(a) General Requirements. All new Subdivision and/or Land Development with new public or Private Streets shall comply with the design standards specified in this section.
(b) Conformance. The arrangement, character, extent, width and location of all Streets shall be considered in their relation to existing and planned Streets, to topographical conditions, to public convenience and safety and to the proposed use of the land to be served by such Streets. In designing a Street system, a Developer shall be guided by the following principals:
(1) Provide safe vehicular and pedestrian access.
(2) Local Street systems shall be designed to minimize through traffic movement.
(3) Local Street systems shall provide for the safe, efficient movement of emergency vehicles.
(4) The arrangement of local Streets shall allow economical and practical patterns, shapes and sizes of Development parcels.
(5) Subdivision and/or Land Development shall be designed to promote connectivity of Streets and discourage the use of Cul-de-sacs and restrict stub Streets, except when the Street is planned to be extended.
(6) The Street network should be designed consistent with Street type objectives, which encourage a hierarchical pattern of Streets within a City grid pattern.
(7) Commercial drive-thru uses shall be clearly marked and shall be designed with adequate capacity for waiting vehicles to avoid conflicts with traffic onto, around and off of the site. (See Section 1307.17(g), Table 1307-5, Queue Spaces for Drive-Thru Types).
(8) Specifications for Road Improvements shall be the latest edition of the West Virginia division of Highways “Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridges.”
(9) Roadway storm sewers and culverts shall be designed in accordance with the storm water management regulations.
(c) Street Functional Classifications.
(1) Streets shall be functionally classified based on the most recent edition of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Green Book: A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets. The functional Street classification is applied to the entire network of Streets in the City of Martinsburg.
(2) The hierarchy of Street functional classification in the City shall be as follows:
A. Primary Street. Primary Streets carry the principal portion of the vehicular trips entering and leaving urban areas as well as the majority of through movements desiring to bypass the central areas of the City. Significant intra-area travel and important intra-urban travel may be served by this class of facility. It is intended that Primary Streets shall become state maintained highways. Service to abutting land is subordinate to the priority of travel service and major traffic movements for all Primary Streets. Direct access to abutting Lots is restricted on Primary Streets. Street parking is not permitted.
B. Major Collector Street. The Major Collector Streets interconnect and expand from Primary Streets and provide service to vehicular trips of moderate length at a somewhat lower level of travel mobility. Major Collector Streets serve intra-urban vehicular trips between smaller geographic areas than those associated with Primary Streets.
C. Minor Collector Street. Minor Collector Streets differ from Primary and Major Collector Streets in that facilities penetrate neighborhoods. Minor Collector Streets distribute vehicular trips from the major collectors.
D. Neighborhood Center Street. Neighborhood Center Streets link neighborhoods with collector Streets. They are similar to Minor Collector Streets, but with greater emphasis on traffic calming measures and lower speeds. Direct access to abutting Lots is permitted.
E. Neighborhood Street. Neighborhood Streets serve the same purpose as Neighborhood Center Streets but with a greater emphasis on traffic calming measures, lower speeds, and Low Impact Design.
(d) Street Design. Streets shall be designed and constructed to the specifications of their respective functional classification as shown in Table 1307-1 Minimum Street Design Standards and the typical sections of each functional Street classification as provided in Appendix A. Items not covered in the standards and details shall be in accordance with West Virginia DOH standards or the latest edition of AASHTO’s Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, as deemed applicable by the City Engineer/Planning Director or designee.
(e) Cut and Fill Slopes.
(1) Fill Slopes shall not exceed (3:1) 3’ horizontal to 1’ vertical Slope. Fill sections need not have ditches unless the Fill Slopes exceed six feet in height.
(2) Cut Slopes shall not exceed (2:1) 2’ horizontal to 1’ vertical Slope.
(3) Open ditches shall not be flatter than one and five tenths percent (1.5%); however, a minimum of five-tenths percent (0.5%) vertical grade may be used for trapezoidal roadway ditch lines with minimum bottom width of two (2) feet.
(f) Ditch Line Stabilization.
(1) Roadway Drainage ditch lines shall be stabilized (i.e., rip-rap, sod, erosion control matting, etc.) in accordance with the Stormwater Management Regulations.
(g) Drainage Culvert Pipes.
(1) Driveway culvert pipes or paved Driveway Swales (where allowed in lieu of Driveway culvert pipes) shall be sized to carry the ten (10) year twenty-four (24)-hour storm event ditch flows. However, the minimum size shall be a fifteen (15) inch diameter or an equivalent elliptical pipe size. The pipe shall be corrugated metal or concrete pipe. A table of Lot numbers and Driveway culvert sizes shall be specified on the Preliminary Plat and the Final Plat.
Table 1307-1, Minimum Street Design Standards
Street Design Element | Neighborhood Street | Neighborhood Center Street | Minor Collector Street | Major Collector Street | Primary Street |
Average Daily Traffic (ADT) | 0-500 | 501-1,000 | 1,001-2,000 | 2,000+ | Where called for in consultation with WVDOH |
Minimum Design Speed | 25 mph | 30 mph | 35 mph | 40 mph | |
Minimum turning Flare Radius at Pavement | 25' | 25' | 25' | 25' |
Street Design Element | Neighborhood Street | Neighborhood Center Street | Minor Collector Street | Major Collector Street | Primary Street |
Minimum Road Grade | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | |
Maximum Road Grade | 9% | 8% | 8% | 7% | |
Pavement Cross Slope | 2.08% | 2.08% | 2.08% | 2.08% | |
Pavement Surface Type | |||||
Subgrade | 6" Class 1, Dense Graded Aggregate* | 8" Class 1, Dense Graded Aggregate* | 8" Class 1, Dense Graded Aggregate* | 12" Class 1, Dense Graded Aggregate* | Per WVDOH Requirements |
Base Course | 3" Hot Mix Asphalt Base Course* | 3" Hot Mix Asphalt Base Course* | 4" Hot Mix Asphalt Base Course” | 6" Hot Mix Asphalt Base Course* | Per WVDOH Requirements |
Surface Course | 1.5" Hot Mix Asphalt Wearing Course* | 1.5" Hot Mix Asphalt Wearing Course* | 2.0" Hot Mix Asphalt Wearing Course* | 2.0" Hot Mix Asphalt Wearing Course* | Per WVDOH Requirements |
Shoulder Width | N/A | 4' | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Shoulder Cross Slope | N/A | 6% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Ditch Depth | N/A | 2' | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Minimum Right-of-Way Width | 50' | 50' | 60' | 75' | Per WVDOH Requirements |
Minimum Cul-de-Sac Radius (at R.O.W)** | 50' | 50' | 50' | 50' | N/A |
Street Parking Required | Yes, one side | Yes, both sides | Yes, both sides | Not permitted | Not permitted |
Note(*) Shall be in accordance with West Virginia DOH Specifications
Note (**) 1. Greater Right-of-Way widths may be required by the City Engineer/Planning Director or designee where deemed necessary to contain roadway, drainage ditched, ditch line return slope, fill embankment, street trees and roadway appurtenances within road right-of-way.
2. Cut and fill slopes may extend beyond the right-of-way if a vertible slope easement is provided.
3. The centerline of the roadway section shall be congruous with the right-of-way unless an off-set of the centerline is approved by the City Engineer/Planning Director or designee.
(2) Roadway culvert pipes shall be sized for the ten (10) year, twenty-four (24) hour storm event in accordance with the storm water management regulations. However, Road culvert pipes shall be a minimum fifteen (15) inch diameter corrugated metal or concrete pipe.
(3) Roadway culvert pipes and storm drain outfalls shall have outfall protection designed in accordance with the storm water management regulations.
(h) Dead-end Streets and Cul-de-sacs.
(1) Dead-end Streets.
A. Dead-end Streets shall be prohibited except as stubs to permit future extensions to adjoining land or where in the opinion of the Planning Department interconnectivity is not desirable or feasible for the proposed type of Subdivision and/or Land Development. In such instances that dead-end Streets are allowed, they shall be designed as Cul-de-sacs. If the phase boundary occurs at an Intersection, a tee/hammerhead turnaround may be installed in lieu of a temporary Cul-de-sac turnaround. The tee/hammerhead shall have a minimum Right-of-Way length of eighty (80) feet across the top of the "T", a minimum Cartway length of sixty (60) feet across the top of the "T", a minimum Right-of-Way width of sixty (60) feet across the side of the "T", and a minimum Cartway width of twenty-two (22) feet across the side of the "T".
B. Unless future extension is clearly impractical or undesirable, the Planning Commission may require that the turnaround Right-of-Way be placed adjacent to a property line and a Right-of-Way of the same width as the Street shall be carried to the property line in such a way as to permit future extension of the Street into the adjoining tract. At such time as such a Street may be extended, the coverage created by the turnaround outside the boundaries of the extended Street shall revert in ownership to the Property Owners fronting on the Cul-de-sac turnaround. The small triangles of land beyond the Cul-de-sac to the tract boundary shall be deeded so that until the Street is continued maintenance of these corners of land will be the responsibility of the adjoining owners.
(2) Permanent Cul-de-sacs.
A. The total number of dwelling Units served by a permanent Cul-de-sac Street shall not exceed twenty (20).
B. Permanent Cul-de-sac Streets shall not exceed a centerline distance of six hundred (600) feet in length nor be less than two-hundred fifty (250) feet in length, measured from the centerline Intersection of a Street which is not a Cul-de-sac to the center of the Cul-de-sac turnaround.
C. Cul-de-sac Streets in residential Subdivisions/Land Developments shall be provided at the closed-end with a paved turnaround having a minimum radius to the outer pavement edge or curb line of not less than fifty (50) feet and a Right-of-Way line radius of not less than sixty (60) feet.
D. Cul-de-sac Streets in commercial and industrial Subdivisions/Land Developments shall be provided with a paved turnaround having a minimum radius to the outer pavement edge of sixty (60) feet and a Right-of-Way line radius of not less than seventy (70) feet.
E. Drainage of Cul-de-sacs shall, wherever possible, be in the direction of the open end of the Cul-de-sac.
F. No Cul-de-sac turnaround shall have a centerline grade exceeding four percent (4%).
(4) Temporary Turnaround Streets.
A. Temporary turnaround Streets shall not exceed one thousand (1,000) feet in length, measured from the centerline Intersection with a Street that is not a Cul-de-sac to the center of the Cul-de-sac turnaround. Any Street that is terminated for access to an adjoining property or because of authorized stage or phased Development shall be provided with a temporary, all-weather turnaround paved in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance. The use of such turnaround shall be guaranteed until such time as the Street is extended. All Cul-de-sac Streets, whether permanently or temporarily designed, shall be provided at the closed end with a fully paved turnaround constructed to the specifications of this Ordinance. The Developer who extends a Street that has been provided with a temporary turnaround shall remove the temporary turnaround and restore the area of the temporary turnaround. A sign in accordance with subsection (i) hereof shall be required at the end of all temporary turnaround Streets.
(i) Where the Planning Commission finds it is desirable to provide for Street access to adjoining property, proposed Streets shall be extended by Right-of-Way Dedication to the boundary of such property. Such dead end Streets shall be provided with a temporary turnaround Easement as permitted within this Section. At all temporary turnarounds, a sign shall be placed stating, “Street to be extended by authority of the City of Martinsburg”. The sign shall be similar in size to a speed limit sign. The Developer who extends a Street that has been provided with a temporary turnaround shall remove the temporary turnaround and restore the area of the temporary turnaround.
(j) Intersection Design.
(1) Sight Distances at Intersections. Sight distances at Intersections should be regulated to allow approaching drivers’ sufficient time to stop. Each vehicle should be visible to the other driver when each vehicle is located on the Street centerline and at a specified distance from the point of Intersection of the Street centerlines. Clear Sight Triangles should be provided at all Intersections and no Building, Structure, grade, or planting higher than two and one-half (2 ½) feet above the centerline of the Street should be permitted within such sight triangles. For Intersections of either residential or non-residential Subdivision Roads with state highways, Sight Distances shall be required by the West Virginia DOH. Otherwise, Sight Distance triangles shall be provided in accordance with the latest edition of AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets.
(2) Horizontal Alignment at Intersections.
A. The preferred angle of Intersection for intersecting Streets is ninety (90) degrees. The minimum angle is sixty (60) degrees. Any change in Street alignment on the side Street to meet this requirement should occur no less than one hundred (100) feet from the Intersection of the two streets. The point of curve for a horizontal curve on the side Street shall be no closer than fifty (50) feet from the Intersection of the two Streets.
B. Multiple Intersections involving junctions of more than two (2) Streets, is not allowed.
C. Two (2) Streets intersecting the same Street from opposite sides should intersect this same Street directly opposite one another; or the Streets shall be off-set a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) feet between their centerlines.
D. Minimum curb radii at Street Intersections should be:
1. Residential Subdivision 30 feet.
2. Non-residential Subdivision 35 feet.
(k) Traffic Barriers. Guardrail is not used extensively on Subdivision Streets except where there is a significant risk to motorists or pedestrians, such as along sections of roadway with steep Slopes. Guardrails and other traffic barriers should be designed in accordance with, and installed where warranted by, the latest edition of AASHTO’s Roadside Design Guide, or other acceptable policy.
(l) Curbs, Gutters and Sidewalks.
(1) Where Required.
A. Roadway curbs, gutters and sidewalks shall be required in residential conventional Subdivision where net residential density is greater than four (4) Lots/acre.
B. Roadway curbs, gutters, and sidewalks shall be required in non-residential (i.e., commercial, industrial, etc.) conventional Subdivision unless exempt by the Planning Commission because of low traffic and pedestrian flows.
(2) Roadway Curbs and Gutter.
A. Road curbs shall be constructed of Grade A (3,000 lb.) concrete to a height of no less than six (6) inches above the finished Road surface. The base of curbs shall be a minimum of seven and three-eights (7-3/8) inches measured in cross-section. Curb sides may be sloped inward to join a rounded edge having a radius of one and one-half (1-1/2) inches or more. Alternative designs may be approved by the City Engineer/Planning Director or designee.
B. Drainage gutters shall be provided at the curb and Road surface interface. Gutters shall be designed to carry peak water flows expected from a ten (10) year frequency storm occurring over the entire contributing Drainage Watershed. Storm drain inlets in residential closed-section Roads shall have bicycle-safe grates.
(3) Sidewalks and Paths.
A. Sidewalks shall be constructed of Portland cement concrete with a minimum depth of four (4) inches except under Driveways a minimum depth of six (6) inches shall be used. Sidewalks shall be five (5) feet wide and placed on a suitable base approved by the City Engineer/Planning Director or designee. Sidewalks shall be constructed with equally spaced crack control joints and expansion joints.; and the sidewalk surface shall have a light broom finish. Sidewalks shall have a one-fourth inch (¼”) per foot cross Slope. Grades on sidewalks shall not exceed (20:1) 20’ horizontal to 1’ vertical.
B. Handicapped accessible Walkways, stairs and ramps shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA Standards for Accessible Design (28 CFR, Part 36).
C. Hiking and biking paths are not required; however, if the Developer proposed to install a path, the Engineer of record shall show the location of the path and Easement on the Plan and shall provide construction details and material specifications. Where the path crosses a roadway ditch line, a minimum fifteen (15) inch diameter Drainage culvert shall be installed in the ditch line.
(m) Street Name and Traffic Control Devices.
(1) All Subdivision Roads shall be clearly identified by permanent Road name signs, in accordance with the City of Martinsburg’s Addressing Ordinance.
(2) Stop signs shall be provided at all Intersections and where a Subdivision Road meets a state highway.
(3) Speed limit signs (preferably with speed limits of twenty-five (25) miles per hour or less) shall also be provided at each Subdivision entrance Road and other locations where deemed appropriate by the City Engineer/Planning Director or designee.
(4) Pavement markings for traffic control (i.e., centerline stripes, stop bars, speed hump delineation, directional arrows, Crosswalks, etc.) shall be provided where deemed by the City Engineer/Planning Director or designee.
(5) Traffic control signs (i.e., “No Left Turn”, “One Way Only”, etc.) shall be provided where necessary to provide safe traffic control for Subdivision and site Development projects as determined appropriate by the City Engineer/Planning Director or designee.
(6) All traffic control signs and pavement markings shall be installed in accordance with the latest editions of the U.S. Department of Transportation Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the Standard Highway Signs (SHS) manual. Traffic control sign and pavement marking details and specifications shall be provided on the Preliminary Plat and/or Site Plan.
(n) Half Streets shall be prohibited, except where the Planning Department finds it will be practical to require the Dedication of the other portion of the Right-of-Way and/or the full construction of the future planned Street when the adjoining property is developed. When required by the Planning Department, curb, gutter, and sidewalks shall only be installed on the improved side of the public Right-of-Way. A minimum pavement width of thirteen (13) feet will be required and shall be measured from the face of the curb to the edge of the pavement.
(o) New Subdivision and/or Land Development that include existing Streets that do not conform to the Street design standards specified under this Ordinance shall be required to dedicate additional width to allow the existing Streets to be widened to meet the requirement. Unless waived by the Planning Commission, the Applicant shall construct the nonconforming Streets to meet the applicable design standards.
(p) Where a Subdivision and/or Land Development abuts or contains existing or proposed Primary Street or railroad Right-of-Way, the Planning Department may require the separation of local and through traffic. This shall be achieved by one of the means listed below.
(1) Another Street type, separated from the Primary Street by a planting strip;
(2) Reverse Frontage Lots, with the Lots fronting on an interior local Street and having a non-access reservation along the rear property line; or
(3) A local Street may be provided along the rear Lot line providing vehicular access to the Lots abutting the Primary Street.
Where any of these means are used, the statement "vehicular ingress and egress restricted" shall be shown with limits on the Preliminary and Final Plats and no Driveways or Access Drives shall have direct access to the Primary Street.
(q) The Street system layout shall be so designed to preserve, wherever possible, natural features such as trees, Watercourses, hilltops and scenic views.
(r) Proposed Streets that are clearly aligned with existing Streets shall bear the name of the existing Street. In no other case shall the names of the proposed Streets be duplicated or be phonetically similar to an existing Street name, irrespective of the suffix: Street, avenue, court, place, boulevard, land, drive, or other. All proposed Street names shall be submitted to the Berkeley County Central Dispatch for approval.
(Ord. 2022-13. Passed 11-10-22.)