(a) Plans for improvements required shall be prepared by a registered engineer and shall be submitted to the City Manager or his/her designee. The improvements listed in subsection (b)(1) through (9) hereof shall be installed prior to the approval of the final plat, which is prepared for recording purposes. In lieu of actual completion of the improvements except those improvements which must be completed in order to make functional parts thereof, the subdivider may file with the City Treasurer a surety bond or letter of credit to secure the actual construction of the improvements in a manner satisfactory to the City Manager or his/her designee and within a period of not to exceed two (2) years. The bond or letter of credit shall be in the amount and with surety and conditions satisfactory to the City Manager and City Solicitor and shall be adequate to cover the cost of the improvements.
(b) The owner of the tract may prepare and secure approval of a preliminary plan and improvement plans for the entire area and then install the required improvements only in a portion of the area, but the improvements must be installed in any portion of the area for which a final plat is approved for recording, and the owner may sell or lease or offer for sale or lease lots only in the improved portion of the property.
(1) Permanent Markers.
A. Permanent markers shall be set in accordance with Ohio R.C. 711.03 or to any applicable revision of the Ohio Revised Code.
B. Permanent bench marks shall be accessibly placed at the site and accurately noted on the improvements plans.
(2) Street Improvements.
A. All streets shall be graded for the full width between property lines, and the roadway improved by surfacing. All grading and surfacing shall be done under supervision of the City Engineer or the Service Director at the expense of the subdivider and shall be subject to approval. The subdivider shall engage the services of a private, qualified soils engineer to perform compaction testing of all fill areas and of the subgrade prior to paving and shall furnish the City Engineer or the Service Director a copy of the soils engineer's reports at no cost to the City. After settlement, the excavation shall be brought to grade with dry fill material properly compacted. Sewer, water, electric, gas, telephone, and cable television house connections or crossovers shall be installed before paving, unless written permission has been obtained from the City Manager or his/her designee to do otherwise.
B. Roadway surfacing shall be at least twenty-eight (28) feet wide including curb, provided that cul-de-sac streets shall terminate in a paved turnaround with a minimum outside or curb radius of twenty- nine (29) feet. Streets in industrial subdivisions shall have a minimum paved width of thirty-seven (37) feet including curbs, provided that cul-de-sac streets shall terminate in a paved turnaround with a minimum outside or curb radius of fifty (50) feet.
C. Roadway surfacing in all cases, unless the City Manager approves an alternate which is equivalent or better, shall be full depth/deep strength asphalt construction in accordance with standard drawings and paving specifications of Hamilton County. The Rules and Regulations of the office of the County Engineer of Hamilton County shall be followed, unless the City Manager approves an alternate which is equivalent or better.
D. Streets shall be accepted by the City for public maintenance only after they have been completed for a period of one year and development of at least eighty percent (80%) of the abutting lots has occurred, unless the City finds that circumstances beyond the subdivider's control have made it unfeasible to complete development of at least eighty percent (80%) of the abutting lots within a reasonable period of time, in which case the City may accept the streets upon presentation by the subdivider of a maintenance bond, letter of credit, or certified check satisfactory to the City Manager and City Solicitor. Before acceptance, the streets will be inspected by the City Engineer or the Service Director, and will have to be structurally sound, properly constructed, and in good overall condition.
(3) Sidewalks. All sidewalks shall connect to the pavement or curb at intersections, with one-half (½) inch expansion joint between walk and curb, and with handicap ramps on every corner. One-half (½) inch expansion joints shall be placed at intervals not to exceed 100 feet. Sidewalks at least four (4) feet wide, of single course concrete at least five (5) inches (seven (7) inches across driveways) thick, and located within the street right of way parallel to and one foot from the street right-of-way line shall be provided along both sides of all streets in all zoning districts, unless specifically waived by the Community Development Director or his/her designee, and in all areas, regardless of the zoning district, where shown on a development plan as provided by the Zoning Code as an integral part of the zoning regulations applicable to the real estate.
(4) Water Lines. The subdivider shall connect with an approved public water supply and make it available for each lot within the subdivided area. Fire hydrants shall also be installed by the subdivider within 500 feet of all structures in accordance with the requirements of the fire department. The rules, regulations, specifications and applicable requirements and procedures of the Cincinnati Water Works shall be followed in the design and construction of water system improvements.
(5) Sanitary Sewers. The subdivider shall connect with an approved public sanitary sewer system and provide adequate sewer lines accessible to each lot. Sanitary sewers shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the rules, regulations, specifications and applicable requirements and procedures of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati.
(6) Storm Sewers. Adequate provision shall be made for control of storm water and surface water runoff. Storm sewers, swales, storm water retention or detention basins and other measures shall be provided as needed to prevent flooding, ponding and erosion within the subdivision and downstream from the subdivision. All parts of the subdivision shall be graded and drained to prevent the standing of storm water. Where necessary, outlet swales or sewers shall be provided to convey the water to an existing flow way or outlet. The subdivider's engineer shall follow modern engineering practice of providing storm sewers and storm water inlets or catch basins in gutters or swales to drain all the street intersections and to limit the flow of surface water in gutters and swales before entering a sewer inlet, to approximately 250 feet. Facilities must be provided to care for downspouts, driveway aprons and yard drains, and the plan must carry a notation that all surface water drains will be connected to a storm sewer or storm drainage facility. Storm sewer systems shall be designed in accordance with applicable County rules and regulations governing the Construction, Operation and Maintenance in the County of Hamilton Storm Drainage System as amended and shall include all features determined by the City Engineer to be necessary to control storm water drainage.
(7) Street Lights. The subdivider shall install or cause to be installed streetlights along streets within the area being subdivided. Streetlights shall be, unless otherwise approved by the City Manager or his/her designee, placed on underground served poles not to exceed twenty-eight (28) feet in height and shall comply with requirements set forth herein and in Section 905.14 of the Blue Ash Code of Ordinances. Minimum lighting levels shall comply with the following requirements:
Streetlights shall be shown on a plan and submitted to the City Manager or his/her designee for review and approval. All streetlights shall be approved and maintained streetlights by the local electric company unless provisions for private maintenance are set forth and are permanently guaranteed by a legally recorded document approved by the City Manager or his/her designee.
(8) Tree Planting. The subdivider shall plant first class nursery grade street trees, with not less than a four (4) inch caliper tree every twenty-five (25) feet on both sides of the street. At the time of planting, the lowest limb of any tree shall not be less than seven (7) feet above ground. Existing trees that are properly located may be used in lieu of required trees. All tree planting plans shall be approved by the City Manager or his/her designee.
(9) Electric, Telephone and Television Cable. The subdivider shall install or cause to be installed underground electric service lines and telephone cables. In industrial subdivisions where the local electric company advises the City that the power load requirements are sufficiently large as to make underground service impractical or unfeasible, electric and telephone lines may be installed overhead along rear lot lines, if approved by the Commission. Where cable television service is or will be in operation, the subdivider shall install cable for such service simultaneously with and in the same manner as electric and telephone cables are installed, both within the right of way and to individual building connections.
(c) After approval of the improvements plans, no change in engineering features will be permitted unless such charges are approved by the City Manager or his /her designee.
(d) The subdivider, his/her engineer or his/her contractor, shall give notice to the Chief Building Official or other designated inspector, or to the Service Director at least twenty-four(24) hours in advance of any construction of physical public improvements, including grading, in order that an inspector may be assigned at the cost of the subdivider. The subdivider shall make a deposit to the City Treasurer in an amount equal to the estimated cost of inspection plus administration costs of the public improvements, prior to beginning construction. This deposit shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) at any one time. When this one thousand dollars ($1,000) has been depleted to three hundred dollars ($300.00) or less, another deposit will be required.
(Ord. 2017. Passed 1-26-17.)