All streets, whether public or private, shall comply with the following general requirements for street design.
(1) Street names. Streets which are extensions or a continuation of, or obviously in alignment with, any existing streets, either constructed or appearing on any validly recorded plat or survey, or valid plat previously approved by the Plan Commission, shall bear the names of such existing streets. Names for all other streets shall be sufficiently different in sound and in spelling from other streets in the town or other nearby areas so as to avoid confusion.
(2) Alleys. Alleys may be proposed in such instances where the use of alleys was indicated on a development plan approved by the Plan Commission, or where the development represents an in-fill situation and the use of alleys would be compatible with the development pattern of the area surrounding the proposed subdivision.
(3) Access to areas abutting thoroughfares. If the proposed subdivision abuts upon or contains an existing or proposed primary arterial street, secondary arterial street or limited access street, the street plan shall provided vehicular access to each lot abutting such streets by one of the following means:
(a) A frontage street running generally parallel to the primary, secondary or limited access street and whose right-of-way is separate from the right-of-way of such primary, secondary or limited access street;
(b) A local or collector street running generally parallel to the primary, secondary or limited access street with the rear of the lots backing up to the primary, secondary or limited access street and no access shall be provided to the primary, secondary or limited access street; or
(c) A series of cul-de-sac streets, U-shaped streets or short loop streets entered from and designed generally at right angles to a local or collector street running generally parallel to the primary, secondary or limited access street, with the rear lines of their terminal lots backing onto the primary, secondary or limited access street.
(4) Secondary means of access.
(a) Secondary access to a subdivision. Any major residential subdivision which contains 30 or more lots shall:
1. Provide a secondary means of access from an improved perimeter public street; or
2. Provide a divided local collector street as the means of access from an improved perimeter public street back to a point of intersection with an internal street network where all lots can be accessed by more than one direction.
SECONDARY MEANS OF ACCESS
(b) Secondary access within a subdivision. Within a major residential subdivision, no portion of the subdivision shall include more than 30 lots which cannot be accessed from more than one direction.
(c) Remote secondary access. Any major residential subdivision which contains 60 or more lots shall provide a remote secondary means of access which complies with the Town Access Control Ordinance and is separated from at least one other access point into the subdivision by a distance apart equal to not less than one-half of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the property or area to be served, measured in a straight line between access points.
(d) Exception. In any major residential subdivision where all dwelling units within the subdivision are served by a residential sprinkler system in compliance with either:
1. NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems;
2. NFPA 13D Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Homes; or
3. NFPA 13R Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in Residential Occupancies up to and Including Four Stories in Height, the maximum number of lots which may be developed without being required to provide a remote secondary means of access shall be increased to 120 lots.
(e) Design of remote secondary access.
1. A remote secondary means of access may be designed as:
a. A dedicated public street; or
b. A gated or un-gated emergency vehicle access easement providing direct access to an improved perimeter public street or connecting to a public street in an abutting subdivision which provides access to an improved perimeter public street.
2. If a remote secondary means of access is provided by way of an emergency vehicle access easement, such emergency vehicle access easement shall be designed to comply with the requirements for a “fire apparatus access road”, including having a minimum pavement width of 20 feet and being constructed of a heavy duty pavement section of asphalt, concrete or other driving surface approved by the Town Fire Chief or his or her designee, and capable of supporting an imposed load of fire apparatus weighing at least 75,000 pounds.
(5) Dead end streets. Permanently dead-end streets (except for cul-de-sac streets provided in compliance with the provisions of this ordinance) shall be prohibited. A temporary dead-end street may be permitted in any case in which a street is proposed to be and should logically be extended beyond the limits of the subdivision, but is not yet constructed beyond said subdivision limits. The right-of-way of a temporary dead-end street shall extend to the property line of the subdivision. An adequate easement for turn-around shall be provided for any such temporary dead-end street which extends 250 feet or more, with a temporary turn-around provided. A notation on the plat shall state that the land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to the abutting lots and property owners when the street is continued, constructed and, if a public street, accepted by the town.
(6) Frontage on improved streets.
(a) No subdivision shall be approved unless the area to be subdivided shall have frontage on and gain access from:
1. An existing town, county or state street; or
2. A street shown upon a plat approved by the Plan Commission and recorded in the office of the County Recorder.
(b) Such street must be improved as required by the rules, regulations or specifications of the responsible agency, or be secured by a performance bond as required by this ordinance, with the width of the right-of-way and pavement to be in compliance with the thoroughfare and this ordinance.
(7) Grading and improvement plan. Streets shall be graded and improved to conform with the construction standards and specifications set forth the town standards and in Table 3.3-A: Minimum Design Standards for Streets. Such construction standards and specifications shall be indicated on construction plans required prior to secondary plat approval and shall be approved as to design and specification by the Town Engineer.
(8) Topography and arrangement.
(a) Streets shall be appropriately related to site topography. All streets shall, wherever practical, be arranged so as to maximize the number of lots located at, or above, the street grades. Street grades shall conform as closely as possible to the original topography. A combination of steep grades and sharp curves shall be avoided wherever practical.
(b) All streets shall be properly integrated with the existing and proposed system of thoroughfares and dedicated rights-of-way as established in the Thoroughfare Plan.
(c) Local streets shall be laid out to conform to as much as possible to the topography, to discourage use by through traffic, to permit efficient drainage and utility systems, and to require the minimum number of streets necessary to provide convenient, safe and efficient access to the subdivision.
(d) Proposed collector streets shall, where appropriate, be extended to the boundary lines of the subdivision unless such extension is prevented by topography or other physical conditions, or unless, in the opinion of the Plan Commission, such extension is not necessary or desirable for the purpose of coordinating with existing street layouts or providing for the most advantageous development of future tracts.
(e) Streets, access drives, driveways, interior access driveways and interior access drives shall be planned in connection with the groupings of buildings, location of rail facilities, and the provision of public or private alleys, truck loading areas and truck maneuvering areas, walkways, bikeways and parking areas so as to minimize conflict of movement between the various types of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
(9) Street signs, pavement markings and traffic control signs. The subdivider shall provide street signs at every street intersection within the subdivision. The subdivider shall also provide pavement markings and traffic control signs at required locations. All street signs, pavement markings and traffic control signs shall conform to the town standards and the Indiana Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways as published by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
(10) Street lights. The subdivider shall provide and install street lights within the subdivision to conform with the town construction standards and specifications for street lights. Street light plans shall be approved by the Town Council.
(11) Reserve strips. Except where specifically authorized by the Plan Commission for the purpose of minimizing traffic conflicts with primary or secondary arterial streets or railroads, the creation of reserve strips adjacent to the right-of-way which may be used to deny access to a street shall not be permitted.
(12) Arrangement of streets. In order to provide for the convenient movement of traffic, effective fire protection, efficient provision of utilities or where such connection is in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan, streets shall be arranged so as to provide for the continuation of collector streets and larger streets between adjacent subdivisions.
(13) Cul-de-sac streets. Cul-de-sac streets, when approved by the Plan Commission, shall not normally be located nearer to a subdivision boundary than 50 feet. All cul-de-sac streets shall be provided with adequate rights-of-way and pavement width in accordance with the design specifications of the town construction standards and specifications set forth in the town standards and Table 3.3-A: Minimum Design Standards for Streets. The Plan Commission may, however, require the provision of appropriate easements between the end of the cul-de-sac and the subdivision boundary necessary to accommodate drainage facilities, pedestrian ways or utilities. In no event shall a cul-de-sac measure more than 800 feet in length, measured from centerline of an intersecting street (excluding another cul-de-sac) to the center point of the radius of the turn-around.
(14) New perimeter streets. Street systems in new subdivisions shall be laid out so as to eliminate or avoid new perimeter half-streets. Where an existing half-street is adjacent to a new subdivision, the other half of the street shall be improved and dedicated by the subdivider. The Plan Commission may authorize a new perimeter street around a proposed subdivision where the subdivider improves and dedicates the entire required right-of-way width within the boundary of said proposed subdivision.
(15) Widening and realignment of existing streets. Where a subdivision borders an existing narrow street or when the Thoroughfare Plan indicates plans for realignment or widening of a street that would required use of some of the land in the subdivision, the subdivider shall be required to dedicate that portion of such existing street which is contained within the land subject to the secondary plat of the subdivision to the full width required by this ordinance, and improve such street as required by the Plan Commission. Land reserved for any street purposes shall not be counted in satisfying the minimum yard or lot area requirements of the Town Zoning Ordinance.
(16) Dedication. All public streets shall be dedicated to the town on the secondary plat free and clear of all liens and encumbrances by use of the following language: “All streets shown on this plat, and not heretofore dedicated, are hereby dedicated to the Town of Plainfield, Indiana”.
(Ord. 22-97, passed - -1997; Ord. 4-2000, passed - -2000; Ord. 11-2004, passed 6-14-2004; Ord. 40-2006, passed 10-9-2006)