19.12.06 General Subdivision Improvement Requirements

1. Subdivision Layout. This Section contains general requirements regarding overall subdivision design and layout. The following provisions apply to new subdivisions: a. The subdivision layout should be generally consistent with the City’s adopted Land Use Element of the General Plan, and shall conform to any land use ordinance, any capital facilities plan, any impact fee facilities plan, and the transportation master plan. b. The maximum length of blocks shall be 1,000 feet. In blocks over 800 feet in length, a dedicated public walkway through the block at approximately the center of the block will be required. i. Such a walkway shall not be less than fifteen feet in width unless otherwise approved by the City in accordance with other applicable standards approved by the City Council. ii. Blocks intended for commercial or industrial uses shall be designed specifically for such purposes, with adequate space set aside for off-street parking and delivery facilities. iii. A block shall be measured from the centerline of one intersection to the centerline of the next intersection or apex of the nearest cul-de-sac. For purposes of measuring block length, an intersection may include two-way, three-way, or four-way intersections of roadways. c. The City shall require the use of connecting streets, pedestrian walkways, trails, and other methods for providing logical connections and linkages between neighborhoods. d. Group mailboxes shall be accessed only from a local street, and shall not be placed on a collector or arterial street, unless a bulbout is provided with space for a minimum of three vehicles to park outside the lane of travel and shoulder. e. Private roads may be constructed as approved as part of the Preliminary Plat approval and so long as such roads meet the same standards identified in the Saratoga Springs Standard Street Improvement Details. f. Access: i. Two separate means of vehicular access onto a collector or arterial road shall be required to be constructed to City road standards when the total number of equivalent residential units (including adjacent developments and neighborhoods) served by a single means of access will exceed thirty. ii. Exceptions: where no point of second access is available within five hundred feet, and where all units are provided with an approved sprinkler system, a second access shall not be required until the number of units reaches double the above limits. iii. Where two means of access are required, the points of access shall be placed a minimum of 500 feet apart, measured along the center of the driving lane from center of right-of-way to center of right-of-way. The City Fire Chief may require a greater distance than 500 feet if: 1. an essential link exists between a legitimate governmental interest and the requirement; and 2. the requirement is roughly proportionate, both in nature and extent, to the impact of the proposed development. g. Driveway and Driveway Approaches: i. Construction: single driveways in the A, RA, and RR zones that are constructed of road base or gravel shall include a concrete apron at the entrance to the garage and at the intersection with the street, each a minimum of five feet in depth. Single driveways in all other zones, and shared driveways in all zones, shall be constructed of concrete or asphalt. ii. Shared driveways: shared driveways shall be a minimum of twenty-six feet in width and shall direct all runoff to a public or private drainage system. All dwellings on shared driveways shall provide enclosed garages or other covered parking. Shared driveways accessing more than four dwellings shall also provide a minimum of twenty feet of parking space between the garage and shared driveway. Shared driveways with four or fewer dwellings, if not providing a minimum of twenty feet of parking space, shall install a remote garage door opener prior to issuance of Certificate of Occupancy. All requirements of the Fire Code shall also be met. 1. Shared Driveways may be used for clustered single-family lots. a. When there are more than two units sharing a driveway, the maximum length shall be 150 feet. b. The maximum amount of units accessing a shared driveway shall be six. 2. Shared driveways may be used for two-family, three-family, and multi-family units. a. The maximum length shall be 150 feet. b. The maximum amount of units accessing a shared driveway shall be ten. 3. Number of Driveway Approaches: Only one driveway approach is allowed per property frontage. A circular driveway is considered one driveway approach if installed in accordance with the provisions of this section. a. Corner lots may have one driveway approach per street frontage. b. Circular driveways must have at least 15’ between the two closest edges of the driveway approach at the property line and meet all other conditions of this code. 4. Driveway Approach widths: Residential driveway aprons shall not exceed 30 feet in width, except as follows. a. Driveway aprons may be increased up to 45-ft in width if the home has a 3 car garage and/or parking pad and the combined width of all drive approaches on a single frontage does not consume more than 60 percent of the total property frontage and all other conditions of the section are met. iii. Driveway Widths: 1. Driveways shall be a minimum of twenty feet deep and eight feet wide for a single-wide driveway and sixteen feet wide for a double-wide driveway. 2. Rear-load alley product, as approved as part of a Community Plan, Village Plan, or Neighborhood Plan, may have an apron in lieu of a driveway approach for access to the garage from the alley. The apron shall be a minimum of five feet deep and shall not count towards required parking. iv. Driveway Approach Locations: Driveway approaches shall be a minimum of 5’ from any property line where water meters are located, except for corner lots as specified below. 1. For corner lots, or where the vehicular access into a subdivision intersects a collector or arterial road as defined in the Transportation Master Plan, the minimum driveway approach distance, as measured from the edge of the right of way to the nearest edge or driveway surface shall be as follows: Local = 15 feet; Collector = 40 feet, Arterials = 100 feet. 2. Residential lots or parcels shall not be allowed to have accessways onto arterial roads such as Redwood Road, Crossroads Boulevard, Pioneer Crossing, and Pony Express. Exceptions may be made for large lots (at least 1 acre in size) or for lots where the home is set back over 150 feet from the arterial roadway. Approval by UDOT may be required. v. The City may reject any permit or proposal for a driveway approach where staff has determined the proposed location would be dangerous or where it conflicts with any permanent improvements, existing or master planned utilities, or waterways. 2. Lot Design. The following provisions apply to new lots: a. All subdivisions shall result in the creation of lots that are developable and capable of being built upon. A subdivision shall not create lots that would make improvement impracticable due to size, shape, steepness of terrain, location of watercourses, sanitary sewer problems, driveway grades, or other physical constraints and considerations. b. All lots, parcels, or units created by the subdivision shall have frontage on a street or road that meets the City’s ordinances, regulations, and standards for public or private roads. c. Flag lots may be approved with less frontage when the Land Use Authority determines that the creation of such a lot would result in an improved design or better physical layout for the lot based on the following criteria: i. For subdivisions with 20 or less lots: no more than 10 percent (rounding down) of the total lots are allowed to be flag lots; ii. For subdivisions with 50 or less lots: no more than 7.5 percent (rounding down) of the total lots are allowed to be flag lots; and iii. For subdivision with more than 50 lots: no more than 5 percent (rounding down) of the total lots are allowed to be flag lots. d. Land dedicated as public roads and rights-of-way shall be separate and distinct from land included in lots adjacent to public roads and rights-of-way. In no case may land dedicated for public roads and rights-of-way be included in the area calculation of any lots, except for nonconforming lots. e. Side property lines shall be at approximately right angles to the street line or radial to the street line. f. Corner lots for residential use shall be platted ten percent larger than the required minimum lot size in each zone, not including any approved lot size reductions, in order to facilitate conformance with the required street setback for both streets. g. No lot shall be created that is divided by a municipal or county boundary line. Each property boundary line shall be made a lot line. h. Remnants of property shall not be left in the subdivision that do not conform to lot requirements or are not required or suitable for common open space, private utilities, public purposes, or other purpose approved by the Land Use Authority. i. All subdivisions along arterial roadways shall conform to the City’s requirements and adopted street cross-section including pedestrian walkways, park strips, landscaping, and fencing. 3. Timing of Installation; Phasing. The City permits developers to separate approved preliminary plats into phases for review, approval, and recording subject to the following conditions: a. Bonding for each phase is required and shall include (in addition to the requirements of 19.12.05): i. improvements required for that phase; ii. major off-site improvements needed for the completion of the entire approved preliminary plat; and iii. subdivision-wide improvements of major importance such as neighborhood parks, trails, open space, or other neighborhood amenities that will otherwise be installed for the entire project as set forth in the development agreement, subdivision approvals, construction drawings, and approved plans. b. Each phase shall have at least two contiguous and paved accesses to ensure adequate circulation and access for the duration of the construction of one or more phases. c. Open space and improvements shall be provided as required under phasing in Section 19.13. d. Improvements must be completed within twenty-four months of recording the Final Plat, unless a shorter period is otherwise provided in an approval, development agreement, or bond agreement. e. Road access must be provided as approved by the City Engineer and Fire Department. f. Fire hydrants or alternative fire protection methods must be operational before any home construction within the subdivision will be allowed to proceed above foundation level. Other restrictions contained in the Building Code may also apply. Exceptions for model homes may be approved in accordance with Section 19.05.02. 4. Connectivity Standards. All new subdivisions shall provide connectivity with adjacent developed and undeveloped properties and with adjacent open space, amenities, parks, and natural areas. All new subdivisions are required to: a. Extend streets, sidewalks, and trails at least once in each direction to adjacent properties; and b. Connect to all existing vehicular and pedestrian access points on adjacent developed properties; and c. Install and connect public trails into all adjacent public open space, parks, and trails, which includes but is not limited to connections to trail corridors with public access easements; and d. Stub public streets at least every 1,000 feet into all adjacent sides of undeveloped properties; and e. Connect or stub into all adjacent master-planned rights-of-way, sidewalks, trails, and public transportation stops, stations, and facilities. f. Exceptions: Connectivity Standards may be reduced by the Land Use Authority for Preliminary Plats, Final Plats, or Site Plans, as applicable, if the applicant provides clear and convincing evidence that it is impracticable to achieve due to the following: i. Right-of-way, intersection, or access spacing cannot meet the Standard Technical Specifications and Drawings for City of Saratoga Springs; or ii. The property is adjacent to the Jordan River, Utah Lake, delineated wetlands, slopes exceeding 30%, drainage channels, natural features, open space, or waterways that do not allow for a crossing or an access; or iii. The property is adjacent to fully developed property that does not have any vehicular or pedestrian access points. iv. Exceptions shall be construed narrowly by the Land Use Authority. v. These exceptions shall not apply to trail connections. 5. Arrangement of Streets. The arrangement of streets in new developments shall make provision for the continuation of the existing streets in adjoining areas (or their proper projection where adjoining land is not subdivided) at the same or greater width (but in no case less than the required minimum width per the City’s Standard Technical Specifications and Drawings). Exceptions below shall be construed narrowly and only granted if the developer provides clear and convincing evidence to the Land Use Authority that the exception is met. a. In order to develop a public street grid throughout the City, public right-of-way connections through and between developments shall be made at a minimum of every 1000 feet and in a manner that will provide safe and convenient access to existing or planned arterial/collector streets, schools, public parks, public trails, private parks or trails with public access easements, employment centers, commercial areas, or similar neighborhood activity centers. The connections may be completed over time in phases as part of a circulation plan. This requirement does not apply to commercial development; however, all streets and trails on the Transportation Master Plan and Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan shall be included and shall be public streets. b. A public street connection shall be provided to any existing or approved public street right-of-way stub abutting the development, unless it is demonstrated that a connection cannot be made because of the existence of one of the following conditions: i. Physical conditions that preclude development of a public street meeting the City’s Standard Technical Specifications and Drawings. Such conditions may include, but are not limited to, topography, natural resource areas, such as wetlands, ponds, streams, channels, rivers or lakes, or slopes exceeding 30%. ii. Buildings or other existing development on adjacent lands, including previously subdivided but vacant lots or parcels, which obstruct a connection now and in the future. c. Public rights-of-way shall be extended/stubbed to adjacent undeveloped or partially developed contiguous land (i.e. land that can be further subdivided by provisions of this Title) in locations which will not prevent the adjoining property from developing consistent with applicable standards, unless it is demonstrated that a connection cannot be made because of one of the following conditions: i. Physical conditions that preclude development of a public street meeting the City’s Standard Technical Specifications and Drawings. Such conditions may include, but are not limited to, topography, natural resource areas, such as wetlands, ponds, streams, channels, rivers or lakes, or slopes exceeding 30%. ii. Buildings or other existing development on adjacent lands, including previously subdivided but vacant lots or parcels, which obstruct a connection now and in the future. 6. Circulation Plan. A circulation plan shall be provided as part of a preliminary subdivision plat or site plan application. a. The circulation plan shall include connections to adjacent parcels and shall address street, sidewalk, and trail connectivity and shall include facilities shown on the City’s adopted Master Plans. b. The circulation plan shall show the connectivity, block length dimensions, cul-desac length dimensions, bike and pedestrian trails, and any proposed traffic calming features. c. The circulation plan shall include proposed connections to and across adjacent properties.