(A) Coordination with existing road system. The proposed road layout within a subdivision shall be coordinated with the existing and proposed road network within the surrounding area (as established on the adopted Thoroughfare Plan for Vance County and the road layout within existing and approved subdivisions in the general area), including the extension and interconnection of roads between adjacent properties where appropriate to the development of a local road network.
(B) Access to adjacent properties or future phases.
(1) (a) All roads providing access to adjoining property shall be located so as to best ensure the safe, convenient and efficient movement of traffic within a local road network as well as the orderly development of adjacent properties.
(b) All dead end private roads must terminate in a cul-de-sac for turning around of emergency equipment.
(2) Where an adjoining property gains access through the property contained in the proposed minor subdivision to a public road, this access shall be:
(a) Included in the private road right-of-way which shall be conforming with the lines of the existing easements;
(b) The original access may be abandoned and an alternative access easement, which follows a new private road alignment, dedicated and recorded; and
(c) The lots shall be counted toward the number of lots permitted on a Class 1 or Class 2 private road.
(C) Reserve strips and non-access reservations. Reserve strips or non-access reservations that control access to roads, waterways, parks or the like, and other reserved strips shall be permitted only if their purpose, location, dimensions and manner of control is approved by the Planning Board.
(D) Access to major thoroughfares. Subject to the restrictions in §§ 155.040 et seq. and 155.065 et seq., direct driveway access from minor subdivision lots shall be permitted to and from numbered NCDOT (public) roads in Vance County except for those roads identified as Interstate Highway, Principal Arterial, Minor Arterial, Major Collector, and Minor Collector roads in the Thoroughfare Plan for Vance County and the table below.
NCDOT (Public) Roadways Not Permitting Direct Access
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NCDOT (Public) Roadways Not Permitting Direct Access
| |
Interstate Highways | I-85 |
Principal Arterials | US 1/158 north from the Henderson city limits to Warren County |
US 1 bypass south from the Henderson city limits to Franklin County | |
Minor Arterials | NC 39 south from the Henderson city limits to Franklin County |
Major Collectors | US 158 Bus. west from the Henderson city limits to Granville County |
US158 bypass west from the Henderson city limits to Granville County | |
US 1 Business north and south from the Henderson city limits to US 1 north and south | |
NC 39 north from the Henderson city limits to the Virginia state border | |
(E) Road names.
(1) A road name shall be assigned to any private road or private access easement which provides vehicular access to 2 or more parcels.
(2) Any proposed road which is in alignment with an existing road shall be given the same name.
(3) All private roads and private access easements shall have the suffix “lane.”
(4) New road names shall not duplicate or closely approximate the names of existing or reserved subdivisions, apartment complexes, mobile home parks, roads, lanes, drives or streets within the county, within municipalities in the county, or in adjoining counties within one mile of Vance County.
(5) New street names shall be approved by the Planning Board at the time of plat final approval and addressing will be assigned by Emergency Operations Offices.
(6) Street names should be simple, use the most common spelling and may not exceed 15 characters in length.
(F) Half streets. Where there exists a half-street along a common property line in an adjoining subdivision, the remaining half shall be provided by the proposed subdivision.
(G) Direct access to adjoining major thoroughfare. If alternative access from a road of lower classification is possible, no direct access shall be allowed to an adjoining major thoroughfare unless permitted by NCDOT and approved by the Planning Board.
(H) Separation of access points along adjoining major thoroughfare. Driveways and/or intersecting roads from an adjacent subdivision to a major thoroughfare shall be separated in accordance with NCDOT or Vance County standards, whichever is the more restrictive.
(I) Major thoroughfare right-of-way dedication or reservation.
(1) Dedication of right-of-way abutting existing major thoroughfare roads. A subdivision abutting an existing major thoroughfare road shall include dedication of any additional right-of-way along the site's frontage on the major thoroughfare that is needed to widen the right-of way to at least 1/2 the minimum right-of-way shown in Table D-1 of the Thoroughfare Plan for Vance County but in no case less than 35 feet from the centerline of the roadway.
(2) Proposed new thoroughfares.
(a) Incorporation of thoroughfare, if:
1. The Thoroughfare Plan for Vance County proposes a new major thoroughfare across part of a subdivision site;
2. An alignment for the thoroughfare has been determined to a reasonable degree of certainty (for example, as a centerline alignment on a functional design plan); and
3. The thoroughfare could appropriately serve to provide direct access to the subdivision; then the subdivision shall be classified as a major subdivision, comply with the requirements of §§ 155.040 et seq., 155.065 et seq., 155.090 et seq., and 155.125 et seq., and incorporate the major thoroughfare into its internal road layout with 1 of the subdivision roads along the proposed thoroughfare alignment constructed to NCDOT standards for a residential collector road.
(b) 1. Reservation of future right-of-way, if:
a. The Thoroughfare Plan for Vance County proposes a new major thoroughfare, other than one defined in division (I)(2)(a)1. above, across part of a subdivision site;
b. An alignment for the thoroughfare has been determined to a reasonable degree of certainty; and
c. The subdivision shall include dedication of the thoroughfare's future right-of-way.
2. Land area needed as future right-of-way shall be determined from NCDOT plans or otherwise by applying half the right-of-way width recommended in the Thorouqhfare Plan for Vance County along each side of the thoroughfare's proposed centerline alignment.
(c) If neither division (I)(2)(a) or (I)(2)(b) above applies, no incorporation or reservation of a future right-of-way for a proposed major thoroughfare across a proposed minor subdivision is required. The Planning Board may not delay final approval of a particular subdivision plan for failure to comply with division (I)(2)(b) above for more than 3 years after the date the application for plan approval has been accepted by the Planning Department as complete.
(3) Record plat notice of future right-of-way. A Thoroughfare Plan recommending the widening of an existing major thoroughfare abutting a subdivision site, or proposing a new major thoroughfare across part of a subdivision site, the recorded plat shall include notice of such. If the area needed for the planned widening or construction for a new thoroughfare can be ascertained with a reasonable degree of certainty, the record plat shall delineate it and label it as future right-of-way.
(J) Road design in water supply watersheds.
(1) All proposed roads shall follow topographical contours of the site as closely as possible.
(2) Curb and gutter shall be prohibited.
(3) New roads shall be designed and constructed to divert storm-water runoff away from directly draining into surface water supply waters and shall utilize watershed Best Management Practices.
(K) Subdivision street; disclosure statement.
(1) The right-of-way of any new road or change in any existing road shall be delineated on a subdivision plat and shall be designated either public or private in accordance with G.S. § 136-102.6.
(2) Any road designated on a plat as public shall be conclusively presumed to be an offer of dedication to the public and shall meet applicable NCDOT standards.
(3) A certification designating each road as either public or private shall be affixed to the face of the recorded plat in accordance with § 155.069(B). Private roads required to be built to NCDOT standards but not eligible because of too few lots or residences shall be dedicated to the public and shall meet the standards in this chapter.
(L) Subdivision access and entrance roads.
(1) Access shall be consolidated wherever possible.
(2) Supporting data verifying the capacity and safety of the access from a public to a private road shall be submitted and approved.
(3) Private road and private access easement entrances to a subdivision shall be a minimum of 300 feet from the intersection of 2 public roads and access points shall be a minimum of 200 feet apart.
(4) All entrances shall conform with the NCDOT “Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways.”
(M) Driveway permits. DOT approval of the location of an individual lot driveway entrance to a public or private road or a private access easement shall be received prior to the issuance of a development permit.
(1) There shall be a minimum distance of 150 feet between an individual driveway and a private road or private access easement entrance to the subdivision.
(2) A individual lot driveway entrance shall be located a minimum distance of 150 feet from the intersection of 2 roads within a subdivision.
(3) There shall be a minimum of 550 feet clear sight distance for any driveway providing access onto a public road unless the road has a posted speed of 45 mph or lower or a design speed of 50 mph or lower in which case the “Desirable Stopping Site Distance” as shown in Table D-5 of the “Thoroughfare Plan For Vance County” shall be required.
(N) Intersections.
(1) Streets shall intersect with angles of 75 to 90 degrees. Under extreme conditions, intersections with angles from 60 to 75 degrees may be acceptable when approved by the NCDOT District Engineer and must adhere to the design standards of the NCDOT Policy on Street and Driveway Access.
(2) Where intersections cannot be aligned, the centerlines of the streets shall be offset by a minimum length of 200 feet.
(3) All streets crossing natural areas, wetlands or stream buffers must cross at or as near to 90 degrees as possible.
(4) 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. Under extreme conditions, grades of less than 1/2% or in excess of 5% may be acceptable and are to be submitted for consideration to the NCDOT District Engineer.
(5) An intersection shall not include more than 4 road approaches.
(O) Alleys. Except where necessitated by unusual circumstances, alleys shall not be provided. If provided, they shall be constructed within an access easement of at least a 25 feet width and connect with roads or provide adequate turn around improvements at the end of the alley.
(P) Permits for connection to public roads. An approved permit is required for connection to any existing NCDOT state system road. This permit is required prior to the construction of a private road or private access easement. The application is available at the office of the District Engineer of the Division of Highways. All permit applications shall be in conformance with NCDOT, “Policy on Street and Driveway Access.”
(Q) Offset to utility poles. Poles for overhead utilities should be located clear of roadways shoulders, preferably a minimum of at least 30 feet from the centerline of the road, based on standard 60-foot right-of-way. On streets with curb and gutter, utility poles shall be set back a minimum distance of 16 feet from the face of curb.
(R) Handicap access and wheel chair ramps. All street curbs being constructed or reconstructed for maintenance purposes, traffic operations, repairs, correction of utilities, or altered for any reason, shall include provisions for the physically handicapped in conformance with G.S. § 136-44.14, the NCBC Volume 1-C (Handicap) and the NCDOT standards at intersections where both curb and gutter and sidewalks are provided and at other major points of pedestrian flow.
(S) Street and lot lighting. Subdivisions with lots of 20,000 square feet or less and/or any other proposed street lighting require a unified street lighting system. All residential street lighting and all lighting on lots shall be shielded.
(T) Curb and gutter. Curb and gutter shall be not be required or permitted unless the continuity of previous street work necessitates curb and gutter. Where curb and gutter is unavoidable, the construction shall be in conformance with NCDOT standards.
(U) Vehicular sight distance easements. Triangular sight distance easements shall remain free of all structures, trees, shrubbery, driveways and signs, except traffic-control signs, and shall be shown in dashed lines at all street intersections and so noted on the subdivision plat. Final determination of the location and extent of sight distance easements will be made by the jurisdiction in cooperation with the NCDOT District Engineer. Generally:
(1) Property lines at intersections shall be rounded with the following radii: private roads with private roads - 20 feet; and
(2) A vehicular sight triangle per NCDOT “Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways.”
(V) Islands or short medians at subdivision entrances. Approval of proposals for islands or medians at private road entrances shall be on an individual basis by the Division Engineer and shall conform to the NCDOT - “Subdivision Roads, Minimum Construction Standards” and approval will be with the following understanding.
(1) The Division of Highways will not maintain the island or median section.
(2) The island or the median section will be removed if it is not properly maintained.
(3) The minimum lane width at the entrances, excluding curb and gutter will be 14 feet.
(W) Traffic-control signs.
(1) The NCDOT District Engineer shall be responsible for the review and approval of plans for traffic-control signs and devices for private roads within the subdivision and may require additional signs in the interest of public safety. The number, placement and quantity for traffic-control signs shall conform to the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).”
(2) The county shall be responsible for the acquisition and installation of all traffic-control signs.
(3) The developer shall be responsible for the costs of signs and the costs for installing the signs. The costs for the signs and installation shall be included in the fee schedule. These costs shall be calculated and shall be payable upon preliminary plat approval.
(4) The proposed construction schedule should reflect the time of installation of traffic and street naming signs, and the locations shall be staked by the surveyor in accordance with the construction schedule. The developer shall have the responsibility to coordinate installation with the county.
(X) Street naming signs. The county shall be responsible for the acquisition and installation of all street naming signs. The cost of signs and installations shall be included in the fee schedule and shall be payable upon preliminary plat approval.
(Y) Guard rails. No banks or slopes within a public right-of-way directly adjacent to a minor subdivision or within a private road right-of-way shall have a slope steeper than 1 foot rise to 4 foot run. Within reason, pre-existing non-conforming slopes shall be brought into conformance. Slopes at or steeper than 1 foot rise in 2 foot run shall be protected by a guardrail along the shoulder of the road.
(Z) Break-away posts. All traffic signs, street naming signs, mail boxes or other similar objects installed on posts located within the right-of-way shall be installed with break-away posts.
(Ord. passed 6-7-2004, § 313.11) Penalty, see § 10.99