17.24.040 Access and dedication.
A. Access by dedicated right-of-way shall be provided to all subdivisions and to all lots, tracts and parcels within subdivisions except as provided in subsection K of this section. Access shall be physically reasonable. In addition, dedicated rights-of-way to provide for pedestrian circulation shall be provided in locations and in a manner so as to provide adequate circulation for pedestrians in such locations as the planning commission shall specify. Blocks shall not be unreasonably long so as to impede movement of pedestrian traffic.
B. The creation of reserve strips shall not be permitted adjacent to a street or other public right-of-way in such a manner as to completely deny access from adjacent property to such a right-of-way unless the street is an arterial or collector street.
C. All dedicated street rights-of-way shall be at least sixty (60) feet wide unless the planning commission requires a wider way be dedicated. In addition, a notation that all streets, alleys and pedestrian ways are dedicated to the public shall be placed on the plat.
D. Cul-de-sacs shall be dedicated to a minimum radius of seventy (70) feet with a return radius of seventy (70) feet.
E. A temporary turnaround shall be dedicated at the dead-end of all streets likely to be extended in the future. The turnaround shall have a minimum radius of sixty (60) feet with a return radius of sixty (60) feet. When the street is extended, the excess right-of-way shall be vacated. A notation to this effect shall be placed on the final plat.
F. Alleys may be required for service access, off-street loading and off-street parking access purposes in subdivisions of land zoned for industrial, commercial or multifamily apartment residential use. Dead-end alleys are prohibited. Alley rights-of-way shall be dedicated to a minimum width of twenty (20) feet.
G. Pedestrian rights-of-way shall be dedicated to a minimum width of ten (10) feet; except, where the pedestrian way is for the purpose of providing pedestrian access to public facilities such as schools, parks, playgrounds or other nearby roads, the minimum dedicated width is twenty (20) feet.
H. Arterial and collector streets shall be dedicated in an amount equal to sixty (60) feet of the proposed right-of-way width if the entire street is within the proposed subdivision and the subdivision has access to the street.
I. Half streets shall not be allowed, except, whenever a parcel to be subdivided borders an existing half street, the other part of the half street shall be dedicated within such parcel unless:
1. Such dedication is deemed unnecessary or undesirable by the planning commission;
2. The failure to dedicate will not cause the trafficway to be offset from the centerline of the right-of-way or any extension thereof; and
3. The existing half street is of sufficient dedicated width to permit construction of a street meeting the current street construction standards.
J. Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or a planned arterial or collector street, the planning commission may require the dedication of a frontage street for the adequate protection for adjoining properties and to afford separation of through and local traffic. Lots that abut an arterial or collector shall not have access to the arterial or collector and a note prohibiting such access shall be placed on the plat.
K. Every subdivision, to the greatest extent practicable, shall be accessible to the public street system by a dedicated street. Subdivisions with access only by easement may be allowed only when there is no public access to the proposed subdivision through land owned or previously owned by the applicant if the subdivider can, to the board’s satisfaction, guarantee that adequate, perpetual access by public easement to the subdivision will always be available. Access by easement shall meet the dimensional and construction standards of dedicated streets. Agreements between affected land owners that guarantee easement access shall be submitted with the preliminary plat. A recordable easement in favor of the city for all street purposes, including utility uses, shall be submitted with the final plat, shall be referenced on the plat and recorded with the plat. Access to lots within a subdivision may not be by easement.
L. Dedications or easements for trails shall be provided in accordance with this subsection.
1. When an existing trail identified as a trail in the comprehensive plan, or on a separate trails map or plan adopted by the city council passes through any part of a parcel that is being subdivided, a trail easement or right-of-way shall be dedicated; provided, the location of the trail may be changed to accommodate reasonable requirements of the subdivider so long as the new location is as safe and convenient as the original location. A relocated trail shall be constructed by the subdivider to a condition equal to the condition of the trail section being replaced. If the planning commission requests the trail be relocated to improve safety or convenience, the city may agree to construct the relocated section of the trail if funds are available for such purpose;
2. When an existing trail is interrupted by a parcel being subdivided or is diverted around the parcel, the planning commission shall require a trail easement or dedication through the parcel if the relocation of the trail would improve the safety and convenience of the trail use. The city may agree to construct the relocated trail if funds are available for such purpose;
3. The width of a trail easement or dedication shall be sufficient to accommodate the traditional use made of the trail;
4. A trail that has not regularly been used for motorized vehicle traffic may be limited by plat note to nonmotorized uses;
5. The area occupied by a dedicated trail may be counted by the subdivider as developable open space under the requirements of BMC 17.24.290. [Ord. 01-05 § 7.]