Chapter 16.20
SHORT SUBDIVISION AND SUBDIVISION DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
Sections:
16.20.005 Conformity with provisions required.
16.20.010 Compliance with comprehensive plan required.
16.20.015 Compliance with zoning ordinance.
16.20.030 Utility easement design.
16.20.050 Screening and reserve strips.
16.20.005 Conformity with provisions required.
In the planning of each short subdivision or subdivision regulated by the provisions of this chapter, the subdivider shall prepare the subdivision in conformance with the provisions of this chapter and shall thereafter adhere to the requirements of this chapter in the actual physical development of each subdivision. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.010 Compliance with comprehensive plan required.
Each new subdivision shall comply with the goals, policies, and standards of the Toppenish area comprehensive plan. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.015 Compliance with zoning ordinance.
Each lot within a subdivision shall comply with the lot size and width requirements of the city zoning ordinance. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.020 Lot design.
Each lot within a subdivision shall comply with the following design standards and requirements:
A. Double frontage lots are only permitted where determined by the council or the administrator in the case of short subdivisions, to be essential to provide separation of residential lots from principal and minor arterial streets, high intensity land uses, or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography or parcel configuration.
B. The depth of a lot shall not exceed three times the lot width as measured at the front building line.
C. Each lot shall have direct access to and frontage upon a dedicated public street. Minimum street frontage shall be 60 feet except for lots located within the arc of a curve or where topography exists.
D. Residential lots shall not front onto such features as limited-access highways or arterial streets, or face such uses as shopping centers or industrial properties.
E. Lots shall otherwise comply with the zoning ordinance (TMC Title 17) for size. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.025 Blocks.
A. Design. Design and due consideration shall be given limitations and opportunities imposed by slope, waterways and other topographic considerations. The length, width, and shape of blocks shall be determined with due regard to the special needs of the type of use contemplated and towards conservation of building sites.
B. Layout. The length, width and shapes of blocks shall be determined with due regard to the special needs of the type of use contemplated, to needs for convenient access and circulation, to topography, and to the conservation of building sites.
C. Width. Blocks shall be wide enough to allow two tiers of lots of minimum depth, except where fronting on major streets, prevented by topographical conditions, or size of the property, in which case the council may approve a single tier of lots not less than 150 percent of minimum depth.
D. Length.
1. Residential. Blocks planned for residential use shall not exceed 600 feet nor be less than 300 feet in length.
2. Business. Blocks planned for business use shall not exceed 600 feet nor be less than 300 feet in length. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.030 Utility easement design.
A. Utility easements shall be continuous and aligned from block to block within a subdivision and with adjoining subdivisions.
B. A 10-foot-wide utility easement for underground power, natural gas, telephone and cable television shall be provided across the front and/or rear of each lot within a subdivision. Side lot line easements shall be required where deemed necessary by the administrator to adequately provide lots with utility services or to provide for continuous easements.
C. Where a subdivision is traversed by or adjacent to a river, stream, creek, irrigation ditches, important surface watercourse or drainage course, dedicated easements shall be provided, when necessary, conforming substantially with the line of such stream and in such width as is necessary for the purposes of providing access for the purpose of widening, deepening, sloping, maintaining and protecting the stream. All easements along a river, stream or creek shall be a minimum of 25 feet wide along each bank as measured from the outside edge of the bed of the stream, such easement also including the bed of the stream. In the case of water or drainage courses less than five feet wide at ordinary high water, the easements shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width, centered on the thread of the stream.
D. Easements for unusual facilities such as high voltage electric lines, irrigation canals, and high capacity gas transmission lines shall be approved by the director of public works. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.035 Streets.
A. Conformity. The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade and location of all streets shall conform to the official map and comprehensive plan, 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. Where not shown on the official map or comprehensive plan, the arrangement and other design standards of streets shall conform to the provisions found in this title.
B. Dedication. All streets shall be dedicated to the public, except where it is deemed to be in the interest of the public, or under the extreme circumstances which forbid the dedication of a public right-of-way, the council may allow the substitution of a private road easement for a public right-of-way provided the council receives assurances which guarantee the development and maintenance of the private road to the standards of width and design, and guarantee suitable and adequate access to the lots of the subdivision.
C. Arrangement.
1. Major Streets.
a. Arterial streets shall be property integrated with the existing and proposed system of major streets and highways.
b. Collector streets shall be properly related to the public transit system, to special traffic generating from facilities such as schools, churches, and shopping centers to population densities and to arterial streets into which they feed.
c. Frontage roads may be required by the city council when a subdivision borders on a major highway in an area where limited access has been determined to be necessary or desirable due to traffic hazards. The frontage road may be parallel to and on each side of such right-of-way, at a distance suitable for an appropriate use of the intervening land for park or reserve strip purposes.
2. Minor Streets.
a. Local access streets shall be laid out to conform as much as possible to topography, to discourage use by through traffic, to permit efficient drainage and sewer systems, and to require the minimum amount of street necessary to provide convenient, safe access to property.
b. Cul-de-sac streets shall be laid out to conform as much as possible to topography, to permit efficient drainage and sewer systems, and to require the minimum amount of street necessary to provide convenient, safe access to property. Such streets shall not be greater than 600 feet in length and shall terminate with a turnaround with a minimum radius of 40 feet. A “T” or “L” may be substituted for the turnaround; width shall be consistent with that required for such streets.
c. Alleys may be required in proposed residential, commercial or industrial subdivisions for service access, off-street loading and parking purposes. Dead-end alleys shall be prohibited.
D. Relation of Topography. Streets shall be arranged in proper relation to topography so as to result in usable lots, safe streets and reasonable gradients.
E. Alignment. Streets shall be aligned to provide for the continuation of existing streets from adjoining areas into the proposed subdivision. Stub streets, including temporary turnaround areas, shall be provided to the boundary line of the tract to make provisions for future street projections into adjacent unsubdivided areas. Local streets shall be arranged so as to discourage their use by through traffic.
F. Width. The right-of-way of all streets shall be of the width specified on the official map or master plan; or, if no width is specified there, they shall be not less than the width specified below, unless necessitated by unusual topographic, physical or design feature:
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Pavement Width |
Right-of-Way |
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Principal arterials |
48 feet |
80 feet or 100 feet if required |
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Minor arterials |
44 feet |
80 feet or 100 feet if required |
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Collector arterials |
38 feet |
60 feet |
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Alleys |
20 feet |
20 feet |
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1. Local. |
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a. Local access streets of more than one-half mile can be extended one-half mile or more by future dedication. |
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34 feet |
60 feet |
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b. Short, local access streets of less than one-half mile and which cannot be extended to more than one-half mile by future dedication. |
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34 feet |
50 feet |
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c. Cul-de sac. |
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40 feet |
50 feet |
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G. Half Streets. Half streets shall be allowed only where the future dedication of the remaining half of the street can be anticipated. Whenever a tract to be subdivided borders an existing half street, the other part of the half street shall be dedicated within such tract unless the dedication is deemed unnecessary or undesirable by the planning commission.
H. Street Intersection. Streets shall intersect at 90 degrees or closely thereto and in no case less than 75 degrees. Centerlines of T intersections shall be designed to be offset by at least 150 feet.
I. Corners. A minimum radius of 25 feet shall be provided in residential subdivisions. Business and industrial subdivisions shall provide a minimum radius of 45 feet.
J. Curves – Horizontal Curves. The minimum sight distance with clear visibility, measured along the centerline, shall be provided, of at least 135 feet on major streets, 75 feet for collector streets, and 50 feet on minor streets.
K. The council may, upon recommendation from the planning commission, director of public works, or administrator, require such other design standards as deemed appropriate to ensure a safe and efficient street system. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.040 Street names.
A. New Streets. Names of new streets shall not duplicate existing or platted street names in the city in spelling or pronunciation, unless a new street is a continuation of or in alignment with the existing or platted street. House numbers shall be assigned in accordance with the house numbering system in effect in the city. All new platted streets or rights-of-way shall be named.
B. Street Renaming.
1. Procedure. The applicant wishing to rename a street shall write a letter to the planning commission requesting that a street name be changed. The applicant shall supply the commission with a copy of the plat or plats of the entire street to be renamed indicating its entire length. The letter shall state the existing name and the proposed name.
2. Action. The planning commission shall notify in writing all persons owning land fronting on the street at least 10 days prior to the meeting of the commission at which the proposal will appear on the agenda.
3. If the street name change is approved by the commission, the city clerk-treasurer will record the street name change at the county auditor’s office. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.045 Sidewalk design.
Sidewalks shall be provided along all new streets in conformance with the following minimum standards:
A. Sidewalks shall be located in the right-of-way in accordance with the city standards specifications.
B. Sidewalks shall be placed along both sides of all local access and collector arterial streets and shall have a minimum width of five feet.
C. Sidewalks shall be placed along both sides of all principal and minor arterial streets and shall have a minimum width of five feet.
D. Sidewalks in commercial zones/areas shall be eight feet wide, except those central business district streets specified in TMC 12.04.050, which shall be 10 feet wide.
E. Where a proposed subdivision or short subdivision is located adjacent to an existing street, the subdivider is not required to provide a sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).
16.20.050 Screening and reserve strips.
A. Screening Strip. Planted or constructed screening of no less than eight feet in height may be required by the planning commission, to be placed next to the incompatible features, such as highways, commercial or industrial uses, or other unsightly structures, to screen the view from or provide a noise or glare buffer for other properties. Such screens shall be dedicated as additional roadway or right-of-way or as an easement on the lots. Such strips shall be planted prior to approval of final plat. Maintenance of easements shall be the responsibility of the owners of lots abutting or containing the screen.
B. Reserve Strips. Privately held reserve strips controlling access to public rights-of-way shall be prohibited. (Ord. 86-26 § 2, 1986).