§ 4.1. Streets and alleys.

(a)

Arrangement, character, extent, width, grade and location of all streets shall conform to the comprehensive plan insofar as elements of the plan relating to streets have been officially adopted by city council, and shall be considered in their relation to existing and planned streets, topographical conditions, public conveniences and safety, and appropriate relation to the proposed uses of land to be served by such streets.

(b)

Where not indicated in the comprehensive plan, arrangement of streets in a subdivision shall either:

(1)

Provide for continuation or appropriate projection of existing arterial or collector streets in surrounding area; or

(2)

Where topography or other conditions make continuous or projection of existing streets unnecessary or impracticable shall conform to a general area plan approved by the planning commission.

(c)

Minor streets in residential neighborhoods shall be so laid out that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.

(d)

Where [a] subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial street or other streets carrying heavy traffic, the planning director may require marginal access streets, reversed frontage with screen planting contained in a nonaccess reservation along the rear property line, deep lots with rear service alleys, or such other treatment, including wider pavement widths, as may be necessary for adequate protection of residential or other properties and separation of local and through traffic.

(e)

Where a subdivision borders or contains a railroad or limited access highway right-of-way, the planning director may require a street approximately parallel to and on each side of such right-of-way and at such distance therefrom as required for appropriate use of intervening land, if any, and as determined with due regard for requirements of future approach grades and grade separations.

(f)

Reserve strips controlling sole access to public streets shall be prohibited unless their control is definitely placed in the city under conditions approved by the planning director.

(g)

Street jogs with centerline off-sets of less than one hundred twenty-five (125) feet shall be avoided.

(h)

No street intersection shall include more than four (4) street approaches.

(i)

Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles, and no street shall intersect another at less than sixty (60) degrees; provided, however, that other arrangements for smooth merging of traffic shall be permitted where the total effect on the intersection is to reduce traffic hazards and to provide for smooth traffic flow at the intersection as a whole.

(j)

Property lines at the intersection of minor streets with each other or with alleys shall be rounded with a minimum radius of ten (10) feet. Property lines at the intersection of alleys with any streets shall be rounded with a minimum radius of ten (10) feet. Property lines at all other street intersections shall be rounded with a minimum radius of twenty (20) feet.

(k)

A tangent at least one hundred (100) feet long shall be introduced between reverse curves on arterial and collector streets.

(l)

When connecting street lines deflect from each other, they shall be connected by a curve with a radius sufficient to insure a sight distance adequate for visibility and safety, as determined by the planning director in consultation with the city engineer after consideration of the character of the street and the types of speed of traffic anticipated.

(m)

(1) Street right-of-way widths shall be as specified in officially adopted elements of the comprehensive plan relating to streets. Where not shown therein, pavement widths and right-of-way widths for public streets shall be in relation to the proposed density and/or the land use of the property adjacent to the roads and within the parcel sought to be subdivided, but in no case, be less than as follows:

	Minimum R/W Width (feet)	Minimum Paved Width (face to face of curb) (feet)
Arterial	80	52
Collector	60	36
Minor:
a. Serving commercial or industrial uses	60	36
b. Serving residential lots of 7,500 square feet or more, or fewer than 10 lots of less than 7,500 square feet on a cul-de-sac, or 10 lots or more of less than 7,500 square feet where adequate legal assurance has been provided that all required driveways on lots served by such street shall be at least 18 feet wide	50	30
c. Serving townhouse lots in the R-2.5 zoning category	50	30
Marginal access	40	30
Alley	24	20
Residential cul-de-sac	40	30

 

Where curb and gutter is not required, minimum paved width, as stated above, shall be measured from edge of pavement to edge of pavement.

(n)

Except in planned unit developments established under the terms of the zoning ordinance, ^[2] public streets narrower than the city's standard minimum widths as described in provision 4.1(m) of this ordinance providing sole or primary access to two (2) or more lots are permissible only where topographic conditions will not permit public streets with widths as required above, or where reduction is necessary to achieve substantial protection of trees, and only if all of the following requirements are met:

(1)

Such street shall serve not more than twenty (20) dwelling units, each on a lot of at least fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet.

(2)

Minimum width of the right-of-way for such street shall be twenty (20) feet and may be required to be increased if necessary for installation and servicing of utilities outside the area of the driving surface. Minimum paved width shall be eighteen (18) feet.

(3)

Maximum length shall not exceed five hundred fifty (550) feet, except where topographic conditions require such greater length as may be necessary.

(4)

Design, location and improvement shall provide for safe intersection with public streets, safe passage of public service and emergency vehicles, and protection of adjoining property.

(5)

Where such a street is a cul-de-sac, it shall have a circular turnaround in accordance with provision 4.1(p) of this ordinance.

(o)

Half-streets are prohibited, except where essential to the reasonable development of the subdivision in relation to surrounding lands and where the planning director finds it practicable to require dedication of the other half when adjoining property is subdivided. Where a half street is adjacent to a tract to be subdivided, the other half of the street shall be platted within such tract at the time of its subdivision. No residence shall be constructed with sole access from a half street.

(p)

Except where unusual land configuration requires otherwise, cul-de-sac streets, designed to be so permanently, shall not be longer than:

(1)

Three thousand (3,000) feet to the turnaround if serving very-low-intensity residential uses (lot area per dwelling unit at or exceeding forty thousand (40,000) square feet) or

(2)

Fifteen hundred (1,500) feet to the turnaround if serving low-intensity residential uses (lot area per dwelling unit exceeding seventy-five hundred (7,500) square feet) but less than forty thousand (40,000) square feet or

(3)

One thousand (1,000) feet to the turnaround if serving residential uses of higher intensity.

All cul-de-sac streets shall be provided at the closed end with a circular turnaround having an outside roadway radius of forty (40) feet and a right-of-way radius of at least fifty (50) feet, except where other forms of turnaround are approved by the planning director as conforming to standard practice.

(q)

Street names shall be subject to approval by the planning director. No name shall be used which duplicates or is likely to be confused with the name of an existing street.

(r)

Unless other definite and assured provision is made for service access, such as off-street loading, unloading and the like, alleys shall be provided in commercial and industrial districts. Alley intersections and sharp changes in alignment shall be avoidable, corners shall be rounded to permit safe vehicular movement. Alleys which dead end against permanent barriers are prohibited unless approved provision for turnaround is made at the terminus.

(s)

The overall street plan for any subdivision must provide access to the subdivision by a public street connected to the existing road system of the city.

(t)

Bikeway location, type and width shall be as specified in the Virginia Beach Master Bikeway Plan.

(Ord. No. 860, 5-15-78; Ord. No. 1514, 1-28-85; Ord. No. 1582, 1-27-86; Ord. No. 1809, 9-6-88; Ord. No. 1979, 6-11-90; Ord. No. 2057, 4-23-91; Ord. No. 2155, 6-23-92; Ord. No. 2283, 6-28-94; Ord. No. 3087, 6-23-09; Ord. No. 3110, 11-24-09)

Cross reference— Streets, Ch. 33.

Footnotes:

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Cross reference— Zoning ordinance, App. A.