Unless modified herein, minimum lot area, dimensions and street frontage shall be determined by the City’s zoning ordinance. Except in the case of planned unit developments, when some strict requirements may be waived, the following general standards shall be observed for all lots suitable for development:
A. Required Frontage on Public Way: Each lot shall front upon a public street. Each lot shall have direct public access or private easement access to a public street unless restricted by City Council resolution.
B. Boundary Prohibition: No lot shall extend over a political subdivision boundary.
C. Lot Grades: Where practical, each lot shall provide a building site at least eighteen inches (18") above the street grade. Lot grades on lots and blocks of record shall be verified, prior to issuance of building permits, on a certificate of survey.
D. Remnants of Lots: All remnants of lots below minimum standards in the applicable zoning district left over after subdividing a larger tract must be added to adjacent lots rather than allowed to remain as unusable parcels.
E. Lots Abutting Bodies of Water:
1. Lots with river frontage shall be designed so that lot lines extended shall maintain the closest approximation to riparian right.
2. Lots abutting upon a watercourse, drainage channel or stream shall have additional depth or width to ensure that building sites are not subject to flooding. Road access both to the subdivision and to the individual building sites shall be no lower than two feet (2') below the regulatory flood protection elevation.
F. Through or Double-Frontage Lots: Through or double-frontage lots shall not be permitted, except where such lots abut a minor arterial or principal arterial highway. Such lots shall have an additional depth of twenty-five feet (25') for berming, screening and/or plantings to negate noise and other potential adverse impacts from higher volume roadways. Vehicular access may be limited to one (1) street at the time of subdividing.
G. Cul-De-Sac Lots: Cul-de-sac lots shall not be narrower than sixty feet (60') in width at the right of way. An exception can be made in unsewered areas by the City Council in the case of severe topography where land would be underutilized without this exception or when developed in a sewered area under a planned unit development zoning district.
H. Corner Lots: Corner lots shall be at least ten feet (10') wider than interior lots.
I. Large Lots: Where lots are platted in excess of twenty-four thousand (24,000) square feet or one hundred sixty feet (160') in width at the building setback line, a preliminary resubdivision plan shall be required, showing a potential and feasible way in which the lot or lots may be resubdivided in future years for more intensive use of the land and the placement of buildings or structures upon such lots.
J. Transition Lots: Where a proposed subdivision is adjacent to higher volume roadways, incompatible land uses, zoning districts, or future land uses identified on the comprehensive plan or amendments thereto, depths of lots shall be increased by at least twenty-five feet (25') to allow for a combination of space berming or other landscaping techniques to buffer each incompatible land use.
K. Designation of Lot Square Footage: Lot square footage shall be designated on the preliminary plat, boundary adjustments or rural subdivisions or simple lot divisions. A letter shall accompany the final plat, certified by an engineer or surveyor, stating that all lot sizes meet applicable zoning requirements and lot identification and final square footages are identified.
L. Building Sites: Lots shall be designated and building sites located so that sufficient lot width and depth are provided for reasonable space for outdoor living and required parking space is available. Residential living units built on a slope shall have at least twenty feet (20') of rear yard usable space at a minimum slope.
M. Minimum Rear Lot Line: Where practical, all lots should have a minimum of thirty feet (30') in width at the rear lot line.
N. Natural Features: Subdivision design shall be sensitive to such items as rock outcropping, tree growth, drainage and watercourses, slopes and bluffs. The design and grading plan shall strive to preserve those that add attractiveness or environmental sensitivity to the proposed development.