(A) The general configuration of blocks shall be regular and shall promote safe, efficient traffic movement as well as an orderly configuration of lots. The shape and configuration of lots shall relate to the type of land uses thereon. Rectangular blocks shall be a minimum of 240 feet wide and shall provide for two tiers of lots, except for blocks abutting a major street (See Figure 3).
(B) The lengths of blocks shall be such as are appropriate, in the opinion of the Planning Commission, for the locality and type of development contemplated, but shall not exceed 1,800 feet where the average size of lots does not exceed two acres in area, nor shall they be less than 500 feet long.
(C) In any block over 900 feet in length, the Planning Commission may require that a crosswalk or pedestrian way, not less than ten feet wide, be provided near its center.
(D) The number of intersecting streets along major streets shall be held to a minimum. Wherever practicable, blocks along such trafficways shall not be less than 1,200 feet in length.
(E) Cul-de-sac streets should not exceed 600 feet in length.
(F) (1) Larger or more irregular blocks may be allowed when using one of the following arrangements:
(a) Superblock-A large block which contains uses oriented to the bounding road. Interior areas are dedicated to parkland, commons areas, or other activities not requiring street access.
(b) Cluster housing. Grouping of houses on smaller lots and combining the remaining land into a common park for residents. Often houses are clustered about cul-de-sac streets, and open space occupies what would normally be backyard areas.
(2) The size and configuration of lots and blocks may vary from specific requirements of these regulations so long as the proposed development is located within a zoning district for planned development, or is jointly considered with application for establishment of such a district. The layout and design of blocks not meeting specific requirements of these regulations shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Commission. Suggested or characteristic superblock and cluster housing layouts are shown on Figure 3.
(G) Proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the tract to be subdivided, unless prevented by topography or other physical conditions or unless, in the opinion of the Planning Commission, such extension is not necessary or desirable for the coordination of the layout of the subdivision with the existing layout or the most advantageous future development of adjacent tracks. Streets leading to adjoining, unplatted property must be provided at intervals not to exceed 1,200 feet measured along boundaries adjoining the unplatted property. A two- foot wide buffer lot shall be provided at the end of such streets to prevent egress until such street is extended into the unplatted property. At that time, the buffer lot shall revert to the public right-of-way. Dead-end portions of such streets shall not exceed 300 feet in length. No other dead-end streets shall be permitted. No other strips of land along track boundaries tending to preclude street extensions will be permitted.
(H) Proposed streets shall be continuous and in alignment with existing, planned, or platted streets with which they are to connect.
(I) Wherever there exists within or adjacent to a subdivision, a street designated as a local or collector street or a major thoroughfare by the city master plan, sufficient land shall be dedicated to meet the minimum right-of-way width, or half width when appropriate, as designated in these regulations.
(J) Wherever there exists adjacent to the tract to be subdivided a dedicated or platted and recorded half-width street or alley, the other half width of such street or alley shall be platted.
(K) All streets, whether existing or new, abutting the boundaries of the subdivision, shall be improved to their center lines. All existing streets passing through the subdivision shall be improved for their entire widths and this requirement cannot be avoided by a developer by breaking up a subdivision into two or more plats or by calling different portions of a subdivision by different names. Such improvements shall include the roadway, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and storm drainage system, and shall conform to standards established for the type of street or streets involved (local, collector, or major). When the abutting street or street within a subdivision is a collector or major street, or to be improved beyond local street standards, the developer shall be responsible for the cost of equivalent local street standards as determined by the city engineer. If improvement to the street center line is not practical because of elevation differences with existing pavement, the developer must agree to petition for the improvement of the street before approval of the preliminary drawing is granted. If an existing street and its attendant storm drainage system have already been improved to construction standards in effect at the time the subdivision is filed, as determined by the city engineer, the Planning Commission may waive the requirement for improvement of existing streets.
(L) Land uses abutting major streets are a constant problem. They require access to the major street, but the traffic they generate often constitutes a hazard to the free- flowing traffic on the major streets. Following are some recommended ways of dealing with lots located on major streets. (See Figure 2.)
(1) Lots along, and with access to, the major street can be of an elongated nature and of an enlarged size. Uses placed on these lots are best of an institutional or other nature which generate relatively small amounts of vehicular traffic or which are less affected by noise and congestion of the major street. The extra lot depth, to some degree, will provide a buffer between the noise and traffic on the major street and the land uses themselves.
(2) Many of the problems of major streets are the result of their numerous points of traffic entry and exits. It is often difficult to enter or exit from the stream of arterial traffic, while such movements pose a distinct safety hazard. A service road, parallel to the major street, provides the access to local properties. Traffic enters the major street at controlled intersections, usually placed at intervals of one- fourth to one-half mile.
(3) Lots must be laid out to face local and collector streets entering the major streets rather than on the major street itself.
(4) Lots can be laid out containing double frontage. Rears of lots abut major streets while their fronts adjoin interior local streets. To prevent access from the rear of these double-fronted lots, buffer lots are created paralleling the major street and deeded to the city.
(M) Proposed streets shall intersect one another as nearly at right angles as topography and other limiting factors of good design permit. Four-way intersections of two local streets shall be required and three-way, “T” intersections discouraged unless spaced a minimum of 500 feet from any other parallel street.
(N) Alleys shall be platted in all commercial and industrial areas if no other provisions are made for adequate access to parking and loading spaces. To provide safe access to residential lots located on major streets, alleys must be platted in the rear of such lots or service drives provided in front thereof. Alleys will not be approved in other locations in residence districts unless required by unusual topography or other exceptional conditions.
(O) Privately owned streets, used for access to lots, shall not be permitted unless specifically approved by the Planning Commission. Places shall be used only for local traffic and shall not be the extension or in the alignment of a major street. An easement equal in width to the standards contained in division (Q) below shall be reserved and roadway and storm drainage facilities shall be constructed according to the standards contained in §§ 151.35 through 151.38, and § 151.55. Public utilities shall not be accepted on a place, nor shall the city be responsible for street maintenance, repair, cleaning, or snow removal, or for utility maintenance repair.
(P) Minimum right-of-way width of streets, alleys, and easements for utilities. Extra easements for back slopes may be required by the Planning Commission where necessary. These minimums are established in accordance with the City of Bowling Green Access Management Policies and Guidelines plan.
(1) Major street rights-of-way:
(a) Arterial streets, 120 to 140 feet;
(b) Expressways, 150 feet; and
(c) Freeways, 200 feet.
(2) Minor street rights-of-way:
(a) Collector streets, 80 to 100 feet;
(b) Local streets, 60 feet; and
(c) Cul-de-sac turning circle diameter, 120 feet.
(3) Easements. (See Figure 4)
(a) Where easements are required for utilities, their total width shall be at least 15 feet on the rear and side lot lines.
(b) A 15-foot easement is required for sidewalks, trees and utilities abutting the right-of-way line in all cul-de-sacs. The easement shall start at the throat of the cul-de-sac and follow the right-of-way around the radius of the cul-de-sac.
(c) A ten-foot utility easement will be provided for all properties adjacent to the right-of-way.
(4) Alley rights-of-way, 20 feet.
(5) Open ditch easement, a 40 foot easement on each side of the centerline of the ditch.
(6) Enclosed ditch easement, 20 feet.
(7) On all cul-de-sacs, in addition to the right- of-way, an eight and one-half foot easement shall be provided for sidewalks. The easement shall start at the throat of the cul-de-sac and follow the right-of-way around the radius of the cul-de-sac.
(Q) Minimum pavement widths. The widths of pavements will vary depending upon the character of the development served and the amount of traffic expected to utilize the street. The following are the minimum street pavement widths measured from face to face of curbs.
(1) Major streets:
(a) Arterial streets, minimum width of 48 feet with straight curb, 52 feet with curb and gutter; and
(b) Expressways or freeways, each directional travel way, a minimum width of 28 feet.
(2) Collector streets:
(a) Minimum width of 28 feet with straight curb; and
(b) Minimum width of 32 feet with curb and gutter.
(3) Local streets:
(a) Minimum width of 24 feet with straight curb; and
(b) Minimum width of 24 feet with curb and gutter.
(4) Alleys: minimum width of 16 feet.
(5) The pavement of a turning circle (cul-de-sac) shall have a minimum outside diameter of 104 feet measured at the face of the curb. (See Figure 3.)
(R) Street grades, curves, and sight distances.
(1) The grades of streets shall be not less than four-tenths of 1% and shall not exceed the following.
(a) Major streets shown as such on the thoroughfare plan, 5%.
(b) Secondary thoroughfares, parkways, local, or collector streets, 7%.
(c) Minor streets, service drives, and alleys, 10%.
(d) Pedestrian ways or crosswalks, 4% desirable, unless steps or ramps of an acceptable design are constructed.
(2) All changes in street grades having an algebraic difference greater than 2% shall be corrected by vertical curves of a minimum length equal to 50 times the algebraic difference in the change of grade for major streets and parkways, and one-half of this minimum for all other streets.
(3) The radii of curvature of the center line shall not be less than the following.
(a) Major streets and parkways, shown as such on the thoroughfare plan, 600 feet.
(b) Local or collector streets, 100 feet.
(S) Intersections.
(1) At street and alley intersections property line corners shall be rounded by an arc, the minimum radius of which shall be ten and five feet respectively. In business districts, a chord may be substituted for the arc.
(2) Street curbs intersections shall be rounded by radii of at least 25 feet.
(3) The above minimum radii shall be increased when the smallest angle of the intersection is less than 60 degrees.
(T) Fire protection.
(1) Fire hydrants with two and one-half inch outlets and one large pumping connection shall be provided by the subdivider in all subdivisions with public water supplies. The hydrants should be located between property lines and curbs with all outlets facing parallel to the street. Hydrants shall be placed at the corners of all blocks and at midblock for blocks exceeding 500 feet in length. Hydrants shall also be required at the entrances and end of all cul-de-sacs exceeding 250 feet in length.
(2) The type of hydrant and control valves and the location of the hydrant shall be approved by the Fire Chief and Department of Utilities. The minimum size of any main water line located in the public right-of-way serving any hydrant shall not be less than eight inches in diameter and should be circulating water lines. The size and location of water lines should be approved by the city engineer, the Fire Chief, and the state insurance services office for commercial and industrial subdivisions.
(U) Drainage improvements. The developer shall construct all necessary facilities including underground pipe, inlets, and catch basins, as determined by the city engineer, to provide for the adequate disposal of subsurface and surface water and maintenance of natural drainage courses, including underground pipe for drainage of rear lot lines if deemed necessary by the city engineer. The velocity of flow in an open ditch shall not exceed four feet per second in soil ditches or six feet per second in turf gutters. Paved gutters will be required if velocities of flow are greater than those specified or if it is otherwise likely that destructive erosion will result. Drainage ditches shall not be permitted to discharge into any sanitary sewer facility.
(V) Storm sewers and storm water drainage. Where an adequate outlet for the storm drainage system is not available at the plat boundary, the developer shall at his or her expense construct the necessary off-site storm drainage improvements required to discharge the storm water from the subdivision into an adequate outlet. The storm drainage system and off-site improvements are to be of adequate size to serve the subdivision and the natural drainage area in which the subdivision is situated. Easements of adequate width shall be provided. Storm drainage including footer tile system around structures shall not be permitted to discharge into any sanitary sewer facility, but shall connect to an adequate storm drainage system.
(W) Culverts and bridges. Where natural drainage channels intersect any street right-of-way or planned right- of-way within a subdivision, or right-of-way or planned right-of-way linking two subdivisions or two or more plats of a single subdivision, it shall be the responsibility of the subdivider to have satisfactory bridges and/or culverts constructed. Where culverts are required, minimum requirements shall be observed as follows:
(1) All culverts shall extend across the entire right-of-way width of the proposed street. The cover over the culvert and its capacity shall be determined by the city engineer. The minimum diameter of a culvert pipe shall be 18 inches. Depending on existing drainage conditions head walls may be required.
(2) Driveway culverts shall have a minimum length of 20 feet, and a minimum diameter of 12 inches. The driveway culverts shall be laid so as to maintain the flow lines of the ditch or gutter. Head walls may be required.
(X) Over-size and off-site improvements. The utilities, pavements, storm drainage, and other land improvements required for the proposed subdivision shall be designed of over-size and/or with extensions provided to serve nearby land which is an integral part of the neighborhood service or drainage area as determined by the City Engineer.
(Y) A layout of electric service for the subdivision, including street lighting, transformer location, junction box and pedestal locations, shall be included. All appropriate utility easements shall be shown.
(1980 Code, § 151.37) (Ord. 3704, passed 6-5-1978; Am. Ord. 5342, passed 10-21-1991; Am. Ord. 5485, passed 12-7-1992; Am. Ord. 5926, passed 12-4-1995; Am. Ord. 6728, passed 2-20-2001; Am. Ord. 7052, passed 12-16-2002; Am. Ord. 7064, passed 1-21-2003; Am. Ord. 7243, passed 5-3-2004; Am. Ord. 7531, passed 3-6-2006
; Am. Ord. 7799, passed 7-21-09
)
