(a) Frontage on Improved Roads. No subdivision shall be approved unless the area to be subdivided shall have frontage on and access from an existing street on the Official Map, or if there is no Official Map, unless such street is:
(1) An existing state, country, or township highway; or
(2) A street shown upon a plat approved by the Planning Commission and recorded in the County Recorder of Deeds' office. Such street or highway must be suitably improved as required by the highway rules, regulations, specifications, or orders, or be secured by a performance bond required under these subdivision regulations, with the width and right-of-way required by these subdivision regulations or the Official Map Plan.
Wherever the area to be subdivided is to utilize existing road frontage, the road shall be suitably improved as provided above.
(b) Level of Service. The applicant may be required to provide a traffic impact analysis for any development at the discretion of the City Engineer and Planning Commission. No development shall be approved if such development, at full occupancy, will result in or increase traffic on an arterial or collector so that the street does not function at a level of service of C or better. The applicant may propose and construct approved traffic mitigation measures to provide adequate roadway capacity for the proposed development.
(c) Grading and Improvement Plan. Roads shall be graded and improved and conform to the local government construction standards and specifications and shall be approved as to design and specifications by the City Engineer, in accordance with the construction plans required to be submitted prior to final plat approval.
(d) Topography and Arrangement.
(1) Roads shall be related appropriately to the topography. Local roads shall be curved wherever possible to avoid conformity of lot appearance. All streets shall be arranged so as to obtain as many building sites as possible at, or above, the grades of the streets. Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible to the original topography. A combination of steep grades and curves shall be avoided.
All streets shall be properly integrated with the existing and proposed system of thoroughfares and dedicated rights-of-ways as established on the Official Map and/or Master Plan.
(2) Minor or local streets shall be laid out to conform as much as possible to the topography to discourage use by through traffic, to permit efficient drainage and utility systems, and to require the minimum number of streets necessary to provide convenient and safe access to property.
(3) Proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the tract to be subdivided, unless prevented by topography or other physical conditions, or unless in the opinion of the Planning Commission such extension is not necessary or desirable for the coordination of the layout of the subdivision with the existing layout or the most advantageous future development of adjacent tracks.
(e) Reserved. Editor’s Note: This subsection is reserved for future legislation.
(f) Blocks.
(1) Blocks shall have sufficient width to provide for two (2) tiers of lots of appropriate depths. Exceptions to this prescribed block width shall be permitted in blocks adjacent to major streets, railroads, or waterways.
(2) The lengths, widths, and shapes of blocks shall be such as are appropriate for the locality and the type of development contemplated, but block lengths in residential areas shall not exceed one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet or twelve (12) times the minimum lot width required in the zoning district, nor be less than four hundred (400) feet in length. Wherever practicable, blocks along major arterial and collector streets shall be not less than one thousand (1,000) feet in length.
(3) In long blocks the Planning Commission may require the reservation of an easement through the block to accommodate utilities, drainage facilities, or pedestrian traffic.
(4) Pedestrian ways or crosswalks, not less than ten (10) feet wide and paved with a Portland Cement concrete walk no less than five (5) feet wide, may be required by the Planning Commission through the center of blocks more than eight hundred (800) feet long where deemed essential to provide circulation or access to schools, playgrounds, shopping centers, transportation, or other community facilities. Blocks designed for industrial uses shall be of such length and width as may be determined suitable by the Planning Commission for prospective use.
(g) Access to Primary Arterial. Plans for access to arterial roadways shall be evaluated with reference to the State of Ohio, Department of Transportation Access Management Manual. Where a subdivision borders on or contains an existing or proposed primary arterial, the Planning Commission will encourage the use of various methods to minimize access points. Such methods may include the use of cross-easements, shared parking drive entries, etc. Planning Commission may also require that access to such streets be limited by one of the following means:
(1) The subdivision of lots so as to back onto the primary arterial and front onto a parallel local street; no access shall be provided from the primary arterial, and screening shall be provided in a strip of land along the rear property line of such lots.
(2) A series of cul-de-sacs, U-shaped streets, or short loops entered from and designed generally at right angles to such a parallel street, with the rear lines of their terminal lots backing onto the primary arterial.
(3) A marginal access or service road (separated from the primary arterial by a planning or grass strip and having access at suitable points.).
(h) Road Names. The Planning Commission shall approve all road names shall be sufficiently different in sound and spelling from other road names in the municipality so as not to cause confusion. A road which is (or is planned as) a continuation of an existing road shall bear the same name.
(i) Road Regulatory Signs. The applicant shall deposit with the local government at the time of final subdivision approval the sum of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each road sign required by the City Engineer at all road intersections. The City shall install all signs before issuance of certificates of occupancy for any residence on the streets approved. Street name signs are to placed at all intersections within or abutting the subdivision, the type and location of which to be approved by the City Engineer.
(j) Street Lights. Installation of streetlights shall be required in accordance with design and specification standards approved by the City Engineer.
(k) Reserve or Devil Strips. The creation of reserve strips or devil strips shall not be permitted adjacent to a proposed street in such a manner as to deny access from adjacent property to the street.
(l) Construction of Roads and Dead-End Roads.
(1) Construction of Roads. The arrangement of streets shall provide for the continuation of principal streets between adjacent properties when the continuation is necessary for convenient movement of traffic, effective fire protection, for efficient provision of utilities. If the adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must temporarily be a dead-end street, the right- of-way shall be extended to the property line. A temporary cul-de-sac shall be provided on all temporary dead-end streets, with the notation on the subdivision plat that land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to abuttors whenever the street is continued. The Planning Commission may limit the length of temporary dead- end streets in accordance with the design standards of these regulations.
(2) Dead-End Roads (Permanent). Where a road does not extend beyond the boundary of the subdivision and its continuation is not required by the Planning Commission for access to adjoining property, its terminus shall normally not be nearer to such boundary than fifty (50) feet. However, the Planning Commission may require the reservation of an appropriate easement to accommodate drainage facilities, pedestrian traffic, or utilities. A cul-de-sac turn around shall be provided at the end of a permanent dead- end street in accordance with construction standards and specifications approved by the City Engineer.
(m) Design Standards.
(1) General. In order to provide for roads of suitable location, width, and improvement to accommodate prospective traffic and afford satisfactory access to police, firefighting, snow removal, sanitation, and road- maintenance equipment, and to coordinate roads so as to compose a convenient system and avoid undue hardships to adjoining properties, the following design standards for roads are hereby required.
(2) Road Surfacing and Improvements. After sewer and water utilities have been installed by the developer, the developer shall construct curbs and gutters and construct roadways to the widths prescribed in these regulations. All roads shall be portland cement concrete in accordance with specifications as determined by the City Engineer to meet City and construction improvements Adequate provision shall be made for culverts, drains, and bridges. All road pavement, shoulders, drainage improvements and structures, curbs, turnarounds, and sidewalks shall conform to all construction standards and specifications adopted by the Planning Commission, City Engineer, or Council and shall be incorporated into the construction plans required to be submitted by the developer for plat approval.
(3) Excess Right-of-Way. Right-of-way widths in excess of the standards designated in these regulations shall be required whenever, due to topography, additional width is necessary to provide adequate earth slopes. Such slopes shall not be in excess of three-to-one.
(4) Railroads and Limited Access Highways. Railroad rights-of-way and limited access highways where so located as to affect the subdivision of adjoining lands shall be treated as follows:
A. In residential districts a buffer strip at least 25 feet in depth in addition to the normal depth of the lot required in the district shall be provided adjacent to the railroad right-or-way or limited access highway. This strip shall be part of the platted lots and shall be designated on the plat: "This strip is reserved for screening. The placement of structures on this land is prohibited."
B. In districts zoned for business, commercial, or industrial uses the nearest street extending parallel or approximately parallel to the railroad right-or-way shall, wherever practicable, be at a sufficient distance from the railroad right-of-way to ensure suitable depth for commercial or industrial sites.
(5) Industrial Park Roadways. Roadways in industrial parks and mixed use districts which include manufacturing or light industrial uses shall be constructed with pavement widths as described in Section 1169.05(b) and shall be constructed with a minimum 9” reinforced concrete pavement meeting the ODOT specification.
(6) Intersections.
A. Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. A proposed intersection of two (2) new streets at an angle of less than seventy-five (75) degrees shall not be acceptable. An oblique street should be curved approaching an intersection and should be approximately at right angles for at least one hundred (100) feet therefrom. Not more than two (2) streets shall intersect at any one point unless specifically approved by the Planning Commission.
B. Proposed new intersections along one side of an existing street shall, wherever practicable, coincide with any existing intersections on the opposite side of such street. Street jogs with center-line offsets of less than 150 feet shall not be permitted, except where the intersected street has separated dual drives without median breaks at either intersection. Where streets intersect major streets, their alignment shall be continuous. Intersection of major streets shall be at least eight hundred (800) feet apart.
C. Minimum curb radius at the intersection of two (2) local streets shall be at least thirty (30) feet; and minimum curb radius at an intersection involving a collector street shall be at least thirty-five (35) feet; and, minimum curb radius at an intersection involving an arterial street shall be at least fifty (50) feet. Alley intersections and abrupt changes in alignment within a block shall have the corners cut off in accordance with standard engineering practice to permit safe vehicular movement.
D. Intersections shall be designed with a flat grade wherever practical. In hilly or rolling areas, at the approach to an intersection, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than a two percent (2%) rate at a distance of sixty (60) feet, measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.
E. Where any street intersection will involve earth banks or existing vegetation inside any lot corner that would create a traffic hazard by limiting visibility, the developer shall cut such ground and/or vegetation (including trees) in connection with the grading of the public right-of-way to the extent deemed necessary to provide an adequate sight distance.
F. The cross-slopes on all streets, including intersections, shall be three percent (3%) or less.
(7) Pavement Widths. The following minimum pavement widths shall be used for all designs of streets and drives for public and private use. Pavement widths are measured from face of curb to face of curb when curb is required.
Street Class |
Minimum Pavement Width
(curb face to curb face) | Curb Required |
Arterial Streets Two lane Four lane | 30 52 | Yes Yes |
Collector Street Residential Industrial Commercial | 28 30 30 | Yes Yes Yes |
Local, Loop and Dead End Street Residential Industrial Commercial | 24 28 28 | Yes Yes Yes |
Private Drive (serving more than two units) Residential Commercial Industrial | 20 26 26 | No No No |
Single Unit Private Drives Residenital Industrial Commercial | 10 26 26 | No No No |
(8) Bridges. Bridges of primary benefit to the applicant, as determined by the Planning Commission, shall be constructed at the full expense of the applicant without reimbursement from the City. The sharing expense for the construction of bridges not of primary benefit to the applicant as determined by the Planning Commission, will be fixed by special agreement between the City Council and the applicant.
(n) Road Dedications and Reservations.
(1) New Perimeter Streets. Street systems in new subdivisions shall be laid out so as to eliminate or avoid new perimeter half-streets
(2) Widening and Realignment of Existing Roads. Where a subdivision borders an existing narrow road or when the Master Plan, Official Map, or zoning setback regulations indicate plans for realignment or widening a road that would require use of some of the land in the subdivision, the applicant shall be required to improve and dedicate at its expense those areas for widening or realignment of those roads. Frontage roads and streets as described above shall be improved and dedicated by the applicant at its own expense to the full width as required by these subdivision regulations when the applicant's development activities contribute to the need for the road expansion.
(3) Land reserved for any road purposes may not be counted in satisfying yard or area requirements of the Zoning Ordinance whether the land is to be dedicated to the municipality in fee simple or an easement is granted to the City. (Ord. 2004-40. Passed 5-24-04.)