(A) The location, alignment, grade, width, and drainage of all streets and roads shall comply with the design standards and specifications for roads, streets, drainage, water and sewer construction, and improvements on file in the office of the agent and applicable specifications of the State Department of Transportation, and shall substantially correspond to existing and planned streets insofar as topographical conditions, public convenience, and safety, and the proposed uses of land to be served will permit.
(B) The street layout shall be designed to create desirable building sites while respecting existing topography and shorelines, avoiding impact on wetlands, minimizing street grades, avoiding excessive cuts and fills, and preserving trees, all to the maximum extent feasible for a reasonable economic use of the land.
(C) Streets shall be spaced to allow for blocks meeting the dimensional requirements contained herein and to minimize the number of intersections with existing or proposed arterial thoroughfares.
(D) Where the subdivision adjoins or contains any part of a U.S. highway, state primary highway, or state secondary highway designated as a collector street on the Major Thoroughfare Plan of the county, the layout of such subdivision shall provide for the platting and dedication of such part of the major or collector thoroughfare in the location and at the width indicated on such plan, except that the subdivider shall not be required to dedicate that part of such thoroughfare which is in excess of 80 feet in width.
(E) Where deemed appropriate to the design of the subdivision and its relation to adjoining areas, the agent may require the platting and dedication of one or more collector streets, or parts thereof, to serve the subdivision.
(F) Minor residential streets, intended primarily for access to individual properties, shall be so arranged as to discourage their use by through traffic.
(G) Streets shall be laid out to intersect one another at as near right angles as topography and the limiting factors of design will permit, and no street shall intersect another street at an angle of less than 70 degrees for a minor street or 80 degrees for an arterial thoroughfare.
(H) Proposed streets in the subdivision shall provide for the continuation of existing, planned, or platted streets on adjacent tracts, unless such continuation shall be prevented by topography or other physical condition, or unless the agent finds such extension to be unnecessary for the coordination of development between the subdivision and such adjacent tract.
(I) Where the agent deems it appropriate or necessary to provide access to adjacent tracts not presently subdivided, proposed streets in the subdivision shall be extended to the boundary lines with such adjacent tracts and temporary turnarounds shall be provided at the ends of such streets by means of temporary easements or other appropriate means.
(J) Where the subdivision adjoins or contains a U.S. highway or state primary highway as designated on the Major Thoroughfare Plan, the agent may require that measures to be taken to reduce the impact of heavy traffic on the residential lots abutting or fronting upon such thoroughfare and to afford separation of through and local traffic, through one of the following means:
(1) By providing vehicular access to such lots by means of a marginal access street or service drive separated from the highway by a planting strip at least 30 feet in width and connecting therewith at infrequent intervals; or
(2) (a) By designing reverse frontage lots having access only from a parallel minor street or from a cul-de-sac or loop street, and with vehicular access to such lots from the major thoroughfare prohibited by deed restrictions or other means.
(b) The choice of the most appropriate method of accomplishing the desired purpose in a specific instance shall be made by the agent giving consideration to topography and other physical conditions, the character of existing and contemplated development in the subdivision and its surroundings, and other pertinent factors.
(K) Cul-de-sac streets, generally not exceeding 1,200 feet in length, shall be permitted where they are necessitated by topographic conditions or where in the judgment of the agent, such streets are appropriate to the type of development proposed.
(L) Alleys shall be provided in business, commercial, and industrial areas, unless adequate access to parking and loading area is provided by other means. Alleys shall not be permitted in residential areas except to provide rear access to attached dwellings or multiple dwellings or where required by topographic or other unusual conditions. In the absence of alleys, easements shall be provided for utility lines and/or drainage facilities.
(M) Except as listed below in this division (M), there shall be no private streets platted in any subdivision and every subdivided property shall be served from a publicly dedicated street constructed to standards of the State Department of Transportation.
(1) In the case of a minor subdivision in which there are no more than seven lots and in which no lot is less than one acre in area, private streets may be permitted, provided:
(a) There is a direct connection to a state maintained public street and no more than one such connection;
(b) 1. The right-of-way is not less than 50 feet in width or more than 1,200 feet in length and is graded and constructed to State Department of Transportation standards for an all weather road base. The subdivision plat and all approved deeds of subdivision, or similar instruments, must contain the following statement:
“THE PRIVATE ROADS IN THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT BE PAVED OR MAINTAINED WITH FUNDS FROM RICHMOND COUNTY OR FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. IN ADDITION, RICHMOND COUNTY SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION POLICIES WILL NOT ALLOW SCHOOL BUSES TO TRAVEL AND PICK UP CHILDREN ON PRIVATE ROADS. IN THE EVENT THAT OWNERS OF LOTS IN THIS DEVELOPMENT SUBSEQUENTLY DESIRE THE ADDITION OF SUCH PRIVATE ROADS TO THE SECONDARY SYSTEM OF STATE HIGHWAYS FOR MAINTENANCE, THE COST TO UPGRADE IT TO PRESCRIBED STANDARDS MUST BE PROVIDED FROM FUNDS OTHER THAN THOSE ADMINISTERED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OR RICHMOND COUNTY. PRIVATE ROADS IN THIS DEVELOPMENT ARE NOT DEDICATED AND ARE OWNED BY (trust, corporation, property owners’ association).” |
2. Subsequent grantors of any subdivision lots to which such statement applies must also include the statement on each deed of conveyance thereof.
(c) The subdivision complies with the design and improvement requirements of this chapter except for street paving;
(d) The subdivision plat is approved by the State Department of Transportation and other state and federal agencies as may be required; and
(e) The subdivision and all lots are designed and appropriately restricted so as to preclude any resubdivision or addition which would increase the number of lots served by the street to more than seven or reduce lot area to less than one acre.
(2) (a) In the case of a cluster subdivision or planned development as approved by the Board of Supervisors, private streets may be permitted provided the minimum right-of-way is established at not less than 40 feet in width and is graded and constructed to State Department of Transportation standards for an all-weather road base and provided the design of streets and lots is such as to inhibit future expansion of the subdivision beyond that area which is approved. The subdivision plat or site plan and deeds shall be restricted as in divisions (M)(1)(b)1. and (M)(1)(b)2. above and the plat shall comply with division (M)(1)(c) above.
(b) Easements for ingress and egress for public emergency and maintenance vehicles shall be granted to the county for all private streets. Such easements shall be recorded with the instruments which create the private streets. The provisions of this section shall not apply to private streets of record prior to August 10, 1989.
(3) In the case of a minor two-lot subdivision, a private street may be permitted, provided:
(a) There is a direct connection to a state-maintained public street and no more than one such connection;
(b) The right-of-way is 20 feet in width and is for the exclusive use of the lots created and shall therefore serve a maximum of two residential building lots. The subdivision plat and all approved deeds of subdivision, or similar instruments, must contain a statement advising that the street does not meet state standards and will not be maintained by the Department of Transportation or the county, that lot owners are responsible for an equal share of maintenance and repair of the street, and that no public agency shall be responsible for any costs involved in having the street brought up to state standards for acceptance into the state secondary system of highways. Subsequent grantors of any subdivision lot to which such statement applies must also include the statement on each deed of conveyance thereof;
(c) The subdivision complies with the design and improvement requirements of this chapter except for street construction;
(d) The subdivision lots are restricted so as to preclude any resubdivision of the lots created; and
(e) Only one such two-lot minor subdivision shall be allowed per parcel or contiguous parcels under the same ownership.
(N) No land shall be reserved, held, or controlled for the purpose of prohibiting access to streets and roads unless owned, held, or controlled exclusively by the county or an agency of the state or federal government.
(Ord. passed 8-10-1989) Penalty, see § 154.999