§ 5.5. Lot design standards.

All lots hereafter established in connection with the development of a subdivision shall comply with the following design standards.

a.

Lot lines. Insofar as practical, side lot lines shall be perpendicular or radial to street lines.

b.

Jurisdictional limits and lot lines. Lots shall not be divided by city or county boundary lines.

c.

Lot frontage. Each lot created shall have direct abutting frontage to an approved public or private street. Each lot must front for at least 50 feet upon an approved street. Construction and/or maintenance of driveways connecting to the public street R/W or to the private road shall be the sole responsibility of the lot or parcel owner. Lots, however, within a Conservation Design Subdivision are exempt from such frontage requirements as provided in the Chatsworth Zoning Ordinance and article 6 of this ordinance.

d.

Setback lines. Setback lines per lot shall be as required by the Chatsworth Zoning Ordinance, however, lots within a conservation design subdivision are exempt from such requirements in lieu of flexibility provided by the Chatsworth Zoning Ordinance and article 6 of this ordinance.

e.

Adequate building sites. Each lot shall contain an adequate building site not subject to flooding and outside the limits of any existing easements or building setback lines required by this ordinance and any other applicable ordinance.

f.

Panhandle or flag lots. "Panhandle" or "flag" lots are generally to be considered an unacceptable design technique, but may occur after a finding and approval has occurred before the Chatsworth Planning Commission that unique physical or environmental characteristics of a parent tract preclude efficient and logical subdivision in accordance with standard design. The required width and area will be allowed where terrain makes standard design or frontage impossible or impractical. Where such lots are allowed, the street frontage of each panhandle access shall not be less than 50 feet wide and the panhandle access shall not be more than 200 feet long. Not more than two such panhandle access points shall abut each other.

g.

Double or reverse frontage lots. Double and reverse frontage, unless required or approved by the planning commission or building inspector, shall be prohibited except where essential to provide separation of residential development from traffic arteries or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography, orientation, and property size. A planted screen reservation of at least five feet, across which there shall be no right of access, may be required along the line of lots abutting such a traffic arterials or other disadvantageous use.

h.

Reserved.

i.

Corner lots. Corner lots shall be sufficiently large to permit the location of buildings so as to conform to the minimum front building setback requirement on both streets. The remaining lot lines shall meet side building setback requirements. Corner lot lines at road intersections shall have minimum radii of 20 feet.

j.

Lot remnants. Lot remnants shall be prohibited. Such remnant areas shall be added to adjacent lots, rather than remain as unbuildable parcels.

k.

Easements. Easements, with designated widths and purposes shown on the plat, shall be provided in subdivisions for the following purposes:

(i)

Utility easements. When it is found to be necessary and desirable to locate public utility lines in other than street rights-of-way, easements shall be shown on the plat for such purposes. Such easements shall not be less than 20 feet in width or in concurrence with the width required by the utility provider. Where possible, such easements shall be centered on rear or side lot lines.

(ii)

Water course and drainage easements. Where a proposed subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway, or stream, appropriate provisions shall be made to accommodate stormwater and drainage through and from the proposed subdivision. Such easement shall conform substantially with the lines of said water course and be of sufficient width or construction, or both, as to be adequate for the purpose.

Where appropriate, the utility provider or applicable Department of the city, at their request, shall be provided with the written legal mechanism necessary to document the location, width, and purpose of such perpetual easement.

(iii)

Access easements. Allowed only as described by subsections 5.3.7 and 5.5(h).

l.

Residential lot depth. Residential lot depth shall generally not be more than four times the lot width at the building line.

m.

Commercial and industrial lots. Commercial and industrial subdivisions of land shall also be subject to the approval of the planning commission or building inspector and shall comply with the requirements of the Chatsworth Zoning Ordinance.

n.

Minimum lot dimensions and area. Except for lots within a conservation design subdivision (see article 6), the minimum lot area, the minimum lot width at the front building line, and the setback lines shall be as required in the Chatsworth Zoning Ordinance.

(Ord. of 3-3-2008)