(A) The subdivider shall lay out, grade or otherwise improve all streets and alleys that are designated on the approved plat or that directly serve the subdivision in compliance with the standards and specifications of the city code in compliance with the following provisions:
(1) Except for major thoroughfares and expressways, streets and alleys shall be constructed in accordance with standards and specifications governing the same.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code, all street right-of-way widths shall conform to division (B)(9) below.
(3) Streets shall be compliance with the provisions found in § 158.32.
(B) The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade and location of all streets shall conform to all the elements of the most recently adopted comprehensive plan and shall be designed and approved in accordance with the following provisions:
(1) Major thoroughfares and collector streets shall be planned to conform to the comprehensive plan.
(2) Access to major thoroughfares or expressways. Development adjacent to a major thoroughfare or expressway designated on the comprehensive plan shall comply with the following:
(a) Only backing or siding residential lots shall be located adjacent to the above described highways unless a frontage road is provided for local access purposes.
(b) A suitable effective screening easement of at least ten feet shall be provided along the portion of the lots backing or siding a major street. There shall be no right of access across a planting screen easement, except where sidewalks and/or bicycle paths are deemed appropriate.
(c) Steel mesh fencing at least four feet high with permanent evergreen plant screening or an opaque fence as approved by the Planning Commission, shall be installed by the developer within the required screening easement at the right-of-way line behind or at the side of residential lots and shall be maintained by the developer for one year from the date of installation. When planted, the evergreen plants shall be at least three feet high.
(d) In any area where residential single-family or residential two-family lots abut a major thoroughfare or expressway shown on the comprehensive plan, no curb cuts shall be made or permitted from the lots onto the traffic ways at any time, except where the lots have no other access to a street right-of-way.
(e) Commercial and industrial subdivisions shall provide access from each parcel to a major thoroughfare or expressway by means of a street system designed for the use, but they shall not have access to residential streets in a manner that encourages or promotes the movement of traffic through residential neighborhoods.
(3) Local streets shall be laid out so that their use by arterial traffic will be discouraged and the principles of the neighborhood unit concept as provided in the comprehensive plan will be followed.
(4) Where a subdivision borders on or contains a railroad right-of-way or limited access highway right-of-way there may be required a street approximately parallel to one each side of the right-of-way at a distance suitable for the appropriate use of the intervening land. The distances also shall be determined with due regard for the requirements of approach grades and future grade separation structures.
(5) Reserve strips controlling access to streets shall be prohibited, except where their control is placed in the city under conditions approved by the City Council and acceptable to the subdivider.
(6) 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 of the subdivider.
(7) Street jogs with centerline offsets of less than 125 feet shall be prohibited.
(8) Intersections shall have the following design standards:
(a) Streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. A proposed intersection of two new streets at an angle of less than 75 degrees shall not be acceptable. An oblique street should be curved approaching an intersection and should be approximately at right angles for at least 100 feet therefrom. Not more than two streets shall intersect at any one point unless specifically approved by City Council.
(b) Proposed new intersections along one side of an existing street shall, wherever practicable, coincide with any existing intersections on the opposite side of the street. Street jogs with center line offsets of less than 125 feet shall not be permitted, except where the intersected street has separated dual drives without median breaks at either intersection. Where streets intersect with major streets, their alignment shall be continuous.
(c) Minimum curb radius at the intersection of two local streets shall be at least 30 feet and a minimum curb radius at an intersection involving a collector street shall be at least 35 feet.
(d) Intersections shall be designed with a flat grade wherever practicable. In hilly or rolling areas, at the approach to an intersection, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than 2% grade at a distance of 60 feet, measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
(e) Where any street intersection will involve earth banks or existing vegetation inside any lot corner that would create a traffic hazard by limiting visibility, the developer shall cut the ground and/ or vegetation, including trees, in connection with the grading of the public right-of-way to the extent deemed necessary by the City Engineer to provide an adequate sight distance.
(f) The cross-slopes on all streets, including intersections, shall be 3% or less.
(9) Street right-of-way-widths shall be in accordance with the comprehensive plan and where not designated therein shall be not less than the following:
(a) Minimum right-of-way widths for major thoroughfares shall be 100 feet.
(b) Minimum right-of-way widths for collector streets shall be 60 feet.
(c) Minimum right-of-way widths for local streets shall be 50 feet.
(d) Minimum right-of-way widths for cul-de-sacs shall be 50-foot radius.
(10) The paved widths of all streets shall be adequate to serve the existing and future estimated traffic load for the facility. Lane widths for all public streets shall be as follows:
(a) The paved width of major thoroughfare streets shall be 48 feet.
(b) The paved width of collector streets shall be 32 feet.
(c) The paved width of local streets shall be 26 feet.
(d) The paved area of cul-de-sacs shall be at a radius of 40 feet to the face of the curb.
(11) Dead-end streets shall be permitted provided the following requirements are complied with:
(a) The arrangement of streets shall provide for the continuation of streets between adjacent properties when the continuation is necessary for the convenient movement of traffic, effective fire protection or for the efficient provision of utilities. If the adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must be a dead-end street temporarily, the right-of-way shall be extended to the property line. A cul-de-sac, "T-" or "L-shaped" turnabout shall be provided on all temporary dead-end streets, with the notation on the subdivision plat that land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to abutters whenever the street is continued. The City Council may limit the length of temporary dead-end streets in accordance with the design standards of these regulations.
(b) Where a road does not extend to the boundary of the subdivision and its continuation is not required by the City Council for access to adjoining property, its terminus shall normally not be nearer to the boundary than 50 feet. However, the City Council may require the reservation of an appropriate easement to accommodate drainage facilities, pedestrian traffic or utilities. A cul-de-sac turnaround shall be provided at the end of a permanent dead-end street in accordance with city construction standards and specifications.
(c) For greater convenience to traffic and more effective police, fire protection and sanitation service, permanent dead-end streets shall, in general, be limited in length in accordance with the design standards of these regulations.
1. Permanent cul-de-sacs or other dead-ends shall be limited to a maximum length of six times the minimum lot width, however, in no case shall a cul-de-sac or other dead-end serve more than 14 families or exceed 500 feet in length.
2. Temporary cul-de-sacs or other temporary dead-ends shall be limited to a maximum length of 12 times the minimum lot width, however, in no case shall a temporary cul-de-sac or other dead-end serve more than 25 families or exceed 1,000 feet in length.
(12) Half streets shall be prohibited, except where essential to the reasonable development of the subdivision in conformity with the other requirements of this code and provided that the Council 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 the tract to be subdivided, the other half of the street shall be platted within the tract being subdivided.
(13) The arrangement of streets shall be such as to cause no hardship in the subdividing of adjacent properties. The Council may require the dedication of street rights-of-way to facilitate the development of adjoining properties.
(14) No street names shall be used which will duplicate or be confused with the names of existing streets. A road which is or is planned as continuation of an existing street shall bear the same name. Street names shall be subject to the approval of the Council.
(15) All grades shall conform to the requirements of the City Engineer with the following minimum standards observed:
(a) Street grades for major streets shall not exceed 5%.
(b) Street grades for all other classes of streets shall not exceed 80%.
(c) No street surface shall have a finish grade of less than 0.35%.
(d) When deemed necessary the Council may permit an exception from these grades in order to adjust to the topographical conditions and with recommendations of the City Engineer.
(C) The following design standards apply to alleys:
(1) Alleys shall be provided in commercial and industrial districts, except that the Council may waive this requirement where other definite and assured provisions are made for service access, such as off-street loading, unloading and parking consistent with and adequate for the uses proposed.
(2) Alleys serving commercial and industrial areas shall not be less than 30 feet in width.
(3) Alleys are not required for residential areas, but when provided shall not be less than 20 feet in width.
(4) Alley intersections and sharp changes in alignment should be avoided, but when necessary, corners shall be cut off sufficiently to permit safe vehicular movement.
(5) Dead-end alleys should be avoided, but if necessary, shall be provided with adequate turnaround facilities at the dead-end, as determined by the Council.
(Prior Code, § 13-537) (Am. Ord. 1347, passed 10-1-85; Am. Ord. 1974, passed 8-6-19)