(A) The use of shared access, parking lot connections, and service drives, in conjunction with driveway spacing, is intended to preserve traffic flow along major thoroughfares and minimize traffic conflicts, while retaining reasonable access to the property. Where noted above, or where the Planning Administrator or Town Engineer determines that restricting new access points or reducing the number of existing access points may have a beneficial impact on traffic operations and safety while preserving the property owner's right to reasonable access, then access from a side street, a shared driveway, a parking lot connection, or service drive connecting two or more properties or uses may be required instead of more direct connection to the arterial or collector street. However, where traffic safety would be improved, and the driveway spacing requirements of this ordinance can be met, then direct connection to the arterial or collector street may be allowed in addition to a required service drive.
(1) Shared access, service drives, or at least a connection between abutting land uses may be required in the following cases:
(a) Where the driveway spacing standards of this section cannot be met.
(b) Where recommended in the Thoroughfare Plan and/or other corridor or sub-area plans of the Comprehensive Plan.
(c) When the driveway could potentially interfere with traffic operations at an existing or planned traffic signal location.
(d) The site is along a collector or arterial with high traffic volumes, or along segments experiencing congestion or a relatively high number of crashes.
(e) The property frontage has limited sight distance.
(f) The fire (or emergency services) department recommends a second means of emergency access.
(2) In areas where frontage roads or rear service drives are recommended, but adjacent properties have not yet developed, the site shall be designed to accommodate a future road/facility adhering to the standards of this chapter. The Planning Administrator or Town Engineer may approve temporary access points where a continuous service drive is not yet available and an irrevocable letter of credit, performance bond, or escrow is accepted to assure elimination of temporary access when the service road is constructed. (See § 155.06).
(B) Notwithstanding the requirements of the Hancock County, Indiana Subdivision Control Regulations, the standards for all the services drives shall be as follows.
(1) Site plan review. The Planning Administrator or Town Engineer shall review and approve all service drives to ensure safe and adequate continuity of the service drive between contiguous parcels as part of the site plan review process.
(2) Front and rear service drives. A front or rear service drive may be established on property that abuts only one public road. The design of a service road shall conform with national design guideline such as those identified in the Transportation Research Board (TRB) National Access Management Manual, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) "Green Book," and National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 348: Access Management Guideline to Activity Centers and Report 420: Impact of Access Management Techniques.
(3) Location. Service roads shall generally be parallel to the front property line and may be located either in front of, or behind, principal buildings and may be placed in required yards. In considering the most appropriate alignment for a service road, the Planning Administrator or Town Engineer shall consider the setbacks of existing and/or proposed buildings and anticipated traffic flow for the site.
(4) Width and construction material. A service drive shall be within an access easement permitting traffic circulation between properties. The easement shall be recorded with the County Recorder. This easement shall be at least 40 feet wide. A service drive shall have a minimum pavement width of 26 feet, measured curb-face to curb-face with an approach width of 36 feet at intersections. The service drive shall be constructed of a paved surface material that is resistant to erosion and shall meet the appropriate road authority standards for base and thickness of asphalt or concrete, unless the community has more restrictive standards.
(5) Snow storage and landscaping area. Frontage roads shall have a minimum setback of 30 feet from the right-of-way, with a minimum of 60 feet of storage at intersection for entering and exiting vehicles as measured from the pavement edge (See Figure 5.1a).
(6) Distance from intersection or service drives. Frontage road and service drive intersections at the collector or arterial street shall be designed according to the same minimum standards as described for driveways in § 155.04(D)(2).
(7) Driveway entrance. The Planning Administrator or Town Engineer shall approve the location of all accesses to the service drive, based on the driveway spacing standards of this chapter. Access to the service drive shall be located so that there is no undue interference with the free movement of service drive and emergency vehicle traffic, where there is safe sight distance, and where there is a safe driveway grade as established by the applicable road authority.
(8) Driveway radii. All driveway radii shall be concrete curbs and conform to the requirements of § 155.04 (E)(4).
(9) Acceleration lanes and tapers. The design of the driveway, acceleration, deceleration or taper shall conform to requirement of § 155.04(E)(4).
(10) Elevation. The elevation of a service drive shall be uniform or gently sloping between adjacent properties.
(11) Service drive maintenance. No service drive shall be established on existing public right-of-way. The service drive shall be a public street (if dedicated to and accepted by the public) or a private road maintained by the adjoining property owners it serves who shall enter into a formal agreement for the joint maintenance of the service drive. The agreement shall also specify who is responsible for enforcing speed limits, parking and related vehicular activity on service drive. The agreement shall be approved by the Town Attorney and recorded with deed of each property it serves by the County Recorder. If the service drive and charge back the costs directly or by special assessment to the benefiting landowners if they fail to properly maintain a service drive.
(12) Parking areas. All separate parking areas (i.e. those that do not use joint parking cross access) shall have no more than one access point or driveway to the service drive.
(13) Parking. The service road is intended to be used exclusively for circulation, not as a parking, loading, or unloading aisle. Parking shall be prohibited along two-way frontage roads and services drives that are constructed at the minimum width (see division (B)(4) above). One-way roads or two-way roads designed with additional width for parallel parking may be allowed if it can be demonstrated through a traffic study that on-street parking will not significantly affect the capacity, safety, or operation of the frontage road or service drive. The Planning Administrator or Town Engineer may require the posting of "No Parking" signs along the service road. As a condition to site plan approval, the Planning Administrator or Town Engineer may permit temporary parking in the easement area where a continuous service road is not yet available, provided that the layout allows removal of the parking in the future to allow extension of the service road.
(14) Directional signs and pavement markings. Pavement markings may be required to help promote safety and efficient circulation. The property owner shall be required to maintain all pavement markings. All directional signs and pavement markings along the service drive shall conform to the current Indiana Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
(15) Pedestrian and bicycle access. Separate, safe access for pedestrians and bicycles shall be provided on a sidewalk or paved path that generally parallels the service drive unless alternate and comparable facilities are approved by the Planning Administrator or Town Engineer.
(16) Number of lots or dwellings served. No more than 25 lots or dwelling units may gain access from a service drive to a single public street.
(17) Service drive signs. All new public and private service drives shall have a designated name on a sign meeting town standards.
(18) In the case of expansion, alteration or redesign of existing development where it can be demonstrated that pre-existing conditions prohibit installation of a frontage road or a service drive in accordance with the aforementioned standards, the Planning Administrator or Town Engineer shall have the authority to allow and/or require alternative cross access between adjacent parking areas through the interconnection of the main circulation aisles. Under these conditions, the aisles serving the parking stalls shall be aligned perpendicularly to the access aisle, as shown in the Figure 5.1c, with islands, curbing, and/or signage to further delineate the edges of the route to be used by through traffic.
(Ord. 2018-2A, passed 2-20-18)