards set forth in subsection (a) of this section.

(Ord. 839, eff. July 14, 1983)

After the approval of the tentative map, and before the start of any construction work, or before the filing of a final map, the subdivider shall submit to the Town Engineer an improvement plan consisting of:

(a) A complete grading plan of the entire subdivision;

(b) Profiles drawn to scale, showing the center line and ground and grade elevations of all streets, ways, alleys, sanitary and storm sewers, and drainage ways;

(c) Other profiles and cross sections as required by the Town Engineer;

(d) Detailed plans and specifications for street curbs, gutters, and sidewalks;

(e) Plans and specifications for drainage structures and flood control provisions;

(f) Plans showing the layout of all underground utility facilities and sanitary sewers; and

(g) Plans and specifications for any private sewage disposal system when approved for use by the Town Engineer.

All elevations shall be referred to datum as established by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey mean sea level datum, unless otherwise permitted by the Town Engineer.

Accompanying such improvement plan shall be such engineering data and computations as are necessary to check the adequacy of the proposed improvements.

The Town Engineer shall inspect the improvement plan for compliance with the provisions of this chapter, standard engineering practices, and any other requirements of the Town. The Town Engineer shall secure from the proper authority written approval or disapproval of the plans and specifications for sewer lines and sewage disposal systems which shall be made a part of his approval or disapproval of the improvement plan. Such approval or disapproval shall be in writing.

(Ord. 839, eff. July 14, 1983)

(a) Town Engineer to inspect. The Town Engineer shall make, or cause to be made, such inspections as he deems necessary to insure that all construction is in accordance with the approved improvement plan and shall include:

(1) The preparation of benches to receive side hill compacted fills;

(2) The finished graded and compacted surfaces of all roads before placing the base materials;

(3) All roadside bases;

(4) All asphaltic or concrete bases;

(5) All structural forms, including forms for curbs and gutters;

(6) All concrete pours of any nature;

(7) All sewer work and manhole work before backfilling;

(8) All drainage lines before backfilling;

(9) The backfilling of all ditches, including compaction;

(10) Equipment of any nature in operation, including pump lines and street lights;

(11) Hydrostatic tests on all sewer lines when required; and

(12) A final inspection upon the completion of all improvements.

(b) Fees. Upon the acceptance of the tentative maps and the approval of the construction drawings and specifications for public improvements within the jurisdiction of the Town, the subdivider shall deposit with the Town an amount equal to three (3%) percent of the total estimated cost of the public improvements by the submission of estimates and approval of the estimates as to amounts by the Town Engineer. Such deposit shall constitute the fee of the Town. If the public improvements are not completed within twelve (12) consecutive calendar months after the start of work, the subdivider shall deposit an additional fee of two (2%) percent of the entire cost of the public improvements to reimburse the Town for the cost of additional inspections beyond the twelve (12) consecutive month period.

(c) Notification. The subdivider shall notify the Town Engineer or his representative upon the completion of each stage of construction as set forth in subsection (a) of this section, and the subdivider shall not proceed with further construction until he has received authorization from the Town Engineer or his authorized representative. No work will be accepted unless inspected. The subdivider shall notify the duly appointed inspector for the Town at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of inspection service requirements.

(Ord. 839, eff. July 14, 1983)

If the improvement work required by this article is not completed satisfactorily before the final map is filed, the owner of the subdivision, concurrently with the approval of the final map, shall enter into an agreement with the Town Engineer agreeing to have the work completed within the time specified in such agreement, and specifying that should such work not be satisfactorily completed within the time limit, the Town may complete all specified improvements and recover the cost thereof from the subdivider. Such agreement may provide for the improvements to be installed in units, for extensions of time under specific conditions, or for the termination of the agreement upon a reversion of the subdivision or a part thereof to acreage. Such agreement shall be secured by a good and sufficient bond or cash deposit, which shall be in an amount to cover the estimated cost of improvements.

(Ord. 839, eff. July 14, 1983)