4-101. All subdivisions of land subject to these Subdivision Regulations shall conform to the following minimum design standards. Such design standards shall govern the approval of subdivision plats by the Planning Commission and the acceptance of land dedicated to public use by the Governing Body.
4-201. No land subject to the floodway and floodway fringe regulations adopted by ordinance by the City shall be subdivided for any use not permitted by the underlying zoning district as presented in the City of Abilene Zoning Regulations.
4-202. Subdivisions subject to the floodway and floodway fringe regulations adopted by ordinance by the City shall be designed in accordance with standards established in the Floodway and Floodway Fringe Districts of the City of Abilene Zoning Regulations. Such subdivision proposals shall be designed to assure that all such proposals are consistent with the need to minimize flood damage, that all public utilities and facilities, such as sewer, gas, electrical and water systems are located, elevated and constructed to minimize or eliminate flood damage, and that adequate drainage is provided so as to reduce exposure to flood hazards:
4-301. Conformance with the Comprehensive Plan: To provide reasonable vehicular movement, arterial streets and collector streets shall be properly integrated with the existing system of streets and highways, as well as with the proposed system of streets and highways presented in the city's comprehensive plan. Street design standards other than those listed in this section shall conform with standards adopted by the Governing Body.
4-302. Streets. Alleys and Public Ways.
(1) Relationship to Adjoining Street Systems: The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions shall make provisions for the continuation of the principal existing streets in adjoining additions (or their proper projection where adjoining property is not subdivided) insofar as they may be necessary public requirements. The width of such streets in new subdivisions shall be not less than the minimum street widths established herein. Alleys, when required, and street arrangement must cause no hardship to owners of adjoining property when they plat their land and seek to provide for convenient access to it. Whenever there exists a dedicated or platted half street or alley adjacent to the tract to be subdivided, the other half of the street or alley shall be platted and dedicated. Intersections shall not be permitted. If they would intersect a street within 150 feet of another existing intersection.
(2) Street Names: Streets that are obviously in alignment with other already existing and named streets shall bear the names of the existing streets.
(3) Arterial Streets: An arterial or thoroughfare which primarily serves as a transportation line for vehicular traffic and which prohibits direct access from residential lots. An arterial may be classified as either a Major Arterial or a Minor Arterial, as defined in the Highway Functional Classification System of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
(4) Urban Collector Street: A street intended to move traffic from local streets to arterial streets. An urban collector street serves a neighborhood or large subdivision and should be designed to discourage residential properties from facing onto it. An urban collector is classified as either a Major Collector or Minor Collector, as defined in the Highway Functional Classification System of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
(5) Local Streets: Streets intended to provide access to the streets from individual properties. Local streets shall be so designed to discourage through or non-local traffic.
(6) Cul-de-sacs: An adequate turnaround of not less than a 100-foot diameter right-of way which shall be provided at the closed end of a dead-end local street segment. Such local street segment shall not exceed 600 feet in length from the intersection of a cross street to the juncture with the cul-de-sac.
(7) Right Angle Intersections: Under normal conditions, streets shall be laid out to intersect, as nearly as possible, at right angles. Where topography or other conditions justify a variation from the right angle intersection, the minimum angle shall be 60 degrees.
(8) Streets Adjacent to a Railroad Right-of-Way. Limited Access Freeway. Principal Highway: Where lots front or side, but do not back on railroad rights-of-way, limited access freeways or principal highways, a marginal access street or frontage road may be required parallel and adjacent to the boundary of such rights-of-way. The distance from said rights-of way shall be determined, with due consideration to minimum distance required for approach connections to future grade separated intersections.
(9) Half-Streets: Half-streets shall be avoided, except where they are essential to the reasonable development of the subdivision in conformity with the other requirements of these regulations; or, when the Planning Commission finds that it will be practical to require the dedication of the other half of the street when the adjoining property is subdivided. Whenever a half-street, or portion thereof; is existing and adjacent to a tract to be subdivided, the other half of the street shall be based on minimum requirements as set forth in subsection 11 of this section and shall be platted within such tract.
(10) Alleys: Alleys may be required in commercial, industrial, and residential areas. Alleys shall have a minimum right-of-way width of 20 feet. Dead-end alleys shall be avoided, wherever possible; if unavoidable, such alleys shall be provided with adequate turnaround facilities at the dead end. Alleys should be avoided in residential areas except where necessary to logically continue an existing alley.
(11) Minimum Requirements: An streets, alleys and public ways, included in the subdivision, hereafter dedicated and accepted, shall comply with the following:
(a) Minor Arterial Streets:
Minimum right-of-way width....................... 80 ft.
Maximum gradient...................................... 6%
Minimum gradient....................................... 0.33%
Minimum design speed................................ 40 mph
Minimum street width................................. 41' b-b
Minimum pavement depth........................... 8 inches
(b) Urban Collector and Industrial Streets:
Minimum right-of-way width....................... 60 ft.
Maximum gradient...................................... 6%
Minimum gradient....................................... 0. 33%
Minimum design speed................................ 40 mph.
Minimum street width................................. 41' b-b
Minimum pavement depth........................... 8 inches
(c) Residential Streets
Minimum right-of-way width....................... 60 ft.
Maximum gradient...................................... 8%
Minimum gradient....................................... 0.33%
Minimum design speed................................ 30 mph
Minimum street width................................. *35’ b-b
Minimum pavement depth........................... 6 inches
(d).. Pedestrian Way........................................... 15 ft.
*31' b-b may be used in low-density developments with approval by the City Engineer.
(12) Additional Requirements: When existing or anticipated traffic on arterial and collector streets warrants greater widths of rights-of-way, the additional width shall be dedicated.
(13) Street Grades: The grades of streets, alleys and other public ways included in any subdivision shall not be greater than is necessary for the topographic conditions and shall be subject to the approval of the Engineer.
4-303. Dedication of Abutting Street Right-of-Way: When a proposed subdivision abuts an existing public right-of-way for a local street or a proposed public right-of-way for a collector or arterial street as shown in the City of Abilene Comprehensive Plan, then the owner of the land proposed to be subdivided shall dedicate, without charge, any land within the subdivision that is necessary to provide conformity with the right-of-way standards in Section 4-3. Said dedication shall be shown on the preliminary plat and the final plat.
4-401.
(1) Block Length: Intersecting streets (which determine block length) shall be provided at such intervals as to serve cross traffic adequately and to meet existing streets in the area. In residential districts, where no existing plats are recorded, the blocks shall not exceed 1320 feet in length, except that a greater length may be permitted where topography or other conditions justify a departure from this maximum. In blocks longer than 1000 feet, pedestrian ways and/or easements through the block may be required near the center of the block. Such pedestrian ways or easements shall have a minimum width of 15 feet. Blocks for business use should normally not exceed 1200 feet in length.
(2) Block Width: In residential development, the block width shall normally be sufficient to allow two tiers of lots of appropriate depth. In certain instances, however, a different arrangement may be required in order to provide better circulation or to protect a major circulation route. Blocks intended for business or industrial use shall be of such width and depth as may be considered most suitable for the prospective use.
4-402. Sidewalks and Walkways: Sidewalks or pedestrian walkways of a minimum of four feet in width may be required, upon recommendation of the Planning Commission and approval of the Governing Body where deemed necessary to provide convenient and safe access to schools, parks, playgrounds or other public or private community facilities.
4-501.
(1) Lot Standards: If the proposed subdivision is served with a public water supply and a public sewer system or a community-type sewage treatment plant, approval of the lot sizes shall be subject to the minimum requirements set forth in these regulations and the Zoning Regulations.
(2) If the proposed subdivision is served with a public water supply, but not with a public sewer system, the preliminary plat shall be submitted on the basis of a minimum lot size of 2.5 acres and will be subject to the approval of the City Engineer. The property owner or agent shall cause to be made percolation tests for the proposed subdivision and the results submitted with the preliminary plat. The plat will be so proportioned as to permit future construction of sanitary sewer lines or replatting consistent with good subdivision design.
(3) Minimum lot width shall be as required by the Zoning Regulations. (Said width shall be measured at the building setback line.) Corner lots should have such additional width · as may be necessary to provide front yard setbacks along both street frontages.
(4) Minimum lot depth shall be as required by the Zoning Regulations. (Said depth shall be measured through the center of the lot and shall be perpendicular to the front property line or radial to the property line on curved streets.)
(5) The maximum depth of residential lots shall not exceed two and one-half times the width thereof
(6) Minimum lot areas shall be subject to the Zoning Regulations of the district in which the subdivision is located and the minimum design standards of this section. The more restrictive of the regulations shall govern.
(7) All side lot lines shall bear 60 to 90 degrees from the street right-of-way line on a straight street or from the tangent of a curved street.
(8) Front building or setback lines shall be shown on the final plat for all lots in the subdivision and shall not be less than the setbacks required by the Zoning Regulations or any other regulations adopted by the Governing Body; the most restrictive setback requirement shall govern.
(9) Double frontage lots shall be avoided unless, in the opinion of the Planning Commission, a variation to this rule will provide better street alignment and lot arrangement or will better protect the traffic-carrying capacity of a major street.
(10) Every lot shall abut on a street other than an alley.
(11) The subdivision or resubdivision of a tract or lot shall not be permitted where said subdivision or resubdivision places an existing permanent structure in violation of the requirements of the Zoning Regulations or the minimum design standards of these regulations.
4-601. Utility Easements: Where alleys are not provided, utility easements of not less than 10 feet in width shall be provided on each side of all rear lot lines, and on side lot lines, where necessary, for utility poles, wires, conduits, storm and sanitary sewers, gas, water and heat mains, and other public utilities. These easements shall provide for a continuous right-of-way at least 20 feet in width. Utility easements shall not be obstructed by fences, structures or landscaping. A property owner may install fences or landscaping at his or her own risk provided that such action does not damage, destroy or interfere with any utility system component.
An additional 12-foot temporary construction easement shall be provided for initial construction of water, sewer, and other utility lines.
4-602. Drainage Easements: If a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainage way or channel, then a storm water easement or drainage right-of-way shall be provided. Such easement or right-of-way shall conform substantially to the lines of such watercourse and shall be of such width or construction, or both, as may be necessary to provide adequate stormwater drainage and for access for maintenance thereof. Parallel streets or parkways may be required in connection therewith. The Property Owner or their agent shall make and submit a study and report to the City Engineer for his or her recommendation to the Planning Commission as to the desired width of such easement. Such study and report shall be based on the 100 year flood depth.
4-603 Pedestrian-way Easements: Where the Planning Commission has recommended the installation of sidewalks or walkways within a subdivision, and said improvements have been approved by the Governing Body, a pedestrian-way easement may be required. Such easement shall have a minimum width of 15 feet.
4-701. Drainage Plans: The subdivider shall include a drainage plan, as required by Section 2-302, and shall design required stormwater facilities according to the Design Criteria for Storm Drainage Systems as adopted by the Governing Body. Drainage plans shall include, but are not limited to:
a. A complete drainage-area map showing the natural drainage area boundaries, direction of surface flow, any large impervious areas, existing and proposed streets, man-made or natural obstructions to be avoided for storm drainage locations, runoff calculations for existing and for developed conditions, and proposed inlet locations.
b. A grading design so that drainage from each lot should flow directly to a channel or detention area without crossing more than four adjacent lots.
4-702. Detention Facilities: The subdivider shall install detention facilities when the Planning Commission determines that a subdivision provides enough area for runoff control and determines that detention facilities are necessary, and will not adversely affect downstream·conditions.