Chapter 17.36 DESIGN STANDARDS

The street system of any subdivision shall be designed to be consistent with the Circulation Element of the General Plan and to permit the safe, efficient, and orderly movement of pedestrian, motorized and nonmotorized traffic; to meet the needs of present and future population served; to have a simple and logical pattern; and to respect natural features and topography. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010; Ord. 178 § 5.11, 1959)

17.36.020 Dedications – Conformance.

The street and highway design shall conform to any proceedings affecting the subdivision, which may have been initiated by the City Council, or approved by the Council upon initiation by other legally constituted bodies of the City, County, or State. If a parcel of land to be subdivided includes a portion of the right-of-way to be acquired for a public street, the subdivider shall dedicate all the area included in the right-of-way. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010; Ord. 178 § 5.12, 1959)

17.36.030 Street alignment.

All streets shall, as far as practicable, be in alignment with existing adjacent streets by continuations of the centerlines thereof or by adjustment 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. 178 § 5.13.01, 1959)

17.36.040 Street intersection.

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. 178 § 5.13.02, 1959)

17.36.050 Dead-end street – Turnaround.

Streets shall extend to the boundary of the property where necessary to provide access or permit a satisfactory future subdivision of adjoining land. When a street is temporarily “dead ended,” a barricade, temporary turnaround, or temporary connection to another street may be required by the Planning Commission. A turnaround meeting City requirements shall be provided for any barricaded street exceeding 400 feet in length. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010; Ord. 178 § 5.13.03, 1959)

17.36.060 Rounding property lines.

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 not less than what is provided in MSMC 17.36.100 in Table 1. In either case, a greater curve radius may be required if streets intersect other than at right angles. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010; Ord. 178 § 5.13.04, 1959)

17.36.070 Centerline 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 by the City Engineer. (Ord. 178 § 5.13.05, 1959)

17.36.080 Street grade.

No street or highway shall have a grade of more than seven percent unless because of topographical conditions or other exceptional conditions the City Engineer determines that a grade in excess of seven percent is necessary. (Ord. 178 § 5.13.06, 1959)

17.36.090 Controlled access to public ways.

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. 178 § 5.13.07, 1959)

17.36.100 Street and highway widths.

The following sections and the provisions of Tables 1 and 2 constitute the minimum requirements for street design in the City:

(A) All streets shall, as far as practicable, be in alignment with existing adjacent streets by continuations of the centerline thereof or by adjustments by curves and shall be in general conformity with the Circulation Element of the General Plan.

(B) The following Table 1 is based on a functional street and highway classification system which is hierarchical in nature. The major functions of urban streets and highways fall into the following classifications. Each classification has variations in design based primarily on projected traffic.

(1) Arterial systems provide for through traffic movement between areas and across the City. Direct access to abutting commercial and multiple-family properties can be permitted subject to control of the location, number, and spacing of entrance and exit locations.

(2) Collector streets provide for traffic movement between arterial streets and local streets. If projected daily traffic is not in excess of 4,000 trips, individual access to single-family lots is acceptable.

(3) Local streets, including cul-de-sacs, provide direct access to abutting parcels and are used for local traffic movements.

(C) Center turn lanes may be required at the discretion of the Planning Commission and the City Engineer when necessary to facilitate turning movements.

(D) All freeways, State highways, and arterial streets shall have access rights dedicated to the City or other public agency, controlling access between intersections, except where the City Planning Commission determines that access should be permitted to allow vehicular circulation due to topographic conditions and/or development concepts.

(E) Where required by the City Engineer, slope easements shall be granted to the City, corresponding to the construction area creating the disturbed slope area.

(F) When the side or rear of any lots border any State highway, arterial, collector, or railroad right-of-way, the subdivider shall be required to execute an instrument acceptable to the City, prohibiting the right of vehicular ingress or egress to the lots.

(G) Ramps for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance are required on all corners having sidewalks.

Table 1, Right-of-Way Requirements
Design Item	Major Arterial	Major* Arterial Option	Collector	Local Streets	Cul-de-sac	Indust./Business Park	Frontage Road
ROW width	110	84	60	56 – 60	56 – 60	66 – 84	45 – 60
Pavement width (curb to curb)	72	64	40	36 – 40	36 – 40	46 – 64	32 – 40
Median width (Note 3)	15	10	–	–	–	–	–
Curb type	Vertical	Vertical	Vertical	Vertical or rolled Note 4	Vertical or rolled Note 4	Vertical	Vertical
Sidewalk width	5 – 10 Note 1	5 – 10 Note 1	4	4	4	5	5
Maximum grade	7%	7%	7%	7%	7%	7%	7%
Minimum centerline radius of curves	1,000	1,000	500	200	200	300	300
Minimum tangent between adjacent curves	100	100	Note 2	Note 2	Note 2	Note 2	Note 2
Minimum cul-de-sac radius	–	–	–	–	50	50	–
Maximum weekday traffic**	32,500**	16,000**	10,500**	3,000**	1,000	4,000	–
Property line radii at intersections	40	40	30	20	20	30	30
Design speed	45 – 55	45	30	25	25	25	25

* Certain major arterials may be reduced to 84-foot rights-of-way with special provisions for public service easements and special intersection turn lanes, bus stops, and bike lanes.

** LOS D as per General Plan. Or approved by City Engineer.

1 Varies with type/density of development.

2 Tangent to be determined by the City Engineer.

3 Medians may be established in any street subject to approval by the Planning Commission, depending on whether it is also used for turning purposes.

4 Rolled curb is only allowed in single-family zones or duplex areas.

(Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010; Ord. 178 § 5.14, 1959)

17.36.110 Private street standards.

(A) Private streets shall only be approved in context of the following development types and in accordance with Table 2:

(1) Planned developments;

(2) Condominiums;

(3) Mobile home parks;

(4) Apartment projects;

(5) Business parks;

(6) Shopping centers.

(B) Maintenance of private streets shall be the responsibility of the subdivider, subsequent owners, or an association formed for maintenance purposes.

(C) Street structural sections, curb, gutter, and other necessary drainage facilities shall be constructed in accordance with the specifications of the City Engineer.

(D) Street naming shall comply with the requirements of MSMC 17.36.160.

Table 2, Private Street Design
Design Item	Access Road (No Lot Access) (Feet)	Local Street (Feet)	Loop Street (Feet)	Cul-de-sac Street (Feet)	One-Way Street (Feet)	Industrial/Bus. Park St. (Feet)
Pavement width (Notes 1, 4)	24	24	24	24	20	44
Pavement width (Note 2)	32	32	32	32	28	44
Sidewalk (Note 3)	4	4	4	4	4	5
Turnaround radius (easement)	50	50	50	50	50	50
Maximum grade	7%	7%	7%	7%	7%	7%

1 On-street visitor parking not provided.

2 On-street visitor parking provided on one side.

3 One side only. An equivalent design, such as a meandering path or internal trail systems, may be approved by the Planning Commission.

4 Any cul-de-sac over 300 feet in length shall be at a minimum 20 feet paved surface with two four-foot shoulders for fire emergencies.

(Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010)

17.36.120 Alleys.

(A) Alleys shall have a minimum width of 20 feet if intended for two-way traffic. Alleys accommodating one-way traffic have a width of 12 feet. Maximum grade shall not exceed seven percent. Intersecting alleys shall have a corner radius of not less than 20 feet.

(B) Dead-end alleys shall provide a turnaround area which has a radius of 40 feet or as approved by the City Engineer and Fire Marshal.

(C) Alleys shall be surfaced with asphalt concrete, Portland cement concrete, or other materials acceptable to the City Engineer.

(D) Drainage improvements shall be made in accordance with the specifications of the City Engineer. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010; Ord. 178 § 5.17, 1959)

17.36.130 Street lighting.

All streets shall be illuminated with street lights in accordance with City standards and lighting policies. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010)

17.36.140 Access to State highways, and arterial streets.

Upon review of a tentative map or tentative parcel map, the Planning Commission may require the dedication and improvement of a frontage road or require that an interior street be utilized to provide ingress and egress to and from proposed lots in order to avoid direct access. An encroachment permit must also be obtained from Caltrans where applicable. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010)

17.36.150 Sidewalks.

(A) Sidewalks shall be provided for all subdivisions. Sidewalks may be required on one or two sides of a street as provided below:

(1) Sidewalks are not required for those lots served by an access easement approved pursuant to MSMC 17.36.200.

(2) Sidewalks may be required on one side of the street if the right-of-way has severe topographic or natural resource constraints.

(3) Sidewalks shall be required on both sides of the street in all commercial and industrial developments unless it can be shown, to the satisfaction of the City Council, that pedestrian traffic does not follow or mix with vehicular traffic and is not likely to in the future.

(4) Sidewalks may be required on only one side of the street in residential subdivisions where residential lots are located on only one side of the street.

(5) Sidewalks may be required on only one side of the street in residential subdivisions on local streets and cul-de-sacs that have eight or fewer lots.

(6) Any sidewalk on one side of a street must connect to another sidewalk either directly or via a crosswalk.

(7) In the absence of the above conditions, sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of all streets in all commercial districts, and on both sides of all residential district streets within 1,000 feet of any school or park.

(B) The sidewalks shall be of such width as may be required by the standard specifications of the Transportation and Engineering Department, but in no case less than four feet in width adjacent to the curb in a residential area or less than five feet in a commercial or industrial area. Considerations in design are to be given for handicapped persons and senior citizens. In addition, the following shall apply:

(1) Required sidewalk widths may include street signs, lights, fire hydrants, etc. These sidewalks should be located adjacent to the curb. However, in no instance may the clear path of travel be reduced to less than three feet.

(2) Meandering sidewalks, where used, shall be five feet in width and shall not include street signs, lights, etc.

(3) Sidewalks constructed of alternative paving materials, as approved by the Planning Commission and City Engineer, shall have smooth surfaces to ensure pedestrian safety.

(4) Undulating sidewalks are not permitted.

(5) Detached sidewalks may be provided in conjunction with limited access collector and arterial streets as may be authorized by the Planning Commission and the City Engineer.

(C) The Planning Commission may waive the sidewalk requirement in residential subdivisions containing lots of two and one-half acres or greater. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010)

17.36.160 Street names.

All street names shall be as approved by the Planning Commission. (Ord. 178 § 5.18, 1959)

17.36.170 Lot size and shape.

The size and shape of lots shall be in conformance to any zoning development standards effective at the location of the proposed subdivision. The Planning Commission may recommend the granting of exception to this provision where lots are to be used for commercial or industrial purposes, or where there are unusual topographic conditions, curved or cul-de-sac streets, or to accommodate solar orientation pursuant to MSMC 17.36.180 or other special conditions. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010; Ord. 178 § 5.31, 1959)

17.36.180 Energy conservation.

Pursuant to Section 66473.1 of the Subdivision Map Act, the design of a subdivision for which a tentative map is required shall provide, to the extent feasible, for future passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities in the subdivision.

Examples of passive or natural heating opportunities in subdivision design include design of lot size and configuration to permit orientation of structures in an east-west street alignment for southern exposure of major living areas.

Examples of passive or natural cooling opportunities in subdivision design include design of lot size and configuration to permit orientation of a structure to take advantage of shade or prevailing breezes.

In providing for future passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities in the design of a subdivision, consideration shall be given to local climate, contour, configuration of the parcel to be divided, and other design and improvement requirements. This provision shall not result in reducing allowable densities, or the percentage of a lot which may be occupied by a building or structure under applicable planning and zoning in force at the time the tentative or parcel map is accepted as complete.

The requirements of this section do not apply to condominium projects which consist of the subdivision of airspace in an existing building when no new structures are added.

For the purposes of this section, “feasible” means capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account economic, environmental, social, and technological factors. (Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010)

17.36.190 Divided lots.

No lot shall be divided by a City boundary line. (Ord. 178 § 5.34, 1959)

17.36.200 Lots without frontage.

Lots without frontage on a street, such as flag lots, will not be permitted, except for condominiums, townhouses, planned unit developments, or other projects approved by the City Council, and which provide other adequate access to City streets. All parcels in a subdivision, unless approved under a planned unit development district, shall abut upon or have an approved access to a public street as allowed by this section. Upon approval by the Planning Commission or City Council, as an alternate to the requirement of providing the street frontage requirement for each parcel, the subdivider may provide easement access for up to four parcels, with the following conditions:

(A) A single private easement, minimum 30 feet in width, shall be created allowing access to each parcel.

(B) Within the easement, a 20-foot paved road shall be provided to serve each parcel. The road alignment as well as the easement may vary to best serve the subdivision.

(C) The easement shall serve no more than four parcels, including those that have street frontage which the easement crosses.

(D) The subdivider shall provide for the installation of curb, gutter and sidewalk across the subdivision frontage.

(E) Prior to the issuance of a building permit all improvements and utilities required within the easement to serve each parcel shall be installed within the easement, per City ordinances, by the subdivider.

(F) The following statement shall appear on the parcel map and each individual parcel deed:

Each property owner shall participate equally in the maintenance of all common improvements within the 30' easement including but not limited to: snow removal, road maintenance, sewer, water and drainage maintenance, but each of said property owners shall be jointly and severally liable for the cost of said maintenance.

(Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010; Ord. CCO-91-01, 1991; Ord. 178 § 5.35, 1959)

17.36.210 Lots other than corner.

Lots, other than corner lots, may front on more than one street where necessitated by topographic or other unusual conditions. (Ord. 178 § 5.36, 1959)

17.36.220 Side lines of lots.

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. (Ord. 178 § 5.32, 1959)

17.36.230 Lots of one acre or more.

When 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. CCO-11-05 § 51, 2011; Ord. 178 § 5.19, 1959. Formerly 17.36.150)

17.36.240 Fire safety.

The design of the subdivision shall provide for adequate fire safety conditions. This may include:

(A) Multiple access points;

(B) Limitation on cul-de-sac length to a maximum of 500 feet, except where alternative fire protection measures are provided as approved by the Fire Chief;

(D) Provision of fuel management easements;

(E) Other appropriate measures as per the General Plan necessary to increase fire protection from wildland fires;

(F) For gated communities, the keypad shall incorporate an emergency code or other devices as approved by the Fire Chief to allow access for emergency responses. (Ord. CCO-11-05 § 52, 2011; Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010. Formerly 17.36.230)

17.36.250 Fire access to open space.

All areas placed in an open space easement to the City are to have adequate fire access as approved by the City. The access routes shall be surfaced, fenced, and gated in accordance with the specifications of the City Engineer. (Ord. CCO-11-05 § 53, 2011; Ord. CCO-10-02, 2010. Formerly 17.36.240)

17.36.260 Approval of plans and designs.

The Public Works Director is delegated the authority to exercise discretionary approval of plans, designs, and any design amendments or addenda for public improvement or subdivision improvement projects. The Public Works Director or his/her designee shall sign the plans and designs. (Ord. CCO-17-05 § 2, 2017)