Chapter 18.70
ACCESS AND CIRCULATION
Sections:
18.70.030 Vehicular access and circulation.
18.70.010 Purpose.
This chapter contains standards for vehicular and pedestrian access, circulation, and connectivity. The standards promote safe, reasonably direct, and convenient options for walking and bicycling, while accommodating vehicle access to individual properties, as needed. [Ord. 987 § 1 (Exh. A), 2022.]
18.70.020 Applicability.
This chapter applies to new development or changes in land use necessitating a new or modified street or highway connection. Except where the standards of a roadway authority other than the City supersede City standards, this chapter applies to all connections to a street or highway, and to driveways and walkways. The City Administrator, through a Type II procedure, or Planning Commission, through a Type III procedure, may grant adjustments to Chapter 18.65 HMC, pursuant to the criteria of Chapter 19.40 HMC, Adjustments and Variances. This chapter also applies to internal circulation requirements for all projects subject to the site plan review process. [Ord. 987 § 1 (Exh. A), 2022.]
18.70.030 Vehicular access and circulation.
1. Purpose and Intent. This section implements the street access policies of the City of Harrisburg transportation system plan and serves as the street access management policy of the City of Harrisburg until such time as the City adopts a revised transportation system plan. It is intended to promote safe vehicle access, circulation, and egress to properties, while maintaining traffic operations in conformance with adopted standards. “Safety,” for the purposes of this chapter, extends to all modes of transportation.
2. Permit Required. Vehicular access to a public street (e.g., a new or modified driveway connection to a street or highway) requires an approach permit approved by the applicable roadway authority. The City Administrator reviews permit requests for connections to City streets through a Type I procedure.
3. Traffic Study Requirements. The City, in reviewing a development proposal or other action requiring an approach permit, may require a traffic impact analysis or other traffic engineering analysis, pursuant to HMC 18.85.020, to determine compliance with this code.
4. Approach and Driveway Development and Circulation Standards. Approaches and driveways shall conform to all of the following development standards:
a. The number of approaches on higher classification streets (e.g., collector and arterial streets) shall be minimized; where practicable, access shall be taken first from a lower classification street.
b. Approaches shall conform to the spacing standards of subsections (4)(e) and (f) of this section , and shall conform to minimum sight distance and channelization standards of the roadway authority.
c. Driveways shall be paved and meet applicable construction standards.
d. (1) Private or public driveways exceeding 150 feet and/or as the sole access for three or more homes shall have a paved driving surface of at least 25 feet (26 feet if abutting a fire hydrant, with an unobstructed width of 20 feet) and an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 14 feet.
(2) Public or private driveways serving as the sole vehicle access to one or two homes and/or less than 150 feet shall have a paved driving surface of at least 25 feet, with an unobstructed width of 20 feet, and a turning radius of not less than 28 feet and a turnaround radius of at least 48 feet, as measured from the same center point.
(3) These requirements are subject to amendments by the Oregon Fire Code Application Guide and upon mutual agreement of the City Engineer and local Fire Marshal or their authorized representatives.
e. The City Engineer may limit the number or location of connections to a street, or limit directional travel at an approach to one-way, right-turn only, or other restrictions, where the roadway authority requires mitigation to alleviate safety or traffic operations concerns.
f. Where the spacing standards of the roadway authority limit the number or location of connections to a street or highway, the City Engineer or authorized City representative may require that a driveway extend to one or more edges of a parcel and be designed to allow for future extension and inter-parcel circulation as adjacent properties develop. The City Engineer or authorized City representative may also require the owner(s) of the subject site to record an access easement for future joint use of the approach and driveway as the adjacent property(ies) develop(s).
g. Where applicable codes require emergency vehicle access, approaches and driveways shall be designed and constructed to accommodate emergency vehicle apparatus and shall conform to applicable fire protection requirements. The City Engineer or authorized City representative may restrict parking, require signage, or require other public safety improvements pursuant to the recommendations of an emergency service provider.
h. As applicable, approaches and driveways shall be designed and constructed to accommodate truck/trailer turning movements.
i. Driveways shall accommodate all projected vehicular traffic on site without vehicles stacking or backing up onto a street.
j. Driveways shall be designed so that vehicle areas, including, but not limited to, drive-up and drive-through facilities and vehicle storage and service areas, do not obstruct any public right-of-way.
k. Approaches and driveways shall not be wider than necessary to safely accommodate projected peak hour trips and turning movements and shall be designed to minimize crossing distances for pedestrians.
l. As it deems necessary for pedestrian safety, the City Engineer or authorized representative, in consultation with the roadway authority, as applicable, may require that traffic-calming features, such as speed tables, textured driveway surfaces (e.g., pavers or similar devices), curb extensions, signage or traffic control devices, or other features, be installed on or in the vicinity of a site as a condition of development approval.
m. Construction of approaches along acceleration or deceleration lanes, and along tapered (reduced width) portions of a roadway, shall be avoided; except where no reasonable alternative exists, and the approach does not create safety or traffic operations concern.
n. Approaches and driveways shall be located and designed to allow for safe maneuvering in and around loading areas, while avoiding conflicts with pedestrians, parking, landscaping, and buildings.
o. Where sidewalks or walkways occur adjacent to a roadway, driveway aprons constructed of concrete shall be installed between the driveway and roadway edge. The roadway authority may require the driveway apron be installed outside the required sidewalk or walkway surface, consistent with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, and to manage surface water runoff and protect the roadway surface.
p. Where an accessible route is required pursuant to ADA, approaches and driveways shall meet accessibility requirements where they coincide with an accessible route.
q. The City Engineer or authorized representative may require changes to the proposed configuration and design of an approach, including the number of drive aisles or lanes, surfacing, traffic-calming features, allowable turning movements, and other changes or mitigation, to ensure traffic safety and operations.
r. Where a new approach onto a State highway or a change of use adjacent to a State highway requires ODOT approval, the applicant is responsible for obtaining ODOT approval. The City Engineer may approve a development conditionally, requiring the applicant first obtain required ODOT permit(s) before commencing development, in which case the City will work cooperatively with the applicant and ODOT to avoid unnecessary delays.
s. Where an approach or driveway crosses a drainage ditch, canal, railroad, or other feature that is under the jurisdiction of another agency, the applicant is responsible for obtaining all required approvals and permits from that agency prior to commencing development.
t. Where a proposed driveway crosses a culvert or drainage ditch, the City Engineer or authorized representative may require the developer to install a culvert extending under and beyond the edges of the driveway on both sides of it, pursuant to applicable public works design standards.
u. Except as otherwise required by the applicable roadway authority or waived by the City Engineer, temporary driveways providing access to a construction site or staging area shall be paved or graveled to prevent tracking of mud onto adjacent paved streets.
v. Development that increases impervious surface area shall conform to the storm drainage and surface water management requirements of HMC 18.85.050.
5. Internal, on-site circulation of cars and persons on development in excess of 40,000 square feet or one and one-half acres shall conform to the following standards:
a. Driveway egress and/or ingress shall not impede the unrestricted access of pedestrians to the primary building.
b. At least one curbed pedestrian walkway shall connect the parking lot to the primary structure.
c. The development site parking plan will allow sufficient vehicle turning radius and parking lot spaces to accommodate large, four-wheel drive personal pickups and SUVs as determined by the City Engineer.
d. The development site parking plan will allow sufficient, dedicated area(s) to allow large truck loading and unloading zone(s) that do(es) not interfere with passenger vehicle or pedestrian circulation.
6. Approach Separation from Street Intersections. Except as provided by subsection (8) of this section, the following minimum distances shall be maintained between approaches and street intersections, where distance is measured from the edge of an approach surface to the edge of the roadway at its ultimate designated width:
a. On an arterial street: 100 feet, except as required by ODOT, pursuant to Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 734-051, for State highways.
b. On a collector street: 50 feet.
c. On a local street: 20 feet.
d. Where existing conditions and easements limit separation distances, the City Engineer may grant reductions of up to 25 percent.
7. Approach Spacing. Except as provided by subsection (8) of this section or as required to maintain street operations and safety, the following minimum distances shall be maintained between approaches, where distance is measured from the edge of one approach to the edge of another:
a. On an arterial street: 150 to 250 feet based on speed limit or posted speed, as applicable, except as otherwise required by ODOT for a State highway, pursuant to Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 734-051.
b. On a collector street: 50 to 100 feet.
c. On a local street: 20 feet, or the City Engineer or authorized representative may approve closer spacing where necessary to provide for on-street parking (e.g., between paired approaches).
8. Vision Clearance. No visual obstruction (e.g., sign, structure, solid fence, or shrub vegetation) between three feet and eight feet in height shall be placed in “vision clearance areas” at street intersections, as illustrated. The minimum vision clearance area may be modified by the City Engineer through a Type I procedure, upon finding that more or less sight distance is required (i.e., due to traffic speeds, roadway alignment, etc.). Placement of light poles, utility poles, and tree trunks should be avoided within vision clearance areas.
9. Exceptions and Adjustments to Spacing Standards. The City Engineer may approve adjustments to the spacing standards of subsections (5) and (6) of this section, where an existing connection to a City street does not meet the standards of the roadway authority and the proposed development moves in the direction of better code compliance. The City Engineer through a Type I procedure may also approve a deviation to the spacing standards on City streets where it finds that mitigation measures, such as consolidated access (removal of one access), joint use driveways (more than one property uses same access), directional limitations (e.g., one-way), turning restrictions (e.g., right-in/right-out only), or other mitigation, alleviate all traffic operations and safety concerns.
10. Joint Use Access Easement and Maintenance Agreement. Where the City requires and approves a joint use driveway, the property owners shall record an easement with the deed allowing joint use of and cross access between adjacent properties. The owners of the properties agreeing to joint use of the driveway shall record a joint maintenance agreement with the deed, defining maintenance responsibilities of property owners. The applicant shall provide a fully executed copy of the agreement to the City for its records, but the City is not responsible for maintaining the driveway or resolving any dispute between property owners. [Ord. 987 § 1 (Exh. A), 2022.]