Chapter 11.10 ROADS AND DRIVEWAYS

Chapter 11.10
ROADS AND DRIVEWAYS

Sections:

11.10.015 Subdivisions--Driveways and site access.

11.10.010 Emergency access standards.

A. All two-way roads shall be constructed to provide a minimum width dependent on the applicable road classification established by the City of Angels Improvement Standards. These traffic lanes shall provide two-way traffic flow to support emergency vehicle and passenger vehicle access.

B. All one-way roads shall at both ends connect to a road with two traffic lanes providing for traffic in different directions.

C. In no case shall a one-way road exceed two thousand six hundred forty feet in length. A turnout shall be placed and constructed at approximately the midpoint of each one-way road.

D. Roads shall be designed and maintained to support the imposed load of a typical fire apparatus weighing at least seventy-five thousand pounds and provide an aggregate base of asphalt, concrete, or other surface that is approved by the fire chief and the city engineer.

E. Turnouts, turnarounds, and cul-de-sacs shall be designed in accordance with the City of Angels Improvement Standards and Appendix D of the California Fire Code, or whichever is more restrictive.

F. Road and driveway widths, lengths, grades, and surfacing shall be designed in accordance with the City of Angels Improvement Standards and Appendix D of the California Fire Code, or whichever is more restrictive. (Ord. 546 (Att. A), 2025)

11.10.015 Subdivisions--Driveways and site access.

All new subdivision driveways and site access shall be in accordance with Section 16.24.065. (Ord. 546 (Att. A), 2025)

11.10.020 Driveways and site access.

Driveways providing site access shall be from an improved street, alley or other right-of-way, and shall be designed, constructed and maintained as follows:

A. Number of Driveways. One driveway encroachment shall be allowed for each parcel two acres or less in size unless the planning director and city engineer find that more than one driveway encroachment is necessary to accommodate traffic volumes for the development and the additional driveway encroachment will not be detrimental to traffic flow on the street(s). Whenever a property has access to more than one street, access shall be generally limited to the lowest volume street where the impact of a new access will be minimized; and

B. Distance from Street Corners. Parking area driveways shall be located a minimum of one hundred fifty feet from the nearest intersection, as measured from the centerline of the driveways to the centerline of the nearest travel lane of the intersecting street. For parcels with street frontages of less than one hundred fifty feet, the minimum distance shall be one hundred feet. The review authority may reduce these requirements based on recommendations from the city engineer that site configuration or terrain, or adjacent roadway conditions necessitate another location than provided by this subsection;

C. Driveway Spacing. Driveways shall be separated along the street frontage as follows:

1. Single-Family and Duplex Residential Development. Driveways shall be separated by at least six feet, unless a shared, single driveway is approved by the planning director. The six-foot separation does not include the transition or wing sections on each side of the driveway. CFC Section 107.1: Developments of one- or two-family dwellings where the number of dwelling units exceeds thirty shall be provided with two separate and approved fire apparatus access roads. Where there are more than thirty dwelling units accessed from a single public or private fire apparatus access road and all dwelling units are equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, 903.3.1.2, or 903.3.1.3 access from two directions shall not be required or if number of dwelling units accessed from a single fire apparatus access road shall not be increased unless fire apparatus access roads will connect with future development as determined by the fire code official. CFC Section D106.3: Where two fire apparatus access roads are required they shall be placed at distance apart equal to not less than one-half of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the property or area to be served measured in a straight line between the accesses.

2. Multifamily and Nonresidential Development. Where two or more driveways serve the same or adjacent multifamily or nonresidential development, the centerline of the driveways shall be separated by a minimum of fifty feet. Exceptions to this standard shall be subject to the approval of the city engineer. CFC Section D104.1: Buildings or facilities exceeding thirty feet or three stories in height shall have not fewer than two means of fire apparatus access for each structure. CFC Section D104.2: Buildings or facilities having a gross building area of more than sixty-two thousand square feet shall be provided with two separate and approved fire apparatus access roads. Projects having a gross building area of up to one hundred twenty-four thousand square feet that have a single approved fire apparatus access road where all buildings are equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system are allowed. CFC Section D104.3: Where two fire apparatus access roads are required, they shall be placed a distance apart equal to not less than one-half of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the lot or area to be served, measured in a straight line between accesses. CFC Section D106.1: Multiple-family residential projects having more than one hundred dwelling units shall be equipped throughout with two separate and approved fire apparatus access roads. Projects having up to two hundred dwelling units shall have not fewer than one approved fire apparatus access road where all buildings, including nonresidential occupancies, are equipped throughout with approved automatic sprinkler systems installed in accordance with CFC Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2. CFC Section D106.2: Multiple-family residential projects having more than two hundred dwelling units shall be provided with two separate and approved fire apparatus access roads regardless of whether they are equipped with an approved automatic sprinkler system. CFC Section D106.3: Where two fire apparatus access roads are required, they shall be placed a distance apart equal to not less than one-half of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the lot or area to be served, measured in a straight line between accesses;

D. Driveway Width and Length.

1. Single-Family Dwellings.

a. Driveways providing access to garages or parking areas shall be a minimum of twenty-five feet long with a width of the garage door opening plus two feet or the width of the parking area. This standard shall not apply to turnaround areas for vehicles.

b. When a garage is perpendicular (ninety degrees) to the driveway, a minimum twenty-four-foot-deep unobstructed back-out area shall be provided.

c. All newly constructed residences shall be served by a driveway that is constructed to within at least fifty feet of each dwelling unit.

d. Driveways exceeding one hundred fifty feet, but less than eight hundred feet, in length shall provide a turnout near the midpoint of the driveway. Where the driveway exceeds eight hundred feet, turnouts shall be provided no more than four hundred feet apart.

e. Dead-End Driveways. Dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of one hundred fifty feet shall be provided with width and turnaround provisions in accordance with Table 103.4 of the CFC D103.4. A roadway one hundred fifty-one to five hundred feet in length shall be twenty feet in width with one-hundred-twenty-foot hammerhead or sixty-foot "Y" or ninety-six-foot diameter cul-de-sac. A roadway five hundred one to seven hundred fifty feet in length shall be twenty-six feet in width with one-hundred-twenty-foot hammerhead or sixty-foot "Y" or ninety-six-foot diameter cul-de-sac turnaround. A roadway over seven hundred fifty feet in length shall require special approval by fire chief. Dead-end driveways in excess of four hundred feet in length shall be provided with a turnaround at the closed end. Grades on turnarounds shall be no more than ten percent unless approved by the fire chief. The turnaround shall be built with the edge of the fire lane within fifty feet of the dwelling unit but no closer than ten feet.

f. Driveway curves shall be constructed with a curvature radius of not less than fifty feet, measured at centerline. For all curve radii less than one hundred feet, an additional four feet of surfacing width shall be provided.

g. The driveway shall be capable of supporting a forty-thousand-pound legally loaded vehicle or provided with a minimum of four inches of compacted Class II aggregate base. Facilities, buildings or portions of buildings hereafter constructed shall be accessible to fire department apparatus by way of an approved fire apparatus access road with an asphalt, concrete, or other approved driving surface capable of supporting the imposed load of fire apparatus weighing up to seventy-five thousand pounds.

h. A roadside vegetation fuel modification area as required by the fire department shall be maintained in accordance with Chapter 8.52. Regulations shall be provided for a distance of ten feet on each side of the driveway.

i. The standards in subsections (D)(1)(d) and (D)(1)(h) of this section may be modified by the fire marshal chief.

j. Flag lots in PD zoned districts shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with approval from the planning commission.

2. Multifamily Residential Projects.

a. Driveways for multifamily uses with four or less units shall have a minimum paved width of twenty feet.

b. Driveways for multifamily uses with more than four units shall have a minimum paved width of twenty-four feet.

c. Where a fire hydrant is located on a fire apparatus access road the minimum road width shall be twenty-six feet exclusive of shoulders pursuant to CFC Section D103.1.

3. Nonresidential Uses. Driveways for nonresidential uses shall have a minimum paved width of twelve feet for one-way driveways and twenty-four feet for two-way driveways. The maximum driveway width shall be thirty feet subject to approval of the planning director and city engineer, exclusive of the area provided for a median divider.

4. Modified Width. The review authority may modify the driveway width based on recommendations from the city engineer;

E. Clearance From Obstruction. The nearest edge of a driveway curb cut shall be at least three feet from the nearest property line, the centerline of a fire hydrant, utility pole, traffic signal, light standards, or other similar facilities. Street trees shall be a minimum of ten feet from the driveway access, measured at the trunk. Driveways shall have an overhead clearance as per Section 8.52.110 of fifteen feet in height except within a parking structure which may be reduced to seven feet, six inches;

F. Traffic Safety Sight Area. Structures or landscaping over thirty inches in height shall not be allowed within a traffic safety sight area except elements associated with a public utility or a traffic safety device;

G. Access Gates.

1. Gatse installations shall have a minimum opening clearance width of not less than that required for fire department access, in accordance with Appendix D of the California Fire Code.

2. A fire department approved key operated switch, Knox Box, or keypad shall be installed at a location to allow for emergency response access for all electronically operated access gates, as approved by the fire chief.

3. All security gates shall have a means of auxiliary back-up power in the event of an electrical power outage and shall be maintained operational at all times to ensure a means of egress for residents and for fire response access in accordance with the code.

4. Gates shall be positioned to allow for a minimum thirty-foot setback from the public right-of-way and shall open inward unless otherwise approved by the fire chief.

5. Gate entrances shall be at least two feet wider than the width of the traffic lane(s) serving that gate and a minimum width of fourteen feet unobstructed horizontal clearance for residential uses, and twenty-six feet horizontal clearance for commercial uses, and unobstructed vertical clearance of fifteen feet. (Ord. 546 (Att. A), 2025)