(A) General requirements.
(1) Frontage on improved roads. No subdivision shall be approved unless the area to be subdivided has frontage on and access from an existing street on the Master Street Plan, unless such street is:
(a) An existing state, county, or municipal street; or
(b) A street shown upon a plat approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council and recorded in the County Recorder of Deed's office. Such street or highway must be suitably improved as required by the highway rules, regulations, specifications, or orders, or be secured by a performance bond required under these subdivision regulations, with the width and right-of-way required by these subdivision regulations or the Master Street Plan.
(2) Grading and improvement plan. Roads shall be graded and improved and conform to the local government construction standards and specifications and shall be approved as to design and specifications by the City Engineer, in accordance with the construction plans required to be submitted prior to final plat approval.
(3) Topography and arrangement.
(a) Roads shall be related appropriately to the topography. Local roads shall be curved wherever possible to avoid conformity of lot appearance. All streets shall be arranged so as to obtain as many building sites as possible at, or above, the grades of the streets. Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible to the original topography. A combination of steep grades and curves shall be avoided. Specific standards are contained in the design standards of these regulations.
(b) All streets shall be properly integrated with the existing and proposed system of thoroughfares and dedicated rights-of-way as established on the Master Street Plan and/or the Comprehensive Master Plan.
(c) Minor or local streets shall be laid out to conform as much as possible to the topography to discourage uses by through traffic, to permit efficient drainage and utility systems, and to require the minimum number of streets necessary to provide convenient and safe access to property.
(d) The rigid rectangular gridiron street pattern need not necessarily be adhered to, and the use of curvilinear streets, cul-de-sacs, or U-shaped streets shall be encouraged where such use will result in a more desirable layout.
(e) Proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the tract to be subdivided, unless prevented by topography or other physical conditions, or unless in the opinion of the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council such extension is not necessary or desirable for the coordination of the layout of the subdivision with the existing layout or the most advantageous future development of adjacent tracks.
(f) In business and industrial developments, the streets and other accessways shall be planned in connection with the grouping of buildings, location of rail facilities, and the provision of alleys, truck loading and maneuvering areas, and walks and parking areas so as to minimize conflict of movement between the various types of traffic, including pedestrian.
(4) Blocks.
(a) The lengths, widths, and shape of blocks shall be such as are appropriate for the locality and the type of development contemplated, but block lengths in residential areas shall not exceed 2,200 feet or 12 times the minimum lot width required in the zoning district, nor be less than 400 feet in length. Wherever practicable, blocks along major arterials and collector streets shall be not less than 1,000 feet in length.
(b) In long blocks, the Planning and Zoning Commission or the City Council may require the reservation of an easement through the block to accommodate utilities, drainage facilities, or pedestrian traffic.
(c) Pedestrianways or crosswalks, not less than ten feet wide, may be required by the Planning and Zoning Commission or the City Council through the center of blocks more than 800 feet long where deemed essential to provide circulation or access to schools, playgrounds, shopping centers, transportation, or other community facilities. Blocks designed for industrial uses shall be of such length and width as may be determined suitable by the Planning and Zoning Commission for prospective use.
(5) Access to primary arterials. Where a subdivision borders on or contains an existing or proposed primary arterial, the Planning and Zoning Commission or the City Council may require that access to such streets be limited by one of the following means:
(a) The subdivision of lots so as to back onto the primary arterial and front onto a parallel local street; no access shall be provided from the primary arterial, and screening shall be provided in a strip of land along the rear property line of such lots;
(b) A series of cul-de-sacs, U-shaped streets, or short loops entered from and designed generally at right angles to such a parallel street, with the rear lines of their terminal lots backing onto the primary arterial.
(c) A marginal access or service road (separated from the primary arterial by a planning or grass strip and having access at suitable points).
(6) Road names. The developer shall recommend proposed street names at the type of preliminary plat approval. The City Council shall have final authority to designate the name of all streets. Names shall be sufficiently different in sound and spelling from other road names in the municipality so as not to cause confusion. A road which is (or is planned as) a continuation of an existing road shall bear the same name.
(7) Street lights. The subdivider shall be responsible for providing the necessary easements, and for the installation of electrical conduit for street lights within the subdivision. The subdivider shall submit proof that such arrangements have been made with the power company.
(8) Reserve strips. The creation of reserve strips shall not be permitted adjacent to a proposed street in such a manner as to deny access from adjacent property to the street.
(9) Construction of roads and dead-end roads.
(a) Construction of roads. The arrangement of streets shall provide for the continuation of principal streets between adjacent properties when the continuation is necessary for convenient movement of traffic, effective fire protection, for efficient provision of utilities, and where the continuation is in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. If the adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must temporarily be a dead-end street, the right-of-way shall be extended to the property line. A temporary T- or L-shaped turnabout shall be provided on all temporary dead-end streets, with the notation on the subdivision plat that land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to abuttors whenever the street is continued. The Planning and Zoning Commission may limit the length of temporary dead-end streets.
(b) Dead-end roads (permanent). Where a road does not extend beyond the boundary of the subdivision and its continuation is not required by the Planning and Zoning Commission or the City Council for access to adjoining property, its terminus shall normally not be nearer to such boundary than 50 feet. However, the Planning Commission or the City Council may require the reservation of an appropriate easement to accommodate drainage facilities, pedestrian traffic, or utilities. A cul-de-sac turnaround shall be provided at the end of a permanent dead-end street in accordance with local government construction standards and specifications. For greater convenience to traffic and more effective police and fire protection, permanent dead-end streets shall, in general, be limited in length in accordance with the design standards of these regulations.
(B) Design standards.
(1) Unless otherwise approved by the City Council, provision must be made for the extension of major streets; secondary streets shall be provided for circulation of traffic through the subdivision; and adequate minor or local residential streets provided to accommodate the subdivision.
(2) Private streets or drives shall be constructed in accordance with guidelines listed below.
(3) Any gated street shall be deemed a private street.
(4) Off-center street intersections will not be approved. All major and secondary streets shall be continuous or in alignment with existing streets, unless variations are deemed advisable by the City Council after consideration of recommendations made by the City Engineer or City Manager and reference to the proposals of the major thoroughfare plan. Curvilinear streets shall be allowed.
(a) Curve requirements (other than intersection). All street curves, both horizontal and vertical, shall be designed in accordance with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) manual, A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, most current edition. In special circumstances, upon recommendation and approval from the City Engineer, the City Council may approve minor or local residential street with a design that does not conform to these requirements; however, the developer will be responsible for paying any additional costs for utility installation as a result of deviation from these standards.
(b) Street intersections. More than two streets intersecting at one point shall be avoided, except where it is impractical to secure a proper street system otherwise. Where several streets converge at one point, setback lines, special rounding or cut-off of corners or a traffic circle may be required to insure safety and facility of traffic movement. The design of any such intersection shall be approved by the City Engineer. All street designs shall be in accordance with AASHTO manual, A Policy on Geometric Design of Highway and Streets, most current edition. No street intersection, unless approved by the City Engineer, shall be at an angle less than 60 degrees. Major street intersections shall have property line corner radii with a minimum tangent distance of 30 feet. Minor and residential streets shall have as the property line corner, the point of intersection of intersecting streets. Curb radii at intersections shall in no case be less than 11.5 feet measured from the back of the curb.
(c) Dead-end streets, cul-de-sacs, and courts. Courts or places may be permitted where the form or contour of the land or the shape of the property makes such street design appropriate. Such cul-de-sacs, courts, or places shall provide proper access to all lots and shall generally not exceed 400 feet in length and a turn-around shall be provided at the closed end, which has a minimum right-of-way radius of 45 feet, except that if an equally safe and convenient form of paved space is approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council in place of a turning circle, such approved space may be improved as agreed upon.
(d) Relation to adjoining streets and land. The system of streets designated for the subdivision, except in unusual cases, must connect with streets already dedicated in adjacent subdivision; and where no adjacent connections are platted, must in general be the reasonable projection of streets in the nearest subdivided tracts, and must be continued to the boundaries of the tract subdivided, so that other subdivisions may connect therewith. Reserve strips of land controlling access to or egress from other property or to or from any street or alley or having the effect of restricting or damaging the adjoining property for subdivision purposes or which will not be taxable or accessible for special improvements shall not be permitted in any subdivision unless such reserve strips are conveyed to the city on fee simple.
(e) Street grades. Street grades shall be in accordance with the AASHTO manual, A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, most current edition, and shall be approved by the City Engineer. Major street grades shall in no case exceed 8%, and this grade cannot be used for a continuous distance greater than 200 feet. Minor or local residential streets shall in no case exceed a 10% grade. All streets must have a minimum grade of 0.30% unless otherwise approved by the City Engineer. Whenever a cross slope is necessary or desirable from one curb to the opposite curb, such cross slope shall be in accordance with the AASHTO manual, and approved by the City Engineer.
(f) Block lengths and widths. In general, intersecting streets, determining block lengths, shall be provided at such intervals as to serve cross traffic adequately and to meet existing streets or customary subdivision practices in the neighborhood. Where no existing plats control, the blocks shall be not more than 1,600 feet in length nor less than 300 feet in length except in unusual cases.
(g) Street widths. Major streets shall have a minimum dedicated width of 80 feet or as prescribed by the major thoroughfare plan with a minimum pavement width in accordance with the major thoroughfare plan standards. Secondary streets shall have a minimum dedicated width of 60 to 80 feet, with a minimum paving width of 36 to 44 feet. Minor or local residential streets shall have a minimum dedicated width of 50 feet, and all minor or local residential streets shall have a minimum pavement width of 31 feet from back of curb to back of curb, except that in the case of curvilinear streets such width shall be increased to a width of 33 feet from back of curb to back of curb, if required by the City Engineer or City Manager in order to provide easy and safe travel on such streets. Where the curve is not too sharp, it shall be the policy not to require the additional width in such curvilinear streets.
(h) Sidewalks. Parallel residential sidewalks may be required, and where provided they shall be not less than three feet in width exclusive of curb width; parallel to and not more than two feet above or below the adjacent curb grade; and shall be located one foot inside the dedicated street line and be situated wholly within the dedicated street. Sidewalks abutting business property shall have a minimum width of ten feet. Parkways (the area between curbs and right-of-way line) shall be excavated or filled to a grade parallel with and be not more than two feet above and shall not be lower than the centerline street grade at the right-of-way line. Landing walk of a width not less than 18 inches may be installed abutting the rear of the curb. The City of Mount Pleasant does not require sidewalks. However, if sidewalks are built they need to comply with ADA requirements.
(i) Alleys and alley width. When alleys are provided, the minimum right-of-way width of an alley shall be 20 feet and the minimum paved width shall be 15 feet. Dead-end alleys shall not be permitted, except that the City Council may waive this requirement where such dead-end alleys are unavoidable and where adequate turn-around facilities have been provided. Alleys that provide garage access shall be built according to city street standards and specifications.
(j) Work subject to inspection; construction specifications. All construction work, such as street grading, street paving, storm sewers, curb or gutter work, sanitary sewers, or water mains performed by the owner, developer, or contractor, shall be subject to inspection during construction by the proper authorities of the city and shall be constructed in accordance with the specifications approved by the City Council, and in accordance with the provisions of the ordinance governing the making of any excavation in streets, avenues, or alleys and which are on file in the offices of the City Engineer and City Manager.
(k) Curb and gutter. Curb and gutter shall be required to be constructed on all streets and avenues. Radial curb and gutter shall be constructed at each corner upon each block to which curb and gutter is constructed. All alley intersections shall be constructed with alley aprons in accordance with city standards. All curb and gutter and all lay down curbs shall be 30 inches wide from the back of the curb to the toe of the gutter, and shall be constructed in accordance with the plans and specifications on file in the office of the City Engineer or the Director of Public Works. All concrete used shall have a compressive strength of 3,000 psi in 28 days, and shall contain no fly ash. Concrete shall have an air-entraining agent to provide 4% and 6% entrained air.
(l) Street standards. All proposed streets and alleys to be paved in a subdivision shall be designed by a Registered Professional Engineer licensed to practice in the State of Texas. At a minimum, the design and construction of streets and alleys shall conform to the following guidelines:
1. Plan and profile sheets, 24 inches by 36 inches, and plotted to a scale of 100 feet to one inch horizontal and ten feet to one inch vertical for each proposed street or alley in the subdivision shall be provided. These plan and profile sheets shall show the right-of-way of the street and portions of the right-of-way of intersection street and portions shall show the existing ground and the proposed grade at five points of cross-section; that is, at the centerline, the back-of-curb lines, and the property lines. The plan portion shall show the size and location of all drainage structures, storm sewers, curb inlets, and the like, and the direction of flow of all storm water.
2. Typical cross-sections shall be shown of the type and width of paving proposed for the streets. A minimum cross slope of 2% shall be required on all streets and alleys. Curbs and gutters, pavement types, and drainage structure design standards of the city, in effect at the time of submission of final plat, shall be used, subject to the approval of the City Engineer or City Manager and City Council.
3. North Point, scale, and date shall be shown.
4. Construction of all streets in the subdivision and approval thereof by the City Engineer shall be mandatory before street paving is accepted for maintenance by the city. All street paving shall conform to one of the following standards:
a. Minimum six-inch compacted flexible base material meeting the requirements of the Texas Department of Transportation's Standard Specifications for Construction of Highways, Streets, and Bridges, most current edition, Item 247 - Flexible Base, Type A or B, Grade 1, 2, or 6. Surface shall be a minimum of 2 inches thick, meeting requirements of Items 340 - Hot Mix Asphaltic Concrete Pavement, Type D. All base courses shall be constructed on subgrade course approved by the City Engineer. In areas of poor subgrade, the developer may be required to stabilize the subgrade material with lime or other approved materials to obtain an acceptable subgrade condition, as determined by the City Engineer. Density requirements for all pavement courses and the condition of all pavement courses shall be as defined and approved by the City Engineer.
b. Six-inch reinforced concrete pavement with integral curb and gutter. The compressive strength of the concrete shall not be less than 4,000 psi in 28 days, the cement content shall be no less than 6.5 sacks per cubic yard, and the maximum water/cement ratio shall not exceed 5.0 gallons/sack. Where the subgrade is rock, the rock shall be removed to a depth of four inches and backfilled with sand before placing the concrete. The pavement shall be reinforced with #4 bars on 18" centers of #3 bars on ten inches centers. All pavement shall be approved by the City Engineer. All subgrade, subbase, form lines, and grades shall be approved by the Director of Public Works or the City Engineer prior to the placement of any concrete.
5. The type of surface course to be used shall be designated by the City Manager and approved by the City Council. All street construction shall be performed by a bonded contractor who has filed a faithful performance bond for the city, as required in the ordinance covering specifications for street construction.
(5) Final plats shall be accompanied by plan-profile sheets, 22 inches by 36 inches, and platted to a scale of 100 feet to one inch horizontal and ten feet to one inch vertical for each proposed street in the subdivision. These plan-profiles shall show the right-of-way of the street and portions of the right-of-way of intersecting streets in the plan portion. The profile portion shall show the existing ground and the proposed grade at five points of cross-section; that is, at the centerline, the back-of-curb lines, and the property lines. The plan portion shall show the size and location of all drainage structures, storm sewers, curb inlets, and the like and the direction of flow of all storm water.
(6) Typical cross-sections shall be shown of the type and width of paving proposed for the streets. Curbs and gutters, pavement types, and drainage structure design standards of the city, in effect at the time of submission of the plat, shall be used, subject to the approval of the City Engineer or City Manager and City Council.
(Ord. 2005-6, § 5.3, passed 9-20-05)