§ 30-616. Access and driveways.

(a)

Applicability. The provisions of this section shall apply to all driveways. A lot which is a part of an approved plat which does not otherwise limit access and which was approved by the city and filed for record as of the effective date of the ordinance from which this article is derived, and which does not have sufficient frontage to meet the driveway approach spacing requirements in this section, shall be allowed one driveway approach.

(b)

Single-family residential subdivisions. Where a subdivision abuts a major throughfare, lots for single-family residential use in the extraterritorial jurisdiction shall not front on the throughfare, the sole exception shall be lots greater than one acre in size which provide for permanent vehicular turn around on the lot to prevent backing onto the throughfare and this restriction should be noted on the plat. Access points which would permit vehicular access to such lots less than one acre in size from the arterial street shall be prohibited. However, if conditions are such that vehicular access to such lots cannot be provided other than from the collector or throughfare street, the director of public works or city engineer may permit the creation of an easement to serve two or more lots. The easement shall be designed to permit entry to the arterial street without requiring a motorist to execute a backing maneuver. Easements shall be included on the subdivision plat. No flag lots are allowed. The minimum spacing between driveways shall be 200 feet or meet state depart of transportation requirements.

(c)

Commercial, industrial and medium or high density residential developments. Lots in commercial, industrial and medium or high-density residential developments in city or the extraterritorial jurisdiction may have vehicular access from a throughfare. However, the number of access points permitted will be based on the following criteria:

(1)

For lots with less than 200 feet of frontage, one access point may be permitted;

(2)

For lots with a frontage of 200 feet or more, one access point for every 200 feet of frontage will be permitted.

Driveway spacing will be in accordance with subsection (g) of this section, if applicable. All lots in commercial, industrial and medium or high density residential developments with less than 400 feet fronting an arterial street shall provide for shared cross access with adjacent lots fronting the arterial street, by means of platted common access easement across the lot or recorded deed covenant providing common access across the lot with adjacent lots.

(d)

Additional access points. The director of public works (or the state department of transportation, or county authority, if appropriate) is authorized to permit additional access points under the following conditions:

(1)

The additional land access points are necessary to ensure the property owner beneficial use of the land; and

(2)

The resulting additional ingress and egress of vehicles will not seriously disrupt the flow of traffic on the arterial street.

(e)

Location of access points. The specific location of access points will be determined by the director of public works (or by the state department of transportation or county authority, if appropriate) at such time as a site plan is reviewed prior to the issuance of a building permit. The location shall be based on the following criteria:

(1)

The location shall minimize conflicts with vehicle turning movements;

(2)

The location shall be located as far as practicable from intersections; and

(3)

The location shall be not less than 50 feet from another driveway location. If this standard is not possible, based upon the frontage of the property, the location shall be directed as far as practicable from the other driveway locations. Driveways along an arterial street within 400 feet of a major intersection, such as the intersection of two throughfare streets or the intersection of a collector and a arterial street, may be restricted to right turn movements.

(f)

Driveway throat or vehicle storage length.

(1)

Definitions. For purposes of this subsection:

Throat length means the length of extending from the entry into the site to the first left-turn conflict or intersection with a parking aisle.

Vehicle storage length means the length of a driveway, service lane, bay, or other passageway for motor vehicles which is designed to minimize queuing onto surrounding streets.

(2)

Throat length shall be designed in accordance with the anticipated storage length for entering and exiting vehicles to prevent vehicles from backing into the flow of traffic on the public street or causing unsafe conflicts with on-site circulation. Throat length and vehicle storage length shall not be less than the standards set forth in Table 30-616 unless approved by the director of public works. These measures generally are acceptable for the principle access to a property and are not intended for minor driveways.

TABLE 30-616. MINIMUM DRIVEWAY THROAT LENGTHS

Land Use	Throat Length or Vehicle Storage Length
Shopping centers > 200,000 GLA	Throat length 200 feet
Developments < 200,000 GLA not otherwise enumerated in this table	Throat length 75 feet
Unsignalized driveways not otherwise enumerated in this table	Throat length 40 feet minimum
Residential subdivision entryway (private, gated entries)	Poisson distributed probability model at a 95 percent confidence level. In addition, the subdivider shall provide for vehicle turnaround capability based on the single unit design vehicle as provided in the 1990 AASHTO Green Book, or latest revision thereof. The minimum entryway vehicle storage length shall be 40 feet
Drive-in banks	Sufficient to accommodate minimum queue of six vehicles
Drive-in banks with more than one lane	Sufficient to accommodate minimum queue of five vehicles per service lane
Single-lane drive-through car washes	Sufficient to accommodate minimum queue of 12 vehicles
Automatic or self-serve car washes with more than one bay	Vehicle storage of 60 feet per bay
Fast-food restaurants with drive-in window service	Sufficient to accommodate minimum queue of eight vehicles per service lane
Gasoline service stations with pump islands perpendicular to the pavement edge	Minimum 35 feet between pump islands and right-of-way

 

GLA means gross lease area

Commentary: The throat lengths in this table are provided to ensure adequate stacking space within driveways for general land use intensities. This helps prevent vehicles from stacking into the arterial street as they attempt to access the site. High traffic generators, such as large shopping plazas, need much greater throat length than smaller developments or those with unsignalized driveways. These standards refer to the primary access drive.

(g)

Spacing and location on major arterial streets. This subsection applies to driveway approach spacing and location along major throughfares.

(1)

Where a traffic impact analysis is required, driveways shall be spaced in such a manner as to avoid reducing the traffic LOS below that established in the traffic impact analysis.

(2)

Along either side of any corner commercial or industrial property the driveway approaches shall be located so as to maintain a minimum distance from the corner of the intersecting roadways equal to 90 percent of the length of the property along the roadway upon which the proposed driveway approach is to be located, or 125 feet, whichever distance is less.

(h)

Alignment. Major driveway approaches, with peak hour trips greater than 100 peak hour trips, accessing major arterials shall attempt to meet the following guidelines:

(1)

Align with opposing driveway approaches if any, or shall be offset by 175 feet or more to provide adequate left turn storage capacity in advance of each driveway approach and to avoid the overlap of left turn lanes.

(2)

Shared among different property owners or users when necessary to maintain minimum spacing requirements.

(3)

Planned, when possible, to match existing openings in medians. In addition, no cuts through the left turn reservoir of a median shall be permitted in order to provide left turn movements for driveway approaches accessing major arterials.

Fig. 30-616

(i)

Parking approaches. Parking aisles shall be located a minimum of 20 feet from the intersection of the driveway approach and the arterial.

(j)

Driveway approaches. Driveway approach materials may be asphalt, concrete or other materials as approved by the director of public works.

(Ord. No. 041008-01, app. C, § 15, 4-10-2008; Ord. No. 051012-02, art. 1, 5-10-2012)