Street Adequacy Determination

A street adequacy determination requires a review of current road conditions by Planning and Engineering staff, and a determination by the Planning Board of what improvements must be made to the roadway by the applicant. 

The following projects will trigger the requirement for a street adequacy determination with the Planning Board per §176-7.0:

  1. A new dwelling is added to a vacant lot that uses an unaccepted street for vehicular access; or
  2. A new dwelling on a lot created through an Approval Not Required, Definitive Subdivision, Special Residential Development, or Open Space Residential Development, that uses an unaccepted street for vehicular access; or 
  3. A dwelling unit is added to a lot with existing dwelling(s), that is not an accessory dwelling unit, and that uses an unaccepted street for vehicular access; or
  4. A change in use of a lot which uses an unaccepted street for vehicular access. 

Applicants should contact planning staff to request a roadway evaluation prior to submitting an application. The applicant must check for all needed permits (Conservation Commission, Zoning, Building, etc.) before submittal. 

Do you live on an unaccepted street? Check out our Unaccepted Street FAQ's

Not sure if you're property is on an unaccepted street? Check out our Unaccepted Streets Map 

*Please note: General construction on an unaccepted street often time does not require a SAD, but does require a check-in with Planning staff. If you are adding more than 1,000 sf of GFA to your lot, then you are required to submit a $5,000 surety payment to the Planning Office that will be released upon completion of construction, and confirmation from staff that no damage was done to the unaccepted street during the construction process.

All applications are now accepted electronically. Submit your project electronically on OpenGov. 

This application requires an abutters list application.

If you experience an issue or have a question regarding our new online application, please contact the Planning Office by email or call 781-698-4565.