Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-1961 - Ordinance - 06/11/1992ORDINANCE NO. 1961 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 3, BUSINESS REGULATIONS, SECTION 3, BY AMENDING THE TITLE OF SUBSECTION K, BY AMENDING SUBSECTION K(I)(D) AND ADDING SUBSECTIONS K(I)(E) AND K(I)(F), AND BY AMENDING SUBSECTIONS K(9.) THROUGH K(7) AND ADDING SUB- SEG?I'IONS K(8) AND K(9) TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TE~S, RELATING TO DRI~wAY ACCESS LOCATION AND DESIGN, AND PRO¥'IDING AN ~:'~-'~C- TIVE DATE W~-~REAS, proper driveway access demgn and location are essentml to the maintenance of safe and efficient traffic flow, W~-~RF_,AS, m order to prevent the probfemtion of poorly spaced driveways, driveway access deign polil~es, that can improve safety and maintain carrying capacity of pubhc roadways, should be promul- gated to apply Jo all properties for which a land use or property boundary change is propom~d; ~r.~REAS, the impact of driveways on t~ safety and roadway canymg capacity makes ~t apparent tha~ it ~s m the b~st interest of a community to have a driveway access pohcy which habits the number of d~veways Io safely accommodate the traffic generated by each property, provides adequate spacing bemeen adjacent dnveways or adjacent streeJs to reduce acc~ent potential and ensure proper geo- me~c design to promote traffic safety and enhance the capacity of the roadway, WI-~REAS, drrveway location and design nupacts tr~c safety; WIgAn. AS, noht turns into and out of driveways, requumg only a speed change, a merge or demerge, anda turn which may cause an encroachment on an adjacent travel lane, have the least LmpaCt on traf- fic ~mfety; WHEREAS, left turns, requiring a speed change, merge or demerge, and the crossing of opposing traf- fic, eause more conflicts, WHEREAS, adequate dnveway spacing promdes enough roadway for motor vehicles to make turns at ad~-'ent drives such that acceleralien - deceleratien areas do not overlap, and WHEREAS, the potential for accidents increases when dnveway spacing decreases to the point where speed change and merge areas begin to overlap for turning movements at adlacent dnveways; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS That the title of Chapter 3, Section 3, Subsection K of the Code of Ordinances of the City of College Station, Texas, ~s hereby amended to read as fellows' DRIVEWAY ACCESS LOCATION AND DESIGN POLICY'. II. That Chapter 3, Section 3, Subsection (IO(l)(d) Js amended and Subsections K(l)(e) and K(I)(I) are hereby added to the Code of Ordinances of the C~ty of Coneqe Statien, Texas, to read as follows. (1) General It shall be unlawful for any pemon to cut, break, or remove any curb along a street except as herein authorized. Ordinance No 1961 Page 2 (b) (c) id) It shall be unlawlal for any person to construct, alter, or extend, o~ permit or cause to be constructed, altered, or extended any driveway approach which can be used only as a parking space or area between the curb and private property. This section shall be deemed to be supplemental to other sectimm regulatmg the use of public property, and ut case of conflict, this section shall govern. Adequate sight distance shall be pwwded for a passenger motor vehicle mak- fug a left or right turn exiting from a driveway. This determination shall be made by the City Engineer or bls das~gnee. The specfficat~oas and guidelines set forth ut this policy are to be apphed to driveways proving access to commercml and malttfaraily developments. Single fanuly and duplex res~entml driveways are excluded from thLs pohcy unless othert, eLse mdtcated (0 As determined by the City Engineer, engineering judgment shall override the recommended dimenmoas set forth ut th~s policy tt' warranted by spec~c traf~c cond~tioas. IlL That Chapter 3, Section 3, Subsections K(2) through K(?) of the Code of Ordinances are hereby amended and new Subsect~oas K(8) and K(9) are hereby added to the Code of Orchnances of the CIty of College Station to read as follows: (2) Locauon of Driveway Access (a) In making a determmatton as to the location of dnveway access, the C]ry neet shall conmder: (n) The characteristics of the proposed use, The existing traffic flow condi~ons and the future traffic demand antici- pated on the development and the adlacen! street system; (m) The location of the property, (iv) The size of the propart¥; (v) The orientation of structth'~s on the rote, (vi) The number of driveways needed to accommodate anticipated traffic, (v~) The number and location of driveways on existing adjacent and oppo- site propemas; (vm') The location and can'ymg capacity of intersections; (LO (X) The proper geomemc d,~i.rrn O! driveways; The spacing between opposite and adjacent driveways, The internal c~rculation between driveways; and, (x~J) The speed of the adjacent roadway Ordinance No 1961 Page 3 (3) (b) (d) (e) (fl (~) Driveway access to after]als shall not be permitted for perking oz loading areas that reqmre becking maneuvers m a pubhc street right-of-way. Driveway access to collector streets for commercial or muitEamtly developments shall not be permitted for parking o~ ioadmg areas that require becking maneuvers in a pubhc street nght-of-wa¥ One curb cut shall be allowed foz access to single lanuly and duplex reab:iential tracts. More than one cuTb cut may be allowed upon approval by the City Engineer or hts designee. For comer tracts, access to remdent~al tracls shall be taken from the lesser street. Access notes on plats shall supersede this requtremen! The determma- !ton as to the lesser (or greater) street shall be based on AASHTO cniefla fo~ innctlonal street classlficaticn No cuts through a left turn reservoir o! a medtsn shall be penmtted m order to pro,nde for left turn movements 1o driveway approaches. DrA, eways In right turn lane transztton areas shall not be permit!ed When a commercial on multEanuly developmenl abuts more than one pubhc street, access to each abutting street may be allowed only tf the following crite- ria are met' O) I1 ts den!ohs!rated that such access ts reqmred ~o adequately serve driveway volumes and w]ll not be detnmental or unsafe !o traffic opera lions on pubhc streets The C~ty Engineer or his deszgnee may reqmre the subtmttal of a traffic study which demonstrates that such access is required (u] The mmm3um requtrersems for corner clearance for cornmelctsl o[ mullEanul¥ driveways are me! Spacmq of D~veway Access (a) Application of the driveway access iocatton and design pehcy requires tdent,fi ca!ton of the functional clesmficat~on of the street on which access ts requested and then applying the appropriate spacing reqmrements The C~ty of College Slat!on Streets are classified as follows. O) Malor Arterial, (u) Minor Arterial, tm) Collector, and, (b) tn,) Local Street Major ariena], minor arterial, and collector streets in the City of College Station are md!ca!ed on the Thoroughfare and Transportatton Improvement Plan. The functional cinssificat~on of any street m the City not indicated as an artenal or collector street on this plan shall be determined using the inncttonal street clessdicatton defined by the Amencan Association of State Highway and Trans- portation Officials (AASHTO) 'green book', A Pohcy on C_,eorsetnc Demqn of H~qhways and Streets Ot'dmance No. 1961 Pa~je 4 (c) Driveway access spacing shall be measm'ed from the center line of the pro- posed d~'iveway pavement to the nearest edge of Ihe roadway of the adjacen! or opposite driveway or street as indica[ed in Figure 1. DRIVE SPACING I I ~ P~oposed Drive (d) Oppeaile Right D~veways shall be located no cleaer than the mlnmtum re- qu:Eements of Table I Table 1 OD~os~te Rtclht (Downstream~ Drive SDacm(~ Steer C]ass~cat~on MmLmum Spacing DestTable Spacing (Feet) (Feet) Ma]or Arterial 300 400 Minor Arterial ~.ll 350 Co[lector 175 300 l~ocal Street 12B 22§ Ordinance No 1961 Page (It) ~ldu~onal opposite right spacing over and above that set forth m Table 2 may be reqmred if it ~s delermined by the City Engineer or ins designee that there ~s ~sufficient left turn queue storage or weave maneuver area between the oppo- rote right and proposed driveway. This determination shall be made under peak traffic cond~tions A mmnnum of one hundred twenty five feet (125') shall be required for Opposite Left Drives for all street classffications If the centerhae of an oppomte drive is loss than fifteen feet (16') f~om the cen- terhne of Ihe proposed dnve, the ~ form an mtemection and the mmunum spacing requhements shall apply for the closest drive. Adjacent drives shall be located no closer than the nunnnum requuemems of Table 2 Table 2 Adlscen! Drive Spacing Street Classdication MmLmum Spacing Demrable Spacing (Feet) (Feet) Major Arterial 275 350 Minor Arterial 230 300 CoUeetor 185 235 Local Street 150 190 Freeway Frontage Road Access and Location Requirements: (l) Driveways shall not be closer than two hundred fifty feel (250') from an emt ramp as measured from the striped gore of the emi ramp to the centerlme of the drive. (u) Driveways shall not be closer Ihan one hundred feel il00') from an entrance ramp as measured from the striped gore of the entrance ramp to the centerlme of the drive. (,,,) (iv) Driveways shall be located in accordance w~th the 'Operations and Procedtuos Manual' pubhshed by lhe Texas Department of Transporta- tion, Sections 4-601 and 4-602 Pernuts shall be approved by the Resident Engineers Office of the Texas DepaUment of Transportation, m conjunction with approva{ by the C~y Engineer (v) These outdehaos apply to exmtmg and planned mterchanges. Ordinance No 1001 Page 6 (4) In adcht~on to ramp spacing, driveways on frontage roads under the lunsd~ction of the Texas Department of Transpmlation shall also meet the other mquu'ements of this chapter as major a..-le~al streets. _Cgmer Clearance No re-~dentml driveway approach slm]l be constructed w~thm thirty feet (30') of the corner of a street mtemection. TI'ss measurement shall be taken from the intersecuon of prope~y lines at the corner At mtersect~ons of aneriain w~th channebzed fight turn lane~ with yield control, a corner clearance dmtance in accordance with those set fo~h in F~ure 2 shall be requn~d for the first downstream dnveway when adjacent spacing require- ments can't be met due to lack of frontage and aU means to acqmre shared access drives or cross access easements have been exhausted. Th~s dmtance shall be measmed from the channehzed median to the nearest edge of the pro- posed driveway as indicated in Figure 2. FIO~ll'e 2 ~ DOWNSTREAM CORNER Channellzed / R|ght-Turn Lone Radius Clearance ('"9 50 200 75 2.50 100 275 CLEARANCE streef R ~'~;' ~ slreef drive Ordmanee No 1961 Page ? (c) When the l~guL~emenfs of Tables I and 2 can not be met due to lack of frontage and all means to acquire shared access driveways or cross access easements have been exhausted, no commerc{al driveway approach may be located closer to the corner than 75 f~et on collector su~ein, 100 f~et on minor arterials and 120 feet for malor allenals. Tlus measurement shall be taken from Ihe mtemecUon of property hues at the corner. When these requ.uemenls can't be met due to lack of frontage, the ch'weway may be located such that the radxus will begin at the larthesl property line ts) (6) Shared Access (a) A ]omi pnvale access easement may be required between adlacent lots fronting on arterial and collector streets m ordez lo mmmuze the total number of access points along those slreets and to lac{htate traffic flow between lois The local{on and dimensions of said easement shall be detenmned by the City Engineer. th) Pm, ale cross access easemenls may be requu-ed across any lol fronting on an arterial or collector street m order to mmumze Ihe number of access points and factlaate access between and across mdnudual lots The location and dmmen- sxon of said easement shall be deternuned by the City Engineer C-eomemc Desiqn of Driveway Access Ca) All dnveways shall meet the CAy of College Stalions Slandard Spec~icat]ons for Street Constrnction and the construction standards as set ~rth m Section 9 of the Zoning Ordinance (b) Curb culs for drr,~eways shall not be penmtted m the curb relurn of an mter- seclion The curb return rads for driveways intersecting at nght angles w]lh the roadway and without a dece]eratzon lane shall be as follows 0) Curb return radu for Residentml tSmgle Fanuly and Duplex) Driveway located on local or collector streets shall be between 2 5 feet and 10 0 feet as shown m Figure 3. Flare type res~dentml driveways musl also adhere to these d~nensional cntena Residential Driveways located on arterial streets must adhere to the specdicatlons set forth m Curb reiurn radu for Commercial and Multi [anuly Driveways shall vary between 15 and 30 feet as shown m Figure 4 (m) Curb return rnda for driveway types not included m (0 or ~.u) above shall be delermmed by the City Engmeer or h{s demgnee The maxLmum v,qdth of residential driveway approach, shown ut Figure 3 and measured at the properly ]me, shall not exceed twenty-eight feet (28') m w~.dth, wh~le the minimum wndth shall not be less than ten feet (10') in v, qdth Ordmance No 1961 Page 8 F~gure 3 RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY street Sfralght flare fo connect--~ tangency po~nfs of curb return, Approach Width _ Max. --M~n. I0' drive /~--Curb Return Rad,us for Collector and Local Streets is Maximum of 10 feet and Minimum of 2.,5 feet. (e) The maxm~um width of commercial and mulll-famtly driveway approach fo~ two- way operation, shown in F~ure 4, shall not exceed th~ty-slx feet (36') except that the C~ty Engineer may msue pernuts for dnveway approaches greater than thnty-sm feet (36') m w~dth on major slreets to handle special traffic condinons. The mmmtum width of commeroal and multdamfly driveway approach for two- way operatzon shall not be lees than twenty-four feet (24') Rgure 4 COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY DRIVEWAY Point Approach W~dlh Max. 56' Mm. 24 drive '---Curb Return Radius (R) Maximum of 30 feet and Minimum of 15 feet. Ordinance No. 1961 Page 9 (0 (g) (11) The combination of Iwo driveways for resldenttal c~rcular drives shall not exceed twenty-e~ght feet (28'). The angle of driveway approach shall be apwox~mately 90 deg~es for two way dm, es and between 48 and 90 degrees for one way dnves. A minimum driveway throat length of 25 feet for collector streets, 40 feet fox minor arterials, and 55 feet for ma]or arterials, as shown m F~ure 5, may be reqmred to allow fo~ tra/f~ entenng the sue to be stoxed on sito m o~'der to avoxt a queue of traffx: from the development from being out on the roadway causing delays to the through traffic stream. The driveway throat length shall be defined as the dtstance from the street to the first point of conflict m the drive- way Figure § DRIVEWAY THROAT LENGTH parkingL, I drive parking .) F~rst point of -- conflict Street DTL (feet) Collector 25 Minor Aderiol 40 Meier Arterial 55 -- Drweway Throat Length (DTL) represents distance from street to first point of conflict street For the benefit of traffic safety and flow on collector and arterial streets, access points may be requLred to be designed to prohtb~t certain types of turning movements Driveways not meeting the spacing guidelines m Tables I and 2 may be designed for la-hired access by the addition of a median to the dnve- way Examples of the types of hnuted access driveways recommended are shown m the APPENDIX. Ordinance No 1961 Page l0 (8) O) For the benefit of traffic safety and flow on collector and arterial streets, tapered or channebzed decelarat~on lanes for vehicles turumg right into h~gh volume or intemect~on type driveways may be requtred ~f warranted as per the c~eria set fo~h m the graph for war~ants for right turn lanes shown in the APPENDIX. Demgn of right-turn deceleratron lanes shall be m accordance wuth the AASHTO (~reen Book on auxthary lanes. The spacing reqmrements for dnveways not meeting the spec~cauons m Tables I and 2 may be lessened or war. ed ~f tapered or channehzed deceleratron lanas are used (k~ Access points on arterial and collector streets may be requn'ed to be s~gnahzed m order to provide safe and efficient traffic flow A development may be re- spenmble for all or puff of any right-of-way, design, hardware, and constrnct~on costs of a traffic mgnal d it is deternuned flint Ihe s~nal ~s necessitated by the traffic generated from the development. The procedures for stgnal installatron and the percent of financial parhc~patlon reqmred of the development m the installation of the signal shall be m accordance wuh criteria set forth m the City's Traffic Signal Pohcy Street Structures No driveway approach shall mter~ere w~th municipal fac]htins such as street llgh! or traffic mgnal poles, mgns, fire hydrants, cress walks, bus loading zones, utfl~'y poles, fire ainrm supports, drainage strnctures, or other necessary street strncturse The C~ly Engineer ~s authorized to order and effect the removal or reconstruction of any drive- way approach which ls constructed m con.ct w~th street structures. The cost of re- constructing or relocating such driveway approaches shall be at the expense of the abutting property owner Any plans subnutted for budding approval which include or revolve dnveway approaches shall be refened to the Cily Engineer or his des~nee for approval before a budding pernut is ~ssued lb) A wrttten driveway per,mt for a new development shall be not ~saued or re qutred Approval of dnveway location and design for new properties and other developments on a but]drag plan or site plan shall be considered the pernut for driveway installation. lc) Any property owner desu'mg a new driveway approach or an mtprovement to an e..~stmg driveway at an masting restdentis! or other property shall make apphcatron for a driveway pe~mt, m writing, and destgnatmg the contractor who will do the work, to the City Engineer or the building supennsor, accompanied by a sketch or drawing showmo clearly the driveway, parking area, or doorway to be connected and the location of the nearest emstmg dnveways on the same and opposue sides of the roadway The City Engineer wdl prescribe the con- struction procedure to be followed (See the Building Code for contractor's bond and pernut reqmrement, for work on pubhc property ) (d) A permit or bmldmg/sfle plan approval as per the procedure of either 8(b) or 8(c) shall be required for the location of all driveways which provtde for access to property. Dnveway permits will also be reqmred for any significant strncture change, land use change, or property beunda~ change Ordinance No. 1961 Page 11 (e) The driveway pereut fee shall be set by rosolut~on of the College Station City Council from tune to tune as deemed appropriate by said council and shall be of an amount to cover the cost of hceusmg and maintaining records All pernuts granted for the use of pubhc p~oper~y under the terms of thru section shall be revocable at the will of the Cxty Council (9) (a) An appeal may be taken by any person aggneved by the decision of the C~ty Engineer Such appeal shall be made wUhm thirty (30) days of the date of the not~icat~on of the decmlon by filing w~th the C~ty En0meer a not~ce of appeal specifying the grounds thereof The City Engineer shall forthwith transmit to the Planning and Zoning Comnusmon all the papers constituting the record upon which the action appealed from was taken. (b) The Plamung and Zoning Comunsslon may authorize on appeal a variance to the Driveway Ance~,~ Location and Dus~gn O~dmance when such variance will not be contrary to the pubhc interest where, owing to unique and special con- da~ons not normally found m hke areas, a stnct enforcement of the prowmous of the ordinance by the C~y Engmeer would result m an unnecessa~ hardship, and so that the spu'~ of thru ordinance shall be observed and subetant~al lUStlCe done. Thru ordinance shall become effectn, e from and after its passage m accordance with the City Charier of the C~'y of College Stalzon. PASSED, ADOPTED and APPROVED tht~ the I lth day of June, 1992 ATTEST: APPROVED' ~linance No. 1961 Page 12 APPENDIX Ordinance No 1961 Page 13 LIMITED ACCESS DRIVEWAYS 18' mm.--./ /I | ~0' mm' RIGHT IN, RIGHT OUT, LEFT IN RIGHT IN, RIGHT OUT 18' mln,--./ A ~ 18' min. ~,us = 50' ~,n~/' /X.~x~'us = 50' I 40~-iF- RIGHT IN, RIGHT OUT, LEFT OUT -- 18' nih, x./-Radlus , ~ L_ 20' re,n, 50' mln. (2)~ance No. 1~1 Page 14 WARR^NT FOR RIGIfT-TtJR. N DECELERATION LANES 600 5OO 400 ilO0 P-O0 100 5 10 15 20 25 IIHV OR AVERAGE PEAK HOUR VOLUME OF VEHICLES TURNING RIGHT INTO ACCESS