(A) Street location and arrangements. Within a proposed subdivision, arterial and collector streets, as shown on the Thoroughfare Plan, shall be dedicated to the public in all cases. In general, all other streets, including new collectors and locals, shall also be dedicated to public use. The street layout shall conform to the following:
(1) When a Thoroughfare Plan or Comprehensive Plan has been adopted, subdivision streets shall conform generally to the plans.
(2) Local streets shall be so arranged as to discourage their use by through traffic.
(3) The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions should be such that the streets extend to the boundary line of the tract to make provisions for the future extension of the streets into adjacent areas.
(4) Local streets shall be arranged in proper relation to topography in a manner which results in usable lots, safe streets, and acceptable gradients without unnecessary destruction of drainage courses, trees, and other natural features of land.
(5) Alleys shall be provided in multiple dwelling or commercial subdivisions unless other provisions are made for service access and off-street loading and unloading. Dead-end alleys shall be prohibited.
(6) Where a subdivision abuts or contains an arterial street, it shall be required that frontage roads be constructed approximately parallel to, and on, each side of such arterial street. The Commission may require other treatment necessary for the adequate protection of residential properties and to separate through traffic from local traffic. A single row of lots backing up to the arterial will not be discouraged. However, vehicular access from the lots to the arterial shall be prohibited.
(6) No intersection shall be constructed with more than four approach legs and the development of three legged T-intersections is encouraged due to the increased safety of the intersections.
(7) Half-streets shall be prohibited except where unusual circumstances make a facility necessary to the reasonable development of a tract in conformance with these regulations and where satisfactory assurance for dedication of the remaining part of the street is provided. Whenever a tract to be subdivided borders on an existing half or partial street, the other part of the street shall be dedicated within such tract.
(8) Whenever a proposed subdivision borders an existing street, the Commission may require the reconstruction or widening of the street as a condition of plat approval. Additional dedication of right-of-way may also be required.
(9) When there is a situation of unusual physical conditions or a controlled design environment in evidence and it can be satisfactorily demonstrated to the Commission that a private street is the only feasible solution, the private streets may be authorized, provided pavement construction standards shall be the same as the minimum public standard, and adequate covenant provisions are made for direct responsibility and control by the property owners involved to provide for the perpetual operation, liability, and maintenance of the private streets at no expense to the town.
(10) No subdivision of land shall be permitted if the demands of the projected traffic to be generated by the development will decrease the service levels of the adjacent street system below “C” as determined by Table 5 in the appendix to this chapter. Demand to be generated on the current street system shall be calculated based on Table 6 in the appendix to this chapter.
(B) Lot arrangements.
(1) The lot arrangements shall be such that there will be no foreseeable difficulties, for reasons of topography or other conditions, in securing building permits to build on all lots in compliance with the zoning chapter and other regulations and in providing safe driveway access to buildings on the lots from an approved street.
(2) Lot dimensions shall comply with the minimum standards of the zoning ordinance.
(3) Double frontage and reversed frontage lots shall be discouraged except where necessary to provide separation of residential development from arterial streets or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography and orientation.
(4) Lots shall not generally derive access exclusively from an arterial or major collector street. Where driveway access from an arterial or major collector street may be necessary for several adjoining lots, the Plan Commission may require that such lots be served by a common and combined driveway in order to limit possible traffic hazards on such street.
(5) Lots shall be laid out so as to provide positive drainage away from all buildings and individual lot drainage shall be coordinated with the general storm drainage pattern for the area.
(6) Topsoil shall not be removed from residential lots or used as spoil, but shall be redistributed so as to provide at least six inches of cover on the lots and at least four inches of cover between the sidewalks and curbs, and shall be stabilized by seeding or planting.
(7) No cut trees, timber, debris, earth, rocks, stones, soil, junk, rubbish, or other waste materials of any kind shall be buried in any land, or left deposited on any lot or street at the time the buildings are ready for occupancy.
(8) Where individual septic tanks have been authorized, sufficient area shall be provided for a replacement sewage disposal system.
(9) Property which is zoned R-2 or R-3 under the Town Zoning Ordinance shall not be subdivided for use as single-family, detached dwellings.
(C) Block arrangements.
(1) Blocks shall have sufficient width to provide for two tiers of lots of appropriate depth. Exceptions to this prescribed block width shall be permitted in blocks adjacent to major transportation facilities, water courses, and industrial and commercial areas.
(2) Whenever practical, blocks along arterials and major collector streets shall not be less than 1,000 feet in length. As a general rule, blocks in other residential areas shall not be more than 1,000 nor less than 400 feet in length.
(3) In long blocks the Plan Commission may require an easement through the block to accommodate utilities, drainage facilities, or pedestrian walkways.
(4) Where blocks are developed along arterial streets and/or highways that shall contain alleys, those alleys shall run parallel to the arterial and not perpendicular or radial to it so as to create an intersection between the arterial and alley.
(D) Subdivision and street names.
(1) The proposed name of the subdivision shall not duplicate, or too closely approximate phonetically, the name of any other subdivision in the area covered by these regulations. The Plan Commission shall have final authority to approve the name of the subdivision which shall be determined at the time of preliminary plat approval.
(2) Street names shall not duplicate any existing name within the area covered by these regulations except where a new street is a continuation of an existing street. Street names that may be spelled differently but sound the same as existing streets shall not be used.
(3) The Plan Commission shall have final authority to name all streets (in case of conflict) upon recommendation of the Technical Committee at the time of preliminary plat approval.
(E) Public sites and open spaces.
(1) Where it is determined that a proposed park, playground, school or other public use as shown on the local government's plan is located in whole or in part within a proposed subdivision, sufficient area for such public use shall be dedicated to the public or reserved and offered for public purchase. If within three years of plat recording, the purchase is not agreed on, the reservation shall be cancelled or shall automatically cease to exist.
(2) Existing natural features which add value to residential development and enhance the attractiveness of the community shall be preserved in the design of the subdivision.
(Ord. 93-Z-03, passed 3-8-93; Am. Ord. 95-Z-01, passed 2-13-95; Am. Ord. 2006-Z-02, passed 4-25-06)