A. Fire Protection Standards:
1. The following criteria shall be used by the applicable fire district when reviewing development applications for structures that are not accessible by fire apparatus year-round or are located within the wildland urban interface zone: Location of building with respect to designated wildland urban interface (WUI) area based on the county and state approved map.
2. Response time for responding fire units.
3. Access, including road and bridge weight limits.
4. Space at the building for sufficient fire equipment to adequately and safely fight or defend the building(s).
5. Type and density of vegetation around the buildings.
6. Separation of buildings from vegetation as to prevent a building fire from spreading to wildland.
7. Type of road or driveway, length, and grade, as well as type of access (seasonal versus year round).
8. Distance from established water supply and the ability to get that water to the fire based on pump capacity, access, and space at the building and turnarounds.
9. Other criteria that shall be used are the following state adopted laws and rules:
a. The state fire code adoption act, as amended.
b. Utah Code Annotated subsection 65A-8-203(3)a (cooperative fire protection agreements with counties), as amended.
c. Utah Administrative Code R652-122-200 minimum standards for wildland fire ordinance, as amended.
d. Utah Administrative Code R309-550-5 water main design, as amended.
e. 2006 Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code, as amended.
f. Other provisions of this title.
g. The 2009 International Fire Code (IFC) or newer as adopted by the state of Utah, as amended.
Based on this review, applicants may be required to enact a variety of measures to minimize the level of fire hazard. The fire protection measures may include the following:
a. Connection to a community or private water system, well or spring with a minimum five thousand (5,000) gallon water storage tank, pond, or other accessible water body with a dry hydrant.
b. Defensible space around each dwelling.
c. Noncombustible roofing materials.
d. Internal fire sprinkler systems.
Based upon specific site characteristics (e.g., a meadow or irrigated field within the WUI zone) and the applicant's ability to provide an adequate combination of the above listed building or on site improvements, the fire district may waive certain requirements.
B. Road Standards:
1. Public and private roads in subdivisions shall meet the following minimum right of way, surface and shoulder width standards. Road surfaces shall be capable of providing all weather, year around access as approved by the appropriate fire district and the county.
a. Width Of Surface:
Design Speed | Design Volume | ||||||
<25 | 25 - 250 | 251 - 699 | 700 - 999 | 1,000 - 2,499 | 2,500 - 5,000 | 5,000+ | |
20 mph | 14 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 |
30 mph | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 |
40 mph | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 |
50 mph | - | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24+ |
Roads designed to carry a large traffic volume per day at higher speeds may be required to be wider than described. This will be based on a determination of the specific design volume, speed, terrain and other characteristics to be calculated at the time of development application. Public roads, to be owned and maintained by the County, shall be a minimum of twenty four feet (24') of paved surface width.
b. Width Of Shoulder:
Design Speed | Design Volume | ||||||
<25 | 25 - 250 | 251 - 699 | 700 - 999 | 1,000 - 2,499 | 2,500 - 5,000 | 5,000+ | |
All speeds | 1' to 2' | 1' to 4' | 2' to 4' | 2' to 6' | 2' to 6' | 2' to 6' | 2' to 8' |
Shoulders may be required to be compacted road base, asphalt or other suitable hard surface, or a combination thereof.
c. Width Of Right-Of-Way: The minimum right-of-way width for a public road shall be sixty feet (60'). The requirements may increase as the paved surface width increases due to traffic volumes, as described above. The minimum right-of-way for private roads shall be double the driving surface of the road.
C. Road Grades: The maximum road grade of an arterial road shall be eight percent (8%). On all other roads, a grade of less than eight percent (8%) is encouraged and preferred. However, road grades in excess of eight percent (8%), up to a maximum of ten percent (10%), may be allowed for short distances when, in the opinion of the County, it is in the best interest of preserving the natural environment and when approved by the appropriate fire district. Short distances shall not exceed five hundred feet (500') within any one thousand foot (1,000') segment.
D. Intersections: The road grade at an intersection shall not exceed four percent (4%) for a minimum distance of one hundred feet (100') on each leg of the intersection, and flatter grades are desired.
E. Turnaround/Cul-De-Sacs: Cul-de-sacs will be a maximum of one thousand three hundred feet (1,300') in length for developments with a moderate fire hazard rating, nine hundred feet (900') in high fire hazard rated areas, and five hundred feet (500') in areas of extreme fire hazard. No cul-de-sac shall have a driving surface width of less than twenty feet (20'), and twenty four feet (24') from public roads. All cul-de-sacs shall have a turnaround of not less than sixty feet (60') in diameter, or as otherwise approved by the fire district, and ninety feet (90') from public roads. All cul-de-sacs must have a sign indicating that the road is a "dead end" road, to be located within one hundred feet (100') of the outlet.
F. Bridges And Culverts: Bridges and culverts on public roads shall be designed to support an HS-20 highway loading requirement. Permanent culverts will be installed at all intermittent and perennial stream crossings. Specifications for bridges, culverts and other stream crossings shall take into account at least the 100-year frequency storm for bridges and the 25-year frequency storm for culverts.
G. Driveway Access: The maximum grade of a driveway shall not exceed ten percent (10%). Twelve percent (12%) grades may be allowed for up to but not to exceed two hundred fifty (250) linear feet. The minimum width of a driveway shall be twelve feet (12').
H. Irrigation Ditch Easements: An unobstructed easement at least sixteen feet (16') in width shall be provided and shown on the subdivision plats or site plans, to ensure proper access and maintenance of irrigation ditches and canals.
I. Revised Standards Applicable: Development is subject to revised general engineering standards and ordinances which are in effect at the time the application is submitted for review and approval by the County.
J. Appeals: Appeals of requirements imposed by the North Summit Fire District and the Wildland Fire District (Summit County Fire Warden) are made to the Summit County Council pursuant to the appeals procedure identified in section 11-7-16 of this title. Appeals of requirements imposed by the South Summit Fire District are made to the South Summit Fire Commission. (Ord. 751, 1-12-2011; amd. Ord. 947, 8-5-2022)