HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD-2000-007 Amendments to the Orange County Subdivision Regulations Section II Definitions Z c
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PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS
Orange County Subdivision Regulations
(Proposed amendments are highlighted, in underlined print; proposed deletions are
shown in StFikethMWO print.)
SECTION II. DEFINITIONS
' Unless otherwise stated the following words shall, for purposes of this
Ordinance, have the. following definitions. Words used in the present
tense shall be understood to include the future tense. Words used in the
singular shall be understood to include the plural.
ALLEY - A local roadway which affords only a secondary means of
access to abutting property and not intended for general traffic circulation.
EASEMENT, NON VEHICULAR ACCESS — A ten-foot easement to
prohibit driveway or vehicular access onto an arterial collector or major
local road in a development where access is provided via a minor local
road, a private road or a shared driveway.
PRIVATE ROAD -A road (also known as a private street) not intended for
public use of or public dedication and which serves a limited number of
lots, and therefore is typically not built to Department of Transportation
standards. It is maintained by private property owners, and intended for
those private property owners.
STREET OR ROAD - A way for vehicular traffic whether designated as a
street, highway, thoroughfare, parkway, throughway, freeway, road,
avenue, boulevard, lane, place or however otherwise designated.
STREET OR ROAD, ARTERIAL - A street connecting widely separated
areas and designed to carry a large volume of traffic which may be fast,
heavy or both. Arterial streets are sometimes referred to as "major
thoroughfares", "freeways", "expressways", etc., and are usually
numbered State or Federal Highways.
STREET OR ROAD, COLLECTOR - A street which carries traffic from
minor streets to the major systems of arterial streets, including the
principal entrance streets of a residential development and °+Feet° {^�
. Collector streets may also be
referred to as "connector" or"feeder" streets.
Road Functional Classification 45
Proposed Subdivision Amendments
93
STREET OR ROAD, CUL-DE-SAC'- Cul-de-sac is a minor local street
that generally terminates in a circular right-of-way. It is used or designed
to be used to provide access to abutting. properties and senees a limited
n umhee of lets
STREET OR ROAD, LOCAL - Local street is used or designed primarily
to provide access to abutting properties. It serves as the connecting road
system between other roads within a subdivision and the thoroughfare
It else epees ee is a at least ten bUt net mere
system. TC-gT�7��lR. 'TriS�7TTJ'Ci'ES'� GTY-VZITTiq'.T[-CGTI"'pG'LZTQC'IT1pTC
i
than t wenty five dwelling units and is expeeted te_OF deer, handle bet ween
STREET OR ROAD, LOOP - Leep Local street +s-used as a means for
local traffic to leave and enter other streets without turning around, but
provides access only to abutting properties. These streets are less than
one mile in length and have no collector characteristics.
STREET OR ROAD. MAJOR — Local street greater than 1 mile long that
connects with an arterial or collector street and has an average dailX
traffic count greater than 50. These streets provide access to collectors
and streets of higher functional classification.
STREET OR ROAD, MARGINAL ACCESS - A minor local street which is
parallel to and adjacent to arterial streets, and which provides access to
abutting properties and protection from through traffic. Marginal access
streets may also be referred to as "service roads".
*Amended *STREET OR ROAD, MINOR - Mine Local street-is used or designed
10-4-82 primarily to provide access to abutting properties. it reFves eF is design
te sewe FR9F9 than Rine dwelling unite, and is expeeted tG de 9F de
. These streets are normally one
block long or extend on a block-by-block basis and have no collector
characteristics.
SUPERBLOCK — One of nine areas identified in the Orange County
Comprehensive Plan that range from 2,800 acres to 3.000 acres where
roads are adequate for existing land use, but where collector or major
local road construction will be needed depending upon the intensity of
future development.
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94Road Functional Classification 46
Proposed Subdivision Amendments
SECTION IV.REQUIRED MINIMUM DESIGN STANDARDS
IV-13-3. STREST-8- ROADS
IV-B-3-b-1. For subdivisions proposed in a strategic location within any of the nine
superlocks identified in the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, a new
collector or major local public road or the extension of an existing collector
or major local road shall be rewired to further divide the superblock. A
strategic location is a one where, considering the -geography and
topography of the area, the road will bisect the block in a manner that will
provide the greatest benefit.
IV-B-3-c-1. Widths - Right-of-way widths, measured from lot line to lot line, shall be as
wide as existing streets extended, but in no case shall said widths be less
than the following:
*Street:[yge Minimum Required ROW Width
(in feet)
*Amended
1014/82 Arterial Street Roads 100
Collector meets Roads 70
Local Roads (Major) 60
MiFieF StFeets Local Roads (Minor) 50
MaFginal Meess StFeets 46
Gul de saes 46
IV-B-3-c-8. Access Restrictions -Where a subdivision adjoins a heavily traveled street
Amended classified as arterial,of collector, or major local in the Orange County
4/4/88 Comprehensive Plan, in the interest of highway safety, the subdivider
shall be required to provide a common dFiveway, access via a public or
private road, a marginal access street parallel to the arterial or collector,
or reverse frontage on a smaller street wheR the enly arseess te the
subdivisien will be fFem an aFteFial OF eelle8t9F St Where access is
available to any internal subdivision street, whether by minor local road,
private road, reverse frontage or other lot arrangement, private driveways
shall not have access to the arterial.,_ 9F collector or major local road.
Access to the arterial, collector or major local road shall be restricted with
a ten-foot non-vehicular access easement along subdivision lots
boundaries adjacent to roads classified as arterial, collector or major local.
It is the intent of this section to minimize the number of points of egress
and regress to main roads within Orange County.
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Road Functional Classification 47
Proposed Subdivision Amendments
*IV-B-3-e. Traffic Impact Stud A traffic impact study shall be required of 95
*Amended subdivisions as defined in Section IV-13-3-e-3. The study will enable
2/1/88 Orange County to assess the impact of a proposed subdivision on the
highway system when that syrtem is at eF FieaF eapaeity 'GF a safety
PF9b!eFA e . Its purpose is to insure that proposed developments do
not adversely affect the highway network and to identify any traffic
problems associated with access from the site to the existing
transportation network. The purpose of the study is also to identify
solutions to potential problems and 'to present improvements to be
incorporated into the proposed development.
W-B-3-e-2. Applicability - , a tFaffie imparst study shall be
*Amended FequiFed f9F 811 subdivisiei4s eentaiRing 80 9F FA9Fe dwelliFig uAit6 9F wheFe
2/1/88 the estimated tFaffie geneFated by the subdivisien emseeds 890 tFipsiday.
8/21/90 A traffic impact study is required for all subdivisions that have the
following characteristics.
Site Access (Road Classification) Number of Lots or Dwelling Units
Arterial* 80
Collector* 35
Major Local Road* 35
As designated by the Orange County Comprehensive Plan
t A subdivision estimated to produce more traffic than.
A subdivisieR re-eentaniniAg 80 9F FROM dwelliR9 units eF WhiGh geneFater,
tFaffie in e)(eess ef 809 tFiPS/day Fnay be exempted JbF the Feqlu;FeFnent tG
We and submit a tFaffie impaet study if-, as paFt ef sketesh pla4 r-e-vi
fGF the subdivis
the threshold number of trips per day to require a traffic impact study may
be exempted from that requirement if a traffic impact study has.previously
been prepared for " the particular project or development and there is
to be no change in land use or density that would increase travel and no
change in access to the external street system or material is submitted to
demonstrate that traffic created by the subdivision when added to existing
traffic will not result in a need for transportation improvements. Planning
Department Staff will review material submitted in support of an
exemption and will determine from that material whether or not to grant
the exemption. If an exemption is granted, documentation of the
exemption will be submitted as part of-the staff recommendation on the
preliminary plan. Orange County may require any subdivision approval
application to be accompanied by a traffic impact study when a road
capacity or safety issue exists. If one is required, the County will notify
the applicant of the reason for the requirement.
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a. Amendments to the Orange County Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element
1. Section 2.6 Transportation
2. 3.6 Cedar Grove Township
3. 3.7 Little River Township
4. 3.8 Cheeks Township
5. 3.9 Hillsborough Township
6. 3.10 Eno Township
7. 3.11 Bingham Township
8. 3.12 Chapel Hill Township
b. Amendments to the Orange County Zoning Ordinance
1. Section 4.2.10 Community Commercial III (CC-3) District
2. Section 4.2.11 General Commercial-IV(GC-4) District
3. Section 13.3 Applicability(Traffic Impact Study)
4. Article 22 Definitions
c. Amendments to the Orange County Subdivision Regulations
1. Section II Definitions
Craig Benedict made reference to a map that showed some of the metropolitan and
transportation planning areas within the County. He said that over the years it has been difficult to remain
consistent in labeling the roads within the different jurisdictions (i.e., major local, major collector, etc.). This
inconsistency has made it difficult for Planning. He said that what was being brought forward tonight was the
start of the land use and transportation planning element to the comprehensive plan, where a standardized
set of roadway classifications would be developed to be used in all of the different jurisdictions.
Commissioner Gordon asked Craig Benedict to show the Commissioners the limit for the
metropolitan planning area.
Commissioner Halkiotis asked about the shrinkage of the Hillsborough area on the map.
Planner Gene Bell said that in 1987, when the Hillsborough Thoroughfare Plan was done with
the DOT and Hillsborough, the area that was defined was roughly 90 square miles. He said that the County
had some sticking points with this because the area was so large and the County had no input. In 1991-
1992,there were ongoing discussions with the DOT. Ultimately,the Hillsborough Planning area was scaled
down to roughly 30 square miles.
Craig Benedict said that part of the process tonight is to update the comprehensive plan from
1981 and remove the language that was in that previous plan and replace it with language that speaks to
today's conditions and add the road classifications. He described the new road classification system:
Interstate-major transportation corridor; arterial roadway- US 70, US 54; collector roadway-Orange Grove
Road; major local roads- between subdivisions; and minor local roads-subdivision road. He said that
another part of the transportation planning would be to develop"super blocks". The super blocks would be
large areas of the County where there should be other major local roads to connect the areas. He made
reference to the importance of a traffic impact study for any new development.
Commissioner Brown asked for clarification on who designates if a road is an arterial or
connector road.
Craig Benedict said that the County would make that designation. The County does work very
closely with DOT to be sure that the definitions and classifications are consistent with DOT's definitions and
classifications.
Commissioner Brown asked if the trips per day were shown for the roads on the map.
Craig Benedict said that DOT makes the determination of the capacity of a roadway based on a
design.
Commissioner Brown asked if any of the super blocks were part of the County's wildlife corridor
studies and Craig Benedict said that the staff would look at the wildlife corridors.
Commissioner Brown wants the wildlife corridors to be recognized as interconnected. She
asked if the County keeps track of the road systems and the ratings they have now in terms of capacity.
Craig Benedict said that the staff has recently received some information from DOT that would
be downloaded into the GIS system that would give that kind of information.
Commissioner Jacobs mentioned some grammatical mistakes in the text amendments. He
would like to be very careful about having super blocks through watersheds and water quality critical areas.
He is in favor of road connectivity, but he would like the County to be very careful in environmentally
sensitive areas. He asked why traffic impact studies were not proposed for some of the minor local roads.
Planner Karen Lincoln said that some major subdivisions may access omajor local road and not
a minor local road.
Commissioner Jacobs would like the staff to look at doing traffic impact studies for minor local
roads. Hm suggested taking out"n 'or"ond'uotaa 'ng°|ooa|"roado.
Commissioner Gordon said that this amendment is a big improvement from the 1981 plan.
Lynn HoItcamp said that she appreciates the comments made about the minor local roads
needing tm have traffic impact statements. She questioned the statement about Cheeks Township being
attracted by economic development.
Craig Benedict said that instead of talking about a particular township we could talk about the
EDOeingeneral.
Lynn Hodoonmp,asked about miles and ifbim road miles or radial miles(straight line miles)and
Craig Benedict said that it would be the centerline road miles.
Bob Strayhorn said that on some roads there are no new subdivisions, however,the traffic has
increased from areas further away.
Craig Benedict said that the staff would be getting additional information from DOT and models
that will hopefully indicate the background traffic that is not directly related to the subdivisions.
Lynn HoItcamp asked about historic roads and if this would be a designation.
Craig Benedict said that the historic roads would be part of an overlay of the comprehensive
Commissioner Jacobs said that the state of North Carolina has a presumption that every
unpaved, rural road in the state will be paved to a width that DOT will accept. There is also a branch of DOT
that reviews road impacts on historic properties. It has,from time to time, ruled that the widening of the road
to DOT standards would destroy a historic characteristic,and therefore it should not be widened. He said
�
Craig Benedict said that the historic issue is descriptive part that would b handled b
overlays, but he does not see any problem with adding the issue of historic right-of-ways and not having the
need to widen to the DOT standard.
2.Section IV—Required Minimum Design Standards
(a) Section IV-13-3 Roads
Craig Benedict said that he had covered everything in his presentation.
MOTION
A motion was made by Commissioner Brown,seconded by Commissioner Gordon to refer the proposed
amendments to the Planning Board for a recommendation to be returned to the Board of Commissioners no
sooner than May 3, 2000.
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
D. ADJOURNMENT
With no further items to discuss,the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be held on
February 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Moses Carey, Jr., Chair
Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk