(A) Urban design principles. The quality of design of the urban area is dependent on the quality of design of the individual subdivisions that compose it. Good community design requires the coordination of the efforts of each subdivider and developer of land within the urban area. Therefore, the design of each subdivision shall be prepared in accordance with the principles established by the General Plan for land use, circulation, community facilities, and public utility services and in accordance with the following general principles.
(1) It is intended that the urban area should be designed as a group of integrated residential neighborhoods and appropriate commercial and industrial and public facilities.
(2) The size of lots and blocks and other areas for residential, commercial, industrial, and public uses should be designed to provide adequate light, air, open space, landscaping, and off-street parking and loading facilities.
(3) The arrangement of lots and blocks and the street system should be designed to make the most advantageous use of topography and natural physical features. Tree masses and large individual trees should be preserved. The system of sidewalks and roadways and the lot layout should be designed to take advantage of the visual qualities of the area.
(4) Circulation within the urban area shall be provided in accordance with the following design criteria.
(a) Each subdivision shall provide for the continuation of all arterial streets and highways as shown on the Major Street Plan. Arterial streets should be located on the perimeter of the residential neighborhood.
(b) Minor streets should be designed to provide access to each parcel of land within the residential neighborhood and within industrial areas and in a manner that will discourage use by through traffic. They should be planned so that future urban expansion will not require the conversion of minor streets to arterial routes.
(c) Collector streets should be designed to provide a direct route from other minor streets to the major street system.
(d) Ingress and egress to residential properties should be provided only on minor streets.
(e) Pedestrian ways should be separated from roadways used by vehicular traffic. Sidewalks should be designed to provide all residential building sites with direct access to all neighborhood facilities including the elementary school, parks, playgrounds, churches, and shopping centers.
(5) Minimum standards for development are contained in the zoning regulations, the building code, and these regulations. However, the General Plan expresses policies which are intended to achieve optimum quality of urban development. If only the minimum standards are followed, as expressed by the various regulations affecting land development, a standardization of development will occur. This will produce a monotonous urban setting. Subdivision design should be of a quality to carry out the purpose and spirit of the policies expressed in the General Plan and in these regulations rather than be limited to the minimum standards required herein.
(Prior Code, § 18-110)
(B) Subdivision design standards.
(1) Streets. The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade, and location of all streets shall conform to all of the elements of the General Plan and shall be designed in accordance with the following provisions.
(a) Effective September 1, 2005, street construction shall include cement curbing.
(b) Major streets shall be planned to conform with the Major Street Plan.
(c) Whenever a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed major street, the Planning Commission may require service streets, reverse frontage with screen planting contained in a non-access reservation along the rear property line, deep lots, or such other treatment as may be necessary for adequate protection of residential properties and to afford separation of arterial and local traffic.
(d) Minor streets shall be laid out so that their use by arterial traffic will be discouraged.
(e) Where a subdivision borders on or contains a railroad right-of-way or limited access highway right-of-way, the Planning Commission may require a street approximately parallel to and on each side of such right-of-way at a distance suitable for the appropriate use of the intervening land. Such distances also shall be determined, with due regard, for the requirements of approach grades and future grade separation structures.
(f) Reserve strips controlling access to streets shall be prohibited except where their control is placed in the town under conditions approved by the Planning Commission.
(g) Where the plat to be submitted includes only part of the tract owned or intended for development by the subdivider, a Tentative Plan of a proposed future street system for the unsubdivided portion may be required by the Planning Commission.
(h) When a tract is subdivided into larger than normal buildings, lots, or parcels, such lots or parcels shall be arranged to permit the logical location and opening of future streets and appropriate re-subdivision with provision for adequate utility easements.
(i) Street jogs with centerline offsets of less than 125 feet should be avoided.
(j) Street right-of-way widths shall be in accordance with the Major Street Plan and, where not designated therein, shall be not less than the following:
Major Streets
| |
Primary with median | 120 feet |
Primary without median | 100 feet |
Secondary with or without median | 80 feet |
Minor Streets
| |
Collector | 60 feet |
Cul-de-sac | 50 feet |
Minor | 50 feet |
(k) The grades of all streets shall not exceed the following except where unusual topographic conditions justify, in the opinion of the Planning Commission, a modification of these standards:
Major Streets
| |
Primary | 5% |
Secondary | 7% |
Minor Streets
| |
No street shall be less than | 0.3% |
(l) The paved width of all streets shall be adequate to serve the existing and future terminated traffic load for the facility. Lane widths for all streets shall be as follows:
1. All major streets shall have lanes for traffic movement of 12 feet in width and lanes for parallel parking or emergency stopping of not less than ten feet in width.
2. All minor streets shall have lanes for traffic movement of 12 feet in width and lanes for parallel parking of not less than six feet in width.
(m) A cul-de-sac should not exceed 500 feet in length, measured from the entrance to the center of the turnaround. If a cul-de-sac is more than 150 feet in length, it shall be provided with a turnaround having a radius of not less than 50 feet at the property line and not less than 40 feet at the curb line. There shall be provided in the center of the turnaround an unpaved island which has a radius of not less than 12 feet or more than 16 feet. Any unpaved island shall be improved with grass and landscaping in such a manner that it will not interfere with sight distance.
(n) Half streets shall be prohibited except where they are essential to the reasonable development of the subdivision in conformity with the other requirements of these regulations and provided that the Planning Commission finds it will be practical to obtain the dedication of the other half of the street easement when the adjoining property is subdivided. Whenever a half street is adjacent to a tract to be subdivided, the other half of the street shall be platted within such tract.
(o) The arrangement of streets shall be such as to cause no hardship in the subdividing of adjacent properties. The Planning Commission may require the dedication of street rights-of-way to facilitate the development of adjoining properties.
(p) No street names shall be used which will duplicate or be confused with the names of existing streets. Street names shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Commission.
(q) Streets serving commercial areas shall have rights-of-way not less than 60 feet with a paved width not less than 40 feet.
(r) Streets serving industrial areas shall have rights-of-way not less than 80 feet with a paved width not less than 50 feet.
(2) Alleys.
(a) Alleys shall be provided in commercial and industrial districts; except the Planning Commission may waive this requirement where other definite and assured provision is made for service access (such as off-street loading, unloading, and parking) consistent with and adequate for the uses proposed.
(b) Alleys serving commercial and industrial areas shall not be less than 30 feet in width.
(c) Alleys shall be required for residential areas, and they shall be not less than 20 feet in width.
(d) Alley intersections and sharp changes in alignment should be avoided, but where necessary, they shall be provided with adequate turnaround facilities at the dead-end, as determined by the Planning Commission.
(3) Easements.
(a) Where alleys are not provided, easements not less than ten feet wide shall be provided, where possible, along rear lot lines and along side lot lines, where necessary, for use by public and private utilities. The Planning Commission may require aerial easements and easements of greater width for the extension of main storm and sanitary sewers and other utilities where it is deemed necessary.
(b) Where a subdivision is traversed by a water course, drainage channel, or stream which drains 160 acres or more of land, there shall be provided a right-of-way for drainage and public parks and utility purposes adequate to contain all of the runoff from a 50-year maximum flood. The right-of-way shall include all of the land within the subdivision that has an elevation which shall be calculated to provide for the drainage requirements of the ordinances and regulations relating thereto.
(4) Public areas and open spaces. Public parks, playgrounds, school sites, and other public areas and open spaces shall be provided in accordance with the requirements and standards set forth in the Comprehensive Plan and in the ordinances and regulations relating thereto.
(5) Blocks.
(a) The lengths, widths, and shapes of blocks shall be determined with due regard for the following:
1. Provision of adequate building sites suitable to the special needs of the type of use contemplated;
2. Zoning requirements as to lot sizes and dimensions;
3. Needs for convenient access, circulation, control, and safety of street traffic; and
4. Limitations and opportunities of topography.
(b) Blocks for residential use should not be longer than 1,800 feet, measured along the center line of the block. When a block exceeds 600 feet in length, the Planning Commission may require a dedicated easement not less than 15 feet in width and a paved crosswalk not less than four feet in width to provide pedestrian access across the block.
(c) Blocks used for residential purposes should be of sufficient width to allow for two tiers of lots of appropriate depth. Blocks intended for business and industrial use should be of a width suitable for the intended use with due allowance of off-street parking and loading facilities.
(6) Lots.
(a) Residential lots shall be not less than 50 feet in width at the front building line and shall abut a street a distance of not less than 30 feet; except, a corner lot shall be not less than 60 feet in width at the front building line.
(b) Side lot lines should be approximately at right angles or radial to street lines.
(c) The depth of residential lots should not be less than 90 feet.
(d) The area of residential lots shall be not less than 5,000 square feet.
(e) In residential subdivisions where septic tanks or individual sewage disposal devices are to be installed, the area of the lot shall be not less than 22,500 square feet or as required by the State Health Department where water wells are involved, and the width of the lot at the front building line shall be not less than 100 feet.
(f) Lots are not required for subdivision for commercial and industrial use, but when provided, they should be of appropriate size and arrangement to provide for adequate off-street parking and loading facilities based on the intended use.
(g) Double frontage and reverse frontage lots should be avoided except where they are needed to provide for the separation of development from traffic arteries or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography and orientation. A planting screen easement of at least 20 feet in width shall be provided along the portion of the lots abutting such a traffic artery or other use where screening is required. There shall be no right of access across a planting screen easement.
(7) Building lines. Building lines shall be provided for all residential subdivisions as follows:
(a) A front building line shall be located at least 25 feet back of the street right-of-way line.
(b) A side yard building line on the side of a corner lot abutting the street shall be located not less than 15 feet back of the street right-of-way when such lot is back-to-back with another lot and not less than 20 feet back of the street right-of-way line in every other case.
(c) A side yard building lines shall be provided not less than ten feet back of a crosswalk right-of-way line on the side of a lot abutting a mid-block crosswalk.
(d) Restrictions requiring buildings to be located within the building lines shown on the plat shall be set forth on the plat or on a separate recorded instrument.
(8) Neighborhood unit development. Whenever a subdivision is developed as a neighborhood unit wherein adequate park or playground area is provided, through traffic is cared for adequately, and the majority of the minor streets are of the cul-de-sac or loop type, the Planning Commission may vary the requirements of this subchapter in order to allow the subdivider more freedom in the arrangement of streets and lots but at the same time protect the convenience, health, safety, and welfare of the probable future residents of the subdivision as well as the character of the surrounding property and the general welfare of the entire community. However, in no case shall the lot area be less than 6,000 square feet for detached single-family dwellings.
(Prior Code, § 18-111)