(A) Road standards.
(1) Public roads.
(a) Except as herein provided, all subdivision lots created after the effective date of this chapter shall abut on a public street.
(b) All public streets shall be dedicated to the town, the state or the public.
(c) All public streets created after the effective date of this chapter shall be built to the standards of this chapter and all other applicable standards of the town and the State Department of Transportation.
(d) Public streets not dedicated to the town which are eligible for acceptance into the state highway system shall be constructed to the standards necessary to be put on the state highway system or the standards in this chapter, whichever is stricter, in regard to each particular item.
(e) Streets not dedicated to the town which are not eligible to be put on the state highway system because there are too few lots or residences shall, nevertheless, be dedicated to the public and shall be in accordance with the standards in this chapter or the standards necessary to be put on the state highway system, whichever is stricter in regard to each particular item, so as to be eligible to be put on the system at a later date.
(f) A written maintenance agreement with provisions for maintenance of the street until “R” is put on the state system shall be included with the final plat.
(2) Private roads.
(a) Private roads, which are not maintained by NCDOT or any municipality in the county, shall be permitted.
(b) These roads shall meet all right-of-way and construction standards of NCDOT with the following exceptions:
1. Roads which provide access to five or fewer lots may be unpaved and contain a road surface consisting of ABC gravel at least four inches thick; the unpaved roads shall have a minimum road surface width of 16 feet. In no instance may any subdivision be approved containing both paved and unpaved roads. In no instance shall one unpaved private road be allowed to intersect with another unpaved private road; all the roads shall otherwise meet NCDOT standards except as herein provided;
2. All private roads shall be local roads; and
3. No two private roads accessing the same public road shall be less than 500 feet apart as measured at their access points on the public road.
(c) On any subdivision road created after the effective date of this chapter, it shall be the responsibility of the subdivider to prove to the town’s satisfaction prior to final plat approval that the road meets the standards as herein prescribed.
(d) On any unpaved private road created after the effective date of this chapter, no more than three lots shall be able to access that road at the time the final plat is recorded and at any time in the future. Many unpaved private roads existed prior to the effective date of this chapter. Subdivisions occurring after the effective date of this chapter shall be allowed on these roads provided that no more than three lots are accessed by such a road; and the road meets all applicable construction standards.
(e) In no instance after the effective date of this chapter may an unpaved portion of a road be extended from the end of a road which already is paved. Any extensions of the road must be paved and meet all NCDOT requirements.
(f) All private roads shall be marked as such on the final plat and a written maintenance agreement shall be provided and recorded with the County Deeds office once the final plat has been approved.
(g) Graphic examples illustrating the regulations for private roads are found on illustrations located on the following two pages.
(B) Subdivision street disclosure statement.
(1) All streets shown on the final plat shall be designated in accordance with G.S. § 136-102.6 and designated, as a public street shall be conclusively presumed an offer of dedication to the public.
(2) Where streets are dedicated to the public but not accepted into a municipal or state system before lots are sold, a statement explaining the status of the street shall be included with the final plat.
(C) Marginal access street.
(1) Where a tract of land to be subdivided adjoins an arterial road, the subdivider may be required by the Town Board of Aldermen to provide a marginal access street parallel to the arterial road or reverse frontage on a local street for the lots to be developed adjacent to the arterial road.
(2) Where reverse frontage is established, private driveways shall be prevented from having direct access to the arterial road.
(D) Access to adjacent properties. Where it is deemed desirable by the Town Board of Aldermen, proposed streets shall be extended by dedication to the boundary of the property. The Town Board of Aldermen in those instances may require that a temporary turn-around be provided.
(E) Street improvements. Street improvement standards shall be the same both inside and outside the town limits.
(1) Right-of-way widths. Right-of-way widths shall be in accordance with minimum NCDOT specifications as contained in Subdivision Roads, Minimum Construction Standards (latest version) or similar publication adopted by NCDOT.
(2) Paving requirements. Paving widths shall be in accordance with minimum NCDOT specifications as contained in Subdivision Roads, Minimum Construction Standards (latest version) or similar publication adopted by NCDOT.
(3) Grading. Finished grade, cross section and profile shall be approved by the town and meet all town and NCDOT specifications, whichever is stricter.
(4) Paving. Road base and paving (where required) shall be installed in accordance with town or NCDOT specifications and standards, whichever is stricter.
(5) Curbs, gutters and storms. All required curb and gutter shall meet the standards outlined in the town zoning ordinance, Chapter 153 of this code of ordinances.
(6) Underground utilities.
(a) Unless specifically waived by the Planning Board or Town Board of Aldermen due to topography, location of underground rock and the like, all utility lines shall be constructed underground.
(b) All service lines to individual lots shall be installed prior to the paving of any streets.
(F) General street requirements (inside and outside town limits).
(1) Streets to be laid out. Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as near 90-degree angles as possible and practical, and no street shall intersect any other street at an angle less than 60 degrees.
(2) Street jogs with centerline offsets of less than 200 feet. Street jogs with centerline offsets of less than 200 feet shall be prohibited.
(3) Street intersections within arterial and collector roads. Street intersections within arterial and collector roads shall be a minimum of 800 feet from centerline to centerline.
(4) Property lines at street intersections. Property lines at street intersections shall be rounded with a minimum radius of 20 feet. At an angle of intersection of less than 75 feet, a greater radius may be required.
(5) Street grades. Street grades shall be established wherever practical in a manner so as to avoid excessive removal of ground cover and street growth, and general leveling of the topography.
(6) Conformity to existing maps or plans.
(a) In any new subdivision, the street layout shall conform to the arrangement, width, location of proposed streets on any official plans or maps for the town.
(b) In areas for which the 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 the streets.
(7) Continuation of adjoining streets. The proposed street layout shall be coordinated with the street system of the surrounding area. Wherever possible, existing streets shall be extended.
(8) Large tracts or parcels. Where land is subdivided into parcels larger than ordinary building lots, the parcels shall be arranged so as to allow for the opening of future streets and logical further resubdivision.
(9) Permits for connection to state roads. 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.
(10) Wheelchair ramps. In accordance with G.S. § 136-44.14, all street curbs in the state being constructed or reconstructed for maintenance procedures, traffic operations, repairs, correction of utilities or altered for any reason after September 1, 1973, shall provide wheelchair ramps for the physically disabled at all intersections where both curb and gutter and sidewalks are provided and at other major points of pedestrian flow.
(11) Street signs. Appropriate street name signs, which meet the town and/or county specifications, shall be placed at all street intersections at the subdivided expense.
(G) Cul-de-sacs. Permanent dead-end streets should not exceed 500 feet in length unless necessitated by topography or property accessibility, and in no case shall be permitted to be over 1,000 feet. Measurement shall be from the point where the centerline of the dead-end street intersects with the center of a through street to the center of the turnaround of the cul-de-sac. Where one cul-de-sac intersects with another cul-de-sac, the end of each cul-de-sac shall be no more than 500 to 1,000 feet from a through street, measured as stated above.
(H) Sidewalks. All required sidewalks shall meet the standards outlined in the town zoning ordinance, Chapter 153 of this code of ordinances.
(1) Sidewalks may be required along both sides of streets in subdivisions.
(2) Sidewalks shall be required in order to promote the free flow of vehicular traffic and to provide safety to pedestrians.
(3) Sidewalks shall be constructed within the street right-of-way and installed in accordance with town specifications and standards.
(Ord. passed 1-16-2001; Ord. passed 6-19-2001; Ord. passed 10-9-2018)