The neighborhood concept shall be applied in the development of all subdivisions. All subdivisions submitted for review and approval shall meet the following standards.
(a) The arrangement, character, extent, width, and general location of all streets shall conform to the Major Thoroughfare Plan, which is to be considered as part of these “Subdivision Regulations". The relationship of existing and planned streets, topographical conditions, public transit, and safety. and the proposed uses of the land to be served shall be considered in determining suitability.
(b) Streets shall be planned for convenient circulation toward the principal direction of travel, bus routes, schools, and playgrounds. The pattern shall be continuous, and yet indirect enough to discourage an excessive amount of through traffic. On the interior design, T-type intersections shall be predominant, while cross-intersections shall be avoided except at major streets. The street patterns shall include some extensions to the boundaries of the development to provide circulation between adjoining developments to form a neighborhood. Points of access to arterial streets should be limited in number and no closer than 600 feet from the intersections of arterial streets. Arterial streets should serve as the boundaries of neighborhoods.
(c) Where streets are shown on the Major Thoroughfare Plan, the arrangement of streets in a subdivision shall either provide for the continuation or appropriate projection of existing Major Streets.
(d) Where such is not shown on the Major Thoroughfare Plan, the arrangement of streets in a subdivision shall either provide for the continuation or appropriate projection of existing principal streets in surrounding areas, except where topographical or other conditions make continuance or conformance to existing streets impractical. Local streets shall be laid out so that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.
(e) Access restriction controlling ingress and egress to streets may be required by the Planning Commission to minimize points of intersection and to relieve congestion at intersections. Direct access to streets within 600 feet of a major intersection shall not be provided except where it is the only access to property and in such cases should be avoided whenever possible and in all cases will be limited in number.
(f) Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing arterial street, the Planning Commission may require reverse frontage lots with screening contained on a non-access area along the rear property line to restrict or limit residential driveway access directly on to the arterial street.
(g) Streets that are obviously in alignment with others already existing and named shall bear the names of the existing streets.
(h) The street arrangement shall be such as not to cause a hardship to owners of adjoining property when they plat their own land and seek to provide for convenient access to it, and shall further the development of a coherent neighborhood street pattern in the vicinity of the subdivision.
(I) Frontage on high volume trafficways shall be provided with parallel service streets or such other means of minimizing access as may be appropriate to the conditions.
(j) Residential streets should be designed to discourage through traffic.
(k) The angle of intersection between local streets and major streets should not vary by more than ten (10) degrees from a right angle. All other streets should intersect each other as near to a right angle as possible, and no intersection of streets at angles of less than 60 degrees shall be permitted.
(l) New streets shall be a continuation of existing streets or provide a minimum jog of 120 feet from the existing street alignment.
(m) Dedication of half-streets shall be discouraged. Where there exists dedicated or platted half-streets or alleys adjacent to the tract being subdivided, the other half shall be platted if deemed necessary.
(n) Required rights-of-way for streets and easements shall have the following minimum width:
(1) Major streets: Right-of-way widths and pavement widths shall conform to the Major Thoroughfare Plan.
(2) Local streets: 60 feet.
(3) Utility easements shall have a minimum total width of 16 feet (eight [8] feet on each side of property line).
(4) Open ditch easements equal to the width of the required cross section of said ditch plus 30 feet on each side shall be provided.
(5) Easements for enclosed drainage systems shall be a minimum of 16 feet in width.
(6) A 16-foot storm drainage easement shall be required at rear lot lines (eight [8] feet on each side of the rear lot line) whenever rear lot drainage is provided and a plat recitation shall be required which prohibits alteration of established drainage flow other than by the maintaining authority.
(o) The design and improvements standards contained in Table 1 are suggested minimums for all local type streets except cul-de-sacs and loop type streets, in residential subdivisions. All such streets shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards as specified in Table 1.
(Ord. 574. Passed 5-21-97.)