§ 5.6. Street design standards.

All streets, whether public or private, which shall hereafter be established in connection with the development of a major subdivision shall comply with any construction specifications of the city.

1.

Access to arterials and collectors. Where a subdivision borders on or contains an existing or proposed arterial or collector route, as defined by this ordinance, the planning commission may require that access to such street be limited by:

a.

The subdivision of lots so as to back on to the arterial or collector street and front on a parallel local street;

b.

A series of cul-de-sac, "U" shaped streets, or short loops entered from and designed generally at right angles to such a parallel street, with the rear lines of their terminal lots backing onto the arterial or collector street; or

c.

A frontage street.

2.

Reserve strips. The creation of reserve strips adjacent to a proposed street in such a manner as to deny access from adjacent property to such street shall generally not be permitted. However, in extraordinary circumstances the planning commission may allow creation of a reserve strip to enable a more appropriate pattern of lots or streets. Where such is created, the planning commission must agree to any and all future dispositions of same. A notation to this effect shall be entered on the final plat or approved as an auxiliary instrument attached thereto.

3.

Arrangement of continuing and dead-end streets. Where a subdivision will contain temporary or permanent dead-end streets they shall be designed as follows:

a.

Arrangement of continuing streets. The arrangement of streets shall provide for the continuation of major streets between adjacent properties when in the opinion of the planning commission such continuation is necessary for convenient movements of traffic, effective fire protection, efficient provision of utilities, and when such continuation is in accordance with the major street or road plan. If the adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must be a dead-end street temporarily, the right-of-way shall be extended to the property line. A temporary cul-de-sac, temporary "T", or "Y"-shaped turnabout shall be provided on all temporary dead-end streets as required in the following turnabout standards, with a notation on the subdivision plat that land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to abutting property owners whenever the street is continued.

b.

Dead-end streets. Where a street does not extend beyond the boundary of the subdivision and its continuation is not required by the planning commission for access to adjoining property, its terminus shall normally not be nearer to such boundary than 50 feet. However, the planning commission may require the reservation of an appropriate easement to accommodate drainage facilities, pedestrian traffic, or utilities. A cul-de-sac turnabout shall be provided at the end of a dead-end street in accordance with the requirements of the city.

4.

Intersections. Intersections of new streets in a subdivision shall comply with the following standards:

a.

Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles. A proposed intersection of two streets at an angle of less than 75 degrees shall not be permitted. The angle of intersection is to be measured at the intersection of the street center lines. An oblique street should be curved approaching an intersection and should be approximately at right angles for at least 100 feet therefrom. Not more than two streets shall intersect at any one point unless approved by the planning commission.

b.

Proposed new intersections along one side of an existing street shall coincide, wherever practicable, with any existing intersections on the opposite side of such street. Jogs for opposing streets having centerline offsets of less than 150 feet shall not be permitted, except where the intersected streets are separated from each other by an unbroken median at either intersection. Where streets intersect arterial or collector routes, their alignment shall be continuous (no jog). Intersections of arterial or collector streets shall be at least 800 feet apart.

c.

Minimum curve radius at the intersection of two local streets shall be 25 feet, and minimum curve radius at an intersection involving a collector street shall be 30 feet. Alley intersections and abrupt changes in alignment within a block shall have the corners cut off in accordance with standard engineering practice to permit safe vehicular movement.

d.

Intersections shall be designed with a flat grade wherever practical. In hilly or rolling areas, at the approach to an intersection, a leveling area shall be provided having not greater than a two percent grade for a distance of 60 feet, measured from the nearest right-of-way line of the intersecting street.

5.

Additional width on existing streets. In subdivisions that adjoin existing streets, the subdivider shall dedicate additional right-of-way to meet the minimum street width requirements as follows:

a.

The entire right-of-way shall be provided where any part of the subdivision is on both sides of the street.

b.

When the subdivision is located on one side of an existing street, one-half of the required right-of-way measured from the centerline of the existing roadway, shall be provided.

6.

Street names. Streets or roads that are extensions of or obviously in alignment with existing named streets shall bear that name. The names of new streets and roads shall be subject to the approval of the planning commission/911 director and shall not duplicate or be similar in sound to existing names of streets in the city or in any other Murray County jurisdiction irrespective of the use of the suffix street, avenue, circle, way, boulevard, drive, place, lane, or court, etc.

7.

Railroads and limited access highways. Railroad rights-of-way and limited access highways, where so located as to affect the subdivision of adjoining lands, shall be treated as follows:

a.

In residential areas, a buffer strip at least 25 feet in depth in addition to the normally required depth of the lot may be required adjacent to the railroad right-of-way or limited access highway. This strip shall be part of the platted lots and shall be designated on the plat: "This strip is reserved for screening; the placement of structures herein is prohibited".

b.

In commercial or industrial areas, the nearest street extending parallel or approximately parallel to the railroad or limited access highway shall, wherever practical, be at a sufficient distance therefrom to ensure suitable depth of commercial or industrial sites.

c.

Streets parallel to a railroad or limited access highway, when intersecting a street that crosses the railroad at grade, shall, to the extent practical, be at a distance of at least 150 feet from the railroad right-of-way. Such distance shall be determined with due consideration of the minimum distance required for future separation of grades by means of appropriate approach gradients.

8.

Bridges. Bridges of primary benefit to the subdivider, as determined by the city shall be constructed at the full expense of the subdivider without reimbursement from the city. The sharing of expenses for the construction of bridges not of primary benefit to the subdivider, as determined by the city, may be fixed by special agreement between the city and the subdivider. The cost shall be pro-rated to the subdivider as to the percentage of his development so served. The engineering design of all bridges shall be reviewed and approved by the city. Any preliminary plat identifying the construction of a bridge must bear the seal of a Georgia Certified Civil Engineer.

9.

Special purpose streets.

a.

Half streets. Half streets are prohibited. Whenever a street is planned adjacent to the proposed tract boundary, the entire street right-of-way shall be platted within the proposed subdivision.

b.

Split level streets. Streets, which are constructed so as to have two traffic ways, each at a different level within the same right-of-way, shall provide a minimum right-of-way of 25 feet per traffic way and such additional right-of-way as necessary to meet the requirements of subsection 5.6.5 and a minimum paved traffic surface of 15 feet. The slope between the two traffic ways would not be less than two to one.

c.

One-way streets. If permitted by the planning commission, one-way streets shall meet a minimum right-of-way of 25 feet and a pavement width of 15 feet.

c.

Alleys. Alleys or service drives may be required at the rear of all lots used for multi-family, commercial, or industrial developments but shall not be provided in one and two family residential developments unless the alley or services drive is to provide secondary access to a lot (lots) whose natural grade is (are) more than 12 feet above the finished street grade, or unless the subdivider produces evidence satisfactory to the planning commission of the need for an alley or service drive; pavement width is 15 feet with or without curbs; right-of-way, 20 feet.

10.

Geometric design standards for streets. The criteria in the following table are applicable.

Table 5-1: Geometric Design Standards for Streets
Design Item	Street Class
	Major	Collector	Local
Maximum Horizontal Curvature (degrees)	12	23	33
Maximum Percent Grade (percent)	7	12	18
Minimum Vertical Site Distance (feet)	275	200	200
Minimum Distance Between Reverse Curves (feet)	100	100	100

 

11.

General street specifications. The criteria in the following table are applicable. All streets must be curbed, guttered, and constructed meeting any construction specifications of the city.

Table 5-2: General Street Specifications
Design Criteria	Major Street Classifications			Minor Street Classifications
	Principal Arterial	Minor Arterial	Collector	Local Residential Streets	Comm./ Industrial
Right-of-way	Variable	Variable	60 feet	50 feet	50 feet
Construction width	Variable	Variable	32 feet	28 feet	30 feet
Cul-de-sac turnaround r/w pavement	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	100 feet 80 feet	120 feet 100 feet
Max. Grade	8 percent	10 percent	15 percent	18 percent	18 percent
Min. Vertical Sight Dist.	500 feet	300 feet	300 feet	200 feet	500 feet
Min. Horizontal Sight Dist.	400 feet	300 feet	300 feet	100 feet	400 feet

 

[Notes.]

Reserved.

All streets must be curbed, guttered, and constructed meeting any construction specifications of the City of Chatsworth; curb and gutter requirement are optional if the proposed subdivision is proposed as a Conservation Design Subdivision, approved under Article 6 and the applicable appendices.

In cases where the street is a cul-de-sac intended to serve primarily commercial office uses, the residential street requirements shall apply.

A utility/road maintenance easement ten feet wide on each side of the constructed street width may be substituted for right-of-way on local streets only. In such cases, the right-of-way is equal to the construction width from back-of-curb to back-of-curb, and setback distances are measured from the easement line. Such easements must meet the requirements of the Building Inspector. Required off-street parking is allowed within such easements.

Defines width of payment, curb, and gutter.

Measured distance is between points four feet above the centerline of the street.

Measured distance is the centerline radius of curvature.

12.

Stormwater infrastructure. All subdivision developments, whether residential, commercial, or industrial, shall comply with the construction specifications of the city relative to stormwater infrastructure. [Land developers/subdividers are further advised that common construction activities disturbing 1.0 acres or greater shall require compliance with National Pollution Elimination Discharge System (NPDES) requirements administered by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.]

a.

The subdivider/developer shall also provide for adequate drainage for springs and/or other ground water drainage.

b.

The drainage system for a subdivision—residential, commercial, or industrial—shall be designed in accordance with sound engineering principles and procedures such that all salable lots or parcels upon the plat are positively drained.

c.

The drainage system shall be designed to accommodate drainage from adjacent lots or parcels, which naturally drain to or through the lands being subdivided. The drainage system shall be designed such that it does not affect the natural drainage onto adjacent parcels unless an agreement is obtained by the developer/subdivider from the owner of such adjacent parcels. A copy of the any such agreement shall be submitted to the Chatsworth Zoning Administrator.

d.

Drainage facilities, which are designed to accommodate flowing water, shall be hydraulically designed to function when subjected to the maximum flow rate, which may be expected to occur for a ten-year storm.

e.

Drainage facilities, which are designed to handle water accumulations, shall be designed to accommodate the maximum water levels, which may be expected to occur for a 25-year storm. Necessary drainage facilities including, but not limited to culverts, rights-of-way, and easements, shall be offered for dedication to the city.

f.

All drainage systems discharging into any state waters, including but not limited to wetlands, as determined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, shall pass through an approved best management practices erosion control measures (example: sedimentation and detention ponds) prior to such discharge.

g.

A master drainage plan shall be submitted to the Chatsworth Zoning Administrator simultaneously with the submittal of construction drawings, and compliance with the above minimum requirements shall be affirmed or rejected.

(Ord. of 3-3-2008)