The arrangement, character, extent, width and location of all streets shall conform to the Official Map and Land Use and Thoroughfare Plan and shall be considered in their relation to existing and planned streets, to topographical conditions, to public convenience and safety, and in their appropriate relation to the proposed uses of the land to be served by such streets.
Where such streets are not shown on the Official Map, the arrangement of streets shall either provide for the continuation of such streets into adjacent undeveloped areas; or conform to a plan for the residential neighborhood approved by the Planning Commission.
Streets shall be designed according to the function served and the standards of width, intersections, maximum grades and curvatures as set forth in the following subsections. The improvement standards and specifications for each type of development shall be as follows except that any variations or additional requirements as may be required because of adverse site characteristics shall be determined by the Engineer.
(a) The Major Arterial Street System. The major arterial street system shall be planned in compliance with the Official Map and Land Use and Thoroughfare Plan, and, unless shown otherwise on such Map, major arterial streets shall be planned for continuation of existing streets in the system and at the same width or at greater width in accordance with adopted standards. Access to major arterial streets shall be controlled in the interest of public safety and in order to maintain the design capacity of the street system. Major arterial streets should be planned to have a minimum distance of 600 to 800 feet between intersections. Whenever a one family residential development abuts a major arterial street, the Commission may, in order to protect residential property from the movements of heavy traffic and to control intersections with major arterial streets, require:
(1) Marginal streets parallel to the major arterial streets;
(2) Reverse frontage lots between a major arterial street and a parallel local street with screen planting located on a non-access reservation along the right-of-way line of the major arterial street;
(3) The fronting of lots with extra width on perpendicular local streets; or
(4) Lots with extra depth fronting on the major arterial street with access provided by combined driveways.
(b) The Collector Street System. Collector streets connect the local residential street system and the major arterial street system and should be oriented to one or more focal points of traffic generation. They should be planned for continuity and will normally contain a number of intersections with local streets at a minimum separation of 400 feet.
(c) The Local Street System. The primary function of local streets is to provide direct access to each lot of the development area. The local street system should be designed to minimize through traffic movements. This should be accomplished by peripheral collector street design, by offsetting local street intersections and by providing loop streets or cul-de-sac streets. Every part of a residential area should, however, be interconnected for convenience and to avoid excessive indirect travel except where connections are not feasible because of topographic conditions. The intersection of more than two (2) streets at one point or with centerline offsets of less than 200 feet shall not be permitted.
(1) The pattern should be logical and comprehensive for the convenience of the local residents, visitors and for providing services. The design should be planned to provide these basic functions without relying on excessive traffic regulation. The streets should be designed for uniformly low volumes of traffic commensurate with residential amenities, and to discourage speeds of more than twenty-five (25) miles per hour.
(2) There shall be a basic underlying street design related to topography and other natural features. The pattern should also be related to attaining functional, economical and practical patterns, and shapes and sizes of areas for building sites. Necessary traffic generators such as schools and playgrounds should serve as focal points in the pattern. There should be a minimum number of intersections and T-intersections should predominate.
(3) Where a subdivision borders on or contains a railroad right of way or limited access highway right of way, the Planning Commission may require a street approximately parallel to and on each side of such right of way, at a distance suitable for the appropriate use of the intervening land in residential districts, or for commercial or industrial purposes in other appropriate districts. Such distances shall also be determined with due regard for the requirements of approach grades and future grade separation.
(d) Streets for Nonresidential Developments. Streets serving business and industrial developments and accessory parking areas shall be planned to connect with major arterial streets in order not to generate traffic on local residential streets. The intersection of service streets or driveways from parking areas with major arterial or collector streets shall be located in a manner to cause the least possible interference with the movement of traffic on such streets, and wherever possible shall be located not less than 100 feet from the intersection of a major arterial or collector street, measured from the intersection of the projection of the right-of-way lines and shall be spaced not less than 200 feet from one another.
(e) Parking Areas. Parking areas serving adjoining nonresidential establishments shall be interconnected by on-site drives where possible and be designed to provide maximum safety and convenience, and, to accomplish such purposes, the Commission may require marginal service roads parallel to major arterial streets.
(Ord. 2016-07-24. Passed 8-3-16.)