Chapter 18.100 ACCESS AND CLEAR VISION

Chapter 18.100
ACCESS AND CLEAR VISION

Sections:

18.100.010 General standards for access and clear vision.

18.100.020 Access and street connectivity.

18.100.040 Access for fire vehicles and apparatus.

18.100.010 General standards for access and clear vision.

MCMC 18.100.020 through 18.100.040 impose general standards addressing access and areas of unobstructed view at intersections. [Ord. 836 § 1 (Exh. C), 2020; Ord. 508 § 5.06.0, 1982].

18.100.020 Access and street connectivity.

Every building hereafter erected or moved shall be on a lot adjacent to a public street, or with access to an approved private street within a planned development or a mobile home park (see MCMC 18.120.100(1), 18.130.140(2) and 18.145.040). All structures shall be located on lots so as to provide safe and convenient access for servicing, fire protection and required off-street parking and loading.

Access management, street connectivity, and driveway location will help manage access to land development while preserving the movement of people and goods in terms of safety, capacity, functional classification, and performance standards. This section shall apply to all arterials and major collectors within Myrtle Creek and to all properties that abut these roadways. These standards shall be applied to properties in Tri-City if and when annexed into the city.

(1) Joint Use Driveways and Cross Access.

(a) Adjacent commercial or office properties classified as major traffic generators (i.e., developments generating more than 400 ADT) shall provide a cross access drive and pedestrian access to allow circulation between sites.

(b) A system of joint use driveways and cross access easements shall be established wherever feasible. The property owner/developer shall provide a development plan to be reviewed and approved by the city. The development plan shall include the following:

(i) A continuous service drive or cross access corridor extending the entire length of each block served to provide for driveway separation;

(ii) A design speed of 10 mph and a maximum width of 22 feet to accommodate two-way travel aisles designed to accommodate automobiles, service vehicles, and loading vehicles;

(iii) Stub-outs and other design features to make it visually obvious that the abutting properties may be tied in to provide cross access via a service drive;

(iv) A unified access and circulation system plan for coordinated or shared parking areas;

(v) Shared parking areas shall be permitted a 20 percent reduction in required parking spaces if peak demands do not occur at the same time periods.

(i) Record an easement with the deed for the property which allows cross access to and from other properties served by the joint use driveways and cross access or service drive.

(ii) Record a joint maintenance agreement with the deed defining maintenance responsibilities of property owners.

(iii) Myrtle Creek may modify or waive the requirements of this section where the characteristics or layout of abutting properties would make the development of a unified or shared access and circulation system impractical.

(2) Access Connection and Driveway Design. Driveways shall meet the following standards:

Driveway Widths*
Principal Use**		Minimum Width	Maximum Width
Single-family and two-family dwellings on a single lot		12 feet	20 feet
All other uses with less than 10 parking spaces
	(one-way driveway)	12 feet	16 feet
	(two-way driveway)	16 feet	28 feet
All other uses with 10 or more parking spaces
	(one-way driveway)	12 feet	16 feet
	(two-way driveway)	20 feet	32 feet

*As measured at the street right-of-way line.

** Width and design standards for approach roads providing access to large-scale commercial and multifamily residential developments shall be determined during the site plan review process.

(a) Access driveways to parking areas having 10 or more parking spaces shall be clearly marked to indicate one-way or two-way access. Two-way driveways shall have a painted centerline which is at least two and one-half inches in width and at least 10 feet in length beginning at the interior edge of the sidewalk along the intersection street; or, where neither sidewalk nor curbs are present, at a point five feet from the edge of the intersecting paved street surface.

(b) One-way driveways (one-way in or one-way out) shall have a minimum width of 12 feet.

(d) Driveway approaches must be designed and located to provide an exiting vehicle with an unobstructed view, meeting the requirements for clear vision areas. Construction of driveways along acceleration or deceleration lanes and tapers shall be avoided due to the potential for vehicular weaving conflicts.

(e) Access grade shall not exceed 15 percent and shall be graded to allow clearance to pass a standard automobile 18 feet in length.

(f) The length of driveways shall be designed to prevent vehicles from backing into the flow of traffic on the public street or causing unsafe conflicts with on-site circulation.

(3) Nonconforming Access Features. Legal access that does not conform with the standards herein is considered a nonconforming feature and shall be brought into compliance with applicable standards under the following conditions:

(a) When new access connection permits are requested;

(b) Changes in use, enlargements or improvements that necessitate a new access permit.

(4) Reverse Frontage Lots. Lots that front on more than one street shall be required to locate motor vehicle accesses on the street with the lower functional classification. Direct access to arterials or major collector streets shall not be permitted for reverse frontage lots or parcels.

(5) Number and Location of Access Points.

(a) Number of Accesses Permitted. Access points to a public street shall be the minimum necessary to provide reasonable access while not inhibiting the safe traffic circulation and carrying capacity of the street.

(i) Excepting single-family dwellings and except as further restricted by this chapter, properties of less than 100 feet of frontage which may be separate or contiguous shall be limited to one access point.

(ii) Properties exceeding 100 feet of frontage shall be limited to one access point per each 100 feet of frontage, but not to exceed four access points.

(b) Driveway Location in Relation to Intersections. For access driveways to loading and service areas, and to parking areas having 10 or more spaces, the minimum distance between driveways and intersections shall be as provided below. Distances listed shall be measured from the stop bar at the intersection.

(i) At the intersection of a collector or arterial street, driveways shall be located a minimum of 50 feet from the intersection.

(ii) At the intersection of two local streets, driveways shall be located no closer than 30 feet from the intersection.

(iii) If the subject property is not of sufficient width to allow for separation between driveway and intersection as provided, the driveway shall be constructed as far from the intersection as possible, while maintaining the five-foot setback between the driveway and property line as required.

(c) Driveway Location in Relation to Intersections for Single-Family Dwellings. The minimum distance between driveways and intersections shall be 30 feet.

(i) If the subject property is not of sufficient width to allow for separation between driveway and intersection as provided, the driveway shall be constructed as far from the intersection as possible, while maintaining the five-foot setback between the driveway and property line as required.

(d) Driveway Location in Relation to Lot Lines. Access driveways shall not be located closer than five feet to an interior side lot line, except that common access driveways (not exceeding 40 feet in width) to two adjacent properties may be provided at the common lot line when a common driveway agreement is executed and recorded with the city.

(6) Driveway Location in Relation to Adjacent Driveways. One-way driveways to parking areas having 10 or more spaces shall not be located closer than 20 feet to any other one-way driveway, nor closer than 35 feet to any two-way driveway. Two-way driveways to parking areas having 10 or more spaces shall not be closer than 50 feet from any other two-way driveway, nor closer than 35 feet from any one-way driveway. [Ord. 836 § 1 (Exh. C), 2020; Ord. 508 §§ 4.08.5, 5.06.1, 1982].

18.100.030 Clear vision areas.

In order to provide a clear view of intersecting streets to motorists, there shall be a triangular area of clear vision maintained at the intersection of two residential streets or a street and a railroad.

(1) Height Limit. On any portion of a lot that lies within the triangular area described in subsection (2) of this section and illustrated below, nothing shall be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow in such manner as to materially impede vision between a height of two and one-half feet and 10 feet above the grade of the street centerline.

(2) Measurement of CVA. The size of the triangular area is a function of traffic volume and speed and shall be measured as follows (see illustration below): From a point on each street centerline located 65 feet from the intersection of the street centerlines and a point on the intersecting street at a sight distance (LOS) of 90 feet from the intersection of the street centerlines and a third line connecting the two points. In a case where the street centerlines intersect at less than a 90 degree angle, then the sight distance shall be 90 feet plus one and one-half feet for every degree less than 90 degrees.

[Ord. 836 § 1 (Exh. C), 2020; Ord. 508 § 5.06.2, 1982].

18.100.040 Access for fire vehicles and apparatus.

(1) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to facilitate rapid and effective extinguishment of fires by ensuring that for all premises a fire department may be called upon to protect and, in case of a fire, shall be readily accessible for effective fire department operations.

(2) Nonresidential Uses. Every nonresidential use permitted by this title shall provide access for fire vehicles and emergency apparatus from a public street as follows:

(a) A dead-end access exceeding 300 feet in length shall be provided with a turnaround 90 feet in diameter at the closed end.

(b) A fire lane per subsection (4) of this section shall be required to provide access to any portion of any structure which is:

(i) More than 150 feet from the nearest street right-of-way when the structure is 35 feet or less in height; or

(ii) More than 50 feet from the nearest street right-of-way when the structure exceeds 35 feet in height.

(c) When fire vehicles and apparatus are provided access to a structure by means of either buffer yard area or adjoining property, the requirements of subsection (2)(b) of this section shall not apply.

(3) Other Considerations. In addition to the situations described in subsection (1) of this section, a fire lane to provide access to any part of a building may also be required:

(a) If it is determined that the distance of a structure from the nearest hydrant, the configuration of structures on a site, or other special characteristics of the site otherwise inhibit rapid, effective fire extinguishment.

(b) In addition to private fire protection facilities required by the building code for any structure classified by the building code as a high hazard use, any structure to be occupied by uses which involve extreme risks of fire, smoke, explosion, or toxic gas or structures to be used as places of assembly for large congregations of people susceptible to panic.

(4) Fire Lane Standards. A fire lane shall comply with the following standards:

(a) The fire lane shall provide clear, unobstructed access for vehicles and apparatus at all times.

(b) Signs prohibiting parking or standing of motor vehicles shall be required.

(d) The fire lane surface shall be an all-weather roadway.

(e) Any alley may contribute all or part of a required fire lane if it meets all other requirements of this section.

(5) In lieu of meeting the standards specified above, a developer may substitute alternative means of ensuring the access necessary for effective fire department operations (including, but not limited to, fire resistant roofs, fire separation walls, space separation and automatic fire extinguishing systems). Such alternative means shall suffice to meet the requirements of this section; provided, that the chief officer empowered to provide fire service in the city concurs. [Ord. 508 § 5.06.3, 1982].