(A) Street layout.
(1) In any new subdivision the street layout shall conform to the arrangement, width and location indicated by an official plan or map for the town. In areas for which such plans have not been completed, the streets shall be designed and located in proper relation to existing and proposed streets, to the topography, to such natural features as streams and tree growth, to public convenience and safety, and to the proposed use of land to be served by such streets.
(2) Residential collector and local streets and roads shall be laid out in such a way that their use by through traffic will be discouraged. Streets shall be designed or walkways dedicated to assure convenient access to parks, playgrounds, schools, or other places of public assembly.
(3) The proposed street layout shall be made according to good land planning practice for the type development proposed and shall be coordinated with the street system of the surrounding areas. The arrangements of streets in new subdivision shall make provision for the continuation of the principal existing streets in adjoining subdivisions or, when adjoining property is not subdivided, their proper projection insofar as they may be necessary for vehicular circulation in the future. The street and alley arrangement must be so designated as to cause no hardship to owners of adjoining property when they plat their own land and seek to provide for convenient access to it. When a new subdivision adjoins subdivided land, the new streets shall be carried to the boundaries of the tract proposed to be subdivided, except where it is determined by the Planning Board that certain streets may not be required to be so extended.
(4) Proposed streets should be adjusted to the contour of the land so as to produce usable lots and streets shall be kept to a minimum.
(B) Intersections.
(1) Intersection of local streets with major streets shall be kept to a minimum.
(2) An approved permit is required for connection to any existing state system road. This permit is required prior to any construction on the street or road. The application is available at the office of the nearest district engineer of the NC Division of Highways.
(3) All connections of private streets to public streets must be approved by the NCDOT or Board of Commissioners prior to preliminary plat approval.
(C) Cul-de-sacs.
(1) As a feature of subdivision design, cul-de-sacs should be discouraged and kept to a minimum. Cul-de-sacs should not be used to avoid connection with an existing street or to avoid the extension of an important street, unless an exception is granted by the Planning Board.
(2) Permanent dead-end streets shall not exceed 400 feet in length unless necessitated by topography or property accessibility and in no case shall be permitted to be over 900 feet. Measurement shall be from the point where the centerline of the dead-end street intersects with the centerline of a through street to the center of the turnaround of the cul-de-sacs.
(D) Half-streets.
(1) The dedication of half-streets of less than 50 feet at the perimeter of a new subdivision shall be prohibited. If circumstances render this impracticable, adequate provision for the concurrent dedication of the remaining half of the street must be furnished by the subdivider. Where there exists a half-street in an adjoining subdivision, the remaining half shall be provided by the proposed development.
(2) However, in circumstances where more than 50 feet of right-of-way is required, a partial width right-of-way, not less than 50 feet in width, may be dedicated when adjoining undeveloped property is owned or controlled by the subdivides provided that the width of the partial dedication is such as to permit the installation of such facilities as may be necessary to serve abutting lots. When the adjoining property is subdivided, the remainder of the full required right-of-way shall be dedicated.
(E) Alleys.
(1) Alleys may be required in all blocks along the rear line of business property, in multiple-family residential or industrial blocks, if, in the opinion of the Planning Board, alleys are needed to service these areas.
(2) All dead-end alleys shall be provided with a turnaround in accordance with town standards.
(3) Sharp changes in alignment and grade shall be avoided. All alleys shall be designed in accordance with North Carolina Department of Transportation standards.
(4) No alley shall have access from a major street or highway, but shall have its access points confined to minor, lightly traveled streets.
(F) Street names and signs.
(1) Proposed streets, which are obviously in alignment with other existing and named streets, shall bear the assigned name of the existing streets.
(2) In assigning new names, duplication of existing names shall be avoided and in no case shall the proposed name be phonetically similar to existing names in Caswell Beach and the extra territorial jurisdiction irrespective of the use of a suffix such as a street, road, drive, place, court, etc. Street names shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Commissioners.
(3) The subdivider shall be required to provide and erect metal street name signs to town or county standards, as appropriate, at all intersections and at any other point within the subdivision deemed necessary by the town. Subdividers shall assume the total cost of all new signs in addition to any installation costs involved.
(G) Street dedication.
(1) All public streets inside the corporate limits of the Town of Caswell Beach shall be dedicated to the town and all public streets in the extraterritorial area shall be constructed to the standards necessary for acceptance into the state highway system or the standards in this chapter, whichever is stricter in regard to each particular item, and may be added to the state system, if eligible. If such a public street is not eligible for acceptance into the state system, due to an inadequate number of lots or residences, it shall, nevertheless, be dedicated to the public.
(2) All public streets shall be built to the standards of this chapter and all other applicable standards of the Town of Caswell Beach and/or the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
(H) Street lights. All subdivisions within the corporate limits of the Town of Caswell Beach shall have streetlights installed, according to town code.
(I) Street trees. Developers are encouraged to plant native deciduous shade trees along both sides of all streets in new subdivisions. Such trees should be planted within the right-of-way areas and be spaced no more than 40 feet apart.
(J) Disclosure statement. All streets shown on the final plat shall be designated in accordance with G.S. § 136-102.6 and designation as public shall be conclusively presumed an offer of dedication to the public. Where streets are dedicated to the public but not accepted into a municipal or the state system before lots are sold, a statement explaining the status of the street shall be included with the final plat.
(K) Access to adjacent properties. Where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, it is necessary to provide for street access to an adjoining property, proposed streets shall be extended by dedication to the boundary of such property and a temporary turnaround provided. In areas subdivided and recorded prior to the adoption of this chapter (i.e. lots of record) which do not have direct access to a public road or highway, a private drive or roadway may provide access for further division meeting the definition of a minor subdivision if and only if a permanent easement for such drive or roadway, with a minimum right-of-way width of 20 feet, is recorded with the Register of Deeds and depicted as such on the final plat.
(L) Nonresidential streets. The subdivider of a nonresidential subdivision shall provide public streets in accordance with the North Carolina Roads, Minimum Construction Standards and the standards of this chapter, whichever are stricter in regard to each particular item.
(M) Private streets. Private streets may be allowed within the jurisdiction of this chapter only if they meet the following criteria:
(1) All private streets shall be designated as such on the preliminary and final plats.
(2) No more than five lots may be accessed by a private street.
(3) Private streets shall meet or exceed the minimum standards for streets approved by the NCDOT and carry the same warranties set forth in this chapter.
(4) Vehicle turnarounds must be provided at the end of all dead end streets. Vehicle turnarounds must accommodate emergency vehicles including but not limited to ambulance and fire safety equipment.
(5) (a) A right-of-way maintenance agreement, satisfactory to the Council, must be recorded by a property owner's association in the office of the Register of Deeds to ensure proper maintenance. The agreement shall specify lot owners' responsibilities for maintenance of private streets and drainage systems, and shall provide for assessments to finance all maintenance activities. In addition, all property transfer instruments must contain reference to that agreement, as well as a statement indicating that the private street does not meet public standards for maintenance and will not be considered for maintenance unless improved by the property owner's association to those standards. This agreement shall also specify that unless the street is privately maintained in condition for safe passage of public service and emergency vehicles, the town may provide such maintenance, with charges therefore becoming a lien on the properties served, dividing among them proportionate to their assessed tax valuation.
(b) A legally responsible organization such as a property owner's association shall be established to maintain a private street(s). Documents to assure private responsibility of future maintenance and repair by property owner's association shall be provided to the town prior to preliminary plat approval.
(N) Gated/controlled subdivisions. All gated or controlled access subdivisions within the jurisdiction of this chapter must provide continuous accessibility to subdivision for provision of public service and emergency vehicles.
(Ord. passed 9-8-83; Am. Res. passed 4-8-10; Am. Ord. passed - -)