(A) 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.
(B) Therefore, the design of each subdivision shall be prepared in accordance with the principles established by the comprehensive plan for the land use, traffic, community facilities and public utility services and in accordance with the following general principles:
(1) It is intended that the city's urban area should be designed as a group of integrated residential neighborhoods and appropriate commercial and industrial and public facilities. The neighborhood, as a planning unit, is intended as an area principally for residential use.
(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 shall 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) Traffic within the urban area shall be provided in accordance with the following design criteria:
(a) Each subdivision shall provide for the continuation of all collector streets and major thoroughfares as shown on the comprehensive plan. Arterial streets should be located on the perimeter of the residential neighborhood.
(b) Local streets shall 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 shall be planned so that future urban expansion will not require the conversion of local streets to collector or thoroughfare streets.
(c) Collector streets shall be designed to provide a direct route from other local streets to the major thoroughfare street system.
(d) Ingress and egress to residential properties shall be provided only on local or collector streets.
(e) Pedestrian ways shall be separated from roadways used by vehicular traffic. Sidewalks shall be designed to provide all residential building sites with direct access to all neighborhood facilities, including the elementary schools, parks and playgrounds, churches and shopping centers.
(5) Minimum standards for development are contained in Chapter 158 of this code of ordinances, the Building Code and in this subchapter. However, the comprehensive plan expresses policies which are intended to achieve optimum quality of development in the urban area. If only the minimum standards are followed, as expressed by the various ordinances regulating land development, a standardization of development will occur. This will produce a monotonous urban setting. Subdivision design shall be of a quality to carry out the purpose and spirit of the policies expressed in the comprehensive plan and in these provisions rather than be limited to the minimum standards required herein.
(Prior Code, § 13-531) (Am. Ord. 1974, passed 8-16-19)