Chapter 16.24
DESIGN STANDARDS
Sections:
16.24.010 Planning commission defined.
16.24.020 Standard specifications for improvements.
16.24.040 Intersection angles.
16.24.050 Dead ends and cul-de-sacs.
16.24.060 Intersection corner rounding.
16.24.080 Grades of streets and highways.
16.24.100 Street and highway widths.
16.24.110 Service roads and off-street parking.
16.24.120 Non-access and planting strips.
16.24.150 Acre or large lot subdivision.
16.24.160 Utilities, lighting and signs.
16.24.210 Flood and geologic hazards.
16.24.220 Erosion and grading control.
16.24.230 Improvement approval.
16.24.250 Limitations on applicability of Subdivision Map Act.
16.24.260 In applying title, housing needs of the region must be considered.
16.24.280 Effect of annexation on county-approved maps.
16.24.010 Planning commission defined.
“Planning commission” as used in this chapter means a five-person advisory body appointed by the city council and authorized to issue decisions on minor land divisions and to review and make recommendations on major land divisions in accordance with Section 16.16.090 of this code. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(A), 1980)
16.24.020 Standard specifications for improvements.
In addition to the specifications contained in this chapter, improvements required pursuant to any tentative map, parcel map, or subdivision map must meet the requirements of the city’s “Standard Drawings,” which are incorporated herein by reference and which contain specifications relative to streets, sidewalks, storm drains, signs, elevation grades, street tree placement, railways, fences, and street lighting. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(B), 1980)
16.24.030 Street alignment.
All streets shall as far as practicable be in alignment with existing adjacent streets by continuance of the centerline thereof or by adjustments by curves and shall be in general conformity with the plans of the planning commission for the most advantageous development of the area in which the subdivision lies. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(1), 1980)
16.24.040 Intersection angles.
Streets shall be required to intersect one another at an angle as near to a right angle as is practicable in each specific case. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11 (C)(2), 1980)
16.24.050 Dead ends and cul-de-sacs.
Where necessary to give access to or permit a satisfactory future subdivision of adjoining land, streets shall extend to the boundaries of the property and the resulting dead-end streets may be approved without a turnaround. In all other cases, a turnaround having a minimum radius of thirty-two feet shall be required. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11 (C)(3), 1980)
16.24.060 Intersection corner rounding.
Whenever a major street or state highway intersects any other street or highway, the property lines at each block corner shall be rounded with a curve having a radius of not less than thirty feet. On all other street intersections, the property line at each block corner shall be rounded with a curve having a radius of not less than twenty feet. In either case, a greater curve radius may be required if streets intersect other than at right angles. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(4), 1980)
16.24.070 Curve radius.
The centerline curve radius on all streets and highways shall conform to accepted engineering standards of design and shall be subject to approval of the public works director. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(5), 1980)
16.24.080 Grades of streets and highways.
No street or highway shall have a grade of less than five-tenths percent nor more than seven percent unless, because of topographical conditions or other exceptional conditions, the public works director determines otherwise. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(6), 1980)
16.24.090 Non-access strips.
Reserved strips controlling the access to public ways or minimizing values for special improvement assessments will not be approved, unless such strips are necessary for the protection of the public welfare or of substantial property rights, or both, and in no case unless the control and disposal of the land comprising such strips is placed definitely within the jurisdiction of the city under conditions approved by the planning commission. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(7), 1980)
16.24.100 Street and highway widths.
Streets and highways not shown on a city master street and/or plan line for streets or highways plan, or not affected by proceedings initiated by the council or approved by the council upon initiation by other legally constituted governmental bodies, shall not be of less width than those set forth under this chapter, except where it can be shown by the subdivider to the satisfaction of the planning commission that the topography of the small number of lots served and the probable future traffic development are such as to unquestionably justify a narrower width. Increased widths may be required where streets are to serve commercial property or where probable traffic conditions warrant such. Approval or determination of street or highway classification shall be made by the planning commission. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(8), 1980)
16.24.110 Service roads and off-street parking.
When the front of any lots proposed for commercial usage front on any major or secondary street or highway, the subdivider shall be required to dedicate and improve a service road to provide ingress or egress to and from such lots or in lieu thereof, if approved by the planning commission, the subdivider shall be required to dedicate for public use and improve an area approved by the planning commission and adjacent to such lots for off-street parking purposes. When the front of any lots proposed for residential usage front on any freeway, state highway, or parkway, the subdivider shall dedicate and improve a service road at the front of such lots, unless such is already existent as a part of such freeway or parkway. In addition to any requirement for a service road, the planning commission shall require adequate off-street parking areas for all lots proposed for commercial usage. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(9), 1980)
16.24.120 Non-access and planting strips.
When the rear of any lots border any major or secondary street, highway, or parkway, the subdivider may be required to execute and deliver to the city an instrument, deemed sufficient by the city attorney, prohibiting the right of ingress and egress to the rear of any lots across the side lines of such streets or highways. When the rear of any lots border any freeway, state highway, or parkway, the subdivider may be required to dedicate and improve a planting strip adjacent to such parkway or freeway. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(10), 1980)
16.24.130 Alleys.
When any lots are proposed for commercial or industrial usage, alleys at least thirty feet in width may be required at the rear thereof with adequate ingress and egress for truck traffic. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(11), 1980)
16.24.140 Street names.
All street names shall be as approved by the building official. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(12), 1980)
16.24.150 Acre or large lot subdivision.
Where a parcel is subdivided into lots of one acre or more, the planning commission may require that the blocks shall be of such size and shape and be so divided into lots as to provide for the extension and opening of streets and alleys at such intervals as will permit a subsequent division of any parcel into lots of normal size. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(C)(13), 1980)
16.24.160 Utilities, lighting and signs.
A. Utilities. Available and necessary utilities, including CATV hookup facilities, with connections to each lot within the subdivision, shall be constructed in accordance with the utility’s requirements. All utilities shall be underground except where (1) subdivider makes a specific request for waiver of this requirement; (2) extremely unusual circumstances necessitate such waiver; (3) the planning commission approves such request and makes findings specifying the nature of the extremely unusual circumstance.
B. Easements. The subdivider shall grant easements not less than five feet in width for public utility, sanitary sewer, and drainage purposes on each side of rear lot lines, along side lot lines, and in planting strips wherever necessary, provided easements of lesser width may be allowed when at the determination of the city engineer the purpose of easements may be accomplished by easements of lesser width; and provided further, that in such determination the city engineer shall prescribe the width of such easements. If undergrounding is waived, overhead easements shall be at the rear of all lots, except where alleys are available, and in contiguous locations to permit anchorage, line continuity, ingress, and egress. Dedication of necessary easements shall be to the city for the purpose of installing utilities, planting strips, and for other public purpose as may be ordered or directed by the council.
C. Street Lighting. Street lighting shall be installed in accordance with city standards as provided by this title or other ordinances.
D. Street Signs and Hydrants. Street signs and hydrants shall be placed on all streets as directed by the city. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(D), 1980)
16.24.170 Lot design.
A. The size and shape of lots shall be in conformance to any zoning regulations effective in the area of the proposed subdivision unless an exception is granted by the planning commission pursuant to subsection H of this section.
B. The side lines of all lots, so far as possible, shall be at right angles to the street which the lot faces, or radial or approximately radial if the street is curved.
C. The planning commission may require that building setback lines shall be indicated by dotted lines on the subdivision map.
D. No lot shall be divided by a city boundary line.
E. Lots without twenty feet or more of frontage on a street will not be permitted. Frontage requirements for flag lots may be satisfied by a driveway or private road accessing a street of twenty feet in width or more.
F. Lots other than corner lots may front on more than one street where necessitated by topographic or other unusual conditions.
G. In riparian corridors no lots may be created which do not contain adequate building area outside the riparian or stream setback. (See Chapter 17.64 of this code.)
H. With the exception of minimum lot size requirements or subsections D and G of this section, the planning commission or the city council may grant an exception to one or more of the design standards if they find that strict conformance is impractical due to the site’s physical, topographic, or geometric conditions or if it would result in an undesirable or inferior subdivision design. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 634 § 2, 1987; Ord. 483 § 11(E), 1980)
16.24.180 Walkways.
The subdivider may be required to dedicate and improve walkways across long blocks or to provide access to school, park, or other public areas. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(F), 1980)
16.24.190 Watercourses.
The subdivider shall, subject to riparian rights, dedicate a right-of-way for storm drainage purposes conforming substantially with the lines of any natural watercourse or channel, stream, or creek that traverses the subdivision, or at the option of the subdivider, provide by dedication further and sufficient easements or construction, or both, to dispose of such surface and storm waters. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(G), 1980)
16.24.200 Deed restrictions.
A copy of the deed restrictions applicable to the subdivision shall be filed with the planning commission at the time of tentative map application. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(H), 1980)
16.24.210 Flood and geologic hazards.
If any portion of any land, within the boundaries shown on any such final map, is subject to overflow, inundation, flood hazard by storm waters, or other known geologic hazard, such fact and said portion shall be clearly shown on such final map, enclosed in a border on each sheet of said map. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(I), 1980)
16.24.220 Erosion and grading control.
At the time of the application for any tentative map or parcel map, the applicant shall specify the general nature, the location, and the extent of all proposed grading activities. The community development director and the planning commission may require of the applicant all such technical information as is necessary to determine the erosion, including sedimentation, implications of the grading or any other development activities which may result from the applicant’s project. The city shall have the authority to impose all such conditions as are necessary to prevent or mitigate damages resulting to off-site properties as a result of sedimentation or other erosion-related problems. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(1), 1980)
16.24.230 Improvement approval.
A. Improvement work shall not be commenced until plans and profiles for such work have been submitted to and approved by the city engineer and/or public works director. Such plans may be required before approval of the final map. All such plans and profiles shall be prepared on good quality tracing cloth or tracing paper in accordance with requirements of the city engineer and/or public works director, and all tracings shall become the property of the city. At completion of work, original tracings shall be made as built and filed with the city.
B. All required improvements shall be constructed under the inspection of and subject to approval of the public works director. Cost of inspection shall be paid by the subdivider in any such amount as may be set by city council resolution.
C. All underground utilities, sanitary sewers, and storm drains installed in streets, service roads, alleys, or highways shall be constructed prior to the surfacing of such streets, service roads, alleys, or highways. Service connections for all underground utilities and sanitary sewers shall be placed to such length as will obviate the necessity for disturbing the street or alley improvements, when service connections thereto are made.
D. Technical details regarding improvements which are not specifically set forth in this chapter or other ordinances of the city shall be determined by the public works director or the city engineer. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11(K), 1980)
16.24.240 City regulation of divisions into four or fewer lots—Limitations on city’s ability to impose requirements—Required improvements must be noted on map—Time when city-required improvements must be constructed—Required findings.
Government Code Section 66411.1 incorporated by reference. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 11.1, 1980)
16.24.250 Limitations on applicability of Subdivision Map Act.
Government Code Section 66412 incorporated by reference. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 12.1, 1980)
16.24.260 In applying title, housing needs of the region must be considered.
Government Code Section 66412.2 incorporated by reference. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 12.2, 1980)
16.24.270 Reserved.
(Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 12.5, 1980)
16.24.280 Effect of annexation on county-approved maps.
Government Code Section 66413 incorporated by reference. (Ord. 1014 § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 483 § 13, 1980)