Ordinance and Specifications for Road Construction
in Springvale Township
The Board of Supervisors of Springvale Township ordains:
I. DEFINITION
For the purpose of this document: A road will be defined as that travelway or access to serve more than two (2+) or more residences. A private driveway will be defined as that travelway or access that serves two (2) or less private single family residences or farm dwellings. A development is defined as the building of more than two (2+) residences, or the creation of more than 2 (2+) buildable sites, served by the same road.
II. ROAD PAVING POLICY
Existing Township Roads
Landowners on a section of Township road must Petition the Township Board with their request for paving. Petitioners must prepare and present a petition that meets the form required by the Minnesota Chapter 429 Special Assessments. A petition form is available from the Township.
III. NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Everyone who desires to develop within Springvale Township, will be required to sign a Developers Agreement with Springvale Township. New developments shall construct the streets with bituminous pavement. All new developments shall have one access from a paved street, where one is adjacent to the property to be developed. Details of the street construction shall be within the design standards of this ordinance and in the development agreement for the new plat.
IV. DEVELOPERS AGREEMENT
All persons seeking to subdivide land or build roads in the Township must enter into a written Developer’s Agreement with the Township setting forth the rights and obligations of the parties and in a format acceptable to the Town Board.
A developer must submit its bid to develop within the township to the Township’s Engineering firm. The successful bidder must place in an escrow account held by the Township an amount equal to 1½ times (1.5x) the amount of the bid within ten (10) days of being notified of the successful bid.
As the job progresses the developer may request an escrow reduction, in an amount matching reviewed receipts for paid expenditures.
V. DESCRIPTION
Road Construction in Springvale Township shall be completed in accordance with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Standard Specifications for Construction, Division II and Division III; and Isanti County rules and regulations. The standards shall be the version that is in effect at the time of the project approval.
All costs incurred for road construction, including but not limited to items such as: plan preparation, materials, labor, equipments, inspection, shall be accounted to the project. The Township may participate in the cost of paving existing township roadways. The Township will set the level of participation either by policy that is adjusted from time to time, or on a project by project basis. New developments must have at least one access from a paved street, where one is adjacent to the property to be developed .
VI. PERMITS
A permit from the Springvale Township Board shall be required for the privilege of building any driveway within the Township. A permit fee will be established by the Springvale Township Board, the fee may change at any time without prior notice from the Springvale Township Board, the permit fee is established as of 2 November 2005 to be: Three Hundred Dollars and fifty ($350.00) a portion of which, will be refunded upon final inspection of the driveway. The amount to be refunded may also change at any time without prior notice of the Springvale Township Board, the amount to be refunded as of 12 December 2001 is to be Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00).
VII. DESIGN STANDARDS
Street design shall provide for a safe design speed of 30 miles per hour where driveways are more frequent than one per 300 feet for a quarter mile street segment. The design speed shall be 55 miles per hour elsewhere.
Cul-de-sacs shall have a minimum paved radius of 50 feet and a right-of-way radius of 60 feet.
Street rights-of-way shall be a minimum of sixty six (66) feet wide. Culverts under streets shall not be less than 15 inches.
Intersection radii shall be 30 feet at the bituminous pavement.
Streets shall have a maximum slope of 7%. Ditches shall have a minimum slope of 0.5%.
Maximum grades through intersections shall not exceed 1% measured 50 feet each direction from the intersection point, nor 3% measured 100 feet each direction from the intersection point.
Intersections shall meet at 90 degree angles. Exceptions may only be made for extreme hardships in the Townships determination.
VIII. MATERIALS
Culverts - Culverts under the street shall be riveted steel .
Road Base - Aggregate Base shall be Class 5.
Gravel Shouldering - Aggregate Shouldering shall be Class 5. The shoulder shall have 2 inches of select topsoil placed over the aggregate and shall be seeded.
Bituminous Surface - Plant Mixed Bituminous Surface shall be MnDOT 2360 bituminous with LV for Bituminous Base and MV for Bituminouos Weartype 41 or equal.
Turf Establishment B All maintained lawn areas shall be restored with sod, all other disturbed areas shall be revegetated with seed mixture 50B.
All road construction plans and specifications shall be reviewed by the Township Engineer. Upon recommendation for approval by the Township Engineer, the Town Board shall take action on the approval of the roadway final plans and specifications.
IX. CONSTRUCTION
Embankment compaction will be 2105.3 F2 Quality Compaction (visual inspection) Method where embankment sections are less than two (2) feet vertical. For embankment sections greater than two feet, the quality control shall be by specified density method. All embankments are subject to test rolling immediately prior to placement of the aggregate base course. The minimum grading width is 30 feet.
Aggregate Base compaction will be 2211.3 C1 Specified Density Method. Aggregate base shall be placed on all driveways, 4 inches thick or equal to the existing depth, whichever is greater, and full width, from the edge of bituminous to road Right of Way. Aggregate base course for streets shall be 5 inches unless the street pavement section is designed by a qualified geotechnical engineer. The minimum aggregate base course shall be no less than 4 inches.
Bituminous Pavement will be placed per specifications 2340 Plant Mixed Bituminous Pavement. The minimum paving width is 24 feet. The minimum paving thickness is 3-1/2 inches in two compacted lifts.
The bituminous pavement shall be widened by two feet along all driveway entrances and mail box locations.
All driveway entrances will be a minimum of six inches (6") below the edge of the pavement at a distance of 15 feet from the edge of the pavement. Culverts are required in most cases, with determination to be at the discretion of the Springvale Township Board. Head walls shall not be permitted. Slope paving is acceptable, but no boulders greater than 12 inches in their greatest dimension shall be used and no boulders shall extend higher than the surface of the driveway. Driveway inslope in the ditch at the road shall be no greater than 3:1. Driveway access on Springvale Township roads shall meet the minimum spacing requirement of one hundred feet (100')
Mailboxes shall be swing-away type, mounted at a height in accordance with the local postmasters direction (typically 42 to 45 inches above the road surface).
All streets and avenue signs, posts, road information signs, channel posts, center lines, no passing and shoulder lines, as designated by the Board of Supervisors are to be installed and paid for by the Developer.
X. INSPECTIONS
It will be the responsibility of the contractor to notify the Springvale Township Board and/or its agents so that adequate tests and inspections can be accomplished. The costs of these tests will be borne by the contractor.
Each phase of construction will be inspected and approved before subsequent layers are constructed. Required inspections are:
1) Before grading - mark R/W and 30' road width with lath at 100' intervals.
2) Inspect stripping or subcutting prior to embankment placement
3) Before back filling- 11/2' sub cuts.
4) The roadway will be roll tested before placing gravel base - after grading is completed.
5) The gravel placement will be observed part-time and the density and gravel depths will be checked as needed in the opinion of the Township Board of Supervisors or their agent before placing bituminous surfaces.
6) Placement of the bituminous pavement will be observed full-time by the Township Engineer.
7) Before final acceptance - after completing all road construction, utility placement and housing development.
The Springvale Township Engineer will be notified at least 48 hours prior to the needed inspections, not including weekends or legal holidays. Failure to notify the Springvale Township Engineer in time to perform inspections will result in one or more of the following:
1. Right of the Springvale Township Board and/or its agents to refuse acceptance of the proposed road.
2. The right of the Springvale Township Board and/or its agents to require test core borings periodically as requested by the Springvale Township Board and/or its agents to determine if proper gravel and bituminous depths meet the specifications herein provided. Test core borings for the entire project to average one (1) boring every five thousand square feet (5,000 sq. feet) with a minimum of 3 borings total, at the developer/ contractors expense. All borings are to be repaired at the developer/ contractors expense.
3. Forfeiture of performance bond/ escrow funds.
XI. ACCEPTANCE
The time limits for completion of paving will be prior to plat approval unless a letter of credit or cash escrow is posted for one and one half times (1 2 times) the construction cost of the road.
All roads will be subject to review by the Springvale Township Board and/or its agents and County Highway Engineer as far as they pertain to the requirements above. The Springvale Township Board will not accept any road or portion thereof dedicated by private owners until all conditions of the above specifications have been met. The Owner/ Builder/ Contractor/ Developer must provide lien waivers or written proof that all materials, equipment rental and labor costs involved in the construction of said roads are free of all liens or financial obligations. There must be evidence of clear title to all land on which said road lays over, prior to the approval of the application for road dedication by the Springvale Township Board. The above specifications are subject to any reasonable modifications felt necessary by the Springvale Township Board and/or its agents. Additional requirements may be found necessary during the course of construction.
The Springvale Township Board and/or its agents reserve the right to delay the acceptance of said proposed roads for maintenance until such time that there is a minimum of one (1) occupied residence adjacent to said roads to justify the need for public maintenance service.
XII. ROAD ORDINANCE VARIANCE PROCEDURE
In instances where strict enforcement of the specifications dictated by the Road Ordinance, Right of Way Ordinance, or Driveway Ordinance of Springvale Township would cause undue hardship because of circumstances unique to the individual property under consideration the landowner may request a variance from the Springvale Township Board of Supervisors. Variances may be granted only when it is demonstrated that such actions will be in keeping with the spirit and intent of the ordinance. “Undue Hardship” as used in connection with the granting of a variance means the property in question cannot be put to a reasonable use if used under conditions allowed by the official controls, the plight of the landowner is due to circumstances unique to the property not created by the landowner, and the variance, if granted, will not alter the essential character of the locality. Economic considerations alone shall not constitute an undue hardship if reasonable use for the property exists under the terms of the ordinance. Undue Hardship also includes, but is not limited to, inadequate access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems.
Any request for a road variance will be acted upon in a timely manner by the Springvale Township Board after consultation with the Township’s Engineering Firm.
Download This Ordinance *Updated 1/2008*
