The following shall be considered the minimum standards of design for streets in subdivisions in the city.
(A) General. In every new subdivision, the street system shall conform to the city thoroughfare plan, as specified in § 154.004(B). In areas where the thoroughfare plan does not apply, streets shall be designed and located in proper relation to existing and proposed streets, the topography, natural features such as streams and tree growth, public safety and convenience and to the proposed use of land to be served by the streets. All proposed streets shall provide for the appropriate projection of principal streets in surrounding areas and provide reasonable access for surrounding acreage tracts. Outside the corporate limits, all streets must conform to all NCDOT minimum standards. A written letter of compliance shall be submitted to the City Engineer or Director of Planning showing NCDOT approval. The subdivider of a nonresidential subdivision or major thoroughfare shall provide streets in accordance with I.F.-4 of the North Carolina Roads, Minimum Construction Standards, January 1, 2000; or current applicable North Carolina Department of Transportation Standards; and the standards of this section, whichever are stricter in regard to each particular item.
(B) Right-of-way widths. Minimum street right-of-way widths shall be in accordance with the thoroughfare plan and shall not be less than the following:
Roadway Type | Minimum Right-of-Way |
Minor thoroughfare | 70 ft. |
Local street, not otherwise specified | 60 ft. |
Residential collector street | 60 ft. |
Local residential street | 50 ft. except that a minor subdivision street may be 40 ft. if serving 3 or fewer parcels or designated private street |
(C) Pavement widths. Minimum pavement width, measured from back of curb to back of curb, shall not be less than the following:
Roadway Type | Streets with Curb and Gutter | Streets with Ribbon Curbing or without Curb and Gutter |
Minor thoroughfare | 44 ft. | 40 ft. |
Local street, not otherwise specified | 24 ft. | 20 ft. |
Local residential street | 22 ft. | 20 ft. |
Cul-de-sac | 222 ft. | 200 ft. |
Cul-de-sac turnaround | 37 ft. radius | 35 ft. radius |
(D) Grades. Unless necessitated by exceptional topography and subject to the approval of the City Engineer and Planning Board, street grades shall not be more than 10% nor less than 0.3% on any street.
(1) Grades approaching intersections shall not exceed 5% for a distance of not less than 100 feet from the centerline of the intersection.
(2) Street grades shall be established wherever practicable in such a manner as to avoid excessive grading, the promiscuous removal of ground cover and tree growth and general leveling of the topography.
(3) All changes in street grades shall be connected by vertical curves of a minimum length equivalent in feet to 15 times the algebraic difference in the rates of grades for major and minor thoroughfares, and one-half this minimum for all other streets.
(E) Radii of curvature. Where a street centerline deflection of more than ten degrees occurs, a curve shall be introduced having a radius of curvature on the centerline of not less than the following:
(1) Major thoroughfare: 500 feet;
(2) Minor thoroughfare: 300 feet; and
(3) Minor street: 150 feet.
(F) Tangents. A tangent of not less than 100 feet shall be provided between reverse curves on all streets.
(G) Intersections. Street intersections shall be laid out in the following manner.
(1) Streets shall intersect as nearly as possible at right angles, and no street shall intersect any other street at an angle of less than 75 degrees.
(2) Intersections with major thoroughfares shall be at least 800 feet apart, measured from centerline to centerline. This requirement may be waived by the Planning Board if the requirement would prevent a property owner fronting on a major thoroughfare from having access to the facility.
(3) Street jogs with centerline offsets of less than 125 feet shall be prohibited when the jog lies wholly within the subdivision, and shall be avoided wherever possible on the exterior boundary of the subdivision.
(4) Property lines at street intersections shall be rounded with a minimum radius of 20 feet.
(H) Cul-de-sac. Permanent dead-end streets or cul-de-sacs shall be no longer than 400 feet. In general, streets with one end permanently closed shall be avoided unless the design of the subdivision and the existing or proposed street system in the surrounding area clearly indicate that a through street is not essential in the location of the proposed cul-de-sac.
(I) Alleys. The Planning Board may require the subdivider to construct alleys in commercial or industrial zoning districts. When so required, or proposed by the subdivider, alleys shall conform to the following specifications:
(1) Right-of-way width: 20 feet;
(2) Property line radius at alley intersections: 15 feet; and
(3) Minimum radius to centerline when deflection angle of more than ten degrees occurs: 35 feet.
(J) Street names. Street names shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board, and new names shall not duplicate or be similar to existing street names. Existing street names, however, shall be projected where appropriate.
(K) Private streets. Private streets shall be permitted only in residential and multi-family zoning districts
(1) Private streets shall be privately maintained either by a properly established Property Owners' Association or in accordance with a maintenance agreement, either of which shall be approved by the Planning Director or shall be recorded with the Columbus County Register of Deeds. The Property Owners' Association covenants or the maintenance agreement shall detail the maintenance responsibilities for the owners of all current and future properties abutting the private street, the deed book and page number of which shall be entered on the face of the final plat prior to plat approval.
(2) Private streets shall be permitted in a minor subdivision as follows:
(a) Private streets in a minor subdivision shall only be permitted in the RA-20 or RA-20 (MH) zoning districts.
(b) Private streets serving three or fewer total parcels shall provide the required right-of-way and are exempt from surfacing requirements.
(c) Private streets serving three or more parcels shall provide the required right-of-way and shall be surfaced with a minimum of six inches of compacted stone.
(d) Private streets in minor subdivisions shall be completed prior to final plat approval.
(e) Private streets in minor subdivisions shall be exempt from sidewalk installation requirements.
(3) Private streets may be permitted in a major subdivision if approved by the City Council upon preliminary plat approval, provided that street maintenance be the responsibility of a properly established Property Owners' Association and be established prior to final plat approval, and that the Property Owners' Association be responsible for maintenance of the private streets to the satisfaction of City Council.
(4) City Council may require that certain streets be dedicated as public streets if they approximate roadways shown on approved municipal, county, or state transportation or land use plans or provide connectivity to adjacent properties or some other substantial public benefit.
(5) All private streets shall include access, utility and drainage easements over the full width and length of the private right-of-way for the benefit of all abutting property owners, their heirs, successors, and assigns, and shall allow and provide access at all times to public safety and utility personnel and to any other personnel on official city business.
(6) Restricted access gates (i.e. gated communities) must be explicitly granted by the City Council upon preliminary plat approval and public safety and utility personnel shall be provided with a means of immediate access at all times.
(L) Access easement. An easement created for the purpose of providing vehicular and/or pedestrian access. An access easement may serve no more than two primary structures. Any plat containing an access easement submitted to the city for approval shall include a signed access easement maintenance certificate detailing the maintenance responsibilities for such easement or shall reference an executed maintenance covenant recorded with the Columbus County Register of Deeds. Access easements shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width and only one access casement shall be permitted across any lot.
(2009 Code, § 154.60) (Ord. passed 5-1-1972; Ord. passed 9-12-1995; Ord. 2023-Z-28, passed 2-28-2023) Penalty, see § 10.99