§ 5.8. Access and circulation.

5.8.1. External Circulation.

(a)

All development shall have access to a publicly maintained street. No zoning compliance permit or building permit shall be issued for any structure absent evidence of access to a publicly maintained street. Access may include direct access to a publicly maintained street or access via a recorded access easement across intervening property.

Every subdivided lot shall front on a public street meeting the standards of this section and of the design manual, including all required improvements such as sidewalks, curbs and gutters. (Ord. No. 2004-02-23/O-2)

(b)

The type and arrangement of streets, driveways and public alleys within a development shall be in compliance with and coordinate to Chapel Hill's Transportation Plan.

(c)

Principal vehicular access points to the development shall be designed to encourage smooth traffic flow with minimum hazards to pedestrian, bicycle, and other vehicle traffic. Accommodations for controlled turning movements into and out of the development and improvement of the approach street shall be provided where existing or anticipated heavy traffic flows indicate need.

(d)

Whenever appropriate to the type, size, and location of development, the site shall be so arranged as to facilitate the future utilization or accommodation of public transportation.

(e)

Bicycle and pedestrian systems in the vicinity of the development site shall be extended to the site to the extent practicable. Access to the site shall be in compliance with and coordinate to existing and future town bicycle and pedestrian systems and the systems of adjacent developments. Bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements shall be installed along all public streets within and on the external street frontage of the development, to the extent practicable, in accordance with provisions in the Chapel Hill Design Manual.

(f)

Access for cyclists and pedestrians shall be by safe and convenient routes which need not be limited to the vicinity of vehicular access points. Accommodations for safe intersections of bicycle and/or pedestrian routes with adjacent vehicular routes shall be provided where existing or anticipated heavy traffic flows indicate need.

(g)

Traffic impacts of proposed new development and redevelopment shall be considered in the review of applications. A traffic impact analysis is required to identify and quantify the traffic impacts of proposed developments, and to identify facility improvements necessary to maintain acceptable levels of service. A traffic impact analysis is required for the following applications, unless affirmatively exempted by the town manager: major subdivision, special use permit, special use permit modification, conditional zoning district rezoning and site plan review. Guidelines and requirements for conducting traffic impact analyses are available in the town engineering department. The guidelines provide a standard process, set of assumptions, set of analytical techniques, and presentation format to be used in an analysis. A set of criteria for exempting an application from the analysis requirement is included in the guidelines. Traffic impact analyses will be prepared by consultants under contract with the town and the costs of the analyses will be included in the development application fees. (Ord. No. 2004-02-23/O-2)

5.8.2. Internal Circulation.

Purpose statement: The provisions of this section are designed to ensure that internal circulation systems provide the types, amounts, and locations of accessibility appropriate to the type and size of the development, are designed so as to facilitate the movement of persons, goods, services, and waste products in a safe and efficient manner, maximize pedestrian and bicycle orientation with a minimum of impermeable surface, and provide safe and convenient vehicular access for emergency and service vehicles.

(a)

Generally.

(1)

Streets, public alleys, bicycle circulation systems and bike lanes, pedestrian circulation systems and sidewalks, and bus stop amenities shall be provided and designed in accordance with the design manual.

(2)

The integration or separation of circulation systems and patterns shall be provided as appropriate to the type and size of the development and to the existing or anticipated traffic flows, as defined in the design manual.

(b)

Projecting streets.

Where adjoining areas are not subdivided, the arrangement of streets in the subdivision shall provide for the projection of streets into such unsubdivided areas. Parcels shall be arranged to allow the opening of future streets and logical further subdivision. Where necessary to the neighborhood pattern, existing streets in adjoining areas shall be continued and shall be at least as wide as such existing streets and in alignment therewith. Where streets change design in alignment and width, the applicant shall provide transition sufficient to ensure safe and efficient traffic flow. This section is not intended to require local designated streets to project into floodplains, bluffs or other natural features or existing development that has not made accommodations for connection.

(c)

Reserve strips prohibited.

There shall be no reserve strips controlling access to land dedicated or intended to be dedicated to public use.

(d)

Non-access easement.

When deemed necessary, a vehicular non-access easement may be required on a lot(s) for the purpose of controlling ingress and egress to vehicular traffic.

5.8.3. Sight line triangle easements.

(a)

Where necessary to ensure proper visibility for the safe flow of vehicular traffic at street intersections and major driveway intersections with streets, sight line triangle easements shall be provided at the corners of such intersections in accord with the standards set forth in the design manual. Major driveways are considered to be those serving multifamily or non-residential developments.

(b)

No structure or planting that would interfere with safe sight lines shall be permitted within the sight line triangle easement.