Items for Submission

The submission requirements for Residential Site Plan Approval are detailed in Weston's Zoning By-laws (PDF):

  • Under Section II. and Section V.B.2. c. - for new or replacement construction on a Scenic Road
  • Under Section V.B.2.d. and Section XI - for new or replacement structures under Residential Gross Floor Area (“RGFA”)

Application Form

One copy of the completed Application Form (PDF) shall be sent to the Town Planner and the Planning Board Consultant.

Fees

The filing fee of $300; the review fee of $4,000; and an Advertising Fee of $50 shall be made out in separate checks to the Town of Weston and shall be sent to the Weston Town Planner accompanied by the application. Refer to Planning Board document Adoption of Review Fees (PDF), also found in the Building Department. Review fees accrue interest. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to request any unused funds from the Town, at the end of the project period.

Site Plan

The Site Plan shall be prepared by a Surveyor or Civil Engineer. The landscape architect or designer shall add plantings and proposed exterior lighting to the Site Plan or on a separate Landscape and Exterior Lighting Plan. The plan shall generally be at a scale of 1-inch = 20-feet and in no case shall the scale be smaller than 1-inch = 40-feet and show the entire lot, including the street frontage, and general location of abutting properties. It is highly recommended that the Planning Board consultant and /or Town Planner be contacted if there is any question in determining the appropriate scale for submission.

All plans, documents, etc. are to have the project street address in the title block and a date. 

The Site Plan shall be shown on a certified perimeter plan of the lot and include the following contents:

  1. North arrow
  2. Existing and proposed grades with a contour interval of 2 feet - Sample Grading Plan
  3. Proposed footprint of the house and all structures
  4. Proposed location of the driveway
  5. Proposed location of the septic system
  6. Existing vegetation and other natural features (e.g. major trees, rock outcroppings, streams, wetlands, etc.). The wetland vegetation boundary outlined in light blue; 100-foot buffer in yellow and 25-foot buffer in green; the 200-foot riverfront buffer in purple; and the 100-foot riverfront buffer in brown. Different line symbols may be substituted for the different colors
  7. Proposed limits of clearing necessary for construction of the house, accessory structures, driveway and septic system
  8. Proposed “no disturbance” areas- boundary line in a black line symbol, highlighted in red
  9. Proposed fences, retaining walls or other accessory structures (e.g. pools, tennis courts, cabanas, etc.)
  10. An approximate calculation of the proposed gross cut or fill necessary on the entire lot to accommodate all changes to existing grades
  11. Adjacent intersecting property lines with the current owner(s) name
  12. All off lot structures, paths, and trails located within 100-feet of all of the lot boundaries
  13. Each change to a submitted site plan shall include a new revision date

Septic System Plan

The Septic System Plan shall be prepared by an individual authorized under Title V of the Massachusetts Environmental Code. Included with the plan shall be the location and results of all deep hole tests and percolation tests performed on the lot. The Applicant should be able to discuss and defend how the proposed siting of the septic system complies with the intent of the Standards and Criteria and the Scenic Road and Residential Gross Floor Area provision to the By-law, as opposed to presenting the most efficient design.

The Applicant should understand that for Planning Board purposes, the location of the septic system should not be limited to the area of the site with “best” soils. Clearing, Grading, and additional disturbance should be minimized. The location and configuration of the system should compliment the rest of the site design and once constructed, should not appear unnatural. Grading above and around the system should be naturalized.

Architectural Plans

The Plans shall be prepared by a registered architect at 1/8 scale or other scale approved by the Planning Board consultant and/or Town Planner and include the following:

  1. Floor plans
  2. Elevations of the house from all sides, with a note identifying materials to be used on the façade and roof, and the color of house and trim (provide paint chips, as well). Elevations shall call out the Average Natural Grade and proposed highest ridge height.
  3. Elevation of the house and accessory structures as seen from the street frontage(s), showing location of abutting homes
  4. Two sections through the proposed house showing property lines, structures, walls, etc. One section shall begin across the street from which the proposed driveway(s) enters the lot and show the home across the street and run through to the rear of the lot and show the adjacent home to the rear. The second section shall be roughly parallel to the street frontage and include nearby adjacent homes, where present

Existing grades shall be shown on the sections with a dashed line and proposed finish grades with a solid line.

Proposed landscaping, including existing trees to remain, shall be shown on the sections, to scale. The scale of the sections may be smaller than 1/8 scale.

Residential Gross Floor Area (RGFA)

Residential Gross Floor Area (RGFA) square footage calculations, i.e., measured from outside wall to outside wall, of the following:

  • 1st floor
  • 2nd floor
  • Finished attic
  • Entire basement if it is considered a story above grade. See ZBL Definitions
  • Attached or detached garage
  • Accessory structures (e.g. barn, shed, cabana, etc.)

Submit on an 8 1/2” x 11” sheet, plans of all floors, including the basement, if applicable, with dimensions and square footages.

Calculations

Provide calculations of house height, as defined by the Weston Zoning By-Law (Average Natural Grade and stories), to be stamped by a registered architect and/or registered engineer.

Landscape Plan

The Landscape Plan shall include:

  • The location and species of trees greater than 6” caliper (measured 12 inches over the soil line)proposed to be removed. An “X” shall be indicated on these trees
  • The location and species of proposed new trees and woody plants
  • Ground covers proposed for all areas inside the limit of disturbance boundary
  • driveways and walkways and materials used
  • Patios and walls
  • A table or chart on the plan showing type, size and quantity of plant material
  • Buffers- of particular interest are proposed buffers in the areas between the house and the street frontage(s) and the areas near abutting properties

Lighting Plan

Note: The required contents of the lighting plan may be included on the site plan or landscape plan.

  • Manufacturer Cut Sheets of each proposed light fixture or type are also to be submitted. The project address and date is to be handwritten on each cut sheet.
  • For each exterior lighting fixture within 75-feet of any property line, a copy of the Manufacturer’s light distribution map must be submitted.
  • Projects should not exceed 22,000 lumens.

Zoning Conformance Sheet

The Applicant shall determine whether the lot, existing house and proposed house are in conformance with the underlying zoning district. A zoning conformance table on a separate sheet is part of the submission. The Sheet shall show the following information:

  • Zoning District
  • Minimum Required Lot size
  • Minimum Required Frontage
  • Minimum required setback from ROW and Center Line
  • Minimum required setback from lot line
  • Existing Lot Size
  • Existing Frontage
  • Existing and Proposed Setback
  • Existing and Proposed Setback

List of Consultants

A list of consultants, the name of contact persons and their telephone numbers, responsible for the following tasks associated with the project shall be provided:

  • Architectural design
  • Site planning and engineering
  • Septic system design
  • Landscape design
  • Exterior lighting

The Applicant shall submit a Certified Abutter’s list as part of the submission. This must be a certified list obtained from the Planning Board’s Administrative Assistant.

Assessors Map

Provide a copy of the Assessor’s map with the proposed building lot highlighted, as part of the submission.

Go to Maps Online to print an Assessors Map

Stormwater Plans

Stormwater Plans and calculations should be prepared by a Professional Engineer. Post-development peak rates of runoff from a site must be equal to or less than pre-development peak rates of runoff for the 2, 10 and 100-year storm events. Provide supporting plans, details and calculations . Best management practices as described in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Stormwater Policy Handbook and general engineering practice should be followed in the design of stormwater controls.

Stormwater controls should be incorporated into the site design so that they compliment and do not detract from the rest of the site. Clearing, grading and additional disturbance to the site should be minimized. Stormwater controls should, whenever possible, be constructed in previously disturbed areas. Due to their impacts on the site and lack of aesthetic quality, detention basins are discouraged. Infiltration of runoff as a means of controlling the peak rate of runoff is highly encouraged.