Chapter 12.53
DRIVEWAYS, ACCESS EASEMENT, PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, WALKS AND TRAILS
Sections:
12.53.010 Driveways and access easement.
12.53.020 Pedestrian facilities (urban areas).
12.53.030 Walkways, bikeways and trails.
12.53.010 Driveways and access easement.
A. General.
1. Dimensions, slopes and details for all driveway and access easements connecting to a city street shall be as indicated on Figure 4-1 in EWMC 12.60.010. Driveways entering streets with curb and gutter shall meet the requirements contained within WSDOT Standard Plans as approved by the city engineer.
2. All new or revised driveways and accesses onto a city street (including temporary or construction accesses) require approval from the city engineer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
B. Conditions for Approval of New Driveways and Access Easements.
1. Driveways directly providing access onto arterials and collectors shall be denied if alternate access is available. Access onto arterials and collectors may be permitted where no other alternative is available and is approved by the city engineer.
2. Where property has frontage on more than one street, driveways and accesses shall be limited to the lowest volume street.
3. Circular driveways shall have a minimum separation of 100 feet unless the lot width is insufficient to accommodate the 100-foot separation and the shorter distance is supported by an analysis prepared by a licensed engineer and approved by the city engineer demonstrating that the two access points are necessary and will not adversely impact traffic flow and circulation on the connecting street.
4. Driveways and access easements should be located at the greatest distance possible from an intersection of two streets. Driveways and access easements should not be located closer than 125 feet from the nearest edge of the intersection as measured from the closest point of the driveway edge when either intersecting street is an arterial or collector and 75 feet when the streets are both local access streets. The city engineer may issue a permit for a driveway or access easement not meeting city location and spacing criteria standards if a conforming connection is not attainable at the time of the permit application submittal and denial would leave the property without a reasonable means of connection to the street system. The city engineer may require the applicant to provide a traffic impact analysis to support the request for a nonconforming driveway or access easement. Nonconforming driveway or access easement permits shall specify conditions or limits including, but not limited to, the following:
a. Joint Use Connection. The city may issue a driveway or access easement connection permit requiring a legally enforceable joint use driveway when determined by the city engineer to be in the best interest of the city in maintaining the operational efficiency and safety of the street.
b. Traffic Volume. The maximum vehicular usage of the connection shall be specified in the permit.
c. Future Alternate Access. The permit shall specify that a conforming connection be constructed if and when future alternate means of access becomes available, and that the nonconforming connection must be removed.
d. Users. The permit shall specify the properties to be served by the connection and any other conditions as necessary to ensure the safe operation of the driveway or access easement and the intersecting street.
5. In areas zoned residential, the minimum separation of individual parcel driveways or accesses, as measured from the centerlines of the driveways or accesses, shall not exceed one-half of the sum of the accessed parcel frontage and each of the adjacent parcel frontages. Joint usage driveways may be required where sufficient spacing is not available.
6. Only one driveway per single residential or commercial unit will be permitted unless the applicant can demonstrate that additional driveways or accesses are needed due to the amount of traffic generated by the project, traffic distribution patterns, impacts to the city street system or public safety and there is sufficient space to accommodate the additional driveway or access. Joint usage driveways are encouraged.
7. All abandoned driveways shall be removed and restored by the applicant or agent.
8. Maintenance of driveways and approaches (and associated culverts where required) onto a city street shall be the responsibility of the applicant.
C. Standards.
1. Common to All Driveways and Access Easements.
a. Clear View Triangle. In addition to providing sufficient sight distances as required in subsection (C)(1)(c) of this section, a clear view triangle as described in Chapter 10.28 EWMC shall be maintained for vision safety purposes.
b. Alignment. All driveways and access easement shall intersect the main street at an angle between 75 and 105 degrees, with 90 degrees being preferable.
c. Sight Distance. Sufficient sight distances for vehicles to safely enter onto a public street or streets as well as for other vehicles on the street or streets to avoid accidents with entering or exiting vehicles is required for all driveways and access points. For all driveways and access easement, stopping sight distance in accordance with the AASHTO Green Book is required as follows:
To calculate sight distance for existing streets serving a proposed driveway or access, first convert the posted speed to an operating speed as per Table 12.53.010-1:
|
Posted Speed |
Add for Operating Speed |
|---|---|
|
20 mph |
0 |
|
25 mph |
0 |
|
30 mph |
5 mph |
|
35 mph |
5 mph |
|
40 mph |
10 mph |
|
45 mph and above |
10 mph |
Secondly, use the operating speed and determine the minimum stopping sight distances from Table 12.53.010-2 (based on an approaching vehicle driver’s eye height of three and one-half feet and an object at the driveway of two feet).
|
Operating Speed (mph) |
Minimum Stopping Sight Distance (feet) |
|---|---|
|
20 |
115 |
|
25 |
155 |
|
30 |
200 |
|
35 |
250 |
|
40 |
305 |
|
45 |
360 |
|
50 |
425 |
|
55 |
495 |
|
60 |
570 |
The grade of the street can also affect the minimum sight distance required. The following Table 12.53.010-3 provides the increase for downgrades and the decrease for upgrades modifiers.
|
Operating Speed (mph) |
Increase (feet) for Downgrades |
Decrease (feet) for Upgrades |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3% |
6% |
9% |
3% |
6% |
9% |
|
|
20 to 30 |
10 |
20 |
30 |
— |
10 |
20 |
|
31 to 40 |
20 |
40 |
70 |
10 |
20 |
30 |
|
41 to 50 |
30 |
70 |
— |
20 |
30 |
— |
|
51 to 60 |
50 |
110 |
— |
30 |
50 |
— |
Situations with sight distances less than the above must be approved by the city engineer. In these cases, the applicant may also be required to obtain the services of a professional traffic engineer to assess the situation and provide written justification for lesser sight distances.
Sight distances shall be measured from a point 10 feet back of the edge of shoulder or back of sidewalk each way along the edge of the traveled way of the main street as shown in the figure below.
d. Drainage. Approaches shall be constructed in such a manner as to minimize the runoff from a driveway or other access easement onto the main street.
All approaches at points where there is an existing roadside ditch shall be constructed with a culvert pipe meeting the specifications of the city engineer.
e. Surfacing Within Right-of-Way. That portion of a driveway or access easement connecting to a paved public street that is within the right-of-way of the public street shall be surfaced with a minimum of two and one-half inches of compacted asphalt concrete pavement or equivalent surfacing material to the street.
f. Maintenance. Maintenance of all driveways and access easement including approaches to public streets shall be the responsibility of the owner(s). All shared driveways and access easements shall have a maintenance agreement recorded with the final project approval that specifies consistent maintenance in accordance with the approved project plans.
2. Driveways and Joint Usage Driveways. In addition to the provisions in subsection (C)(1) of this section, driveways and joint use driveways must meet the following standards:
a. Driveways providing access to one single-family home should have a maximum improved width of 20 feet and a minimum improved width of 10 feet.
b. Joint use driveways should have a minimum improved width of 15 feet and a maximum improved width of 30 feet. The width of the easement shall be sufficient to accommodate the driveway surfacing, any required storm water drainage features, and any utilities. In no case shall the easement be less than 20 feet in width. The full width of the easement shall be clear of sight obstructions to a height of 13 feet six inches. The maximum grade shall be 12 percent.
c. All driveways shall be improved with a minimum of six inches of compacted gravel base, crushed surfacing base course or crushed surfacing top course. The surfacing shall be concrete, asphalt or an alternative treatment providing surfacing capable of supporting a typical residential vehicle load. The use of pervious surfacing is encouraged.
d. All driveways greater than 150 feet in length shall be improved with an approved turnaround for emergency vehicles such as a cul-de-sac or hammerhead unless the fire marshal determines that alternative access for fire protection is available. See Figure 4-2 in EWMC 12.60.010 for acceptable turnaround designs.
3. Access Easements. Property accesses serving no more than four lots are access easements. Unless an alternate approved emergency vehicle access is provided, access easements shall also serve as an emergency vehicle access. Access easements are privately owned and maintained by the property owners being served and are not the responsibility of the city. Access easements shall comply with EWMC 15.16.010 and have the following minimum requirements:
a. The minimum width of the tract or easement for an access easement shall be 20 feet for access easements if no fire hydrant is located along the easement. Thirty feet of easement width is required if a fire hydrant is located along the easement.
b. The minimum base shall be six inches of compacted gravel base, crushed surfacing base course or crushed surfacing top course. The surfacing shall be concrete, asphalt, or other approved surfacing capable of supporting the imposed load of fire apparatus weighing at least 75,000 pounds.
c. The base and surfacing shall provide a minimum unobstructed width of 20 feet. Where a fire hydrant is located on an access easement, the minimum unobstructed surface width shall be 26 feet.
d. Suitable drainage in the form of ditches and cross culverts shall be provided along the full length of the access easement. Any bridges or drainage structures shall meet the requirements of Chapter 12.54 EWMC.
e. All dead-end access easements greater than 150 feet in length shall be improved with an approved turnaround for emergency vehicles such as a cul-de-sac or hammerhead. See Figure 4-2 in EWMC 12.60.010 for acceptable turnaround designs. The length of an access easement shall not exceed 450 feet, excluding the turnaround, unless otherwise approved by the city fire marshal.
f. Access easement to more than four lots shall be via an urban local access city or private street meeting the requirements of this chapter.
g. The minimum centerline radius of curvature shall not be less than 45 feet; provided, however, if an approved alternate emergency vehicle access is provided, the minimum centerline radius of curvature shall not be less than 30 feet.
h. The maximum grade shall be 10 percent for gravel surfacing and 12 percent for paved portions.
i. The minimum clear vertical distance shall not be less than 13 feet six inches.
j. Appropriate provisions shall be made for snow storage. (Ord. 21-06 § 4 (Exh. A), 2021; Ord. 10-09 § 9 (Exh. B), 2010)
12.53.020 Pedestrian facilities (urban areas).
Sidewalks are required on both sides of urban streets. See EWMC 12.52.040(R) for details and exceptions. (Ord. 10-09 § 9 (Exh. B), 2010)
12.53.030 Walkways, bikeways and trails.
A. Walkways, bikeways and trails shall be required as identified in the applicable comprehensive plan or separate nonmotorized transportation plan.
B. Nonmotorized transportation includes travel by bicyclists, pedestrians, and equestrians. The most current edition of the WSDOT Design Manual must be followed for design of bicycle paths, trails and other nonmotorized transportation.
C. All new access pathways to the Apple Capital Loop Trail associated with commercial, multifamily residential, and mixed-use development and new land divisions must be designed and built in accordance with plans prepared by the engineer of record for the project proponent. The plans must be prepared to the standards of the most current edition of the WSDOT Design Manual with a minimum paved pathway width of eight feet, showing the connection location of the new pathway to the Apple Capital Loop Trail, location of existing pathways and addressing stopping sight distance. The plans must be approved by the county engineer prior to construction. As-built construction documents must be submitted by the engineer of record upon completion and prior to public use. A non-access agreement for frontages not approved for trail connection may be required to be recorded. (Ord. 16-21 § 6, 2016; Ord. 10-09 § 9 (Exh. B), 2010)
12.53.040 School access.
Sidewalks for school access shall be provided in accordance with the safe walking plans as developed by individual schools and school districts. In addition, walking paths or sidewalks will be required in new plats to facilitate access to schools. (Ord. 10-09 § 9 (Exh. B), 2010)
12.53.050 Alleys.
Where provided, every alley at the rear of a lot shall have a minimum width of 20 feet. Structural and surfacing requirements shall be the same as the adjoining streets. No dead-end alley or alley with sharp changes in direction shall be permitted. (Ord. 10-09 § 9 (Exh. B), 2010)