(a) Land Requirements. Land shall be suited to the purpose for which it is to be subdivided. Land subject to periodic flooding or other hazards of life, health, or property, shall not be subdivided for residential purposes unless adequate safeguards against such hazards are provided by the Plan.
(b) Community Facilities and Comprehensive Plan Requirements. The Commission will consider the adequacy of the existing or proposed community facilities to serve the uses proposed in the subdivision. Where a proposed park, playground, school, or other public use shown in the Comprehensive Plan is located in whole, or in part in a subdivision, the Commission may require the provision or reservation of such area as may be deemed reasonable; provided, that such provision or reservation is acceptable to the Municipality.
(1) Areas provided or reserved for such community facilities should be adequate to provide for building sites, landscaping and off-street parking as appropriate to the use proposed.
(2) The layout of the proposed subdivision shall be in general conformity with the features or developments proposed in the Comprehensive Plan.
(c) On Lot Sewage and Water Supply. Where evidence indicates that the minimum lot size requirements specified in other sections of the Subdivision Regulations or in the Zoning Ordinance is not adequate to permit the installation of individual on-lot water supply and/or sewage disposal facilities, the Commission shall request the Mercer County Health Department to make such tests as are necessary to determine the adequacy of the proposed lot size, existing grade and soil conditions. The Planning Commission shall review the findings of the County Health Department and of any other competent registered engineer or authority on this matter, and shall make a final determination on the adequacy of the proposed facility.
(d) Easements.
(1) Easements with a minimum width of fifteen feet plus the width of any required pipe or other improvements shall be provided as necessary for utilities.
(2) To the fullest extent possible, easements shall be centered or adjacent to rear or side lot lines.
(3) Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, there shall be provided a drainage easement, or right of way conforming substantially with the line of such watercourse and of such width as will be adequate to preserve natural drainage.
(4) Utility companies serving the area of the proposed subdivision shall be consulted with respect to location, size and the use of easements for utility purposes.
(5) Utilities shall be installed underground unless the Commission Engineer determines that there are physical constraints upon the land which make underground installation infeasible.
(e) Blocks.
(1) The length, width and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to the following:
A. Provision of adequate sites for buildings of the type proposed.
B. Zoning requirements.
C. Topography.
D. Requirements for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
(2) Pedestrian interior walks may be required to assist circulation or provide access to community facilities in blocks over 1,200 feet or to provide pedestrian walk-way continuity within a given subdivision. Such crosswalks shall have a width of not less than ten feet and a paved walk of not less than five feet.
(f) Storm Drainage. Lots shall be laid out to encourage positive drainage away from proposed building areas and wherever desirable, natural drainage courses shall be maintained.
(g) Design Standards for Streets.
(1) Street right-of-way widths. Minimum right-of-way widths for all proposed streets shall conform to the requirements set forth in Table 1.
(2) Geometric standards. Geometric design standards for all proposed streets shall conform to the requirements set forth in Table 2.
TABLE 1
STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY WIDTHS
Type of Street | Right-of-Way Width (Feet) |
Arterial Street | 80 |
Collector | 60 |
Local Street | 50 |
TABLE 2
GEOMETRIC STANDARDS FOR STREETS
TYPE OF STREET
Standard | Arterial*** | Collector | Local |
Maximum Grade* | 5% | 7% | 10% |
Minimum Grade | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
Minimum Sight Distance | 600' | 400' | 150' |
Minimum Centerline Radius for Horizontal Curves** | 500 | 300 | 100 |
(*) Vertical curves shall be required at changes of grade exceeding one percent (1%) and shall be designed in relation to the extent of the grade change and to provide the minimum sight distances listed above.
(**) Whenever street lines are deflected in excess of five degrees, connection shall be made by horizontal curves, and a tangent shall be required between reverse horizontal curves.
(***) Arterial Streets which are State highways shall conform to the applicable requirements of the West Virginia Department of Highways.
(h) Street System Layout.
(1) Proposed streets shall be properly related to such street plans or parts thereof as have been officially prepared and adopted by the Municipality and they shall further conform to such County and State road and highway plans as have been prepared, adopted and/or filed as prescribed by law.
(2) The proposed street layout shall provide for the continuation or projection of existing streets in the surrounding area unless the Commission deems such extension undesirable for specific reasons of topography or design.
(3) Streets shall be logically related to the topography to produce usable lots and reasonable grades.
(4) Local streets shall be laid out to discourage through traffic, but provision for street connections into and from adjacent areas will generally be required.
(5) Proposed streets shall be extended to provide access to adjoining property where necessary.
(6) Adequate street rights of way shall be provided as necessary where lots in the proposal are large enough to permit resubdivision, or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided.
(7) New half or partial streets will not be permitted, except where essential to reasonable subdivision of a tract in conformance with the other requirements, and standards contained herein and where, in addition, satisfactory assurance for dedication of the remaining part of the street can be secured.
(8) Wherever a tract to be subdivided borders an existing half or partial street, the other part of the street shall be plotted within such tract.
(9) Dead-end streets shall be prohibited, except as stubs to permit future street extension into adjoining tracts, or when designed as cul-de-sacs to serve residential areas.
(10) New reserve strips, including those controlling access to streets, shall be avoided.
(i) Street Intersections.
(1) Streets shall be laid out to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. No street shall intersect another at an angle of less than sixty degrees.
(2) Multiple intersections involving junction of more than two streets shall be avoided. Where this proves impossible, such intersections shall be designed with extreme care for both pedestrian and vehicular safety.
(3) Clear sight triangles of thirty feet measured along street lot lines from their point of junction shall be provided at all intersections, and no building shall be permitted within such sight triangles.
(4) To the fullest extent possible, intersections with major traffic streets shall be located not less than 800 feet apart, measured from center line to center line.
(5) Streets entering opposite sides of another street shall be laid out either directly opposite one another or with a minimum offset of 125 feet between their center lines.
(6) Minimum curb radii at street intersections shall be fifteen feet for intersections involving only minor streets, twenty-five feet for intersections involving other type streets, or such greater radius as is suited to the specific intersection.
(7) Minimum right-of-way radii at street intersections shall be twenty-five feet for all intersections.
(8) Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of inadequate right-of- way width, additional right-of-way width in conformance with Table 1, will be required.
(9) Where the grade of any street at the approach to an intersection exceeds seven percent (7%), a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than four percent (4%) grades for a distance of twenty-five feet measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
(j) Uses Fronting on Arterial Streets.
(1) Local streets. Where a subdivision fronts or abuts an Arterial Street the Commission may require any of the following measures:
A. A Local Street approximately parallel to the Arterial Street at a distance suitable for the appropriate use of the intervening land.
B. Local Streets, rear service alleys, reverse frontage lots or such other treatment as will provide protection for abutting properties; reduction in the number of intersections with the Arterial Street, and separation of local and through traffic.
(2) Controlled access. Entrances and exits to nonresidential subdivisions shall be designed so as not to interfere with through traffic. In general, entrance and exit points shall not be located closer to one another than fifty feet, and when combined, shall be restricted to one combined access point per 100 feet. Access points shall not exceed twenty-four feet in width at any such point.
(3) Building set-back line. Unless otherwise regulated by appropriate ordinances, non-residential structures shall be set back not less than forty feet from the property line fronting on the Arterial Street. Rear setback lines shall be such that no non-residential structure shall be any closer to the rear property line than twenty feet.
(Ord. 1-79. Passed 6-18-79.)