Chapter 17.12
DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT STANDARDS
Sections:
17.12.010 General requirements.
17.12.020 Circulation and traffic.
17.12.050 Energy conservation.
17.12.070 Underground utilities.
17.12.100 Minimum subdivision elevation.
17.12.130 Public service facilities.
17.12.140 Reimbursement for improvements.
17.12.010 General requirements.
A. The design and improvement of each subdivision shall comply with the general plan, any applicable specific plan, this title, this code, applicable county ordinances and resolutions and all Alpine County development standards specifications.
B. The design and improvement of each subdivision shall incorporate all mitigation measures, conditions and requirements identified in the environmental document adopted for the project.
C. Deed restrictions when required shall run with the land and be enforceable by subsequent owners of property lying within the subdivision. When deemed necessary to effectuate conditions on approved maps, the county shall be named a third party beneficiary of those restrictions and the restrictions shall be filed concurrently with the map and noticed in the owner’s certificate.
D. To the extent legally feasible, the subdivider shall assure long-term maintenance of the improvements by use of a homeowner’s association, maintenance agreement, participation in established maintenance district, or other similarly enforceable vehicle approved by county counsel. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.020 Circulation and traffic.
A. The subdivision shall be consistent in concept, alignment and level of improvement with the circulation element of the general plan, and any applicable specific plan, as well as any street connection policy. Where necessary to insure traffic safety and ease of circulation, off- and on-site traffic control devices and improvements, such as signing, striping, signalization, traffic islands, channelization, access limits and provisions, etc. as well as turn lanes shall be required. On-site parking shall be required to meet zoning regulations.
B. Satisfactory access to the subdivision and to each lot shall be provided by public streets meeting all applicable Alpine County development standards. Subdivisions with streets longer than five hundred feet may be required to provide multiple access. Access shall be deemed satisfactory only if it will allow reasonable ingress and egress for emergency vehicles. Private streets shall not normally be permitted. However, in the event a public street is not necessary for future street connections, a private street may be permitted upon a finding by the decision making body that a private street is justified because of the topography or other natural features of the land or because of limitations imposed by adjacent developed property. In such case the subdivider shall be required to provide a feasible method for maintenance of, and parking enforcement on, such private street(s) which shall be subject to the approval of the county engineer and county counsel.
C. All streets shall be designed and constructed to ensure the public health, safety and welfare, and to meet the relevant standards set forth in the Alpine County development standards and applicable fire standards including California Public Resources Code Section 4291. In addition:
1. The frontage of each lot shall be improved to its ultimate geometric section including structural section to the centerline of the street, curbs, sidewalks, driveway approaches and transitions. Where necessary to provide adequate circulation and safety, two-way traffic flow shall be provided by sufficient pavement construction beyond the centerline of the street.
2. All streets shall, as far as practicable, be in alignment with existing and adjacent streets by continuation of centerlines, or by adjustment by curves, and shall be in general conformity with the plans made for the most advantageous development of the area in which the subdivision lies. Streets shall be required to intersect one another at an angle as near to a right angle as is practicable in each specific case. Where a street joins unsubdivided area, provisions may be required for adequate street access thereto.
D. Pedestrian, equestrian and bike paths may be required to provide access to schools, parks, rivers and other public areas, to conform to the general plan or to assure the public health, safety and welfare.
E. All street names and numbers shall be approved by the community development director. Duplication of existing names shall not be allowed. Streets obviously in alignment with existing streets shall have the same name. Street name signs of an approved type shall be located at all street intersections. Additional regulatory, warning and informational signs shall be installed as required by the community development director.
F. Driveways shall be designed and improved in such a way as to preserve the public health, safety and welfare considering such factors as terrain, grade lengths, etc., in accordance with the adopted standards contained in the Alpine County development standards.
G. Bridges shall be designed and constructed to meet the weight and width requirements of the county engineer and county fire protection service providers, and applicable Alpine County development standards. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.030 Drainage.
A. Development shall maximize retention of natural land forms such as rolling hills, ridgetops, areas of extensive vegetation and watercourses. Grading shall not produce large flat planes or sharp angles or intersection with the natural terrain. Slopes shall be rounded to blend with existing terrain.
B. Grading plans shall be required for all subdivisions. When necessary, the plan shall provide for both on- and off-site grading and shall be submitted as part of the subdivision’s improvement plan. No grading shall be commenced until the tentative map or tentative parcel map has been approved. Issuance of building permits or release of security for improvement agreements may be conditioned upon receipt of approved written assurance by a registered civil engineer that the lot grading has been done in conformance with the approved plan and/or geotechnical requirements. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.040 Landscaping.
A landscaping plan may be required for subdivisions and shall be required for common or dedicated open space and where necessary to prevent erosion or to replace vegetation lost during construction. In all subdivisions, existing trees shall be preserved where feasible. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.050 Energy conservation.
The design of the subdivision shall provide, in accordance with Section 66473.1 of the Subdivision Map Act and to the extent feasible, for future passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.060 Fire protection.
Each subdivision shall provide all necessary protective measures and facilities, such as fire hydrants, and shall be designed in accordance with the general plan land use element, Alpine County development standards and applicable fire protection standards. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.070 Underground utilities.
All proposed utilities within and adjacent to the subdivision, including, but not limited to, electric, communication and cable television lines shall be placed underground in conformance with Chapter 13.20, Underground Installation of Utilities. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.080 Water supply.
All new subdivisions must demonstrate that they can comply with standards for water systems as shown in Chapter 13.04. If the project is proposed to be served by an existing utility service area, a can and will serve letter from the appropriate agency shall be provided prior to approval. If the project is proposed to be served by an existing or new well, well data provided by a licensed professional which shows that there is adequate capacity to serve the intended use must be provided. In addition, all improvements necessary to provide the water service must comply with Chapter 8.36, Wells, or be installed to the satisfaction of the agency providing service. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.090 Sewage disposal.
All new subdivisions must comply with the sewage disposal requirements contained in Chapter 13.08. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.100 Minimum subdivision elevation.
The building floor elevations shall be not less than the minimum building floor elevation established by the floodplain regulations of Chapter 16.08. The community development director may require that the top of the curb elevations be designed so as to ensure adequate evacuation of persons by automobile in the event of a one-hundred-year flood. All elevations shall be referenced to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey or to elevations established by the community development director. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.110 Survey.
A. The survey shall conform to the Land Surveyors Act and be tied into all existing monuments in the area. The data shall be shown on the final map indicating all monuments found or set and other pertinent information.
B. A traverse of the boundaries of the tract and all lots and blocks, when computed from field measurements of the ground, and all monuments set for said traverse must close within a limit of one foot in ten thousand feet. When survey points are a distance of three hundred feet or less apart, the field measurements must fall within a circle of accuracy having a radius of three-hundredths of a foot. The circle of accuracy is defined as a circle having a specified radius, the center of which is the mathematical position of the specific point. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.120 Monuments.
A. Permanent monuments, constructed in accordance with the Alpine County development standards, shall be installed in all new streets and in existing streets adjacent to subdivisions and as directed by the county surveyor.
B. Permanent monuments shall be located on all street intersections and centerlines not more than one thousand feet apart on tangents and at all beginnings and ends of curves. If the point of intersection of the tangents of the curb falls within the paved street area, the monument may be located at the intersection in lieu of the beginning and end of the curve. On long curves, monuments shall be located within the paved street area and on a clear line of sight. On streets extended to subdivision boundaries, monuments shall be installed when the length of the street exceeds one hundred fifty feet.
C. When permanent monuments cannot be located on street centerlines due to existing or proposed utilities, they shall be located ten feet south or ten feet west of the above stated centerlines, except as follows:
1. They shall be offset ten feet on the radial line at the beginning and end of the curve;
2. On long curves, they shall be offset radially within the paved street area, maintaining a clear line of sight;
3. At the end of a cul-de-sac, they shall be offset ten feet perpendicularly or radially;
4. At the end of the stub streets, they shall be located at least ten feet from the end of the paved area.
D. Monuments not less substantial than a three-quarter-inch diameter galvanized iron pipe with a survey tag or other noncorrodable cap permanently attached thereto, not less than thirty inches in length and driven flush with the surface of the ground, shall be set at all angle and curve points on the exterior boundary of the subdivision and as required by the county surveyor. If monuments are required to be set below the surface of the ground, the depth to the top of the monument shall be stated on the final map. Boundary monuments may be required to be more substantial than the minimum requirements, specified in this section, due to unusual circumstances, and suitable monuments shall be installed in these cases as directed by the county surveyor. Concrete monuments, if required, shall be constructed in accordance with the Alpine County development standards without the frame, cover and concrete collar.
E. The corners of each lot in the subdivision shall be marked in a manner acceptable to the county surveyor.
F. No person shall remove or disturb, or cause to be removed or disturbed, any monument, azimuth, reference or witness mark set for the purpose of locating or preserving the lines of any street or subdivision or as a benchmark or as a control monument.
G. In the event it becomes necessary to remove or disturb a monument, the person so requesting shall first obtain permission in writing from the county surveyor. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.130 Public service facilities.
Where a public service facility such as a fire station, library, police substation, etc., is shown on the general plan or applicable specific plan containing a community facility or public building element, the subdivider shall construct or contribute to the construction of such facility in accordance with the principles and standards contained in the plans or implementing regulations. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)
17.12.140 Reimbursement for improvements.
The county may require a subdivider to install improvements for the benefit of the subdivision which may contain supplemental size, capacity or number for the benefit of property not within the subdivision and that such improvements shall be dedicated to the public. In the event of installation of such improvements, the county shall enter into an agreement with the subdivider to reimburse the subdivider for that portion of the cost of such improvements equal to the difference between the amount it would have cost the subdivider to install such improvements to serve the subdivision only and the actual cost of such improvements. The county may utilize any of the methods provided by law to pay the costs of reimbursement including limiting reimbursement to funds received from the owners of property benefiting from the improvements or from funds received pursuant to Government Code Section 66487. (Ord. 709 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2014)