§ 381-3. Definitions.

For the purposes of these rules and regulations, the following words and terms used herein are hereby defined or the meaning thereof explained, extended or limited as stated in Chapter 41 of the General Laws, as amended. Other terms or words and phrases not defined herein or in the Subdivision Control Law shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the language, but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a particular and appropriate meaning in law shall be construed and understood according to such meaning.

ABUTTERS

The owners of land sharing a common property line with the owner of land referred to in a subdivision application and the owners of land directly opposite on any public or private street or way, and abutters to the abutters within 300 feet of the property line of land referred to in the application as they appear on the most recent applicable tax list, notwithstanding that the land of any such owner is located in another city or town.

APPLICANT

The owner of the land referred to in an application filed with the Board or the owner's duly authorized representative.

APPLICATION FORM

Any application form specified herein must be signed by both the applicant and the landowner of record at the time of submission of the application.

[Added 7-5-2000]

BOARD

The Planning Board of the Town of Groton.

BUILDING ENVELOPE

An area shown on the plan within which any principal building(s) shall be located.

[Added 7-5-2000]

CONTIGUOUS

Sharing a common lot line or touching at any point.

CONSTRUCTION, COMMENCEMENT OF

A subdivision is considered to be under construction when the clearing and grubbing (removal of stumps and topsoil) have been initiated.

[Added 5-2-1996]

EASEMENT

A right acquired by a public authority or other person for use or control of property for utility or other designated public purpose.

FRONTAGE

The length of common boundary between a lot and a way legally qualifying to provide frontage for the division of land (see Chapter 218, Zoning, of the Code of the Town of Groton, § 218-22A, and MGL C. 41, § 81L), to be measured continuously along the street line between side lot lines and their intersection with the street line, which provides safe and adequate vehicular access from said way to the principal use of the lot.

[Amended 5-2-1996]

FRONTAGE, CORNER LOT

Calculated using the tangent of the curve.

GENERAL LAWS or MGL

The General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with all additions thereto and amendments thereof. In case of a rearrangement of the General Laws, any citation of particular sections herein set forth shall be applicable to the corresponding sections in the new codification.

LOT

An area of land in one ownership, with definite boundaries, used or set aside and available for use as the site of one or more buildings.

LOT, CORNER

A lot or parcel of land abutting upon two or more streets at their intersection or upon parts of the same street having street side lines or tangents to side lines forming an interior angle of less than 135°. A corner lot with frontage on an existing public way and a new subdivision road must have a combined frontage of twice the required frontage. Small parcels used to circumvent this provision shall not be allowed. Corner lots with frontage on two existing public ways or two new subdivision roads shall be required to have the minimum frontage on each street.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES

Sewers, surface water drains and other private or public utilities, including water pipes, gas pipes, electric lines, telephone lines, fire alarm lines and their respective appurtenances.

OWNER

As applied to real estate, the person (as hereinafter defined) holding the ultimate fee simple title to a parcel, tract or lot of land as shown by the record in the appropriate Land Registration Office, Registry of Deeds or Registry of Probate.

PERMANENT BENCHMARK

A permanent reference point with the elevation accurately established by stone bounds and referenced to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey datum.

PERSON

An individual, partnership, corporation or two or more individuals or a group or association of individuals having common or undivided interests in a tract of land.

ROADWAY

That portion of the way, right-of-way or street layout which has been prepared and constructed for vehicular traffic.

SPECIMEN TREE

A native, introduced or naturalized tree which is important because of its impact on community character, its significance in the historic or cultural landscape or its value in enhancing wildlife habitat. Any tree with a DBH of six inches or larger is eligible to be considered a specimen tree. Trees that have a small height at maturity or are slow growing with a DBH of four inches or larger are eligible to be considered specimen trees.

[Added 7-5-2000]

STREET CATEGORIES

A. 

COLLECTOR

A street with anticipated traffic equivalent to that generated by 50 homes or more or which serves abutting land zoned for business or industry.

B. 

DEAD-END

A street or street system which has only one means of ingress from or egress to a collector or minor street.

C. 

LANE

A dead-end street or loop street which cannot serve as access to more than 12 dwelling units and cannot be extended.

D. 

MINOR

A street which cannot qualify as a "lane" but which can be expected to handle less traffic than a collector street and which serves no abutting land zoned for business or industry.

E. 

PAPER

Any way or right-of-way shown on a plan or sketch but which has not been constructed or otherwise prepared for vehicular traffic.

SUBDIVISION

The division of a tract of land into two or more lots and shall include resubdivision and, when appropriate to the context, shall relate to the process of subdivision or the land or territory subdivided; provided, however, that the division of a tract of land into two or more lots shall not be deemed to constitute a subdivision within the meaning of the Subdivision Control Law if, at the time when it is made, every lot within the tract so divided has frontage on a public way or a way which the Clerk of the city or town certifies is maintained and used as a public way, or a way shown on a plan theretofore approved and endorsed in accordance with the Subdivision Control Law, or a way in existence when the Subdivision Control Law became effective in the city or town in which the land lies, having, in the opinion of the Planning Board, sufficient width, suitable grades and adequate construction to provide for the needs of vehicular traffic in relation to the proposed use of the land abutting thereon or served thereby and for the installation of municipal services to serve such land and the buildings erected or to be erected thereon. Such frontage shall be of at least such distance as is then required by the zoning or other ordinance or bylaw, if any, of said city or town for erection of a building on such lot, and, if no distance is so required, such frontage shall be of at least 20 feet. Conveyances or other instruments adding to, taking away from or changing the size and shape of lots in such a manner as not to leave any lot so affected without the frontage above set forth, or the division of a tract of land on which two or more buildings were standing when the Subdivision Control Law went into effect in the city or town in which the land lies into separate lots on each of which one of such buildings remains standing, shall not constitute a subdivision. See MGL C. 41, § 81L.

SUBDIVISION CONTROL LAW

MGL C. 41, §§ 81K to 81GG, inclusive, and any amendments thereof, additions thereto or substitutions thereof.

TOWN

The Town of Groton.

TRAIL

A right-of-way adequate in width and design, not to exceed 20 feet, which provides passage through a development or neighborhood for wildlife and permitted recreational use.

[Added 7-5-2000]

WAY or RIGHT-OF-WAY

The full strip of land designated as a way, consisting of the roadway and any planting strips and sidewalks. A way so designated shall be available only for such uses as are customary for ways in the Town and shall not be available for any private construction such as buildings, fuel tanks, septic tanks, fences or walls.

YARD, FRONT

Land extending across the required width of the lot and lying between the street line of the lot and the nearest line of the building. The depth of the front yard shall be the minimum distance between the building and the front lot line.

Amended 11-3-1994