§ 21-20.2. Fire lanes.

(a)

The following areas are hereby declared to be fire lanes which have been determined to be necessary to the proper fire protection of the Town of Chapel Hill. Where there is legible instruction at the fire lane against parking therein, the police department is hereby authorized to remove, tow in, and impound automobiles and vehicles of any kind parked in contravention of this section and to remove any other form of obstruction from said fire lanes. The owner shall be responsible for and pay storage and moving costs for any vehicle removed pursuant to the provisions of this section. The police department shall use reasonable diligence to notify the owner of the removal and storage of such vehicles. This declaration is without prejudice to the town's right to assert at a later date that said areas are public rights-of-way.

The alleyways to which this section applies are:

Name	Description	Length	Width
Amity Court	Running north from Rosemary Street at a point 600 feet west of Church Street	156 feet	15 feet
Chancellors Square	Beginning at a point on the western right-of-way of Church Street; said point also being in the center of the existing driveway entrance to Chancellors Square Condominiums, thence from said point beginning (and including an area 13 feet by 13 feet at or near the dumpster site), and being all of a 17 foot wide strip heading in a westerly direction with said driveway approximately 202 feet to a point where said fire lane flares out adjacent to building "C", thence continuing with the existing driveway approximately 73 feet to its terminus.	275 feet	17 feet, flaring out adjacent to building "C", thence continuing with the existing driveway.
Essex Drive	Running north from Weaver Dairy Road	400 feet	Two 10-foot wide travel lanes
Fetzer Lane	Running north from Cameron Avenue at a point 315 feet west of Columbia Street	210 feet	12 feet
Franklin Street Plaza/Bank of America	Beginning at a point on the northwestern most line of a public alley as recorded in Plat Book 71, Page 124. Said point also being S 25°35'00" E 5.63' from the northwestern most corner of said public alley. Thence from said point of the beginning, and being a strip 11.72 feet in width, adjacent to and lying south of the rear building face of the Franklin Street Plaza Building (DB 278, Pg. 1632) heading in a westerly direction 128.2 feet to its terminus. It is the intent to this description to encompass all the alley area between the face of the Bank of America Building and the Franklin Street Plaza Building.	128.2 feet	11.72 feet
Graham Court	Beginning at a point on the southern right-of-way of McCauley Street and being no less than a strip 15 feet in width. Thence from said point of beginning, and following with the existing driveway of Graham Court, 252 feet to a point on the western limits of the rear parking lot.	252 feet	15 feet
Kensington Trace	(1) Beginning at a point on the northern right-of-way of Weaver Dairy Road; said point being in the center of the entrance driveway to Kensington Trace Apartments; and being all the paved area between the curb lines: approximately 188 feet in a northerly direction; and approximately 45 feet in a northeasterly direction from the centerline intersection of said drive and Scott lane. (first parking area east of drive)	233 feet	All the paved area between the curb lines.
Kensington Trace	(2) Beginning at a point in the center of Kingsbury Drive; said point being where the parking lot ends on its easternmost point; and being all the area between curb lines: approximately 22 feet in an easterly direction	22 feet	All the paved area between the curb lines.
Kensington Trace	(3) Being all the areas around the arcs of the existing parking lot islands of Kingsbury Drive.
Kensington Trace	(4) Being all the area around the arc of a parking lot island located on the northernmost limits of Scott Lane; approximately mid-way down Scott Lane.
Kensington Trace	(5) Being all the area around the arcs of the two islands where the driveway constricts down approximately 150 feet north of Kingsbury Drive.
Kensington Trace	(6) Being all the area around the arc of a parking lot island located on the easternmost limits of Schultz Street; approximately 95 feet north of the area described in (5) above.
Kensington Trace	(7) Being all of the area around the arc, approximately 40 feet in length, on the south side of the entrance to the clubhouse drive and parking area.	40 feet
Kensington Trace	(8) Being all the area from the centerline of an existing driveway to the northernmost back of curb; and being approximately 240 feet in length; beginning at a point where the roadway constricts down and being adjacent the parking area at the clubhouse.	240 feet
Kensington Trace	(9) Beginning at the westernmost end of Schultz Street parking lot; and being all the area between curb lines: approximately 80 feet to the east and 45 feet to the south.	125 feet	All the area between curb lines.
Kensington Trace	(10) Being all the area around the arcs of the two parking lot islands approximately in the midpoint of Schultz Street parking lot.
Library Drive Traffic Circle	Being all of the traffic circle described as starting 20 feet east of the pedestrian crosswalk and including all of said circle, except the 5 designated handicap parking spaces	360 feet	25 feet
Library Emergency Lane	Running the full length (both sides) of said lane from the northernmost point of the upper parking lot to the southernmost point of Michaux Road, and across both ends of said lane	327 feet	12 feet
Old Fraternity Row	Running south from Franklin Street at a point 350 feet west of Columbia Street and branching east, parallel to Franklin Street at a point 130 feet south of Franklin Street	233 feet south and 200 feet west	20 feet
Parking Deck Alley	Running south from Rosemary Street from a point 461 feet west of Henderson Street, 148 feet then east for 352 feet, then north 140 feet to a point on Rosemary Street 108 feet west of Henderson Street	640 feet	12 feet
Pharmacy Lane	Beginning at a point in the center of McCauley Street to a point 240 feet southwardly where Pharmacy Lane ends	240 feet	All the paved area between the curb lines (19 feet)
Porthole Alley	Beginning at a point on the southern right-of-way of East Franklin Street. Said point being southwest 9.25 feet of an existing iron pin at the northwestern most corner of the Carolina Coffee Shop property, and in the center of an existing alley. Thence from said point of beginning and being a strip 19 feet in width and heading in a southeasterly direction 149.86 feet to a point; thence in a southwesterly direction with the alley north of, and adjacent to, the Porthole Building and being a strip 20 feet in width 125.41 feet to its terminus.	149.86 feet 125.41 feet	19 feet 20 feet
Ridge Trail	Running north from east entrance at Village Drive to west entrance at Village Drive	1162 feet	Two 10-foot wide travel lanes
Spring Lane	Running north from East Rosemary Street at a point 225 feet east of Henderson Street	420 feet	14 feet

 

(b)

Upon a determination by the fire chief or the fire chief's designee that a fire lane is essential on private property for the protection of life, safety and property, the town manager may cause such further fire lanes to be properly posted as such. Upon installation of signs designating such fire lanes, said fire lanes shall be regulated by this Code in the same manner as those listed in subsection (a).

(c)

Upon a determination by the fire chief or the fire chief's designee that a fire lane is essential on public right-of-way, whether or not maintained by the town, or on town-owned property for the protection of life, safety and property, the town manager may cause such further lanes to be properly posted as such. Upon the installation of signs designating such fire lanes, said fire lanes shall be regulated by this Code in the same manner as those listed in subsection (a).

(d)

The posting of signs and marking of parking spaces as fire lanes on public or private property where such areas have not been designated as fire lanes by the town or some other authorized public agency is prohibited unless such signs and markings state that they are privately established and enforced.

(Ord. No. O-76-25, 7-26-76; Ord. No. O-77-21, 4-25-77; Ord. No. O-78-60, § 2, 10-9-78; Ord. No. 86-11-10/O-1, § 1; Ord. No. 89-9-25/O-1, § 1; Ord. No. 92-11-23/O-4, § 1; Ord. No. 92-11-23/O-5, § 1; Ord. No. 92-11-23/O-8, § 1; Ord. No. 94-2-14/O-4, § 4; Ord. No. 94-4-25/O-1, § 1; Ord. No. 2003-06-09/O-2, § 1)

Editor's note

Per letter of Dec. 16, 1998 from Joyce A. Smith, Interim Town Clerk, "[t]he Town Council has authorized the Town Manager to establish fire lanes without a formal ordinance adopted by the Council."