11-20.120

11-20.120
Subdivision Design Standards and Requirements

Sections:

11-20.120.040 Alley and Easement Design

11-20.120.010 In General

Except where expressly modified by the City Council, each subdivision plat shall be in conformity with the standards set forth or referred to in this chapter and the Engineering Standards.

A. All lots or parcels created by the subdivision of land shall have their own frontage to a public or private street. Public and private streets shall be designed and improved to public street standards in accordance with the street design standards provided in Section 11-20.120.030, Street Design, and the Engineering Standards.

B. Driveways shall be designed in accordance with the standards established in the Engineering Standards and City Code, Title 4, Section 4-01-001-0005, Amendments.

C. The site planning standards provided in City Code, Title 10, Zoning Code, Division 10-30.60, Site Planning Design Standards, shall also be applied to the maximum extent feasible to the design of all new subdivisions.

11-20.120.020 Lot Design

A. The size, shape, and orientation of lots in the subdivision shall be appropriate to the location of the proposed subdivision and to the type of development contemplated. Lot width, depth, frontage, area and building setbacks shall comply with the minimum requirements of the Zoning Code (Title 10 of the City Code) and shall be appropriate for the location and character of development proposed and for the type and extent of street and utility improvements being installed. Where steep topography, unusual soil conditions or drainage problems exist or prevail, special lot width, depth and area standards may be considered. Innovative development approaches, such as clustered or planned development, should be explored in the interest of producing unique, environmentally-sensitive projects. Refer to City Code Title 10, Zoning Code, Section 10-40.60.250, Planned Residential Development.

B. No remnants of property shall be left in the subdivision that does not conform to lot requirements, unless required for a private utility or public purpose.

C. All subdivisions shall result in the creation of lots which are capable of being lawfully built upon. Except for parcels or tracts to be maintained as open space, no subdivision shall create lots which are physically unsuitable for improvement due to size or shape, steepness of terrain, location of water courses, problems of sewage or driveway grades, or other natural physical conditions.

D. Lots having double frontage shall be avoided except where necessary to provide separation of residential development from traffic arterials, to provide ingress and egress in commercial or industrial subdivisions, or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography and orientation.

E. Corner lots may be required to be wider than interior lots to provide for setback requirements.

F. Lot lines shall be located on or near the crest of ridges to preclude prominent line of sight building construction. Where feasible, the buildable area of a lot (i.e. the area within the setbacks) shall not be located on or near the crest of ridge lines.

G. The construction envelope on a lot shall be determined by the setback requirements for the lot and the location of natural topographic features such as watercourses, rock outcrops, native vegetation and trees. The Director may, upon application by the property owner, modify the construction envelope for an individual lot as shown on the final plat, provided that:

1. The revised construction envelope is equally as sensitive to the natural conditions as the original construction envelope;

2. The area of the construction envelope is not enlarged; and,

3. Setback requirements are not amended.

11-20.120.030 Street Design

A. The minimum requirements for street design are established in the Engineering Standards.

B. Standard utility locations shall comply with the Engineering Standards.

C. Local streets shall be designed to promote connectivity by creating a comprehensive grid-like network of vehicular and pedestrian connections to provide diversity of route choices between the proposed subdivision and existing streets and pedestrian routes, unless topographic conditions preclude such connectivity.

D. Names of streets should be consistent with the natural alignments and extensions of existing streets and the City’s Address Policy. New street names should not duplicate, in whole or in part, or be confused with existing names.

E. Local circulation systems and land development patterns shall be designed so that multiple modes of transportation shall be considered and that the efficiency of bordering arterial routes is maintained.

F. Proposed streets, as designated by the City, shall be extended to the tract boundary to provide future connection with adjoining unplatted lands. The street pattern in the subdivision shall not land lock adjacent property nor prevent access to public land.

G. The functional classification of streets shall be assigned by the City.

H. Whenever a tract to be subdivided includes any part of a street designated in an adopted General Plan, the street shall be platted in conformance with the General Plan.

I. Whenever a tract to be subdivided is located within an area for which a development master plan has been approved by the Planning Commission, the street arrangement shall conform substantially to this plan.

J. Streets shall be designed in relation to existing topography to produce streets of reasonable gradient to facilitate adequate drainage and to produce desirable lots of maximum utility. Where feasible, streets shall be placed along the top of ridges to minimize the extent of grading and reduce the visual impact of development.

K. Boundary streets (half streets) shall be discouraged except where necessary to provide right-of-way required by the General Plan, to complete a street pattern already begun or to insure reasonable development of a number of adjoining parcels. Where a platted half street abuts the tract to be subdivided, the remaining half shall usually be platted within the tract.

11-20.120.040 Alley, Lane and Easement Design

A. Alleys and lanes shall be designed and constructed in accordance with City regulations and standards.

B. Easements shall be provided and dedicated where deemed necessary for specific purposes for use by the general public, corporations, or the City of Flagstaff. Easements necessary to assure non-motorized access to adjacent public lands shall be provided to the satisfaction of the Director. Such easement shall not prevent the reasonable improvement of any development. Pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian ways may be required where essential for circulation or access to schools, playgrounds, shopping centers, transportation and other community facilities. Pedestrian ways may be used for utility purposes.

C. A non-vehicular access restriction prohibiting vehicular access from the collector or arterial street side of a double frontage or corner residential lot is required, except in Traditional Neighborhood developments approved as part of a Traditional Neighborhood Community Plan (See City Code Title 10, Zoning Code, Division 10-30.80, Traditional Neighborhood Community Plans.

D. The subdivider shall dedicate a right-of-way or easement for storm drainage conforming substantially to the line of any watercourse that traverses the land; or at the option of the City, the subdivider shall provide by dedication further and sufficient easements or construction, or both, to dispose of such surface and stormwater, upon the direction of the City Engineer.

11-20.120.050 Block Design

A. Blocks in non-transect zones shall not normally exceed 1,200 feet in length measured from the property lines, except in hillside developments or where a subdivision of one-half acre lots or larger justify or require a variation from this requirement, or where there are unusual conditions of the property being subdivided.

B. Blocks shall normally have sufficient width for an ultimate layout of two tiers of sized in accordance with the minimum requirements of the zoning district in which the subdivision is proposed. See City Code Title 10, Zoning Code, Chapter 10-40, Specific to Zones.

C. Blocks shall not normally be less than 400 feet in length (measured from the property lines), except where it is necessary due to unusual conditions of the property being subdivided and not merely convenience.

D. The standards provided in Sections 11-20.120.050A through C shall not apply in new traditional neighborhood developments approved under the provisions of City Code Title 10, Zoning Code, Division 10-30.80, Traditional Neighborhood Community Plans.