(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish standards and regulations to encourage reasonable access to land uses and buildings according to their access needs, while also ensuring safe and efficient travel within and through the city including minimizing disruptive and potentially hazardous traffic conflicts; ensuring safe access by emergency vehicles; and protecting the substantial public investment in the street system by preserving capacity and avoiding the need for unnecessary and costly reconstruction that disrupts business and traffic flow.
(b) Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) Access point. The connection at the street right-of-way line between the street and the connecting driveway, service drive, other street, or other vehicular access way.
(2) Service drive. A local street or private road typically located in front of principal buildings (front service drive) and parallel to a thoroughfare classified as an arterial, for providing access to abutting properties while also controlling access to the arterial through reduced access points to the arterial. In the case of a rear service drive, the service drive is located behind such buildings.
(c) Application of this section. The standards and regulations of this section shall be applied by the body or body(s) designated authority by this chapter to approve development plans including the construction of homes and businesses, platted and condominium subdivisions, and institutional uses. Such approving bodies shall coordinate their review of specific development proposals with the standards and regulations of this Section, and the review by other agencies as required by law including the Michigan Department of Transportation.
(d) General standards for access.
(1) All lots created in the city shall have frontage on a public street, or a private road approved by the city, and take their lot access from such frontage so as to provide safe, convenient access for fire protection, other emergency vehicles, and any required off-street parking. Curb cuts and driveways accessing public roads shall be located only upon the approval of the city and appropriate state authorities as required by law.
(2) All plans for structures to be erected, altered, moved or reconstructed, and for the use of premises within the city shall contain a plan for the proposed access to the premises which shall be part of the site plan required pursuant to this chapter. No plan shall be approved unless such access is onto a dedicated public street or an approved private road.
(3) Access drives shall enter perpendicular to the existing public street or private road except where prohibited by physical conditions.
(4) Wherever a corner lot exists at the intersection of two streets, access shall be taken from the street presenting the least hazard.
(5) The location of new access points shall conform to road improvement plans or corridor plans that have been adopted by a public body.
(e) Standards for residential uses.
(1) For any access point or driveway located less than two feet from an adjoining property line, provisions shall be made to the satisfaction of the building official to control water runoff onto the adjoining property.
(2) An access point serving a single-family dwelling shall be a minimum of 15 feet from the nearest right-of-way line of an intersecting street.
(3) A driveway serving a single-family or two-family dwelling shall be a minimum of 9 feet wide.
(4) A lot containing one single-family dwelling or one two-family dwelling shall have no more than one access point to the street upon which it relies for access.
(5) No more than 25 dwellings shall be served by a single access point except upon finding that a second alternative and reasonable means of emergency vehicle access is available.
(6) In the case of the development of a platted or condominium subdivision, all lots made part of such subdivision shall have their access point from roads within such subdivision.
(f) Standards for Office, Commercial and Industrial Uses.
(1) The minimum distance an access point may be located from an adjoining non-residential property line shall be 15 feet. The minimum distance an access point may be located from an adjoining residential property line shall be 25 feet.
(2) An access point shall be a minimum of 25 feet from the nearest right-of-way line of an intersecting street.
(3) No parcel shall be provided more than one access point for the first 150 feet of parcel frontage, and no more than one access point shall be provided for parcels with additional frontage except upon a showing that the projected trip generation necessitates additional access points and no feasible alternative exists such as the reliance on shared access as provided in sub-sections (4), (5) and (6) below.
(4) The sharing or joint use of a driveway by two or more property owners shall be encouraged. The sharing or joint use of a driveway by two or more property owners may be required in association with the approval of a site plan where such a shared or joint use driveway is feasible and practical, and where the lack of such a shared or joint use driveway would result in inappropriately spaced access points that are contrary to nationally-recognized engineering standards and public safety and welfare. The shared driveway shall be constructed along the midpoint between the two properties unless a written easement is provided that allows traffic to travel across one parcel to access another, and/or access the public street.
(5) The use of front or rear service drives shall be encouraged. The use of front or rear service drives may be required in association with the approval of a site plan where such a drive is feasible and practical, and where the lack of such drive would result in inappropriately spaced access points that are contrary to nationally-recognized engineering standards and public safety and welfare.
(6) Where a proposed parking lot is adjacent to an existing parking lot of a similar use, or of a differing use, and traffic flow between the two uses is anticipated, there shall be a vehicular connection between the two parking lots where determined physically feasible by the site plan approving body. For developments adjacent to vacant properties, the site shall be designed to provide for future connection. A written access easement signed by both landowners shall be presented as evidence of the parking lot connection prior to the issuance of any building permit.
(g) Traffic impact study. In the case of a proposed use that is likely to be characterized by trip generation rates in excess of 100 trips per peak hour, the applicant shall submit a traffic impact study with the building permit/site plan application for the use. The preparer of the study shall be either a registered traffic engineer or transportation planner. If the study involves geometric design, the study shall be prepared or supervised by a registered engineer with a background in traffic engineering. The qualifications of the author of the study shall be included in the application. The applicant may be required by a reviewing body to submit a traffic impact study though the use may be characterized by less than 100 trips per peak hour in the case where a reviewing body determines existing conditions warrant a study such as existing traffic conflicts in the immediate area, the proximity of existing access points, the lack of a left turn lane for the road providing access to the site, or other factors deemed to be relevant by the reviewing body. The traffic impact study shall address, at a minimum:
(1) Description of the proposed internal vehicular circulation system including the location of all access points into the project; parking and drop-off circulation; loading/unloading circulation; and pedestrian, bicycle, and transit circulation.
(2) Analysis of existing traffic conditions in the immediate area, based on current data.
(3) Projected trip generation at the project site or along the roads abutting the site, based on the most recent edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation manual, or more recent studies of a minimum of three similar uses with similar surroundings in Michigan.
(4) Illustrations of current and projected turning movements at access points into the project.
(5) Description of the anticipated impact of the projected trip generation on abutting and nearby streets, including increases in congestion, available capacity of streets and impacts on levels of service of such streets, and proposed mitigation measures to minimize any conflict issues.
(6) Justification for the need of the number and location of proposed access points into the project.
(Ord. No. 152, 5-1-2006)