Chapter 17.28
DESIGN STANDARDS
Sections:
17.28.070 Parks and recreational areas.
17.28.010 Generally.
Any streets, alleys, easements, blocks, lot or public sites, open spaces and environmental avoidance/enhancement or mitigation measurers within any proposed plat shall be designed in accordance with the minimum design standards set forth by the city. (Ord. 746, 1991)
17.28.020 Streets.
The following standards for streets are considered appropriate for areas of relatively intense residential, commercial and industrial subdivision. In those instances where lower intensity development is involved and/or reasons such as topography, etc., exceptions to most of these standards are considered reasonable and shall be requested and reviewed concurrently with the short subdivision or subdivision application and Chapter 17.34 OMC:
A. The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade and location of all streets shall conform to the general comprehensive plan and shall be considered in their relation to existing and planned streets, to topographical conditions, to public convenience and safety, and in their appropriate relation to the proposed uses of the land to be served by such streets.
B. Where such is not shown in the comprehensive plan, the arrangement of streets in a subdivision shall, when applicable, either:
1. Provide for the continuation or appropriate projection of existing principal streets in surrounding areas; or
2. Conform to a plan for the neighborhood approved or adopted by the city council to meet a particular situation where topographical or other conditions make continuance or conformance to existing streets impracticable.
C. Minor streets shall be so planned as to discourage their use by nonlocal traffic.
D. Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial street, the city council may require reverse frontage (with screen planting) and a nonaccess reservation along designated property lines, or such other treatment as may be necessary for adequate protection of residential properties and to afford separation of through and local traffic.
E. Where a subdivision borders on or contains a railroad right-of-way or limited access highway right-of-way, and there exists a reasonable possibility of a future overpass or intersection, the city council may require a “reservation for potential future right-of-way.” Such reservations for potential future right-of-way shall be laid out with due regard for the requirements of approach grades and future grade separations.
F. Reserve strips controlling access to streets shall be prohibited except where their control is definitely placed with the city under conditions approved by the city council.
G. Street jags with centerline offsets of less than 125 feet shall be avoided.
H. A tangent at least 50 feet long shall be introduced between reverse curves on arterials and collector streets.
I. When connecting street lines deflect from each other at any one point by more than 10 degrees, they shall be connected by a curve for arterial and collector streets, for which the degree of curvature shall be determined by the public works director.
J. Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles and no street shall intersect any other street at less than 80 degrees.
K. Street right-of-way widths free from any encumbrances shall be as shown in the comprehensive plan and where not shown therein shall be not less than as follows:
Street Type Right-of-Way
Community arterial 80 feet
Collector city street 60 feet
Local access street 40 feet
A reduction of the right-of-way width may be permitted where topography permits, or when the proposed street connects to or is the extension of any existing platted street having a right-of-way width less than the required minimum, when approved in accordance with Chapters 17.34 and 17.36 OMC.
L. Half streets shall be prohibited except where essential to the reasonable development of the subdivision in conformity with the other requirements of this title and where the city council finds it will be practicable to require the dedication of the other half when the adjoining property is subdivided. Whenever a half street is adjacent to a tract being subdivided, the other half of the street shall be included as a part of the subdivision.
M. Dead-end streets, also referred to as cur-de-sacs, designed to be so permanently, may serve a maximum potential of 200 vehicles per day and should otherwise be limited to a length of 600 feet. Cul-de-sacs shall be provided at the closed end with a turnaround having an outside right-of-way diameter of at least 60 feet, or a hammerhead turnaround of size to be determined by the public works director.
N. No street names shall be used which will duplicate or be confused with the names of existing city streets. Street names shall be subject to the approval of the city council.
O. Street grades shall not exceed maximum city standards depending upon topographic conditions and whether the street is designated as a community arterial, collector city street or access city street. (Ord. 746, 1991)
17.28.030 Alleys.
A. Alleys shall be provided in commercial and industrial districts, except that the city council may waive this requirement where other definite and assured provision is made for service access, such as off-street loading, unloading and parking consistent with and adequate for the uses proposed.
B. The minimum width of an alley shall be 15 feet.
C. Alley intersections and sharp changes in alignment shall be avoided, but where necessary corners shall be cut off sufficiently to permit safe vehicular movement as determined by the public works director.
D. Dead-end alleys shall be avoided where possible, but if unavoidable, shall be provided with adequate turnaround facilities at the dead-end, as determined by the public works director. (Ord. 746, 1991)
17.28.040 Easements.
A. Easements across lots or centered on rear or side lot lines shall be provided for utilities.
B. Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway, channel or stream, there shall be provided a storm water easement or drainage right-of-way conforming substantially with the lines of such watercourse, and such further width for construction, or maintenance, or both, as will be adequate for the purpose. Parallel streets or parkways may be required in connection therewith.
C. A six- to eight-foot pedestrian walking easement, parallel and adjacent to the water’s edge at any given time, may be provided, if feasible and appropriate, on natural streams and creeks and other bodies of water along or within a proposed subdivision. In the construction of such a trail, a tread of three- to four-foot width is to be used and only such vegetation as necessary to establish such tread may be removed. (Ord. 746, 1991)
17.28.050 Blocks.
A. The lengths, widths and shapes of blocks shall be determined with due regard to:
1. Provision of adequate building sites suitable to the special needs of the type of use contemplated;
2. Needs for convenient access, circulation, control and safety of street traffic;
3. Limitations and opportunities of topography.
B. Block lengths should not exceed 1,000 feet.
C. Pedestrian crosswalks may be required where deemed essential to provide circulation or access to schools, playgrounds, shopping centers, transportation and other community facilities. (Ord. 746, 1991)
17.28.060 Lots.
A. The lot size, width, depth, shape and orientation shall be in accordance with the applicable city zoning laws.
B. Corner lots for residential use shall have extra width to permit appropriate building setback from and orientation to both streets.
C. The subdividing of the land shall be such as to provide, by means of a public street, each lot with satisfactory access to an existing public street.
D. Double frontage and reverse frontage lots should be avoided except where essential to provide separation of residential development from traffic arteries or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography and orientation. An easement of at least eight feet, and across which there shall be no right of access, shall be provided along the lines of lots abutting such a traffic artery or other disadvantageous use. (Ord. 746, 1991)
17.28.070 Parks and recreational areas.
Pursuant to RCW 58.17.110 and related statutes, the city council may require plats with less than two-acre lot sizes in urban area not already served by parks and recreational areas to designate up to five percent of their land exclusive of streets, as either private or public parks and recreational areas, the nature of which shall be clearly indicated on the plat. The acquisition of the land required by the city for public parks or recreational area, other than streets and alleys, shall be obtained by deed from the developer in conjunction with final approval of the plat. Such mitigation of park and recreation land and/or facilities shall be based on an identified and quantified impact on recreational resources. As an alternative to dedication of public parks and recreational areas, the developer may voluntarily choose to contribute to the city for park purposes a payment approximately equal to the value of the land which the city would otherwise have required to be designated for parks and recreational areas. Payment of cash in lieu of land for park purposes shall be made by the developer to the city before final plat approval is given. The payment shall be deposited in a reserve account from which funds may be expended solely for parks and recreational uses which will benefit the general area of the approved subdivision. The payment shall be expended within five years of collection, and any payment not so expended shall be refunded with interest at the rate applied to judgments to the property owners of record at the time of the refund. (Ord. 746, 1991)