(A) Purpose and intent. The purpose of these entrance and drive standards is to provide for a safe and efficient vehicular and pedestrian transportation system by establishing minimum standards for site entrances, driveways, and interior drives.
(B) General requirements. Unless otherwise provided by this chapter, all driveways and interior drives shall comply with the following design requirements:
(1) Entrance widths. No entrance shall exceed the following pavement widths at the point which they intersect an existing or planned public right-of-way. The distances for these standards shall be determined by measuring from the outside edges of the curb or pavement (whichever is greater) of the entrance or drive at an existing or planned public right-of-way which it accesses, and shall not include any acceleration or deceleration lanes or turning radii:
(a) Fourteen feet per lane (exclusive of any medians) if from a non-residential or multi-family residential use onto any type of street, and
(b) Twenty-four feet total if from a single-family or two-family use onto any type of street.
(2) Travel direction. The direction of travel for vehicles using entrances shall be as follows:
(a) All entrances providing access to an existing or planned public right-of-way from all lots used for purposes other than single or two-family residences shall be designed so that vehicles are traveling in a forward direction when entering and leaving.
(b) In no case may any entrance for any use be designed to require a vehicle to back onto any arterial or collector street.
(3) Shared entrances and drives. Shared entrances and drives are encouraged for all uses in all zoning districts, specifically for any multi-family residential or non-residential use accessing a major collector or arterial street.
(a) Access easements. All shared entrances and drives shall be constructed only in appropriate access easements which easements must be recorded before usage commences.
(b) Required documentation. A permanent documentation of any shared entrance and drive agreement must be signed by all involved property owners. The permanent written agreement shall include, but is not limited to the following items: maintenance, snow removal, ownership, and liability. The agreement, which can be amended and assigned shall be reviewed and approved by the Town Engineer and duly recorded with the County Recorder. Any changes to the agreements must be accomplished with the consent of the Administrative Officer. A copy of the agreement shall be retained for the files of the Plan Commission. The agreement shall be recorded prior to the issuance of the occupancy permit.
(4) Interior drive widths. The minimum pavement width shall be exclusive of any parking spaces. For single- and two-family residential uses the minimum driveway width shall be 12 feet. For all multi-family uses refer to the § 154.113, Parking Standards, of this chapter.
(C) Curbs. All entrances and interior drives for property used for purposes other than agriculture, single-family residential or two-family residential shall generally be completely curbed. Curbing shall not be required if, in the written opinion of the Town Engineer/County Highway Engineer, the drainage system for the property shall be best served if curbs were not present.
(D) Commercial area internal linkages. For all uses located in a commercial zoning district there shall be interior drives that allow access between existing and proposed commercial uses on adjacent properties.
(1) Cross-access required. The drives must be designed as a single two-way drive or a pair of one-way drives that provide access between the parking lots and interior drives of all adjoining commercial uses.
(2) Separation. Interior drives providing cross-access between adjacent parcels shall be separated from an existing or planned right-of-way of any such street by a minimum distance specified by the Town Engineer based on the vehicle stacking requirements of the entrance(s) to the property from the public street.
(Ord. 121410, passed 1-11-2011)