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170.11 MINIMUM STANDARDS OF DESIGN.
No subdivision plat shall be approved by either the Commission or by the City Council unless it can be demonstrated that it meets or exceeds the design standards and standard specifications.
1.   Acre Subdivision. Whenever the area is divided into lots containing one or more acres and the land could eventually be re-subdivided into smaller building lots, consideration shall be given to the street and lot arrangement of the original subdivision so that additional minor streets shall be opened which will permit a logical arrangement of smaller lots.
2.   Relation to Adjoining Street System. The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions shall make provision for the continuation of the streets in adjoining subdivisions, or for a proper intersection where said streets in the new subdivision shall connect therewith, or their proper projection where adjoining property is not subdivided insofar as they may be necessary for public requirements.
3.   Streets. All streets shall conform as nearly as possible to the Comprehensive Plan and to the Design Standards and Standard Specifications.
   A.   Easements. Easements for utilities shall conform to the Design Standards as illustrated in Utility Service Locations schematic on file at Public Works. Greater easement widths may be required for utilities by the City as necessary to service the development. Easements for flag lots shall be reviewed on a case by case basis. A ten-foot utility easement may be required in the absence of a five-foot utility easement on adjoining property.
   B.   Local Streets. Local streets shall be laid out so that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.
   C.   Street Intersections. Street intersections with centerline offsets of less than one hundred twenty-five feet (125') shall be prohibited.
   D.   Street Centerlines. When the centerline of the streets extended deflect at any one point with a deflection angle of more than five degrees (5°), they shall be connected by a horizontal curve.
   E.   Intersection Angles. Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles and no street shall intersect any other street at less than sixty degrees (60°). Intersections must be designed to meet the criteria set forth in the most current edition of the AASHTO “Green Book”, A Policy on the Geometric Design of Highways and Streets.
   F.   Dead-End Streets. Dead-end streets are prohibited.
   G.   Prohibited Intersections. Intersections of more than two (2) streets shall be prohibited unless approved per Section 170.11(3)(E).
   H.   Street System Connectivity. Streets shall be designed to extend to property lines where the adjacent property could be developed in the future.
   I.   Cul-de-sacs. Cul-de-sacs shall generally be discouraged. Maximum cul-de-sac length shall be 600 feet for the length of the street ending in a cul-de-sac.
   J.   Cul-de-sac, Temporary. Asphaltic surface vehicle turnarounds shall be provided for streets that terminate at the boundary of the subdivision as depicted in Temporary Cul-de-sac Locations Schematic available at Public Works. Temporary cul-de-sacs may extend beyond the boundary of a subdivision provided an easement is granted for public access.
4.   Street Names. Names for streets which are in alignment with or extensions of existing streets shall be the same. Street names shall be subject to Commission and City Council approval. Street names shall follow a logical progression in numbering wherever possible.
5.   Lots.
   A.   All side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to street centerlines unless the Commission shall agree that a variation to this requirement will provide for enhanced street and lot arrangement. Double frontage lots shall be avoided except where essential to provide separation of residential development from major traffic arteries or to overcome specific constraints of topography.
   B.   Lot dimensions and area shall conform to the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance.
   C.   Direct access from a street shall be provided for all lots. Access driveways shall be positioned in accordance with the Design Standards.
   D.   Flag lots shall be avoided except where development cannot be reasonably accomplished without their use.
   E.   Larger than normal lots or parcels shall be so arranged as to permit the logical location and opening of future streets and appropriate re-subdivision with provision for adequate utility connections for such resubdivision. Dedication of easements or public right-of-way for future openings and extensions of such streets may be required.
   F.   Residential lots fronting on arterial streets shall generally be discouraged.
6.   Blocks. No block in a residential subdivision shall be longer than six hundred feet (600'). No block in a subdivision located in a Rural Residential District shall exceed 1200 feet. Exceptions to the maximum block length may be permitted where topography or unusual conditions dictate a greater length as determined by the City.
7.   Building Lines. Building lines shall be shown on all platted lots intended for residential, commercial and industrial use. Such building lines shall not be less than the minimum yard requirements of the Zoning Ordinance for the district within which the property is located.
8.   Easements Along Streams. Whenever any stream or major surface watercourse is located in an area that is being subdivided, the Subdivider shall, at the Subdivider’s own expense, make adequate provisions for straightening, widening or otherwise improving the channel in accordance with County, State and Federal regulations. The channel will be sufficient to convey surface water from a storm event of a 100-year frequency. The Subdivider shall also provide and dedicate to the City an easement along each side of the stream, which easement shall be for the purpose of widening, improving or protecting the stream. The width of such easement shall be adequate to provide for conveyance of surface water runoff from a 100-year frequency storm event and for any necessary channel relocation and straightening, but in no case shall such easement be less than twenty feet (20').
9.   Street Right-of-way Widths.
 
Circular Turnaround Portion of Cul-de-sac
Local Street
Collector Street
Arterial Street
55' radius
60 feet
70 feet
80 feet