Site Plan Requirements

The City of Springfield is amending the cities’ Zoning Ordinances, to include site plan review requirements. When adopted by the City Council, there will be a formal Site Plan review process involving several city departments.

 The DPW Engineering Division has developed new site plan, traffic report, and drainage report checklists from existing DPW requirements, best practices from other communities and plans submitted by several consulting engineering firms. The purpose of these checklists are to clarify, standardize, and simplify our requirements; to aid in internal site plan review procedures; and to ultimately reduce the submission to approval time to enhance economic development in the City of Springfield.

  These checklists are “living documents” which will modified as needed based on changes in technology, Federal & State regulation / guidance, City Ordinance, and customer feed back. The previous Site Plan Requirements, dated 2/10/2007 are superceded by this new guidance.

 REQUIREMENTS:

Pre-construction

  • Set up pre submission meeting with City Engineer to discuss project general concept; site plan requirements; and the scope of traffic and drainage reports
  • Applicant submits site plans, traffic & drainage reports, and other data as required
  • DPW Engineering reviews submittals and provides written comments in 30 days
  • DPW Engineering approves Site Plan after city requirements met
  • Coordinate with DPW for lot number assignments.

 Construction

  •  Pre- construction meeting held with applicant and/ or applicant agents to discuss site security and safety; owner issues, city issues, contractor issues; insurance and bonding requirements; permits and inspections; construction phasing/ schedule;  submittals & submittal schedule;  requests for changes based on field conditions; and 24/7 contact information.
  • Inspections coordinated:
    • DPW Engineering- Street Opening & Trench Permits, Drainage
    • SWSC-Water and Sewer
    • Conservation Commission for any applicable order of conditions
    • Planning for any applicable conditions on the site
  • Utility & Drainage As-Built / Record Plans submitted to DPW & SWSC

Subdivision Requirements

The City of Springfield Planning Board Subdivision Regulations, dated January 2003, contains requirements for submission of plans.  After the adoption of the revised Zoning Ordinance, the city will update the Subdivision Regulations.

 The DPW Engineering Division has developed new site plan, traffic report, and drainage report checklists from existing DPW requirements, best practices from other communities and plans submitted by several consulting engineering firms. The purpose of these checklists are to clarify, standardize, and simplify our requirements; to aid in internal site plan review procedures; and to ultimately reduce the submission to approval time to enhance economic development in the City of Springfield. 

 These checklists are “living documents” which will modified as needed based on changes in technology, Federal & State regulation / guidance, City Ordinance, and customer feed back. The required plans for Section V, Submission of Plans, Subdivision Regulations, January 2003 are superceded by this new guidance. Further, the Design Standards of Section VI are superceded for material and industry changes, such as asbestos piping, etc.

 REQUIREMENTS:

Pre-construction

  • Set up pre submission meeting with City Engineer to discuss project general concept; subdivision plan requirements; and the scope of traffic and drainage report
  • Applicant submits plans, traffic & drainage reports, and other data as required
  • DPW Engineering reviews submittals and provides written comments in 30 days
  • DPW Engineering approves after city requirements met

 Construction

  •  Pre- construction meeting held with applicant and/ or applicant agents to discuss site security and safety; owner issues, city issues, contractor issues; insurance and bonding requirements; permits and inspections; construction phasing/ schedule;  submittals & submittal schedule;  requests for changes based on field conditions; and 24/7 contact information.
  • Coordinate on site inspections at least weekly during construction & record data documenting work progress and conformance with standards. Record field inspections in a manner consistent with City of Springfield requirements, to include at least 10 digital photographs of site conditions and key infrastructure per inspection. Inspections as follows:
    • DPW Engineering- Streets & Sidewalks, Street Opening & Trench Permits, Drainage
    • SWSC-Water and Sewer
    • Conservation Commission for any applicable order of conditions
    • Planning for any applicable conditions on the site
  • Before lots are released by the Planning Board, the developer shall provide the contractors punch list of items remaining to be constructed (item, quantity remaining, unit price, total price, and contingency) to the DPW Engineering/ SWSC.  DPW/ SWSC will review/ edit the punch list & unit costs with an assumption that the city will have to complete the subdivision (using prevailing wages), and will provide the Planning Board with a revised punch list with recommended quantities, unit costs, contingency, and a recommended method of retainage (Letter of Credit, cash bond, etc) for their decision.
  • Coordinate with DPW for house number assignments per lot.
  • Conduct twice per month construction update meetings. Record minutes for all meetings, circulate for comment, & finalize to include comments.
  • Record the close out of applicable project infrastructure construction; and ensure that all operations and maintenance requirements are clearly documented and responsibility established.
  • Utility & Drainage As-Built / Record Plans submitted to DPW & SWSC

Driveway Requirements

For projects involving driveway features as part of Site Plans or Subdivision Plans, submit the features as part of the plans. Commercial driveways will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  The following standards shall be incorporated into any driveway design/ construction:

  •  Mass Highway Department Standard Specifications, Division II, Section 701
  •  City of Springfield DPW Standard Construction Details:

0007 - STANDARD SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION AT COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAYS

0008 - STANDARD SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION AT RESIDENTIAL   DRIVEWAYS

0018 - BRICK SIDEWALK, SIDEWALK TREATMENT AT DRIVEWAYS

0056 -TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY

 REQUIREMENTS:

 Pre-construction

  • All existing driveways servicing the site must be shown on the plan.
  • Any existing driveways deemed unnecessary must be shown as “to be closed”.  The size and type of curbing used for the closing must match the existing curb and the paved ramp must be removed and replaced with suitable material to grade.
  • Any proposed new, altered or relocated driveway or sidewalk, within the public way, must be shown in conformance with city specifications.
  • New driveways must be dimensioned at the curb line and at the throat.
  • All driveways mustbe labeled existing or proposed.
  • The driveway approval will be part of the overall plan approval
  • For projects involving individual driveways only, submit two (2) copies of plans to the DPW Engineering Division

REQUIREMENTS:

Pre-construction

  • All requirements items above apply to this submittal.
  •  Plan preparation by a registered professional engineer is not required; however, the plan must be prepared clearly and precisely.
  •  Applicant shall obtain written approval from DPW Engineering before construction

 Construction

  • All driveways shall be constructed to Springfield DPW Construction Standards.
  • DIGSAFE shall be notified at least 72 hours prior to construction
  • The applicant shall request an inspection after the subgrade is prepared and after the construction is complete. A 24 hour notice is requested
  • Contractor is responsible for obtaining DPW Street Opening Permit prior to construction
  • Commercial driveway geometry and construction will be based on the anticipated truck loading (H-20 or higher) and frequency of truck visits for the facility

Green Infrastructure Technical Guidlines

Site Plan Checklist

Traffic Report Checklist

Page last updated:  Thursday, October 22, 2020 11:08 am