17.130.090 Subdivision design standards

17.130.090 Subdivision design standards.

a. The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions shall make provisions for the continuation of the existing streets, curbs, gutters, and sidewalks in adjoining areas (or their proper protection where adjoining land is not subdivided). The street arrangement must be such as to cause no unnecessary hardship to owners of adjoining property when they plat their own land and seek to provide convenient access to it.

b. Arterial, collector and/or residential streets shall conform to the width designated in the West Point City transportation master plan which is part of the general plan. The streets shall also conform to the West Point City public works standard specifications and drawings.

c. All streets in subdivisions in West Point City shall be dedicated to the city, except private streets.

a. Private streets shall only be allowed in multifamily developments within the R-4 zone or R-5 zone. Private streets shall also be allowed in commercial developments.

b. Private streets shall not be allowed when providing access to a public or quasi-public facility such as a park, school, church, library, trailhead, etc. Private streets shall not be allowed when intended to serve through traffic from one public street to another public street.

c. Private streets shall conform to the West Point City public works standard specifications and drawings. Private streets shall include the following types and details:

Type	ROW Width	Asphalt Width	Sidewalk	Curb	Allowed Units/Lots	Rear Access
Private Road	50'	See PW Standards	Yes	Yes	N/A	No
Private Lane	25'	See PW Standards	No	Yes	15	No
Private Alley	25'	See PW Standards	No	Yes	15	Yes

d. Ownership, Maintenance, and Financial Plan for Private Streets. The private street property shall be surveyed and recorded with the county. The private street shall be owned, maintained, and managed by a private entity such as a homeowners association. A means of perpetual maintenance shall be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the planning commission before a private street may be approved. The managing entity shall prepare and follow a maintenance plan that identifies, schedules, and performs regular maintenance duties, as well as a time horizon for eventual roadway reconstruction. The cost of maintenance and reconstruction must be annualized and collected into an escrow account to ensure the roadway is maintained into perpetuity. The requisite maintenance plan shall identify a schedule of activities required to maintain a safe and well-functioning roadway, including but not limited to:

i. Annual maintenance (every year), such as pothole patching, street sweeping, line striping, trash removal, landscape pruning, and other activities.

ii. Semi-annual activities (every two to five years), such as crack sealing, catch basin sediment removal, culvert inspections, and other activities.

iii. Medium-term activities (five to 15 years), such as asphalt overlays, chip sealing, and surface milling and reconstruction.

iv. Long-term activities (15+ years), including full depth reconstruction of roadway, concrete curb, gutter, and sidewalk reconstruction.

v. The maintenance plan shall include escalated costs associated with each activity and develop an amortized escrow saving plan to ensure roadway maintenance is funded through the expected roadway life cycle.

3. Cul-de-Sac Street Standards. .

Cul-de-sacs shall be no longer than 600 feet from the center of the road to the center of the turnaround and shall conform to the public works standard specifications and drawings adopted by the city. Where a street is designed to remain only temporarily as a dead-end street, an adequate temporary turning area shall be provided at the dead-end thereof to remain and be available for public use so long as the dead-end condition exists. Such temporary cul-de-sac dead ends shall not exceed 1,320 feet in length and shall meet all requirements of the International Fire Code. Such temporary improvements shall be eliminated by the adjacent developing property owner.

1. The maximum length of blocks generally shall be 1,320 feet and the minimum length of blocks shall be 500 feet. Blocks over 1,000 feet in length shall have a dedicated public mid-block walkway of not less than 20 feet in width with a full privacy fence on each side.

2. Blocks intended for business or industrial use shall be designed specifically for such purposes with adequate space set aside for off-street parking and delivery facilities.

1. All subdivisions must have access to an existing public street. The access into the subdivision must be either a public street or a private road as defined in WPCC 17.10.020 and must conform to the public works standard specifications and drawings. A private lane or an alley cannot connect to a collector street or an arterial street. Subdivisions with more than 30 lots or units require the construction of a second access that connects to an existing public street. The second access must be a public street or a private road that conforms to the public works standard specifications and drawings.

2. Residential driveways shall not be allowed on collector or arterial streets. Exceptions may be granted by the planning commission.

3. All access roads and driveways must comply with the spacing standards found in the public works standard specifications and drawings. Exceptions may be granted by the planning commission.

1. The lot arrangement and design shall be such that lots will provide satisfactory and desirable sites for buildings and be properly related to topography.

2. All lots shown on the subdivision plat must conform to the minimum area and width requirements of the zoning ordinance for the zone in which the subdivision is located.

3. Each lot shall abut and have access to a public street or private street dedicated by the subdivision plat or an existing publicly dedicated street.

4. Corner lots shall have extra width sufficient for maintenance of required building setback lines on both streets.

5. Side lines of lots shall be at right angles or not less than 80 degrees to the street line, or radial to the curved street line.

6. All remnants of lots below the minimum size left over after subdividing a larger tract must be eliminated or dedicated to a homeowners association (HOA) and shall be landscaped and maintained by the HOA rather than allowed to remain as unusable parcels.

7. Cul-de-Sac Lots. Lots on the turnaround portion of cul-de-sacs or other odd shaped lots shall be designed to have adequate buildable area. Lot lines shall be radial to the turnaround and shall remain radial to a distance equal to the front yard setback. The front width of the lot shall be measured along the curve at the front yard setback line. On cul-de-sac or five-sided lots, the required minimum rear yard depth may be reduced to 15 feet measured from any point of a building foundation to the nearest point of a lot line. Only one corner of a home may project into a required rear yard space.

a. The subdividing of a single lot or parcel to form one additional lot in a flag or L-shaped configuration shall be allowed in any residential zone where parcel configuration is oddly shaped so that subdivision design would be poorly configured or create excessively large lots or access is awkward/difficult in the design. The goal is to accommodate the development of property that otherwise could not reasonably be developed under existing city subdivision or development ordinances. Flag lots shall be processed as a standard subdivision.

b. Development Standards for Flag Lots. All potential flag or L-shaped lots shall meet all the following criteria:

i. Each lot shall have its own stem, which contains a driveway providing access to a public street. The stem is not separable from the buildable portion of the lot and shall be at least 20 feet wide. The stem may be as long as necessary; however, a turnaround reviewed and approved by the appropriate fire suppression agency shall be provided. No structures shall be allowed within the stem area and all landscaping shall be maintained so as to provide unobstructed access for emergency service vehicles.

ii. The driveway shall be at least 20 feet wide and shall be completely surfaced in asphalt or concrete. The thickness of the pavement and subbase material shall be the same as a West Point City local street. The surface of the driveway shall be designed to drain water away from the surface.

iii. The total area of the lot, excluding the stem section, shall be at least one and one-half times the minimum lot size for the zone in which it is located, and the lot shall meet all minimum width and depth requirements as if it was located on a public street.

iv. Each lot shall have its own water, sewer, power and other utility connections.

v. Each lot shall have its own mailbox located along the public street frontage afforded by the stem section of the lot. The mailbox may not obstruct any vehicle or pedestrian access to the lot. The street address of the residence shall be clearly illustrated on the mailbox, with characters at least six inches in height and of proportionate width.

vi. Each lot shall be graded consistent with city-approved storm water practices.

vii. A fire hydrant must be located within 250 feet of any dwelling structure on the lot.

viii. The lot in its entirety shall be held in fee simple ownership.

ix. The original lot from which the flag or L-shaped lot was subdivided must meet the minimum standards for the zone in which it is located, both before and after the creation of the flag or L-shaped lot; however, the minimum rear yard setback shall be increased by 10 feet.

x. Snow removal shall be provided by the property owner and shall not obstruct traffic on the public street or driveway.

1. Public utility and drainage easements shall be provided along the side, front and rear lot lines of all subdivision lots and at such other locations as deemed necessary as directed by the city. The minimum size of these easements shall be 10 feet front and rear, and seven and one-half feet on adjoining sides of every other side yard. The city or utility owner will not be responsible for damage caused to structures that are disrupted in the course of working inside a dedicated easement. It shall be unlawful to build any type of permanent structure over a sewer, water, storm drain, irrigation ditch, or any other underground easement. Property owner may encroach into an easement at their own risk after ensuring the following:

a. There are not utilities currently in the easement.

b. The easement is not used as a drainage path.

c. The lot owner signs a statement agreeing to remove the structure if/when the easement is needed in the future.

2. Natural Drainage and Other Easements. The city shall require that easements for drainage through adjoining properties be obtained by the developer. The developer shall also obtain or provide easements for utilities, either on site or off site, that are not within a public street right-of-way. [Ord. 12-19-2023C §§ 1, 2 (Exh. A)].