(A) Purpose and applicability. The purpose of this section is to establish minimum design standards for subdivisions so that all newly created subdivisions are consistent with the objectives for high design quality set forth in the General Plan, to provide for residential neighborhoods and developments that promote healthy living environments and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community. Unless approved by the City Council via a variance or other mechanism identified in this chapter or the Zoning Code, all subdivisions shall be subject to the following minimum subdivision design standards.
(B) Access to parcels. Each parcel created by any land division pursuant to this chapter shall be provided with a means of vehicle access in any of the following manners:
(1) The parcel has approved access which connects with a public right-of-way.
(2) The parcel has approved access which connects to a private street that is approved by the City Council.
(3) For parcels zoned for and planned to support any multifamily residential use, the parcel has approved access in the form of an easement/common driveway that is recorded in the office of the County Recorder.
(C) Alleys. The following standards apply to the establishment of an alley:
(1) The minimum width for an alley serving any parcel zoned strictly for residential use shall be 20 feet;
(2) The minimum width for an alley serving both residential and commercial or industrial uses shall be 25 feet;
(3) The minimum width for an alley serving either or both commercial and industrial uses shall be 30 feet;
(4) All alleys shall be provided with exterior lighting for public safety purposes, and such lighting shall be oriented in a manner that light and glare does not impact any residential use. Such lighting shall be consistent with the city lighting master plan and subject to the approval of the City Planner;
(5) Residential subdivisions that provide alley access to an approved parking facility shall have the alley access designed in a manner that serves all approved parking facilities for all of the newly created parcels; and
(6) Any residential subdivision that includes alley access shall include provisions for an assessment district wherein the city shall be responsible for improvements and street sweeping, unless otherwise provided by a development agreement or conditions of approval.
(D) Parcels adjacent to city boundaries. No city corporate boundary line shall divide any newly created parcel or parcels.
(E) Cul-de-sac, turnaround and dead end streets.
(1) The design of any cul-de-sac, turnaround or dead end street, whether public or private, shall include adequate provisions for drainage pursuant to the requirements of the Public Works Director and City Engineer.
(2) The design of any cul-de-sac, turnaround or dead end street, whether public or private, shall meet the minimum requirements established by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
(3) No cul-de-sac, turnaround or dead end street, whether public or private, shall have a length in excess of 500 feet, as measured from the centerpoint of one intersection to the centerpoint of the next nearest intersection, as shown in Figure 152.40.E.
(4) The subdivider shall refer to the City Engineer’s Standards Manual for the design of cul-de-sac, turnaround and dead end streets.
Figure 152.40.E: Measurement of Distance: Cul-de-Sac, Turnaround, and Dead End Streets
(F) Curbs, sidewalks and parkways.
(1) All divisions of land shall be designed to include public rights-of-way that provide pedestrian and bicycle connections between neighborhoods and districts, consistent with the General Plan.
(2) Parkways of a minimum width of ten feet shall be provided for all public streets. Sidewalks shall be provided and have a minimum width of five feet. A minimum width of five feet shall be provided for landscaping.
(3) The corners of all new streets shall include ramps that meet accessibility requirements consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
(4) All rights-of-ways shall be designed to meet ADA requirements.
(5) The subdivider shall refer to the City Engineer’s Standards Manual for the design of all street improvements, including curbs, sidewalks and parkways.
(G) Drainage.
(1) Provision shall be made to convey all runoff to underground drainage facilities or other facilities approved through the discretionary permit review process.
(2) As may be required by law, provision shall be made for underground retention basins or other features designed to provide for the filtration, infiltration and/or other remediation of surface runoff prior to its release into underground conveyance systems.
(H) Easements. Public utility, sanitary sewer and drainage easements shall be provided in such locations and to such widths as required by the Public Works Director and City Engineer.
(I) Flag lots and through lots.
(1) As set forth in § 153.040.050 of the Zoning Code, the creation of flag lots is prohibited.
(2) The creation of new through lots shall not be permitted unless provision is made to limit street access to one lot frontage, with such frontage to be established consistent with the frontage of the adjoining lots.
(J) Parcel dimensions.
(1) Except for parcels created with a frontage on a cul-de-sac, no portion of a newly created parcel shall have a width that is less than the minimum required lot width specified in the Zoning Code for the zoning district in which parcel is located.
(2) The minimum parcel street frontage width for parcels on a cul-de-sac shall be at least three times as wide as the minimum required driveway width.
(3) The side lines of all parcels, as far as practicable, shall be at right angles to straight streets or radial to curved streets.
(K) Street or alley half-width dedications prohibited. The dedication and/or construction of half-width streets or alleys shall be prohibited. The full-width of any required street or alley shall be dedicated at the time of subdivision.
(L) Street names. Street names shall be assigned in accordance with adopted City Council policy.
(M) Streets relation to existing system. Streets within a division of land shall be designed to relate in the following ways to adjacent existing street systems:
(1) Alignment. Alignment of streets in new divisions of land shall conform to and provide for the continuation of the principal adjacent pre-existing streets or their proper projection, where adjoining property has not been developed.
(2) Centerline to centerline. As far as practicable, the streets shall be in alignment with existing adjacent streets by continuation of the centerlines thereof and by adjustments by curves.
(3) Width. The streets shall be at least as wide as the pre-existing streets to which they relate and shall be situated in such a way as to accommodate rational future access and street patterns.
(4) Offset. If centerlines are not aligned within five feet of each other, streets shall be offset at least 200 feet, unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Director for reasons of severe topography, one-way streets or other unusual circumstances.
(N) Natural heating and cooling. The design of a subdivision shall provide, to the extent feasible, for passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities to be incorporated into the design and construction of any structures to be built within the subdivision. Consideration shall be given to configuration of the property to be divided, to design of lot size and configuration to permit orientation of a structure in an east-west alignment for southern exposure and to take advantage of shade or prevailing breezes.
(Ord. 1346, passed 5-2-12) Penalty, see § 10.99