Chapter 16.65
DESIGN STANDARDS
Sections:
16.65.030 Street and lot layout requirements.
16.65.060 Energy conservation.
16.65.070 Deviation of standards.
16.65.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish design standards for subdivisions in accordance with the allowances of the Subdivision Map Act. (Ord. 22-12 § 3 (Exh. A))
16.65.020 Applicability.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all subdivisions of land, unless specifically stated otherwise in the Subdivision Map Act. (Ord. 22-12 § 3 (Exh. A))
16.65.030 Street and lot layout requirements.
A. The widths, alignments, and geometric designs of streets and highways shall conform to city standards and to the following requirements, unless otherwise specified in state or federal standards and requirements:
1. All streets, as far as practicable, shall relate to the alignment of the existing adjacent streets or their proper projection in the general conformity with the city’s general plan and utilize the standards and design criteria of Caltrans Highway Design Manual, County of Riverside Transportation Department Ordinance 461 and ADA, as depicted and directed by the city engineer.
2. The proposed street plan shall give consideration to the future division of adjoining and undivided property.
3. All streets shall be designed to serve the proposed use of the abutting land.
4. On part-width boundary streets abutting undivided land, the subdivider shall provide the prescribed half-width street and shall acquire additional dedications as necessary. The minimum overall required right-of-way shall be determined by the city engineer based on the applicable road classification, traffic study, safety study, or other information that is available in making this determination.
5. Additional rights-of-way or easements shall be provided where necessary to accommodate roadway slopes, drainage facilities, trails, transit facilities, and other facilities related to land division improvements.
B. Street improvements fronting a proposed development shall extend a minimum of twelve (12) feet past the centerline unless determined otherwise by the city engineer.
C. Special Street Design.
1. Design of streets shall make provisions as necessary for railroads, parkways, grade separations, prevailing geological conditions, local drainage facilities, hillside property, water quality, pedestrian mobility, and equestrian trails.
2. Cul-De-Sacs.
a. A cul-de-sac should not serve more than twenty-five (25) lots, nor should it exceed six hundred (600) feet in length measured from the centerline of the intersection street to the center of the turnaround, except that a greater length may be permitted if warranted due to topographic or other specific conditions and if approved by the city engineer and fire department.
b. Cul-de-sacs and knuckles shall be constructed in accordance with city standard plans and specifications. All lots fronting on a cul-de-sac, a knuckle, or a curved street shall be designed to meet city standards.
c. A cul-de-sac that does not meet the requirements of this section shall not be constructed, unless a deviation (Section 16.65.070, Deviation of standards) has been granted by the approval authority.
3. Other than as provided in this section, no dead-end streets shall be allowed. A dead-end street shall not exceed six hundred (600) feet in length and shall only be permitted as an interim condition to facilitate phased construction of a final map based on an approved or conditionally approved tentative map upon approval of the city engineer. The fire department shall review and comment on all requests for dead-end streets.
4. The approving authority may require greater street widths and improvements on streets serving multifamily residential, commercial, or industrial divisions of land.
5. Where a proposed subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed limited access highway or arterial, the approving authority may require frontage streets or reverse frontage with nonaccess easements along the limited access highway or arterial, or such other treatment as may be justified for the protection of residential properties from the nuisance and hazard of high-volume traffic and to preserve the function of the limited access highway or arterial road.
6. Developments adjacent to existing frontage streets, as determined by the city, shall provide full street improvements unless determined otherwise by the city engineer.
D. Private streets may be used for only those streets serving property within the subdivision and to which access by the public is controlled by the subdivision design by either posting or gating. Private streets may be used with the approval and consent of the approval authority when the approval authority finds that:
1. There is adequate provision for their construction and continued maintenance.
2. The welfare of the occupants of the development will be adequately served.
3. The public welfare will not be impaired.
E. The grades of highways, streets, and alleys shall not be less than one percent (1%) and shall not exceed the grades established on approved city standard. The desirable grades are between one percent (1%) and six percent (6%). Grades of less than one percent (1%) and greater than the maximum established by approved city standard may be approved only when a deviation is granted by the approval authority and makes the additional findings:
1. There is conclusive evidence that a lesser or steeper grade respectively is impractical; and
2. No adverse effects such as excessive ponding will occur as a result.
3. The high cost of excavating and/or importing borrow fill material, making the development of a particular parcel of ground uneconomical, shall not be considered as conclusive evidence nor valid justification for a departure from the established minimum or maximum grade.
F. Street Alignment. The minimum centerline radius shall be compatible with the street classification, anticipated usage, speed, and shall be designed in accordance with the California Department of Transportation Highway Design Manual.
G. Intersections.
1. All street intersections shall be at ninety (90) degrees measured at the intersection of the centerlines, unless otherwise approved by the city engineer.
2. Local Streets. Street-to-street centerline offsets shall be less than five feet or more than two hundred (200) feet, except in special design cases and as approved by the city engineer.
3. Collector Streets. Street-to-street centerline offsets shall be less than five feet or more than two hundred (200) feet, except in special design cases and as approved by the city engineer.
4. Major and Arterial Streets. Street-to-street centerline offsets shall be less than five feet or more than one thousand two hundred (1,200) feet, except in special design cases and as approved by the city engineer.
5. Limited Access Highway. Street-to-street centerline offsets shall be less than five feet or more than two thousand four hundred (2,400) feet, except in special design cases and as approved by the city engineer.
6. A minimum curb return radius of twenty-five (25) feet shall be provided at intersecting streets designated as general local roads or a lesser standard unless determined otherwise by the city engineer. A minimum curb return radius of thirty-five (35) feet shall be provided when one or both of the intersecting streets is designated as a collector road or greater unless determined otherwise by the city engineer. The property line return radius shall be so set as to maintain a uniform parkway width or provide a uniform transition into the intersecting parkway. The property line radius shall be designed so as not to reduce the parkway width below the city standard.
7. Median openings or crossovers between opposing lanes of a divided highway or street shall be located only at approved intersections at intervals of not less than five hundred (500) feet unless determined otherwise by the city engineer.
H. Alleys.
1. Alleys shall be required in the rear of all lots used or intended to be used for business, commercial, or industrial uses, unless adequate off-street parking areas and service loading and unloading areas to serve such properties are securely reserved for such use and are shown upon the map and approved by the city in the manner set forth in this title.
2. Alleys shall be required in the rear of all lots fronting directly on a street designated as a collector roadway or greater unless determined through site plan review procedure that the requirement for alleys does not exist.
3. The minimum paved width for alleys shall be twenty-five (25) feet, unless determined otherwise by the city engineer.
4. A minimum curb return radius of fifteen (15) feet shall be provided at the alley and intersecting street.
5. Where a dead-end alley is designed, an adequate turning area shall be provided to accommodate a truck having a thirty-five (35) foot turning radius. The radius shall be such that the truck is able to turn around with only one backing movement. This turnaround shall be eliminated only under the circumstances of a previously adopted specific plan of record providing for the alley extension. All turning areas shall be reviewed and approved by the fire department. (Ord. 22-12 § 3 (Exh. A))
16.65.040 Lots.
A. All lots created in a division of land shall conform to the minimum requirements of the development code and the general plan as adopted by the city for the particular zone district, use, and classification in which the development is being constructed.
B. Lot Sizes.
1. All lots shall meet the area, frontage, width, depth, and building setback requirements of the zone district within which the lots are located, unless otherwise permitted through the provisions of Title 17; provided, however, that in its consideration of any land division, the approving authority may determine that a greater than minimum lot size is necessary:
a. For the proper protection of the public health, safety, and general welfare;
b. To be consistent with the general pattern established in the vicinity;
c. To maintain the value of property in the vicinity; or
d. To provide sufficient pad area for buildings and usable open space.
2. When lots or parcels twice the required area or width or more are shown on a division of land, the approving authority may require such lots or parcels to be so established as to make practical a further division into allowable building sites, without injury to adjoining property.
3. Lot sizes and arrangement shall be compatible with lots in the surrounding area, subject to the preceding two provisions.
C. Side Lot Lines.
1. Sidelines of lots shall be at approximately right angles to the street lines, except where terrain or street design makes such lot lines impractical.
2. Side and rear lot lines shall be located along the top of slopes instead of at the toe of slopes or at intermediate locations. Exceptions may be reviewed and approved by the approval authority.
D. Lot Frontage.
1. All lots shall have frontage upon a public or private street, which shall be open to and usable by vehicular traffic. The width of such streets shall be determined in accordance with this chapter.
2. Double frontage lots shall be avoided, except where essential to provide separation of residential development from traffic arteries, or where required by unusual or excessive topographic conditions. When double frontage lots are permitted, access rights shall be dedicated to the city along the street designated by the approving authority.
E. Wherever practicable, subdivisions of property abutting rights-of-way for freeways, expressways, railroads, transmission lines, and flood control channels shall be so designed as to create lots that back up to the rights-of-way or are separated from the rights-of-way by a street or frontage street, as applicable.
F. No lot shall be divided by a city, county, school district, or other taxing agency boundary line.
G. Blocks.
1. Blocks shall not be less than two hundred fifty (250) feet in length.
2. Blocks shall not be over one thousand three hundred fifty (1,350) feet in length, except along major highways or where topographical conditions or previous highway or street layouts require a different length. (Ord. 22-12 § 3 (Exh. A))
16.65.050 Access to lots.
A. Any land division shall provide vehicular access to all homes within a land division for purposes of police and fire protection. The layout of the tract shall be such that blocks of thirty-five (35) or more homes shall have access by two or more streets.
B. Flag Lots. Access for lots not fronting on a public street (flag lots) are discouraged and should be avoided. When a land division is proposed to create any lot(s) other than one(s) fronting directly on a public street or highway, access shall be provided of a width not less than as specified below as being the minimum width necessary to serve the maximum number of lots.
1. Minimum Access Width per Potential Number of Lots. Minimum access widths shall be provided in accordance with Table 16.65.050-1.
|
Maximum Number of Potential Lots |
Minimum Access Width (feet) |
Maximum Ultimate Access Length (feet) |
|
One |
24 |
150 |
|
Two to four |
40 |
150 |
2. Access Surfacing. Prior to final inspection for occupancy of any building or structure relocated, erected, or constructed on any lot not fronting directly on a public street or highway, the full length of any required access shall be improved with concrete or asphaltic concrete surfacing, in accordance with city engineering standards and requirements, at a width of not less than twenty-four (24) feet.
3. When one or more flag lots are adjacent to one another, the access shall be shared between the lots to limit the number of driveways and driveway approaches at the street.
4. Where access is shared between more than one lot, the subdivider shall record a cross lot access and maintenance agreement that defines and assumes all maintenance responsibility for access area. (Ord. 22-12 § 3 (Exh. A))
16.65.060 Energy conservation.
The design of a subdivision shall be in conformance with Government Code Section 66473.1, with respect to passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities in the subdivision, and with the requirements of California Code of Regulations, Title 24. (Ord. 22-12 § 3 (Exh. A))
16.65.070 Deviation of standards.
The deviation from the design standards of this chapter may be granted pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section. The approving or appeal authority shall consider deviation requests made in writing to the city at the same time as the map or permit is considered. The deviations may be granted subject to prescribed conditions; provided, that the approving or appeal authority shall make the following findings:
A. That the property is of such size or shape, or is affected by such topographic conditions, or that there are such special circumstances or conditions affecting the property that it is impossible, impractical or undesirable for the petitioner to fully conform with the regulations prescribed by this title, and required conformance would result in undue hardship;
B. That the modification is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right of the petitioner;
C. That the modification will not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare, or be injurious to other properties in the vicinity;
D. That granting the modification is in accordance with the purposes set forth in this title;
E. That granting the modification is not contrary to the objectives of the development code set forth in Title 17 or the general plan. (Ord. 22-12 § 3 (Exh. A))