§ 152.353 STREETS.

   (A)   Conformance with thoroughfare plans. The location and design of streets shall be in conformance with any applicable, adopted thoroughfare plan. Where conditions warrant, right-of-way widths and pavement widths in excess of the minimum street standards may be required.

   (B)   Traffic impact study. If a proposed subdivision is submitted for approval which could generate daily traffic at the volumes specified in §§ 152.310 through 152.314 of the Unified Development Ordinance and a traffic impact study has not previously been prepared, preparation of a traffic impact study will be required at the applicant’s cost prior to preliminary plat approval.

   (C)   Conformance with adjoining road systems. The planned street layout of a proposed subdivision shall be compatible with existing or proposed streets and their classifications on adjoining or nearby tracts.

   (D)   Coordination with surrounding streets .

      (1)   The street system of a subdivision shall be coordinated with existing, proposed, and anticipated streets outside the subdivision or outside the portion of a single tract that is being divided into lots (hereinafter, “surrounding streets ”) as provided in this section.

      (2)   Collector streets shall intersect with surrounding collector or arterial streets at safe and convenient locations.

      (3)   Subcollector, local, and minor residential streets shall connect with surrounding streets where necessary to permit the convenient movement of traffic between residential neighborhoods or to facilitate access to neighborhoods by emergency service vehicles or for other sufficient reasons, but connections shall not be permitted where the effect would be to encourage the use of such streets by substantial through traffic.

      (4)   Whenever connections to anticipated or proposed surrounding streets are required by this section, the street   right-of-way shall be extended and the street developed to the property line of the subdivided property (or to the edge of the remaining undeveloped portion of a single tract ) at the point where the connection to the anticipated or proposed street is expected. In addition, the permit-issuing authority may require temporary turnarounds to be constructed at the end of such streets pending their extension when such turnarounds appear necessary to facilitate the flow of traffic or accommodate emergency vehicles. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection, no temporary dead-end street in excess of 900 feet may be created unless no other practical alternative is available.

      (5)   Reserve strips adjoining road rights-of-way for the purposes of preventing access to adjacent property shall not be permitted under any condition.

   (E)   Street classification. The final determination of the classification of streets in a proposed subdivision shall be made by the town.

   (F)   Public street design criteria. Public streets proposed to be dedicated to the town shall be designed in accordance with the Town of Swansboro Street Construction Standards and Specifications. In absence of Town of Swansboro Street Construction Standards and Specifications, the most current NCDOT standards will be used. Public streets proposed to be dedicated to the State shall be designed in accordance with standards and specifications of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

   (G)   Private street design criteria.

      (1)   Private streets shall be permitted development with owners’ associations .

      (2)   The minimum design standards for all private streets will be equivalent to the minimum Town of Swansboro Street Construction Standards and Specifications. In absence of Town of Swansboro Street Construction Standards and Specifications, the most current NCDOT standards will be used.

      (3)   An owner’s association is required to own and maintain all private streets allowed under this subchapter. All private streets will be indicated as such on the plat .

      (4)   No through street in a residential area connecting two public streets can be designated as a private street , unless approved by the Planning Board .

      (5)   All private streets , connecting with state-maintained streets , require an approved driveway application from the NCDOT.

      (6)   The minimum width of all sidewalks constructed, shall be five feet.

      (7)   A disclosure statement in accordance with G.S. §136-102.6 shall be recorded simultaneously with the plat and referenced on the final plat . The disclosure statement must contain the provision(s) for construction and/or maintenance of the private street (see § 152.385).

   (H)   Intersecting street angle.

      (1)   All streets shall intersect at or as near to 90 degrees as possible within topographic limits, and no street shall intersect any other street at an angle less than 75 degrees.

      (2)   All streets crossing natural areas, wetlands, or stream buffers must cross at or as near to 90 degrees as possible within topographic limits.

   (I)   Cul-de-sac . The distance from an intersecting through street or any extension from a cul-de-sac to the end of a cul-de-sac shall be a maximum of 900 feet, except where, upon the approval of the Planning Board , existing conditions warrant a modification of this requirement. The radius of the paved portion of a cul-de-sac street shall be designed in accordance with the Town of Swansboro Street Construction Standards and Specifications. In absence of Town of Swansboro Street Construction Standards and Specifications, the most current NCDOT standards will be used.

   (J)   Minimum street offset.

      (1)   Where streets are offset, the centerlines shall be offset no less than 150 feet.

      (2)   Except where no other alternative is practicable or legally possible, no two streets may intersect with any other street on the same side at a distance of less than 400 feet measured from centerline to centerline of the intersecting street . When the intersecting street is a major thoroughfare , the distance between intersecting streets shall be at least 1,000 feet.

   (K)   Curb and gutter.

      (1)   Curb and gutters shall be required in all subdivisions unless a variance from this requirement is specifically granted by the Board of Commissioners . Curbs and gutters shall be constructed in conformance with the design criteria of the Town of Swansboro Street Construction Standards and Specifications. In absence of Town of Swansboro Street Construction Standards and Specifications, the most current NCDOT standards will be used.

      (2)   As provided in G.S. §136-44.14, whenever curb and gutter construction is used on public streets , wheelchair ramps for the handicapped shall be provided at intersections and other major points of pedestrian flow. Wheelchair ramps and depressed curbs shall be constructed in accordance with published standards of the NCDOT.

   (L)   Temporary turnarounds. Streets stubbed to adjoining property or phase lines may be required to have a temporary turnaround at the end of the street which will be sufficient to permit service vehicles to turn around. The radius of the temporary turnaround shall be a minimum of 40 feet.

   (M)   Grades.

      (1)   The maximum grade at any point on a street constructed without curb and gutter shall be 6%. On streets constructed with curb and gutter, the grade shall not exceed six percent unless no other practicable alternative is available. In no case, however, may streets be constructed with grades that exceed 10%.

      (2)   The grade on stop streets approaching an intersection shall not exceed 5% for a distance of not less than 100 feet from the centerline of the intersection.

   (N)   Sight distance easements . Triangular sight distance easements shall be shown in dashed lines at all street intersections and so noted on the subdivision  plat . These easements will remain free of all structures, trees, shrubbery, and signs, except utility poles, fire hydrants, and traffic control signs. The location and extent of sight distance easements will be determined by the town and by the NCDOT on all state-maintained streets .

   (O)   Street names and property addresses. Streets which are obviously in alignment with existing streets shall generally bear the name of the existing street . Street names shall not duplicate or closely approximate phonetically the names of existing streets in Onslow County. Street suffixes and addresses shall conform to the standards established by the Town of Swansboro.

   (P)   Street name and traffic control signs. Street name and traffic control signs which meet the Town of Swansboro and NCDOT specifications shall be placed at all public and private street intersections. The Town of Swansboro shall approve the location of all signs to be place on town-maintained street  rights-of-way prior to installation. The developer shall be responsible for installing all street name and traffic control signs. The maintenance of signs on private streets and drives shall be the responsibility of the owner or of an owners’ association , as applicable.

   (Q)   Street construction plans. Construction plans for all streets that are proposed to be town-maintained shall be submitted to the town following preliminary plat approval. Construction plans for all subdivisions that are proposed for state maintenance shall be submitted to the NCDOT following preliminary plat approval. No street  improvements shall be constructed until street construction plans have been reviewed and approved by either the town or NCDOT, as applicable.

   (R)   NCDOT Traditional Neighborhood Development Street Design Standards. 

      (1)   The Planning Board may require utilization of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Operations Traditional Neighborhood Development Street Design (TND) Guidelines in any subdivision located in the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction with the approval of the NCDOT. TND standards for streets and sidewalks are limited to subdivisions having a minimum of 40 acres and a maximum of 125 acres.

      (2)   A Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) is a human scale, walkable community with moderate to high residential densities and a mixed use core. Compared with conventional suburban developments , TNDs have a higher potential to increase modal split by encouraging and accommodating alternate transportation modes. TNDs also have a higher potential for capturing internal trips, thus reducing vehicles miles traveled.

      (3)   A dense network of narrow streets with reduced curb radii is fundamental to TND design. This network serves to both slow and disperse vehicular traffic and provide a pedestrian friendly atmosphere. Such alternate guidelines are encouraged by NCDOT when the overall design ensures that non-vehicular travel is to be afforded every practical accommodation that does not adversely affect safety considerations. The overall function, comfort, and safety of a multi-purpose or “shared” street are more important than its vehicular efficiency alone.

      (4)   TNDS have a high proportion of interconnected streets , sidewalks, and paths. Streets and rights-of-ways are shared between vehicles (moving and parked), bicycles, and pedestrians. The dense network of TND streets functions in an interdependent manner, providing continuous routes that enhance non-vehicular travel. Most TND streets are designed to minimize through traffic by the design of the street and the location of land uses. Streets are designed to only be as wide as needed to accommodate the usual vehicular mix for that street while providing adequate access for moving vans, garbage trucks, fire engines, and school buses.

      (5)   As part of the NCDOT design criteria, there must be a discernable community center or core area. The proposed development must have a mixture of residential and non-residential land uses, with at least 10% of the developed area consisting of non-residential uses. Most non-residential uses are located within the community core area. Within the core area, a minimum of 15% of floor area must be devoted to commercial uses oriented towards TND residents. Elementary schools are an important community element. Public structures, such as schools , churches and civic buildings, and public open spaces , such as squares, parks , playgrounds, and greenways, shall be integrated into neighborhood pattern.

   (S)   Street inspection. Work performed pursuant to approved street construction plans shall be inspected and approved by either the town or the NCDOT, as applicable.

   (T)   Street lights. Street lights shall be provided in accordance with the street lighting standards of the power company providing service but shall NOT be less than the town’s policies, standards, and specifications for street lighting.

   (U)   Bridges. All bridges shall be constructed in accordance with the standards and specifications of the NCDOT, except that bridges on roads that will not be publicly dedicated may be approved if designed by a registered professional engineer.

(Ord. 2005-O3, passed 3-15-2005) (Am. Ord. 2008-O28, passed 10-21-2008; Am. Ord. 2013-O13, passed 5-21-2013)