9.2.1 General.
A. Every lot shall have direct access to a public or private street. Access must provide a reasonable means of ingress and egress for emergency vehicles as well as for all those likely to need or desire access to the property in its intended use.
B. The minimum width of the access required is 36 feet wide to accommodate as much as a 24-foot driveway.
C. Access and circulatory commercial development shall provide connections to adjacent commercially zoned parcels, or if adjacent parcels are underdeveloped, stub-cuts must be provided. Shared driveways from a street are required between commercially zoned properties.
9.2.2 Driveway permit required. A NCDOT driveway permit may be required for driveways serving any new use or change from an existing use that accesses a state-maintained road. Consult the UDO Administrator for more information.
9.2.3 Driveway design.
A. In general, driveways shall be not less than 18 feet in width for one-way traffic and 24 feet in width for two-way traffic.
B. However, 18-foot wide driveways shall be allowed for two-way traffic when all of the following exist:
1. The driveway is not longer than 75 feet; and
2. The driveway provides access to six or fewer parking spaces.
C. Sufficient turning space shall be provided so that vehicles need not back into public streets.
D. Eighteen foot wide driveways may also be permitted for two-way traffic if the UDO Administrator determines that not more than ten trips per day will be generated to and from the vehicular area being served by that driveway; and such vehicular area is not used by the general public.
E. Designated parking spaces shall not be located within the area of the driveways.
9.2.4 Sight triangles.
A. Driveways. For any driveway, a sight triangle measuring ten feet from the back of curb and extending 70 feet from the edge of each side of the driveway shall be required.
Design Standards. Within the sight triangle, no materials that would impede traffic visibility shall be allowed. Structures, fences, and plant materials that extend into the sight triangle above 22 feet, as measured from the grade of the street or drive, shall not be allowed.
9.2.5 Access to major thoroughfares restricted.
A. All uses located adjacent to a major thoroughfare identified on the NCDOT Major Thoroughfare Plan for Brunswick County and/or the town shall require a driveway permit from NCDOT prior to the issuance of a zoning permit by the town.
B. When a subdivision involving platting of a new street (or streets) borders on or contains an existing or proposed thoroughfare street, lots may not have direct driveway access to the thoroughfare.
C. When a lot or development borders on or contains an existing or proposed thoroughfare as delineated by a county or NCDOT Transportation Plan, access to the thoroughfare may be limited by one of the following means.
1. A separation of 400 feet is required from the nearest centerline of any other proposed or existing driveway access along the same side of the thoroughfare. Reduced separation may be authorized only by review and recommendation of the UDO Administrator and NCDOT.
2. Lots shall be subdivided so as to provide access onto a frontage road. The centerline of the frontage or reverse frontage road where it intersects the thoroughfare shall be no closer than 800 feet to the centerline of the nearest proposed or existing driveway access or road.
3. Driveway access closure may be required for any change in use of a lot based upon review and recommendation of the UDO Administrator and NCDOT.
(Ord. passed 2-3-2021)